"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.

PROJECT HAIL MARY is the latest work of science fiction by Andy Weir, author of The Martian and of Artemis, and this new book is my favorite. Weir again provides laugh out loud observations from a sarcastic, science-oriented nerd who is literally lost in space. The main character, Ryland Grace, is a junior high science teacher whose expertise and past willingness to think outside the box makes him an invaluable addition to a harrowing project to save Earth. For some reason, the sun is shrinking and scientists around the world collaborate to discover why, ultimately sending a team to space. There, Grace finds an explorer (whom he affectionately names Rocky) from another planet. Their tale of survival and friendship is not to be missed. PROJECT HAIL MARY received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly and was a LibraryReads selection for May 2021.

This is essentially a buddy road trip narrative in which the narrator does a lot of math, and he sciences the crap out of everything. He has an ebbing amnesia, so throughout the book, we get flashback memories relevant to the spaceship issues he's encountering in the book's present. I've distilled it to its essence, but I cannot begin to convey the delights this book delivers on each and every page. It has similar constructs as The Martian, but it's a different novel. In its own words: Good good good. Amaze. [Jazz hands]
[Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.]

Thank you for the opportunity to review Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The long and short of this review: Weir has done it again. This is a 'great work' in the sense that scholars would define such things, but it is an altogether enjoyable sci-fi (fantasy?) journey that dares the reader to put it down and get some damned sleep :-)
Excellent, accessible writing that just works.

Janine: Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir’s latest science fiction novel, opens when astronaut Ryland Grace wakes up aboard a spaceship named the Hail Mary with no memory of how he got there. He realizes quickly that his two crewmates died en route (they were all put in comas on the way to their destination; the other two never woke up). At first Ryland doesn’t remember his own name. He soon discovers that he’s in another solar system near a different star than our sun—Tau Ceti.

Ryland’s mission comes back to him in bits of flashes—he is orbiting Tau Ceti to save Earth from astrophage, an organism that is causing the sun’s light to dim. If the dimming isn’t stopped it will wipe out humanity in thirty years. Tau Ceti is the only nearby star that is not suffering from this problem and his and his dead crewmates’ mission was/is to work out why.

Ryland also remembers that at one time he was a high school science teacher. How and why a science teacher ended up on a spaceship and on such a critical mission is part of the mystery of Ryland’s past and it is eventually explained.

Ryland deduces from his skill set that he was the ship’s science officer and so he may still be able to accomplish the ultimate goal—finding a means to save Earth. Only now he has to act as navigator and engineer too. His is a one-way mission. He will send the information back with four probes (amusingly named John, Paul, George and Ringo) but he doesn’t have enough fuel to get back to Earth himself..

This is a partial review. The complete review can be found here:

https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-minus-reviews/review-project-hail-mary-by-andy-weir/

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, Andy Weir. I loved The Martian, but not so much Artemis or The Egg. And I loved Project Hail Mary. I'm guessing I won't like his next book very much, at least according to this pattern, but for now I can savor this book with all the lip smacking, finger licking savor of a KFC drumstick.

The sun is in trouble, and for some reason, Mark Watney is nowhere mentioned. Maybe he's in another multiverse? In any case (and yes, Watney isn't the only horse in Weir's stable, just the best one until now), our hero is someone new. A few someones. We have our main protagonist, Ryland Grace (I'm still pondering the significance of Grace in a book like this) and his boss, who's name I'm blanking on and my new favorite literary character, Rocky. Rocky, who I should have the icky shivers about because he's like one of my least favorite creepy earth creatures, but who is the breakout star of this book. The buddy factor is in awesome play here.

We have inspiring science, we have new critters - Astophage and Taumeba.
We have an awesome plot. We have surprises and character redemption. (Is that the Grace factor?)
There's a spaceship that doesn't violate what we know/can do now. There's several new species, all of whom are different enough from earth creatures that I'm still thinking about them.
There are funny clever lines. There's heartbreak and worry. There's too many interesting things going on to put the book down and get a full night of sleep. When I put it down, I dream about it.

The worst thing about this book is that it ended. I mean, I wanted it to get to the end, but I didn't want it to end. I'd like to spend more time with Grace and Rocky. Please Andy, give us more. Give us a sequel that explores Rocky's homeworld and his people. His Adrian and his offspring. Tell us what happened on earth. Please don't end it here, although it was a perfectly good and acceptable ending. I just feel like this could be the beginning of several beautiful relationships.

I rarely give 5 stars, so that's how highly I though of this book.
Also, this is sure to be a movie. Hope they cast an unknown.

After finishing my review, I felt free to go and read what others have said, and I find that the better a book is the better the reviews are. And there are some really excellent reviews on Goodreads. It makes me happy.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir has easily made it to the top of my best of 2021 list. I didn't expect Andy Weir to be able to top The Martian which I absolutely loved, but he really outdid himself with this one. I'm really glad I savored this because it was such a fun reading experience. I particularly enjoyed solving the mystery of Ryland Grace's identity and the purpose of the ship right alongside Ryland. As much as I enjoyed getting to know Ryland as he rediscovering his past, my personal favorite character of the novel has got to be Rocky. He's just the best. There's so much more I'd like to say about this novel, but I don't want to spoil any of it for those that haven't had the chance to pick it up yet. Overall, I can't recommend Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir enough. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?!

