With humor and desperation to save humanity commingling, Weir in his third novel recaptures the irresistible charm and trepidation that suffused The Martian. So, fasten your spacecraft seatbelt and don’t expect to come up for much oxygen as this scientific mystery thriller lifts off into outer space.

A space plaque has started devouring our sun, such that in a generation Earth will be plunged into a cold age that even human ingenuity cannot survive. A kick-ass international uber-commander woman, Stratt (first or last name? Her background is shrouded in secrecy) has been empowered by all the world’s leading governments to use supplies she needs, and any personnel she desires, to come up with a quick and incisive plan of defense.

Able to cut through any red-tape, and with the world’s scientists, armies, and governmental resources at her disposal, Stratt starts by going after Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher whose microbiology PhD thesis on the possibility of non-water-based alien life got him both booted from his PhD program as well as academia. Treated as a laughingstock by academics, he’s immersed himself in getting his adolescent students enthusiastically fired up about science. Turns out, he may have been on to something.

Stratt drags Grace from his classroom and to an isolated biology lab to be the first human to look at the captured strange microbes that move in wiggles and have formed an arc between the Sun and Venus. They may be our first vestiges of alien life, as well as a threat to our entire planet. Grace marvels at all the cutting-edge microbiology lab equipment at his disposal and goes about testing the microbes with the same enthusiastically relentless enthusiasm with which he teaches teens. And turns out, Grace not only survives as Stratt’s test-subject of possible death by exposure to the microbes but makes several huge discoveries about how they operate.

Stratt is off and running to divvy up the microbes, 5 per lab, to leading scientists around the world. Grace begs her for just 3 and continued access to the lab. More ingenuity by Grace follows, until he solves the huge mystery of how they reproduce. Suddenly, he’s worth a ton to Stratt and whisked off in military jets until rendezvousing with her on a South Seas military navel carrier.

Meanwhile, a second story unfolds simultaneously in alternating chapters, where Grace wakes up in a spaceship, has absolutely no memory of who he is or where he is, and finds two dead fellow crewmates who have become decimated cocoons in their sleeping pods. As Grace concentrates to bring back his memories, he plunges headfirst into his one-way, no-coming-back mission to try to save Earth, and oh, make an alien buddy. Grace’s ingenuity, curiosity, smarts, humility, and humor make him not only the ideal Ambassador for humanity, but a feel-great, emotionally heart-warming underdog hero.

With inner dialog is as funny as that of The Martian, you cannot help but picture the major motion picture this book will become, perhaps with a reprise of Matt Damon as Ryland Grace?

Weir has truly delivered a marvelous, out-of-this-world gem.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

OMG, If this comes out as a movie I am watching it so hard!!! Read Andy Weir's newest novel (out in May) Project Hail Mary. Very scientific but the humanity is spot on. I am loving it! So much snark. It's ranking in Humorous, Hard Science and Adventure in Science Fiction right now and I agree on all the sub-genres. I absolutely rushed the ending as I just HAD to know what happened. The next day, in a calmer manner, I went back and re-read the last 2 chapters, to absorb it fully.

It's very Hard Science in a lot of areas, pages of learning that could possibly allow you to build a space vessel if you were interested, But at the same time the characters, and I mean ALL the characters are filled with humanity and emotion.....and snark. Love the snark.

There's a lot of mystery that slowly reveals answers as the story goes back and forth between current time in space and the years before when Earth was in danger of dying as the Sun died.

I highly recommend this book to all Sci-Fi readers.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

Andy Weir has done it again!

Science-fiction readers of old and new will devour this space opera.

Seasoned science fiction readers will appreciate the attention to detail in making the science “make sense.” I am impressed by the forethought that went into every scientific problem that Dr. Grace faces. Every detail connects to another, and the final product is very satisfying.

Readers who are new to the genre may find the “science-y” bits overwhelming in the beginning, but the story always shines through and propels the reader forward. The most important science bits will stick with the reader, while the less important bits will fall away. I put myself in this category, and I never felt lost or defeated by the science.

Without major spoilers, the main achievement of this book is Dr. Grace’s journey of self-discovery. Weir manages to expose the subtleties of humanity that humanity doesn’t even know it has. Though the spectacle of this novel is inherently epic, Weir does an extraordinary job of minding the details.

