Artemis is a science fiction novel written by Andy Weir and is a follow up to his hit debut The Martian. This one takes place on the moon in a colony known as Artemis. The story is told from the perspective of one Jasmine Bashara, who works as a porter and a part-time smuggler. She lives in a cupboard not much bigger than a coffin. Artemis relies on tourism from Earth. Jazz lets herself be talked into a little heist that will help her out financially. Of course, it all goes wrong and a killer is on her trail. Jazz isn’t a hero, but she has some a little nobility in her and a whole lot of wit.
This is only Weir’s second novel, but it seems evident that he likes to imbue his protagonists with a heavy sardonic view on life. Fortunately, Weir is actually pretty funny so I don’t mind. Jazz is an interesting heroine. She is quite aware of her strengths and faults. Weir has indicated in a printed interview that he really planned out how this city would function if it were real. He apparently made blueprints and created the economy. Although he was kind enough to not bore the reader with all of the details he conceived, he was still able to convey how much work he put into the setting and concepts. He did pretty well with having a woman as his lead character. There were some profound and moving moments as well, however the humor peppered throughout the narrative is what really makes this worth the time. I would certainly recommend some time in Artemis as presented by Andy Weir.
Now that I spent a little time on the moon in the future, I will next return to present day Los Angeles to see how old friends, Dr. Alex Delaware and LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis unravel the secrets of Jonathan Kellerman’s The Museum of Desire.
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