Project Hail Mary: A Novel

I consider The Martian my favorite fictional novel of the last 15-20 years. The movie was incredible in that they actually followed the book closer than 99% of other films based on books. It remains my favorite movie of the last 15 years or so as well. I don't know anyone (personally) that loves either of them as much as I do. With that said, I was REALLY looking forward to Artemis. It was good...but, it was certainly not in the same caliber as The Martian was (at least not for me). I enjoyed it a lot, however and appreciated how author Andy Weir chose to go in a completely different direction and not just rehash another similar story, which I am certain would have been great as well. As a result, I was cautious regarding Project Hail Mary. It sounded a little too close to The Martian, but yet, also different in that the circumstances simply could not be more opposite and the stakes so much higher. I'm trying to figure out the best way to summarize without giving too much away from this utterly compelling novel. As I read several reviews, I noticed a recurring theme: SCIENCE. Lots and LOTS of science. Holy cow, they were right. Many years ago I read Apollo 13 and Jim Lovell and his co-writer, try as they might, simply could not dumb down Orbital Mechanics anywhere near enough for me to have even a minor clue as to what they were attempting to say...I just skipped 90% of it and hoped that the sentences written afterwards, would help to make sense of what I had just skimmed over. I'm a lot of things, but a math wizard is definitely not one of them. Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) had an amazing talent for dumbing-down the science of what he was trying to explain in ways that genuinely made sense (most of the time). Not everyone has this talent, and I would say Andy Weir falls squarely in between. He's certainly better than Jim Lovell, but not quite as good as Crichton. But then again, outside of a science textbook, I haven't really read anything with quite as MUCH science as Project Hail Mary. So maybe he's just as good, but he just puts more science into his books than Crichton, maybe that's it...? Either way, be prepared for a lot of astonishingly interesting science within the pages of this novel...and I DO mean a LOT. I don't say this to make you wary or steer you away...on the contrary, Andy Weir has a special talent for making hard science truly entertaining. The book opens with an absolutely amazing and frightening premise: an astronaut awakes from an induced coma to find the only other two people on board have died at some point along their journey...but it gets worse. He has no idea who he is, or why he's on the ship, and oh yeah, they look to be a long way from home. A really, REALLY long way from home. In fact, the sun he sees isn't actually OUR sun at all. He's managed to leave our solar system entirely. And he has no idea why. ((Minor Spoilers)) The book goes through some clever flash-backs, which set the stage for why the mission happens, and slowly, carefully explains how they managed to get so far away from earth in such a short amount of time. Basically, earth's sun seems to be dying. At the rate of decay, we have maybe 19 years left before the gradual cooling has catastrophic consequences resulting in the death of billions (best guess). Why the sun is dimming is quite the conundrum in the first place. Turns out it really isn't dying, it's being killed by an outside source...which turns out to be easily the greatest find in history. It's alien life, and they are using the sun for food, essentially. It's alien life, but not intelligent life. But still, wow! ALIENS, right??? After this monumental discovery, and some tremendous research done by the most improbable scientist, the investigation into what is happening and why and what to do about it expands exponentially to other nations in order to pool all the resources possible to hopefully save the sun, and by extension, the human race as well. They learn. A LOT. A plan is put together, and with the help of the newly discovered microscopic alien life, which can also double as a power source (along with a few other nifty surprises), they begin to create one last, Hail Mary that could very well be the last chance we might have to save earth. It's audacious. It's dangerous, and it is absolutely critical that it succeed. As our astronaut's memory slowly unravels, so does his identity: Ryland Grace. He's a teacher on earth. Just a science teacher. Not even a college professor. He's amazingly smart, though. But he's no astronaut...and certainly not one who would volunteer to go on a one-way mission to another solar system to "try" and save humanity. Yet here he is. Alone. light years from earth, trying to solve the biggest riddle in all of human history. Ryland accepts his situation, such as it is, with relative indifference (for the most part). It doesn't matter HOW he got here. He's here now and he may as well use that time to be as productive as possible, right? Along the way, he unravels even more information regarding the microscopic alien life which is slowly dimming our sun during some additional flashbacks. The aliens, dubbed, "Astrophage" are quite the galactic plague as it turns out. Stars all over the galaxy are also losing their light, all due to the little buggers. All that is, except one particular star named, Tau Ceti. Now why would that one star be unaffected by Astrophage, when every single star around it has been affected to some degree. The plan is to go there and figure it out and send the information back, hopefully in time to save the sun before the damage to earth is beyond repair. There is an incredible amount of stuff going on. The story switches from Tau Ceti to flashbacks of how the whole mission was planned and implemented (which is VERY entertaining, especially Director Stratt, who may actually be my favorite character in the entire novel). Weir is becoming quite adept at building tension, and abruptly switching the story from Tau Ceti back to earth and building more of the backstory then switching back to Tau Ceti. Keeping it all in check and most importantly, interesting all while mixing in a healthy dose of science, which I am to understand is pretty much all genuine, is quite the juggling act. I have long known science can be astronomically entertaining (see what I did there?) when done right...but unfortunately very few people in a position to teach science actually know the best way to create that interest in others. I can say without reservation, Andy Weir definitely knows how to do it...at least in written form. There is so much I want to say more regarding this truly phenomenal story, but I simply cannot without ruining a lot of the fun and surprises revealed along the way...and it is killing me to keep it locked in. Though I labeled a spoiler warning earlier, I don't think it gave away any more than what the author himself has revealed in interviews he has done regarding the book, and what you can glean from reading the summary here and just a couple other reviews. Tying all of that science together is truly astonishing to me. The creativity to put it into a novel that is remarkably exciting to read is nothing more than incredible talent. Kudo's to Andy Weir for not just hitting a home run, Project Hail Mary is a Grand Slam all the way. I truly did not want this story to end. By the way, I enjoyed the ending quite a bit. I don't know if everyone will. But it was fine for me. I think the ending screams "sequel" at some point too. A lot was left open-ended (IMO) and I wouldn't mind reading a follow-up to this. It doesn't HAVE to happen, but there are a lot of ways where the story could go if Andy chose to do it. Just sayin'. Just run out and buy this book.

