Andy Weir’s first novel, The Martian, enjoyed a measure of success liable to make other writers slump slack-jawed and drooling, like Homer Simpson before a doughnut. Initially self-published, it became a word-of-mouth hit, got picked up by a regular publisher, sold 5m copies and was made into a blockbuster film by Ridley Scott. Straight out of the gates with a global hit.
Indeed, the book was such a blockbuster you probably know its story: an astronaut, stranded on Mars, has to use his scientific expertise to stay alive for two years until rescue can reach him. This simple narrative tug – will he survive or not? – gives Weir a line on which to hang a large number of interesting facts and little lectures. The reader learns a lot about the Martian environment, how to grow potatoes, how to get into orbit and so on. That’s the sweet spot The Martian hit: a likable protagonist in peril, saved by his own resourcefulness in a tale that leaves readers better informed about science than they were before they read it.
Weir adheres to the principle that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (and if it is broke, patch it up with duct tape)
Related: Science fiction roundup – reviews
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