Project Hail Mary
Ratings2,218
Average rating4.4
Very good read, loved the sci-fi element and the twists were awesome, hard to put down :)
I loved all of the hard science in this book. Most of the jokes landed for me and the final third had so much tension. Great pacing, I love the dynamic between the main characters, and the ending felt very satisfying.
Rocky is the GOAT, they can do no wrong, 6/6
like 2.75ish
Rocky my beloved
I think I'm generally not a fan of first person pov, or maybe just Weir's writing?
Either way Grace's rambling annoyed me and all of the other characters were... odd.
The audiobook was well done though!
The best way I can think to describe this is a very impressively written book that was (for my taste) poorly written. The fact that he made up his own science system and could justify it was very cool, but then the book was him or (SPOILERS) his alien friend (and I did love Rocky) either explaining the science or making sarcastic comment. Grace was both a walking textbook and had the vocabulary of a wise cracking teenager. The prose was incredibly underwhelming. And while the science system was impressive, it was like reading a murder mystery without the author ever giving you clues as to how to actually solve it (unless you are also a super scientist). “Ope Ryland and Rocky are in another conundrum, guess I'll read four pages of a scientific explanation to see how they get out of it.” Again, incredibly impressive book and I am excited for the movie because I think the idea was very cool, but the execution as a novel was incredibly underwhelming at best for me.
Project Hail Mary is an enjoyable story. It is readable and fun, requiring little reading comprehension; most readers could finish this book within a week or less.
The science is fine, albeit sometimes a little bit far-fetched. With Sci-Fi, it's often hard to get the balance right. I feel that you either create broad concepts, e.g., FTL travel, wormholes, etc. and don't explain them in detail or you try to make them hyper-realistic and explainable. The author attempts to do both but doesn't get it exactly right. Nevertheless, attention to detail regarding some of the key concepts, e.g. relativity, gravity, etc., is appreciated.
The major criticism I have, that is to say, why I wouldn't give it four or five stars, is that the characters aren't particularly complex and, therefore, not real, in a human way. The protagonist falls into the classic Hollywood hero trope. His only flaw is that he gets a bit cranky and stupid when tired or drugged (who doesn't?) and is somewhat of a coward. Other than that, he is almost perfect. Moreover, in many ways, he is a copy-and-paste of his other protagonist, Mark Watney, from his previous book, the Martian. Frankly, I think he's a bit of a loser, and not in a fun or endearing way — I would not like to have a drink with him.
Overall, I would recommend this book as something to read on a long weekend or as something light between more challenging reads.
By the author of "The Martian". I saw the Martian movie and thought it was rather dull. Apparently I'm alone in that. Project Hail Mary was the total opposite so I imagine the Martian novel would be better than the movie. This is a great read.
A man wakes up. He can't see, can't even open his eyes. He forces them open but the light is blinding. He squints until his eyes adjust. There are things all over him. He can see sensors taped to his arms, chest and legs, an intravenous line, a catheter. He's naked on a bed. He doesn't know where he is, and he can't remember who he is. He sits up halfway and looks around. There are two other beds in the small circular room. The occupants are dead and their bodies are desiccated. He falls from the bed and two robot arms descend from the ceiling and lift him gently back again. He's in a space ship, but why? And where is it going to? And who is he?
The story is a race to a distant star system on a mission to save the Earth. He doesn't know what he's looking for or how he's going to fulfill the mission. The lone astronaut suddenly finds he has an unexpected companion and together they form a strange partnership and a common goal. The pace is rapid and Weir alternates between life on board the ship and the lead up to the mission as the back story slowly fills in, mirroring the steady return of his memory. And he doesn't like it.
Very cinematic from the first word and is quick-paced with a strong story structure. The clear (and clean) dual-timeline elements mixed with the first-person narrative allows the reader to be on the journey to putting together the pieces of the puzzle together along with the main character. And having this all play out within the backdrop of humanity hoping for the success of a planet-saving mission worked really well - just expect more of ‘first contact' dynamics than a sci-fi action-adventure story. There are some parts that get a bit too scientific, but it doesn't slow down the book and it is certainly outweighed by strong character development and solid dialogue.
Just incredible. I thought Artemis was a great book but Andy Weir takes it to another level with this one. Special shout out to the quality of the audiobook production, they did a fantastic job.
Oh my goodness!
It is very kind and soft story, full of love and all good things, but horrible things happen and it gets really scary every now and then... the pages 50-30 from the end were so horrifying I almost couldn't finish it, but thankfully I did. The ending is lovely. Jazzhands.
This book was not what I was expecting. Reading the summary I was expecting a very serious and intense space adventure, but the tone of the book did not match that at all. I felt that the book was way too silly, lacked plot, and character development. It did not work for me as a reader.
Additionally, I think this book could have benefited from allowing the reader to be confused. I almost wished the first 100 pages or so was written in a way where the reader and our main character have no clue where they are or what they are doing. I felt that the flashbacks happened way too soon and were way too coherent for someone waking up from a coma.
