Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary opens with Ryland Grace awakening, not sure who he is, where he is, or what is going on. Before too long, he figures out that he’s on a spaceship, alone, and in a solar system different from ours. The rest of the story unfolds from there, as Grace remembers the reason for the mission and realizes that he is the only person who can prevent a mass extinction event on earth.

A solo scientist trapped in space trying to solve a series of problems using basic scientific principles -- sound familiar? Weir burst onto the scene with my favorite book of 2014, The Martian, and this certainly has some parallel themes. For those wary of a complete repeat of The Martian, fear not. While there are some initial similarities, the story is wholly original, and it takes that similar central concept in completely different directions than The Martian. And here’s the kicker: I think it might even be a smidge better.