Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a high-stakes space sci-fi adventure that's heartwarming as well as heartbreaking. The book has been on my list for years, but I was a bit hesitant to read it... unsure if it could live up to the hype. And I’m glad, it did.

It’s about Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher turned astronaut (who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of his mission), and “Rocky,” an engineer from the planet Erid. As Grace’s memories return, he realises he’s Earth’s last hope for destroying a star-eating microbe called Astrophage.

This is one of those rare sci-fi stories that feels both wildly imaginative and oddly believable. Yes, the story seems quite real... something that can actually happen show more someday. Unlike many sci-fi, the science in Project Hail Mary felt real, not just futuristic tech.

It’s conversational, sarcastic and filled with some nerdy enthusiasm that I could see myself in. The book was funny and engaging throughout. Plus, it made scientific concepts feel approachable, giving you an idea of how physics, space science and astronomy work in general. It was all charming for me... knowing how things work just for the sake of knowing them.

The story alternates between Grace’s present-day survival in the Tau Ceti planetary system and flashbacks to his days on Earth. Even with these constant timeline shifts, it never felt confusing. The transitions were smooth.

Rocky, the alien engineer, was a lovable character. The communication at the beginning felt quite adorable, almost like talking to a baby and figuring out what they want to say. Project Hail Mary might become my favourite science fiction (ever) just because of the Grace-Rocky friendship.

If there’s one slight downside to the book, it’s that the space part felt like it ended a little too soon. I wanted more moments of Grace and Rocky running science experiments and building new things.

But no complaints. The book left me smiling at the ending. Fully satisfied, content to heart. And I’m writing this all still teary-eyed.

Project Hail Mary is definitely a recommendation. But beware, it’s gonna ruin other space sci-fi books for you. It’s part survival thriller, part science deep-dive, and part story about friendship. The info-dumps may feel a bit too much, but they don't drag the story a lot. show less

I loved [b:The Martian|18007564|The Martian|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413706054l/18007564._SY75_.jpg|21825181] but was disappointed by [b:Artemis|34928122|Artemis|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494273579l/34928122._SY75_.jpg|56402016], so am delighted that with [b:Project Hail Mary|54493401|Project Hail Mary|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597695864l/54493401._SY75_.jpg|79106958] Andy Weir once again plays to his strengths. They are very enjoyable strengths. He excels at a sci-fi thriller in which One Type of Guy experiences severe space peril in isolation and survives it using show more scientific knowledge, ingenuity, good humour, improvisation, and technically-challenging collaboration. Being able to write One Type of Guy really well is just fine when the novel's focus is on excellent worldbuilding and a fast-paced, exciting plot. I found [b:Project Hail Mary|54493401|Project Hail Mary|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597695864l/54493401._SY75_.jpg|79106958] absolutely compulsive and read it at speed. The setup is brilliant and extrapolated magnificently. Basically any details about it would be spoilers, as the mystery of what's going on is such a joy to unfold. The inclusion of flashbacks is a great choice, as it paces out revelations effectively. I also really loved the ending, which subverts expectations in a delightful way.

I love the concept of an 'astrophage' - a tiny organism that essentially eats stars. It's like a more intelligent version of Sunshine, a very silly Danny Boyle movie with a fantastic cast that I enjoy a lot. In that, the dimming sun can be fixed by lobbing a bomb at it. In [b:Project Hail Mary|54493401|Project Hail Mary|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597695864l/54493401._SY75_.jpg|79106958], the initial race is to understand what the astrophage is and how it eats stars. As well as being a severe threat to humanity's survival, this extraordinary microorganism (?) proves the key to interstellar travel. So a mission is sent off to find a star that has survived astrophage infection and send the cure back to Earth.

The protagonist, Ryland Grace, is essentially Mark Watney again, which fits the plot perfectly. I was utterly invested in his attempts to remember what he's doing in space. The novel goes from good to brilliant when Rocky the alien shows up. Weir has created a genuinely strange and original alien species, strikingly different to humans in convincing ways yet capable of communicating and cooperating with Grace. Human and alien work together to research and create a parasite that will keep the astrophage under control, the taumoeba (another great name). One can only hope that it doesn't get out of control and start eating anything else.

