Artemis by Andy Weir

Rating: 3/5 stars

Adult Content: references to sex, some violence, and a whole lot of every swear word

Spoiler alert!

This Science-Fiction novel takes place on a Lunar colony called Artemis, in the late 2080s. Our narrator is a young rugamuffin named Jasmine Bashra, Jazz for short. Welder, smuggler, genius, and the key component of a plot to overthrow Sanchez Aluminum, the current primary source of Oxygen for the colony. Offered 1 million slugs (Artemisian currency) to take out the 3 harvesters responsible for collecting ore, Jazz divises a plan to finally get rich. There's just one small problem: she's discovered before she can finish. Thanks to her EVA suit which protects her from the lack of atmosphere on the moon, she is also disguised, albeit poorly. But her moon really gets shaken up when she discovers her employer, Trond, has been murdered as well as his bodyguard for their involvement in the plot. Jazz now has to hide out, try to solve the murder, and finish the job -- all while being chased by Rudy, the lawless lawman of a lawless town, and Lefty, a hitman for the drug cartel that actually owns Sanchez Aluminum. On her team? Her father, a master welder who is picking the lesser of two evils; Svobo, a chemist and engineer who is sweet on Jazz, Dale, the EVA master who stole her boyfriend, and Kelvin, her earthside correspondent and fellow smuggler. Oh, and did we mention the new technology only feasibly creatable on the moon? Yeah, there's deception, intrigue, really great descriptions of how to properly weld on the moon, and so many possible motives for murder and sabotage it'll leave your head spinning.

Here come the nitpicky bits (with serious spoiler)

Overall, I was impressed with the science aspects of the novel. The chemistry, the welding, the engineering all had explanations and descriptions of processes. The escalation of drama was also very well-paced and left me up way past my bedtime reading "just one more chapter".  As with any novel, wrapping everything up at the end is an enormous feat. For me, it was especially difficult to swallow all the events surrounding the pointy pipe that is their ultimate salvation. Using an airlock for a prison? Lefty managing to create a feasibly airtight face mask with local materials? How did he break the pipe? Are you telling me that Jazz would just FORGET about a pointy pipe before getting into a very poppable bubble? Don't even get me started on her managing to use it for leverage before death or if her body would have remained in one piece with the sudden change in air pressure.  This whole situation made the book lose 1.5 stars for me. the other 0.5 star was for language. Not just cussing, but that there wasn't more moon slang. Any isolated population has new slang every year, she's lived here for nearly 2 decades, and this is 60 years in the future. There's gonna be more variety, especially in a first-person perspective. Just think how different High School slang is now from when you went to school.

Discussion Questions:

1. This book is written in 1st person from a female perspective. How did the author (Andy Weir) do writing from another perspective? What did you like or dislike about the narrator?

2. Many of the characters have highly technical positions or are craftsmen. Did you expect any of the positions to be different on the Moon than on earth? Why or why not?

3. We eventually learn that Jazz's coldness towards Dale is because he stole her boyfriend, Tyler, while they were dating. Why do you think Jazz is more willing to talk to Dale than Tyler?

4. What do you wish we knew about Kelvin?

5. We find out that Sanchez Aluminum is actually owned by an organized crime family. Was this surprising to you? Why or why not? Do you agree that there would not be extensive mobs or crime families in a population of 2000?

6. At the end of the novel, Lena makes the decision to trust Sanchez as chief Smelter of her new company. Would you have done the same? Why or why not? Do you think this could create an opening for a new crime family in the future?

7. Do you think Jazz should have been deported at the end? 

    If not, do you think it's feasible for her to be in charge of smuggling? 

    If so, what plan would you make for controlling smuggling?