Author Andy Weir write in a genre that he calls “hard science fiction” (click here for Wikipedia article). Check out this interview on NPR’s Science Friday.
Science Friday: Andy Weir’s The Martian (Listen here)
Description: To write The Martian, first-time novelist Andy Weir had to study orbital mechanics, astronomy, and the history of manned spaceflight. The payoff is a survival story so realistic, it’ll make you wonder, Could a stranded astronaut really survive on Mars?