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Artemis: A Novel Hardcover – November 14, 2017
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“An action-packed techno-thriller of the first order.”—USA Today
Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.
Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.
So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. But engineering the perfect crime is just the start of her problems—because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis herself.
Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, she’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.
Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.
That’ll have to do.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBallantine Books
- Publication dateNovember 14, 2017
- Dimensions6.3 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100553448129
- ISBN-13978-0553448122
- Lexile measureHL580L
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From the Publisher
Artemis: A Novel
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Revitalizes the Lunar-colony scenario, with the author’s characteristic blend of engineering know-how and survival suspense. . . . Jazz is a great heroine, tough with a soft core, crooked with inner honesty.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Smart and sharp . . . Weir has done it again [with] a sci-fi crowd pleaser made for the big screen.”—Salon
“Makes cutting-edge science sexy and relevant . . . Weir has created a realistic and fascinating future society, and every detail feels authentic and scientifically sound.”—Associated Press
“Out-of-this-world storytelling.”—Houston Chronicle
"Weir excels when it comes to geeky references, snarky humour and scenes of ingenious scientific problem-solving.”—Financial Times
“Weir has done the impossible—he’s topped The Martian with a sci-fi-noir-thriller set in a city on the moon. What more do you want from life? Go read it!”—Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter
“Everything you could hope for in a follow-up to The Martian: another smart, fun, fast-paced adventure that you won’t be able to put down.”—Ernest Cline, New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One
“A superior near-future thriller . . . with a healthy dose of humor.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An exciting, whip-smart, funny thrill-ride . . . one of the best science fiction novels of the year.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Narrated by a kick-ass leading lady, this thriller has it all—a smart plot, laugh-out-loud funny moments, and really cool science.”—Library Journal (starred review)
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
I bounded over the gray, dusty terrain toward the huge dome of Conrad Bubble. Its airlock, ringed with red lights, stood distressingly far away.
It’s hard to run with a hundred kilograms of gear on--even in lunar gravity. But you’d be amazed how fast you can hustle when your life is on the line.
Bob ran beside me. His voice came over the radio: “Let me connect my tanks to your suit!”
“That’ll just get you killed too.”
“The leak’s huge,” he huffed. “I can see the gas escaping your tanks.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
“I’m the EVA master here,” Bob said. “Stop right now and let me cross-connect!”
“Negative.” I kept running. “There was a pop right before the leak alarm. Metal fatigue. Got to be the valve assembly. If you cross-connect you’ll puncture your line on a jagged edge.”
“I’m willing to take that risk!”
“I’m not willing to let you,” I said. “Trust me on this, Bob. I know metal.”
I switched to long, even hops. It felt like slow motion, but it was the best way to move with all that weight. My helmet’s heads-up display said the airlock was fifty-two meters away. I glanced at my arm readouts. My oxygen reserve plummeted while I watched. So I stopped watching.
The long strides paid off. I was really hauling ass now. I even left Bob behind, and he’s the most skilled EVA master on the moon. That’s the trick: Add more forward momentum every time you touch the ground. But that also means each hop is a tricky affair. If you screw up, you’ll face-plant and slide along the ground. EVA suits are tough, but it’s best not to grind them against regolith.
“You’re going too fast! If you trip you could crack your faceplate!”
“Better than sucking vacuum,” I said. “I’ve got maybe ten seconds.”
“I’m way behind you,” he said. “Don’t wait for me.”
I only realized how fast I was going when the triangular plates of Conrad filled my view. They were growing very quickly.
“Shit!” No time to slow down. I made one final leap and added a forward roll. I timed it just right--more out of luck than skill--and hit the wall with my feet. Okay, Bob was right. I’d been going way too fast.
I hit the ground, scrambled to my feet, and clawed at the hatch crank.
My ears popped. Alarms blared in my helmet. The tank was on its last legs--it couldn’t counteract the leak anymore.
I pushed the hatch open and fell inside. I gasped for breath and my vision blurred. I kicked the hatch closed, reached up to the emergency tank, and yanked out the pin.
The top of the tank flew off and air flooded into the compartment. It came out so fast, half of it liquefied into fog particles from the cooling that comes with rapid expansion. I fell to the ground, barely conscious.
I panted in my suit and suppressed the urge to puke. That was way the hell more exertion than I’m built for. An oxygen-deprivation headache took root. It’d be with me for a few hours, at least. I’d managed to get altitude sickness on the moon.
