Entry 1: Watney's Dilemma and Andy Weir Writing Prowess

 I have now read from the entry on Sol 6 to Sol 33. This book is so good so far. For this entry, I want to talk about the entries in this book! The formatting of this book makes it so much better than your average “and then he” books. I keep a journal personally, and the fact that he is keeping a journal or a “log” as he calls it, makes it so much more relatable. His journal is an amazing addition. I specifically like the entry for sol 11. All he has for that entry is one single sentence, which adds so much to the book. “I wonder how the Cubs are doing.” (Weir 13)This entry adds so much humanity to this character. Mark is shown as some roughneck survivor on a planet that isn’t meant to be survived on. But he’s not. He is just another person who wants to get out of a bad situation. This entry sums that up in one simple sentence. Our brains wander, and so does his.  Sometimes we have nothing to say, and neither does he. It does make me wonder however. Is he from Chicago? Andy Weir lives in California, so it seems strange that the Cubs are the team he chooses to reference. The Dodgers, the Angels, and the A's are much closer to him. It makes me wonder just a little bit why he chose that team. Anyway, back to the book. Another way he adds depth is his way of using specific measurements of time that are specific to Mars makes it more real. Any author could jack up a number of Earth days on Mars and chalk it up to the character doing the calculations. But Andy Weir went the extra mile. He specifically did research(his hobbies include relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned space flight as per his biography on the books back cover) to find that. Per the book, “A sol is 39 minutes longer than a day, so it works out to be 1425 days.” (Weir 18) His explanation skills and the use of legitimate research sets this book apart. Speaking of explanation, Weir is a master of explaining his process. Mark Watney is a botanist and an engineer, and he never makes you wonder what he is doing. Most authors write books that are them saying “he did this then this and that, followed by blah blah blah and it worked!” Weir doesn’t do that. In the book, Watney explains how he makes water, how he rations, his process for planting and growing food to last him until Ares 4 arrives. So far, the book has been so amazing, and I can’t wait to read more.

Source for this image: https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-david-robertson-pittsburgh-pirates-20220623-tbxtdnj35nbq5gyswxnbfceogm-story.html


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