Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
More science problem solving and the same funny, likable narration, this time on a mission to save Earth.
How it differs: It adds an emotional friendship and a mystery about the narrator's own memory.
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Books Like The Martian
If you loved The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian is a survival story told with humor, where every chapter is a new problem and a smart, stubborn fix. Fans tend to want competence, real science, and a narrator who jokes while things go wrong.
Seveneves
by Neal Stephenson
Engineers and scientists race to keep people alive in space after a catastrophe, with lots of satisfying technical detail.
How it differs: Very long and much darker, with a large cast instead of one voice.
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
A gritty story set entirely on Mars about a hero who survives through grit and quick thinking.
How it differs: It is action-heavy dystopian adventure, with far more violence and politics than science.
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
A pure survival tale where a lone character learns, fails, and adapts step by step, just like Mark Watney.
How it differs: Set in the Canadian wilderness, shorter, and written for younger readers, but loved by adults too.
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