The Martian is a 2011 science fiction debut novel written by Andy Weir. The book was originally self-published on Weir's blog as a serial. In 2014, the book was re-released after Crown Publishing Group purchased the exclusive publishing rights. The story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars in 2035 and must improvise in order to survive. A film adaptation, The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, was released in October 2015. ==…