Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir · Sci-fi · Standalone

This post smells like: Hot metal and burnt rubber on a launch pad

What it is

A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory and the job of saving Earth. It is a nerdy, funny survival story, and then it becomes a buddy story I was not ready for.

What I loved

• Science explained so clearly I felt smart for a whole week.
• The friendship at its heart made me cry into my tea.
• Funny without trying too hard. Very 'The Martian' energy.

What bugged me

• The flashbacks slow things down at the start.
• Our hero's inner voice is a bit 'dad joke' in places. (I say this as someone who loves a dad joke.)

Verdict: Read it

My favorite kind of sci-fi: big ideas, warm heart, no homework required. Hand it to anyone who says they do not like sci-fi.