Project Hail Mary

High school science teacher Ryland Grace ends up near Tau Ceti in the company of rock/spider alien "Rocky", both trying to figure out how to stop space microbes eating their respective suns. Like Andy Weir's The Martian, I saw the film then read the book. And, like The Martian, it was an entertaining and illuminating experience. Both books are excellent in their own right. And both have been adapted for the screen in ways which make the most of the cinematic aspects of the book while minimising the least cinematic elements. In the case of The Martian, this involved downplaying a lot of the hard science - both books are packed with hard science. And the film of Project Hail Mary also gives the hard science a relatively light ride. But the film of PHM presents the events of the book in a slightly different order in order to set up one of the human dramas much earlier. Both make the most of the camaraderie of necessity with evolves between the two lifeforms who are unable to even physically make contact with each other. It's an exciting story, often funny (narrator Grace, like Mark Watney in The Marian, is never at a loss for an amusing comment), and surprisingly emotional here and there. Highly recommended, especially for science nerds.

First time, I think, that I watched the film before reading the book. Usually I am disappointed when I watch the film after I read the book. This time, no disappointment, whatsoever. The book is every bit as good as the film, and vice versa! The characters grip you, pull you in, and as fantastical as the topic is, the intricacies of the story make you believe it. Loved it!!

I read the paperback alongside listening to the Audio Book (Immersive Reading). This space adventure completely hooked me, even if it took a little bit of time to get my bearings at first. Right from the start, the story throws you directly into a dual narrative, constantly jumping back and forth between Ryland Grace’s past on Earth and his high-stakes present reality in deep space. I must admit that this structural back-and-forth threw me off a bit during the opening chapters, but it didn't take long to find the rhythm and really get into the story. Once you get going, be prepared because there is a lot of science packed into these pages and this is where having the narration really helped as it is filled with dense physics, biology, and math equations, as the book is just such a deep read it completely sweeps you up anyway. The characters were easily my favourite part of the whole journey. I absolutely loved Ryland's sarcastic, dry sense of humour, and his witty internal monologue keeps the tone light and fun even when everything is going wrong. But the absolute highlight of the novel is the lovely, heartwarming friendship that develops between Ryland and the alien lifeform. Their bond is built on genuine trust and shared problem-solving, and it gives the whole book an incredible emotional anchor. Just when you think you have the mission figured out, the plot hits you with a few totally unexpected twists. It all culminates in an ending that I did not predict.

About 30 years ago I used to have a huge collection of sci-fi books. Clarke, Dick, Asimov, the whole shebang which mysteriously disappeared during a house move. Since then I've been an avid watcher of sci-fi movies starting off with a VHS tapes, DVD collections, then Blu Rays and then eventually moving on to streaming services. Somewhere between all that I managed to install a home theatre including a 120" screen, UHD projector and full Dolby surround sound and even 3D for movies such as Gravity, Avatar, Prometheus and Passengers. I even went back to watching old sci-movies such as 2001 and The Thing to get the large screen experience that I'd missed out on. Recently though I felt something off with the number of movies I'd been going through. I'd be scrolling through movies not being able to recall if I'd actually watched them or not. In some cases I'd even press play and 15 minutes or so in realise that I had already watched it a few weeks earlier. I was almost zombie watching them, sitting through an entire movie without really focussing on it and I was beginning to feel that my attention span was shot to shreds. As someone who spends most of his worktime on a computer I felt that way too much of my time was spent staring at a screen in one form or another. A laptop screen, monitor screen, TV screen, projector screen and the worst culprit of them all, a damn mobile phone screen. My sleep pattern was non existent and the only time I'd feel the slightest bit drowsy was when I was not staring at a screen, and this would usually be when I was driving. Otherwise I could comfortably be awake and alert until 3, 4 or even 5am without feeling the need to go to sleep, staring at a screen of course. As it happens, one of the Youtube channels I frequently watch called "Media Death Cult" often has top listings of recommended sci-fi including movies, TV shows and books. It was during one of the Top 50 books listings that I just decided to add some of the books to my Amazon shopping list totalling £200 and literally force myself to get back into reading. One of those books was Andy Wiers "Project Hail Mary" which was highly recommended by the shows presenter, Moid Moidelhoff. I've seen the movie version of Andy Weirs "The Martian" and to be honest I found it OK. "Cast Away" in space is a pretty apt description. Still, I decided to start with Project Hail Mary and to be honest I found it extremely hard to get into. Again, this had nothing to do with the content itself but by the realisation that I was finishing pages without absorbing the content itself. I'd constantly wonder how the current situation was occuring as I wasn't paying attention to what I was reading in previous pages. I then got into the habit of rereading paragraphs and pages until they started sinking in and before I knew it I was back in the reading groove. I was visualising scenarios in my imagination as they were being played out on the pages before me. I could see in my minds eye the spaceships, rooms, scenes, facial expressions, items floating around in zero g and what I'd been missing for all those years suddenly hit me. My mind was actually doing what it is actually supposed to and enjoying it immensely at the same time. I then decided to switch all devices off at 10:30pm every day and settle in bed with "Project Hail Mary" and in about an hour I'd start to feel drowsy not because the book was boring, but the natural urge to sleep was starting to kick in again. I'd actually fight the urge to nod off as much as I could because the book itself was so engrossing. I simply could not put it down. Eventually I'd turn the lights off at 11:30pm and within minutes I'd be asleep. I won't give any spoilers but put simply the plot is pretty straight forward, easy to follow, beautifully descriptive and emotional. I'm sure more seasoned sci-fi readers will pick faults but for my intent and purposes I could not have picked a better book. I simply loved it and in fact re read the last couple of chapters 3 times. And in just over a week I'd finished it. The first book I'd completed in 3 decades. For me it was more than just a book. It was a rehabilitation. A therapy session. A life changing event. My sleep patterns are back. My attention span is much impoved. My addiction to screens has finally been broken. I'm more alert and awake during waking hours and this book has played a massive part in this turnaround. While I am sure that many other books would have done the same "Project Hail Mary" now holds a special place for me. It has quite literally changed my life.

