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The Martian - Andy Weir
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mcdow...@sky.com
Apr 30, 2016, 2:52:57 AM4/30/16
to
This reminds me a bit of when I read "A Martian Odyssey". It's clearly Science Fiction. It's hard Science Fiction (The Martian obviously more so than A Martian Odyssey). I'm glad I have read it, if only to add to my experience of the genre. But it didn't really grip me or entertain me. At the same time I started reading Drake's "Ranks of Bronze" to try out a Samsung Tab 4 Android tablet I bought. I've read it before, and it's not got the SF credentials that "The Martian" has, but I'm keener to return to that than I ever was to read "The Martian". I read the free preview of "Vanguard" from the link halfway down http://www.chrishanger.net/ and I'm keener to buy the full book than I was to continue "The Martian".
I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
Bill Gill
Apr 30, 2016, 9:18:22 AM4/30/16
to
On 4/30/2016 1:52 AM, mcdow...@sky.com wrote:
> This reminds me a bit of when I read "A Martian Odyssey". It's clearly Science Fiction. It's hard Science Fiction (The Martian obviously more so than A Martian Odyssey). I'm glad I have read it, if only to add to my experience of the genre. But it didn't really grip me or entertain me. At the same time I started reading Drake's "Ranks of Bronze" to try out a Samsung Tab 4 Android tablet I bought. I've read it before, and it's not got the SF credentials that "The Martian" has, but I'm keener to return to that than I ever was to read "The Martian". I read the free preview of "Vanguard" from the link halfway down http://www.chrishanger.net/ and I'm keener to buy the full book than I was to continue "The Martian".
>
> I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
>
It sounds to me as if you are more interested in books about
> This reminds me a bit of when I read "A Martian Odyssey". It's clearly Science Fiction. It's hard Science Fiction (The Martian obviously more so than A Martian Odyssey). I'm glad I have read it, if only to add to my experience of the genre. But it didn't really grip me or entertain me. At the same time I started reading Drake's "Ranks of Bronze" to try out a Samsung Tab 4 Android tablet I bought. I've read it before, and it's not got the SF credentials that "The Martian" has, but I'm keener to return to that than I ever was to read "The Martian". I read the free preview of "Vanguard" from the link halfway down http://www.chrishanger.net/ and I'm keener to buy the full book than I was to continue "The Martian".
>
> I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
>
people and their interactions than what you get in "The Martian".
I personally really liked "The Martian", in part because of all
the gadgeteering in it. I think this kind of represents a
difference among people. Some are more into relationships than
others. I suspect that there is a full spectrum between the
'relationship' people and the 'technical' people.
Bil
Brian M. Scott
Apr 30, 2016, 6:43:36 PM4/30/16
to
On Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:18:25 -0500, Bill Gill
<bill...@cox.net> wrote
in<news:ng2b4b$teq$1...@dont-email.me> in rec.arts.sf.written:
Probably more complicated than a straightforward spectrum,
but yes: the description alone was enough to tell me that I
had no interest in _The Martian_. To exaggerate only
slightly, it lacks both people and world-building, and what
it has doesn’t interest me -- in fiction, at least.
Brian
--
It was the neap tide, when the baga venture out of their
holes to root for sandtatties. The waves whispered
rhythmically over the packed sand: haggisss, haggisss,
haggisss.
<bill...@cox.net> wrote
in<news:ng2b4b$teq$1...@dont-email.me> in rec.arts.sf.written:
but yes: the description alone was enough to tell me that I
had no interest in _The Martian_. To exaggerate only
slightly, it lacks both people and world-building, and what
it has doesn’t interest me -- in fiction, at least.
Brian
--
It was the neap tide, when the baga venture out of their
holes to root for sandtatties. The waves whispered
rhythmically over the packed sand: haggisss, haggisss,
haggisss.