Weir is particularly good at asking questions that not enough sci-fi tackles: would aliens think at the same speed as us and if so why? Would they hear the same frequencies? See the same parts of the spectrum? Make scientific discoveries in the same order? Eat? Sleep? Have a comparable body temperature? As well as an exciting space adventure, [b:Project Hail Mary|54493401|Project Hail Mary|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597695864l/54493401._SY75_.jpg|79106958] is a really thoughtful depiction of first contact. There is no question of conflict, as both Grace and the alien he meets are on missions to find a solution to the astrophage apocalypse threatening their planets. The risks are around misunderstandings, scientific mistakes, insufficient equipment, and unforeseen problems. Thus the narrative is of learning to communicate and work together in dangerous conditions and severe time pressure.

I found the final twists unexpected and quite moving. Grace remembers that he never agreed to join the mission and was forced onto it, a powerful reversal of expectations. After parting with his alien friend Rocky, he realises that the astrophage parasite will eat their fuel. So he goes back to save Rocky, although this means he won't be able to make it back to Earth before starving to death. In the final scene, science and cooperation have again triumphed as Grace is living happily on an alien planet teaching alien children. He knows that Earth has been saved by the fix he sent back, but doesn't mind not returning. Quite a powerful and hopeful ending; it pleasantly surprised me. All in all, an excellent reading experience. show less

He pasado dos años muy malos, mi pasión siempre ha sido la lectura, algo que siempre me había ayudado, desde pasar un rato, hasta superar malos momentos, pero había estado en sequía completa por mucho, mucho tiempo.

Intentaba y no había libro que lograra llamarme lo suficiente, no pasaba ni siquiera de la primera página cuando lo intentaba.

Este libro me ha sacada de ese pozo y créanme cuando les digo que no es moco de pavo, que no solo este libro me sacara de esa sequía, fue mucho más que eso, es que fue como volver a respirar ¡Cómo extrañaba leer!

Cuando vi este libro en la librería me lo compré sin pensarlo, El Marciano, es uno de mis libros favoritos de toda la vida y Artemisa su segundo libro, aunque no le llega, sin show more duda es muy buen libro, así que casi era seguro que este libro me gustaría (no sabía cuándo lo iba a leer, pero sabía que me iba a gustar)

Cuando leí la sinopsis, me imaginé que Weir me iba a contar casi la misma historia que El Marciano, pero ahora con un hombre solo perdido en el espacio en lugar de un planeta, eso es lo que parece que te va a entregar el libro, pero nada más lejos de eso.

Bueno sí, un poco sí, para que les voy a mentir, la premisa es la misma, aunque no las razones que llevan al protagonista a esta situación, al final es un hombre solo, casi abandonado a su suerte en la profundidad del espacio, en una nave.

La cosa es que tanto nosotros, como el protagonista, Rylan Grace, vamos descubriendo juntos que hace él en el lugar donde está. Contada en primera persona, Grace nos va narrando su estancia en el lugar donde despierta y no sabe dónde está, quien es y que hace ahí y poco a poco vamos descubriendo con él, el lugar donde está, su nombre y recordando junto con él cada detalle que lo puso en la situación donde está actualmente.

La cuestión es que, ese es solo el principio de la historia, aunque el estilo narrativo de ir recordando se va dando a lo largo de toda la historia, lo mejor de este libro va mucho más allá de Grace, de su entorno, de sus recuerdos y de su misión.

Por supuesto Weir nos vuelve a entregar otra historia donde la tenacidad, las ganas de resolver a cada paso todos los problemas, luchar contra corriente, buscar soluciones donde todo parece perdido, es como la columna vertebral del mensaje entre líneas, pero la historia en general nos entrega un giro bastante inesperado, pero que al mismo tiempo cuando lo piensas bien, de eso se trata este género y si, amé profundamente está historia.

No sé si es mejor o no que El Marciano, creo que me sigo quedando con este como mi favorito del autor, pero este libro no tiene desperdicio y honestamente ha hecho un trabajo más que fabuloso de traernos historias de ciencia ficción de los 70’s a la actualidad de una manera magistral.

