"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...

This is the story of planetary scientist and explorer Alvyn Stafford who has been on Mars longer than anyone else. When he disappears in the remote desert of the Hellespontus, he creates a sensation. The search for the missing scientist soon becomes the biggest news for mankind since the discovery of primitive life on Mars. Because - out there in the desert - Stafford has found "something".....