Peanuts In My Pocket

Last weekend, we listened to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir during a drive from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area and back. My wife, Florence, hadn’t read it, so I decided to revisit the story with her. My first read was back in 2021, shortly after its release. We were already fans of Weir’s work, having both read and watched The Martian.

Project Hail Mary is a 2021 science fiction novel by Andy Weir, acclaimed author of The Martian. The story follows Ryland Grace, a schoolteacher-turned-astronaut who awakens alone on a spacecraft with no memory of his mission. As his memories return, he realizes he’s on a critical mission to the Tau Ceti system to find a solution to a solar dimming event threatening Earth’s survival. – Wikipedia

Project Hail Mary is definitely worth reading or listening to. The audiobook, narrated by Ray Porter, is exceptional. I’ve never been disappointed by his work, and he truly excelled with this performance, which earned him the 2022 Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year. Florence even commented on how effectively his narration drew her into the story. We were already familiar with Porter’s excellent narration from Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series, a past road trip favorite.

You can gauge the quality of a book by whether you’re willing to listen to it for six hours straight on a road trip, then keep listening for another two hours at the hotel to wind down. That’s exactly what we did, and we continued listening during the drive home. We finished the book in our living room, streaming it over our Alexa device. It’s that captivating.

I suggested this book primarily for its narrative voice. During my first listen, I was captivated by how the story unfolds. Ryland Grace narrates in a compelling way, blending flashbacks with present action to create a seamless, engaging story. Each new discovery builds on the last, keeping readers (and listeners) on their toes. It’s pure science fiction with a few science lessons woven into the story, enhancing the experience without feeling forced.

Andy Weir has revealed that he wrote Project Hail Mary similarly to how he wrote The Martian—by building out the story based on real-world physics and then developing the plot around these scientific challenges. He stated that the process often felt like solving a puzzle, which reflects the problem-solving nature of his characters.

What we loved most was that the story felt like a long, intricate puzzle. Every challenge was met with a methodical, science-based approach to problem-solving. The explanations were clear and connected in a way that drew us deeper into each problem, solution, and sometimes unexpected twist.

Excitingly, a film adaptation is in production, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with Ryan Gosling set to play Ryland Grace. The movie is slated for release on March 20, 2026.

If you’re looking for an engrossing reading or listening experience, I highly recommend Project Hail Mary. Enjoy!