Un gran libro y estaré eternamente agradecida con Weir porque una vez terminé este libro he seguido leyendo otros (YEEEEEEES!!!), así que yo solita me doy la Bienvenida de regreso a mi mundo lector, poco a poco, paso a paso, pero empiezo a sentirme yo otra vez. show less

Dr. Ryland Grace has been sent on a suicide mission to the Tau Ceti system to try to figure out why, of all the nearby systems, it remains unscathed in the face of an instellar infestation that's causing our sun to dim, which will result in another extinction event on Earth. His crewmates have died, and he's got coma-brain, so it takes him a while to remember where he is and why he's there. The reader follows along with Dr. Grace as he slowly regains his memory and sets to work. As a narrator, he has an extremely accessible voice. You can totally imagine yourself being friends with this wry, sardonic, and wickedly smart guy.

As engaging as Dr. Grace is, this book is not without its flaws. For one thing, there is a lot of math in this show more book. Like, a lot. And I'm sure it's all completely correct, though I confess that I kind of skimmed those parts. But as much as the author seems to think that we're all going to understand the math, he also seems to think that we need to be told that Venus is the 2nd planet in our solar system. Also, the Hail Mary is the most advanced piece of engineering and technology ever assembled, but its computer isn't even as smart as my home assistant. It doesn't help Dr. Grace do anything (except stay alive through his extended coma, which, ok, yes, is pretty important, but once he's awake, he's on his own).

Still, these are easily overlooked in favor of this compelling story, as we wait with baited breath as Dr. Grace holds the fate of humanity is in hands. Can he solve this seemingly insurmountable problem? You'll be rooting for him, and you'll find his experiences stay with you long after you read the last page. show less

This book is what I wanted the movie Arrival to be, plus a dash of a scientific Lethal Weapon thrown in. I’m not normally one for hard sci-fi and this does get a bit much for me, especially at the beginning, but Weir makes it decently accessible so I don’t feel too stupid while trying to understand it. Additionally, there was a fair amount of hand waving and lamp shading (“I’m still amazed they managed to X, but it sure helps my problem!”) which might annoy hardcore hard sci-fi folks but worked just fine for me. The humor can be a bit cheesy but it brings a lighthearted feeling to things which works well as we progress into the scientific version of a buddy cop movie. The ending was great for me and I like how the interim show more period on Earth was handled. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me. show less

This is a perfect example of what I hate about science fiction when it is not done well. Vague scientific explanations trying to cover unimaginative predicted future advancements. A series of unconnected crises taking the place of any real plot, making reading this book like binging Star Trek episodes. Unbelievably convenient coincidences that allow what little plot there is to advance. Cartoon characters with no depth whatsoever other than smart alec remarks made to the readers (why is he talking to the readers?) or from aliens, as if teenager sarcasm is a basic facet of intelligent life. I kept reading hoping for an interesting twist, but even the twists at the end could be seen coming a couple of light years away.

Where are the show more characters of Bradbury or Heinlein? Where are the amazing new worlds of Mieville or Herbert? The humor of Fforde or Adams? The social commentary of Atwood or Gibson?

What a waste of time. I should have just waited for the movie. show less

Rating: 4.5* of five

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: There is absolutely no chance that I will not write something, I can't be sure what, that will piss off some delicate fleur of a spoilerphobe. My entire review is herewith declared to be a SPOILER ZONE and you'll have to read it at my blog.

On your own head be it from here on. You've been warned and I do not want to hear a peep from you.

Okay, so what's it about? We're in media res with a man who has amnesia and, blessedly, is a scientist capable of working out that he's on a space ship. He isn't at all sure why he is where he is, has no idea who he is, and is in wherever this spaceship is with two dead people. That, my olds, is a fine, fine way to show more start a book.

The Earth is dying. Like, overnight the Earth is dying...and it isn't humanity's doing. The Sun is dimming. A lot. And really, really, really fast...in less time than it takes to raise a kid, the Sun will fall below the energy output needed to sustain the ecosystems we need to eat and breathe properly.

Quite the conundrum, no? And this is no way resembles the present climate-change crisis! Nay nay nay! This is science FICTION, y'all.

I really strongly encourage you to go and get this book even if you don't like science fiction or even science. If I can get past my allergy to handwavium applied by sentient aliens, you can set aside a little genre prejudice.

Whether at a bookery of your choosing or a library near you, get yourself this tale into your mind and let it make its story-pearls for your pleasure. show less