I’ve read The Martian by Andy Weir, and I was expecting much of the same in this book. There are a lot of similarities, with a nerdy protagonist full of science facts and math skills. He uses these skills to survive, and to try to save the human race. All of this I expected, but there was a fundamental twist that made this book a little different. Thanks to this, I enjoyed the experience rather than feeling like it was just a recycled plot.
I don’t want to spoil anything here, so I think it is enough to say that the book was enjoyable, extremely nerdy (how much is too much?), and unfortunately suffered sometimes from the weight of all this science. It must have been tough to strike the right balance between hardcore science for the scientists, and simple easy-to-understand science for the layman readers. He did a good job overall, but sometimes it was tough to keep the story moving at a comfortable pace (for me).
Next is Sing Backwards and Weep by Mark Lanegan.
