An interstellar tour-de-force! A triumphant mating of science- fiction, traditional thrillers, and PhD level science. Project Hail Mary is an outstanding novel from the great Andy Weir, who’s creative mind is as vast and wondrous as the cosmos.
Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship millions of miles from Earth with no recollection of how he got there, what he’s supposed to do, or even what his own name is. As his memory starts coming back in flashes, he pieces together that Earth is facing a mass extinction event and realizes he’s the only one who can save the planet and the human race. Facing near insurmountable odds, he gets to work exploring the depths of space for salvation. Along the way he faces many obstacles, achieves many breakthroughs, and comes across an unanticipated ally that provides hope of not only saving Earth, but surviving this perilous mission.
Project Hail Mary is a thriller wrapped up in a Sci-Fi package, bombarded with a heavy dose of science. Emphasis on the words “heavy” and “science.” In fact, if you’re a thriller-loving, Star Trek vs. Star Wars debating, Science Mystery Theater 3000 watching, science nerd, then this is the book you’ve been waiting your whole life to read. For the rest of us, it’s pretty spectacular as well. Don’t be scared away by the pages and pages of biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy. If you know Albert Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity and the equation is E=mc2, then you’re good to go and can get through the deep science-y stuff just fine while enjoying the hell out of this book.
Additionally, if you’ve read The Martian or watched the movie version with Matt Damon (which I have seen dozens of times. It’s one of the most rewatchable movies on cable today. Don’t @ me!), then you will definitely enjoy Project Hail Mary. There are many similarities between the two which I found added to my enjoyment of this book. Perhaps the biggest similarity, beyond the obvious space exploration, is the deep dive into our humanity and the power of the human spirit to achieve positive results despite seemingly impossible obstacles in our way. The idea that any one person can make a difference and have a huge impact on the rest of us. That we are inherently all capable of great things if we just put our mind to it and refuse to quit. In other words, this book went beyond pure entertainment and gave me renewed hope in people and our future on this planet.
I highly recommend Project Hail Mary, whether you’re a thriller fan, Sci-Fi fan or just someone who likes a great story. You won’t be disappointed. It’s a fantastic read.
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