The hiss died to a trickle, then finished.
Bob finally made it to the hatch. I saw him peek in through the small round window.
“Status?” he radioed.
“Conscious,” I wheezed.
“Can you stand? Or should I call for an assist?”
Bob couldn’t come in without killing me--I was lying in the airlock with a bad suit. But any of the two thousand people inside the city could open the airlock from the other side and drag me in.
“No need.” I got to my hands and knees, then to my feet. I steadied myself against the control panel and initiated the cleanse. High-pressure air jets blasted me from all angles. Gray lunar dust swirled in the airlock and got pulled into filtered vents along the wall.
After the cleanse, the inner hatch door opened automatically.
I stepped into the antechamber, resealed the inner hatch, and plopped down on a bench.
Bob cycled through the airlock the normal way--no dramatic emergency tank (which now had to be replaced, by the way). Just the normal pumps-and-valves method. After his cleanse cycle, he joined me in the antechamber.
I wordlessly helped Bob out of his helmet and gloves. You should never make someone de-suit themselves. Sure, it’s doable, but it’s a pain in the ass. There’s a tradition to these things. He returned the favor.
“Well, that sucked,” I said as he lifted my helmet off.
“You almost died.” He stepped out of his suit. “You should have listened to my instructions.”
I wriggled out of my suit and looked at the back. I pointed to a jagged piece of metal that was once a valve. “Blown valve. Just like I said. Metal fatigue.”
He peered at the valve and nodded. “Okay. You were right to refuse cross-connection. Well done. But this still shouldn’t have happened. Where the hell did you get that suit?”
“I bought it used.”
“Why would you buy a used suit?”
“Because I couldn’t afford a new one. I barely had enough money for a used one and you assholes won’t let me join the guild until I own a suit.”
“You should have saved up for a new one.” Bob Lewis is a former US Marine with a no-bullshit attitude. More important, he’s the EVA Guild’s head trainer. He answers to the guild master, but Bob and Bob alone determines your suitability to become a member. And if you aren’t a member, you aren’t allowed to do solo EVAs or lead groups of tourists on the surface. That’s how guilds work. Dicks.
“So? How’d I do?”
He snorted. “Are you kidding me? You failed the exam, Jazz. You super-duper failed.”
“Why?!” I demanded. “I did all the required maneuvers, accomplished all the tasks, and finished the obstacle course in under seven minutes. And, when a near-fatal problem occurred, I kept from endangering my partner and got safely back to town.”
He opened a locker and stacked his gloves and helmet inside. “Your suit is your responsibility. It failed. That means you failed.”
“How can you blame me for that leak?! Everything was fine when we headed out!”
“This is a results-oriented profession. The moon’s a mean old bitch. She doesn’t care why your suit fails. She just kills you when it does. You should have inspected your gear better.” He hung the rest of his suit on its custom rack in the locker.
“Come on, Bob!”
“Jazz, you almost died out there. How can I possibly give you a pass?” He closed the locker and started to leave. “You can retake the test in six months.”
I blocked his path. “That’s so ridiculous! Why do I have to put my life on hold because of some arbitrary guild rule?”
“Pay more attention to equipment inspection.” He stepped around me and out of the antechamber. “And pay full price when you get that leak fixed.”
I watched him go, then slumped onto the bench.
“Fuck.”
I plodded through the maze of aluminum corridors to my home. At least it wasn’t a long walk. The whole city is only half a kilometer across.
I live in Artemis, the first (and so far, only) city on the moon. It’s made of five huge spheres called “bubbles.” They’re half underground, so Artemis looks exactly like old sci-fi books said a moon city should look: a bunch of domes. You just can’t see the parts that are belowground.
Armstrong Bubble sits in the middle, surrounded by Aldrin, Conrad, Bean, and Shepard. The bubbles each connect to their neighbors via tunnels. I remember making a model of Artemis as an assignment in elementary school. Pretty simple: just some balls and sticks. It took ten minutes.
It’s pricey to get here and expensive as hell to live here. But a city can’t just be rich tourists and eccentric billionaires. It needs working-class people too. You don’t expect J. Worthalot Richbastard III to clean his own toilet, do you?
I’m one of the little people.
I live in Conrad Down 15, a grungy area fifteen floors underground in Conrad Bubble. If my neighborhood were wine, connoisseurs would describe it as “shitty, with overtones of failure and poor life decisions.”
