Social Distancing with The Martian

Andy Weir’s The Martian is one of the most compelling science fiction novels because it is rooted in reality—not just because Mark Watney was social distancing before it was cool.

Every one of Watney’s solutions or theories are defined with math or science, including mistakes, like when he accidentally exploded part of the HAB. Even if readers don’t understand all of it, the explanations make the story feel plausible.

Plus, Watney’s joking outlook, the individualization of his crewmates, and the awkward NASA scientists adds another layer of authenticity. The addition of NASA’s Director of Media Relations, Annie Montrose, makes the novel even more accessible to readers without science backgrounds. Teddy or Venkat usually clarify the latest developments in more basic terms so Annie can regurgitate it for the public.

While The Martian is a classic example of science fiction, another genre it could fall into is a thriller. Every log entry left me wanting more. I had genuine anxiety while reading this novel, up until the very last page. Every challenge—the explosion in the HAB, the death of Watney’s potato farm, the dust storm, the acceleration challenges during the rescue—had my heart pounding, my hands sweating.

An unexpected genre that The Martian touches on is humor. I was surprised at how much this book had me laughing, like when Martinez typed on Johanssen’s computer that he wanted to make sweet love to Watney after the rescue mission. Watney’s down-to-Earth personality—I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist—lightens the story and makes it more human. For example, when Teddy, after discussing the solemnity of Watney’s situation, wondered what must be going through Watney’s head, and the next log entry was Watney wondering why Aquaman can control whales.

The world came together to help Mark Watney, much like the world is doing now in order to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic. The Martian reminds us of how important our world’s scientists and doctors are.

While I and others across the world are practicing social distancing in our homes, separated from friends and family, Mark Watney was experiencing true isolation. He was literally the only person on the planet and assumed everyone from his life believed he was dead. For long periods of time, he couldn’t even contact NASA or his old crewmates.

Mark Watney was utterly alone.

But he wrote and binge-watched TV shows as many of us are doing now. He faced his problems with humor, while acknowledging the gravity—the puns on this blog need to stop—of the situation.

Watney accepted his possible gruesome fate, but he attacked problems with reason and logic, taking risks if he had to. We could all learn from Mark Watney in times of crisis. When there seemed to be no hope, he found a way to forge on. There’s always a solution. And when there was no solution, he got creative and invented one.

So will we.