











The SciNexic Files
The SciNexic Files
Feature



Space Sci-Fi Book of the Week: Artemis by Andy Weir – A Lunar Heist That Reaches for the Stars
Rithic P
Jul 8, 2025
Space Sci-Fi Book of the Week: Artemis by Andy Weir – A Lunar Heist That Reaches for the Stars


Rithic P
Jul 8, 2025
Rithic P
Jul 8, 2025
After conquering Mars with "The Martian," Andy Weir sets his sights on the Moon in this thrilling space sci-fi caper that transforms humanity's first lunar city into the ultimate frontier playground.
When Andy Weir crafted "The Martian," he proved that hard science fiction could be both intellectually rigorous and wildly entertaining. With "Artemis," published in 2017, Weir transports readers to humanity's first city on the Moon, creating a space sci-fi universe where lunar tourism meets criminal enterprise in the most unlikely of settings. Set in the late 2080s, this novel explores what happens when the final frontier becomes home to 2,000 residents navigating life, love, and larceny in one-sixth Earth gravity.

The original Artemis cover art.
Welcome to Artemis: The Moon's First Metropolis
Artemis represents the pinnacle of space sci-fi world-building, a lunar metropolis divided into five interconnected domes named after Apollo astronauts: Armstrong (industry), Aldrin (tourism), Conrad (blue-collar housing), Bean (middle-income), and Shepard (the wealthy elite). This isn't just clever nomenclature—it's a testament to Weir's meticulous attention to the social and economic realities of space colonization.
The city's economy mirrors real-world resort towns, driven by lunar tourism and aluminium production from anorthite smelting—a process that simultaneously provides the city's oxygen supply. Weir's engineering background shines through in every detail, from the double-hulled domes protected by layers of aluminium and crushed lunar rock to the practical challenges of eating "gunk"—an algae-based food that keeps residents alive but hardly satisfied.
Technical Marvel: The Moon's one-sixth gravity transforms everyday life into something extraordinary, allowing residents to run faster and jump higher than humanly possible on Earth—turning the lunar surface into a playground where physics becomes adventure.
Jazz Bashara: The Ultimate Space Sci-Fi Antihero
At the heart of "Artemis" is Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara, a Saudi-born woman who moved to the Moon as a child and now survives as a porter by day and smuggler by night. Jazz embodies the space sci-fi tradition of resourceful protagonists who thrive in hostile environments, but with a distinctly lunar twist. Her wit, technical knowledge, and morally flexible approach to survival make her the perfect guide through Artemis's criminal underworld.
When wealthy Norwegian businessman Trond Landvik offers Jazz a million "slugs" (the lunar currency) to sabotage the anorthite harvesters of Sanchez Aluminium, she faces the ultimate space sci-fi dilemma: risk everything for financial freedom or continue scraping by in humanity's most expensive city. The supporting cast—including her devout Muslim father and Kelvin from the Kenya Space Program—creates a richly diverse ensemble that reflects the international nature of space exploration.
The Science Behind the Fiction
Andy Weir's transition from software engineer to space sci-fi author brings unparalleled technical authenticity to "Artemis." His research process began with fundamental questions: Why would people live on the Moon? What economic forces would sustain a lunar colony? Drawing inspiration from frontier settlements, Weir envisioned a tourist-driven economy centred on the Apollo 11 landing site as a pilgrimage destination.

Andy Weir in 2018. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
The novel's scientific foundation rests on real-world chemistry and engineering. Weir meticulously researched lunar anorthite smelting using processes like the FFC Cambridge method, calculating energy requirements and engineering challenges for operating such facilities in space. Every aspect of lunar life—from radiation shielding to food production—reflects current scientific understanding, with only one speculative technology driving the plot.
Critical Reception: A Mixed Lunar Landing
The space sci-fi community's response to "Artemis" proved as complex as the novel itself. Professional critics awarded the book an average score of 3.21/5, while readers were more generous, with Goodreads rating it 3.6/5 from over 120,000 ratings and Amazon users giving it 4.20/5.
The Wall Street Journal's Tom Shippey praised Weir's
"characteristic blend of engineering know-how and survival suspense," calling Jazz "a great heroine, tough with a soft core".
Booklist described it as an
"exciting, whip-smart, funny thrill-ride" that successfully differentiated itself from "The Martian".
However, The New York Times Book Review was more critical, with N.K. Jemisin arguing that characters lacked authenticity and comparing the book to
"a 300-page film pitch".
The novel's 3.64/5 simple average across all platforms reflects this division—space sci-fi enthusiasts appreciated the technical innovation and lunar setting, while literary critics wanted deeper character development and more sophisticated plotting.
Space Sci-Fi Legacy and Hollywood Futures
"Artemis" earned significant genre recognition, winning the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction and the 2018 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel . The book's success attracted Hollywood attention, with 20th Century Studios and New Regency acquiring film rights before publication.