5.0/5.0

This started as 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding down this time! I loved The Martian, liked Artemis (not nearly as good though), and this book is much more like The Martian. Our Hero sciences the sh*t out of everything - sometimes literally :-)
I love Weir's dry, self-deprecating humor. As with The Martian, Our Hero is clearly Weir's avatar, but that's fine. The story is as good as The Martian, but also very different. Like his other books, this one is pretty much entirely plot-driven with not much character development or Deep Thoughts into the human condition. But, he does introduce some really cool science ideas. If you liked The Martian, you'll like this, and I think it would also make a great movie.
Now for the negatives. Our Hero is Practically Perfect In Every Way, which got a little irritating as the story progressed. He relatively effortlessly solves every problem thrown at him, having apparently limitless imagination and resourcefulness - kind of McGyver crossed with Stephen Hawking. And that was my other main detraction. I think Weir got a carried away towards the end and it went a bit over the top with problem after problem after problem. Finally the ending was a little over the top too, much too neatly wrapped up with a gag-inducingly sweet finale. But that said, this is one of the few books I've read recently that I couldn't put down at times, and when I did I looked forward to picking it up again. Perfect for science nerds!
Oh, I should say that my copy was an ARC provided by netgalley.com in return for this review.

I'm afraid I am the wrong reader for this book. I absolutely loved The Martian and keep hoping for something similar. This isn't the book's fault, it's me. I think this will appeal to die hard science fiction fans who love the science.

I will not be reviewing on social media, as I don't think I can give a fair review. Thank you for the advance copy.

Andy Weir makes me appreciate sci fi. It's not typically a genre I reach for but I enjoyed The Martian so much I had to pick this one up. It does not disappoint. Edge of your seat, action packed plot that seamlessly integrates all the science- without being dull or info dumpy. This books was alot of fun and worth the read.

Andy Weir's <i>The Martian</i> was that rare among rare books that drew me in and I didn't want to put down because I so wanted to know what happened next. I was a little underwhelmed with <i>Artemis</i> because, well, that <i>was</i> a high bar he set with his first! And then <i>Project Hail Mary</i> comes along...

I received a review copy of this from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> four days ago and if I didn't have a lot of life happening this past weekend (I'm listing my house and was working long days to get it show ready), I would have read this in one sitting. It's as good as <i>The Martian</I> and in some ways better. If you like the math of <i>The Martian</I>, and I loved it, it's back in spades here. The main character has character. and every chapter peels back a little more of the onion layers of mystery. And...it's an exciting page-turner.

That's all you'll get from me. Highly recommended. This is great stuff.

[Note to who cares: I rarely summarize fiction plots, mainly because I think it unfair to the author - there are plenty of people who do for those on the hunt, and there is almost always a teaser blurb - and I think it unfair to the reader who, like me, dislikes spoilers.]

Oh my gosh, this book is good, good, good!

Before reading this, I had almost given up on Andy Weir. I read The Martian and loved it (we all did right?) even if Mark Watney got a bit tiresome at times. Then I read Artemis and cringed. Like seriously, bad , bad, bad character work. And then I read Randomize which was bit of a letdown. So, I was somewhat skeptical going into Project Hail Mary.

Wow was I wrong!

This is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s a science fiction adventure that, like Andy Weir’s other novels, is heavy on the science, but filled with enough heart-pounding adventure to keep you riveted. Sort of felt like The Martian meets Interstellar.

Ryland Grace wakes up with no memory in a strange place, but as his memories come back slowly, with more science of course, and things only become more dire and bizarre after that.

There are definitely some echoes of Mark Watney in Ryland Grace, only with some (deliberate?) differences. I liked it though. That unique voice was dialed back a bit and it totally worked for me. He’s charming and good hearted, without the eyerolls that Watney induced. And like I said, SCIENCE! Filled with the facts and numbers that not only learn ya somethin’, but make the story way too believable, and frighteningly so. If it gets too dry and sciencey for your taste, just skim past. There are plenty of plot twists and emotional connections to keep you thrilled.

I absolutely loved this book, and I’m having a very hard time talking about it without giving anything away. By far Weir’s best work yet, and If you liked the Martian, you should love Project Hail Mary!

The Martian absolutely blew me away when it was released (also loved the movie, which can always be hit or miss with adaptations), so I immediately requested this book when I saw it on NetGalley.

This is a difficult review to write without revealing spoilers, but I’ll do what I can. The reader is just as clueless about what’s going on as Ryland is when he wakes after a long coma, and I liked that. You feel his frustration and surprise through flashbacks as his memory returns, and the story is revealed. And what an incredible story it is! So much tension, so many life-threatening situations – I literally couldn’t put the book down. I held it in one hand to read while stirring something on the stove with the other.

