The Martian Themes

Isolation is one thing, but interplanetary isolation is a whole different ball game. Just ask Mark Watney. In The Martian, we watch as this brave botanist is stranded on Mars, separated from everyo...

While it might not feature any bloodthirsty aliens, The Martian is a pretty scary novel in its own right. Stranded on Mars without any hope of rescue, Mark Watney is stuck in his own personal horro...

Everything we know about sacrifice we learned from Creed's classic butt-rock anthem "My Sacrifice"—until The Martian came along, at least. The novel is filled with instances of people sacrificing...

If at first you blow yourself up, try and try again—that's how the phrase goes, right? Well, that's at least how you'd hear it if you were hanging out with Mark Watney, famed astronaut and star o...

Mark Watney has straight-up blinded us with science. As the first man ever stranded on the planet Mars, Mark is forced to do a lot of scientific improvisation, using his brain power (not to mention...

Mark Watney's fight for survival against Mars is as lopsided as a UFC match against Ronda Rousey. Don't get us mistaken: Mark does an incredible job and never gives up for a second. Still, the guy...

Mark Watney would give anything to be able to click his heels three times and get transported back home. Unfortunately for him, he's not in Oz—he's on Mars. After a sudden disaster cuts his missi...

If there's one thing you should learn from The Martian (besides the endless utility of duct tape), it's that friendship is one of the most powerful forces in the known universe. To put it simply, t...