In “Project Hail Mary,” Ryland Grace wakes up in a round room with no memory of his name or how he got there. Through flashbacks, he discovers that he is in a space ship near Tau Seti, a star system far from home, trying to find out how to save the Sun, which is being consumed by a strange entity called “Astrophage,” that is also present on Tau Seti. All of his crew mates have died, so he must discover the problem and come up with a solution on his own. While doing so, he gets help from an unlikely source.

Although the basic plot of this novel was imaginative and interesting, the book relied too heavily on lengthy, detailed descriptions of math problems, which made it hard to hold the interest of readers who are not mathematicians. For this reason, even though I generally love space based science fiction, the book was somewhat tedious to read. I would imagine that readers who are not deterred by the math would find this an entertaining read. If it were possible, I would give this book 3.5 stars for the imaginative plot, but the detailed reliance on math prevents me from giving it a 4 star rating.

Andy Weir writes fun books. That cannot be denied. But Andy Weir also writes downright smart books, and he's true to form in Project Hail Mary. The Martian is one of my all-time favorite books, but Artemis was "just ok" to me for one big reason - Weir does not write women very well. Especially women who are essentially the same person as the main character in The Martian. This was a common critique of Artemis, and it seems that Weir took the criticism to heart and really put a lot of effort into the characters of Project Hail Mary. Part fun, sci-fi romp, part smart hard sci-fi, this is Weir at his best. The best character in this book isn't even a human - it's Rocky, an adorable alien who shares a special bond with our main character. Just like Weir's previous books, this one makes readers feel smarter just by absorbing the scientific jargon that is crammed into every page. But this isn't overwhelming and definitely does not get in the way of the story, which is fast-paced and super enjoyable. Highly recommended for fans of The Martian, and highly recommended for everyone who thought about giving up on Weir after Artemis. Give this one a chance, you won't regret it.

Parts of the book made me wonder if I ever felt this stupid reading The Martian.

There is an extraterrestrial microscopic creature eating the Sun's light. This causes Earth to cool and leads to terrible consequences like famine and mass extinction of life on the planet. Desperate to save the planet, nations of the world unite to send a group of three on a suicide mission to find how to stop the extraterrestrial. Ryland Grace is the only one who survives the journey into space. It's up to him to save humanity.

This book is well written. I loved the side characters. Ryland is a great foil to other characters, but when he's alone, he's boring. Rocky is a great character who helped the flow of the story. It was a relief when he was introduced.

But there is too much science in this book. Some science I understand why my understanding is important to the story. Then there are times when it just breaks the flow of the story. Did I really need to understand why the ship has a nose? Do I need a dialogue scene for every decision they made to the ship's design?

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

If you were to tell me this would be the second book of 2021 that made me cry, I would not believe you.

The first was Transcendent Kingdom-- a lyrical masterpiece analyzing the human condition and our relationship with our pasts.

And, well, the basic premise of this one is that a guy goes into space to save humanity. Not typically what I would call a tearjerker.

That is not to say that I believe sci-fi can't or shouldn't be emotional; in fact, one of the reasons why I enjoy the genre is because I think it has a lot to say about what it means to be human. But I went into this one expecting a bit more of a fun romp. After all, while The Martian had some tender moments, I considered Artemis more action-adventure.

Project Hail Mary starts out a little slow, and I found the reasoning for having flashbacks contrived at the beginning. As the story progressed, they blended in more seamlessly, and as the reason why they existed in the way they do was revealed (though I won't get spoilers), I felt more at peace with their presence and found them more enjoyable. I do feel like Weir is trying to experiment with some more literary tools as he moves deeper into the literary world, and he hasn't quite perfected this one, but it worked decently well. Pacing picked up a little too quickly for me at the end, and I felt like the last chapter was more of an epilogue than a true last chapter.

I went into this book pretty blind as to what was going to happen, and I don't want to give away too much as I thought not knowing what was going to happen made the experience more enjoyable. However, I will just say that I FELL IN LOVE with Rocky in a way I didn't think I could for a platonic relationship. The cutest being to ever exist. Obsessed.

If you like sci-fi, read this one.

