Artemis

Bad Moon Rising

released 14 NOveMBer 304 pages | Hardback/ebook

Author andy Weir Publisher del rey

As killer set-ups go, Andy Weir’s debut novel The Martian had an absolute belter, stranding its protagonist on Mars with no apparent hope of rescue within the first few pages. Having already delivered a compelling, accessible work of science fiction, Weir is now having a second try with his new novel – only this time, the results aren’t quite as successful.

At least Artemis isn’t simply a carbon-copy of The Martian, instead trying to be a futuristic tale of low-level criminality. It’s the story of Jazz Bashara, an aimless twentysomething who lives in Artemis, the first city on the Moon. She wants a better life, and is trying to get one via a career in smuggling, but when she agrees to pull off a dangerous score it pitches

Weir is playing in a familiar SF sandbox

her into a conspiracy between gangsters and corporations that threatens the entire city.

Weir’s handling of the story is pacey and controlled, and again showcases his extensive scientific research, with plenty of sequences revolving around the specifics of physics and chemistry. The central plotline twists and turns in a satisfying manner, and a climactic race-against-the-clock sequence is suitably tense, but the wobbly characterisation and occasionally clunky prose show Weir hasn’t remedied some of the flaws that were present in The Martian.

While Jazz is an intriguing protagonist, her wisecracking persona gets increasingly grating. Adding to this, Weir is brilliant at the small details, but less convincing at some of the broader strokes of his Moon-based society. He’s also playing in a more familiar SF sandbox here, and it’s one that authors like James SA Corey and Ian McDonald have pulled off much better in recent years. Mainstream thriller readers may find Artemis fresh and surprising, but dedicated sci-fi fans are more likely to be a little disappointed.

Weir’s second book was originally going to be a crazier hard-SF novel called Zhek, but it was only partially completed.