Andy Weir is my go to science fiction author and if it wouldn’t be for him, I’d almost never read the genre. The author takes the interesting topic of space and turns it into a novel that anyone can read and enjoy. Highly recommend.

Project Hail Mary was everything that I expected from Andy Weir. This book is as science-y as The Martian, has likeable, smart, tenacious characters like Artemis but this one takes both aspects and wraps it up into one amazing story.

The book is pretty heavy on science and technology, and can be a bit overwhelming for those without a STEM background. Andy Weir did his best explaining everything carefully, but those that have a strong background in mathematics, physics, chemistry or astronomy will enjoy this book most. Admittedly, I did get lost in the STEM concepts but the story was so good that I just glossed over these parts.

Regardless of your background, you will enjoy the wild ride through space. The suspense, danger, and problem-solving were exciting and captivating. This is a true scientific thriller.

This story is about keeping a clear head in crisis situations, finding humor, hope and establishing connections in unexpected. It's about overcoming fear, adversity, and being resourceful. This book is about survival, challenges, and becoming all that you are capable of. It will make you laugh, cry, and ponder. I highly recommend this book!

My dad likes to call me, randomly, just to ask the usual how-are-you, what's-the-meaning-of-life, I-was-contemplating-my-existence-today-and... questions as if we have been in the middle of an active and lively philosophical debate the past gagillion hours. The other day, I answer his call, and the first thing he asks is, "so what are you reading now, kid?"

He could not sit through a breathy and hurried--I was desperately trying to get back to Dr. Grace and Rocky's current dilemma when I got the call--one minute explanation of what I was reading before blurting out his reductionist views on modern literature and his particular disdain for space adventures. He asked me, "what commentary on humanity and its struggles and virtues can that book possibly make that would be enlightening and enriching to your life?"

Though I'm not trying to make my dad sound like the reductionist one, his question (myopic as it is) stumped me in the moment. Grasping at straws, all I could think to reply with was some pseudo-intellectual mishmash of Wilde's notion that art for art's sake is and should be plenty of art for most of us plebes that make up the backbone of society and take up entirely too much air neck-breathing our annoying and contrived ideals onto each other. The book is just meant to be enjoyed, as some books and things in life are.

We settled on a variant of 'agree to disagree' and that was that.

I was left with the burning question of purpose and time and relative dimensions in space...nah, only joking.

But it did get me thinking, and the truth is: there's plenty about this book that caused me to reflect on the nature of humanity, what sets us apart from each other, what motivates us, etc. etc.

If you have any experience reading Andy Weir's work, you'll quickly find familiar ground in the character of Ryland Grace. Like The Martian's Mark Watney, Grace seems to be another facet of Weir's personality come to life in the story's pages. The off-kilter, sometimes self-deprecating sense of humor that Watney--understandably--relies on whilst being stranded on Mars is also apparent in Grace's character, though a little more cleaned up with respect to cussing and vulgarities given Grace's profession of defunct-scientist-made-middle-school-teacher.

Grace is stranded in space. He's lost and alone. He talks to himself and figures out complex science scenarios out loud when he's in a pinch. There's a macabre sense of impending doom mixed with light-hearted humor to curb the fear and terror of inescapable death. To Martian readers, all of this is very familiar, almost to the point of rehashing.

...but damnit it still works!

I was attached. That part wasn't hard. I care about Ryland, coward though he is. But he's funny, he's smart, he's stranded and he corrals his cojones in an attempt to be Earth's hero. Who, in his position, would be any less afraid or adverse to bouts of cowardice?

Ryland is sent out into the tenebrous depths of space to try to find a solution to Earth's problem: astrophage. This unicellular space organism eats up energy from the sun, leeching warmth from Earth and threatening to send all of Earth's life into a forced ice age. At the start of the novel, Ryland awakens from your typical spacey cryo-coma sleep, not knowing who he is, or why he is on this mission. Slowly, he starts piecing his memories together, forming a cohesive narrative that explains the why's and the how's of his mission. Still, the fact remains: he is alone on this mission.

Until he meets Rocky. And lemme just say: I. friggin. ADORE. Rocky.

I'm not used to writing excessively detailed or spoiled-riddled reviews, so I'll spare the superfluous generalities and simply state: the partnership that forms between Ryland and Rocky is enough to make this read a worthwhile one. Maybe Weir has tapped into the successful formula for writing quirky science dramas that rehashes different versions of being trapped in the vastness of space and we'll just keep seeing more and more of these pop up over the years, but I'll be damned if he doesn't write some great characters!

Sandwiched between the nefarious vacuum of space and some random mechanical malfunction in the belly of the ship, Ryland and Rocky work together to bridge their communication and find a solution to their problem. Along the way, they form a friendship and Weir generously sprinkles comedic interjections between the two in which seemingly simple things (to humans) when explained to complex life forms like Rocky end up sounding something like

"I can't imagine explaining "sleep" to someone who had never heard of it. Hey, I'm going to fall unconscious and hallucinate for a while. By the way, I spend a third of my time doing this. And if I can't do it for a while, I go insane and eventually die. No need for concern.


Really, the charm is all in how the two interact with each other. And I was very happy to see that Weir's sense of humor was masterfully translated to Rocky--an alien species whose communication is based on musical notes and tones.

He puts his claw against the divider. "Fist my bump."

"Fist bump. It's just 'fist-bump'."

"Understand."



Ultimately, plot fell secondary to the dynamic Weir developed between Ryland and Rocky. A very close second, though, cause space goop that eats sunlight is still pretty freaking interesting. But! In answer to what did this novel teach me about humanity?

Well Dad, this novel showed me the wonderful intricacies of forming long-lasting friendships with aliens from outer space. It provided a detailed anthropological and humanitarian perspective into developing intergalactic relationships in the face of overwhelming odds and probable death. It showed me that friendship can work long distance!

And also that I really really want a friend like Rocky.

Maybe it's not too late for me to become an astronaut.

***Many thanks and apologies to NetGalley for kindly offering me an ARC way before the book came out even though I did not get around to reading it until last week.***

Hail Mary was a slow burn for the first 30% or so for me, (I had to skim and trust a lot of the science/chemistry stuff-while truly appreciating the genius of it) but once the key relationship began to develop, I was hooked. I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish it, is how much the last 40% or so picked up for me-I had to know what was going to happen.

If you read and enjoyed The Martian, I suspect you will love this. (I found the main character of The Martian a little bit more likable but once I heard that Ryan Gosling will be playing Ryland Grace I was fully on board with rooting for him as I mentally pictured this novel.)

I’ll start off by saying this brilliant, entertaining, well-crafted book is easily 5 stars since I have no complaints at all about it and I read it in two days! I love Andy Weir’s writing, even if some of the science/math does go straight over my head (not often though since he explains concepts pretty well). The surprising twists seriously made me gasp out loud at times and I loved the dark/witty humor throughout the book. Weir also has the ability to write a science-fiction novel that still feels realistic and plausible (while also surprisingly emotional), and you can tell he researches a TON when writing these books. Ryland Grace’s experiences on the ship are interspersed with his returning memories, as he slowly remembers why he is there, how he got there, and what is even happening. I didn’t know how Weir would be able to end this one and the ending was unexpected yet satisfying. I highly recommend reading Project Hail Mary if you want a compelling science-fiction novel!

I like, no, I love intellectuals in fiction. It gives me a high to see these genius brains coming together to decipher a scientific problem or mystery and when all of this is done by a relative underdog to save the world - it adds an extra oomph to this trope I love.
The Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir has all of this and one more trope that I adore but can’t discuss because of possible spoilers.
Our main protagonist wakes up from coma to find himself in a peculiar setting. He’s in a space ship, in space, alone, with no memories. He doesn’t even remember his name. The only thing he can figure out is that if he doesn’t do whatever he was sent out to do then the whole of humanity might be lost.
I do really want to talk about what I loved in this book but again I can’t do it without giving out spoilers but in a vague way it has to do with friendship and of course the science.
Andy Weir incorporates complex scientific theories into his fiction in such a fun way that it makes me want to go back to school and learn physics (a subject I loathed)
He also makes his characters have this sort of ‘I am going to die anyway so why not make some poor jokes in the meantime and do stupid impossible sciency stuff as a last ditch effort’ vibe that is just so endearing.
I would definitely recommend this to fans of The Martian and even otherwise if you love friendships, underdog stories and science, definitely check this one out, one of my favourite reads of 2021.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

I loved The Martian so much so I could not wait to read Project Hail Mary. I started reading the physical book and I could not put it down. I bought the Audible version and I actually loved the audiobook because the narrator was fantastic.

I can’t give anything away but there is a character with whom I completely fell in love. The story is fascinating, told in two timelines, and the ending was so unexpected and perfect.

I’ve seen a few complaints that there is so much science in it. There definitely is but I really feel that Weir is so good at describing scientific topics in a way that the average person can understand. There were a couple of parts where I got a bit lost but I just kept reading until I got back on track.

If you liked The Martian, you will love Project Hail Mary. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. This is a 5-star read for me and one of my favorite books of 2021.

I am not typically a sci fi reader, and hadn't read The Martian, but I've been looking for something to pull me out of the reading funk I'd been in since the beginning of the pandemic. And I now need to thank Andy Weir for being the person to pull me from that funk! This story was the right mix of funny and suspenseful, and Grace's character was drawn wonderfully.

I must say that some of the humor just fell flat for me, and there were times it was just TOO MUCH, but there was so much sweetness and heart in this story that I was happy to overlook it. Such an enjoyable read!

Rylan Grace is a high school teacher who previously wrote a scientific paper that caught the attention of Eva Stratt with the Petrova Taskforce. There is something attacking the sun that can risk life on earth and cause extinction if nothing happens. Rylan wakes up in a space craft and has mo recollection of how he got there. Slowly, he remembers bits and pieces. While in space he spots another ship that doesn’t look familiar…who is in there?

There are some fun twists and turns so I’ll leave my summary at that. So, I’ll start by saying I am not a sci-do reader AT ALL. But I heard a lot about this anticipation of this book and was lucky enough to get a copy from NetGalley. There are so many glowing 5⭐️ reviews, and although I enjoyed this book a lot, it was a bit too technical for me to follow at times. So many scientific terms! I found myself searching on my kindle for what things meant. Lots of math equations too. The story that develops later in the book is what kept my interest the most. Once you get past the science and math pieces it’s enjoyable and made me smile a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-Arc. Project Hail Mary is already out and is even a BOTM add-on from last month!

No one does Science Fiction better than Mr. Weir. Readers will not be disappointed in this story of an unlikely hero sent into space against his will to save the world.

Epic is the perfect word for this book. It was an intense, all consuming read. I finished it a few weeks ago yet I am still thinking about it. So good!

"Project Hail Mary" is Andy Weir's third space sci-fi novel, and it follows Ryland Grace, a man who suddenly wakes up from a coma in the middle of space with no memory of who is, where he is, and why he is there. He must figure out the answers to these questions soon since he is survival depends on it. I can't really say more beyond this extremely brief description without potentially falling into spoiler territory.

The best way I can describe this novel is that it is a homage to STEM. As math had such an important role in the plot of "The Martian," many other fields of knowledge, particularly all those that comprise STEM are present and central to the plot in this book. It was particularly heaving on chemistry and biology, specifically biochemistry, which is why I don't think this was the book for me.

I read "The Martian" a few years ago after watching the movie, and I remember that I really enjoyed it. It had an interesting premise, and it was a true survival story full of suspense. While there was a lot of math in the book, I did not feel alienated by it. However, the amount of chemistry in "Project Hail Mary" made the reading experience so much more exhausting to me personally and triggered bad memories of high school Chemistry. Given that I'm not naturally inclined or interested in this particular field, I felt that the book had a much slower pace, and it took me longer to finish it. Nevertheless, I was fascinated by all of the scenes that dealt directly with linguistics. While I have my issues with some aspects of the language acquisition process, it mostly well done and considered aspects that would have been crucial for intercultural understanding.

"Project Hail Mary" features an interesting premise as well: what would you do if you are lost in space with no memory of who you are? I thought I was in mostly for another space survival story, but it had a turn that I was not expecting that, while I normally wouldn't have been interested in that topic, made the reading experience much better for me in the end.

I did not really care for Ryland as a character, though I did come to worry about his future, and, as an educator myself, I did love all these themes about how teachers would do anything for their students. I also truly disliked Stratt's character. I thought both Stratt and Grace were a bit cartoony at times. However, I absolutely loved Rocky, and I worried about his survival constantly.

In terms of the writing style, the vocabulary was rather dense and science-heavy as it was laden with terms and allusions to scientific concepts and theories. I cannot speak as to the accuracy of the terms used, however. I do think that the amnesia trope was a bit too convenient since Grace seemed to remember whatever he needed in a very linear manner and depending on whatever was necessary for the plot. I also didn't like the justification of how Grace ended up in space to begin with.

However, I would still definitely recommend this book. I teach English to STEM majors, so I think many of my students would be very interested in this novel. I also heard that supposedly "Project Hail Mary" might become a movie featuring Ryan Gosling, and I would definitely go watch it.

A delight.

Not perfect. Not the Martian. But a joyful exciting romp through space with real stakes on the line and a surprising friendship that I didn't see coming.

[The mid-story betrayal revealed in flashback made me gasp. I was angry about it because it ripped away a lot of the main character's heroic self-sacrifice. I think the story would have been just as strong without that.

At first, I was all "why isn't he going back to Earth" and then after a while, I decided I loved that he started and ended as a middle-school science teacher, which is where his heart always was. Grace became the alien visitor who not only stayed but was loved and treasured and made a difference to a generation of students as well as to the science of the world. I don't think he was ever going to marry or have kids of his own and the children he taught and their families became his family by extension. They didn't need to be human to do that.

It wasn't for a while after I read that the big joke hidden in plain sight (the Hail Mary was, in fact, full of Grace) finally hit me. I laughed. (hide spoiler)]

I always have such a fun time reading Andy Weir's books, and this one was no different! It's full of exciting adventures, sarcastic characters, and other wonderful things I can't talk about without spoiling the story. Definitely a great read for anyone who loves science fiction and space adventures!

This book alternates between the main character in his present situation and flashbacks to how he got there. At times the jumping back and forward was a little hard to track, but overall I think Weir did a good job with it!

The characters were all so real and relatable. It was so fun to get to know them and see how they reacted to situations in the book. I loved Ryland and his sass especially.

I said before that this is a great science fiction book, and I'll say it again. If you enjoyed Weir's other books, I think you'll love this one too! I'm so glad I got the chance to read this.

Ryland Grace is on a mission in space to save humanity but he doesn't know it yet. Ryland has just awakened from a several .year special, medically induced coma and it will take awhile for his memories to filter back to his brain. Ryland remembers he was a middle school science teacher and loved his kids (students), so why would he above all people be on a rocket ship. He had two other crew mates but they died while in their comas so he is frightened well as feeling completely alone without understanding why any of this has happened. Slowly, Ryland's memories return and bring some devastating information back to him while also realizing that there is only a certain amount of time left before earth will be destroyed by lack of sunlight and his mission was to find out the cause and send that information back to earth before it's too late. How could the fate of humanity be dependent on a teacher who has no idea how or why he was chosen for this mission and he can't imagine volunteering for anything so deadly since he wasn't a risk taking type of person (that he remembers). Is there anyway Ryland Grace will retain all his memories in time to complete his mission, nevermind learning how to operate the ship as well as finding out he is running out of fuel? To find out these answers and more you will just have to read this fantastic, mind-boggling book.

Ryland Grace was such a wonderful character. He was a scientific genius who settled for teaching because he was afraid of failure and rejection within the science community The story is an amazing adventure into space and how astronauts live and function aboard a space craft. The writing was brilliant and entertaining although very complex at times because there is an enormous amount of science and mathematics equations involved but the characters handle all the confusing configurations, so all you have to do is sit back, read and enjoy. Andy Weir is a phenomenal writer who has the ability to understand complex science yet he can break it down in ways that any reader can understand and relate to everything that is happening in this fantastic story that is very hard to put down and by the time you are finished you will be so pleased that you had read this book.

I want to thank the author "Andy Weir" and the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and of course Netgalley for granting my wish request and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly recommend this marvelous book to any reader who enjoys something unique and unusual and have given a rating of 5 Mind-boggling 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Science Fiction has not been a favorite genre of mine, but after The Martian I made sure to request this one. What a fabulous book - extremely well written and engrossing from the start.

This book isnt my usual genre BUT I am so glad I gave it a chance. LOVED it. The story is quick and sucks you in. Go read this right now!!!

I loved this book. Andy Weir is such a talented writer and this book was funny, heart warming, and smart. Better than The Martian!

Andy Weir found a winning formula with The Martian, and do you know why it worked? He played to his strengths, putting his super space nerdery and geeky sense of humor to good use, ultimately creating a smart, funny, tech-savvy survival story that is at once action-packed and full of heart. So it’s no surprise that for his latest novel Project Hail Mary, Weir has returned to the tried-and-true, except this time, he’s perfected his methods, and the result is a must-read for his fans.