I walked down the row of closely spaced square doors until I got to my own. Mine was a “lower” bunk, at least. Easier to get into and out of. I waved my Gizmo across the lock and the door clicked open. I crawled in and closed it behind me.
I lay in the bunk and stared at the ceiling--which was less than a meter from my face.
Technically, it’s a “capsule domicile” but everyone calls them coffins. It’s just an enclosed bunk with a door I can lock. There’s only one use for a coffin: sleep. Well, okay, there’s another use (which also involves being horizontal), but you get my point.
I have a bed and a shelf. That’s it. There’s a communal bathroom down the hall and public showers a few blocks away. My coffin isn’t going to be featured in Better Homes and Moonscapes anytime soon, but it’s all I can afford.
I checked my Gizmo for the time. “Craaaap.”
No time to brood. The KSC freighter was landing that afternoon and I’d have work to do.
To be clear: The sun doesn’t define “afternoon” for us. We only get a “noon” every twenty-eight Earth days and we can’t see it anyway. Each bubble has two six-centimeter-thick hulls with a meter of crushed rock between them. You could shoot a howitzer at the city and it still wouldn’t leak. Sunlight definitely can’t get in.
So what do we use for time of day? Kenya Time. It was afternoon in Nairobi, so it was afternoon in Artemis.
I was sweaty and gross from my near-death EVA. There was no time to shower, but I could change, at least. I lay flat, stripped off my EVA coolant-wear, and pulled on my blue jumpsuit. I fastened the belt then sat up, cross-legged, and put my hair in a ponytail. Then I grabbed my Gizmo and headed out.
We don’t have streets in Artemis. We have hallways. It costs a lot of money to make real estate on the moon and they sure as hell aren’t going to waste it on roads. You can have an electric cart or scooter if you want, but the hallways are designed for foot traffic. It’s only one-sixth Earth’s gravity. Walking doesn’t take much energy.
The shittier the neighborhood, the narrower the halls. Conrad Down’s halls are positively claustrophobic. They’re just wide enough for two people to pass each other by turning sideways.
I wound through the corridors toward the center of Down 15. None of the elevators were nearby, so I bounded up the stairs three at a time. Stairwells in the core are just like stairwells on Earth--short little twenty-one-centimeter-high steps. It makes the tourists more comfortable. In areas that don’t get tourists, stairs are each a half meter high. That’s lunar gravity for you. Anyway, I hopped up the tourist stairs until I reached ground level. Walking up fifteen floors of stairwell probably sounds horrible, but it’s not that big a deal here. I wasn’t even winded.
Ground level is where all the tunnels connecting to other bubbles come in. Naturally, all the shops, boutiques, and other tourist traps want to be there to take advantage of the foot traffic. In Conrad, that mostly meant restaurants selling Gunk to tourists who can’t afford real food.
A small crowd funneled into the Aldrin Connector. It’s the only way to get from Conrad to Aldrin (other than going the long way around through Armstrong), so it’s a major thoroughfare. I passed by the huge circular plug door on my way in. If the tunnel breached, the escaping air from Conrad would force that door closed. Everyone in Conrad would be saved. If you were in the tunnel at the time . . . well, it sucks to be you.
“Well, if it isn’t Jazz Bashara!” said a nearby asshole. He acted like we were friends. We weren’t friends.
“Dale,” I said. I kept walking.
He hurried to catch up. “Must be a cargo ship coming in. Nothing else gets your lazy ass in uniform.”
“Hey, remember that time I gave a shit about what you have to say? Oh wait, my mistake. That never happened.”
“I hear you failed the EVA exam today.” He tsked in mock disappointment. “Tough break. I passed on my first try, but we can’t all be me, can we?”
“Fuck off.”
“Yeah, I got to tell you, tourists pay good money to go outside. Hell, I’m headed to the Visitor Center right now to give some tours. I’ll be raking it in.”
“Make sure to hop on the really sharp rocks while you’re out there.”
“Nah,” he said. “People who passed the exam know better than to do that.”
“It was just a lark,” I said nonchalantly. “It’s not like EVA work is a real job.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Someday I hope to be a delivery girl like you.”
“Porter,” I grumbled. “The term is ‘porter.’ ”
He smirked in a very punchable way. Thankfully we’d made it to Aldrin Bubble. I shouldered past him and out of the connector. Aldrin’s plug door stood vigil, just as Conrad’s did. I hurried ahead and took a sharp right just to get out of Dale’s line of sight.
