The Martian is a 2011 science fiction novel. It was the second novel by American author Andy Weir and the first published under his own name. It was originally self-published in 2011 after which Crown Publishing purchased the rights and re-released it in 2014. The story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars in the year 2035[1] and must improvise in order to survive.[2][3][4] The Martian, a film adaptation directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, was released in October 2015.[5]