The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. The premise is that all magic can be accomplished by solving mathematical theorems in your head and that governments around the world have found it easier and safer to do with computers. Lots of Lovecraft, a little IT crowd, a little James Bond, and a lot of satire about the nature of bureaucracy.
Damn, those tricky vampire hosting companies. If you enjoy the idea of a mix of supernatural with computers I wonder if you might enjoy reading The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. It's the first book in a series.
I would actually say that Charlie Stross's "The Laundry Files" series is similar in tone to The Martian, although the subject matter and setting are completely different.
The basic premise is that the main protagonist of the story is an IT computer technician who works for a super top secret government division that deals with the supernatural and extradimensional godlike beings who are trying to take over the world. The similarities to The Martian lie in the personality of the main protagonist and his intelligence and sense of humour and his approach to problem solving when everything turns into a giant clusterfuck around him.
Start with The Atrocity Archives: http://www.amazon.com/Atrocity-Archives-Laundry-Files-Novel/dp/0441016685
Off topic, but if you haven't read The Laundry Files, I'm like 99% sure you would love them.
For flights I usually go with something lighter, I find I have a hard time getting into complex books on flights.
So, in that spirit I recomend The Atrocity Archives
Or anything by Malcolm Gladwell if you feel like something pop.sci.
How about the atrocity archives? :)
Charlie Stross sounds like just the ticket:
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/buy-my-books/buy-my-books-us.html
I would suggest this to start, short and sweet, funny & dark:
http://www.amazon.com/Atrocity-Archives-Charles-Stross/dp/0441016685/
Also, what others have said about Iain M Banks and his Culture Novels - they're pretty awesome; Consider Phlebas isn't a bad place to start.