A man wakes up on a spacecraft with two dead crewmates and no idea who he is or how he got there. As fragments of memory return, he learns his name is Ryland Grace, a former molecular biologist turned middle-school science teacher, and that the Sun is being dimmed by a microorganism called Astrophage, threatening life on Earth within decades.
Grace has been sent to Tau Ceti, a nearby star that seems unaffected, to find out why. Flashbacks reveal the frantic international effort that built his ship and how he came to be aboard. In the Tau Ceti system he makes an extraordinary discovery that turns a lonely survival mission into something much stranger, and the story becomes as much about friendship as about science.
Like The Martian, the book is full of hands-on experiments and calculations explained in a breezy, humorous voice, but its emotional core is warmer. Weir plays with memory to keep revealing information about Grace's past. It became a major bestseller and was adapted into a feature film starring Ryan Gosling.
Book details
| Author | Andy Weir |
|---|---|
| First published | 2021 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 476 |
| Setting | The spacecraft Hail Mary in the Tau Ceti system, with flashbacks to Earth, near future |
Themes
- Friendship
- Sacrifice
- Scientific problem-solving
- Memory
- Courage
Who should read it
Fans of The Martian and anyone who enjoys optimistic, science-packed adventure.