Just finished reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. My review is:

If you only read one Science Fiction book in 2021 make it Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This book had me on the edge of my seat. It is as good if not better than The Martian (which I dearly love). I;m not a science person but found myself reading all the science bits because they explain the rest of the story so well. So don't try to skip the science just read it. I think this should be "Best Science Fiction book of the Year." Great job. Now I'm going to find my copy of Artemis and finally read it. Caroline

I am a big fan of Andy Weir! I'm not really a science-y type person, I don't read science fiction much as a rule, and I really prefer non-fiction books to fiction. That said, The Martian got me excited to read about science, space, and planetary exploration. When I saw that he had a new book coming out, I was all in. And, I was not disappointed! Sure, my eyes may glaze over a little bit when I'm reading explanations about how the ship is controlled, relativisitic physics is discussed (I just don't get it!), or the myriad of other science wisdom his characters impart is on the page, but you know what? It doesn't matter. You don't need to be a science whiz to get it!
Project Hail Mary is a fantastic novel with all the elements of great adventure: a reluctant hero (Ryland Grace), a possibly insurmountable problem, amnesia, space travel, an unexpected bit of help, and friendship. I really don't want to gve too much away - the jacket description sums it up perfectly. The only issue (and it's not a bad one) I had was that in reading it I couldn't help but picture Matt Damon from the movie, The Martian, as the character Dr. Grace. He has the same sort of attitude, determined personality, and is ultra-smart and innovative. There doesn't seem to be a science-based problem that he can't solve. I would truly love to see this become a feature film to see how it all plays out and see how a director would interpret some of the main points from the book.
This is a definite must read. High on tension, full of adventure and humanity, and science galore (and judging from the acknowledgements, it's absolutely accurate science). I feel like I learned a lot from reading this.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This is my second title and I ABSOLUTELY love this opportunity!

Mr. Weir, how are we not friends?! I could not put this book down! I'm a space nerd and librarian who talks books most of the day and my assistant knows when I'm talking about this book to someone by how animated I get about jazz hands. For an excruciatingly solitary mission, our main character spends his time slowly recollecting how he ended up where he is and figuring out how to science our way out of extinction. Little does he know, it will take more than just him to save us all. Weir is a master of keeping the cast small and the adventure grand. Project Hail Mary DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!
#ProjectHailMary

I’m not usually a fan of science heavy fiction books but there’s something about the way that Andy Weir writes that makes it seem like I actually understand and enjoy the science stuff. I find his characters to be very relatable and real, even the alien ones. This is as good and maybe even slightly better than the Martian.

Andy Weir (The Martian, Artemis) has another hit and likely a hit movie on his hands. Project Hail Mary begins with scientists noticing a small but accelerating dimming of the sun. Research shows an path between the sun and the planet Venus. Scientists quickly discover that if nothing is done that the sun will dim to the point of making human life on Earth very difficult leading to a mass extinction event. Thus, Project Hail Mary is born. The top minds from across the Earth pull together to figure out a way to save the planet. Like in the Martian, Weir is able to make complex (and accurate) astronomical and engineering data into a very smart beach read. One hesitates to say too much but suffice it to say that this is a must read SF novel. The core of the novel involves a friendship between the two main characters that is a much needed bright spot in a dreary 2020.

"Project Hail Mary" is fantastic. I wasn't the biggest fan of Weir's second book, "Artemis", but he is back up to "The Martian" heights with this one. I don't want to be the one that gives any spoilers whatsoever on this book, so I will limit myself to saying that the premise is interesting and unique, the characters are all pretty great, the way the book unfolds is clever and engaging, and the twists keep coming.

There is a LOT of science in this book! It is great for science nerds. In fact, there is so much science in it that if I had to lodge a complaint against it, it's that I occasionally found myself just skimming over some of the specifics of the science stuff in the back third of the book to just get on with what was happening. I also learned an interesting fact about microwaves.

All in all, just read this book.

You can always count on Andy Weir to deliver a good, solid, sci-fi novel!
I enjoyed this book as I did his other's as well.
I really enjoyed the ending especially.