If you loved the Martian in either book or movie form, Project Hail Mary will likely delight you. The main character (who I'll leave nameless to avoid spoilers) is nearly identical to The Martian's lead, Mark Watney. They have similar personalities, the same fundamental mission of surviving in a hostile environment, and both use real-world biology, chemistry, and physics to solve their problems from start to finish. The book provides an early test for whether or not you'll enjoy it: on page five, when our protagonist is being quizzed by an annoyingly paternalistic computer that is demanding to know the cube root of eight, our hero replies with the smart aleck answer: "two times e to the two-i-pi". If you find this interaction amusing, all good; if it's off-putting, turn back now. In fairness, Project Hail Mary shares The Martian's flaws as well. The protagonist's character is a bit better developed - but only slightly. The conflict is entirely man-vs-environment. And though the protagonist is often in situations that might cause one to ponder the essential truths of the human condition, he never does. His personality and behavior as a sarcastic problem-solving scientist / engineer are pitch-perfect but the book rarely goes any deeper. He has an established motivation and a flaw to be overcome - but these are really just superficial grace-notes (see what I did there?). This is not Crime and Punishment. Instead, it's a page-turning action-hero book - where instead of firing shots, the action hero saves the day by doing science really well. Books that celebrate real science are rare, so if that's what you came for, you're going to love what Project Hail Mary delivers. Although largely similar, there are four main ways in which Project Hail Mary differs on the Martian so I'll touch on those now: 1. The stakes are higher - much higher! In The Martian, Mark Watney is already a bit of a super hero - he's an astronaut after all - and all he really needs to do is stay alive. In Project Hail Mary, our hero is much more of an every-man and his job is nothing less than to save the human race. 2. The Martian is told in chronological order. In Project Hail Mary, our hero awakens with a serious case of amnesia and can't even remember his own name. He starts his adventures at essentially the most dull part of his recent life. As time passes he both tackles dramatic new challenges and remembers the wild adventures that brought him here. Andy Weir does a fantastic job of interweaving the past and the present and the result is a very effective narrative framework that lands on a "Wow!" moment at the end of nearly every chapter. 3. Project Hail Mary is a buddy story. In The Martian, Mark Watney is alone in his battle against the elements of Mars for nearly the entire book. By contrast, Project Hail Mary, once it really gets going, is absolutely a tale of buddy-bonding. This surprised and, ultimately, delighted me. It helps give the protagonist a bit more of a human side. And the team problem-solving scenes are, again, pitch-perfect. 4. Project Hail Mary puts the 'fiction' back in Science Fiction. In The Martian, leaving aside the opening wind storm and the closing chapter of wish-fulfillment heroics, we are essentially in a very tightly written NASA simulation. I found this incredibly enjoyable - but one could reasonably ask, where are the big ideas? Where are the bold 'what ifs'? The answer is, they're in Project Hail Mary! The science is still real and omni-present, but the fiction is big, bold, and awesome. If you're main draw for the Martian was the NASA lore and you wished Weir would write an even tighter sequel detailing the Apollo 13 events, you may be a bit disappointed - but everyone else is going to love this change of pace! So that's it in a nutshell: Project Hail Mary is a fantastic next book to read after The Martian. It's a clear spiritual successor but brings new ideas and structure to the game. Enjoy!

