Move over Bill Nye, there’s a new science guy in town. I’m not a science fiction lover—not by any stretch of the intergalactic imagination—but Andy Weir has gone completely interstellar with his latest: Project Hail Mary. I know we mete out stars to let you know just how shiny and memorable a read is, but maybe we should rank books by how very much we miss the friends we made in them.
I hate to admit that I finished this supernova novel two months ago (and I’m just now blogging about it), but man I miss Ryland Grace, a disillusioned molecular biologist masquerading as a sorta hip Jr. High school teacher. And space alien/engineer Rocky—I’ve missed him a bunch too. One reviewer said this about my buddy Rocky: “As far as I’m concerned, Weir’s alien, Rocky, from the hot, gassy planet Erid, is a stroke of genius and it sets the narrative and this novel apart. Nothing about this alien is, well, properly alien-like, the way popular culture has established….I really liked Rocky and my heart pumped chocolate for him.”
Novels about the end of the world can feel like garden-variety stories. Yes, Weir’s premise revolves around saving the solar system. Yes, time is of the essence because a microorganism called Astrophage is essentially eating the sun. And yes, billions of people’s lives hang in the balance with an impending Ice Age chilling faint hearts. That’s semi-standard fare for Sci-Fi, no? So what makes Project Hail Mary so remarkable? For starters, Weir wrote, “For John, Paul, George and Ringo” on the dedication page. (You’ll see why—perfect for across the Universe stuff.) Turns out, the former computer programmer turned novelist can create anticipation. His story starts with this hook: “What’s two plus two?” Grace follows with, “Something about this question irritates me. I’m tired. I drift back to sleep. A few minutes pass, then I hear it again. What’s two plus two?” I’m interested, are you? You’ll be riveted throughout, especially if you’re listening to PHM—I don’t know who Ray Porter is, but he cut a whole lotta mustard in his audible performance. In fact, he earned The Top Listen of 2021. Porter definitely added to the metagalactic magic. And then there’s my friends, my relatable, I-get-by-with-a-little-help-from-my friends. I miss you boys. So much so, that I’ll be sure to tune in again. Soon.