The martian and Sci fi

“The Martian is a novel by Andy Weir about an astronaut in 2035 named Mark Watney who is impaled by an antenna in space and is believed dead by NASA. Actually he’s been alive through planting potatoes through alternative means and when NASA realize he’s alive, it’s an all out battle to get him back to Earth safe and sound. What makes this story work as a modern sci fi story is its sense of realism along with fantastical elements that differentiate it from the world we live in today. 2035 is not that far off, especially from 2011 the time this book was released. By that time, most believe we would’ve probably found a way to get to Mars and back and that mindset is what makes all of this less out of the ordinary than the typical flying cars sinario. It follows a ton of elements from past sci fis, one being their detailed explanations for anything scientific. Getting Mark back was far from easy, from the progress of a “Slingshot” Trajectory to making deals with China to fund The entire thing. Things are Vetoed, 4 year missions are scheduled and trying to get in contact with him all become part of the equation and these details add to the realism and believability that this could happen. It’s a serious response to a serious problem, a man who has tons of information that could help out billions for research is in danger, what could possibly be more important? Weir must’ve done intense research on the matter along with overthinking every sinario that could’ve came from this, that’s what makes a good sci fi, the intelligence and devotion to the world and its inhabitants around it. Another thing it greatly follows is its language, this book was no easy read. It’s diction and mannerism of explaining things in incredibly intense and sometimes hard to get through. It’s best for immersiveness and part of the reason I thought the movie failed from it, Mark doesn’t sound like a high schooler just a professional astronaut. In conclusion this book borrows a lot but creates a ton from new ways of explanations and it’s themes, Great read!