Aldrin is the opposite of Conrad in every respect. Conrad’s full of plumbers, glass blowers, metalworkers, welding shops, repair shops . . . the list goes on. But Aldrin is truly a resort. It has hotels, casinos, whorehouses, theaters, and even an honest-to-God park with real grass. Wealthy tourists from all over Earth come for two-week stays.
I passed through the Arcade. It wasn’t the fastest route to where I was going, but I liked the view.
New York has Fifth Avenue, London has Bond Street, and Artemis has the Arcade. The stores don’t bother to list prices. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. The Ritz-Carlton Artemis occupies an entire block and extends five floors up and another five down. A single night there costs 12,000 slugs--more than I make in a month as a porter (though I have other sources of income).
Despite the costs of a lunar vacation, demand always exceeds supply. Middle-class Earthers can afford it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience with suitable financing. They stay at crappier hotels in crappier bubbles like Conrad. But wealthy folks make annual trips and stay in nice hotels. And my, oh my, do they shop.
More than anywhere else, Aldrin is where money enters Artemis.
There was nothing in the shopping district I could afford. But someday, I’d have enough to belong there. That was my plan, anyway. I took one more long look, then turned away and headed to the Port of Entry.
Product details
- Publisher : Ballantine Books
- Publication date : November 14, 2017
- Edition : First Edition
- Language : English
- Print length : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0553448129
- ISBN-13 : 978-0553448122
- Item Weight : 7.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 6.3 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- Lexile measure : HL580L
- Best Sellers Rank: #29,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Science Fiction Adventures
- #45 in Hard Science Fiction (Books)
- #82 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

ANDY WEIR built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time.
He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail.
He lives in California.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this science fiction novel engaging, with a fast-paced plot that moves at a good pace and accurate scientific content. The writing is well-crafted, with one customer noting it's thought out to the smallest detail. While the characters are interesting, some find them two-dimensional, and the humor receives mixed reactions, with some appreciating the humor while others find it trying to be too funny at critical points. The Martian aspect also gets mixed reviews, with some saying it's a good follow-up to The Martian while others find it not very good.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book entertaining and enjoyable, particularly as a caper novel, with one customer describing it as a fun sci-fi romp.
"...I'll start by saying that I enjoyed The Martian for the humor and technical aspects of the science portrayed...." Read more
"...The plot was thickening, the pace quickened, thrilling arrived, and there was a lot more happening...." Read more
"Really different style of writing from earlier books, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!..." Read more
"...so well from the storytelling angle that it will make an excellent feature film...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's plot twists, describing it as an exciting hard science fiction story that moves at a good pace with a believable narrative flow.
"...Once we moved into the second half things got much better. The plot was thickening, the pace quickened, thrilling arrived, and there was a lot more..." Read more
"...I also believe this work hangs together so well from the storytelling angle that it will make an excellent feature film...." Read more
"...This gives the book more of a sense of narrative flow, but also de-centers the technical material that so fascinated many of Weir's fans in the..." Read more
"...The story wanders around, trying to lay out a foundation for the ending, but doesn't move the story in the process. Most of the story is that way...." Read more
Customers appreciate the heavy dose of science in the book, finding the technical details fascinating and accurate.
"...saying that I enjoyed The Martian for the humor and technical aspects of the science portrayed...." Read more
"...It shows that the content is well researched and that what is happening is scientifically and technically possible...." Read more
"...This Reviewer found the science within the story plausible—with the exception of Jazz surviving her suit rupture while on the lunar surface...." Read more
"...The technical detail is fascinating and carefully considered (do you know how to light a welding torch in outer space? - read this to learn!)...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, particularly its intelligent background construction and compelling world-building, with one customer noting it is thought out to the smallest detail.
"...of rich material to work from, and would absolutely be a wonderful way to delve deeper into all of it...." Read more
"...Although she seemed nice enough, I don't think I really got onboard with her...." Read more
"Really different style of writing from earlier books, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!..." Read more
"...She is widely recognized as exceptionally smart and resourceful, but chooses to isolate herself and refuses any assistance from her father, a..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pacing, describing it as a fast-paced read that flows smoothly, with one customer noting it reads like a short story.