Like The Martian, this one is also about survival—but here, the stakes are much greater than one man. Humanity itself faces extinction as a former scientist turned schoolteacher finds himself the lone survivor on a desperate, last-ditch space mission to save the Earth and all life upon it. The planet’s fate now rests in his hands.

But first, he’ll need to get his memory back.

As the story begins, our protagonist wakes up alone on a spaceship. He can’t remember how he got there, but somehow he’s aware that he has been asleep for a very long time, and that his vessel has carried him far from home. Any crewmates he had are now dead, assuming they were the two corpses he later finds onboard, though he can’t remember who they are either.

Eventually, he does recall his name—Ryland Grace—and what he used to do—teach junior high. But of course, that was his life before the discovery of the Astrophage, a tiny microorganism that literally eats stars, and now clusters of them are threatening to sap the sun’s energy and plunge Earth into eternal cold and darkness. Since then, Ryland has been recruited by Eva Stratt, the head of a global taskforce whose goal is to save humanity by putting together a team of the best and brightest minds. As the coma-induced fuzziness in his brain gradually clears, Ryland also recalls that once upon a time, he was a leading researcher of life in space, before one of his wilder theories got him ostracized from the scientific community. Yet apparently, his knowledge and experiences were exactly what Stratt needed.

Still, that doesn’t explain his current predicament. After all, he was no astronaut. His original role was to support the space mission crew with his findings. So just how the heck did he end up on this ship, lightyears away from the solar system? And what was he expected to do?

What follows next is the slow, delicious unraveling of this mystery, as our protagonist’s memory returns little by little. In a sense, this was the added element that really set this story apart from The Martian, bringing Project Hail Mary up to a whole new level. For you see, a lot of the ingredients remained very similar. We have a lone astronaut, faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, who must also “science the shit out of things” to solve problems. But while it was the people of Earth who pulled together to save The Martian’s Mark Watney, here it is the people of Earth that needs saving and poor Ryland Grace has to do it all by his lonesome! (Well, mostly. But saying more on that front will be spoiling, so we’ll just leave it at that!)

There’s also the fact that Project Hail Mary feels a bit more “out there” when it comes to its sci-fi aspects. Granted, there’s still a whole lot of the premise grounded in astrophysics, biology, space aeronautics, etc. but there’s also an over-the-top element involved this time around, and the author clearly enjoyed going to town with it.

Speaking of which, despite the anxiety-inducing tensions and thrills, this was still—by and large—a highly entertaining and damn fun book. This is because, while Watney and Ryland are very different characters, they nonetheless share an important feature in their personalities: infectious optimism. Often, a well-time joke is all it takes to lighten the mood, or a charming little quip to bring hope to a dire situation again. This makes the protagonist genuinely likeable, and easy to root for. Without a doubt, had it been anyone else but Ryland at the story’s helm, Project Hail Mary would have been a very different, much less enjoyable book.

As for criticisms, it’s probably no surprise that some of the same issues that plagued The Martian also cropped up here. If you’re not expecting them, the lengthy segments of tech and science lingo might be a turnoff for some, and especially when Ryland loses himself in a problem, the writing can get a bit carried away with the info dumps. Still, those who are familiar with Andy Weir’s work will know that that’s his trademark and will know to anticipate them. Probably trickier would be the farfetched plot points I alluded to before, as readers will have to make a pretty swift and sudden adjustment once these elements are introduced about a third of the way into the story. How you feel about them will depend entirely on the individual.

All told, I had a great time with this book. It feels like as readers, we’re always demanding of our favorite authors something new and different to keep things fresh and exciting, but as Project Hail Mary proves, sometimes sticking to what works can also turn out just fine. Of course, it helped that Andy Weir knew just how to up the ante, tweaking certain aspects of the story and characters to make them bigger, bolder, better, and simply irresistible. Reading this was a delight, and it’s certainly not to be missed.

A race to save humanity turns into in unprecedented discovery.

The twists and turns were shocking. The reveals breathtaking. This is another finely tuned, on the edge of plausible, survival thriller from Andy Weir. Every thread is tightly knit together so you are never left wondering how or why.

Weir's stories are so much fun to read. You never know what is around the next corner.