This book was recommended by three friends. The first read it as part of a book club at their work. The second is the partner of the first. The third is a friend of the first and second. Like so many I’ve read this year, this is a sci-fi book and not typically in my tsundoku, but after that triad of recommendations, I decided to give a try during my staycation.
Similar to a previous read (Seveneves), the story begins with an impending apocalypse caused by some extraterrestrial event. People and governments band together to launch the titular hail Mary mission to rescue planet earth from devastation. People are sent into space to find a solution. Much science ensues.
I enjoyed this story and found it gripping and thrilling, and despite it being science fiction, the plot and resolution were believable. The relationships that develop in space are engaging, with real tension and pathos.
However, I found that the backstory parts – where all people and governments band together quickly and effectively – more implausible than the sci fi. Unlike in Seveneves, where the precipitating event is cataclysmic, visible, and undeniable, the event here is much more subtle, requiring a level of scientific understanding and commitment to a very long game of cooperation that is not credible. Indeed, if people cannot agree on and commit to addressing climate change – something that has far more compelling evidence – the premise of Project Hail Mary would be unlikely to foster the collaborations required for it to succeed. The Earth-bound characters are somewhat one-dimensional and caricatures, leading to little understanding of or sympathy for them.
The main characters are terrific, and their adventures and interactions are fun and engaging. I especially liked that the astronaut was not truly an astronaut, but a science teacher with a strong science background that enables him to be both a generalist and an adherent to the scientific method for problem solving.
Regardless, the book was engaging and entertaining, and I’m sure the science bits about physics (both astro- and atomic) and all the math calculations presented are correct. The story did feel a bit light and mainstream in places, with more emphasis on the fiction than the science. Not a bad thing, and not my usual thing, but ultimately an enjoyable read.
Fate: little book library
9 – being made into a film
14 – name in title
25 – new author to me
rclr 