Mark Watney, the hero of Andy Weir’s first novel, The Martian, famously said that the only way he could save himself from being marooned on Mars was too, “science the shit out of the problem.” The Martian, a vastly entertaining novel, was in many ways a throwback to classic, golden age science fiction, when SF was often written by actual scientists, and the heroes wore lab coats. Weir never glossed over the science Watney used—he showed his work, in detail, without it ever being boring. He made the science exciting.

Mark Watney has nothing on Ryland Grace, the hero of Weir’s new novel, Project Hail Mary.

Grace wakes up on a spaceship next to two long-dead crew mates, his only companions the robotic arms that have been caring for him. He doesn’t know who he is, doesn’t even know his own name, but he does know science. As he explores the ship, his memories begin to slowly trickle in as flashbacks that show him, and the reader, how he got to where he is—on a desperate, hail mary mission to save humanity, to save the planet Earth itself.

Weir intercuts between what’s happening on the ship and the flashback scenes, until the two eventually come together. Even more than with The Martian, Project Hail Mary is packed wall to wall with science and math, but if that sounds boring to you, then you don’t know Weir. This novel is a rollicking thrill ride, and the science only adds to the excitement. It never feels as if Weir is showing off. Everything is integral to the plot and moves the story forward at a propulsive rate.

Okay, here’s the thing. What I’ve described to you so far is basically the first third of the novel, because at about that point Weir throws us a planet-sized curveball. Project Hail Mary becomes a very different, and even better, story. Nope, I’m not going to give it away—that would be a disservice to you as a reader. Suffice to say that while the path it takes is surely unexpected, the novel becomes deeper, more meaningful. Weir hits surprisingly emotional notes, and nice touches of humor as well, while still ratcheting up the tension. He’s a natural storyteller.

Project Hail Mary was released on May 4th, and this is one you should not miss. Much like The Martian, it’s going to make a helluva movie.

I haven’t had many 5-star reads this year, but Andy Weir’s newest is absolutely that!
⁣
This science fiction book follows main character Ryland Grace as he’s tasked with essentially saving humanity. The science in this one is heavy, but I found it so thrilling to read about!! Weir’s writing is absolutely incredible and the characters he shares with us are nothing short of amazing. Read the synopsis below and then pick up a copy!! I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m telling you, I 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 it!!⁣

Holy Moly this book was amazing!!! I absolutely loved The Martian and was doubtful anything by Weir would ever live up to it. Project Hail Mary definitely exceeded those expectations. I have never wanted a book NOT to end. Weir's humorous writing style and complex characters immediately draw you into the story. Like The Martian, there is lots of scientific jargon and explanations, bu for the most part, it is understandable for anyone. However, I did find myself skimming some of it towards the end because of the suspense of the story. This book made me laugh and cry and shout for joy. I am not usually a Sci-Fi book reader but Weir has a way of making it more than that. There are complex relationships, drama, and comedy that make this book so much more than Sci-Fi. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Andy Weir (The Martian) is back with another outstanding sci-fi novel. Earth is in peril from a sun-eating algae. A brilliant but unmotivated science teacher finds himself in the middle of the effort to save the earth. When he wakes up in space, not remembering how he got there, he finds that he is Earth's last hope.
What Weir does better than anyone is make complicated science stuff understandable to the average reader (me, the science dummy). He uses humor to explain and the stakes for his characters are so high that you can't help but root for the underdog. His villains are brilliant because they are the impossible situations that his characters are put into.
This book is part unlikely astronaut story, part buddy cop comedy (spoiler alert: his new best friend is an alien), and part end of days science fiction. I received and tried to read this book first but then switched to the audiobook version. If you are like me and have trouble digesting and staying invested in detailed science talk, do the audio version. The narrator really helps make it more understandable and does a perfect job with the wit and humor. It also helps to have the audio version for the alien's musical dialog.
This book would be great for the sci fi and non sci fi enthusiast. Listen to the audio version.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance readers copy.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Andy Weir writes the perfect mix of science and thriller! He has returned to the same quality of writing as The Martian and I cannot wait to recommend this to fans of the smart thriller!

