Review: "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch

I remember hearing about Dark Matter when it released ... at the time, I'd just started watching a TV show called Dark Matter (see my thoughts on the show here), and I made the (erroneous) assumption that the two were connected. Well, they're both sci-fi ... and that's where the similarities end!

About a month ago, Dark Matter was deeply discounted on Kindle. After asking my sister if I'd like it (she said yes), I pulled the trigger. Flash forward to my trip to San Francisco last month. On my first flight, I was looking for something to read, and, shock of all shocks, I wasn't feeling YA or inspy romance. So I started Dark Matter and got swept into a really intriguing story.

"The Martian" by Andy Weir

Prior to beginning the novel, this is what I knew: An astronaut left behind on Mars survives by eating potatoes. And there's science.

Here's what actually happens: Mark Watney, a member of the Ares 3 crew, is presumed dead and left on Mars when a storm comes up and the mission is aborted. He has to figure out a way to survive until the next Ares crew arrives. Through ingenuity and lots of crazy science, he manages to stay alive.