Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir — earth in peril
Project Hail Mary takes a common science fiction plot device and spins it into an adventure story that’s sometimes bonkers and sometimes endearing.
The idea is that Earth is under threat from an alien life form that can move through space like a virus, slowly smothering each star it encounters. “Astrophage” has been detected near Earth’s Sun where it is absorbing its energy, causing it (and subsequently, the Earth) to cool rapidly.
Unless this growth is halted, 50% of life on Earth will be extinct within 19 years.
A World United
Governments from around the world throw everything at this problem. Under the umbrella of a United Nations task force they pool resources, deploy their best scientific minds and share hitherto closely guarded secret experiments. Even Russia and China open up their labs and reveal details of space programmes.
Project Hail Mary is the result: a manned space mission to a star called Tau Ceti which seems to be the source of Astrophage, Three astronauts are selected for the mission to work out how to kill off the virus and send the data back to Earth. It could take up to 26 years and all everyone can hope is that Earth doesn’t enter a new ice age in the meantime. The crew however won’t be around to find out if their work has the desired result for this is a suicide mission.
When the book opens, one of the crew members Ryland Grace wakes from a medically induced coma on board the Hail Mary space ship. His two crew members never survived the 13-year journey. So it’s down to Grace to save Planet Earth.
The story follows two storylines, each told chronologically. One takes place on board the spacecraft ; the other is told in flashbacks detailing how Ryland Grace — a molecular biologist turned school teacher — ends up as an astronaut en route to a different star system.
Now Comes The Science Stuff
It will come as no surprise that saving Earth involves science, a lot of it in fact. We’re treated to material science, physics, astronomy, relativity, the space-time continuum, human and non human physiology. Oh and a lot of maths.
How much of it is accurate or feasible I have no idea — it was way over my head. But there seem to be an awful lot of people who do understand this stuff and super enthusiastic about testing Grace’s calculations. Take a look at this post on the science meets fiction blog for an example of some serious discussion on the viability of Weir’s science.
I just had to accept that Grace is not talking out of his rear end when he says:
Light is a funny thing. Its wavelength defines what it can and can’t interact with. Anything smaller than the wavelength is functionally nonexistent to that photon. That’s why there’s a mesh over the window of a microwave. The holes in the mesh are too small for microwaves to pass through. But visible light, with a much shorter wavelength, can go through freely. So you get to watch your food cook without melting your face off.
or
… nothing affects gravity. You can’t increase or decrease it. Earth’s gravity is 9.8 meters per second per second. Period.
it turns out that my inability to understand even a tiny part of what Grace theorises or explores, didn’t matter at all. Project Hail Mary is in essence an adventure story that takes a lot of inspiration from that genre.
So we get the usual adventure tropes of an unusual location; a heroic figure whose cleverness and quick thinking saves him from risky situations and of course oodles of action and danger.
It’s all good fun. But then a quarter of the way into the story Weir introduces a twist that turns his novel from pure adventure into a more thoughtful narrative about the power of friendship and one man’s journey to discover himself.
Who’s There?
I’m not going to describe that twist. It would ruin the surprise for anyone who hasn’t yet read this book. I’ll just give one hint — Ryland Grace is not alone nor is he the only one searching for a solution to the Astrophage problem.
That part of the story does get implausible and a bit bonkers. Rather like in Frankenstein where we’re expected to believe the monster could learn to speak by listening to conversations through a hole in a wall. And that’s as close as I can get to hinting at Weir’s surprise plot development without spoiling it for other readers.
Don’t read this expecting high literary values. The narrative treatment reminded me at times of the adventure comics from my childhood. Ryland Grace is very prone to exclamatory reactions and holding his head in his hands in despair when experiments fail. He also does a lot of fist bumping in glee. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find KAPOW and HOWZAT featured in the margins of my edition.
But if you’re in the mood for a fun diversion from all the gloomy news about this planet, then an adventure tale in another universe could be the perfect antidote.
You just reminded me that my copy of The Martian has been sitting on the shelf for I don’t know how many years :). I don’t read many science fiction (excepting Jules Verne’s and HG Wells’), but this one, I’ve watched the movie, which I liked, and so I bought the book. Maybe I should give it a try anyway. Then I’ll see, if I like it, maybe I’ll be tempted to read Project Hail Mary also.
