Being stranded on mars was the last thing on their minds. But on SOL 6, an unexpected sandstorm warranted the immediate scrub of the Ares 3 mission and a return to earth. In a series of events, including being impaled by a comms antenna, Mark Watney was left behind on the surface of mars due to his vitals appearing to flatline. But blood from his wound had created a weak seal and kept him alive. Having been left on mars, Watney endures a Murphy’s Law lifestyle. With limited supplies and unlimited time, he brainstorms ways to keep himself alive until he could be rescued. The Martian by Andy Weir tells Watney’s story of how he coped with being stranded on mars.

I enjoyed reading this book. All my life I have been interested in space because of how mysterious the great beyond is. I originally heard about this book after seeing a trailer for the movie. And I thought to myself that I need to read the book before I see the movie. As usual, the movie leaves parts of the book out. If I had to decide on if the book or the movie was better I would say they are about equal. The book goes into greater detail, but the movie visualizes the science.

Something to look forward to is that within my lifetime there will be humans on mars. I will get to witness humans step forth on a different ball of rock like my grandparents did before me. The current estimate is 2026! That is just 5 years away!