# The Martian. Book or Movie?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 23, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927 "2018-04-23T00:27:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/1 "2018-04-23T00:27:14Z")
In most cases a book is far superior to a movie made from it. However, there are always exceptions. I have a feeling that this might be one of them. So, what would you recommend? The book or the movie?
---
### Author:  [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/2 "2018-04-23T00:49:05Z")
Yes.
---
### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/3 "2018-04-23T00:53:47Z")
The movie is a pretty good adaptation of the book. Unlike…_sigh_… I, Robot.
---
### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/4 "2018-04-23T00:59:17Z")
Book, well audiobook, and I’m not one to jump on the book is better bandwagon. I read (well listened) and viewed this 2x on each medium, and the book is where it’s at. Movie is just too compressed and too ‘Hollywood’, it brings his 400 + sol mission down to 2 hours and it feels like that.
---
### Author:  [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/5 "2018-04-23T00:59:18Z")
I would say the book. Both were well done, but the narrative of the book was kind of like a journal and you could see both the main character’s humor and frustrations much better. I also thought it explained a lot of stuff better.
---
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/6 "2018-04-23T01:34:33Z")
Both were excellent, but I think the book wins my vote by just a hair. I’ve also heard it argued that the _audio_ book is the best format for this one, as that was the original format. If you like audio books you might go that route.
---
### Author:  [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/7 "2018-04-23T01:49:42Z")
> [@turner](#):
>
> I would say the book. Both were well done, but the narrative of the book was kind of like a journal and you could see both the main character’s humor and frustrations much better. I also thought it explained a lot of stuff better.
This comes closest to my opinion. In addition to compressing out a great deal of the background, the movie sanitized the less pleasant aspects of his experience — probably to preserve a PG-13 rating — as well as Johanssen’s conversation with her father about what would happen if the supply rendezvous failed (and her interplay with Martinez when it succeeded).
---
### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/8 "2018-04-23T02:11:35Z")
I think that this one comes down to the greater detail that books have over movies, no matter how well done. The movie was terrific, and an excellent adaptation of the book. Really no complaints there on my part; they didn’t diverge in any important way.
But the book is just so much richer; you get to know Watney in a way that the movie just can’t come close to. And you get a much better idea of the time scales involved, and the level of determination involved on Watney’s part than in the movie.
---
### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/9 "2018-04-23T02:18:28Z")
With all that said both are worth it. Do both.
---
### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/10 "2018-04-23T02:22:26Z")
I agree with the others. They were both very good, but in the book you got a lot more of Mark’s humor.
One thing I’ll mention about the book, you can skip all the math. There’s times when they spend quite a bit of space working out equations to figure something out, if that doesn’t appeal to you, you won’t lose anything if you gloss over it.
---
### Author:  [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/11 "2018-04-23T02:36:59Z")
Looks like a close call with the book slightly ahead so I’ll go that way. Then I’ll give the movie a shot. Thanks all!
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/12 "2018-04-23T02:51:41Z")
> [@turner](#):
>
> I would say the book. Both were well done, but the narrative of the book was kind of like a journal and you could see both the main character’s humor and frustrations much better. I also thought it explained a lot of stuff better.
> [@OttoDaFe](#):
>
> This comes closest to my opinion. In addition to compressing out a great deal of the background, the movie sanitized the less pleasant aspects of his experience — probably to preserve a PG-13 rating — as well as Johanssen’s conversation with her father about what would happen if the supply rendezvous failed (and her interplay with Martinez when it succeeded).
> [@bump](#):
>
> But the book is just so much richer; you get to know Watney in a way that the movie just can’t come close to. And you get a much better idea of the time scales involved, and the level of determination involved on Watney’s part than in the movie.
I agree with all these posts: the movie is fantastic but the book is much richer.
---
### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/13 "2018-04-23T03:18:58Z")
Another vote for the book. “Richer” is a very apt description. The movie is great, but a lot had to be left out of it.
---
### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/14 "2018-04-23T03:32:18Z")
I’ve only seen the movie version of _The Martian_, but when both the book and the movie are good (which seems to be the case here) I think it’s often better to watch the movie first. I used to think the opposite and made a point of reading the book first, but a movie is always going to have to simply, condense, and omit things. So if you read the book after seeing the movie then there will still be plenty of content that’s new to you, and if the book is a good one then there will often be more depth to it.
---
### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/15 "2018-04-23T03:35:22Z")
> [@Lamia](#):
>
> I’ve only seen the movie version of _The Martian_, but when both the book and the movie are good (which seems to be the case here) I think it’s often better to watch the movie first. I used to think the opposite and made a point of reading the book first, but a movie is always going to have to simply, condense, and omit things. So if you read the book after seeing the movie then there will still be plenty of content that’s new to you, and if the book is a good one then there will often be more depth to it.
I disagree. Having read the book first and then sen the film, I believe I did it in the correct order.
---
### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/16 "2018-04-23T04:27:30Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> I think that this one comes down to the greater detail that books have over movies, no matter how well done. The movie was terrific, and an excellent adaptation of the book. Really no complaints there on my part; they didn’t diverge in any important way.
>
> But the book is just so much richer; you get to know Watney in a way that the movie just can’t come close to. And you get a much better idea of the time scales involved, and the level of determination involved on Watney’s part than in the movie.
Seconded. I enjoyed both very much.
---
### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/17 "2018-04-23T04:58:23Z")
I enjoyed them both. I did see the movie first, and then read the book. I think they were both very good.
---
### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/18 "2018-04-23T06:11:43Z")
Let me get this straight. Are you asking me which is My Favorite _Martian_?
---
### Author:  [@DidierAubin87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DidierAubin87)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/19 "2018-04-23T07:48:22Z")
You will have more experiences with reading book than watching a movie, but it also takes a longer time to finish the story. I sill choose book to recommend
---
### Author:  [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927/20 "2018-04-23T11:09:44Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> Another vote for the book. “Richer” is a very apt description. The movie is great, but **a lot had to be left out of it**.
Indeed. In the book, the trip to his meeting point with the rescue is about half the actual book, while in the movie, it’s almost an afterthought.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-martian-book-or-movie/812927.md?page=2)