"...I was entertained, it flowed smoothly, and it made me appreciate this writers style...." Read more
"...Fun, fast read and a well-worked-out caper threaded through the technical constraints of its lunar setting. Another Weir home run...." Read more
"...At about 300 pages, it's a quick read even for those who aren't necessarily science-savvy...." Read more
"...I found the first half of the book very slow. I realize that it was all about setting up for the second half, but I didn't find it that engaging...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them interesting and noting the protagonist's spunk, while others point out that the characters are too perfect and the main character doesn't work well.
"...What a cool story, with interesting, fun characters...." Read more
"..."Artemis" is a fun and exciting read, and the protagonist is a brilliant character with a sassy personality not unlike that of the main..." Read more
"...For such an amazing premise and world, the protagonist was lazy writing...." Read more
"...It sounds interesting enough, a colony on the moon with a strong female protagonist...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the Martian aspect of the book, with some finding it amazing and a good follow-up to the original, while others say it's not very good.
"I’m a big fan of Andy Weir. Loved The Martian and in my opinion Hail Mary was even better...." Read more
"...THE MARTIAN was a great book, filled with enough nerdy science to keep me glue to the electronic pages, as well as flipping through them as fast as..." Read more
"...This is a very different book but I have a feeling the science and math would once again check out...." Read more
"...'s second novel, it's a very entertaining read, and a significant departure from The Martian...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the humor in the book, with some enjoying the great story with humor while others note that it tries to be too funny at critical points.
"...Jazz’s character was quite immature, obnoxious, and yet quite gifted...." Read more
"...by second crisis combined with the astronaut’s logical solutions, poise and healthy dose of gallows humor...." Read more
"...Although I found Jazz immature and somewhat annoying (I might have accepted her better if she was 19 or so), she did have some redeeming qualities..." Read more
"...I just find Artemis to be completely contrived. The plot is absolutely ridiculous and the characters do not behave or speak like real people...." Read more
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2019Format: KindleVerified PurchaseWhen I review books I do not reiterate what I read. I do not pick it apart to where there is nothing left for the would be reader to discover for themselves. I like to let the potential reader know if I liked it overall with a few extra details. So no worry on spoilers. I'll keep my thoughts on it as short as possible. I'll start by saying that I enjoyed The Martian for the humor and technical aspects of the science portrayed. The details brought me to an unfamiliar landscape with a situation I will likely never be in. I was entertained, it flowed smoothly, and it made me appreciate this writers style. Having said that, I bought Artemis without knowing anything about it other than who had written it. I did not know what to expect. When I began reading it, I could tell I was in for fun ride, so to speak. What a cool story, with interesting, fun characters. Once again science and an unfamiliar landscape drew me in, yet with situations just familiar enough to be able to relate. I could visualize the surroundings, I felt like I knew the characters, I was curious as to how the situation/s would resolve given that the norms of Artemis are wildly different than what we know of Earth. I just enjoyed the heck out of it. Furthermore, what I found is that I didn't want the story to end. Situations can resolve, but I want to be able to continue to observe the life of these people. There is so much story just given the setting. I would love to see more of these characters and more story to be told of this way of life. There is a lot of rich material to work from, and would absolutely be a wonderful way to delve deeper into all of it. I really hope this isn't a once and done story line/story setting. It was a gem of a read. Nicely done!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Although it's not as good as The Martian, it should keep sci-fi fans entertained.
The Martian was my favorite book in 2016, and I was also a fan of the movie when I saw it in 2017. When I heard that Andy Weir was releasing a new book I was stoked and waited eagerly for its release. In November of last year, Artemis hit the shelves. The blurb revealed that it was another book set in space, but this time on the Moon. Wow. I couldn't wait to get a copy and delve back into Weir's universe.
As with The Martian, the book does contain a lot of the author's trademark detail (ie. technical explanations etc), which I think is an asset in adding authenticity to the plot. It shows that the content is well researched and that what is happening is scientifically and technically possible.
Artemis is a settlement on the moon, which comprises of a number of domes (named after famous astronauts) where a sizeable population of 2000 people live.
Aside from the local mining industry, part of its economy is fed by tourism, where people wealthy enough come from Earth to visit the Moon for a vacation. Besides the obvious attraction of being on the Moon, the other main tourist spot is the site of the lunar landing. It reminded me of the mock-up that I went to at NASA in Florida, but instead of sitting in a theatre with a replica lander and special effects, the space tourists are at the real site looking through a thick glass wall at the actual landing module and astronaut footprints.
The main character, Jazz, is a young woman who is making her humble living as a courier/ deliverer/ small-time smuggler. Although she seemed nice enough, I don't think I really got onboard with her. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's easier to connect with someone who is on the side of good, rather than someone who is on the side that we normally oppose. That said, we do love Han Solo, and he was a smuggler!