I received a free advanced copy of this from NetGalley for review.

Amnesia in SPAAAACCCEEEEE!!!

A man wakes up from an extended induced coma on-board a spaceship alongside two corpses, and he no idea of who he is or how he got there. As he explores the ship, he slowly begins to get his memory back and realizes that he’s Ryland Grace, the sole survivor of a desperate mission to reach another solar system and hopefully find the answers to save Earth from a cosmic catastrophe. With only a sketchy idea of how the ship works Ryland must rely on basic science and improvisation to try and accomplish his mission, but he’ll find more than a few surprises waiting for him when he reaches his destination.

Since The Martian was such a sensation I think Andy Weir is doomed to be one of those authors whose later work is always compared to his debut, and there’s no doubt of some similarities here. The most obvious one is that they both feature smart and funny main characters being alone and having to science the shit out of what they have on hand to get the job done. In fact, it’d be easy to see this as just flipping The Martian’s plot because in it you had pretty much the entire world banding together to save one isolated man, and Project Hail Mary is about one isolated man trying to save the entire world.

However, while it seems at first that both books are working off the same template, Weir only relies on that hook for a while before seriously changing things up and getting very creative. In fact, I suspect that some fans of The Martian are going to dislike this because of how it seems to start out in that near-future type of hard sci-fi that the mainstream is quicker to accept, but then it takes a hard turn into weirder concepts.

I don’t want to say too much because I feel like this is one that benefits from going in knowing as little as possible. Rest assured that even when things get strange that Weir still relies on a funny narrator working off a foundation of real science so that it stays grounded and relatable.

It also has a couple of really good twists, and actually ends up being a far more moving book than I thought it would be. It’s not as good as The Martian because part of the appeal was Weir’s ability to make science entertaining, but now that's part of his brand so it doesn't feel as new and inventive as it did before. It's still a supremely entertaining book that blends a realistic approach with sci-fi and comes up with something that again feels fresh.

Ever since reading The Martian, I have been in love with the way that Andy Weir writes his stories. The internal narration of the characters and their experiences just seems to gel with the way I enjoy reading. Rather than take an outside narration voice to depict the story, Andy's stories all seem to be told strictly from the character.

Project Hail Mary is no different. The story is fun, engaging, (somewhat) mysterious, humorous, exciting, thrilling, and fast-paced all wrapped up in a sci-fi novel. I honestly cannot say that I have laughed nearly as much reading another book as I did while reading Project Hail Mary. The humor is light and adds to the enjoyment of the story.

In all honesty, I was not sure what to expect going into the story. I knew there would be interaction with an alien and I wasn't sure how Andy Weir would pull that off within his writing style. It couldn't be straight sci-fi, dry, science-only interaction. There had to be some flare and creativity thrown in to make it work and boy did Andy Weir deliver. My absolute favorite aspect of the book is the interaction between Ryland and Rocky. Their chemistry is top-notch and their interactions are always entertaining. I won't say more, because I do not want to spoil anything, but it has to be one of my top character pairings.

The ending was a bit predictable, although not the whole picture. I was a bit let down by the abruptness of the way the story ended. There was so much lead-up and building throughout the story in how they were attempting to save the world. Then it seemed like the end came and that was that. I feel like there could/should have been another 30-50 pages added to the ending (whether epilogue style or additional story) to draw the conclusion out a bit more. I think I just would have liked a bit more to draw the story to an end a bit slower since I enjoyed the build-up so much.

The ending left things open. I doubt there would be a second book, but I would love to see the world of Project Hail Mary explored more. There is so much potential in the storyline and the way it ends to expand the world and build upon what is already there. I would definitely buy a sequel without a doubt.

Overall, I loved this book and will likely read it a few more times to continue my enjoyment. I look forward to whatever Any Weir puts out next!

With humor and desperation to save humanity commingling, Weir in his third novel recaptures the irresistible charm and trepidation that suffused The Martian. So, fasten your spacecraft seatbelt and don’t expect to come up for much oxygen as this scientific mystery thriller lifts off into outer space.