Some of the plot points are awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, and thought-provoking. I experienced a gamut of emotions. Admittedly the math is so far out of my lane it’s incomprehensible, but the author explains it as much as possible. I wouldn’t say there are quite as many humorous moments as in The Martian, but it’s not without some comedic relief after some heavy situations.

At its core, Project Hail Mary is about sacrifices, friendship, acceptance, and self-realization. I enjoyed the hell out of this book and would highly recommend it to sci-fi fans. I’m really hoping for a movie out of this one – they’d better not screw it up.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Andy Weir is back and science-ing the shit out of space; I just wish it worked for me. The book's premise was fun and absolutely up my street, however the execution didn't grab me. I found myself laughing on one page (I do love Weir's humorous voice) and cringing the next because Ryland was almost too laid-back about his mission to save literally all humanity—I felt zero urgency from him. There were a few things that, compounded, I wasn't a fan of while reading, but mainly the writing was too white cishet American male-centric for me to find pure enjoyment in the hard science. This book is a miss for me, but thank you so much to the publisher and net galley for giving me a chance to find out.

Andy Weir is back with his trademark humor and an Everyman you can't help but root for. And Mark Watney has got nothin' on Ryland Grace. Watney just had to keep himself alive on Mars; Grace is light-years from Earth and out to save all of humanity from extinction. The "how the heck is he going to do that" plot keeps you turning the pages and Weir doesn't shy away from the science of it all. Most of it is interesting but toward the end, the science gets to be a bit much; I found myself skimming sections so I could move the plot along faster. If you enjoyed The Martian, you'll likely enjoy Hail Mary. Just know the stakes are higher and the science is a stronger part of this story.

WOW!

Andy Weir went above and beyond on this one, and that's saying a lot. After reading The Martian years ago, Andy Weir became one of my favorite authors. He has a way of writing about difficult concepts and abstract ideas while saying it in a way that makes complete sense. He explains scientific and mathematical concepts while addressing them and using them to push the story onward which is perfect for readers like me that do not easily grasp these kinds of things.

This book, Project Hail Mary, stayed humorous and light-hearted while dealing with complex world issues including moral issues. A man, who has no memory of who he is, wakes up in a strange place. After pulling from information he naturally knows and using the tools provided to him ... there is only one explanation: He is in space! But where? And why? And how?

All these questions and more are answered throughout the novel and it's incredible! I highly recommend this to fans of Andy Weir and fans of Scifi in general!

I don't know about you, but I felt the 2nd book from Andy Weir - Artemis - was good, but not as good as the Martian, at least for me. I gave him another try, though, and thoroughly enjoyed Project Hail Mary - his latest book that is much more like the Martian than his second book. In it, he puts a junior high science teacher in space with no backup and just his wits and his lab to keep him alive - and some alien life that proves to be incredibly helpful - while he works out how to save the Earth and avert a climatological catastrophe. This book was funny and sciencey and truly entertaining. It ended up being an un-put-downable book for me - I spent most of my Sunday last weekend finishing it up because I could not stop reading it. This book is going to be popular with anyone who enjoyed The Martian or anyone who enjoys a good hard science fiction story. The science is strong enough to almost be another character in the book and the hero, Dr. Grace, uses it well.

Andy Weir does it again! A compelling story that I just could NOT put down and I could NOT stop thinking about.
The sun is getting dimmer and the Earths scientists need to figure it out before major catastrophe strikes.
From the very first page the story draws you in and never lets up.
By 30% of the book read, I could not put it down. There was some chapters that I had to look away from the book to inhale what had just been written.
I don't want to give any spoilers, but this book should be made into a movie. I loved it so much. One of the best sci fi books I have read in a LONG time!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me this ARC for this honest review.

Life on earth is coming-to-an-end as we know it and humans will not be able to survive, unless one last-ditch effort succeeds. Three people are sent on a “Hail Mary” mission to save civilization. However, when his two other crew members on the mission die in transit, Ryland Grace is left to save human civilization on his own. But is he truly on his own?