Project Hail Mary was another wonderful read from Andy Weir. The Martian captivated me so much I have reread and relistened to it several times. Artemis was also a good read and listen. Project Hail Mary is still four stars but differs in my mind in one important category. With The Martian and Artemis, it was easy for me to "see" the settings. I have watched enough NASA TV over the years to have a good feeling for the planet and moon. It makes the science of the book easier to imagine. The majority of Project Hail Mary takes place in deep space. Despite the many Hubble and other telescope photographs, I cannot begin to imagine the vastness of space. This may be a failing of my imagination or the fact that I did not begin to read science fiction until I was an adult. My lack of imagination made the science involved not concrete enough to have it make sense without pulling me out of the story. But Project Hail Mary is so much more than science. The main characters were, as usual, well written. I liked them and wanted to see their success. I did enjoy the story enough to check out the audiobook. The audiobook performed by Ray Porter is terrific. The audiobook made the story flow easier for me than reading it. I think is because Ray Porter's narration is magnificent and allows me to stay in the story despite my issues with the book.
I received an advance copy of Project Hail Mary from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I purchased the Audible edition.

Only Andy Weir could tell this story and make science and so interesting to a liberal arts mind like mine. I've loved Weir's stories since The Martian and Artemis and was so excited to be granted a copy of this book. Ryland is such a great character, especially considering he doesn't know who or where he is when we meet him. I love the problem solving skills in Weir's books and the attention to detail within his stories set in the harshest places we could imagine.

If you've read Weir before you know what to expect but you have no idea what's coming.

Synopsis: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

Project Hail Mary was an enjoyable read. I consider it to be in a similar vein to the Martian, though they have different characters and settings. The author's use of the internal monologue keeps things light and amusing. I found the main characters likable and well fleshed out for their roles. This is not wild fantastic sci-fi. It is a very reality-based space adventure as are many of the author's other books. I personally enjoy these better than a space-opera style story or sci-fi that plays fast and loose with the laws of physics.

Weir's writing style is easy to read, while not being dumbed down. He works in explanations on the science behind much of what is happening in the story without it feeling unnatural. Things after the middle of the story were starting to feel a little drawn out and I was anticipating the possible endings. Without giving the ending away, I will say, I was pleased with the fact that it was not highly predictable.

If you've liked Andy Weir's books in the past, I would definitely recommend this one. I give it 4.5 stars.

Such a great fun read! I loved the Martian but this may have topped it. I love the science and the adventure!

My favorite science fiction novels are heavy on the science, have complex characters, and a cohesive plot. Weir delivers them all in “Project Hail Mary.”

Without including any spoilers, this is a tale of disaster, friendship, and redemption. Weir effectively uses flashbacks to help us understand how the past bears upon the present. One of the things I liked most about it was the ending, which left a path open for a new beginning should Weir choose to tell another story.

I give this 5 stars. If you’re a fan of science fiction you will love it. If you aren’t, you’ll still probably like it and learn some things in the process.

My gratitude to Ballantine Books via Netgalley. The opinions shared here are my own.

This book was so much fun. I wondered if it would hold up to The Martian, and it totally did - a brand new, clever premise filled with moments of nerdy science and unexpected joy. A fantastic pandemic pick-me-up.

