Books like The Martian: 10 award-recognized picks
The Martian is about one person solving one problem after another to stay alive, with real science and a lot of jokes. These books share its survival, its engineering or its humor under pressure.
If you read just one: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, because it is Andy Weir again, with the same science, humor and impossible odds.
Survival and problem-solving
1. Project Hail Mary
Finalist for the Hugo Award (2022) ·
A lone astronaut with amnesia works out how to save Earth, one experiment at a time.
2. A Fall of Moondust
Finalist for the Hugo Award (1963) ·
A tourist vessel sinks beneath the dust seas of the Moon, and its passengers and rescuers race to survive.
3. Seveneves
Finalist for the Hugo and Locus Awards (2016) ·
Humanity’s survival in orbit after the Moon breaks apart.
Good to know: Very long.
4. The Calculating Stars
Won the Hugo, Locus and Nebula Awards (2019) ·
A mathematician and pilot fights to join an emergency space program after a meteorite strike.
Mars and real engineering
5. Red Mars
Won the Nebula Award; finalist for the Hugo and Locus Awards (1993–1994) ·
The first settlers build a society on Mars, in rich scientific detail.
6. Man Plus
Won the Nebula Award; finalist for the Hugo and Locus Awards (1977) ·
An astronaut is surgically transformed to survive on Mars.
7. The Fountains of Paradise
Won the Hugo and Nebula Awards; finalist for the Locus Award (1980) ·
An engineer sets out to build an elevator into space.
8. Rendezvous with Rama
Won the Hugo, Locus and Nebula Awards (1974) ·
Astronauts explore a vast alien object with only their wits and their tools.
9. Gateway
Won the Hugo, Locus and Nebula Awards (1978) ·
Prospectors gamble their lives on alien ships with unknown destinations.
10. Aurora
Finalist for the Locus Award (2016) ·
A generation ship’s crew faces the harsh realities of settling another world.
How we chose
Every book in this guide won or was a finalist for at least one of the Hugo, Nebula, Locus or Arthur C. Clarke awards. Each book page lists its full award history with sources. Page counts come from English print editions and vary by edition. 10 books in all.