Here is another treat for the lover of science fiction genre. The Martian is a popular space fiesta fictional story by Andy Weir and despite being his debut novel under his own name, it turned out to be tremendous success. Keeping the theme in mind, I have listed down more books like The Martian for my readers.
Books are the single most tool which can transform a person into an unimaginable world without even having to move. And science fiction is a genre which adds more to the power of books. So, please go through the basic story of these books listed below and take some time out to read them.
Top 10 Books like The Martian
So, here is a little something for readers who don’t want piles of options. So, I picked the best of them and you can check out these options right below.
1. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven is the first entry in the list of books like The Martian hailing from the category science fiction. It was released in 2014 and fourth novel by Mandel. It shows a post-apocalyptic era where the novel takes place in the region called Great Lakes which is suffering from the post-results of swine-flu pandemic.
The novel shows that almost the entire world has been swept away from this flu and only a few of the population has been left.
There are recurring names like Jeevan and Kirsten Raymonde which remains important throughout the novel and the story shows their journey too. However, the story is more sort of a fictional adventure rather than science fiction as its deals with an elaborated post-apocalyptic situation showing a new age of civilization being born.
Station Eleven was critically acclaimed and ended up receiving Arthur C. Clarke Award too. There are very few pieces of fiction which shows a haunting image of near future and Station Eleven is one of those.
2. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
A 1950 science fiction novel, The Martian Chronicles is the next one for the category of books like The Martian. The novel is about the process of colonization on Mars initiated by humans who flew from a nearly devastated Earth.
The concept of the novel sounds like quite an idea people currently have in mind and Ray Bradbury depicted this idea perfectly about 70 years ago.
So, the entire story is based on the conflict aroused between aboriginal Martian and the ones setting up new colonies down there. You can say, this is quite like the war between old and new Martian to claim the territory of Mars. The novel is divided between various short stories portraying an episodic adventure.
Quite like books similar to the Martian, this one is more related to a post-apocalyptic environment. Other than science fiction, you can enjoy the essence of horror, dystopian fiction and other interesting elements in it too. There are total 28 short tales in it covering 222 pages of the book and showcases a perfect amalgam of excitement and fictional era.
3. Terms of Enlistment (Frontlines) by Marko Kloos
Marko Kloos is mainly known for his book series Frontlines and Terms of Enlistment happens to be the first one in this series. Released in 2014, this science fiction novel is based on a theme where the events take place in the year 2108.
Writing military science fiction novel is the forte of Marko Kloos is Terms of Enlistment is no different too. It shows the Commonwealth devastating and then focuses on a man named Andrew Grayson.
Andrew is tired of living off 2,000 calories from Soy junk every day and decides to join armed forces in search of real food. Where people are trying their luck on winning a ticket to colonize on other planets, Andrew can only hope for a better life on Earth only.
However, just the way other books like The Martian showcases twists and turns, Terms of Enlistment follows the same path and Andrew comes across the deep challenges faces by military people. Amidst the greatest dangers for life, this debut novel of Marko Kloos sets the hearts of readers on a roller coaster of hidden plots.
4. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
James S. A. Corey wrote Leviathan Wakes with the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The book belongs to the Expanse Series and it is the first one in this science fiction themed series. Leviathan Wakes was released in 2010 and it is followed by 6 other novels more.
This is the next one in the list of books like The Martian and talks about a plot in future where humans have successfully colonized various other planets of solar system too.
Earth is largely governed by United Nations and the Martian Congressional Republic is emerging as another super power in the universe. There are constant invasions by other powers to claim the authority over the others in order to rule the universe.
Amidst this hustle, there are several side-plots followed by the book too. Leviathan Wakes demands much of your presence of mind and patience in order to keep up with the long 577 pages journey of this book.
5. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
The War of the Worlds is another example of science fiction work which was released back then in 1898. This is one of the earlier work ever done in the field of science fiction where the stories are written in context of war between humans and extraterrestrial race for the survival.
It makes a perfect addition in the list of books like The Martian which is conveyed from the first person perspective and talks about two main character of an unnamed protagonist and his younger brother.
The plot is set in London and shows a situation where entire southern England is attacked by Martians. Because of being the very first works in this context, The War of the Worlds was the most commented works ever and was also critically acclaimed too.