I found the first half of the book very slow. I realize that it was all about setting up for the second half, but I didn't find it that engaging. Perhaps I was expecting too much, given how much I liked The Martian. I think that my memories of Weir's first book kept me going to see where it was all leading. Jazz is a strong woman, driven mainly by her need for cash and a want to improve her life. Maybe it was her self-focus that failed to click with me. In the first half of the book she makes some questionable decisions that definitely make her some enemies, and as such, it sets up for the ensuing plot line.
Once we moved into the second half things got much better. The plot was thickening, the pace quickened, thrilling arrived, and there was a lot more happening. In order to move forward and try to fix things, Jazz needed to dig deep and find unique ways to deal with the situation she was in. This was reminiscent of what I liked about The Martian - making the most of what you have to keep going.
Without giving too much away, there was a section of the plot in the second half that I thought would have been a much more exciting area to focus on and expand, instead of the amount of time allocated to the first half. I hope that makes sense. In my opinion, it would have made for a more exciting and thrilling story.
In a Nutshell - Artemis is a good book, which gets better as you read more. If you find yourself lagging during the first half, hang in there and keep reading. Although it's not as good as The Martian, it should keep sci-fi fans entertained.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2022Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI really wanted to like this book. I read the opening sample given here, and was intrigued enough to buy the book. I bought it from one of the "used book store" listings here, and I'm glad I bought the book this way. If I'd paid full price, at the end of the story, I'd think I overpaid for what I'd just read.
The Martian set a very high standard for Andy Weir. Or, it's a tough act to follow. Artemis doesn't get close to matching The Martian. Period.
There is the "science drives the plot" element seen in The Martian. In Artemis, I think it becomes a case where some piece of technology, or some science fact, suggests where the plot should go, not the plot wants to go in some direction, and there's scientific information to support that choice.
One piece of science connected to basic description of Artemis completely baffles me. The atmosphere there is low pressure oxygen. This in spite of welding, sparking, illicit smoking going on. IIRC the Apollo 1 catastrophe began with a spark in a low pressure, oxygen rich atmosphere. What part of the explanation of Artemis' atmosphere did I sleep through?
Economics plays a significant part of the later part of the story. (no spoiler here -->) At one point, Artemis, the lunar city/colony, is described as a giant Ponzi scheme. It took some thought to work out the reasoning behind that statement (although, once understood, it makes sense). If a "Ponzi scheme" sounds like something from Happy Days, parts of the story will probably be hard sledding.
Andy Weir set himself a significant challenge in writing the story from a female point of view. Having a personal "work in progress" that started with "let me see if I can write a story from a female point of view", I have some sense of how challenging that is for a male writer.
The few people, my wife included, who read pieces of the novel, said, "You? Write as a female? Hah! Never going to happen!". I never got back a "no woman would ever do that", or "yeah, that makes sense". I wonder what input Andy Weir got from the women he listed. OK, enough about that.
The start of the story, looked good in the excerpt, turned into "get on with it, do something that matters!". The story wanders around, trying to lay out a foundation for the ending, but doesn't move the story in the process. Most of the story is that way. Elements move in one direction, then move in another direction, and in yet another direction, while the overall story takes too much time to advance.
Usually, when I start a book that's caught my attention, I tend to binge on the book. At one point I set Artemis down, and didn't feel a need to immediately pick it up again. Not a good sign...
I like The Martian. Project Hail Mary (released after Artemis) got four stars (see my review there). Artemis lags far behind the two other books.
Overall, would I recommend this book to someone interested in science fiction with a strong amount of science fact? I guess so.
SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!
Jazz... I'd like to like her, but there's far too much "smartass" to really warm up to. There are some points, notably with her father, that do move Jazz towards being relatable. Her behavior with Dale and Svoboda (read the book to know who they are) is far too "smartass".
The interactions with Rudy (Artemis' constable) don't hold together - if this is so, than that must follow, but instead the interaction, again, wanders around. Why does Administrator Ngugi often refer to Jazz as "dear". It's like a king or queen calling a subject "pal" or "dear". It doesn't hold together.
Why, why, why does Svoboda invent a technological condom(!)? Does it save the day for Artemis? No. Is it a running joke? Vaguely. It's... "why are we spending time on this?".
