A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Martian.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian - while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

PLEASE NOTE: To accommodate this audio edition, some changes to the original text have been made with the approval of author Andy Weir.

Listening Length

16 hours and 10 minutes
Author

Andy Weir
Narrator

Ray Porter
Audible release date

4 May 2021
Language

English
Publisher

Audible Studios
ASIN

B08GB5C923
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	16 hours and 10 minutes
Author	Andy Weir
Narrator	Ray Porter
Audible.com.au Release Date	04 May 2021
Publisher	Audible Studios
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B08GB5C923
Best Sellers Rank	45 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 1 in Hard Science Fiction (Books) 1 in Adventure Science Fiction 1 in Hard Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)

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Top reviews from Australia

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Joanna

All time favourite. Imaginative yet plausible, heartwarming and funny.

Reviewed in Australia on 29 May 2021

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The blurb doesn’t give much away so I had no idea what was in store and boy did it not disappoint!
It was just so well thought out. I imagine some people might find the science a bit too much, but to me it's what makes the book so great! It is imaginative and creative, however everything is explained with science and logic so nothing seemed too unrealistic or farfetched.

Plot
I was absolutely hooked from the start. When Ryland wakes up and with no memories, there was so much mystery it was hard to put the book down. I love how the story unfolded and the way Ryland used science and logic to figure things out about himself, where he was and his current situation. The story was told from 2 timelines, Ryland’s current POV and his memories. Normally there is a timeline that is way more exciting, however I felt that there was a good balance as the flashbacks gave context and there wasn’t too much to distract from the main timeline.

Once the mysteriousness of Ryland’s mission wears off, I’m drawn in for a different reason. The unexpected friendship that forms is funny, sweet and heartwarming, one that will stay with me for a long time! I’m normally a fast reader but I had to slow down and savour their moments.

Characters
The main characters are so likeable I was rooting for them and I was so touched by their bond. I was more concerned about their wellbeing and upset when they got hurt vs when their mission was in jeopardy, thank god Ryland had his priorities in order!
The twist was unexpected and caught me off guard. I had mixed feelings for Ryland because after all he had been through in the mission I felt there was some injustice for him. However, it did show the contrast of the person he was on earth and the person he had become - someone brave and who had found his purpose, it did create a solid and satisfying ending.

I’m normally more of a romance or psychological thriller fan, however the theme of friendship was the absolute highlight, this book made me want to laugh and cry multiple times. Excuse me while I suffer from the empty feeling after finishing a epic book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Good for science nuts

Reviewed in Australia on 17 August 2021

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The premise is that “astrophages” are gobbling up the sun, so earth puts out a concerted multinational effort to send a mission to the star that seems unaffected. The aim is to find out why and send the information back to a failing earth. The novel begins with an astronaut waking up from the coma he’s been in and goes on to describe a wild ride as he makes contact with another life form on the same mission interspersed with flashbacks of how the earth mission came to be. This part is done very well. A ruthless, determined woman leads it. The astronaut is narrating, mostly in the jaunty voice of a puppyish teenager. There’s lots of science in this book which is mostly interesting but at about 85% became wearing: just get on with the story already. A lot of it - and especially the degree of equipment on the Hail Mary - seems too good to be true, but whatever. Tired of all the setbacks and the ingenious solutions, I speed read to the ending, which is good. The plot is good, the psychology pretty sound and many will be fascinated by all the dilemmas and how they’re solved but to me it read rather like a (admittedly sophisticated) boys own adventure story for tech heads.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Very intriguing and interesting -- and plausible!

Reviewed in Australia on 29 August 2021

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Not as tense and thrilling as the author's book, The Martian, but very intriguing and interesting. Andy Weir is a great writer, and the plot of this science fiction story is original and so plausible! This is science fiction that is based on science and yet pushes our imagination to the edges of what we know about the universe. The characters are superb, the dialogue is realistic and amusing. The pace moves along well and the there's genuinely surprising turns in the story. Don't be put off by the science part of this science fiction story. Anyone could read this and enjoy it. The themes of survival and friendship are highly relatable. Andy Weir's books are destined to become classics -- and I can't wait for the next one!

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rewand

Loved 'The Martian' you will love this!

Reviewed in Australia on 10 June 2021

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I went into this with high expectations having loved 'The Martian'. I wasn't disappointed. The grounded technical knowledge followed the same path 'The Martian' did by providing a believable basis for the storyline. The concepts were entirely engaging and I loved the journey. I could not recommend 'The Martian' enough and this one falls into the same category. If you haven't come across Andy Weir I recommend you pick this one up either along with 'The Martian' or on its own. They are 2 completely separate novels and individual stories but it is very apparent the writing style comes from the same Author and it is a style I find myself immersed in and thoroughly enjoying. Keep up the great stories Andy. I look forward to the next leap in another different direction again!