No spoilers paragraph: A plausible human extinction threat and tackling it with risky solution attempt that captures your imagination by its ambitious scale yet also on a human/person individual level. There's science and maths but I didn't need to understand it much merely to trust it, but I did enjoy the problem-solving and the character interactions, especially the outsider's view of us. There are minor errors, I noticed, including a fairly major one near the end, but they don't ruin the book nor diminish my great affection for it. Starting in the present day, in the middle of things, and using a series of flashback scenes and using 1st person point-of-view, all create mystery and keeps our hero's adventure immediate. Andy Weir also writes with good humour, and seamlessly includes actual humour, so despite dangers and possible doom it's not a 'dark book'; I heard myself laughing out loud at times. Andy Weir is a writer you can trust, in that for a while I was worried he'd go all Hollywood and unnecessarily kill off a major beloved character. The ending is very satisfying, no loose ends, and without the irritating Hollywood-style cliffhanger designed for a sequel - for me this self-containment increased the re-reading pleasure. I read it 3 times within 2 weeks and parts also. I've left it alone for a while to try and ensure this review isn't too visceral. Mild spoiler paragraph: This (and 'The Martian' also by Andy Weir) is one my favourite and most enjoyable sci-fi reads (I've been reading sci-fi since mid-1960s). One of the best 'buddy' novels too. Canny structure, as starting 'in media res' (in the middle of things) and the flashbacks, though extremely common techniques (dating as far back as the ancient Greeks), work well here by creating mystery right from the start and, importantly, enables you to start in the present. If Andy Weir had written the scenes in straightforward chronological order it'd've been dull and taken half the book to get into space - if you want to see what that's like, read the W_k_p_dia synopsis. I bought the book on Kindle, and several hard copy paperbacks for hubby and members of my family. There are a few, and varied, cultural references. With younger readers in my family I had to explain the 'Rocky' film references including a name/planet name, and also the reference to the text-game 'Colossal Cave Adventure' (1976; I played it 1979), and USA football 'hail mary' desperation play jointly referenced with Roman Catholicism's rosary 'hail mary [full of grace]' and the main character's surname Grace. It's led to unexpected but nice sharing of aspects from the book e.g. "watch me sleep?" The proof-reader missed several things e.g. (in the Kindle version anyway) a read-out of a scientific measurement should be in italics (as it's a different speaker). I believe the penultimate sentence should read "...speed of light, question?" which the editor should've picked up.

I am a slow reader so a finished book for me is a big deal, but this one was worth every page. It is smart, funny, emotional and filled with the kind of scientific problem solving that somehow feels both impossible and completely believable. The setup is wild. Something is draining energy from our Sun, putting all life on Earth at risk. Microscopic lifeforms called Astrophage are at the heart of it, feeding on sunlight and spreading across the stars. But somewhere out there near a distant system called Tau Ceti, a clue to saving humanity might be waiting. Enter Ryland Grace, a reluctant scientist who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. What follows is a story full of heart, discovery and unexpected friendship. Andy Weir has an incredible ability to make complex science accessible and even funny. Every problem has a clever solution and every moment carries weight. It is hard sci fi with heart which is exactly my favourite kind of storytelling. I appreciate that a lot of people have already reviewed this book and said similar things, but it really is that good. Sometimes a story deserves every bit of praise it gets. This book reminded me why I love science fiction so much. It is not just about rockets or stars, it is about people, about survival, curiosity and connection even when the odds are impossible. If you enjoyed The Martian you will love this one too. Easily a five star read from me.

