Artemis

I haven't yet read other Andy Weir books, though most of my friends have - and so will I now that I've read Artemis. It's easy to get into the character, especially since she's quirky and smart. It's a believable viewpoint of a young adult growing up where they live, this case the moon. I'd recommend this even if you've read his others and didn't like them. It's unique, not too deep, good science, believable characters.

Taught and engaging thriller set in an intriguing, demanding environment. Fun, fast read and a well-worked-out caper threaded through the technical constraints of its lunar setting. Another Weir home run.The excitement of Andy Weir's brilliant "The Martian" was the grinding technical challenges its protagonist had to meet, and his ingenuity in doing so. The plot was essentially nothing more than an extended series of DIY plans under conditions that seemed impossible. "Artemis" highlights the same technical mastery but works it into a more traditional story-line - essentially a heist caper set in the underworld of cutthroat corporate competition in the unusual setting of the essentially piratical economy inside the air domes of the first-ever lunar colony. This gives the book more of a sense of narrative flow, but also de-centers the technical material that so fascinated many of Weir's fans in the first book. Although this book works very well in melding its multiple avenues of background knowledge - technical, economic, cultural, and personal - they serve to dilute one another so that the detailed exegesis of welding in lunar vacuum is intercut with the dynamics of clan- and guild-based feudal economies, complicated by the intergenerational religious and personal politics of the protagonist's family, the developmental economy of a frontier outpost with no atmosphere, the chemistry and physics of smelting lunar ore, the protagonist's relationship with her ex-boyfriend's new boyfriend, the running of a smuggling operation between planets, and finally the basic plot of corporate sabotage. Readers who find one of these storylines more interesting than the others will find that 80% of the book is about extraneous issues. Neal Stephenson pulls this kind of complicated didactic narrative off with aplomb; Weir is a worthy runner-up, but this book doesn't have the heft of, say, "The Baroque Cycle" (which it very slightly resembles), or the light-hearted drive of "The Martian". The early-stage libertarian economy of the colony resembles that of Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," but is worked out with much greater economic sophistication. The technical detail is fascinating and carefully considered (do you know how to light a welding torch in outer space? - read this to learn!). The unforgiving physicality of living in such a searing environment pervades every page (how do you control a fire, or an air leak, on the moon? - in both cases, by sacrificing however happens to be inside the closest airlock). Though I think it is less gripping than Weir's previous work, "Artemis" is a fun and exciting read, and the protagonist is a brilliant character with a sassy personality not unlike that of the main character of "The Martian".As to the actual plot: "Jazz" (Jasmine) is a menial laborer in Artemis, the first and only lunar colony. She works as a porter, hand-delivering packages between the handful of pressure domes that make up the city; this also gives her access to the cargo delivery shuttles, which she uses to operate a small side-business in smuggling. She is widely recognized as exceptionally smart and resourceful, but chooses to isolate herself and refuses any assistance from her father, a successful welding-business operator. She is approached by a wealthy resident with an offer of riches in exchange for helping him to acquire the ore-processing concession from the one major corporation in the city. How she goes about it, what the consequences are, exactly what technical processes are required at each stage of the complicated plot, and how she, and the city, came to be what they are, are gradually unfolded. In the end, Jazz is nearly dead and nearly broke, but has an exciting future ahead of her. It will be interesting to meet her again.

The book doesn’t suck, but the characters are flat, the dialog corny and the story unremarkable. It’s an easy and short read, and it’s got Weir’s trademark science oriented plot and devices. Just don’t expect The Martian or Project Hail Mary, both of which are fantastic.

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!

I had enjoyed reading the Martian, and with Artemis, Weir does it again. It's a fun, fast pace scifi story based in science. I wish it had been longer, though. at around 70% of the book, I felt like I was getting into the conclusion.A sequel would be appreciated. I recommend the book for those travelling.

I have all Andy Weird books, he gives a very detailed explanation of the events, places and circumstances, like you were there

The book is good. But not as good as martian or Hail mary. I liked Hail mary more than all his books.I liked all the details about moon exploration. Overall a good read.

You know there’s going to be a film while reading, but really just give in to the narration and enjoy.

I loved the Martian (the book). When I heard that "Artemis" was out I had great expectations, somewhat tempered by the tepid reviews I read in Amazon.But this is a great book. I could not put it down.The story takes place on the first city on the moon, when this city is just 20 years old. There is of course the scientific and engineering realistic background that Andy Weir displayed on the Martian and, in addition, the story of a young under-achiving girl, that the author makes you really care about.The story is shorter than the Martian, but no less appealing. The protagonist is very different, though. No admired austronaut, but a poor, a little scoundrel girl with no studies, looking for a get-rich-quicly scheme.Cannot recommend it enough.