If you loved The Martian, you'll likely love Project Hail Mary, too. Similar protagonist, science-based narrative, and fast-paced solve-a-problem-a-minute story. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed it a lot.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3595564830?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

When I read The Martian a few years ago, I was floored. I'm not a science person, and very rarely are scientific concepts explained to me in a manner that I can understand them- somehow Andy Weir managed to explain TONS of theory/ideas/concepts, and I was actually able to follow. Not just follow, but find patterns and understand, and root for this botanist. Somehow it wasn't dry, and my science friends from college were impressed with how spot-on it all was (which in turn, blew me away all the more). When you're in a class and a teacher can do that, they are a darned good teacher and a gift to the world. The protagonist of Project Hail Mary is, consequently, a darned good teacher, and it was refreshing to see a teacher be a hero in the way this novel lets him be.

I wasn't sure if the magic of The Martian could be replicated, but I was dead wrong- Project Hail Mary had all of the elements that made The Martian great, but with added twists of mystery, flashback sequences, and one of my absolute favorite sidekicks ever. I can't write much here without spoiling what needs to stay quiet (and I recommend going into this reading as little about it ahead of time as possible), but I highly recommend this title. When it comes out, I'll be recommending it to pretty much everyone I know, and buying a copy for myself.

4.5/5. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with the digital ARC of this delightful book!

Rating: 9.5/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Project Hail Mary for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Project Hail Mary is The Martian turned up to 11. This is Weir’s best novel to date, and that is certainly saying something when the same author wrote one of the best science fiction novels (and debuts) of all-time just under a decade ago.

Liked Mark Watney? You’ll love Ryland Grace.

So, I loved The Martian. I thought it was one of the most original, well-written stories I had ever read and felt it came out of nowhere (at least, up until the movie was announced). Artemis, to me, was sort of a letdown in ways, though I ended up enjoying it more via audio thanks to the wonderful Rosario Dawson. Two completely different novels, both with witty and sarcastic protagonists, and both taking place in, well, space.

Project Hail Mary is more The Martian in terms of storyline: sole survivor/crew member who must use what is provided him in order to survive and return to Earth. But that is where the comparisons end.

Weir takes what we all loved in The Martian >Weir-ian one-liners and wise cracks in the face of impending death mixed with a massive overhaul of science that he beats you over the head senselessly with< and takes it up a notch (with a special little addition that I won’t spoil for you). Threads from the past and present culminate in a story for the ages with a race to save Earth and a protagonist you cannot help but get behind.

What I love most about Weir’s writing, aside from the humor, is the science. While a ton of it should fly over my head (nothing goes over my head… my reflexes are too fast), he explains it in such a way that it all makes sense and I now have a PHD in all things space related. I mean, science was one of my favorite subjects growing up, but I won’t say it was my best subject… because it wasn’t.

No-brainer: if you enjoyed The Martian, do yourself a favor and pre-order Project Hail Mary.

This book was ever so much fun to read! The high school teacher humor was a bit dorky, but it worked for me and kept the long stretches of solo time with the protagonist, Ryland Grace, from feeling monotonous. I loved the way science was used to solve overwhelming problems in The Martian, and this book provides loads more of that, and adds in a look at what interstellar spaceflight might look like in the not too distant future. There are some plot holes plastered over, but the book is fun enough that it's easy to look beyond them. This book is a tasty, light summer read that goes unexpected places in highly entertaining ways. Recommended!

Wow.
I mean...wow.
Andy Weir has far surpassed my expectations once more. This is without a doubt his best novel yet. Hooked from the first page, I could NOT put it down.
I'm still...in shock I guess?
I'm sure I'll form full sentences again soon, but for now, I recommend this novel to the highest extent and cannot wait to purchase the hardcover in May to put with my other cherished A.W. novels.
Read it. Read it.

4.5 stars for this book.Thanks so much to the folks at Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC of Andy Weir oncoming book. While I can’t give away too many aspects of this book for fear of spoiling it for future readers but what I can say is that if you love the Martian and how the science was represented in it then you will appreciate this book too. The book is told in a back to back format with one chapter dedicated to the main character remembering how they got to this position (alone in a spaceship with no memory of why) and one in the current timeline where the character does his best to remember and evolve to his own environment. The plot continues and it gets much more interesting as it goes, the character keeps remembering and little by little we learn that he is on a saving the world mission ...then when learn why and the plot takes on from there. I can honestly say that I had a good time reading this and I enjoyed it thoroughly! . The only thing I have against it was the culmination not because it was a bad one but because the plot had a lot more to offer for its own ending but I understand why the author did it. I highly recommend this book if you like science fiction books 📚!

According to a 2003 article on the NASA website, "NASA-funded scientists have recently learned that cloud-to-ground lightning frequently strikes the ground in two or more places ..." and that the third and fourth strokes of a lightning flash will follow the same path as the second stroke. In other words, lightning DOES strike the same place twice.

But you don't need to search the web for this information. If you want proof that lightning strikes twice, just read Andy Weir's newest book, Project Hail Mary, and you'll see that Weir has created a giant sci-fi bestseller, in the same electric path as The Martian.

Ryland Grace has a puzzle on his hands. He wakes up without a clue as to where he is, but he seems to be alone except for a computer AI that was keeping him alive. Unfortunately it didn't seem to be doing the same for two others in his ... wherever he is ... as he notes the decayed corpses in their creches on the ... well, it's a ship. A space ship. And bit by bit Grace puts the pieces of the puzzle together.

An alien microbe has been discovered. Ryland Grace is brought on to the science team to learn more about the life form because Grace, currently a middle school science teacher, wrote papers about the notation that there does not need to be water to create life. Only in a biozone such as Earth's would water be needed, but other building blocks could be used in other systems.

The science community as a whole mocked Grace, which is why he left and went on to teach kids, but now, he may be the best suited to understand this new life form. And as he remembers more and more, he also remembers that this life form is feeding on the energy output of the sun, which is decreasing the energy that gets to Earth, which spells disaster - as in the end of all life as currently known - on Earth if something isn't done.

Scientists discover that Sol isn't the only star that is losing its energy output - likely due to the alien consumption, but that there is one star, in the center of all the known stars losing their energy, that remains constant with its output. In which case, the answer to the survival for Earth is likely found there, at Tau Ceti.

The world's best scientific minds come together (by force and coercion) to create a ship that can get to Tau Ceti in twelve years (using the alien microbe as fuel) with shuttle pods to bring back answers to how to save the planet, but for the crew, it's a one-way trip.

Knowing why he's there is only the first puzzle for Grace. Now he has to figure out how to save Earth. There's a very small window of time for him to discover the way to save the human race and get the answers sent back. Take too long and the shuttles will return to a dead planet.

This book is amazing.

Author Andy Weir brings us back to the magic that made The Martian so successful - an abandoned scientist trying to survive. But Ryland Grace's story is more complicated because he's not just trying to survive, but also help humanity survive.

There's lots and lots of science - which is part of Weir's writing signature - and there's also a really wonderful story.

It's hard for me to tell you just what I liked about this book because anything I write will be a spoiler and a huge part of the joy in this book is making the discoveries with Ryland Grace.

Grace is our main character, but through the liberal use of flashbacks, we have a full cast of characters - at least one quite important to the story. Everyone is unique and individual which makes it easy to read, but just as with The Martian, where Mark Watney's personality carries the story, Ryland Grace here is the smart-mouth, sometimes funny, obsessed scientist infusing his personal tastes into his discoveries. He's also quite smart - which is good since he will need his intellect to save all of humanity.

This is a page-turner. I did not want to put this book down. Neither did my 21 year old son who picked up my copy after I was well into it and finished it before I did. And days later he's still talking about how much he liked it and quoting sections of it to me at the dinner table.

I hope Ballantine Books will do a very large print run because this is going to be huge seller and you definitely don't want to miss out on the biggest thing to come out in 2021.

Looking for a good book? Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is proof that lightning strikes twice as this has all the excitement and energy of Weir's debut novel, with a more complicated storyline that will hold the reader all the way to the end.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

WHEW! What a thrill ride! I thoroughly enjoyed this latest adventure from Andy Weir. Once again, he uses science and technology to give us a un-put-downable read. We start with a mystery: a man wakes up with amnesia and has no idea where he is or why he is there. He can't even remember his name. As the story unfolds, we find out in bits and pieces not only his background and why he is in the situation he's in, but what adventure and discoveries await. Well written with excellent, unforgettable characters, this is a riveting story that will appeal to those who love adventure, thrillers and science-fiction. This is also an appropriate read for older teens. Highly Recommended!

I truly enjoyed this book. It did get off to a slow start and it does include lots and lots of science and talk about math and lots more science, but its fabulous and I might have learned a few things!The author tells the tale in flashbacks as the main character remembers how he came to be on a space ship hurtling towards a star 16 light years away from Earth. Ryland Grace arrives at the system and finds he is not alone -there is another ship with and "alien" life form there as well trying to solve the same problem for his planet. They work together to communicate and then work on the problem. This is a great book about duty and friendship and sacrifice. I have enjoyed the other books by this writer and look forward to more.

