Any good books with a similar theme to 'The Martian'?

[Specter Von Baren]

And I don't mean the being on Mars or even the space aspects of the story. I want to know if anyone knows of good books that have the same theme of encountering adversity and overcoming obstacles as they come through ingenuity and determination.

I love the aspect of the book where Watney would have a problem come up, he'd think over his options and come to a solution and plan out how his solution would work and then put it into effect while overcoming any hiccups that come up during his plan. That's the kind of book I'd like to read right now.

 

[skywolfblue]

I can't think of many... I can think of a lot of books that have it to some degree, but not as the crux of the plot.
The Admiral Thrawn books by Timothy Zahn perhaps? Though in this case it's the "villain" who's the one using ingenuity and determination. Thrawn is cast as the villain but he's really the protagonist of the story in my mind. If you haven't read them I'd highly recommend it!

On the other hand I can think of a lot of movies/TV shows with that theme.
MacGyver
10 Cloverfield Lane
Stargate SG-1/Atlantis (Stargate IS "MacGyver in outer space", it's glorious!)
Firefly

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The obvious answer is Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The Martian is just taking Crusoe's premise of a lonely yet resourceful castway (in space!), probably with a bit more humor. There're a few Josef Conrad novels, usually about young ship captains who have to prove their worth/pass a rite of initiation, who have a very hands-on approach with every little snag they encounter on their journey. Heart of Darkness, The Shadow-Line, etc. It's also a recurring theme with many Cormac McCarthy novels. None of which I'd describe as "similar" to The Martian, but his protagonists are usually set on the loose in a hostile scenario and are very careful and methodical in the way they approach conflict.

Honestly your best bet is to go to www.goodreads.com and post this same thread in one of the forums. You'll definitely get more hits and a more varied selection of recommendations.