My Rating:
***Spoiler Warning***
Maybe it’s just the childish optimist in me, but humanity can be pretty impressive when we put our minds to it.
Andy Weir, author of The Martian, delivers a spectacle of a science fiction novel in Project Hail Mary.
Pulse-pounding and page-turning, the latest from Weir follows a junior high science teacher turned recalcitrant space explorer on a mission to save Earth and humanity from a life extinguishing event.
Ryland Grace was once a promising molecular biologist. His papers on life forms without the need for water were considered a joke by the science community. Giving up on the life of a career scientist, he became a junior high science teacher, and it appears as if he has found a true calling there.
Stupid humanity. Getting in the way of my hobbies.
However, his theories prove practical for the sudden concerns facing humanity. A multinational team needs him to take a look at the microorganisms causing the sun to dim. Every nation gives their best to create a ship that would carry a selection of scientists and astronauts to a solar system and a planet that has survived the microorganisms assault.
Ryland wakes up from an induced coma with two dead crewmates, a foggy memory, and the fate of humanity on his shoulders. Coming into orbit near Tau-Ceti, Ryland finds his memories and a surprise of a lifetime. Another ship makes contact, and Ryland discovers he is not the only species looking to save themselves.
Human suffering is often an abstract concept to kids. But animal suffering is something else entirely.
Although plenty of complex scientific speculation moves the storyline, expertly paced tension and jaw-dropping plot twists liven up the formulaic fractions and science jargon. The heart of this magnificent sci-fi novel lies with the miraculous friendship of Ryland and his alien companion, whom he nicknames Rocky.
A story of friendship, connection, and true sacrifice, Project Hail Mary is the kind of book that will make readers want to digest it in one sitting. Stunning and heartfelt, Weir’s latest is a well-balanced masterpiece.
Many thanks to Andy Weir, Random House, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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