"Lefty", the mob hitman, essentially materializes, with no back-story filling in "how did he get here in the first place".
The handling of the story about Jazz and Kelvin is... each message exchange just doesn't fit into how the story's running. At the end of the book, the Jazz/Kelvin messages, and the main story line meet, but it takes a long time to get there. The basic plot line of Jazz and Kelvin is, in some regards, handled better than the main plot line.
A plot point that had my "Oh, really, c'mon, that doesn't make sense" alarm ringing is Trond's giving Jazz the job of destroying four autonomous ore harvesters. The "why" sort of makes sense, maybe, the "who" and "how"? Doesn't make sense or lacks plausibility. A) this plot element is too early in the story, B) it's far too "our plucky 'smartass' gal is going to take a walk across the moon to blow the harvesters up with some clever science factoids". The story unravels from there. The story does get pulled back together, mostly, later. The "Jazz blows up stuff" doesn't really work.
One last point that bugs me. Through an unfortunate set of events and circumstances, far too "deus ex machina", Artemis' atmosphere is contaminated with chloroform. Of course there are only X minutes to save Artemis. After "The Nap", it's reported that nobody died, and there were only a few cardiac cases, all now OK, but need watching. Really???
H U G E S P O I L E R ! !
Points to Jazz for Taking A Bullet for Artemis. Why am I not surprised that Science saves her, even though she was, for three minutes, on the moon's surface without a suit. The book's like that.
There's a lot more I could say (I'm told it's one of my better traits NOT), but I think the above supports my conclusion that Artemis is just not a book with a compelling story, and characters worth wanting to know more about. (Exception: Billy the bartender- what's his story? It's probably a good one.)
Top reviews from other countries
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Walker BohReviewed in Germany on January 5, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Spannend und unterhaltsam
Auch sprachlich sehr interessant, viele eher ungebräuchliche englische Vokabeln
- CrimpermanReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great in its own right. Read it.
If you come to this after The Martian and expect more of the same, this ain't it.
What you find here is a well crafted story of a different genre and it is great in its own right.
If The Martian is a story of survival after being marooned that just happens to be set on Mars, this is a caper tale in a frontier town. Think small time chancer takes a punt at something bigger. It just happens to be set on the moon.
The main character is well written and believable and the environment is well researched, thought out and explained without going into too much detail.
I really enjoyed this story and although some may decry it as not a good follow up to his first book, that was always going to be a high hill to climb - even in 1/6 the Earth's gravity ;)
Read this, put aside ideas that it will be like The Martian (for that go read Project Hail Mary but even then it's not exactly the same), and enjoy it.
I couldn't put it down. Rare for me these days.
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Jé D.Reviewed in France on June 7, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Parfait si vous avez aimé The Martian
Les deuxièmes livres sont souvent désappointants après un premier best-seller. J'attendais donc Andy Weir au tournant et le résultat est très satisfaisant.
Le livre n'est pas une suite du Martian, mais simplement une autre histoire qui se passe dans l'espace, cette fois ci sur une base lunaire habitée.
On retrouve son style SciFi à la Dan Brown, avec beaucoup de détails techniques (un peu moins scientifiques peut être que The Martian), et une intrigue qui tient la route. Les dialogues sont colorés, et font souvent rire.
Sans être un fan de la science-fiction, le livre m'a beaucoup plu. Je le recommande à quiconque à apprécié The Martian.
- Sean BrowneReviewed in Canada on December 14, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fitting Follow Up
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseA fitting follow up to The Martian by Andy Weir.
While it isn't the most revelatory science fiction novel to come out this decade, the character development has more depth than one would expect and it's a genuinely fun read. The protagonist is clever and well fleshed out with believable motives and personality. There is a touch of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" effect here which does lessen the protagonist, but because of how central she is to the plot, how competent her character is, and the generally "real and human" way in which she's portrayed, that's a minor criticism.
If you enjoyed The Martian, you will enjoy Artemis. It's an easy read, hard to put down, and has a solid narrative structure to keep you engaged. World building is top notch, and the description of the cultural development both on Earth and on Artemis is remarkably and refreshingly non-Eurocentric.
- robotadventuresReviewed in Japan on July 3, 2019
4.0 out of 5 stars Mood Adventure
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseAdventures on the moon. Good follow up to "The Martian" Lots of details to figure out, but not as technical. I could see the set up then had to wait for the story to mix that into the plot. Main character is set up as clever, but then does many silly mistakes. Good adenture.