FLASHBACK FRIDAY :: The Martian

Flashback Fridays are set aside for a few words about a book, movie, television show, album or other favorite thing from my past I think may be worthy of your time.

Today is a trip into the not too distant past necessitated by news trickling out about a movie based on the best book I've read this year: The Martian by Andy Weir. To be directed by Ridley Scott, screenplay by Drew Goddard (World War Z), the cast thus far includes Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, and Kate Mara. Reportedly these folks are taking less than their usual payday in order to be part of the movie. If I could buy a ticket today for a November 2015 release, I'd do it.

Why so excited? The Martian blew the doors off my pressure vessel. In a nutshell, Mark Watney is part of a mission to Mars gone wrong. He's stranded with insufficient provisions and no way back. Martian toast. In his own words in the opening line of the book:

I'm pretty much fucked. 

What follows is a logbook of Mark's efforts to get off the Red Planet. I was somewhat reluctant to read it. I don't read a great deal of science fiction. I have no lifelong astronaut dream. I do not work in a job requiring much in the way of math or equations for very good reason. What the hell about this book was going to interest me? Turns out: Every. Damn. Thing.

I don't care who you are or what you read, this book is the first recommendation out of my mouth to anyone who asks (and many who don't), without hesitation. To date, no one has been disappointed. In fact, everyone raved. The Martian has something for everyone. Are you going to understand everything that's going on? Hell no. Does it matter? Hell no.

The Martian is hilarious, sciencey, ulcer-inducing, edge-of-your-seat reading.  If I could force you to read one book this year, this would be it.

I'm also a little partial to Andy as he's a local author and a really nice guy.  If you get a chance to see him at an event, do so.  Ask him how The Martian came to be a book, it's a fascinating story.