Project Hail Mary

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Better than The Martian? 🤔

No book is perfect, so I tried to find something wrong with this one. I wrote down the only criticism I could think of… then thought about it some more and deleted it. 🤷‍♂️

Some readers will probably say Project Hail Mary isn’t as funny as The Martian. That’s true, the humor is there, but it’s not as constant or in-your-face. Personally, I think pulling back on the comedy allowed the story to land with more impact, creating stronger suspense and engagement. A perfect example is the Antarctica scene. I won’t spoil it, but it’s one of my favorite parts of the book and really puts the scope of the story into perspective.

As for the science, there is a lot more of it here than in Andy Weir’s previous work 🧪🧬🔬💉🦠🌡🧫💊, so be ready for that. But more importantly, Weir proves himself to be a master of “micro-problems” and problem-solving; stories within stories. The book is full of arcs, each containing its own set of challenges. Every problem makes sense within the context of the story, is paced well, and never becomes too complicated for the reader to follow. Some solutions even create new problems later, yet nothing is left dangling. Everything ties together into a complete, satisfying story.

Now, the characters. Rocky is absolutely the cutest thing ever. He is the perfect mix of creepy and adorable. That is all I will say to avoid spoilers.

Stratt, on the other hand, is my personal favorite. She’s tough, no-nonsense, and commands every scene she’s in.

“Your Honor,” Stratt interrupted. “Can I make motions now?”
“Technically,” said the justice, “but it’s irregul—”
“I move to dismiss.”
“On what grounds, Ms. Stratt?” said the justice.
“Because I don’t have time for this bullshit,” she said. 

Another great thing about reading Andy Weir is that you actually learn something along the way. 🧠

“In fact, the gravity you experience in orbit is pretty much the same as you’d experience on the ground. The weightlessness that astronauts experience while in orbit comes from constantly falling. But the curvature of the Earth makes the ground go away at the same rate you fall. So you just fall forever.”

(Admit it, you didn’t know that either)