Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for giving me access to an advanced copy of this title. Release date is May 2021.

This outstanding science fiction title, the newest from the author of The Martian, is best read if you can avoid all spoilers. If you enjoyed The Martin just a little bit, you will like this one. This is the strongest of Weir's novels and is great for science fiction fans as well as those who are not very interested in SciFi at all. I read it in a single day because I just had to know how it turned out. I'll be buying a copy upon publication and reading it again more leisurely.

I think some readers might just call this Martian 2.0, and even though this book may seem like exactly the same premise, it is very much a different story. I like Weir's science fiction worlds because the science feels legitimate and the rules of basic physics and chemistry are followed. Well, at least until they learn new science . . .

The story is narrated by a man who can’t remember who he is, where he is, or how they got there. I liked this as a literary technique because the reader and the narrator figure out what is going on together, and the main character is so very likable! Plus, Weir has created strong female characters, laugh out loud scenes, and genuinely touching moments. This title is already in pre-production to be made into a movie.

Highly recommend this book!

I found this book to be extremely entertaining, if playing pretty fast and loose with the scientific method. I do appreciate that the whole, "the world will die so let's throw caution to the wind" aspect allows for some pretty wild choices, and once you really settle in to that idea this book becomes a lot more enjoyable. As always with Weir's writing, it's pretty heavy on facts of the science du jour, but I did find chemistry, astronomy, and microbiology facts to be more engaging than the plethora of welding facts in Artemis (which I also loved, but... there were a LOT of welding facts). In any event, I thought Dr. Grace was endearing and I loved the way we got to discover him as he discovered himself, puzzling together his motivations and experiences and seeing how they combined with and sometimes changed the view of his present self. This book, more than any other of Weir's I have read, really echoed some of the classic science fiction works I have enjoyed in the way it dealt with contact with alien races, space exploration, and life on other planets. It is my favorite of his books so far.

An astronaut wakes up in space having no idea how he got there. Weir's latest is similar to the Martian in that it's a one man lost in space scenario, but this time with aliens!

I just finished reading Andy Weir’s new book, Project Hail Mary. I never read his debut novel, The Martian, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

The basic premise of the story is that the Sun is being sapped of its energy by alien microorganisms and a discredited scientist and now school teacher, Ryland Grace, is sent on an interstellar mission to save mankind. The book reads like a mystery novel with Ryland awaking on a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there and where he is traveling to. He slowly is able to put the pieces together and with the help of an alien sidekick (Rocky), save the Earth from ultimate destruction.

Science enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy The Hail Mary Project since Weir alludes to the natural sciences throughout the book. It is also filled with humor, loads of adventure and a surprise ending. You won’t be disappointed!

I'm in awe of Andy Weir. This complex, sci-fi book is smart, fast-paced, and action-packed. And it is very, VERY science-y. But Weir makes it amazingly accessible and understandable for us not-quite-as-science-y types. The story is fantasy, but believable and relatable. I couldn't put this one down at night. The fate of the entire universe on the hands of one guy and one impossible ally just isn't something you put down at night.

This book! I absolutely loved it. I have loved all of Weir's titles so far, and this was no exception. I was a little skeptical because I didn't want Weir to write the same book again, but it was so different than The Martian. I loved Dr. Grace's tenacity and Rocky's excitement. We'll definitely be buying a few copies for the library. Patrons are going to devour Project Hail Mary.

Wonderful storyline. Could not put book down at night. Would recommend for any readers, not just a sci-fi book. Characters are very believable, with the right touch of snarky humor that had me laughing out loud several times. Sci-fi aspects feel like actual believable science. Even when some of the science gets into details, author knows to pull it away, and get to some of the adventure. The book's tense moments you will really feel. You are routing for the protoganists. Exceptional well written all around story, and one that I think would be just as interesting for teens ad adults. Highly, highly recommend.

Science, humor and suspense woven artfully together make reading this book a delight. Andy Weir takes us along for an outer space adventure complete with his characteristic mathematical problem solving and sunny wit.

