By Campbell Walker
Once again, Andy Weir is here to put fingers to keys and transport a reader into a plausible, grounded, and endlessly entertaining thrill-ride of a narrative. Having read his latest novel, Project Hail Merry, as well as his debut, The Martian, I can say Artemis fits perfectly in the gap between those stories.
We find our
protagonist, Jazz Bashara, in the lunar city of Artemis, secretly smuggling
illicit goods to wealthy occupants as a side hustle. What seems to be
crime-noir eventually morphs into espionage and eventually heroism.
Jazz is an extremely likeable character,
consistently poking fun at the situations presented and outsmarting those that
obstruct her goals. A character such as Jazz has the potential to come off as
uptight or pretentious, but Weir adeptly swerves around that common mistake
with humor and relatability. She’s capable, yet still retains that emotional
wiggle room that makes the more heartfelt scenes connect with the reader. Her
choices throughout the novel, whilst occasionally chaotic, have genuine thought
behind them, accompanied by the hard science that Weir excels at. The
perspective in which the novel is told is also fitting, with Jazz occasionally
breaking the fourth wall and attempting to guess what the reader may be
thinking. It’s the combination of these elements that makes for a suitably
excellent protagonist, and I’d expect no less from an author who seems to
thrive with character building.
The
central narrative of Artemis is an interweaving one, with many plot threads and
subtle notes to hang onto. When the story begins, you get the necessary
exposition you need, then are thrown into the city to experience its
protectors, administrators, commoners, and delinquents. Without spoiling much,
Jazz slowly unravels a conspiracy that gets continuously more interesting and
inventive the more you read, culminating in a thrill-ride of a third act.
Roughly half way through the novel you reach a point where it becomes difficult
to put down, the page number rising despite what seems like mere minutes
passing. It holds your attention with in-depth and intricately written
scientific detail whilst steering you along its tracks. Weir seems to excel at
this structure, never missing a beat even in the more relaxed and quiet moments.
Setting-wise,
Artemis is rich with character. Throughout the novel, you’re introduced to its
districts, shops, cultures, activities, operations, procedures, and technology.
It all feels extremely real, nothing
stands out as a red flag or potential plot hole. It’s clear the Weir spent a
considerable amount of time concepting the city, and it sure shows. Every aspect is meticulously
constructed, and the people, the
people feel effortlessly tangible with motivations, goals, and unique
personalities. Weir also consistently reminds the reader of lunar gravity and
its effects on practically everything, as well as the complex pressure system
that keeps the occupants living. Never once did I feel I had to stretch my
definition of reality to fit the environment, the places depicted simply come
to life in your head even with minimal detail.
In
closing, and wow, did I not want to
close this book. Weir’s done it once more. Artemis seamlessly and effortlessly
blends science and a fast moving narrative into a singular cohesive package,
and it just works.
