I wish I could pinpoint exactly what about this story makes it so compelling, but the truth is that it’s a variety of things mixing into the perfect combination. I felt like I knew the characters, everyone from Mark himself down to NASA techs who were only mentioned once. People talk about how books can transport you to another world, and it’s been a long time since my cynical heart believed that to be true. But this book felt real. I don’t think I stopped holding my breath for the entire last three chapters; I was too engrossed in the story and in the fate of Watney and his crewmates. Throughout the book, the one worrying thought I had in the back of my mind was, “Wouldn’t someone resist spending all this time, effort, and money just to save one person?” I live in the U.S., where a huge swath of the population argues against government programmes to feed the hungry, so they don’t starve to death. The idea that they would be quiet when billions of dollars are being spent to save one man sounds absurd to me. But I think it’s a combination of the scientific gains from bringing Watney back to share everything he learned during his time on Mars, as well as what he says at the end: maybe people really are inherently good, and maybe they really do want to help others when they can. It’s weird that a novel about a man stranded alone on another planet made me feel hopeful, but it really did. What did you think of the novel? Let’s talk about it in the comments. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