I was a huge fan of Andy Weir’s The Martian, so I was extremely excited to see Weir was coming out with a new novel with similar vibes. While Ryland Grace has some of Mark Watney’s humor, he is overall a completely different character (and doesn’t have nearly the same potty-mouth!) In addition, when you start the novel, it may seem like you are going to get The Martian 2.0. BUT, do not get lulled into complacency. Although there are some obvious similarities, once you get through the first third of it, Project Hail Mary takes a completely different turn then The Martian. I don’t want to give too much away because of how much spoilers would give away.

The writing was top notch again in Project Hail Mary. Some of the science went way over my head, but this did not detract from the overall story. Just reminded me I need to read more sci-fi. The story dragged in parts, but the last 50% flew by and was action-packed. Even if you are not a fan of sci-fi books, I recommend this book to because it is so much more – it’s an epic adventure! 4.25 stars.

I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Right up front, I'll tell you there's one thing I didn't like about this book: Almost from the git-go, I couldn't get my mind off the possibilities for how it would end - and not a single one sounded appealing. Also in my mind was this: How do you top two previous stellar (pun intended) books by this author - "The Martian" and "Artemis?" Honestly, I'm not sure which of the three I loved the most, so I'll just go the advice of Stephen Stills: Love the One You're With.

And boy, did I ever. Mind you, I'm both math- and science-challenged, and the MacGyver-like musings and calculations by science teacher Dr. Ryland Grace by and large were Greek to me. No matter; thanks to a winning recipe of writing and storytelling - liberally sprinkled with humor - it was easy to figure out what the good doctor's intentions were (well, enough to know to hold my breath during the let's-hope-this-works parts and cheer wildly when they did).

The story begins as Grace wakes up in a mental fog, in a strange bed, connected to tubes and besieged by a computer that spits out questions to which he can't recall the answers. Slowly, the fog lifts - and he realizes he's in a room with two dead bodies in some kind of container somewhere in outer space. But he still can't remember his own name, much less how he got where he is and why.

As reality sets in, chapters flash back and forth to his pre-mission days - letting readers in on pre-launch events as well as the task it's hoped he can complete (let's just say it involves preventing the extinction of a very important planet). Along the way, of course, his memory starts to return, ushering in an awareness he'd rather not confront. And just when it seems all is lost, both emotionally and physically, an impossible-to-not-love stranger appears on the horizon who just happens to be stuck in a dire, and eerily similar, situation.

What happens from then on takes up the rest of the pages, and trust me, there's never a dull moment. Even though I'm itching to spill the beans, I can't get more specific without revealing too much, but I will say it's quite an exciting journey that evokes all kinds of emotions from gasps of fear to sighs of relief. Put another way, it's a book not to be missed. Many, many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Oh, and those possible endings? Well, the real one wasn't even on my radar. Read the book and you'll understand.

"Is good, question?"

Tears in eyes, fist-bump: "No. Is perfect."

I LOVED this book! The Martian was basically my introduction to realizing I liked sci-fi, and I was disappointed with Weir’s second novel, but Project Hail Mary is back to what makes him a great novelist. Interesting sci fi facts with a likeable and entertaining protagonist, and a race against time to save the world. I adored Grace’s relationship with Rocky and was so happy with how the book played out. Looking forward to more of Weir’s books in the future!

i've been struggling with how to review this book! Overall, I very much enjoyed the book! First, the pros - it has so many elements I loved from the Martian - science made relatable, endearing characters, and a moving plot! The cons - for me (and this might be me), sometimes it got too science-y. I kept reminding myself to just enjoy it and I wouldn't be tested afterwards - which is good because while i could comprehend most of the big concepts, the details were often beyond my knowledge base. More frustrating than that in the last third of the book there was a lot of "then i did this. and then this. and then this happened. so I did this. and that didn't work so I did this. then this." It was a little like hearing a child explain their day in minute detail. But again, the pros definitely outweighed the cons and if you liked the Martian (book or movie), this is definitely worth a read! Thanks to Netgalley and the published for the e-ARC.

I'm definitely not smart enough for this book, but I will say I enjoyed it immensely. The plot was exciting and realistic and truthfully frightening sometimes. It kept me guessing to the end, which is always good, and I LOVED Rocky. Humorous in some parts, overly scientific sometimes, but well-written and highly entertaining.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Andy Weir fan and was really looking forward to reading this. It was a fascinating read, and in many way rivals The Martian for science and suspense. Ultimately I found myself a little disappointed in how it ended but some of the twists were unexpected for sure. It is a solid book and better than Artemis but still lacked the start to finish awesomeness of The Martian.