The current alternative Artemis cover art.
The adaptation features impressive talent: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("The Lego Movie," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse") are attached to direct, while Geneva Robertson-Dworet ("Captain Marvel") will adapt the screenplay, suggesting the film will maintain the scientific rigor that made Weir's debut adaptation successful.
Fascinating Space Sci-Fi Trivia
Rosario Dawson narrates the audiobook, bringing Jazz's diverse supporting cast to life with international accents that earned an AudioFile Earphones Award.
The city's name honours Artemis, Greek goddess of the Moon and Apollo's twin sister, connecting lunar mythology with space exploration history.
Weir originally conceived Jazz as a secondary character, but her "lovable rogue" personality made her the most compelling choice for protagonist.
The novel's lunar setting required Weir to design everything from currency systems to legal frameworks for humanity's first extra-terrestrial city.
The Verdict: Essential Space Sci-Fi Reading
"Artemis" succeeds as both technical showcase and entertaining space sci-fi adventure. While it may not achieve the character depth of literary fiction, it excels at what space sci-fi does best: exploring how technology and environment shape human behaviour in extraordinary circumstances. Weir's lunar city feels lived-in and authentic, populated by characters who face genuine challenges in humanity's most expensive frontier town.
For space sci-fi enthusiasts, "Artemis" offers a compelling vision of lunar colonization that feels both futuristic and achievable. The novel's blend of hard science, criminal intrigue, and space-age problem-solving creates an engaging read that reinforces why the Moon remains one of our most fascinating destinations.
Final Recommendation: "Artemis" earns its place as essential space sci-fi reading, offering a technically brilliant glimpse into humanity's lunar future while delivering the entertainment value that makes great genre fiction memorable.
Continue exploring the frontiers of space sci-fi literature with SciNexic.com's other book features and in-depth genre analysis.
After conquering Mars with "The Martian," Andy Weir sets his sights on the Moon in this thrilling space sci-fi caper that transforms humanity's first lunar city into the ultimate frontier playground.
When Andy Weir crafted "The Martian," he proved that hard science fiction could be both intellectually rigorous and wildly entertaining. With "Artemis," published in 2017, Weir transports readers to humanity's first city on the Moon, creating a space sci-fi universe where lunar tourism meets criminal enterprise in the most unlikely of settings. Set in the late 2080s, this novel explores what happens when the final frontier becomes home to 2,000 residents navigating life, love, and larceny in one-sixth Earth gravity.

The original Artemis cover art.
Welcome to Artemis: The Moon's First Metropolis
Artemis represents the pinnacle of space sci-fi world-building, a lunar metropolis divided into five interconnected domes named after Apollo astronauts: Armstrong (industry), Aldrin (tourism), Conrad (blue-collar housing), Bean (middle-income), and Shepard (the wealthy elite). This isn't just clever nomenclature—it's a testament to Weir's meticulous attention to the social and economic realities of space colonization.
The city's economy mirrors real-world resort towns, driven by lunar tourism and aluminium production from anorthite smelting—a process that simultaneously provides the city's oxygen supply. Weir's engineering background shines through in every detail, from the double-hulled domes protected by layers of aluminium and crushed lunar rock to the practical challenges of eating "gunk"—an algae-based food that keeps residents alive but hardly satisfied.
Technical Marvel: The Moon's one-sixth gravity transforms everyday life into something extraordinary, allowing residents to run faster and jump higher than humanly possible on Earth—turning the lunar surface into a playground where physics becomes adventure.
Jazz Bashara: The Ultimate Space Sci-Fi Antihero
At the heart of "Artemis" is Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara, a Saudi-born woman who moved to the Moon as a child and now survives as a porter by day and smuggler by night. Jazz embodies the space sci-fi tradition of resourceful protagonists who thrive in hostile environments, but with a distinctly lunar twist. Her wit, technical knowledge, and morally flexible approach to survival make her the perfect guide through Artemis's criminal underworld.
When wealthy Norwegian businessman Trond Landvik offers Jazz a million "slugs" (the lunar currency) to sabotage the anorthite harvesters of Sanchez Aluminium, she faces the ultimate space sci-fi dilemma: risk everything for financial freedom or continue scraping by in humanity's most expensive city. The supporting cast—including her devout Muslim father and Kelvin from the Kenya Space Program—creates a richly diverse ensemble that reflects the international nature of space exploration.
The Science Behind the Fiction
Andy Weir's transition from software engineer to space sci-fi author brings unparalleled technical authenticity to "Artemis." His research process began with fundamental questions: Why would people live on the Moon? What economic forces would sustain a lunar colony? Drawing inspiration from frontier settlements, Weir envisioned a tourist-driven economy centred on the Apollo 11 landing site as a pilgrimage destination.