A space plaque has started devouring our sun, such that in a generation Earth will be plunged into a cold age that even human ingenuity cannot survive. A kick-ass international uber-commander woman, Stratt (first or last name? Her background is shrouded in secrecy) has been empowered by all the world’s leading governments to use supplies she needs, and any personnel she desires, to come up with a quick and incisive plan of defense.

Able to cut through any red-tape, and with the world’s scientists, armies, and governmental resources at her disposal, Stratt starts by going after Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher whose microbiology PhD thesis on the possibility of non-water-based alien life got him both booted from his PhD program as well as academia. Treated as a laughingstock by academics, he’s immersed himself in getting his adolescent students enthusiastically fired up about science. Turns out, he may have been on to something.

Stratt drags Grace from his classroom and to an isolated biology lab to be the first human to look at the captured strange microbes that move in wiggles and have formed an arc between the Sun and Venus. They may be our first vestiges of alien life, as well as a threat to our entire planet. Grace marvels at all the cutting-edge microbiology lab equipment at his disposal and goes about testing the microbes with the same enthusiastically relentless enthusiasm with which he teaches teens. And turns out, Grace not only survives as Stratt’s test-subject of possible death by exposure to the microbes but makes several huge discoveries about how they operate.

Stratt is off and running to divvy up the microbes, 5 per lab, to leading scientists around the world. Grace begs her for just 3 and continued access to the lab. More ingenuity by Grace follows, until he solves the huge mystery of how they reproduce. Suddenly, he’s worth a ton to Stratt and whisked off in military jets until rendezvousing with her on a South Seas military navel carrier.

Meanwhile, a second story unfolds simultaneously in alternating chapters, where Grace wakes up in a spaceship, has absolutely no memory of who he is or where he is, and finds two dead fellow crewmates who have become decimated cocoons in their sleeping pods. As Grace concentrates to bring back his memories, he plunges headfirst into his one-way, no-coming-back mission to try to save Earth, and oh, make an alien buddy. Grace’s ingenuity, curiosity, smarts, humility, and humor make him not only the ideal Ambassador for humanity, but a feel-great, emotionally heart-warming underdog hero.

With inner dialog is as funny as that of The Martian, you cannot help but picture the major motion picture this book will become, perhaps with a reprise of Matt Damon as Ryland Grace?

Weir has truly delivered a marvelous, out-of-this-world gem.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

OMG, If this comes out as a movie I am watching it so hard!!! Read Andy Weir's newest novel (out in May) Project Hail Mary. Very scientific but the humanity is spot on. I am loving it! So much snark. It's ranking in Humorous, Hard Science and Adventure in Science Fiction right now and I agree on all the sub-genres. I absolutely rushed the ending as I just HAD to know what happened. The next day, in a calmer manner, I went back and re-read the last 2 chapters, to absorb it fully.

It's very Hard Science in a lot of areas, pages of learning that could possibly allow you to build a space vessel if you were interested, But at the same time the characters, and I mean ALL the characters are filled with humanity and emotion.....and snark. Love the snark.

There's a lot of mystery that slowly reveals answers as the story goes back and forth between current time in space and the years before when Earth was in danger of dying as the Sun died.

I highly recommend this book to all Sci-Fi readers.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

Andy Weir has done it again!

Science-fiction readers of old and new will devour this space opera.

Seasoned science fiction readers will appreciate the attention to detail in making the science “make sense.” I am impressed by the forethought that went into every scientific problem that Dr. Grace faces. Every detail connects to another, and the final product is very satisfying.

Readers who are new to the genre may find the “science-y” bits overwhelming in the beginning, but the story always shines through and propels the reader forward. The most important science bits will stick with the reader, while the less important bits will fall away. I put myself in this category, and I never felt lost or defeated by the science.

Without major spoilers, the main achievement of this book is Dr. Grace’s journey of self-discovery. Weir manages to expose the subtleties of humanity that humanity doesn’t even know it has. Though the spectacle of this novel is inherently epic, Weir does an extraordinary job of minding the details.

