Stranded! One of the most frightening words in any language since the days of sea-fairing; but how would it feel to be stranded alone on Mars? This is the position Mark Watney finds himself in when as a crew member of The Ares 3 mission to Mars the commander of the mission, mistakenly thinking Mark dead in the aftermath of unexpected problems, orders an abort of the mission and a return to Earth.

From here on it is a wonderfully written tale of one man's struggle to survive, against all odds, until help from Earth can arrive. The answers to the various problems he faces, (how do I make my food last, how do I communicate with Earth etc.) and the stoicism and ingenuity with which he addresses them, are brilliantly ingenious and very reminiscent of some of the real problems faced by the Apollo 13 crew, and the solutions they and NASA, between them, found.

The tale is told from Mark's logs as he rests from his attempts to survive and from NASA's logs as they try to help. A first rate book, especially recommended for techno-nerds but also thoroughly enjoyable by anyone who just enjoys an excellent read.