Book · 2011
The Martian
by Andy Weir
A botanist gets left for dead on Mars after a dust storm and has to grow his own food to survive until the next mission arrives, years later.
What does Reddit think of The Martian?
Nobody in the displayed quotes argues with The Martian; they just keep putting it on lists. The top comment is the book's own opening line, 'I'm pretty much fucked. That's my considered opinion. Fucked' (↑524), and the next two most-upvoted comments are both about reading experiences rather than the plot: one person's best flight ever, another's only successful night getting a newborn to sleep. The ↑336 r/suggestmeabook thread tells someone to read it even after seeing the film, no hedging attached. A ↑276 list drops it next to The Midnight Library and A Man Called Ove under 'books that made me feel happy,' odd company for a survival story, but that's where Reddit filed it. r/Fantasy's contribution here is mostly a joke about Sean Bean appearing in every adaptation (↑292), not a considered take. Twelve thousand-plus recognized mentions, and almost none displayed are actually arguing about anything.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · The comfort read people finish in one sitting, on a plane or with a newborn on their chest
- · Settled question: read it even if you've already seen the movie
- · A recurring slot on 'feel-good books' lists, next to gentler titles than its plot suggests
- · A stray Sean Bean/adaptation joke in r/Fantasy rather than a real discussion there
Common praise
- + The ↑388 comment says reading it on a plane was the best flight and the best reading experience of their life.
- + A separate ↑388 comment describes a newborn who would only sleep on their chest, and reading this straight through was how they finally got a night's sleep.
- + The ↑336 comment tells someone to read it even though they've already seen the movie, calling it 'absolutely worth it.'
Common criticism
- − The r/Fantasy appearances in the sample are riding along in a Sean Bean joke and a GRRM tangent, not actual takes on the book itself.
- − Nothing in the top-upvoted quotes engages with the science or the survival mechanics; it shows up as a mood pick, not a discussion topic.
- − Most of what's displayed is a list entry or a one-liner rather than an argument for or against it.
Who it's for
Read this on a plane, per the ↑388 account, or with a newborn asleep on your chest, per the parent two slots down — either way it's built for finishing somewhere you can't put it down. If your shelf still has the movie in the way, that's fine; the ↑336 thread says read it anyway. Don't go to the r/Fantasy quotes for a serious take, though; that subreddit mostly uses the title for a Sean Bean joke.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
- r/suggestmeabook 7,099
- r/booksuggestions 3,206
- r/printSF 1,733
- r/Fantasy 479
- r/YAlit 55
- r/RomanceBooks 40
- r/horrorlit 35
- r/TrueLit 16
Which Reddit comments matter for The Martian?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
““I'm pretty much f*****. That's my considered opinion. F*****.” Andy Weir, The Martian
“If you haven’t seen the film yet, I highly recommend reading the Martian. I read it on a plane and it was both the best plane ride and best reading experience I’ve ever had.
“My son was a bad sleeper. However, he slept like a log whilst laying on my chest. One night after a lot of crying I laid him onto me to get some calm. Started reading The Martian. It was so good that I read it until the morning. Wife was really grateful for the night's sleep.
“As this is the fantasy subreddit, I have to go with George RR Martin's Game of Thrones or, more specifically, A Storm of Swords. I've never read such a dense and complex series where the author managed to not only neatly tie plots together but built such an incredible world. He wrote plot twists I n…
“I am so sorry. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is gripping and a good escape The Martian by Andy Weir is great and absolutely worth reading even if you've seen the movie Life of Pi by Yann Martel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
“If we look at Sharpe, LOTR, GOT, and The Martian, I think it’s quite clear what a successful book to screen adaptation needs: Sean Bean.
“*Is* science fiction vanishing? If so, this article does a terrible job at evidencing such. The fact 12% of readers read science fiction seems quite healthy, and equivalent to other genres. There's no indication whether this percentage is higher or lower than in the past. The fact that in Dec '2…
“Same as the Martian, I feel like it is appealing to a broad audience (including people who read less) because of its fast-paced, movie-like qualities, humor, MacGyvering solutions, as well as pretty solid reasoning and science behind it all.
“Honestly any book. Just reading is therapeutic. Read what you’ll finish. The Martian is always a great kickstart to reading again
“The Martian was a great read
“The Martian and Project Hail Mary are wholesome page-turners. Hang in there, buddy.
“The Martian by Andy weir and the hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy are both reads that made me laugh out loud.
“My favorite from the Martian is “Yes of course duct tape works in near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped.” I tend to avoid comedy in books and movies but this book made me laugh out loud so many times. I loved how humorous Mark Watney was as he was tryin…
“I did *The Martian* by Andy Weir in one sitting. Didn't plan to buy it was engrossing the first time.
“The Martian. I recommend it way too much tbh, but can you blame me? It's a very well written sci-fi about a guy who's stranded on Mars. He has to figure out how to contact the guys on Earth, make his food supply last, and figure out how he's going to get off all while trying not to die. It's super f…
Convinced? Pick up The Martian
Readers also mention
All books like The Martian →Books that share discussion threads with The Martian — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring The Martian
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The Martian — frequently asked
Is The Martian worth reading if I already saw the movie?+
Yes, per the ↑336 r/suggestmeabook comment, which calls it 'great and absolutely worth reading even if you've seen the movie.' Nobody in the top-upvoted quotes disputes that, and nobody here argues reading order matters.
Is The Martian a good plane read?+
According to the ↑388 comment, it was 'the best plane ride and best reading experience' the commenter has had. That's one account identifier's experience, not a universal verdict, but the same one-sitting quality shows up again in a separate comment about reading through the night with a sleeping newborn.
Why does The Martian show up on 'feel-good books' lists next to The Midnight Library?+
Because a ↑276 r/suggestmeabook list puts them there together, alongside A Man Called Ove and Bossypants. Odd company for a story about being marooned and 'pretty much fucked,' per the book's own most-upvoted quoted line, but that's the list Reddit built.
Does r/Fantasy actually recommend The Martian?+
Not really as its own pick. The top r/Fantasy excerpts here use the title as part of a joke about Sean Bean showing up in every adaptation (↑292) or as a passing comparison point in a GRRM discussion (↑350), not as a considered recommendation.