Lynn McGuire
Apr 30, 2016, 10:25:08 PM4/30/16
to
On 4/30/2016 1:52 AM, mcdow...@sky.com wrote:
> This reminds me a bit of when I read "A Martian Odyssey". It's clearly Science Fiction. It's hard Science Fiction (The Martian obviously more so than A Martian Odyssey). I'm glad I have read it, if only to add to my experience of the genre. But it didn't really grip me or entertain me. At the same time I started reading Drake's "Ranks of Bronze" to try out a Samsung Tab 4 Android tablet I bought. I've read it before, and it's not got the SF credentials that "The Martian" has, but I'm keener to return to that than I ever was to read "The Martian". I read the free preview of "Vanguard" from the link halfway down http://www.chrishanger.net/ and I'm keener to buy the full book than I was to continue "The Martian".
>
> I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
I liked it so much because it is pure hard science fiction. We could
>
> I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
build all of the spaceships using today's technology. I just figure
that the decade long program would cost around a trillion USA dollars.
The Hermes would be the single most expensive part:
https://briankoberlein.com/2015/10/06/the-science-behind-the-martian-hermes-spacecraft/
Lynn
J. Clarke
Apr 30, 2016, 10:52:45 PM4/30/16
to
In article <ng3p7i$5ir$1...@dont-email.me>, l...@winsim.com says...
If NASA does it, of course it will. If Elon Musk does it, probably not
so much.
so much.
Mart van de Wege
May 1, 2016, 5:26:14 AM5/1/16
to
Bill Gill <bill...@cox.net> writes:
> I personally really liked "The Martian", in part because of all
> the gadgeteering in it. I think this kind of represents a
> difference among people. Some are more into relationships than
> others. I suspect that there is a full spectrum between the
> 'relationship' people and the 'technical' people.
>
This is what I liked about the movie. While it didn't downplay the
> I personally really liked "The Martian", in part because of all
> the gadgeteering in it. I think this kind of represents a
> difference among people. Some are more into relationships than
> others. I suspect that there is a full spectrum between the
> 'relationship' people and the 'technical' people.
>
engineering challenges, it was very much about the human aspect of being
trapped on Mars, and how that affected him and the people on Earth.
Mart
--
"We will need a longer wall when the revolution comes."
--- AJS, quoting an uncertain source.
Lynn McGuire
May 2, 2016, 1:42:28 PM5/2/16
to
integral to both of these.
Lynn
Lynn McGuire
May 2, 2016, 4:44:38 PM5/2/16
to
On 4/30/2016 9:52 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
reveals the first details of its Mars architecture.":
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/spacex-plans-to-send-its-dragon-spacecraft-to-mars/
"To date SpaceX has revealed almost no specifics about its ambitious plans to send humans to Mars, something NASA acknowledges it
cannot do itself before the late 2030s—with more than $100 billion, to boot. It is therefore safe to say there is a fair amount of
skepticism in the traditional aerospace community about SpaceX's technical and financial wherewithal to pull off the colonization of
Mars during the next couple of decades. But Musk has said human missions could begin by about 2025."
Lynn
J. Clarke
May 2, 2016, 8:43:27 PM5/2/16
to
In article <ng8e13$kdc$1...@dont-email.me>, l...@winsim.com says...
terms of throwing away a few million bucks worth of launcher on every
flight. Musk knows damned well that that's no way to run a spaceline
and unlike NASA and "the traditional aerospace community" he's actually
doing something about it other than spending vast quantities of the
taxpayers' money on development programs like "Delta Clipper" and
"VentureStar" that never seem to produce a product.
>
> On 4/30/2016 9:52 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
> > In article <ng3p7i$5ir$1...@dont-email.me>, l...@winsim.com says...
> >>
> >> On 4/30/2016 1:52 AM, mcdow...@sky.com wrote:
> >>> This reminds me a bit of when I read "A Martian Odyssey". It's clearly Science Fiction. It's hard Science Fiction (The Martian obviously more so than A Martian Odyssey). I'm glad I have read it, if only to add to my experience of the genre. But it didn't really grip me or entertain me. At the same time I started reading Drake's "Ranks of Bronze" to try out a Samsung Tab 4 Android tablet I bought. I've read it before, and it's not got the SF credentials that "The
> > Martian" has, but I'm keener to return to that than I ever was to read "The Martian". I read the free preview of "Vanguard" from the link halfway down http://www.chrishanger.net/ and I'm keener to buy the full book than I was to continue "The Martian".
