The Martian

Ian Grier
Literature of Horror
29 March, 2020


     This week's reading, "The Martian" by Andy Weir is a classic science fiction tale of a trip gone wrong to Mars.  Mark Watney is one of several astronauts on a mission called The Ares Program.  This is several missions designed to send astronauts to Mars in order to bring back to Earth information obtained through testing while there.  Early into their mission, a large storm hit the area they were in and Mark Watney was left after the rest aborted the mission.  Through no fault of theirs or his own, Watney was declared dead after an antenna ripped through his space suit and threw him into rocks and dirt.  Through some pure miracle, and many hard to believe scenarios, he survived.  Not only did he survive but through pure luck and intelligence, he was able to erect a living area with a potato farm and water producing facility.  The book centers around his survival skills and the team work necessary from NASA, Watney, and the rest of the crew to bring him home.
     Even though this is a new frontier science fiction genre, many other genres come into play for this book.  After reading just the first few chapters, it was apparent that this was also an adventure genre.  One reason was because Watney was living day to day on the edge with a chance for anything to go wrong; and, things did go wrong.  In chapter 16, NASA decides against a risky operation to save Watney before he starves to death.  They have decided that the death of one astronaut is better then the death of seven.  At one point the remainder of the Ares crew have to make a decision whether to listen to their orders of not going back for Watney, or doing what they know is right. 
     Another genre could be thriller because all though this book is not scary with monsters waiting to pop out, it does have that sensation of being on the edge of your seat with an exciting plot of what the outcome will be.  The book, overall, is a great read and one that has several genres.  Whether you like science fiction, drama, adventure, or thriller "The Martian" is a must read.

Anansi Boys

20 March, 2020


Anansi is a modern day twist to the Mythological creatures from long ago.  By using gods and mythical creatures, Neil Gaiman, brings to life the story of Fat Charlie and how quickly his daily routine can change.  His father, Anansi is a god and he learns after his father's death that he has a brother.  The story takes place in modern England and America and Anansi's one son, Spider, is not only cool and suave, but his name is not that of an ancient god.  Rather than use their powers to cause havoc on man kind and to explain the pleasures and pitfalls of humans daily lives, Anansi and Spider use their godly power to convince people to like them, love them, and to be hip or cool.  Gaiman weaves modern love stories, embezzlement, and every day life into the story of Anansi and his sons.  Fat Charlie is not aware that he is part god or that he even has a brother but once Spider is introduced there is no turning back.  Gaiman does a great job not making the god like characters too overbearing as to where the story is unbelievable.  Instead, the reader likes Charlie and wants him to do well.  The fact that Spider is a god with god like powers is simply a side step to the modern take on embezzlement, murder, and mayhem.  Chalie's boss is miserable and stealing from the company.  He murders his old partners wife, steals millions, and then attempts to place the blame on Charlie.  Having god like abilities, Spider is able to help clear the matter up and Charlie morphs into what he always was destined to be; a god like his dad and brother.  By the end of the story, Charlie has found his way in life and rather than be afraid to take on the world, he is a self assured and confident gentleman.

The Harry Potter Chapter zero short story is an interesting look into the past in the Harry Potter world. It focuses on Harrys Father, James potter, and Sirius Black. The two teens are being chased by the police and seem to be up to no good. Of course the two characters outsmart the police who chase them and escape, as young wizards do. I find it very interesting that there is a scan of the story scribbled out on paper, This shows the authors thinking process and creative vision for this prequel. The last line "From the prequel I am not working on — but that was fun!" is interesting because it gives a tone of fun and looseness to this short story.