Book recommendation for March 2026: “The Martian” by Andy Weir
What would you do if you were left behind, on your own, on Mars? If you read The Martian, then you’ll have a pretty epic how-to-guide to help you (including how to grow your own Martian potatoes).
What it’s about: Mark Watney is an astronaut on NASA’s crewed mission to Mars but, shortly after setting up their camp on the planet, a freak storm forces the crew to abandon the mission. They believe Mark was killed during the storm and his body is left behind. The problem is, Mark didn’t die. He is left stranded on Mars and he needs to figure out how to stay alive, and then get back to Earth.
Why I love it: Normally, I am not one for hard science fiction books (my brain hurts trying to understand complex scientific principles) but I could not put this down. It is absolutely brilliant. It is so well written and in such a way that even I understood what was going on. Rarely has a protagonist been in such peril and isolation, yet he is (very plausibly) competent and adaptable and resourceful enough to rise to the extreme challenge. And, as the story flips between Mark and mission control on Earth (who understandably feel both guilty as heck and desperate to save him), the tension keeps ratcheting up. There’s a film version starring Matt Damon, which I thought was a very good adaptation. It’s just a fantastic story and if you’ve not read it, then what are you waiting for?
Beyond the book: My wife bought me this a number of years ago and she has an uncanny ability to buy me books that I might not have chosen myself, but which I have ended up loving. This is right at the top of that list. And it also ties in with my recent news that I was a Finalist in the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, after I wrote my first hard science fiction story. On my website, you might have noticed that I indirectly referenced The Martian as to the type of story you would not expect to find if you read through my published works. I now have to scratch that off!
It might be time to revisit what kind of stories I think I write!
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