I had seen The Martian around in book form but was put off because the film was so hyped. I might change my mind now
I’ve enjoyed The Martian, but I seem to have heard that his books are quite similar, so not sure I am going to pick this one up. Agree, he writes great adventure stories, though. The two quotes you’ve included seem to be scientifically correct, but that doesn’t apply to everything in the books.
I don’t know what Weir’s background is but he must have a fair understanding of science in order to write this. Maybe not 100% accurate but good enough for your non expert reader like me
Yes, it does look as if you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone with this one. I haven’t read it, but I’m glad you enjoyed it. Over the last 10-12 years I’ve read more science fiction than I did in my whole previous life (50 years, more or less). I’m not sure whether this has to do with my aging, the emerging state of the world and the human race, or just a desire to try something different, but I find it an intriguing trend.
It was good to delve into something completely new for me. Now that I’ve dipped my toe in the the SF waters I’m more inclined to give it another go. Anything you would recommend Mary?
I enjoyed The Martian, and your review has encouraged me to try this new one.
I’m going to have to look out for The Martian in the library – a number of people have told me how much they enjoyed it
I keep meaning to read Weir, but haven’t got round to it. This one sounds quite good.
It has some interesting elements that I couldn’t mention because it would completely ruin the book.
I read Weir’s The Martian. Interesting that he goes for the solitary hero again. Good on you for making your way through a mainstream boys-own SF adventure. That is definitely going above and beyond.
Boys own adventure – Bill that’s exactly what this book is.
Yes, that twist is awesome! And seeing the end, I feel like a sequel is needed!
Apparently there is a film version underway. I can’t imagine how they are going to handle that “twist” plot element
I did not know what that this book was a science fiction piece; I will not try it. People around me make fun of me enough and I am to feign ignorance or cough it up and accept that what they are doing I deserve; what do I mean; that Artemis space shuttle is on its way to the moon and folks around me in the grocery stores and at Walmart followed me around driving their small cart that one can ride in the store as if they are on a mission on the moon driving those vehicles out in space, yet space is gravity-less so I am unsure if they drive around and what I am explaining has nothing to do with this sci-fi book. I am sorry, it is just that the world is mean to me and I simply cannot cope with what is done around me; none sees these things or they simply go on as if nothing is happening since I am so annoying. Thank you if reading.
I’m sorry you are on the receiving end of people’s thoughtless comments
Great review!! I’ll definitely check this out…
I’ve seen his books around so much in the last few years that I was tempted to find out what all the fuss was about. I’m told by some readers that his earlier book The Martian was even better
Doesn’t sound at all like your usual thing, but just goes to show we *can* successfully step outside our normal comfort zones! ;D
So true Karen. SF is unlikely ever to be a favourite but I’d be happy to read some more since it was an interesting experience.
I enjoy some science fiction even though it is not my primary reading, and I would like to read this. Your review is very helpful and encourages me. I don’t usually worry too much about understanding the science, after all in this type of reading it is the fiction I am after. Great review, and I will take a look at the Science Meets Fiction blog.
That was the conclusion I came too also Tracy – that it was best just to read it for the story line and try not to get hung up on the science
When our planet keeps heating up at this speed, we could use some small dose of astrophages. That would of course be tackling the problem from the reverse side instead of getting our stuff in line again.
Once astrophage starts breeding it’s hard to stop though so I’m not sure we could even get a small dose!
The initial premise reminded me of Fred Hoyle’s The Black Cloud from the late 50s but of course Weir takes it all in a Weir’d direction. I’m always happy to read bonkers speculative fiction, though, and am currently reading Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers, the doyens of Soviet era Russian SF.
I think Karen at Kaggsy’sbookishramblings is a fan of Russian SF. My knowledge of the whole SF world is so miniscule I wouldn’t be able to tell how that differs from say American SF authors
I loved the poignant themes of friendship and sacrifice! Weir is an amazing story teller and this was especially amazing on audio! It feels like the narrator is sitting right there in your living room as a friend recounting this incredible adventure! The other thing about it is that my husband and I listened together and we both enjoyed it equally! I love to recommend the audio format for couples.
I got a sample of the audio version and it did work very well. I kept thinking I was listening to Tom Hanks doing the narration – he would make a perfect Ryland Grace
Yes I thought of Tom Hanks as well! But I mostly enjoyed the musical cords of Rocky’s language! It seemed more feasible!
I love this book, and as a person who reads a lot of SF, I didn’t find the ways Grace found to do linguistic analysis and figure out how to put together language at all implausible.
Thanks Jeanne. Good to hear from someone more experienced in the SF realm than I am.