This is a combination of accessible hard-sci-fi, combined with first contact. Set mostly in space with a few flashbacks to earth, the relationships between the characters are the main focus, and the character development of at least one character is exquisite. As the problems keep arising, I wished at one point for one or two fewer obstacles to overcome, but they were all opportunities for some hard sci-fi analysis and exposition. It was a very enjoyable book, highly recommended. Four-and-a-half stars, but not quite willing to round up.

An incredible story of unlikely astronaut Ryland Grace who is on a desperate mission to save Earth from an alien organism. Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no idea how he got there and what he was sent to do. He slowly remembers the events leading up to the moment in flashbacks that the reader experiences with him. If all of this is not incredible enough, he meets an unlikely and very non-human ally in his quest. Similar to The Martian, this is a well-thought out novel with a hero that is scrappy, incredibly smart, with a good dash of humor. The book does get bogged down by the overly detailed scientific and technological processes that Ryland is constantly engaged in. The science fans will enjoy that, but the rest of us will probably be skimming those sections. Overall, a fun science fiction thriller!

Just finished reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. My review is:

If you only read one Science Fiction book in 2021 make it Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This book had me on the edge of my seat. It is as good if not better than The Martian (which I dearly love). I;m not a science person but found myself reading all the science bits because they explain the rest of the story so well. So don't try to skip the science just read it. I think this should be "Best Science Fiction book of the Year." Great job. Now I'm going to find my copy of Artemis and finally read it. Caroline

I am a big fan of Andy Weir! I'm not really a science-y type person, I don't read science fiction much as a rule, and I really prefer non-fiction books to fiction. That said, The Martian got me excited to read about science, space, and planetary exploration. When I saw that he had a new book coming out, I was all in. And, I was not disappointed! Sure, my eyes may glaze over a little bit when I'm reading explanations about how the ship is controlled, relativisitic physics is discussed (I just don't get it!), or the myriad of other science wisdom his characters impart is on the page, but you know what? It doesn't matter. You don't need to be a science whiz to get it!
Project Hail Mary is a fantastic novel with all the elements of great adventure: a reluctant hero (Ryland Grace), a possibly insurmountable problem, amnesia, space travel, an unexpected bit of help, and friendship. I really don't want to gve too much away - the jacket description sums it up perfectly. The only issue (and it's not a bad one) I had was that in reading it I couldn't help but picture Matt Damon from the movie, The Martian, as the character Dr. Grace. He has the same sort of attitude, determined personality, and is ultra-smart and innovative. There doesn't seem to be a science-based problem that he can't solve. I would truly love to see this become a feature film to see how it all plays out and see how a director would interpret some of the main points from the book.
This is a definite must read. High on tension, full of adventure and humanity, and science galore (and judging from the acknowledgements, it's absolutely accurate science). I feel like I learned a lot from reading this.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This is my second title and I ABSOLUTELY love this opportunity!

Mr. Weir, how are we not friends?! I could not put this book down! I'm a space nerd and librarian who talks books most of the day and my assistant knows when I'm talking about this book to someone by how animated I get about jazz hands. For an excruciatingly solitary mission, our main character spends his time slowly recollecting how he ended up where he is and figuring out how to science our way out of extinction. Little does he know, it will take more than just him to save us all. Weir is a master of keeping the cast small and the adventure grand. Project Hail Mary DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!
#ProjectHailMary

I’m not usually a fan of science heavy fiction books but there’s something about the way that Andy Weir writes that makes it seem like I actually understand and enjoy the science stuff. I find his characters to be very relatable and real, even the alien ones. This is as good and maybe even slightly better than the Martian.

Andy Weir (The Martian, Artemis) has another hit and likely a hit movie on his hands. Project Hail Mary begins with scientists noticing a small but accelerating dimming of the sun. Research shows an path between the sun and the planet Venus. Scientists quickly discover that if nothing is done that the sun will dim to the point of making human life on Earth very difficult leading to a mass extinction event. Thus, Project Hail Mary is born. The top minds from across the Earth pull together to figure out a way to save the planet. Like in the Martian, Weir is able to make complex (and accurate) astronomical and engineering data into a very smart beach read. One hesitates to say too much but suffice it to say that this is a must read SF novel. The core of the novel involves a friendship between the two main characters that is a much needed bright spot in a dreary 2020.

