Author of the martian6/28/2023 This story was a tale of survival through technical skill, not through the breakthrough of mental barriers. Watney’s casual and often humorous method of communication seems like an intentional method on the part of the author to make sure the seemingly complex and technical science of the story is easily communicated to the reader, while also avoiding an in-depth psychological analysis of Watney or a philosophical exploration of what it means to be stranded alone in the middle of the desolate wasteland of Mars. This is exactly the quality of the primary voice of The Martian, in the form of Watney’s logs as he kept track of his time and accomplishments on Mars. They speak and think in such a way that is instinctual and effectively communicative. In casual conversation and thought, people generally don’t speak and think in veiled language. Those accomplishments are that the “science” of The Martian was very easily digestible and well communicated, and that the voice of Mark Watney (who for the most part was the narrator) came through crystal clear. But as I read further, I quickly realized the writing style was in fact masterful and focused, in that the style accomplished a few things but accomplished those things very well. When I first picked up The Martian, I was unimpressed with the quality of the writing style – or rather, with the lack of embellished images and thoughtful metaphor.
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