Action & Adventure
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Project Hail Mary: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this "propulsive" (Entertainment Weekly), cinematic thriller full of suspense, humor, and fascinating science-in development as a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND KIRKUS REVIEWS • "An epic story of redemption, discovery and cool speculative sci-fi."-USA Today
"If you loved The Martian, you'll go crazy for Weir's latest."-The Washington Post
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.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND KIRKUS REVIEWS • "An epic story of redemption, discovery and cool speculative sci-fi."-USA Today
"If you loved The Martian, you'll go crazy for Weir's latest."-The Washington Post
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.
Editorial Reviews
"A propulsive adventure."-Entertainment Weekly
"Weir spins a space yarn in a way only he can. Fans of his earlier works won't be disappointed."-Newsweek
"Andy Weir proves once again that he is a singular talent. Project Hail Mary is so fascinating and propulsive that it's downright addictive. From the first page as Ryland wakes up not knowing who or where he is, I was hooked."-Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six
"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."-Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One
"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."-George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones
"I loved The Martian, but I actually find Project Hail Mary to be Mr. Weir's finest work to date. It's somehow both exciting, yet also personal. I'm constantly amazed by how well Mr. Weir continues to write wonderfully accessible science fiction without compromising either the science or the fiction."-Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Stormlight Archive series
"Brilliantly funny and enjoyable . . . one of the most plausible science fiction books I've ever read."-Tim Peake, ESA astronaut and internationally bestselling author of Limitless
"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 . . . 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."-Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of
Recursion and Dark Matter
"A joy to read . . . with Project Hail Mary, Weir is leaning hard into all that made The Martian kick."-Locus
"Readers may find themselves consuming this emotionally intense and thematically profound novel in one stay-up-all-night-until-yo...
"Weir spins a space yarn in a way only he can. Fans of his earlier works won't be disappointed."-Newsweek
"Andy Weir proves once again that he is a singular talent. Project Hail Mary is so fascinating and propulsive that it's downright addictive. From the first page as Ryland wakes up not knowing who or where he is, I was hooked."-Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six
"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."-Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One
"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."-George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones
"I loved The Martian, but I actually find Project Hail Mary to be Mr. Weir's finest work to date. It's somehow both exciting, yet also personal. I'm constantly amazed by how well Mr. Weir continues to write wonderfully accessible science fiction without compromising either the science or the fiction."-Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Stormlight Archive series
"Brilliantly funny and enjoyable . . . one of the most plausible science fiction books I've ever read."-Tim Peake, ESA astronaut and internationally bestselling author of Limitless
"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 . . . 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."-Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of
Recursion and Dark Matter
"A joy to read . . . with Project Hail Mary, Weir is leaning hard into all that made The Martian kick."-Locus
"Readers may find themselves consuming this emotionally intense and thematically profound novel in one stay-up-all-night-until-yo...
Readers Top Reviews
StuartKaren Campbell
I received the new book today with the intention of rationing the pages so I didn't binge it in one session. So I binged it in one session. Andy has a knack for totally engrossing hard science based stories that make you keep on turning pages to find out how the protagonists get out of the last big mess he got them into. And Mr Weir doesn't disappoint! There's at least one plot point that he admits is a stretch... but going through the story is educational as much as it is exciting. If I ever get called upon to heroically save the world from an invasive interstellar infection I'm sure I could deliver... Now I need the film to get made so I can enjoy the whole thing afresh.
DisapointedReader
A previous reviewer said: '"The Martian" was a great story. "Artemis" was a great story. This one is better than either of those '. WRONG! This one is MUCH better than either of those! Instant classic. If you mixed Asimov's "The Gods Themselves" and Heinlein's "Citizen Of The Galaxy" and added in a few gallons of Clarke and Niven it would be like this. I'd write more, but I'm off to re-read the novel.
Majst0r
A spiritual sequel to The Martian that had me grinning throughout the entire book. Made my inner nerd squeal with delight on many occasions. Has everything I ever wanted in a sci-fi book, just didn't realize it until now. Read it. That is all.
Mr. Doug
This book is simply outstanding. There you go. A 5 word review...but I’m not wrong.
Nathan Ownbeyscience
I'm half way through the book and I'm super annoyed with two aspects of the author's approach. First, he gets preachy about global warming, which is not a thing one does when one wants to engage an audience..."And just like that another climate denier is born." Can he be more condescending and dismissive? To be frank, I believe in climate change. I believe the climate changes every three months (roughly); they're called seasons. What I don't believe in is soft science and doomsday predictions based on data that's easily manipulated by activists to say anything they want. The second problem I have with the book so far is that it reads too much like the The Martian, but without the emotion. There's no reason to like or dislike the characters beyond the superficial aspects of their personalities. Everyone is two-dimensional. The main protagonist spends his days dodging his emotions, and every supporting character on Earth is a stereotype--without enough personality for me to care about any of them. Maybe things will get better as I continue to read, but only if the author puts away his soapbox and get's back to story-telling.
Short Excerpt Teaser
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't I open my eyes?
Open.
Aaaand . . . open!
Open, dang it!
Ooh! I felt a wiggle that time. My eyelids moved. I felt it.
Open!
My eyelids creep up and blinding light sears my retinas.
"Glunn!" I say. I keep my eyes open with sheer force of will. Everything is white with shades of pain.
"Eye movement detected," my tormenter says. "What's two plus two?"
The whiteness lessens. My eyes are adjusting. I start to see shapes, but nothing sensible yet. Let's see . . . can I move my hands? No.
Feet? Also no.
But I can move my mouth, right? I've been saying stuff. Not stuff that makes sense, but it's something.
"Fffr."
"Incorrect. What's two plus two?"