Andy Weir in 2018. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
The novel's scientific foundation rests on real-world chemistry and engineering. Weir meticulously researched lunar anorthite smelting using processes like the FFC Cambridge method, calculating energy requirements and engineering challenges for operating such facilities in space. Every aspect of lunar life—from radiation shielding to food production—reflects current scientific understanding, with only one speculative technology driving the plot.
Critical Reception: A Mixed Lunar Landing
The space sci-fi community's response to "Artemis" proved as complex as the novel itself. Professional critics awarded the book an average score of 3.21/5, while readers were more generous, with Goodreads rating it 3.6/5 from over 120,000 ratings and Amazon users giving it 4.20/5.
The Wall Street Journal's Tom Shippey praised Weir's
"characteristic blend of engineering know-how and survival suspense," calling Jazz "a great heroine, tough with a soft core".
Booklist described it as an
"exciting, whip-smart, funny thrill-ride" that successfully differentiated itself from "The Martian".
However, The New York Times Book Review was more critical, with N.K. Jemisin arguing that characters lacked authenticity and comparing the book to
"a 300-page film pitch".
The novel's 3.64/5 simple average across all platforms reflects this division—space sci-fi enthusiasts appreciated the technical innovation and lunar setting, while literary critics wanted deeper character development and more sophisticated plotting.
Space Sci-Fi Legacy and Hollywood Futures
"Artemis" earned significant genre recognition, winning the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction and the 2018 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel . The book's success attracted Hollywood attention, with 20th Century Studios and New Regency acquiring film rights before publication.

The current alternative Artemis cover art.
The adaptation features impressive talent: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("The Lego Movie," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse") are attached to direct, while Geneva Robertson-Dworet ("Captain Marvel") will adapt the screenplay, suggesting the film will maintain the scientific rigor that made Weir's debut adaptation successful.
Fascinating Space Sci-Fi Trivia
Rosario Dawson narrates the audiobook, bringing Jazz's diverse supporting cast to life with international accents that earned an AudioFile Earphones Award.
The city's name honours Artemis, Greek goddess of the Moon and Apollo's twin sister, connecting lunar mythology with space exploration history.
Weir originally conceived Jazz as a secondary character, but her "lovable rogue" personality made her the most compelling choice for protagonist.
The novel's lunar setting required Weir to design everything from currency systems to legal frameworks for humanity's first extra-terrestrial city.
The Verdict: Essential Space Sci-Fi Reading
"Artemis" succeeds as both technical showcase and entertaining space sci-fi adventure. While it may not achieve the character depth of literary fiction, it excels at what space sci-fi does best: exploring how technology and environment shape human behaviour in extraordinary circumstances. Weir's lunar city feels lived-in and authentic, populated by characters who face genuine challenges in humanity's most expensive frontier town.
For space sci-fi enthusiasts, "Artemis" offers a compelling vision of lunar colonization that feels both futuristic and achievable. The novel's blend of hard science, criminal intrigue, and space-age problem-solving creates an engaging read that reinforces why the Moon remains one of our most fascinating destinations.
Final Recommendation: "Artemis" earns its place as essential space sci-fi reading, offering a technically brilliant glimpse into humanity's lunar future while delivering the entertainment value that makes great genre fiction memorable.
Continue exploring the frontiers of space sci-fi literature with SciNexic.com's other book features and in-depth genre analysis.








Comments
Please be kind and considerate. Any abusive or offensive comments will be sent out the airlock! Thank You.
Please be kind and considerate. Any abusive or offensive comments will be sent out the airlock! Thank You.
Please be kind and considerate. Any abusive or offensive comments will be sent out the airlock! Thank You.
Banner Image - Artemis coverart image - https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81iqOomzwcL._SL1500_.jpg - Copyright: Penguin Random House/HeadDesign
Main Article - All images and media are the property of their respective owners. - Book cover art - https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81pnV37Xr4L._SY466_.jpg - https://res.cloudinary.com/itimages/image/fetch/c_scale,w_1500,q_50,f_auto/https://images.randomhouse.com/cover/d/9780553448146 - Andy Weir Image - JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons