Project Hail Mary

Good story! Could only picture Matt Damon as the protagonist in a similar kind of plot. If they make a movie based on this, I'd definitely watch!

Andy weir did it again

Lazy so I'm going to write what I like the most and that is the humor while reading the martian I fell in love with Andy weir's humor and this book does it perfectly again is so Funny but it's not that kind of funny that takes you out of the story but it immerse you even more into it

The way the emotions are portrayed it's so great and even science like I never thought I was going to like so many details into that and at the end I just fell in love with that too

This book make me cry that's the final thing it just hits the spot is really good

Ok, be honest: how many of you pictured Matt Damon playing Our Hero? How many of you heard the same narrative voice from The Martian? The “aw shucks” charm. The slightly narcissistic, “gee ain't I clever?” persona. The “wait'll you see how I solved THIS” schlock.

Yeah, ok, this isn't literary fiction. It's pop fiction, a beach read for nerds. Diversion. So that makes it ok, right? Well, no. I don't think so. I don't think that, just because it's for a pop audience, that a writer can't ask more of the readers than “just sit back, relax and turn the pages.” This is what I find plagues Weir's novels. Sure he put a lot of time and effort and research into them, but he's the one doing all the work. The reader is not put upon in the least - he even goes so far as to use clunky expository dialogue to define and explain scientific concepts like relativity, atomic structure and basic chemistry concepts. It's like he doesn't trust anyone to know anything.

So, as the story goes, Doomsday looms. Why? The sun is dimming. Why? Ah, that's the central problem that trillions of dollars, an international effort led by a cardboard cutout named “Stratt”, and various scientists and astronauts are determined to solve. And Our Hero, a former exobiologist turned middle school teacher named Ryland Grace (a name charged with significance as we find out), finds himself at the centre of the whole thing due to having once published a controversial paper that made him the laughing stock of the science community. What? That he rises to be the second in command of the project despite Stratt having assembled the top minds of their respective fields, then finds himself on the mission itself taxes the reader's willing suspension of disbelief.

Like all good hard science fiction, this book is full of Smart People (who, regrettably, come straight out of TV Tropes: the hard-drinking Russian, the tough, inscrutable Chinese, the clumsily kind Canadian. Like I said, it's an international effort) and their quest to launch the titular Hail Mary Project (given that it's an international effort, the white, Christian name is fun (lampshaded by Our Hero when he muses on what other names recognizing non-Christian deities might have been used)), a space mission to a distant star to find a solution to the Doomsday threat. Lots of Unobtainium; lots of Handwavium. New technologies and galaxy-spanning settings. We're continuously reminded that the mission is up against a tight deadline, that billions will die, that misery and privation and drought and and and . . . well, it'll be awful, so the mission can't fail and all stops are pulled and no expense is spared.

The fun of this novel is, of course, the tone. If you've read an Andy Weir book you know what I'm talking about. It's all major chords. If it were a song it would be stuck in your head. Weir's charming and easy style keeps you hooked and you can't help but like Ryland Grace. His story unfolds across two timelines, past and present, interwoven such that questions arising in the present are answered via flashback, while conversations and aha moments in the past inform the present. It keeps you reading.

There are also some big plot twists that are heavily foreshadowed: how Grace ends up on the mission, how the mission almost ends before it starts, how it goes off the rails (then gets back on track) and how it ends are all supposed to be big surprises but you just know they're coming. The themes of the book are what you'd expect from the plot, Teamwork, Sacrifice, Loyalty, Friendship and Redemption, and scene after scene of never-say-die, can-do, gitterdun, good ole Amurican know-how ensure the bestseller status. What there is not is growth or change. Our Hero is Our Hero from the moment we meet him until the final droll scene, and if the outcome is never in doubt, well, that's only because it's a first-person narrative.

So yeah. Fun story, competently if not capably told. I'm sure it'll be a Netflix series before too long.

I do not typically read science fiction but trying to expand my horizons. I figured this was a safe gateway before getting into the heavier stuff.

This book was awesome. I seriously could not put it down. It was funny and heartwarming and scientific without making my head hurt or wander off. Honestly probably the best book I have read so far this year.

This book started out well but eventually started just annoying me. The overall formula is very similar to The Martian. What annoyed me most is that Weir, like hollywood is currently doing with every movie, decided to shove his political views in my face and continued to rant about it throughout. Why can't people keep their political/sociopolitical beliefs out of their novels. I understand it's their right to write it how they want but many are sick of it. If I had read the bad reviews on Amazon before buying this book, I would not have purchased or read it. Story is 3 stars maybe but the other crap gets a star deducted...was tempted to give it a 1 star review. I have far too many book on my TBR to read some average story filled with someone's personal political views injected throughout. Worst book I've read this year. Must do more research before buying/reading. Bleh!

Update/Additional review data:

This could of been a better story and a 4 star rating from me but I just hate these authors that want to preach their political views to me in their stories...That's not what I want to read. Seems some books these days are going the way of hollywood. Apparently, Weir is a big Thunberg admirer...He cant stop preaching his concerns for the climate, amongst other things. Too bad, another author throwing their views in our face to detract from the overall story. Other than that, its a decent story that is similar in format to The Martian....I guess that's the only novel formula he knows how to write. I'll probably skip the movie. It will most likely be a partial-documentary on human caused climate change. If this stuff doesn't bother you, then you may get some enjoyment out of the story.

Update: So, this is a good, entertaining story. Besides the political/sociopolitical views of the author being sprinkled throughout the story, it was an entertaining story. I didn't mind the ending as some other have. If you don't mind the author throwing in his political/sociopolitical views and you can get your brain to overlook some things that would most likely be improbably if not impossible. Won't give more detail cause I don't want to spoil anything for anyone going into this book blind.

Ratings:
Story/plot - 3.5 out of 5
Characters - 3
Pacing - 3
Science/believe-ability - 2
Prose - 3 - Pretty simple straight forward prose
OVERALL SCORE - 3 minus 1 for the personal political views thrown in (that don't add to the story) - 2

There you have it. That's my rating. I did enjoy it but I could have enjoyed it more if not for the shortcomings I mentioned.

Not for me at all. Too much science info dumping, not enough storytelling or character building. Could have been half as long and probably achieve the same. I didn't mind the ending but getting there was excruciating.

actual rating: 3.5

i know i did say that i'd be annoyed if someone dies but now...everything is just too convenient !

Well, this was a really fun read! Loved the characters and their interactions.

This book was more of The Martian, if you didn't like that you won't like this. Still the same enjoyably nerdy sci-fi mixed with simplistic characters and humour.

I have to talk about the ending though. I love when I get the feeling an ending might reflect more of the authors own psyche than they may have intended. In this case, I think Andy Weir doesn't know he wrote a profoundly human tragedy.


SPOILERS BELOW


The ending has Grace living on an alien planet after apparently growing as a person by giving up his life to save someone, showing that he has learned the value of friendship and connection. Sure he is suffering physically from the high gravity and he only has a small barren dome to call home, but he is happy.

Sure, yes, on a superficial level that all seems to work.

But scratch a tiny bit deeper and that's not the ending at all, the ending of the book is really Grace so scared of human connection he is happy to slowly kill himself over many years on a barren alien planet - his only company another species - if it means he never has to interact with anyone except through thick glass. He never has to risk being known, or understood, he's safe from judgement or danger. Safe from anyone questioning him and his beliefs.

And the best part is, the whole situation is framed in a positive way.

That's a great ending, intentional or not.

real nerdy book good stuff i cried twice

I enjoyed reading this so so much!

I went into the book knowing nothing about it, besides the fact that it was a sci-fi set in space. And I would recommend you do the same if you are planning on reading it. I find that marketing nowadays tends to reveal the tropes featured in the book, which often kind of ruins the best surprises.

This book is really well crafted - both in terms of writing style and plot. The author knows his science (or maybe he doesn't - just managed to fool me) and has leaned heavily into it, and I loved it!
On top of that, this book had everything I needed - (moderate) action, drama, adorable moments, funny characters and HIGH stakes.

It's the first book I read by the author and I am very impressed!

It's books like this that remind me that while I don't read a ton of fiction in general, sci-fi books that have depth, detail, and well-developed characters/relationships are the ones that I will obsess over and blaze through their pages as if they are my geeky BFF. Project Hail Mary was just perfect. I loved it, and all the characters within that I feel like I know now, warts and all. Human thing.

I liked The Martian in both book and movie form and as a follow-up, this book was better in almost every way. I was locked in the entire time; first-person narratives are probably the most fascinating things you can read, and when it's done right it's basically crack.

I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book. I like that we aren't frontloaded with context and story, instead, it throws us right into the action alongside our lovable amnesiac middle-school teacher-cum-astronaut. What unfolds is arguably one of the best portrayals of science in science fiction as well as one of my all-time favorite first-contact interactions. I actually did very little research coming in, so when this turned out to be a first contact story I did take a big nerdy breath; to then have it be so good was incredibly rewarding.

I will give the science element one additional note, I am not sure how scientifically sound all of that stuff was (I'm not a subject matter expert) but it helped to set this story apart from some of the “harder” SF novels, and it's a tremendous shoutout to teachers everywhere (I'd reckon half the book is teacher shoutouts)

It was a smart choice to give the narrator the amnesia, with story altering context being introduced in real-time. Having the backstory delivered in this way helped to break up the pacing and keep us in suspense without wasting the reader's time. There was a lot of time and attention given to keeping the story moving without bogging us down in the science and backstory, still managing to deliver that information while keeping it consistent and grounded.

If I had one complaint it would be the ending but only because I felt such a desperate story deserved an equally happy ending. I really was hoping that Grace would make it back home but what we got wasn't far off, and despite the overly optimistic portrayal given to the Eridians I found the interactions between Grace and Rocky to be heartwarming, and their impact on the story to be logically consistent. The amount of altruism required for everything to go the way it went was astonishing, and that hopeful message was enough for me.

This is a seriously good read.

I enjoyed every chapter of it. Connection between Ryland and Rocky are so close and warm. Great read!

I enjoyed every chapter of it. Connection between Ryland and Rocky are so close and warm. Great read!

Superb book! I listened to the audio version and I HIGHLY recommend!! Lots of science, but don't let that deter you.

What a ride!!!

4.5 ⭐️

Book Club Pick #1

Very well told. Loved all the science. Loved the dual timeline. Loved the relationship. I would rec'd to everyone!

Abousltely loved it I listened to this on audible and will recommend you do the same.
Great friendship
perfect amount of humour
Loved it from start to finish
Make sure you have tissues because it will make you an emotional wreck (or maybe that's just me )

Mi dispiace dirlo, ma “Project Hail Mary” di Andy Weir è stata una grande delusione per me. Sebbene l'idea alla base del romanzo avesse un grande potenziale, la sua realizzazione, secondo me, è stata sviluppata male.

Il personaggio principale, Ryland Grace, mi è sembrato non solo parecchio stupido e inadeguato, ma anche irritante. Non sono riuscito a simpatizzare con lui o a comprendere parecchie delle sue decisioni. Inoltre, i personaggi comprimari erano poco più che macchiette di se stessi, con caratterizzazioni deboli e poco interessanti. Il supercapo con poteri immensi, i russi che parlano come idioti, i francesi che bevono il vino e fanno sesso, mancavano solo gli italiani che facevano le pizze.

La trama, inoltre, è priva di suspense, per pagine e pagine succede poco e sono infarcite di nozioni fisiche fino allo sfinimento che sebbene interessanti rallentano di molto lo svilupparsi della trama. Il libro si trascinava lentamente senza grandi colpi di scena o momenti di grande impatto emotivo, a parte il finale, per cui ho lasciato la seconda stella.

Anche lo stile di scrittura di Weir era troppo tecnico e sterile, mancando della creatività e abbondando fino all'irritante nell'umorismo, che nel suo lavoro precedente, “The Martian” aveva caratterizzato positivamente la storia. Mi dispiace dover aggiungere che anche le ambientazioni spaziali, che avrebbero potuto essere un punto di forza del libro, sono state descritte male e in modo troppo tecnico. Sebbene ci fossero alcuni concetti scientifici interessanti e le descrizioni dei paesaggi spaziali fossero dettagliate, queste sono state presentate in modo noioso e poco coinvolgente.

Insomma se avete adorato “The Martian” come me, non provateci nemmeno con questo.

Amazingly written sci-fi told wonderfully through the eyes of Ryland Grace through memories and the present as he tires to save the Earth from its doomed fate. The characters' reactions felt realistic and begs the question of how far is too far to save humanity.

The ending truly brought a tear to my eye as well and was well worth the read all on its own.

I didn't enjoy the first half of this book much. I found the main character annoying and I don't love the authors writing style at all. It's gratuitous with its explanations of math and science, I didn't think the details were necessary and made it feel like I was reading a casual textbook -meh not for me. But I wanted to finish because I was interested in where he'd take the story. 

The middle part where me meets a new character is where I started to enjoy it more. That character is fantastic and the last 25% or so of the book was the best part. He moved away from so many extra and unneeded details and into the story and relationship. 

Definitely not a bad book, but it wasn't really for me. 

Synopsis: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish.Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.
Thoughts: This captivating novel immediately grabs your attention and sustains it throughout. The relatable and quirky characters add depth to this hard science fiction story, making it appealing to those who enjoy the genre without delving too much into fantasy. While some may find the occasional spelling and grammatical issues distracting, others may see them as contributing to the overall atmosphere. The well-executed world-building and character challenges enhance the engaging story arc, with notable strength in the personal journeys of the characters. The plot twists, centered around the characters, contribute to the novel's appeal, and the story concludes satisfactorily. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel, especially for enthusiasts of hard science fiction.

Very similar to The Martian. Better in my opinion.
Unfortunately the humor is (still) not a complete match for me.

To provide perspective, I loved The Martian and haven't yet read Artemis. I read The Martian after having seen the movie and still loved it. It was the only fiction book I read in 2021 that I rated 5 stars, so hearing people say Project Hail Mary was even better set some pretty high expectations.

Those expectations were not met. Don't get me wrong. I ripped through Project Hail Mary in just a few days and spent time devouring it at every opportunity. It motivated me to read, and if every book went down as easily as that one I'd be able to set my reading goal at 100 books or more. There were even a couple of times when I felt very sad, thought it didn't bring me to tears.

My biggest problem is that I defy you to read that book after watching The Martian and not see Matt Damon in that role. Ryland Grace is essentially Mark Watney, and that did a lot to take me out of the story. Now Stephen King writes a lot of authors as main characters, and each reflects him at least to some extent, but there are differences between them. We have a much smaller sample size with Andy Weir, but I hope he pushes the bounds of his characters beyond that prototypical science guy.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll be vague. I did enjoy the mystery that unfolded, and the structure of the plot worked very well for me, at least in the episodes that were pure flashback. The science seemed solid and interesting, though I didn't spend time trying to assess each and every decision and fact. I suspended my disbelief and rode with it, which worked for me. I was there for the story, not the science.

I felt that things were explained pretty well, and didn't feel there were any gaping plot holes, so I was satisfied with the ending and the decisions he made along the way. The stakes were very high, but at no point did I think, “Gee, he's gonna do it. He's gonna give us an unhappy ending.”

So ultimately the book worked for me for exactly what I wanted. I'd been reading The Brothers Karamazov and needed a palate cleanser before diving back in to that. I had intended on hopping back and forth between them, but Project Hail Mary did engross me way too much for that to happen. It was a good yarn, an escapist adventure that is easy to enjoy, quick to read, and enjoyable.

It did, however, make me more interested in reading Artemis despite many people saying it is the inferior book of the three. I appreciate that.