The shapes start to make sense. I'm in a bed. It's kind of . . . oval-shaped.
LED lights shine down on me. Cameras in the ceiling watch my every move. Creepy though that is, I'm much more concerned about the robot arms.
The two brushed-steel armatures hang from the ceiling. Each has an assortment of disturbingly penetration-looking tools where hands should be. Can't say I like the look of that.
"Ffff . . . oooh . . . rrrr," I say. Will that do?
"Incorrect. What's two plus two?"
Dang it. I summon all my willpower and inner strength. Also, I'm starting to panic a little. Good. I use that too.
"Fffoouurr," I finally say.
"Correct."
Thank God. I can talk. Sort of.
I breathe a sigh of relief. Wait-I just controlled my breathing. I take another breath. On purpose. My mouth is sore. My throat is sore. But it's my soreness. I have control.
I'm wearing a breathing mask. It's tight to my face and connected to a hose that goes behind my head.
Can I get up?
No. But I can move my head a little. I look down at my body. I'm naked and connected to more tubes than I can count. There's one in each arm, one in each leg, one in my "gentlemen's equipment," and two that disappear under my thigh. I'm guessing one of them is up where the sun doesn't shine.
That can't be good.
Also, I'm covered with electrodes. The sensor-type stickers like for an EKG, but they're all over the place. Well, at least they're only on my skin instead of jammed into me.
"Wh-" I wheeze. I try again. "Where . . . am . . . I?"
"What's the cube root of eight?" the computer asks.
"Where am I?" I say again. This time it's easier.
"Incorrect. What's the cube root of eight?"
I take a deep breath and speak slowly. "Two times e to the two-i-pi over three."
"Incorrect. What's the cube root of eight?"
But I wasn't incorrect. I just wanted to see how smart the computer was. Answer: not very.
"Two," I say.
"Correct."
I listen for follow-up questions, but the computer seems satisfied.
I'm tired. I drift off to sleep again.
I wake up. How long was I out? It must have been a while because I feel rested. I open my eyes without any effort. That's progress.
I try to move my fingers. They wiggle as instructed. All right. Now we're getting somewhere.
"Hand movement detected," says the computer. "Remain still."
"What? Why-"
The robot arms come for me. They move fast. Before I know it, they've removed most of the tubes from my body. I didn't feel a thing. Though my skin is kind of numb anyway.
Only three tubes remain: an IV in my arm, a tube up my butt, and a catheter. Those latter two are kind of the signature items I wanted removed, but okay.
I raise my right arm and let it fall back to...
"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't I open my eyes?
Open.
Aaaand . . . open!
Open, dang it!
Ooh! I felt a wiggle that time. My eyelids moved. I felt it.
Open!
My eyelids creep up and blinding light sears my retinas.
"Glunn!" I say. I keep my eyes open with sheer force of will. Everything is white with shades of pain.
"Eye movement detected," my tormenter says. "What's two plus two?"
The whiteness lessens. My eyes are adjusting. I start to see shapes, but nothing sensible yet. Let's see . . . can I move my hands? No.
Feet? Also no.
But I can move my mouth, right? I've been saying stuff. Not stuff that makes sense, but it's something.
"Fffr."
"Incorrect. What's two plus two?"
The shapes start to make sense. I'm in a bed. It's kind of . . . oval-shaped.
LED lights shine down on me. Cameras in the ceiling watch my every move. Creepy though that is, I'm much more concerned about the robot arms.
The two brushed-steel armatures hang from the ceiling. Each has an assortment of disturbingly penetration-looking tools where hands should be. Can't say I like the look of that.
"Ffff . . . oooh . . . rrrr," I say. Will that do?
"Incorrect. What's two plus two?"
Dang it. I summon all my willpower and inner strength. Also, I'm starting to panic a little. Good. I use that too.
"Fffoouurr," I finally say.
"Correct."
Thank God. I can talk. Sort of.
I breathe a sigh of relief. Wait-I just controlled my breathing. I take another breath. On purpose. My mouth is sore. My throat is sore. But it's my soreness. I have control.
I'm wearing a breathing mask. It's tight to my face and connected to a hose that goes behind my head.
Can I get up?
No. But I can move my head a little. I look down at my body. I'm naked and connected to more tubes than I can count. There's one in each arm, one in each leg, one in my "gentlemen's equipment," and two that disappear under my thigh. I'm guessing one of them is up where the sun doesn't shine.
That can't be good.
Also, I'm covered with electrodes. The sensor-type stickers like for an EKG, but they're all over the place. Well, at least they're only on my skin instead of jammed into me.
"Wh-" I wheeze. I try again. "Where . . . am . . . I?"
"What's the cube root of eight?" the computer asks.
"Where am I?" I say again. This time it's easier.
"Incorrect. What's the cube root of eight?"
I take a deep breath and speak slowly. "Two times e to the two-i-pi over three."
"Incorrect. What's the cube root of eight?"
But I wasn't incorrect. I just wanted to see how smart the computer was. Answer: not very.
"Two," I say.
"Correct."
I listen for follow-up questions, but the computer seems satisfied.
I'm tired. I drift off to sleep again.
I wake up. How long was I out? It must have been a while because I feel rested. I open my eyes without any effort. That's progress.
I try to move my fingers. They wiggle as instructed. All right. Now we're getting somewhere.
"Hand movement detected," says the computer. "Remain still."
"What? Why-"
The robot arms come for me. They move fast. Before I know it, they've removed most of the tubes from my body. I didn't feel a thing. Though my skin is kind of numb anyway.
Only three tubes remain: an IV in my arm, a tube up my butt, and a catheter. Those latter two are kind of the signature items I wanted removed, but okay.
I raise my right arm and let it fall back to...
