Book Review - "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir

 


Surely there is no one who loves scifi who doesn't also love Andy Weir's debut novel, "The Martian". That must make writing any further books a tough proposition, although probably not the worst problem to have as an author.

Like its predecessor, "Project Hail Mary" is a geek-MCed and, very much, geek-targeted adventure story. This time, the action takes place light years from Earth with, again, technology based mostly on what we have now or are likely to develop in the next few decades. It's that realism that makes Weir almost (ahem) unique and a breath of STEM fresh air. The main character is slightly different, although you'd also have a pint with this one, even if he hadn't just come back from a ripping Boy's Own extraplanetary excursion.

Although an astronaut, the new MC is established as not "the right stuff" with some faults shoehorned-in to make him more humanly fallible and add extra tension to the plot. Not that extra peril was really required. This time, not only is our hero's life on the line, so is that of every living creature on the entire planet and, just in case we felt the stakes were a little on the low side, possibly all life in the galaxy. Weir might find it hard to up the risk for his next literary outing. The fate of the multiverse, perhaps? Maybe the classic: all of time and space.

"Project Hail Mary" is not "The Martian". It is, however, a good natured and fun read that is likely to appeal to folk who enjoyed Weir's Mars novel.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir on Amazon UK

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