Book Review
Title: Artemis
Author: Andy Weir
Published: 2017
Rating: 65/100
Artemis is polarising for good reason. A lot of readers can't get past the way Andy Weir wrote the protagonist, Jazz Bashara. Despite being a grown, independent and extremely intelligent woman, Jazz often says and does things that make you think she's the victim of a body swap situation and instead comes across as a horny 16 year old teenage boy. This is off putting to say the least.
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| Jazz Bashara Artwork by Rob Cabrera |
There are moments when the story hurtles along like a freight train and, in these moments, Weir had me in a vice grip, hooked with his one-of-a-kind lunar heist tale. His knack for accurate science rocked my brain from side-to-side and the intense action-heavy chapters, where every moment is life or death, made for a thrilling read; I never wanted the train to stop - that is, until Jazz says something stupid. Once this happened (and it happened a lot) it's like someone yanked on the emergency stop cord and the whole train came crashing to a screeching stop. I constantly found myself thinking "really?" I won't even get started on the race stuff as that's been done to death by other reviewers.
With that said, I still really enjoyed Artemis. Sure, it's didn't live up to the hype, but is that really fair? The Martian got made into a huge blockbuster movie and, in the process, Weir was thrust into the spotlight - great for him and his bank account, not so great for his next book. The bar was just too high this time and it's obvious that he was under the pump to release this quickly. To really appreciate Artemis you have to take a step back and stop comparing it to The Martian.
What works? The story: A daring heist on the moon. Beautiful in it's simplicity - but the heist itself is anything but simple. The science: Weir is the undisputed master. He is able to write heavy science fiction, with complex themes, in a way that's consumable for a mass market. This is not an easy feat. All the reviewers saying the science in Artemis weighs it down (despite the gravity) are wrong in my opinion. The length & pace: It's the perfect amount of lean meat, with most of the fat trimmed off and a nice literary marbling in between. Weir is an expert in keeping everything on track and flowing, right up until the last page.
Overall, you'll love this book if you can overlook the way Weir wrote Jazz and keep focused on what is a great story.
P.S. Yes, this has been picked up for a movie. It's currently being adapted by 20th Century Fox with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller attached. Expect it be released 2020-2021.
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