Originally published in 2011, this book caught my notice when my younger sister listened to the audiobook about 2 years ago and told me “You have to read this someday”. Apparently, this was the sentiment of many a nerdy young engineer as it ended up in the Great American Read for most beloved novel. The story follows Mark Watney, trapped as he is on the Martian surface after a hasty evacuation of the rest of his crew. Some have critiqued the book, stating that it reads more like a nerd’s journal than an actual account of living on mars, to which I point out that Mark is supposed to be an engineer/botonist. He’s the very definition of a nerd. He’s not military, apparently, but rather an accomplished scientist that was selected for the mission. Which explains why his logs don’t read like Star Trek… unless they were written by Scotty.
There was also a movie made in 2015, starring Matt Damon as Mark, with other known names helping to boost the movie to a metascore of 80. Also, it should be noted, this is one of the few films were Sean Bean doesn’t die. (Seriously, Sean, you need to get a new agent.)
Library of 1000 Books 