“I went into the wilds alone, and I returned with friends. I’ve never had a friend on my own before. And now I have two. Unexpectedly.”

“You know what they say, once you go dragon, all the rest is just laggin.”

by Lauren

Here is my summary of the book… (cue Iron Eagle soundtrack music)

It’s just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom—if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. 

Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer.

At first, Zack thinks he’s going crazy.

A minute later, he’s sure of it. Because the UFO he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada--in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.  

But what Zack’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

This book has been floating around for a while, but with the upcoming feature film (staring Matt Damon), several recommendations from friends and getting a copy for my birthday (thanks, Maria!), I finally sat down and gave The Martian a read - and it is literally one of the most compelling books I have read in years. The Martian was originally self-published by first time author Andy Weir in 2011 and it was so popular, Crown Publishing purchased the rights and re-released it in 2014.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Author’s Note – This is set in a fairy-tail kingdom a long, long time ago. This is also set in our backyards, yesterday. Fantasy is always a little more cutting than our real life. Let it be so.

Lambda Literary believes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer literature is fundamental to the preservation of our culture, and that LGBTQ lives are affirmed when our stories are written, published and read.