Project Hail Mary
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE MARTIAN. Now a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with a screenplay by Drew Goddard. Project Hail Mary is now playing exclusively in theaters.
Winner of the 2022 Audie Awards' Audiobook of the Year
Number-One Audible and New York Times Audio Best Seller
More than three million audiobooks sold
A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Martian.
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish.
Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.
All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.
Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian - while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
PLEASE NOTE: To accommodate this audio edition, some changes to the original text have been made with the approval of author Andy Weir.
- Pages
- 497
- First published
- January 1, 2021
- Language
- English
- Edition
- Ebook
More editions
▾
Pick a cover to preview.
Shelved by 32 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished December 11, 2024
Started February 12, 2026 · Finished February 25, 2026 · Read 2 times
I’ve been highly recommending this to everyone for a good sci-fi book!
Finished June 14, 2024
Started May 27, 2024 · Finished June 20, 2024
I like a good scifi book, but this was just slow for me. There were some funny moments and internal monologues, but a lot of the science went over my head. It could be that I maybe wasnt in the mood for this, but right now I feel this would probably be better as a movie. I actually heard they are making a movie based on this, so that should be interesting. I would watch that.
- Slow-paced
Started September 21, 2026 · Finished September 27, 2026
Started May 11, 2026 · Finished May 13, 2026
Started April 22, 2026 · Finished April 25, 2026
Started March 30, 2026 · Finished April 1, 2026
Finished September 21, 2026 · Read 2 times
Started July 26, 2026 · Finished August 25, 2026
Amaze amaze amaze! Admittedly, I saw the movie first so I knew what was going to happen, but I still loved this. The story is told in a way that is both gripping and gut-wrenching at times. I love Grace and Rocky’s relationship so much—their sarcasm is hilarious, and their care for one another runs deep! I loved Grace as a narrator and the way his past and present get pieced together, even if some realizations are more painful than others. I am not usually a sci-fi fan, but this has become one of my favorites in the genre. There are so many things to love about this book and I’d encourage anyone and everyone to give it a try.
- Fast-paced
Started March 28, 2026 · Finished April 2, 2026
Loved it. Loved the atmosphere. Loved the characters. Loved the story. Loved the ending. Loved the journey. Loved the narrator. Absolutely no notes.
Started March 25, 2026 · Finished April 2, 2026
Finished February 16, 2026
Before starting this book, I didn’t even realize it was written by the same author as The Martian. I haven’t actually read The Martian — I’ve only watched the movie adaptation — so this was my first time experiencing Andy Weir’s writing style directly. And now I can definitely see his pattern: science-heavy survival story, one very isolated protagonist, and space as the ultimate psychological pressure chamber. Like The Martian (at least from what I know from the film), this book revolves around isolation. The main character wakes up alone on a spaceship, far from Earth, with no communication and no reassurance that help is coming. Especially in the first 20%, the loneliness felt suffocating. It was psychologically heavy and, at times, frustrating for me as a reader. That deep isolation isn’t easy to sit with. The core idea behind the mission is creative and ambitious. The scenario that leads to these extreme circumstances feels original enough to keep the story engaging. I liked that real science is deeply woven into the narrative. It makes everything feel believable and grounded. However, sometimes it was too detailed. There were moments when I felt like I needed a degree in physics or astrophysics to fully understand what was happening. The scientific depth is impressive, but occasionally overwhelming and it slightly slowed my reading pace. The book truly came alive for me when Rocky appeared. From that moment on, everything felt brighter and more hopeful. The dynamic between them completely changed the tone. It wasn’t just about survival anymore — it was about friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding across species. That emotional shift was easily the strongest part of the book for me. As for the ending, I’m still unsure how I feel. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t fully satisfy me emotionally. I think I would have been happier if at least some form of intergalactic communication had been established in the end — some confirmation, some connection across that vast distance. I was hoping for a slightly stronger sense of closure or catharsis. Overall, a solid and creative sci-fi novel. Psychologically heavy at times and occasionally too technical, but definitely memorable.
Started March 14, 2026 · Finished March 15, 2026
Finished August 7, 2024
