While I initially thought that a novel about a man with an eye-rolling sense of humor surviving all alone on Mars could not be captivating, my opinion quickly changed as I read on. This change is not entirely due to this man’s survival itself, but to the responses of all those involved. NASA, other space agencies, and pretty much every person on (and off of) Earth banded together to save the life of one man in an amazing tale of survival. Despite this heartwarming tale, there is one narrative characteristic that caught my attention the most: hardness.

Though I am sure Andy Weir’s “The Martian” is not as hard as hard science fiction gets, it is certainly the hardest science fiction I have ever read. Throughout the novel mechanical engineer and botanist Mark Watney is chucking mechanical details and equations at the reader. If I had to, I would guess that a solid third of all the words in this book are numbers. That being said, the purpose of this hardness was well executed and effective. Every single calculation and adjustment Mark Watney must make could be his last, so it only makes sense that they are extremely important to him. As the reader sees most of his time on Mars through his sol logs, all information has already happened. Not only does the reader experience these events from Watney’s perspective, but the reader also receives Watney’s commentary. Through this commentary, Watney establishes the importance of each and every action he takes in an effort to survive. He explains, re-explains, references, and re-references practices and calculations in order to keep up with his many threats. The only respite the reader has from these internal calculations are Watney’s light-hearted jokes and musing about the seventies, but they only remind us of the desperation of an isolated and trapped man. Furthermore, these logs are intended to be read by peers or perhaps the general public in the event of his return or death. His logs are so detailed to naturally allow those back on Earth to see how he managed and perhaps use the valuable information to reshape what was previously thought of space colonization. Lastly, the hardness of “The Martian” made the story more realistic and understandable. One of the only things I had to take for granted was the argon engine, while the rest of the scientific processes not only made sense, but made sense to me as a 20 year old college student. These hard details combined with Mark Watney’s humor and vivid explanations created an immersive and suspenseful atmosphere for “The Martian.”