> >>>
> >>> I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature
> > and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
> >>
> >> I liked it so much because it is pure hard science fiction. We could
> >> build all of the spaceships using today's technology. I just figure
> >> that the decade long program would cost around a trillion USA dollars.
> >
> > If NASA does it, of course it will. If Elon Musk does it, probably not
> > so much.
> >
> >> The Hermes would be the single most expensive part:
> >>
> >> https://briankoberlein.com/2015/10/06/the-science-behind-the-martian-hermes-spacecraft/
> >>
> >> Lynn
>
>
> Well, there you are correct, Musk has a plan. "SpaceX plans to send its Dragon spacecraft to Mars, Elon Musk's company finally
> reveals the first details of its Mars architecture.":
> http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/spacex-plans-to-send-its-dragon-spacecraft-to-mars/
>
> "To date SpaceX has revealed almost no specifics about its ambitious plans to send humans to Mars, something NASA acknowledges it
> cannot do itself before the late 2030s?with more than $100 billion, to boot. It is therefore safe to say there is a fair amount of
> On 4/30/2016 9:52 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
> > In article <ng3p7i$5ir$1...@dont-email.me>, l...@winsim.com says...
> >>
> >> On 4/30/2016 1:52 AM, mcdow...@sky.com wrote:
> >>> This reminds me a bit of when I read "A Martian Odyssey". It's clearly Science Fiction. It's hard Science Fiction (The Martian obviously more so than A Martian Odyssey). I'm glad I have read it, if only to add to my experience of the genre. But it didn't really grip me or entertain me. At the same time I started reading Drake's "Ranks of Bronze" to try out a Samsung Tab 4 Android tablet I bought. I've read it before, and it's not got the SF credentials that "The
> > Martian" has, but I'm keener to return to that than I ever was to read "The Martian". I read the free preview of "Vanguard" from the link halfway down http://www.chrishanger.net/ and I'm keener to buy the full book than I was to continue "The Martian".
> >>>
> >>> I think part of this is that a lot of "The Martian" is one person solving a series of problems that - even in the future - most people won't have to solve for themselves. I think the few scenes within NASA were more entertaining. Also I didn't warm to the main character, although I'm not sure why not. I liked the narration of Corwin and Merlin in Zelazny's Amber series. I've been a bit down about the "revenge of the English Majors" in modern SF - too much literature
> > and not enough technical knowledge. I can't say this book is badly written - even at nit-picking level I can't pick out any glaring faults - but something in what it is or how it is written just doesn't quite catch me. I wonder if a second book by the same author, with advice from people aiming for mass sales, would be catchier?
> >>
> >> I liked it so much because it is pure hard science fiction. We could
> >> build all of the spaceships using today's technology. I just figure
> >> that the decade long program would cost around a trillion USA dollars.
> >
> > If NASA does it, of course it will. If Elon Musk does it, probably not
> > so much.
> >
> >> The Hermes would be the single most expensive part:
> >>
> >> https://briankoberlein.com/2015/10/06/the-science-behind-the-martian-hermes-spacecraft/
> >>
> >> Lynn
>
>
> Well, there you are correct, Musk has a plan. "SpaceX plans to send its Dragon spacecraft to Mars, Elon Musk's company finally
> reveals the first details of its Mars architecture.":
> http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/spacex-plans-to-send-its-dragon-spacecraft-to-mars/
>
> "To date SpaceX has revealed almost no specifics about its ambitious plans to send humans to Mars, something NASA acknowledges it
> skepticism in the traditional aerospace community about SpaceX's technical and financial wherewithal to pull off the colonization of
> Mars during the next couple of decades. But Musk has said human missions could begin by about 2025."
NASA and "the traditional aerospace community" are still thinking in
> Mars during the next couple of decades. But Musk has said human missions could begin by about 2025."
terms of throwing away a few million bucks worth of launcher on every
flight. Musk knows damned well that that's no way to run a spaceline
and unlike NASA and "the traditional aerospace community" he's actually
doing something about it other than spending vast quantities of the
taxpayers' money on development programs like "Delta Clipper" and
"VentureStar" that never seem to produce a product.
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