Man, I like reading Andy Weir. His books make me feel like maybe I too could be super interested in science and talk about ~velocity and ~beakers and ~chemicals instead of books all day. Clearly he knows his stuff (probably?) but I obviously don't know enough to refute it, but he makes it so it doesn't really matter. The science is there if I wanted it, or I can just be like "sure, that sounds great" and move on because it's not essential to the plot. It's dork stuff, made accessible for everyone, and I appreciate that.
I don't necessarily think I loved Project Hail Mary as much as The Martian, but I was happy with the book anyway, especially the ending because honestly I was very worried about Rocky!!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am clearly in the minority here, but I didn't really like this book. #1 - The science. Okay look, it was cool and I was very interested in it at first. Then it got technical. Way too technical. Needlessly so. This was far and away my biggest issue with PHM. The science was just way too overly complex. The bulk of the book is spent explaining the complexities of different areas of science (molecular, physical, environmental) and I understood maybe 3% of it. My overcooked brain cells don’t have enough capacity to absorb every complicated, detailed, elaborated scientific fact that this book had to offer. The book just got carried away with the scientific details that it took away from the enjoyability of the story for me. More time could have been spent on fleshing out the plot as it lacked depth and the characters were not well developed.

‘Project Hail Mary’ by Andy Weir (Ballantine Books, 476 pages, $28.99)

Andy Weir’s completion rate for launching super-smart science fiction novels stands at 100 percent, and that includes the newest, “Project Hail Mary,” to his critically and popular past successes, “The Martian” (2014) and “Artemis” (2017).

Weir’s latest interstellar roller coaster of a story is as thrilling as anything he’s produced to date, and this time he’s upped the ante. Now it’s all of mankind that’s being threatened, and with everything riding on a reluctant astronaut — a middle school science teacher tasked with solving the riddle of the impending extinction of the Earth — the odds of survival are not in mankind’s favor.

Raymond Grace wasn’t always a junior high school teacher. Once noted as a brilliant molecular biologist, his fall came with the publication of a paper contesting the idea that life requires water. But now, with the sun suddenly and inexplicably dimming at a rate that portends an “instant ice age,” the teacher is tapped for his theoretical knowledge at the highest level of an global scientific consortium.

As the novel opens, Grace finds himself awakening from an induced coma on a spaceship. His two crew mates are dead and he’s alone — the HAL 9000 wannabe doesn’t count — until he discovers an alien spacecraft and a friendly alien aboard.

As with each of author’s stories, hard science propels the narrative — you can’t help but gain an education from an Andy Weir novel — and here it’s used to wonderful effect in advancing the dynamic and emotional relationship between Grace and the alien he names Rocky. 

With time short and the knowledge that the trip to save humanity is a one-way voyage, “Project Hail Mary” is a testament to survival, friendship and John 15:13. 

The term page-turner is too often batted about, but you’ll want to finish this one in a single sitting.

Where to start with this one..

If you absolutely loved The Martian as much as I did, Andy Weir’s next story does not disappoint! I’ve been waiting what felt like forever for him to release another book as anything this man puts out, I will definitely be picking up immediately!!

If you can help it, I’d 100% recommend going into this book blind. I did, and every scifi twist and epic turn just had me swooning for more. For fans who love lots of science behind their space operas, the author does a fantastic job in what feels like solid research for every aspect of this book (as if I would truly know if it was all factual..).

The first half of this one has a lot of survival instincts that we’ve seen in his previous novels. Every chapter keeps you guessing between the two timelines and slowly introduces new information that you gobble up right away. And, if you enjoy humor in your characters, this literally had me chuckling at some parts.

There are unlikely friendships that form you can’t help but love. Which took me by surprise when it first happened.. it gives a whole new perspective to this area (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you get to the second half of the book).

The writing is emotional with tons of high-stake moments that create this super fast-paced story, and you can’t help but just enjoy every word you read. It’s been a long while since I had that serotonin-releasing feeling that only an amazing story can release for me, and this one is it! A totally unforgettable experience that I highly recommend for any reader who loves space, survival, and the world beyond our universe.

I gave this unique story a perfect 5 out of 5 stars!

Great book by the author of The Martian! This book was wonderful, although there was lots of science jargon that sometimes made it difficult to read. But Weir does a great job of explaining things in layman's terms. I loved the book, and hope it will be made into a movie like the Martian!

