Artemis: A gripping sci-fi thriller from the author of The Martian

When 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!

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.

Good characters, good premise, good action but WAY too much technical detail. Probably based on real science but I skipped through the last third of the book. And Weir’s masterpiece The Martian was a fantastic movie and this one could be too, but the book got too bogged down in scientific minutiae

The book is an amazing kind of suspense thriller, and I'm a huge fan of Andy Weir, but this book was a bit of a mixed bag. The storytelling is amazing, and Andy Weir is a master of Storytelling, however there were certain aspects of the book that just came across uninspired. While the plot of the story was incredible, the naming of things was kind of weak in comparison to how meticulous and the Weir was when writing the Martian. Comparing this book to the martian, the Martian had every detail painfully thought out. With this book there's a lot of details that just seemed thrown together at the last minute. While I was able to overlook the concept that the towns within Artemis were called bubbles, because in the realm of science, bubbles are legitimate tool, (think levels, aquaculture, Etc), I cringed at some of the other labeling. I cringed at the thought of lunar food being referred to as "gunk" and that there would be a highly Advanced scientific computer specialized for lunar environments, and it would just be lazily named a "gizmo" (what company in their right minds would want to self sabotage with a name like that?), and with the currency being "Slugs" (though it was briefly attempted to have a useful description earlier on in the novel as a form of delivery credits, I guess like Amazon Prime deliveries?) If this were to be made I to a movie, I would recommend renaming those, just to have a super clean and tight story. Aside from those few naming convention issues, the book is still a masterpiece. And I fully enjoyed it, and can't wait to dive into Project Hail Mary!

Science fiction accurate and a involving plot. Just like the Martian this story is very interesting. Makes you think about the future.

Andy Weir will be remembered as an author who brought optimism back to novels about a future in space. In this book, humans are so successful on the Moon there is room for a ripping old crime story! What plays out is a ‘comedy of errors’ with real heart. You can’t help but side with the hero/ villain and hope she comes good. But the book has deeper ideas that left me thinking about the contribution of the Middle East, Africa, morality and religious harmony to our future in space. The science reads pretty true to reality with the touch of largesse required for dark deeds to be perpetrated.

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.

Adventures 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.

Artemis marks a clear shift from Andy Weir’s usual formula. After The Martian and Project Hail Mary, both centered on isolated protagonists, this novel introduces a main character with an actual social circle. Unfortunately, that change exposes one of Weir’s weaker areas: writing human interaction. The dialogue and relationships often feel naïve or awkward, as if the author is stepping outside his natural comfort zone. The science, however, remains classic Weir — plausible, detailed, and engaging. Fans of engineering‑driven sci‑fi will still find plenty to enjoy. The plot moves quickly, and the lunar setting is imaginative and well‑constructed. Where the book stumbles is in character depth and problem‑solving logic. Skills appear conveniently when needed, and some late‑story resolutions feel chaotic or underdeveloped. The tone leans younger than Weir’s previous work; I’d place this closer to a teen‑friendly adventure than a mature sci‑fi drama. Still, Artemis is an enjoyable read if you adjust your expectations. It’s not as tight or emotionally resonant as Weir’s earlier novels, but it offers a fun, accessible story — and part of the charm is watching the author experiment outside his usual solitary‑genius template.