The man opens his eyes and finds himself strapped to a strange hospital bed. His naked body has electrodes plastered head to toe and tubes infiltrating every orifice. His "nurse" is a pair of robotic arms; the voice, feminine, with an emotionless drone. With sleep heavy eyes he scans the room and sees mummified remains in the other two beds. It seems he's been "asleep" a long time. He doesn't know how long because he doesn't remember anything including his name.

After freeing himself, he stumbles around in search of someone or something to explain his circumstances. Stunned he discovers he is completely alone on a space ship hurdling through space with no idea how he got there or why.

Suddenly a neuron fires in his head, and he has a blip of memory. He is in a coffee shop in San Francisco. He's reading an email from the Pulkovo Observatory in Russia soliciting theories to explain why a line of infrared emissions are leaving the sun, dimming it, and heading toward Venus in a widening arc.
"Apparently my brain decided it was critical that I remember that email. Not trivial things like my own name."
As Ryland Grace puts the puzzle together, he asks himself, "Why have I, a Junior High School science teacher ended up on a space ship? " We learn, in a highly technical and scientific manner, that his presence on the ship wasn't exactly voluntary but necessary. The sun is losing energy rapidly to some unknown space algae they named Astrophages. As a result, Earth faces a rapidly developing ice age leading to extinction of all life in the near future. Quoting Martin Luther King, "We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now."

When he puts it all together, Grace makes a decision. His death is a foregone conclusion. Might as well see if he can save the Earth before that happens. And in his search for an answer, he finds he isn't as alone as he thought.

Revealing any more will spoil the story. I will give a heads up. This is a science fiction novel. It has a lot of technical jargon and space science stuff. Understanding and comprehending that material not my strong suit. I stuck to the pathos, ingenuity, jerry rigging, loneliness, entertainment, witty sequences, and humor that our reluctant and inexperienced astronaut provided. Space geeks seem to have a harder time accepting the plot. I did not feel I lost anything by skimming through the equations and astro-geek speak. To me, the heart of the story had a richer more personal message - loyalty and friendship - that left me cheering at the unexpected ending. I really enjoyed the book. (The Martian remains my favorite though.)

I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Ryland Grace is the only survivor on a last-ditch effort to save the Earth and all of humanity. The issue? He’s been asleep for who knows how long and can’t remember his name, much less what in the world he’s doing in space to begin with. His two crewmates have died somewhere along the way leaving Ryland to slowly piece together that it is entirely on his shoulders to save the world. Or is it?

I read a lot of books that I truly adore. Books that pull you in and just don’t let go. Project Hail Mary is one of those books but on a different level. The writing was so entrancing to me! There are several times that I had to set the book down because it’s easy to become deeply and legitimately concerned for Ryland and the mission at hand. There’s a lot of science involved throughout this story and it’s so freaking cool! I was told by several different people that I was going to love this book and that was 100% accurate. It’s just so damned good. This book would be perfect for nerdy empathetic types. Or just people that like books in general. Whatever.

Now I want to go to space even worse than before despite having existential crises just looking at the stars sometimes 😂

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Andy Weir for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is his best one yet!

The characters are well developed, the science is great but not too intense, and the relationships are perfect. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in science, space, or sci-fi!

I thoroughly enjoyed this! 4.5 stars! This is my first Andy Weir book but I have seen The Martian, and Andy just comes up with such a vast and unique world/circumstances let alone all the science information that he researched! *Clap Clap* I was so impressed! (Though I will admit when it was intense I tended to skip some the explained science... oops). Those who love science fiction will love this!

Ryland Grace isn't your average science teacher, his students don't know that he is much much more. So much that when the earth starts to get colder the governments of the world turn their heads towards Ryland Grace. He finds himself on a suicidal space mission to try to figure out why the sunlight is being blocked, and just when Ryland thinks he's alone an unlikely friend with the same goal joins him!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a science-fiction story and scientific mystery. Mr. Weir is a published author, known for his book The Martian.

Dr. Ryland Grace woke up on a space-ship with generally no idea why he’s there. Equally important, his crew-mates are dead and the spaceship is millions of miles from home.

Slowly, Dr. Grace’s memory starts coming back, specifically he realizes his task is nothing less than saving humanity. An unexpected ally helps him on his mission, although Dr. Grace now knows he’ll never see home again.

I have enjoyed Mr. Weir’s novels in the past and henceforth am always on the lookout for a new one. I was undeniably happy to see this book and was looking forward to reading it. The problem is, as many know, that when you have a high expectations for something, you’re likely to be disappointed.
I wasn’t!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is easily addictive, the mystery about Dr. Grace’s mission, or why he’s even there builds up. Mr. Weir uses a “memory wipe” technique to build up the narrative. Slowly Grace remembers who he is, and his mission.

In the true fashion of Mr. Weir’s novels, the readers spends a lot of time in Dr. Grace’s mind. We course we get to know his quirks, likes, dislikes and the geeky/pop-culture/scientific sense of humor which, on the positive side, I always appreciate.

One of the things I enjoyed in these books is that science is, unquestionably, the real hero. Yes, chiefly there are people implementing the science, but the author takes great care to introduce concepts though an exciting adventure. I admit that the description sounds like The Martian, and surely the book is very similar in tone and structure. Nevertheless, it is not a copy, but a different story with a somewhat similar premise.

Although I didn’t understand every scientific detail, the novel is still very much enjoyable. Regardless of my limitations, the author did a fantastic job balancing the narrative, plot, characters, and yes… science as well.

This is an intellectual, quirky, thriller which, undeniably, met my expectations. In particular, the space journey the reader takes with Dr. Grace is fascinating and worth their time.