What do you think the author’s purpose was for choosing a narrator like this in The Martian?

“The Martian” by Andy Weir is written in both the first person and third person. The premise of the book is that Astronaut Mark Watney has been abandoned by his crew on Mars and there is no apparent way for him to be rescued or any plausible way for him to escape by his own volition. Mark is keeping a daily log about his experiences and during those sequences, the story is written in Mark’s voice and from his perspective. Other portions of the book are written in the third person limited omniscient. For example, Venk Kapoor is an executive at NASA and the reader learns of his thoughts about Mark’s dilemma along with his worries and concerns about the space program and the rest of the Ares 3 crew. The reader also is privy to the thoughts, feelings and motivations of other characters in the story including other NASA officials and Ares crew members.

The author, Andy Weir, is an admitted space exploration junkie. His life-long interest in outer space is demonstrated by the technical perspective that he brings to the story. In an essay at the conclusion of the book, Weir has included an essay entitled, “How Science Made Me a Writer.” The essay brings in the perspective of Weir’s experiences and long-time interests in science, programming and space which all were important elements of the story.