Andy Weir has established that he knows how to, "science the shit out" of things. Which allows Project Hail Mary to be a novel that is unbelievably believable. Weir's combination of laugh-out-loud-humor and terms-of-service-level scientific detail, is reminiscent of the character he has created in, Ryland Grace. Project Hail Mary isn't just science and sarcasm though, by the end of the novel you will be emotionally invested in the world and characters Weir has created.

Ok, so Andy Weir does one thing, but goddamnit he does it well and <i>Project Hail Mary</i> does not disappoint. The story centers around the improbably named Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who is also humanity's only hope of survival. Does Weir send a middle school science teacher to space? Yes. Does something go wrong stranding him by himself? Yes. Is there an unexpected wacky alien sidekick? You bet. It's perfectly funny, thrilling, and nerdy all around.

Something about this gave me a sort of <i>Short Circuit</i>-y vibe but I'm not mad at it. Hurry up with the movie adaptation of this one, Hollywood I'd watch the heck out of it.

Overall it was a delight to read and I tore through it. If you liked <i>The Martian</i>, if you like your science fiction to include math problems, if you were one of those kids who loved doing "Odyssey of the Mind" in middle school this book will be right up your alley.

If you are a fan of Andy Weir's novel The Martian, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that he has a new novel coming out, and it's great. The bad news is it's not coming out until May. I was fortunate to read an advance reader copy. I will reread it or listen to the audio when it is published.

A man wakes up. He doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t know where he is. A cool female voice is asking him “what’s two plus two?”

This book is so funny. Not like laugh out loud all the time, although I did laugh out loud at times, but the main character's humor resonates with me. Also he never swears, for reasons, which amused me to no end. (“‘Holy moly!’ I say. ‘Holy moly’? Is that my go-to expression of surprise? I mean, it’s okay I guess. I would have expected something a little less 1950s. What kind of weirdo am I?” (p. 20 of the ARC)) (I wonder if this is a reaction to complaints about all the swearing in The Martian.)

There’s a lot of joking about how hard it is to be an American scientist because you grew up with imperial units but need metrics for science. I totally want to hang with this guy. There's a great bromance (for lack of a better word). I don't want to spoil the book too much but it's a very touching relationship and reflection on friendship. There is also a strong female character.

I recently read another book about someone who wakes up on a spaceship alone and doesn't know who they are - Across the Void by S.K. Vaughn. Project Hail Mary is so much better. And there is a very good, scientific reason why the main character wakes up not knowing his name or immediate past in Project Hail Mary.

Did you enjoy the movie Arrival? Well, Project Hail Mary isn't really like Arrival, but it is too. Very science-y. Full of wonder. You know all those movies, books, and TV shows where all the aliens want to do is kill us? This book...isn't like those either.

If you are a Star Trek fan, think - the best of Star Trek. Cooperation and problem solving. I was honestly crying tears of joy at the very end (or perhaps I should say my face was leaking - you'll get that after you read the book). Extra points for believable pop culture references.

I'm glad Weir has switched back to a male main character. My biggest issue with his second book, Artemis, was that I just didn't buy the internal voice of the female main character. There were a couple of places in Project Hail Mary that seemed a little silly and out of place, but only a couple. On the whole I fell into this book and didn’t want to leave.

Project Hail Mary is a definite recommend from me. Can't wait to read it again. Can’t wait for the movie. (Two words: jazz hands. You’ll get that after you read the book too.) The Galesburg Public Library will own it in every format in which it is available in May 2021.

Ryland Grace goes on a suicide mission to save earth only to discover humans may not be the only intelligent life in the solar system in this hard adult science fiction.

It took me forever to read this book partly due to the timing and partly due to the genre. I’ve had a really hard time reading in October. My family has had some non-COVID medical issues, and it’s been difficult adjusting to our new normal. Additionally, the election shenanigans and the stress at work have killed my ability to concentrate on anything other than happy re-reads. My review might have been different if I had read the book at a different time.

Project Hail Mary is going to appeal to die hard science fiction fans, but it left me completely behind. The complex science of the story was not accessible to a lay science person. I never connected to the main character. He didn’t feel believable or realistic as the protagonist. Rocky is the most likeable and complex character, but it’s Ryland who needs to carry the story. The book uses one of my least favorite writing techniques – an overuse of flashbacks to explain the character’s actions. It was actually utilized well in this book, but I still hate the technique. Others will probably enjoy the balance between the past and present.

tl;dr This book never captured my attention – the complex science left me confused and I never connected to the main character.