Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Jul. 23rd, 2021 09:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaI loved it.
Weir continues to be a very engaging writer and this book especially was hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading.
+ A lot of books that have multiple separate storylines can often leave me more invested in one or the other but with this book I found both the current situation and the flashbacks really interesting.
+ I liked Ryland Grace. I liked what I saw of him in the flashbacks. I liked that he forced himself back into researching Astrophage, I liked his competence and I loved his love and enthusiasm for science. I admit I also lost some respect for him when he not only refused to join the mission but that he cried and fought it so hard. I can't think of another book I've ever read where the POV character was such a coward in such a serious situation. It was so unexpected! However, I ended up loving it for how it then gave such weight to his decision to return to save Rocky and Erid knowing he'd die for it. I loved how him awakening with amnesia changed him.
+ I liked that Ryland messed up a lot and made mistakes and I thought that last crucial one with the Taumoeba and xenonite was an understandable one. But sometimes he did things that were just dumb - like when he first hit zero-g but hadn't had the foresight to put away all the instruments he'd pulled out or strap himself in. Regardless of whether he's trained for space or not that's just common sense.
+ I loved how Ryland ended the book - on Erid but back to teaching children science. Great end.
+ I loved Rocky. He was a delight and his species was very neat.
+ I loved Ryland and Rocky. I love how close they became and how well they got along. I loved that their bond and love for each other went both ways. I loved that they both risked their lives to save the other.
+ I loved Ryland becoming Stratt's second in command without even realising it.
+ I loved Stratt. She was awesome. I loved how uncompromising she was in her determination to save humanity and the way she bulldozed everyone in her way to ensure it. I loved her choice to force Ryland to go on the mission.
+ Stratt having Ryland as a tertiary science expert makes complete sense. Honestly when DuBois was the one to reveal to Ryland that he had the coma gene instead of Stratt I immediately assumed that he was actually her first choice for the science spot and was waiting to surprise him with it closer to the launch date. But since that didn't happen I don't actually believe that she kept by herself just because he was her tertiary choice. First choice sure, tertiary not so much. He was a fall back but was a fall back she kept beside her because he made a damn good second in command.
+ I wish we'd gotten a little more depth on Ryland and Stratt's relationship.
+ The whole plot with the Astrophage and Ryland being sent to Tau Ceti to discover how to stop them and meeting Rocky and how they worked together to figure it out was all very interesting.
+ I like the idea that Ryland and Rocky end up heading out to explore some of those other systems to see if they could discover new life. Honestly when they were first theorising about how life had spread and why they specifically met I found myself really wanting the two of them, after figuring out the solution, to decided to check out the various other systems affected by Astrophage and see if they had other sentient species that weren't quite as advanced as humans or Eridians and save them.
+ I am a little disappointed that Ryland didn't discover a non-water based alien lifeform. I was expecting it.
+ It annoyed me that Ryland decided to go with 'he' for Rocky because 'it' didn't feel appropriate ... and apparently 'she' is not an option? For some reason?
Weir continues to be a very engaging writer and this book especially was hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading.
+ A lot of books that have multiple separate storylines can often leave me more invested in one or the other but with this book I found both the current situation and the flashbacks really interesting.
+ I liked Ryland Grace. I liked what I saw of him in the flashbacks. I liked that he forced himself back into researching Astrophage, I liked his competence and I loved his love and enthusiasm for science. I admit I also lost some respect for him when he not only refused to join the mission but that he cried and fought it so hard. I can't think of another book I've ever read where the POV character was such a coward in such a serious situation. It was so unexpected! However, I ended up loving it for how it then gave such weight to his decision to return to save Rocky and Erid knowing he'd die for it. I loved how him awakening with amnesia changed him.
+ I liked that Ryland messed up a lot and made mistakes and I thought that last crucial one with the Taumoeba and xenonite was an understandable one. But sometimes he did things that were just dumb - like when he first hit zero-g but hadn't had the foresight to put away all the instruments he'd pulled out or strap himself in. Regardless of whether he's trained for space or not that's just common sense.
+ I loved how Ryland ended the book - on Erid but back to teaching children science. Great end.
+ I loved Rocky. He was a delight and his species was very neat.
+ I loved Ryland and Rocky. I love how close they became and how well they got along. I loved that their bond and love for each other went both ways. I loved that they both risked their lives to save the other.
+ I loved Ryland becoming Stratt's second in command without even realising it.
+ I loved Stratt. She was awesome. I loved how uncompromising she was in her determination to save humanity and the way she bulldozed everyone in her way to ensure it. I loved her choice to force Ryland to go on the mission.
+ Stratt having Ryland as a tertiary science expert makes complete sense. Honestly when DuBois was the one to reveal to Ryland that he had the coma gene instead of Stratt I immediately assumed that he was actually her first choice for the science spot and was waiting to surprise him with it closer to the launch date. But since that didn't happen I don't actually believe that she kept by herself just because he was her tertiary choice. First choice sure, tertiary not so much. He was a fall back but was a fall back she kept beside her because he made a damn good second in command.
+ I wish we'd gotten a little more depth on Ryland and Stratt's relationship.
+ The whole plot with the Astrophage and Ryland being sent to Tau Ceti to discover how to stop them and meeting Rocky and how they worked together to figure it out was all very interesting.
+ I like the idea that Ryland and Rocky end up heading out to explore some of those other systems to see if they could discover new life. Honestly when they were first theorising about how life had spread and why they specifically met I found myself really wanting the two of them, after figuring out the solution, to decided to check out the various other systems affected by Astrophage and see if they had other sentient species that weren't quite as advanced as humans or Eridians and save them.
+ I am a little disappointed that Ryland didn't discover a non-water based alien lifeform. I was expecting it.
+ It annoyed me that Ryland decided to go with 'he' for Rocky because 'it' didn't feel appropriate ... and apparently 'she' is not an option? For some reason?
