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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
May 2021, 496 pages
Paperback:
Oct 2022, 496 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Kim Kovacs
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A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian.
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.
Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.
All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone.
Or does he?
An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
Chapter 1
"What's two plus two?"
Something about the question irritates me. I'm tired. I drift back to sleep.
A few minutes pass, then I hear it again.
"What's two plus two?"
The soft, feminine voice lacks emotion and the pronunciation is identical to the previous time she said it. It's a computer. A computer is hassling me. I'm even more irritated now.
"Lrmln," I say. I'm surprised. I meant to say "Leave me alone"—a completely reasonable response in my opinion—but I failed to speak.
"Incorrect," says the computer. "What's two plus two?"
Time for an experiment. I'll try to say hello.
"Hlllch?" I say.
"Incorrect. What's two plus two?"
What's going on? I want to find out, but I don't have much to work with. I can't see. I can't hear anything other than the computer. I can't even feel. No, that's not true. I feel something. I'm lying down. I'm on something soft. A bed.
I think my eyes are closed. That's not so bad. All I have to do is open them. I try, but nothing happens.
Why can'...
As always with Weir's writing, I'm impressed with his reliance on credible technologies and his ability to explain these complex notions to even scientifically illiterate readers such as myself. I've had serious love for Weir's writing since The Martian, and Project Hail Mary has only added to my high opinion of his work. Those who count themselves among his fans will undoubtedly be delighted with the book, and I unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone who enjoys well-written, creative science fiction...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Recursion and Dark Matter
Thrilling doesn't even begin to describe Project Hail Mary, which is undisputedly the best book I've read in a very, very long time. Chock-full of the mind-blowing science in death-defying situations that made Weir a star with The Martian, this tour de force even transcends that work as it becomes a profoundly moving celebration of friendship and sacrifice. I cheered, I laughed (a lot), I cried, and when the twist arrived and the book revealed its true target, my jaw hit the floor. Mark my words: Project Hail Mary is destined to become a classic. Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One
Reading Project Hail Mary is like going on a field trip to outer space with the best science teacher you've ever had—and your class assignment is to save the world. This is one of the most original, compelling, and fun voyages I've ever taken. George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones
Two worlds in peril, a competent (but flawed and human) man, a competent alien, unending scientific puzzles to unravel, with humanity itself at risk, this one has everything fans of old school SF (like me) love. If you like a lot of science in your science fiction, Andy Weir is the writer for you.
In Andy Weir's science fiction novel, Project Hail Mary, the main character periodically dons a spacesuit to perform maintenance outside his spacecraft or to keep himself safe when conditions inside it become life-threatening.
Spacesuits are critical to humanity's ability to explore the cosmos. The astronaut must be protected from (and be able to operate in) the vacuum of space as well as its temperature extremes; for example, temperatures on the outside of the International Space Station can vary from 121°C (250°F) on the side facing the sun to -157°C (-250°F) on the dark side. Spacewalks, known as extravehicular activities or EVAs, may last for many hours, so the suits must provide enough air, water and food for the...
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