In Your Face, Neil Armstrong
If the title doesn't give it away, I just finished The Martian by Andy Weir. Having been on my to-read list for some time, the release of the trailer gave me that good push to move it up to the top. I debated back and forth between reading the actual book or listening via audiobook. After discussion with a few friends, and a free Audible trial that popped up on my Kindle Fire, I went with the audiobook. All told, I don't utilize audiobooks as much as I should. I bet I would get through more books if I did, but I, typically, prefer to focus on one book at time.
That said, choosing to listen to this story was a peachy decision. I started it on a Saturday afternoon, to give myself something in which to listen while prepping veggies for mango salsa and kale chips, and could not put it down/turn it off. Eventually, I fell asleep listening to it, which led to frantically looking for the last part that I remembered hearing upon waking the following morning. After nearly 24 hours straight of catering everything that I was doing around listening to this audiobook, I finished it.
To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. A few friends told me to be prepared because the science speak is fairly heavy. I won't lie; I scoffed. My space geekery and aeronautical degrees came into play fully. I need more books to get into as much detail, and maintain as much humor, as The Martian did. I think most are aware of the basis of the plot, by now. Mark Watney is part of a six-person crew on a mission to Mars when a terrible sandstorm comes ripping through the team's base of operations. He is left behind, due to no fault of the rest of the crew, and has to survive on Mars until NASA can figure out how to bring him home.
With the trailer released, I don't want to give away any spoilers. I'll just say that I am happy with the outcome of the book. Although, I wish it was extended a bit further. I felt it ended rather abruptly. I am eagerly awaiting comparing it with the movie. Book-to-screen comparisons are one of my favorite past times. I've been doing it since I was a kid with many books that I've read, and this story will be no different. Additionally, I was skeptical of casting Matt Damon in yet another astronaut role so soon after Interstellar. After the book, my skepticism has vanished.
Given my lack of wander into the land of audiobooks, I have no clue about any narrators. I must say, though, R.C. Bray does a magnificent job throughout The Martian. There are a number of characters that he must switch between, and he does so with ease. He brings each character to life complete with personality quirks and innate sarcasm. I'll have to make myself a note to search for more of his work.
The Martian has a release date of October 2nd. I can guarantee that I'll be at one of the first showings. With an all-star cast, which includes Matt Damon (Mark Watney), Jeff Daniels (Teddy Sanders), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Venkat Kapoor), Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson), Kristen Wiig (Annie Montrose), and Jessica Chastain (Melissa Lewis), this movie is going to, quite literally, rock my world. Make sure to check out the trailer below:
