I was so fully convinced that her absurd powers of political maneuvering were going to cross the line that I was mostly surprised when she was driven to do the right thing and even seemed open to trial once all was said and done. I am going to include two more characters that will include some spoilers so skip this next paragraph if you want to avoid that.įirst I want to acknowledge Stratt. Either way, it worked for me and I imagine it will for many, many others. These gave the character much more depth, though I would have liked a bit more time to explore them earlier. By the end of the book, there are some reveals through the flashbacks that paint a better picture of the years leading up to the mission’s launch. Not my favorite, but I was able to overlook it eventually. Only in this case he doesn’t swear, substituting foul language with silly PG-rated terms. He’s likeable, charming and you just want to see him succeed and have a beer with him after.

Ryland Grace is, in many ways, a Mark Watney clone at the beginning. But once I set my own expectations aside, I really bought into the science and concept of what Weir was exploring and had a blast doing it. For a little while, I even felt that way. In the end, I think the traditional fans will be happier and I count myself among them.īecause of that marketing tactic, anyone going in expecting to see the same survival concept as The Martian is going to be burned about a quarter of the way through when the real story hits. As such I see two types of readers enthusiastic about this release: the people who loved The Martian and want to see that same magic and the more traditional sci-fi/fantasy fans who want to see Weir flex his muscles a bit. Return to the roots of what made the story successful. After Artemis which I passed on after reading largely “meh” reviews, I understand the appeal.

The cover flap seems to market a spiritual successor to The Martian which was a massive success - rightfully so - by describing this astronaut with amnesia and no one to talk to on a mission he can’t remember. More seriously, I see this book receiving a strange blend of responses. Project Hail Mary is Andy Weir’s latest work and more than anything it confirms something I’ve always known to be true: I want to be best friends with Andy Weir.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir