The Martian
Mars is the fourth planet of the solar system from the sun. Mars has interested astronauts, scientists and many enthusiasts for ages due to the fact that it has the highest probability of supportingextra-terrestrial life. Astronauts still can’t explain Mars’s habitat. But for anyone who is interested in the red planet there is good news! I recently came across a novel (which instantly became one of myfavorites) which creates a hypothetical world on Mars! “The Martian” by Andy Weir, released in 2011, will definitely keep you on your toes!
Mark Watney, an astronaut from NASA along with his five crew mates go to Mars on a mission called “Ares 3”. The mission is aborted due to a sand storm and all astronauts are ordered to get back on the ship. Due to extreme circumstances Watney is declared dead and is left on Mars. Like every book there is a plot twist… Mark Watney is STILL ALIVE!
The book answers the question, “Can a man survive on Mars?”, in a very entertaining and scientific way. The book is narrated by many characters including Watney and his superiors at NASA who are trying to bring him back. Watney’s narration is done as logs he makes on each ‘sol’ on Mars. (A sol is a solar day on Mars which lasts24 hours, 39 minutes and 35.244 seconds.)
The storyline may sound depressing but it’s actually one of the most fun books I’ve read! Mark is a hilarious character and I couldn’t help laughing out loud while reading.
If you’re not a book fan like me, you can still enjoy this story as a movie. The book was adapted in to a movie by the same name in 2015. This was directed by Ridley Scott and features Matt Damon as the main character. He definitely did a great job bringing Watney's character to life!