Overall, this book was fun, but could have been better if there was more editing that cut out most of the unnecessary math and dialogue, since most of the math and flashbacks didn't add to the major storyline.
This book was SO creative! The premise: so cool. The characters: fantastic. The suspense: terrific. The fact that it all felt so believable and now I'm lowkey waiting for some of these things to happen in real life and I was entertained the whole time: just awesome.
Age range: 14+
Very little language and basically no violence. Just some intense, high pressure moments. No real reason why it couldn't be read by someone younger.
Hard to judge this one.
It was a fun read and a fun idea but it held itself back by being a Hollywood blockbuster kinda thing. And that's fine but it annoyed me a bit.
Я не испытываю восторга от фантастики, но каждый раз ведусь на отзывы вроде “это веселая фантастика!”. Да где? Не вижу ничего радостного в научной фантастике в космосе о, как всегда, спасении Земли, еще и перегруженной двумя временными линиями почти на 600 страниц. Ну как же, там же есть шутки! И русские!
Первая линия начинается с героя, обнаружившего себя на космическом коробле с амнезией. Вторая, очевидно, раскрывает забытые им события на Земле. Автор переключает их друг за другом, останавливаясь на якобы клиффхэнгере, типично стараясь создать напряжение. Но его нету. Все, что связано с Землей - скучно. В основном это бюрократия, о природе нового вида рассказывается только в начале. Здесь даже нет попыток раскрытия главного героя с новых сторон, потому что он создан быть Марти Сью. Ведь каждый учитель-биолог знает и умеет практически все, что связано с наукой, даже если это не его специализация.
Весь интерес линии в космосе построен на постоянном обнаружении новых фактов и это очень быстро перестает работать. Пока не появлется Рокки. Уверена, что многие полюбили эту книгу именно из-за отношений героев - и я согласна, они милые - но дайте мне что-то еще! Не линию прошлого, где, о ужас, выясняется, что Земля в опасности! Ощущения, что автор придумывал мини-квест и разрешал его на следующей же странице.
На мой взгляд интереснее было бы узнавать какая миссия возложена на плечи героя в настоящем, а не прошлом. То, что есть, выглядит очень дешево и не цепляет, наоборот сбивая от взаимодействия главных персонажкй. Либо же стоило оставить всю книгу только об изучении инопланетян - главной фишке книги.
Andy Weir's “Project Hail Mary” is a refreshing taste of the modern day sci-fi novel. Although I am not much of a sci-fi reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You're taken through the journey of Ryland Grace, a science teacher turned astronaut, as he uncovers a scientific breakthrough that will end the world in only a few years.
If you have any interest in biology and/or chemistry, I highly recommend this book. You will learn so much about a make believe material, you could ace a quiz at the end of the book. The chapters alternate between current-day Grace in the spaceship and the process of which he arrived there. We learn alongside Grace just exactly how he ended up in this position.
One of my favorite parts of this book is Rocky, an alien engineer from the planet Erid whose name describes him perfectly. He speaks in music, many notes forming types of chords to form words and sentences. Him and Grace manage to communicate and collaborate, putting their biology and engineering skills together to complete their mission.
No spoilers, but I definitely did not see the ending coming. Some people were very displeased, but I found it wholesome. Other problems people had with the book that I can agree with is the very caricaturistic style of the human characters. A sarcastic and charming scientist who happens to know almost everything, a Russian who loves vodka, Asian characters who speak with broken accents, and a female boss who is just so bossy and isn't afraid to flaunt it.
Either way, “Project Hail Mary” is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of preferred genre. If you're a fan of sci-fi, a little mystery, science, and some fun interactions, I recommend this book. However, if tropes and caricatures turn you off, and you can't stand science, steer clear.
4.5/5 rounded up
4.25/5
i loved this! it was a little too sciencey at times for this to be a super leisurely read but still very enjoyable. I also wish the ending were a bit different but still a great book overall!
Characters: ★★★★★ Atmosphere: ★★★★★ Writing Style: ★★★★ Plot: ★★★★ Intrigue: ★★★★ Relationships: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★Overall Rating: ★★★★½An exciting and heartwarming adventure that's both fun and easy to read.I listened to the audiobook version of this, which is the best way to experience this book for reasons the reader will soon discover. This was also the first books I've read of Weir's, so I can't personally compare this to his other works. We follow Ryland Grace's perspective, waking up in a space shuttle with no memory of why he's there, but through flashbacks he slowly recovers his memories and unveils the severity of his situation. Grace problem-solves his way through his mission, to some sort of resolution, but not without unexpected help. The book shines through its cast of characters and the humour that keeps things lighthearted. In conclusion, I hope that if I ever get stranded in space I find a sassy pal to help me through it.
Much better than I expected! Rocky is such a an endearing character 😍 more science than I needed but overall still very interesting and easy enough to follow. Such a good story