I really don’t know how to begin with this one. I listened to the audiobook and read on Kindle at the same time, this was nice as I find this works great for my mommy brain and helped me concentrate on the story. Believe me when I say I WAS FULLY INVESTED. This book was nothing like what I expected it to be, and it almost became my first 5-star read of this year! So without further ado let me tell you what I could gather from my thoughts lol they are still everywhere, bear with me. This is the story of humanity and how one person and “his unexpected friend” try to save it, and not only. We follow the disastrous consequences caused by something that is eating away the sun’s energy, and the Earth is facing an apocalypse if nothing is done about it. What can we do? How can we do it, and where is the solution? Well, Stratt will be thinking about that, and she will do one hell of a good job, I don’t care what you think about her, she did the right thing, however morally grey her approach might have been had I had been in her place I would have done the same thing. So far, so good. We have the means, and we have the crew, but will it work out, or will everything just blow up in our faces? Man, I really loved how the story begins and how Ryland is slowly regaining his memories, and we go back and forth between the past and the present. This is done amazingly, and the whole science part was just wow. The scary part of it is that it could actually happen! I don’t know about the accuracy of the science in here, but you can tell aaaa ton of research has gone through, and Weir, my friend, you did a brilliant job conveying it in a science-for-dummies way to us poor creatures. I am honestly still recovering from what I experienced. The humour, the whole plot, the twists and turns were great and very well-written! I just loved the relationship between Ryland and Rocky. The science, how everything was explained and worked out in the end. Was just great. This book really was soooo close to getting my first 5-star review! It just came short due to the too many twists part. They were a tad too many for my liking, and I was expecting to see what actually happened to Earth during and after… I hope there is a second book tackling those topics I would be beyond happy to know more! It feels incomplete to me… Ryland Grace, Rocky, Hail Mary, Blip-A they all have a special place in my heart now. Damn, even Stratt does and those “children” at the end ah man… Overall, this book received 4.5 stars.

An interesting book. A bit ‘sciencey’ but I did learn a lot. Made it difficult going at times giving scientific detail that wasn’t necessary to the plot. I liked the main characters and their relationship which is ultimately why I continued to finish the book. Will be interesting to see what the film is like.

Fantástica novela de aventuras y ciencia ficción hardcore. Vaya por delante que me encantó The Martian y que disfruté con Artemis, a pesar de no estar a la altura de la primera. El estilo del autor, muy divulgativo, lleno de chistes y juegos de palabras, autocrítica humorística y optimismo en general hace que disfrute tanto del qué como del cómo. (Recomiendo, por cierto, el relato cortísimo de El huevo, del autor. 5 minutos de lectura interesante). En esta ocasión, a mí me parece que además el autor se supera a la hora de construir el armazón del relato y también a la hora de elegir cómo nos lo va desvelando. La novela empieza con nuestro protagonista despertando en una cama de hospital en un lugar desconocido, sin recordar ni siquiera cómo se llama. A su lado hay dos cadáveres. Y solo sabe que tiene una vaga sensación de que tiene que salvar el mundo. A partir de ahí se intercalan las historias de lo que está pasando y de lo que ha pasado para llegar a ese punto. Me parece que el autor lo hace muy bien. A los que leímos el Marciano y Artemisa nos sonará el estilo de la historia y del protagonista, pero creo sinceramente que en esta ocasión el autor se ha superado y ha construido una historia que es por momentos muy épica, que tiene una componente científica espectacular (el autor inventa la biología de dos mundos de manera convincente, para empezar a hablar) y que da para una peli épica (presiento que en un par de años o tres volveré a esta crítica y añadiré un "yo ya lo dije"). Por supuesto, tenemos un surtido de chistes y conatos de chistes marca de la casa (algunos están ocultos bajo etiqueta spoiler por si acaso, otros no los pongo porque desvelan demasiado, pero son muchísimos): Cuando el protagonista aún no sabe quién es ni qué hace ahí: Ten- foot ladder. I think in imperial units. That’s a clue. I’m probably an American. Or English. Or maybe Canadian. Canadians use feet and inches for short distances. I ask myself: How far is it from L.A. to New York? My gut answer: 3,000 miles. A Canadian would have used kilometers. So I’m English or American. Or I’m from Liberia. I know Liberia uses imperial units but I don’t know my own name. That’s irritating. Besides, if I had a nickel for every time I wanted to smack a kid’s parents for not teaching them even the most basic things… well… I’d have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it. He disfrutado como un enano, lo reconozco. Tres días duros de trabajo con solo un rato por las noches para leer que he aprovechado hasta el último minuto para leer las 500 páginas. Es exactamente lo que le pido a una novela de aventuras.

I loved this story so much! It was the perfect story for me. Easy to read, great pacing, relatable character (for me), amazing story about overcoming, courage, friendship, adventure and awesome science. Highly recommend.

I absolutely adored PHM. It has everything: adventure, humanity, encounters with alien life forms, suspense, science, and, yes, emotion. I was in awe of the book. What a story. A rather ordinary science teacher is sent to a distant star to save planet Earth and meets an alien, Rocky, who is trying to save his own planet. A beautiful friendship blossoms between the teacher and the alien. It's such a beautiful story. Not a scientific person myself, I wasn't in the least put off by the science in the book. In fact, it's wondrous. This will stay with me for a long time. A truc sci-fi masterpiece and a great story, whether you like the genre or not.

I was not crying at the end of last the book, im sure there were ninjas cutting onions close to me. Seriously, I loved this story. Sometimes it gets a bit too technical, but it's a masterpiece if you like this type of story The Martian took me 3 days to read, this one I finished in one week mainly because I have a toddler, otherwise I would be done in 4 days for sure.

Great book finish reading 4 times, and decided to support the author with a hardcover copy, recieved in great condition in a nice little amazon box.