Project Hail Mary
The last book I had read was The Martian, by Andy Weir, and while I liked the movie very much, I loved the book even more. Andy Weir is not afraid to get nerdy and lay out some serious math and I’m here for it. While I started thinking about reading a book by another favorite author, Scott Turow, some of my friends urged me to read another Weir book, Project Hail Mary, and I am so glad I did. I was warned to avoid the spoilers in the movie trailer that is out now, and I’m relieved that I did so. Because Project Hail Mary unfolds like a flower. It begins with the Amnesiac Hero trope, but it serves the book well as the protagonist’s (no, I’m not even going to tell you his name) story is told in parallel, with a series of flashbacks filling in the gaps as his memory returns…slowly.
I honestly can’t tell you too much about this book without spoiling it. But I will say this: If you liked The Martian, you will love Project Hail Mary. I love the problem solving, the humanity of the protagonist, flawed though he may be, and a satisfying conclusion that didn’t feel rushed, a trait that is more and more common these days. Oh, and the audiobook reader, Ray Porter? He kills it. Great job.
