“Artemis” brings together sci-fi and narrative

“Artemis” is acclaimed author Andy Wehr’s second science-fiction novel and his attempt to make lightning strike twice.

His first of these novels, “The Martian,” was such a smash hit that it was adapted into a movie. The question I had about “Artemis” was whether this book had the same wit, relatable characters, and humor that made “The Martian,” about a Mars planet-side outpost, while also having its own unique, self-standing story, this time about a moon colony.

“Artemis” features a relatable and reliable narrator, by the somewhat cheesy name Jazz, who starts out initially planning something of a space heist only to try and unravel the consequences of those actions to keep herself safe.

Her character is a consistent source of humor as she dishes out science facts without any pretentiousness, using that knowledge to great effect.

Some may want to compare her to a “Mary Sue” as she tends to propel the story as a lone-wolf-with-exceptions, but I feel that criticism is hypocritical considering “The Martian’s” jack-of-all-sciences character.

This book may contain science without buzzwords and with practicality at its core, but I kept in mind that the book is a story of people first and foremost, as all books should be.

Its relatively small page count makes it a fun read without a serious commitment, with its casual narration easy on the eyes and brain. It may tend to explain away some things, but it is an overall good book and piece of sci-fi I would recommend to any of the many fans of “The Martian.”