Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

And we're back. I loved the Martian and I was pretty okay with Artemis, but Project Hail Mary is a slam dunk. Weir kills it here.

This is a callback to all the best science porn we love in SF. Clear descriptions, great discoveries, and plenty of normal disorientation to go along with the numerous setbacks surrounding these crazy-cool characters.

I suppose I like the snark best of all, but the science, from an extinction-level event, massive resources being thrown at the problem, and then the outright adventure of traveling far away on a suicide mission to save the whole human race, just does it for me.

The stakes are damn cool, but the steady path of examination and discovery and getting to make a new friend (no spoilers) is about the best thing that I could have hoped for. Optimism is a dying breed in SF these days, and I'm very happy to have one again.

Of course, it's all in the name. And it's a bazillion to one chance.

The novel is pretty much perfect. Fun, smart, and heartwarming. Totally recommended.



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