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Mr. Sean M. Powell

Great scifi

Reviewed in Australia on 31 May 2021

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Definite 5 stars. Really enjoyed this scifi caper - imminent destruction of life on earth, alien buddy capers, lots of science mixed in with the fiction. And I liked the dual timeline story, how you found out more of the back story as the “current” storyline advanced. The only criticism I had, which is minor, is that it felt very much like the same character as in The Martian - like either a sequel, or maybe the same character in an alternate universe. But either way, greatly enjoyed and will probably start working my way through Andy Weirs back catalogue now.

One person found this helpful

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Ryan Baker

Hard to believe it's exceeded my sky high expectations

Reviewed in Australia on 11 May 2021

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After reading The Martian and Artemis, I was hanging out for this and its been a page turner with all the science literacy and humour of his other books (although more in the vein of The Martian). He is just incredible and this book is absolutely worth having. It'll be a movie soon no doubt, but get the book!

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Nathan Ownbey

No one's talking about the elephant in the room

Reviewed in the United States on 15 May 2021

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I'm half way through the book and I'm super annoyed with two aspects of the author's approach. First, he gets preachy about global warming, which is not a thing one does when one wants to engage an audience..."And just like that another climate denier is born." Can he be more condescending and dismissive?

To be frank, I believe in climate change. I believe the climate changes every three months (roughly); they're called seasons. What I don't believe in is soft science and doomsday predictions based on data that's easily manipulated by activists to say anything they want.

The second problem I have with the book so far is that it reads too much like the The Martian, but without the emotion. There's no reason to like or dislike the characters beyond the superficial aspects of their personalities. Everyone is two-dimensional. The main protagonist spends his days dodging his emotions, and every supporting character on Earth is a stereotype--without enough personality for me to care about any of them.

Maybe things will get better as I continue to read, but only if the author puts away his soapbox and get's back to story-telling.

1,186 people found this helpful

Nick

Amazing. Wonderful. Excellent.

Reviewed in the United States on 5 May 2021

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I don't even remember pre-ordering this book. It just showed up in my Kindle app this morning. So I decided to read the first chapter before starting work. Four hours later, I can finally put the book down since I'm done.
"The Martian" was a great story. "Artemis" was a great story. This one is better than either of those. If you like science fiction with actual science, this is for you. If you like stories with interesting, well developed characters, this also has that. If you want excitement and a thrilling plot, here you go. If you want romance and sex, well, there you're completely out of luck. But if that was the kind of book you wanted I doubt you'd be reading this review anyway. Speaking of, why *are* you still reading this review? Go read the book!! It's way better than this.

1,127 people found this helpful

Stuart

Andy Weir does it again!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2021

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I received the new book today with the intention of rationing the pages so I didn't binge it in one session. So I binged it in one session. Andy has a knack for totally engrossing hard science based stories that make you keep on turning pages to find out how the protagonists get out of the last big mess he got them into. And Mr Weir doesn't disappoint! There's at least one plot point that he admits is a stretch... but going through the story is educational as much as it is exciting. If I ever get called upon to heroically save the world from an invasive interstellar infection I'm sure I could deliver... Now I need the film to get made so I can enjoy the whole thing afresh.

61 people found this helpful

science writer

Three and a half stars

Reviewed in the United States on 8 May 2021

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Based on all the rave reviews, I had high hopes for this book. It’s certainly a couple of notches above other science fiction novels I’ve read lately (all of them with rave reviews). If Mr. Weir’s editors had leaned on him to cut 150 pages out of the text, this would have been a stronger novel.

PROS:

1. The characters are individualized and (mostly) likeable. It’s really nice to have a male protagonist in a sci fi book who’s compassionate, caring, and human.

2. Plot twists and turns kept me reading in spite of some long tedious sections.

3. Alien life forms are creatively and imaginatively rendered.

4. A bit of humor here and there helped enliven the story.

CONS:

1. The author is mainly concerned with engineering solutions to survival problems–one after the other after the other. Some of these are exciting, but there were just too many.

2. The plot drags on and on as one technical problem after another takes center stage. If you’ve been dealing with computer, electrical or mechanical problems in your own life, you might find the endless series of equipment disasters a bit frustrating to read about.

642 people found this helpful

Karen Campbell

Science geek heaven!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 May 2021

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If you liked the Martian, you’ll love this. Ryland Grace wakes up on a spacecraft with no idea how or why he is there-or even who he is.
He has to work out why he’s there, and what he has to do, from scratch. And then work miracles. Or in the words of Mark Witney in the Martian, ‘science the s*** out of it’.
Written in a similar style to the Martian, with sections alternating between Ryland-on-Earth and Ryland -in-Space, it’s hard not to picture Matt Damon as Ryland, but though they share the same love of science trivia, and self-deprecating humour, they are very different.
There’s loads of geeky science as he McGyvers his way from one situation to another. Maybe a little too much if you’re not a science nerd or sci-fi fanatic but I loved it.
I loved the quirky characters of all the ‘supporting actors’ (This is so definitely going to be a film!), especially Rocky. Oh, Rocky! Just... read it, ok?

34 people found this helpful

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Project Hail Mary Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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