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This Week’s Book Review – Artemis
Whenever an author creates a monster-hit first novel, a question arises. Can they repeat their feat and produce a second-hit novel?
“Artemis,” by Andy Weir demonstrates he can. The author of “The Martian” is back, with a science fiction tale every bit as exciting as his first novel.
The Artemis giving the novel its title is a town on the moon; the first lunar colony. It is run by the Kenyan Space Corporation. Kenya’s equatorial location allows it a launch advantage. Its finance minister realized a wide-open approach to lunar colonization could provide Kenya an economic windfall. Technically, Artemis is an offshore platform — far offshore — operating under international maritime law. Despite a population in the thousands, its government is the corporate authorities.
Artemis is also home to Jasmine (Jazz) Bashara. Jazz is a girl on the make, looking to make her fortune, quick. Her fortune is measured in Slugs, Artemis’s “currency.” It is not a real currency. Slug is short for soft-landed gram, and represents the cost of transporting a gram of cargo from earth to the moon, landing it softly.
It evolved into a de facto currency, and is the money of choice for those who wish to keep their cash out the hands of Earth authorities.
Jazz wants lots of Slugs; 416,922 to start. She will entertain almost any get-rich-quick scheme to get them. She will not become a prostitute (legal on Artemis), but other tasks, legal or illegal, promising a high return are fair game. She is Luna’s biggest smuggler, although she refuses to smuggle guns or drugs. Admittedly, many of the jobs she takes are risky and often do not work out. Over time, she ends up making no more than she would have applying herself to a skilled job.
Jazz then gets hired by a steady customer to do sabotage. She finds herself enmeshed in a web entangling her with Brazilian mobsters, Artemis’s authorities and potentially the future of the colony’s existence.
“Artemis” is a fast-paced, amusing, and exciting adventure. Weir reveals himself as a master storyteller, one who mixes technology, personalities, and entertaining writing with consummate skill.
“Artemis,” by Andy Weir, Crown, 2017, 320 pages, $27
Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, amateur historian, and model-maker, lives in League City. His website is marklardas.com.
I write a weekly book review for the Daily News of Galveston County. (It is not the biggest daily newspaper in Texas, but it is the oldest.) My review normally appears Wednesdays. When it appears, I post the review on Ricochet on the following Sunday.
Published in Literature
That’s an oddly specific number. Is there a reason for it, and if so can it be told without being a spoiler?
Thanks for the review.
I enjoyed this waaaaay more than I thought I was going to – 2nd book problem, just as you say. But it was really enjoyable.
I kept hearing back when The Martian came out that it was written by a tech/science guy who was not really a writer. The Martian was unusual, but it was hard for me to believe this guy did not know anything about story-telling. One of the handful of books (Audible, of course) that I immediately listened to again upon finishing. Just to see how he did that.
Artemis puts that myth to rest. This is solid story-telling, interesting, ingenious in spots, gripping suspense, very believable plot developments and conclusion.
One thing I noticed throughout. The main character is a girl. She’s very talented, sassy, independent. Also very capable of screwing up, and we see her thought process as she gets into some things she really has her doubts about. In other words, she’s an interesting and very satisfying character. Who’s a girl. And yet not once in this story is there the faintest hint of the gender card. She just does her stuff, just like a good main character should.
This will make a great movie.
Yes, and no. (Even saying no is a bit of a spoiler.)
Yup. Second that. Another reason I liked the book.
Sarah Hoyt is another writer who does that. In one novel she has a gay main character. The story isn’t about being gay, but the character’s homosexuality is a necessary element of the plot. But it is like Jazz’s being a woman. It’s part of what Jazz is, but never a raison d’etre.
I’ll scare up a copy and read it.
I used to follow Andy Weirs’s webcomic. I read his first novel (Theft of Pride; to put it uncharitably The Martian was his first novel that was any good.) What Weir does, and does very well, he sets up a problem and solves it. That’s a very important skill in writing science fiction; Asimov based a career on that. What he doesn’t do well is people and interaction. In that sense the Martian was perfect in that it pitted one person against the environment, giving him a whole host of interesting problems to solve, and cutting back dramatically on the number of other people to interact with. With which to interact.
He also writes hard science fiction. That’s not a thing to be underestimated; it’s more difficult to pull off and very rewarding when done right. His science is tight.
I had figured that he couldn’t possibly follow up the Martian; any possible plot he moved on to wouldn’t suit his talents so well and would bring his weaknesses to light. On the other hand, the other folks in this thread who have read it think it’s pretty good. Perhaps he’s improved while I wasn’t looking. I hope so.
Although I added this book to my wishlist a couple months ago, it was still nice to read your review, Seawriter. Thanks.
I already bought the book and it’s on deck to read. Thanks.
Thank you Seawriter. I loved The Martian, but I wasn’t willing to shell out the cash on Artemis until now. As a Robert Heinlein fan, how does Artemis compare (in terms of style and story-telling) to Heinlein’s juveniles?
In some ways it is comparable. However one of the running threads is one of Jazz’s techie friends trying to get her to test out one of his new inventions – a reusable condom. There is actually no sex in the novel (so that’s like a Heinlein Juvenile) , and Jazz is portrayed as a youngster (although she is in her mid to late 20s (instead of in her teens), and Jazz is not nearly as clean-cut as Heinlein’s protagonists. In fact, she really is an honorable crook (something seen more frequently in fiction than reality).
Regardless, the feel is similar. Lots of action, lots of technology, and the plot hinges on some obscure science.
I listened to it as an audio book – very enjoyable.
It is made to be an audio book. If I were still doing a long car commute every day it would be on my list.
Tyler Cowan did an interesting interview of Weir about a month ago. They talked a lot about this book. His podcast “Conversations with Tyler” is available on iTunes. I highly recommend it.
I believe Weir himself is the model for both the Martian and the crazy Ukranian in “Artemis”. Jazz, is a female character written by a guy, and seems more like a guy, a teenage guy. I still really liked this book.
This was a good read. Entertaining and quick. I recommend it.
I’m glad to read these positive reviews. The reviews on Amazon seem to be mixed, although still overall positive at more than 60% 4 stars and above. I really liked “The Martian” because I favor science fiction that is closer to our reality and that involves man’s struggle with the unforgiving environment than that of distant-future, wormhole-hopping intergalactic battle epics. It sounds like Artemis is different enough to be interesting but still within the realm of plausibility.
It doesn’t hurt that it is read by the lovely Rosario Dawson.
In the words of Elvis: “she’s a complicated lady…” Attaching specific Slug values to goods and services helps make the economy underpinning Artemis more real, so helping drive motivation. Just finished reading it in e-book form from my local library, agree with @seawriter.
Long exhale. Yowsa.
She is also a terrific narrator.
Looking forward to it. Am halfway through The Martian (son #2 nagged me into it after he discovered I’d watched the movie half a dozen times)
Not a huge sci fi fan, but am thoroughly enjoying it.
Thanks for the insights, Seawriter. I will definitely read this book!
Now on list.
Do yourself a favor and get he audiobook. RC Bray is the perfect Mark Watney.