Enjoy the book. The character development is great. The characters are great. The story is great. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 for 2 reasons. First, I did not always enjoy or understand all the technical details. Second, there is a discussion about a sexual relationship that I do not think adds anything significant to the story. It also prohibits me from recommending this book to my grandchildren and I think some of them would really like it. Now, I can’t wait to watch the movie!

If you watched and loved the movie adaptation, do not skip reading this book! It gives you full access to the scientific problem-solving that makes this story so unique. Weir has a talent for explaining complex science in a way that is engaging, clear, and thrilling to follow along with. Ryland Grace's internal thoughts keep the story moving fast with lots of laugh-out-loud humor. The relationships feel grounded and real. The bond between Grace and Rocky is at the core of the story. Rocky makes contact first so the characters can shift from strangers to absolute trust. The other standout character, Eva Stratt, and relationship between her and Ryland is also well done. She does not break her unyielding and legal authority of the planet earth as the administrator in charge of the task force for "Project Hail Mary." Versus Grace's brilliant scientific mind, reluctant to continue but curious, and humorous crisp dialogue personality. His respect for her shines even when recording videos logs to her from light-years away...that is how deeply her authority shaped the mission. A fantastic read for anyone who enjoys a witty, fast-paced survival tale, optimistic sci-fi, or just wonderful storytelling. Highly recommended! (I hear the audiobook is a must listen...I'm listening now!)

I realize that Project Hail Mary already has approximately the population of a small city reviewing it, but I loved this book so much that I want to add my five stars to the pile. Andy Weir had me at the science. Actually, he had me at spectroscopy. I'm a spectroscopist, and discovering that spectroscopy isn't merely mentioned in this novel but plays an important role in understanding what is happening was ridiculously satisfying. More broadly, I loved the way Weir uses science throughout the book. It isn't decoration applied to make the story sound technical. The characters observe, hypothesize, calculate, experiment, get things wrong, revise their hypotheses, and try again. Science is how the story moves forward. And, remarkably, Weir makes all of that tremendous fun. The human protagonist is smart without being implausibly infallible. He has flashes of ingenuity and moments of spectacularly ordinary human fallibility. He can be noble and deeply flawed—and, importantly, is capable of being dismayed by his own flaws. That makes him much more interesting than a conventional heroic scientist who always knows what to do. Then there's Rocky. What a wonderful creation. Weir makes his alien just human enough that we can form an emotional connection with him, while keeping him sufficiently non-human that we never forget we're encountering a genuinely different life-form. The differences aren't merely cosmetic. Biology, perception, environment, language, technology, and ways of thinking all matter. And somehow, across all those differences, a friendship develops. By the time that relationship is fully established, Project Hail Mary has quietly become one of the best buddy stories I've read. Two intelligent beings who shouldn't even be able to communicate gradually learn not only how to work together, but how to understand, trust, tease, worry about, and care for one another. That's where the book becomes more than a clever science-fiction adventure. Rocky raises fascinating questions about which qualities we think of as "human" that might actually be something more universal: curiosity, loyalty, humor, cooperation, friendship, even love. Speaking of humor: this book is genuinely funny. Sometimes wry, sometimes absurd, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. I know this because I read part of it on an airplane and actually laughed out loud. Fortunately, the person sitting next to me was wearing headphones, so my dignity remained largely intact. I loved the adventure. I loved the friendship. I loved the imperfect protagonist. And I absolutely loved encountering a science-fiction novel in which the science is not simply scenery but an essential part of the story. Five enthusiastic stars. Did I mention the spectroscopy? For readers who enjoy: The Martian, also by Andy Weir, Contact by Carl Sagan, and The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle—science fiction in which figuring out the science is part of the adventure, and encountering something truly alien gives us a new way of looking at ourselves. Cocktail pairing: A Moscow Mule — vodka, ginger beer, and lime. Vodka gets its small but memorable nod in the novel, while the copper mug seems entirely appropriate for a book in which materials, chemistry, engineering, and the physical properties of practically everything can suddenly become important. Besides, after spending several hundred pages trying to save humanity using astrophysics, biology, engineering, chemistry—and, yes, spectroscopy—you've earned a drink. Just analyze its spectrum before consuming. For science, and, ya know, just in case...

