One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Erid-kind
The book is set in the future, and follows the story of a group of astronauts who are sent to Mars to explore an abandoned planet. While on their trip, they come across a strange object that seems to be some sort of time machine. As they start to explore the object, they realize that it is not just any time machine, but one that has been modified in some way. The astronauts are then forced to make a difficult decision: should they return back home and tell everyone what they found on Mars, or should they keep exploring and see if there is any way to fix the machine? While Project Hail Mary has some issues that can be hard to look past (such as the lack of character development), it is still a compelling read with plenty of potential for sequels. If you’re looking for an exciting sci-fi read that will keep you turning the pages until the last page is revealed, then Project Hail Mary is definitely worth your time.
Following up from that was always going to be difficult and Artemis released to mixed reviews. Project Hail Mary then is the third title in Weir’s sci-fi repertoire, returning to the roots of what made The Martian so compelling. This time around, Weir is focusing on telling a more personal story about a team of astronauts who are sent to Mars in an attempt to save humanity from its own self-destruction. ..
Hail Mary is a story about a man who has the fate of the planet on his shoulders. Ryland Grace is an astronaut who is stranded on a remote planet and must use all of his skills and training to survive.
Grace must find a way to save the world before it’s too late.
Grace is one of three astronauts aboard the Hail Mary, a rocket ship that is the most sophisticated ever created. When Grace wakes up, he has no memory of who he is or what he’s doing on this ship. With the help of his fellow astronauts, Grace must try to stop a threat that could destroy the world. ..
Grace’s crewmates are gone, her ship seems to be off-course and something stirs in the recesses of deep space. Can Grace work to save the day? Or is Earth doomed to its fate?
The novel’s main focus is the search for a missing girl, Hail Mary, and the various obstacles that stand in her way. The story takes a long time to develop, with many flashbacks and present-day scenes overlapping each other. This makes for an intense read, with the clock ticking on the plot’s development.
Grace is on a ship with the Beatles and there is a mystery surrounding it. What happened to Grace in the past? Why is he aboard this ship? And what on earth is the significance of The Beatles?
The flashbacks in this novel are unfortunately very long and slow the pacing of the story. There is a big twist at the end of the novel, but it doesn’t have as much of an impact as it could have. Had this revelation come earlier in the story, it would have had a much greater impact. Instead, it just sort of fades into the background, allowing the plot to continue moving forward without much thought. ..
The story’s main narrative zips along at a relatively decent pace, with lots of scientific rationale and theories thrown in to explain certain aspects of space travel and astrophage biology. All of this is done with an involving first person perspective. This makes for an interesting read, as the reader gets to learn about these topics in a way that is both informative and entertaining. ..
The author goes on to describe a solution that is both innovative and effective, but it is also a bit convoluted. The writing style is easy to read and makes the complex concepts easier to understand.
Grace’s return to Earth is a triumphant event, and her little quips and observations are both amusing and help to give a sense of urgency toward the plot. However, the real stand-out here is a character we meet midway through the story called Rocky. Rocky is by far the best part of this story.
The ambiguous ending of this novel is one of the best features. The final chapter wraps everything up in a satisfying manner, with the final couple of lines for the novel bringing everything around full circle and delivering a satisfying narrative journey for our protagonist.
The book feels too long, with some flashbacks outlasting their welcome and revealing very little once the mystery is shattered around who Grace is and where he is. There are a couple of “last gasp” dramatic spikes too that don’t work and the overall narrative takes a little too long to get to the point.
Despite those gripes, Hail Mary is a really enjoyable thriller that manages to grab the same aura that made The Martian so good. It’s certainly not perfect but the satisfying ending, intriguing premise and a stand-out character in Rocky makes this an easy one to recommend. ..
