Project Hail Mary is Andy Weir’s third novel, and it’s a wild ride from page one. If you loved The Martian, you’ll feel right at home: a clever, resourceful astronaut, a mission that could literally save the world, and enough science to make your brain tingle. But Weir doesn’t just hit the thrill button—he makes you care about the people, the stakes, and even the tiny, unexpected moments of humor that pop up along the way.
The plot finds a smart but very relatable junior high teacher named Ryland Grace bound into outerspace with a hard case of amnesia and two dead crew members. As his memory returns over time, the storyline reveals flashbacks to the events that led up to his mission. The story blends his resourcefulness to adapt his basic science classroom knowledge to the high-flying technical expertise needed to survive alone onhis spaceship. You might think the reader would be confounded with all the scientific jargon, but it is presented in bite-sized and understandable way. It is a testament that this liberal arts major who would have ducked out of physics and engineering class in a heartbeat, was pleasantly startled to actually grasp the concepts. Yes, it is a bit science-y, but Ryland pulls off one feat after another using some of his chalkboard lessons, a bit of technical wizardry, luck, and gee-whiz all-American optimism. Oh, and mid-way on the ride we discover he is not truly alone in the cosmos, but no spoilers here!
Actually, because of the flashbacks, we learn about some of the scientists back on Earth that are desperately working on the Hail Mary venture. The author cleverly engages a diverse mix of characters, whether earthbound or interstellar. An appealing feature of the science fiction story is the humor that is laced throughout, sprinkled in masterfully to tie together some of the heavy science with light banter.No wonder it won the Goodreads Choice Awards for the Best Science Fiction, and was a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel. If you can spring for the Audible spoken version – I can assure you, you will find the narrator a delightful storyteller. In fact, this recording was awarded the prestigious Audiobook of the Year by the Audio Publishers Association.
Make it your mission to read this book, or listen to it with the benefit of a few neat sound effects. Perhaps you will be ready for another blast of it when it hits the big screen—bonus points for Ryan Gosling in the lead!
I hope you’ll find Project Hail Mary as entertaining, educational, and inspiring as I did.
Thanks for tuning in. Why not consider reviewing a book for Likely Stories yourself? I survived my first one…and lived to tell the tale!
