The Martian

Mark Watney's problem-solving thought process is sufficiently like software engineering that I'd not be surprised to learn Weir had done some in the past. The story is compelling and the setbacks believable. Mark is not an over-powered superman surviving in an impossible position but a solutions-minded scientist doing his best with what he has available. The supporting cast of earthbound characters is lovable in their own way.

If I was to take a point off anything it's that I find all the characters save mark to be a bit flat, but the perspectives and framing used to deliver the narrative are a bit like having a hand behind your back in that regard. This was a really good "first" outing for Weir and it's not surprising based on this that his other work is also quite good.

I went in with the understanding this was a book about a bunch of whatif science problems so enjoyed it. The author did a good job of keeping things moving forward without getting too bogged down in detail. The structure of the story meant the protagonist was maybe the most upbeat superhuman I’ve met so it there was no emotional stakes but that was by design.

And probably at least semi realistic? Didn't like it as much as Project Hail Mary by the same author. This sorta read as a sequence of "oh crap, another thing went wrong" problems, followed by solutions. I'm certain this is realistic - or even still overly optimistic, given what they were surviving through - but kinda made for an overly long, repetitive narrative. I suspect this is part of why they cut some of these out of the movie (and to save time, but also it got repetitive). Nevertheless, a fun read if you enjoy sci-fi that sticks close to contemporary science.

No actual characters. Extreme Mary Sue. At least it's a quick read.