5.0/5.0

This started as 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding down this time! I loved The Martian, liked Artemis (not nearly as good though), and this book is much more like The Martian. Our Hero sciences the sh*t out of everything - sometimes literally :-)
I love Weir's dry, self-deprecating humor. As with The Martian, Our Hero is clearly Weir's avatar, but that's fine. The story is as good as The Martian, but also very different. Like his other books, this one is pretty much entirely plot-driven with not much character development or Deep Thoughts into the human condition. But, he does introduce some really cool science ideas. If you liked The Martian, you'll like this, and I think it would also make a great movie.
Now for the negatives. Our Hero is Practically Perfect In Every Way, which got a little irritating as the story progressed. He relatively effortlessly solves every problem thrown at him, having apparently limitless imagination and resourcefulness - kind of McGyver crossed with Stephen Hawking. And that was my other main detraction. I think Weir got a carried away towards the end and it went a bit over the top with problem after problem after problem. Finally the ending was a little over the top too, much too neatly wrapped up with a gag-inducingly sweet finale. But that said, this is one of the few books I've read recently that I couldn't put down at times, and when I did I looked forward to picking it up again. Perfect for science nerds!
Oh, I should say that my copy was an ARC provided by netgalley.com in return for this review.

I'm afraid I am the wrong reader for this book. I absolutely loved The Martian and keep hoping for something similar. This isn't the book's fault, it's me. I think this will appeal to die hard science fiction fans who love the science.

I will not be reviewing on social media, as I don't think I can give a fair review. Thank you for the advance copy.

Andy Weir makes me appreciate sci fi. It's not typically a genre I reach for but I enjoyed The Martian so much I had to pick this one up. It does not disappoint. Edge of your seat, action packed plot that seamlessly integrates all the science- without being dull or info dumpy. This books was alot of fun and worth the read.

Andy Weir's <i>The Martian</i> was that rare among rare books that drew me in and I didn't want to put down because I so wanted to know what happened next. I was a little underwhelmed with <i>Artemis</i> because, well, that <i>was</i> a high bar he set with his first! And then <i>Project Hail Mary</i> comes along...

I received a review copy of this from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> four days ago and if I didn't have a lot of life happening this past weekend (I'm listing my house and was working long days to get it show ready), I would have read this in one sitting. It's as good as <i>The Martian</I> and in some ways better. If you like the math of <i>The Martian</I>, and I loved it, it's back in spades here. The main character has character. and every chapter peels back a little more of the onion layers of mystery. And...it's an exciting page-turner.

That's all you'll get from me. Highly recommended. This is great stuff.

[Note to who cares: I rarely summarize fiction plots, mainly because I think it unfair to the author - there are plenty of people who do for those on the hunt, and there is almost always a teaser blurb - and I think it unfair to the reader who, like me, dislikes spoilers.]

Oh my gosh, this book is good, good, good!

Before reading this, I had almost given up on Andy Weir. I read The Martian and loved it (we all did right?) even if Mark Watney got a bit tiresome at times. Then I read Artemis and cringed. Like seriously, bad , bad, bad character work. And then I read Randomize which was bit of a letdown. So, I was somewhat skeptical going into Project Hail Mary.

Wow was I wrong!

This is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s a science fiction adventure that, like Andy Weir’s other novels, is heavy on the science, but filled with enough heart-pounding adventure to keep you riveted. Sort of felt like The Martian meets Interstellar.

Ryland Grace wakes up with no memory in a strange place, but as his memories come back slowly, with more science of course, and things only become more dire and bizarre after that.

There are definitely some echoes of Mark Watney in Ryland Grace, only with some (deliberate?) differences. I liked it though. That unique voice was dialed back a bit and it totally worked for me. He’s charming and good hearted, without the eyerolls that Watney induced. And like I said, SCIENCE! Filled with the facts and numbers that not only learn ya somethin’, but make the story way too believable, and frighteningly so. If it gets too dry and sciencey for your taste, just skim past. There are plenty of plot twists and emotional connections to keep you thrilled.

I absolutely loved this book, and I’m having a very hard time talking about it without giving anything away. By far Weir’s best work yet, and If you liked the Martian, you should love Project Hail Mary!

The Martian absolutely blew me away when it was released (also loved the movie, which can always be hit or miss with adaptations), so I immediately requested this book when I saw it on NetGalley.