Andy Weir consistently strikes the perfect balance writing engaging science fiction that is still realistic coupled with a humorous tone that most scientists lack (we aren’t funny when discussing science lol).

From start to finish, I LOVED this book. Dr. Ryland Grace is a hilarious character. If I woke up after an induced coma on a space ship not remembering my mission, I would’ve definitely done a lot of the things he did. The way he geeked out when he remembered all of the instrumentation in the lab was by far my favorite.

I don’t want to give anything away, but the second half of this book is incredible. I don’t even want to give any hints because [spoilers].

This book really is the perfect blend of engaging inner monologue, adventure, questioning what if, the possibility of alien life forms, and pushing the boundaries of science.

Andy Weir does it again! Ryland Grace, middle school science teacher, wakes up not knowing where he is and finds himself on a race to save the world. Depleting sunlight, interstellar travel, relativistic physics, alien life and so much more - Weir takes readers on a nerdy scientific blast of a ride.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

First, I need to say that had I known how long it would take me to read this, I would have started it much earlier than I did. I figured 4-5 days would be more than enough and I would be fine. I was completely wrong. So. Very. Wrong.

I don't "do" science and math. My brain is not wired that way, and going into this book, I had NO IDEA that there would be so much math and science. I didn't actually know much about the book at all [I try to not read the blurbs because I have been spoilered before] and I absolutely did not read any early reviews [WHAT part of no early reviews do these people not understand, but I digress] so I would remain clueless going in. Ha! Clueless is a good word to how I remained for most of the book. It was like when the teacher in the Peanut's specials would talk; every time Ryland Grace would talk math and science, that is how it came across to me. It was a huge obstacle for me when reading this [and I learned early on that looking things up did not clarify anything for me. At all]. I may have complained about it once or twice [or fifteen or sixteen or twenty] times and one person responded with "WHY are you still reading it then?"

I kept reading because almost from the first page, I was hooked. I was engaged. I wanted to know who this person was [initially, Ryland cannot remember who he is and why he is in space <--this is NOT a spoiler, it happens in the first chapter], why he was there and what was going on [arms that feed you, give you drugs, ask you questions...SO cool and interesting], and by chapter 3, I WAS INVESTED. So even when I was bogged down by the science [there were days when I could only read one chapter at a time because my brain would hurt after I was done], I HAD to finish. I HAD to know what happened. Because there are things that make you REALLY invested as the story goes on and you are just rooting for the win - IT HAS TO HAPPEN. And I would have read for days more to find out the end.

I don't think I have ever given a book that I didn't understand much of 5 stars before. That alone should tell you just how good the writing is [this is my first Andy Weir; I have "The Martian" to read, so I had no idea just how brilliant this man's writing was. I will absolutely be reading The Martian now, just not this year. My brain cannot do that much science and math in one year! LOL], and it IS amazing. Mr. Weir knows how to tell and spin a story and even non-science people like myself can get sucked into the humanity and fragility of this story and its protagonist. Ryland Grace is one of my favorite characters now and that list is short. To be on that list is to have made a huge impression on me and he absolutely does; I admire his tenacity and willingness to do what was right - there were moments where he could have chucked it all, but he is loyal and invested and he cares [maybe even too much so] and he is everyone of us [except for the science and math ;-) ]. I believe that most people would have done and felt and thought exactly what he did throughout it all. And he made me cry. WHO cries at the end of a sci-fi novel? This girl did. There was just so much emotion in the last few chapters, that there was nothing to do but cry. But maybe that was just me.

I can recommend this book highly - even if you aren't a science/math person. It is just such a great story, that all that gobbledygook just doesn't matter [well, some of it matters and most of the stuff that matters is fairly easy science to understand. It helped me to have people to bounce the story off of as that helped me understand some it more] as you are just sucked in by what is happening and what Ryland is doing. And he is such a great main character - flawed and human and seriously, everyone of us. It is just such a great read. I am grateful for getting the chance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andy Weir, and Random House Publishing - Ballantine/Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.