"Project Hail Mary" is fantastic. I wasn't the biggest fan of Weir's second book, "Artemis", but he is back up to "The Martian" heights with this one. I don't want to be the one that gives any spoilers whatsoever on this book, so I will limit myself to saying that the premise is interesting and unique, the characters are all pretty great, the way the book unfolds is clever and engaging, and the twists keep coming.

There is a LOT of science in this book! It is great for science nerds. In fact, there is so much science in it that if I had to lodge a complaint against it, it's that I occasionally found myself just skimming over some of the specifics of the science stuff in the back third of the book to just get on with what was happening. I also learned an interesting fact about microwaves.

All in all, just read this book.

You can always count on Andy Weir to deliver a good, solid, sci-fi novel!
I enjoyed this book as I did his other's as well.
I really enjoyed the ending especially.

If you loved The Martian, you'll likely love Project Hail Mary, too. Similar protagonist, science-based narrative, and fast-paced solve-a-problem-a-minute story. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed it a lot.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3595564830?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

When I read The Martian a few years ago, I was floored. I'm not a science person, and very rarely are scientific concepts explained to me in a manner that I can understand them- somehow Andy Weir managed to explain TONS of theory/ideas/concepts, and I was actually able to follow. Not just follow, but find patterns and understand, and root for this botanist. Somehow it wasn't dry, and my science friends from college were impressed with how spot-on it all was (which in turn, blew me away all the more). When you're in a class and a teacher can do that, they are a darned good teacher and a gift to the world. The protagonist of Project Hail Mary is, consequently, a darned good teacher, and it was refreshing to see a teacher be a hero in the way this novel lets him be.

I wasn't sure if the magic of The Martian could be replicated, but I was dead wrong- Project Hail Mary had all of the elements that made The Martian great, but with added twists of mystery, flashback sequences, and one of my absolute favorite sidekicks ever. I can't write much here without spoiling what needs to stay quiet (and I recommend going into this reading as little about it ahead of time as possible), but I highly recommend this title. When it comes out, I'll be recommending it to pretty much everyone I know, and buying a copy for myself.

4.5/5. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with the digital ARC of this delightful book!

Rating: 9.5/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Project Hail Mary for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Project Hail Mary is The Martian turned up to 11. This is Weir’s best novel to date, and that is certainly saying something when the same author wrote one of the best science fiction novels (and debuts) of all-time just under a decade ago.

Liked Mark Watney? You’ll love Ryland Grace.

So, I loved The Martian. I thought it was one of the most original, well-written stories I had ever read and felt it came out of nowhere (at least, up until the movie was announced). Artemis, to me, was sort of a letdown in ways, though I ended up enjoying it more via audio thanks to the wonderful Rosario Dawson. Two completely different novels, both with witty and sarcastic protagonists, and both taking place in, well, space.

Project Hail Mary is more The Martian in terms of storyline: sole survivor/crew member who must use what is provided him in order to survive and return to Earth. But that is where the comparisons end.

Weir takes what we all loved in The Martian >Weir-ian one-liners and wise cracks in the face of impending death mixed with a massive overhaul of science that he beats you over the head senselessly with< and takes it up a notch (with a special little addition that I won’t spoil for you). Threads from the past and present culminate in a story for the ages with a race to save Earth and a protagonist you cannot help but get behind.

What I love most about Weir’s writing, aside from the humor, is the science. While a ton of it should fly over my head (nothing goes over my head… my reflexes are too fast), he explains it in such a way that it all makes sense and I now have a PHD in all things space related. I mean, science was one of my favorite subjects growing up, but I won’t say it was my best subject… because it wasn’t.

No-brainer: if you enjoyed The Martian, do yourself a favor and pre-order Project Hail Mary.