This is a difficult review to write without revealing spoilers, but I’ll do what I can. The reader is just as clueless about what’s going on as Ryland is when he wakes after a long coma, and I liked that. You feel his frustration and surprise through flashbacks as his memory returns, and the story is revealed. And what an incredible story it is! So much tension, so many life-threatening situations – I literally couldn’t put the book down. I held it in one hand to read while stirring something on the stove with the other.

Some of the plot points are awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, and thought-provoking. I experienced a gamut of emotions. Admittedly the math is so far out of my lane it’s incomprehensible, but the author explains it as much as possible. I wouldn’t say there are quite as many humorous moments as in The Martian, but it’s not without some comedic relief after some heavy situations.

At its core, Project Hail Mary is about sacrifices, friendship, acceptance, and self-realization. I enjoyed the hell out of this book and would highly recommend it to sci-fi fans. I’m really hoping for a movie out of this one – they’d better not screw it up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Andy Weir is back and science-ing the shit out of space; I just wish it worked for me. The book's premise was fun and absolutely up my street, however the execution didn't grab me. I found myself laughing on one page (I do love Weir's humorous voice) and cringing the next because Ryland was almost too laid-back about his mission to save literally all humanity—I felt zero urgency from him. There were a few things that, compounded, I wasn't a fan of while reading, but mainly the writing was too white cishet American male-centric for me to find pure enjoyment in the hard science. This book is a miss for me, but thank you so much to the publisher and net galley for giving me a chance to find out.

Andy Weir is back with his trademark humor and an Everyman you can't help but root for. And Mark Watney has got nothin' on Ryland Grace. Watney just had to keep himself alive on Mars; Grace is light-years from Earth and out to save all of humanity from extinction. The "how the heck is he going to do that" plot keeps you turning the pages and Weir doesn't shy away from the science of it all. Most of it is interesting but toward the end, the science gets to be a bit much; I found myself skimming sections so I could move the plot along faster. If you enjoyed The Martian, you'll likely enjoy Hail Mary. Just know the stakes are higher and the science is a stronger part of this story.

WOW!

Andy Weir went above and beyond on this one, and that's saying a lot. After reading The Martian years ago, Andy Weir became one of my favorite authors. He has a way of writing about difficult concepts and abstract ideas while saying it in a way that makes complete sense. He explains scientific and mathematical concepts while addressing them and using them to push the story onward which is perfect for readers like me that do not easily grasp these kinds of things.

This book, Project Hail Mary, stayed humorous and light-hearted while dealing with complex world issues including moral issues. A man, who has no memory of who he is, wakes up in a strange place. After pulling from information he naturally knows and using the tools provided to him ... there is only one explanation: He is in space! But where? And why? And how?

All these questions and more are answered throughout the novel and it's incredible! I highly recommend this to fans of Andy Weir and fans of Scifi in general!

I don't know about you, but I felt the 2nd book from Andy Weir - Artemis - was good, but not as good as the Martian, at least for me. I gave him another try, though, and thoroughly enjoyed Project Hail Mary - his latest book that is much more like the Martian than his second book. In it, he puts a junior high science teacher in space with no backup and just his wits and his lab to keep him alive - and some alien life that proves to be incredibly helpful - while he works out how to save the Earth and avert a climatological catastrophe. This book was funny and sciencey and truly entertaining. It ended up being an un-put-downable book for me - I spent most of my Sunday last weekend finishing it up because I could not stop reading it. This book is going to be popular with anyone who enjoyed The Martian or anyone who enjoys a good hard science fiction story. The science is strong enough to almost be another character in the book and the hero, Dr. Grace, uses it well.

Andy Weir does it again! A compelling story that I just could NOT put down and I could NOT stop thinking about.
The sun is getting dimmer and the Earths scientists need to figure it out before major catastrophe strikes.
From the very first page the story draws you in and never lets up.
By 30% of the book read, I could not put it down. There was some chapters that I had to look away from the book to inhale what had just been written.
I don't want to give any spoilers, but this book should be made into a movie. I loved it so much. One of the best sci fi books I have read in a LONG time!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me this ARC for this honest review.