Like many of you, I absolutely fell in love with The Martian when I read it a few years ago. I think I read it the year before I joined CBR, so I don’t have a review of it. I also quite enjoyed Artemis, though I feel that a lot of people were split over that one.
In a sense, I think Project Hail Mary is a bit of return to form for Weir: it has more in common with The Martian, I think, than Artemis.
Ryland Grace wakes up from a coma aboard a spaceship. He’s the only surviving member of the crew, and has no memories of who he is, why he’s on the ship, or what his mission is. As he starts to figure things out, though, his memories begin coming back – and what he uncovers is fairly alarming.
So much of this book is a brilliant man locked in a confined space trying to science his way to safety. In that way, it’s very much like The Martian. He’s a very similar character in many ways, too. I thought that was fascinating in The Martian. On book three….it’s starting to feel a but like a crutch. It’s a good crutch, and it’s still enjoyable – but it’s not going to be for everyone.
But it’s also quite a bit more than that. Ryland is better developed, I think, and the story is more complex. Which isn’t meant to knock The Martian. But there is more meat on the bone this time.
It’s kind of hard to talk too much about this book without giving things away. I don’t want to spoil this book for anyone.
I will say, my wife (who isn’t super into sciency things) loved both The Martian and Artemis. She hasn’t read this yet, but I told her that I didn’t think she’d enjoyed it quite as much as Artemis. I think the science bits are a little bit more front-and center than his other books, and that may be somewhat overwhelming.
Anyway, I’m also really, really tired, and am struggling to pull my brain together in a coherent way. I think this is about all I can muster at the moment.