Review: Artemis

Artemis by Andy Weir
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to give this a higher rating. I loved the "gee whiz!" aspect of solving problems in a closed space environment, I liked the idea of an Arab woman protagonist with a sketchy personal life, and I loved that it passed the Bechdel Test--women were talking with other capable women about science, politics and economics.

But it could have been so much better. Jazz struck me as a Heinleinesque heroine, and not in a good way. She could do amazing things in crisis situations, she was smart and capable, but when she mused on her own life, her sexuality and her choices it was like being in the head of a 17-year-old boy writing about girl stuff. Trust me, women do not focus on their own boobs unless they've got a mammogram scheduled or the darn things are getting in the way again.

I've heard this is already optioned for movie, not surprising given the success of The Martian, and I hope it will get a female director and lead actress who'll bring more sensibility to the role of Jazz and the surrounding characters from Artemis.

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