Definitely Andy Weir’s finest works. Granted the story does not deal with heavy philosophical themes like those found in some of Ken Liu or Ted Chiang stories (and I don’t think it ever was meant to), Project Hail Mary is one of the best hard science fiction that I’ve read. Rocky is the most lovable and well-thought out alien character in all of the Sci-Fi that I’ve read. Stratt is an amazing lovable strong female lead. Ryland grace has (like Weir himself) an amazing electric optimism throughout. Great engineering problems solved with very plausible solutions. Truly interstellar meets martian meets arrival happening in Project Hail Mary. Very enjoyable science, super nice characters, gripping and high-stakes. Very well paced (maybe towards the end it’s a little off) and nicely structured. I really devoured the book in one weekend in a way that I hadn’t done for years. That good.
The situation was dire and deadly but it was also the norm. Londoners during the Blitz in World War II went about their day as normal, with the understanding that occassionally buildings get blown up. However desparate the times were, someone still had to deliver milk. And if Mrs. McCreedy’s house got bombed in the night, well, you crossed it off the delivery list.
“I penetrated the outer cell membrance with a nanosyringe”
“You poked it with a stick?”
“No. Well. Yes. But it was a scientific poke with a very scientific stick.”
The robotic arms pass me a burrito. It’s quite delicious - but cold. I put the burrito in the sample furnace to heat it up. I snicker at the thought that if I really wanted a hot burrito, I would turn on the spin drive, get in my EVA suit and hold the burrito at the million kilowatt flashlight that is my spaceship.
The knot in the tape comes loose, recoils wildly and smacks Rocky’s hand. He shakes the affected hand in pain for a moment, then continues messing with the tape measure. “Yeah. You’re definitely a scientist.”
Ryalnd and Rocky settling on a communication system was one of the best first contact descriptions that I’ve read.
Never in history had so much raw authority and power been invested into so few people. These two people - just these two - were going to literally change the face of the planet.