The War of the Worlds is a very popular work of fiction and inspired number of movies, record albums, and other parallel works too. However, the readers in the current times can expect it to deliver more but when compared with other works of that time, it totally stands out.
6. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Just like that of Marko Kloos’s work and other books like The Martian, The Forever War is a typical example of military science fiction work which was released in 1974. Recipient of various awards like Nebula, Hugo, Locus etc. The Forever War showcases soldiers fighting a war between man and the Taurans.
This is the first novel in The Forever War series which is followed by Forever Free and Forever Peace. The plot of the series breaks out with focusing on a physics student William Mandella.
William is chosen to be in an elite task force to help in the war against Taurans, an alien species. Joe Haldeman brilliantly portrayed his own experience of serving in Vietnam War and his other military services and showcased them using a theme of space opera setting.
These science fiction books like The Martian blended well over the background of military serves as the perfect thrilling experience for the readers. The novel was later adapted in form of films and other works.
7. Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse) by James S. A. Corey
I could not resist myself from listing out another science fiction books like The Martian from the book series The Expanse. This is the third book from the series and talks about the conflict between Earth, Mars and Asteroid Belt and was released in 2013.
Abaddon’s Gate also won Locus Award for being the best Science fiction novel and won great appreciation. Just like the earlier novels in the series, Abaddon’s Gate also focuses on the prime character of James Holden and his crew in it too.
Abaddon’s Gate talks about the rise of an alien force from Venus which has started to appear on Uranus’ orbit. This alien race has started to build a massive gate which is leading to a destructive dark realm.
This work is a combination of military combat and science fiction and it demands quite a patience from the reader to unfold various mysteries. The main focus throughout remains on the gate and the humans who are curious to discover whether it is destructive or has some opportunity to offer.
8. Gravity by Tess Gerritsen
Spinning the creativity in the field of medical suspense and mind-boggling experiences which are probably too hard to imagines, this is the hobby of Tess Gerritsen. it can be seen as a common factor in her various other books and hence set them apart from other books like The Martian.
So, this time you will be experiencing science fiction mixed with nail-biting genetic adventure and the experiments which went wrong in this order.
In Gravity, the plot belongs to an International Space Station where six astronauts are working on some important mission. However, thing go out of control when the cells begin to infect the scientists resulting in deadly conditions.
Amidst this, Gravity focuses on the story of Emma Watson who is involved in this struggle while NASA and her husband is trying to retrieve her from space. If you want, you can buy more such The Martian like books on Amazon easily.
9. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
Recipient of Hugo Award for best novel, Spin is a science fiction novel which was released in 2005 and it is the first book from the Spin series followed by Axis and Vortex. The plot kick starts from a 12 years old Tyler Dupree and shows him and his mother living in a guest house.
Tyler is friends with the twins Jason and Diane who are the kids of millionaire E.D. Lawton on whose property they are living.
Spin the takes into account the weird events of aliens invading Earth and causing an event called Big Blackout. It completely changes the life of three of these friends forever and causes great upheaval on Earth as well.
The twists and turns in Spin are the perfect example of an interesting masterpiece which could have been created in the genre of science fiction and graces the list of books like The Martian.
10. Packing for Mars: The Curios Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
And my final pick in the category of books like The Martian is Packing for Mars, a non-fiction work by Mary Roach released in 2010. Based on the subject of science and space travel, Packing for Mars was also rewarded as Amazon’s Best Books of the month it was released in.
This book is more realistic than fictional and talks about the real things like how gross, uncomfortable and bizarre it is to space travel.
Presented in form of a comedic journey, this 16 chapters compilation covers all the aspects related to space travel very well and also include scientific point of view related to it too. To be very surreal in her approach, Mary Roach even talked about bodily functions like sex, going to the bathroom, vomiting etc. in it too.
It is a fun read for the readers and my most recommended book in this list as well.
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Conclusion
Most of the books mentioned above belong to the category of space fiction and military fiction comprised together with the background of science and technology. Their powerful narratives are enough to give you goosebumps and the thrill won’t let you stay calm on your couch.
I am sure you are going to love these books like The Martian having so many elements in them. With thrill, suspense and of course futuristic technological world, they transport you to a different universe altogether. You can also check out some other books in this genre too like Fuzzy Nation, Leviathan Wakes etc.
