Project Hail Mary is an amazing science fiction book by Andy Weir about a scientist on a doomed mission to save humanity. The book is a cornerstone of “hard science fiction,” a subgenre which emphasizes scientific accuracy and realism, and has even received a film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling which released on March 20.

The book opens with Ryland Grace, the protagonist, waking up in a mysterious room and having no recollection of who or where he is. Surrounded by robot arms and medical equipment, he realizes he’s in some sort of ship, and slowly remembers his mission. He was a scientist sent to gather information on astrophage, a mysterious alien organism that seemed to be draining the Sun’s energy, so that he could find a way to stop it and save humanity. Now, he had just woken up from his coma, and with no crew, it was his job to find out how to combat astrophage and send that information back to Earth. As the story progresses, he uses his equipment and scientific know-how to navigate his situation and learn as much as he can about the extraterrestrial nuisance while grappling with fragmented flashbacks as he slowly remembers his life. He even discovers that astrophage may not be the only other alien out there…

One of Project Hail Mary’s defining traits is its implementation of “hard science fiction”. The book is written in Grace’s perspective, allowing the readers to follow along with his technical and scientist-oriented thought process. Whenever presented with an unexpected scenario or problem, his first instinct is to dive into analysis and experimentation. When he wakes up from his coma and doesn’t know where he is, he drops a test tube and calculates the gravitational acceleration, which leads him to discover he’s on a spaceship! When he finds a new material, he uses spectroscopy to analyze the atomic structure. Every challenge he’s faced with, he displays the problem solving of a real scientist, and through his narration he explains every concept he uses to tackle his herculean task. 

The thing the book does so well, however, isn’t just spewing nerd jargon. Its making that nerd jargon fun to read. Grace’s narration is sprinkled heavily with his own light-hearted commentary, maintaining an engaging mood. Explanations of chemistry principles are interrupted with jokes. This way, the incorporation of deep and technical concepts never inhibit the story, but elevate it to be more engaging. With such a high level of realism, I myself couldn’t help but feel as if the story was real. When Grace discovered something new about astrophage, I cheered with him, and when he came across another ship on his journey, I was on the edge of my seat. Additionally, Grace faces abrupt flashbacks throughout the story of his time on Earth, revealing emotional moments between him and his loved ones leading up to the mission, breathing an even deeper layer of life into the character. We don’t just see Grace solve equations. We see him tackle the complexities of working with other professionals to save humanity and bear the responsibility of his loved ones’ survival. 

The story’s structure and pacing does an excellent job of telling the reader enough of the math and science behind this science fiction to care that much more, but not too much that it becomes boring and difficult to understand. Whether you’re a physics geek, a bookworm looking for another great read or just someone with some free time to kill, I would strongly recommend this book.

Its worth noting that on March 20, a movie based on the book released in theatres, protagonist Ryland Grace played by Ryan Gosling. This may raise concerns, as the book’s unique blend of realism and engagement was made possible by Grace’s internal monologue. Constantly following the flow of his thoughts gave readers insight into his thoughts and made him so compelling, drawing them in. While this is definitely hard to recreate on a screen, the movie was able to do this well, both capturing the essence of the book and creating its own identity. While parts of the story felt skimmed over or more condensed, the film didn’t fail to capture the heartwarming moments, inspiring bravery or impressive scientific feats present in the book. I would highly recommend the movie for anyone who’s read the novel, and vice versa!

Project Hail Mary champions what the science fiction genre is all about. A high-stakes story that ties in scientific realism, lighthearted moments and a single scientist’s incredibly moving journey.