According to a 2003 article on the NASA website, "NASA-funded scientists have recently learned that cloud-to-ground lightning frequently strikes the ground in two or more places ..." and that the third and fourth strokes of a lightning flash will follow the same path as the second stroke. In other words, lightning DOES strike the same place twice. But you don't need to search the web for this information. If you want proof that lightning strikes twice, just read Andy Weir's newest book, Project Hail Mary, and you'll see that Weir has created a giant sci-fi bestseller, in the same electric path as The Martian. Ryland Grace has a puzzle on his hands. He wakes up without a clue as to where he is, but he seems to be alone except for a computer AI that was keeping him alive. Unfortunately it didn't seem to be doing the same for two others in his ... wherever he is ... as he notes the decayed corpses in their creches on the ... well, it's a ship. A space ship. And bit by bit Grace puts the pieces of the puzzle together. An alien microbe has been discovered. Ryland Grace is brought on to the science team to learn more about the life form because Grace, currently a middle school science teacher, wrote papers about the notation that there does not need to be water to create life. Only in a biozone such as Earth's would water be needed, but other building blocks could be used in other systems. The science community as a whole mocked Grace, which is why he left and went on to teach kids, but now, he may be the best suited to understand this new life form. And as he remembers more and more, he also remembers that this life form is feeding on the energy output of the sun, which is decreasing the energy that gets to Earth, which spells disaster - as in the end of all life as currently known - on Earth if something isn't done. Scientists discover that Sol isn't the only star that is losing its energy output - likely due to the alien consumption, but that there is one star, in the center of all the known stars losing their energy, that remains constant with its output. In which case, the answer to the survival for Earth is likely found there, at Tau Ceti. The world's best scientific minds come together (by force and coercion) to create a ship that can get to Tau Ceti in twelve years (using the alien microbe as fuel) with shuttle pods to bring back answers to how to save the planet, but for the crew, it's a one-way trip. Knowing why he's there is only the first puzzle for Grace. Now he has to figure out how to save Earth. There's a very small window of time for him to discover the way to save the human race and get the answers sent back. Take too long and the shuttles will return to a dead planet. This book is amazing. Author Andy Weir brings us back to the magic that made The Martian so successful - an abandoned scientist trying to survive. But Ryland Grace's story is more complicated because he's not just trying to survive, but also help humanity survive. There's lots and lots of science - which is part of Weir's writing signature - and there's also a really wonderful story. It's hard for me to tell you just what I liked about this book because anything I write will be a spoiler and a huge part of the joy in this book is making the discoveries with Ryland Grace. Grace is our main character, but through the liberal use of flashbacks, we have a full cast of characters - at least one quite important to the story. Everyone is unique and individual which makes it easy to read, but just as with The Martian, where Mark Watney's personality carries the story, Ryland Grace here is the smart-mouth, sometimes funny, obsessed scientist infusing his personal tastes into his discoveries. He's also quite smart - which is good since he will need his intellect to save all of humanity. This is a page-turner. I did not want to put this book down. Neither did my 21 year old son who picked up my copy after I was well into it and finished it before I did. And days later he's still talking about how much he liked it and quoting sections of it to me at the dinner table. I hope Ballantine Books will do a very large print run because this is going to be huge seller and you definitely don't want to miss out on the biggest thing to come out in 2021. Looking for a good book? Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is proof that lightning strikes twice as this has all the excitement and energy of Weir's debut novel, with a more complicated storyline that will hold the reader all the way to the end.

I can't recall ever connecting with a story as I did this one. I've read dozens of sci-fi books, this is first one that made me laugh and cry, feel hopeful and hopeless at the same time. Andy Weir is a force of nature. He writes that first person narrative that just draws you in. I've read the book now four times, and can't seem to disconnect from the characters. I want to know what they're doing now. I think I need help ☺. Thank you Mr. Weir for giving me this beautiful story of two souls, completely opposite in every way, who form an incredible bond when everything is working against them. Looking forward to your next project.

