Who recommended The Martian?

24 people have recommended The Martian in the interviews, articles and reading lists we track, including Bill Gates, Nat Eliason, Ev Williams and Meghan Markle. Each name links to their full reading list.

Is The Martian worth reading?

24 people we track recommend it. It is best for: A high-school science teacher who wants to slam a book onto a reluctant student's desk and say, 'See? Physics keeps you alive.'; An engineer on parental leave who misses the dopamine hit of troubleshooting and needs a one-sitting story that rewards practical thinking.; A nervous flyer looking for a distraction during a long-haul flight—something tense but not terrifying, with a protagonist who refuses to panic.. It may not suit: You'll likely lose patience early when it becomes clear the entire book is a monologue—Mark Watney talking to himself and his logs—so if you crave dialogue and human interplay, you'll bounce off.; Around the fourth time Watney explains water reclamation chemistry, you'll likely put the book down if you're not fascinated by step-by-step technical solutions; the problem-solution loop grows repetitive.; The emotional tone stays stubbornly chipper; if you're waiting for a psychological crack or a deeper meditation on loneliness, the jaunty voice will grate and you'll likely abandon it before the rescue arc..

What books are like The Martian?

Readers of The Martian also turn to The Three-Body Problem, Dune and Project Hail Mary, based on the lists and recommenders these books share.

The Martian by Andy Weir: Recommended by 24 People

Name: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
ISBN: 9780606367202

Stranded on Mars by a duststorm that compromised his space suit and forced his crew to leave him behind, astronaut Mark Watney struggles to survive in spite of minimal supplies and environmental challenges that test his ingenuity.