Good story, but not the best First Contact book out there. I don't understand why so many people have listed this one as one of the best Sci-Fi books of all time. I'll gladly give major kudos to the author for coming up with a truly innovative alien threat to the world, but there are far better first contact books out there. I refer y'all to "Footfall" and "The Mote in God's Eye" both by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Hail Mary is very much an intellectual puzzle type of novel. Not much action. Frankly, the most interesting parts of the book were the flash backs as Grace recovers his memory. Good book but not the best of it's type out there.

This truly is one of the best books I've ever read. I managed to keep from spoilers before reading it (which was far too late), and it grabbed me from start to finish. The characters are very well written, and I felt involved with the main character really quickly. The "an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation" trope felt fresh again, and the way Weir handled flashbacks was not interruptive. I don't like action scenes in books, but the few that were there didn't feel like, "and now he did this, and then that happened", but were actually really engaging. Must read. And when done, really watch the movie, it's an incredible adaptation.

Fantástica novela de aventuras y ciencia ficción hardcore. Vaya por delante que me encantó The Martian y que disfruté con Artemis, a pesar de no estar a la altura de la primera. El estilo del autor, muy divulgativo, lleno de chistes y juegos de palabras, autocrítica humorística y optimismo en general hace que disfrute tanto del qué como del cómo. (Recomiendo, por cierto, el relato cortísimo de El huevo, del autor. 5 minutos de lectura interesante). En esta ocasión, a mí me parece que además el autor se supera a la hora de construir el armazón del relato y también a la hora de elegir cómo nos lo va desvelando. La novela empieza con nuestro protagonista despertando en una cama de hospital en un lugar desconocido, sin recordar ni siquiera cómo se llama. A su lado hay dos cadáveres. Y solo sabe que tiene una vaga sensación de que tiene que salvar el mundo. A partir de ahí se intercalan las historias de lo que está pasando y de lo que ha pasado para llegar a ese punto. Me parece que el autor lo hace muy bien. A los que leímos el Marciano y Artemisa nos sonará el estilo de la historia y del protagonista, pero creo sinceramente que en esta ocasión el autor se ha superado y ha construido una historia que es por momentos muy épica, que tiene una componente científica espectacular (el autor inventa la biología de dos mundos de manera convincente, para empezar a hablar) y que da para una peli épica (presiento que en un par de años o tres volveré a esta crítica y añadiré un "yo ya lo dije"). Por supuesto, tenemos un surtido de chistes y conatos de chistes marca de la casa (algunos están ocultos bajo etiqueta spoiler por si acaso, otros no los pongo porque desvelan demasiado, pero son muchísimos): Cuando el protagonista aún no sabe quién es ni qué hace ahí: Ten- foot ladder. I think in imperial units. That’s a clue. I’m probably an American. Or English. Or maybe Canadian. Canadians use feet and inches for short distances. I ask myself: How far is it from L.A. to New York? My gut answer: 3,000 miles. A Canadian would have used kilometers. So I’m English or American. Or I’m from Liberia. I know Liberia uses imperial units but I don’t know my own name. That’s irritating. Besides, if I had a nickel for every time I wanted to smack a kid’s parents for not teaching them even the most basic things… well… I’d have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it. He disfrutado como un enano, lo reconozco. Tres días duros de trabajo con solo un rato por las noches para leer que he aprovechado hasta el último minuto para leer las 500 páginas. Es exactamente lo que le pido a una novela de aventuras.

I loved this story so much! It was the perfect story for me. Easy to read, great pacing, relatable character (for me), amazing story about overcoming, courage, friendship, adventure and awesome science. Highly recommend.

I absolutely adored PHM. It has everything: adventure, humanity, encounters with alien life forms, suspense, science, and, yes, emotion. I was in awe of the book. What a story. A rather ordinary science teacher is sent to a distant star to save planet Earth and meets an alien, Rocky, who is trying to save his own planet. A beautiful friendship blossoms between the teacher and the alien. It's such a beautiful story. Not a scientific person myself, I wasn't in the least put off by the science in the book. In fact, it's wondrous. This will stay with me for a long time. A truc sci-fi masterpiece and a great story, whether you like the genre or not.

I was not crying at the end of last the book, im sure there were ninjas cutting onions close to me. Seriously, I loved this story. Sometimes it gets a bit too technical, but it's a masterpiece if you like this type of story The Martian took me 3 days to read, this one I finished in one week mainly because I have a toddler, otherwise I would be done in 4 days for sure.