Books · science fiction novel
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Hacker Approved
A fun, hopeful science-driven sci-fi story about friendship, with an acclaimed audiobook and a faithful film adaptation; critics find the plot too convenient and the movie simplified.
Summarized from 173 comments.
A fun, hopeful science-driven sci-fi story about friendship, with an acclaimed audiobook and a faithful film adaptation; critics find the plot too convenient and the movie simplified.
- recommend
- 117
- criticize
- 24
- months recommended
- 12 of 13
Why people love it
Faithful, well-made film adaptation · 7
The movie is (objectively!) very well made with respect to "craft, skill, storytelling structure and emotional impact".
Mar 2026 · commentVisually spectacular, pretty faithful to the book (as far as I remember the book) and Ryan Gosling was very good in it.
Mar 2026 · commentLoved it. Might go back for an IMAX viewing. I liked the book as well, and thought it was a good adaptation.
Mar 2026 · commentEnjoyable for broad audiences · 6
my family - both kids and adults, with entirely different interests and preferences - enjoyed the hell out of it
Mar 2026 · commentmuch lighter Hollywood popcorn-action sci-fi, a potential world-ending threat and a cool alien encounter.
Apr 2026 · commentboth me and my unsuspecting victim of a movie partner (she isn't typically into scifi) really enjoyed it
Mar 2026 · commentDetailed science and engineering · 6
Great descriptions in the book about how the fictional creature can use the arms together or differently and on multiple tasks at the same time.
Jul 2026 · commentstart with the physical characteristics of the planet and reverse-engineer biology that was likely to be viable under those circumstances
Oct 2026 · commentthe movie also did a decent enough job of conveying that preparing enough astrophage for just one ship was only barely possible
May 2026 · commentOutstanding audiobook narration · 3
it's so good that it sets a really good example of what an enjoyable experience listening to an audiobook can be
Nov 2025 · commentthe best narrators actually improve the books like The Hail Mary Project and Blood Meridian
Dec 2025 · commentWe enjoyed the movie greatly
Mar 2026 · comment
What people warn about
Convenient plot and science shortcuts · 5
Good, fun book. The main protagonists are a bit too inventive and quick to do solve, fix things.
Nov 2025 · commentThe book dodges these inconvenient numbers with a bit of a deus ex machina plot device
May 2026 · commentgeopolitics are trivially simple and every state in the world collectively agrees
Feb 2026 · commentFilm feels childish or dumbed-down · 3
the film humor, dialogue, and emotional treatment strike me as pitched at a comparatively childish level
Mar 2026 · commentThe probleme is that reduces a huge premise to a childish emotional register
Mar 2026 · commentwhat a dumb story, they reduced an intelligent life form to a human pet dog
Aug 2026 · commentFilm rushes or skips details · 3
I think there are a few gaps in the movie that's explained by the book
Mar 2026 · commentthey gave only a couple of seconds of screen time for key plot elements like the nitrogen resistance breeding
Mar 2026 · commentthe pace felt rushed, like I never had a minute to breathe
Mar 2026 · comment
What hackers pick instead
- There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntmRecommended for its strikingly original premise and brilliant opening, a page-turner full of twists; many feel the second half meanders and repeats the same gimmick.98recommend
- Blindsight by Peter WattsA dense hard SF first-contact novel recommended for its unsettling exploration of intelligence without consciousness; many find the prose hard to follow and the vampires and plot distracting.96recommend
- Dune by Frank HerbertInfluential science fiction admired for its deep world-building, fresh voice and ideas about power and machines. Critics find it long and dense, and say the later books decline.82recommend
- Accelerando by Charles StrossReaders praise its prescient ideas about digital minds, space travel and the future. Critics most often say the characters feel thin or unlikeable.71recommend
- Hyperion by Dan SimmonsFans praise its ideas, religion and prose as top space opera. Common caveat: it ends on a cliffhanger.66recommend
Every quote
The 40 most detailed of 173 comments. Each links to the original.
Great descriptions in the book about how the fictional creature can use the arms together or differently and on multiple tasks at the same time.
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Xiaomi-Robotics-1”
start with the physical characteristics of the planet and reverse-engineer biology that was likely to be viable under those circumstances
Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Blanets and Weird Worlds”
the movie also did a decent enough job of conveying that preparing enough astrophage for just one ship was only barely possible
Mixed · May 2026 · in “Project Hail Mary – Stellar Navigation Chart”
The movie is (objectively!) very well made with respect to "craft, skill, storytelling structure and emotional impact".
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
Visually spectacular, pretty faithful to the book (as far as I remember the book) and Ryan Gosling was very good in it.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
my family - both kids and adults, with entirely different interests and preferences - enjoyed the hell out of it
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
it's so good that it sets a really good example of what an enjoyable experience listening to an audiobook can be
Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “The mysterious black fungus from Chernobyl that may eat radiation”
Loved it. Might go back for an IMAX viewing. I liked the book as well, and thought it was a good adaptation.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
much lighter Hollywood popcorn-action sci-fi, a potential world-ending threat and a cool alien encounter.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division”
the book got me back into reading, and the movie is one of the better book to film adaptations I've seen
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
both me and my unsuspecting victim of a movie partner (she isn't typically into scifi) really enjoyed it
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
Good, fun book. The main protagonists are a bit too inventive and quick to do solve, fix things.
Mixed · Nov 2025 · in “Fungus in Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone has mutated to 'feed' on radiation (2024)”
I'd argue Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary" is hopeful sci-fi, and the movie adaptation was great
Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “Writing a better reality: The case for optimistic sci-fi (2022)”
it goes a lot more in depth into the science and engineering challenges that occur throughout
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
the best narrators actually improve the books like The Hail Mary Project and Blood Meridian
Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Maybe the Default Settings Are Too High”
The book is a bit better at showing the main character actually being competent at times.
Recommends · May 2026 · in “Project Hail Mary – Stellar Navigation Chart”
The book does a significantly better job explaining the science behind the mission
Recommends · May 2026 · in “Project Hail Mary – Stellar Navigation Chart”
geopolitics are trivially simple and every state in the world collectively agrees
Mixed · Feb 2026 · in “Halt and Catch Fire: TV's Best Drama You've Probably Never Heard Of (2021)”
The audiobook is the peak experience still I think. Highly highly recommended
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
nobody was bored, which is rare for the group I watch movies with frequently.
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
easily one of the best, most enjoyable sci-fi movies released this decade
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
I think there are a few gaps in the movie that's explained by the book
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
Yup and loved it. I like Gosling too and he was awesome in this too.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
he managed to write an engrossing adventure which I enjoyed
Mixed · May 2026 · in “Project Hail Mary – Stellar Navigation Chart”
the pace felt rushed, like I never had a minute to breathe
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
I read the book on release and loved it.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
We enjoyed the movie greatly
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
they gave only a couple of seconds of screen time for key plot elements like the nitrogen resistance breeding
Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “'Project Hail Mary' Crosses $300M in Sales to Become Amazon/MGM's Highest-Gross”
the film humor, dialogue, and emotional treatment strike me as pitched at a comparatively childish level
Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
The book dodges these inconvenient numbers with a bit of a deus ex machina plot device
Criticizes · May 2026 · in “Project Hail Mary – Stellar Navigation Chart”
The probleme is that reduces a huge premise to a childish emotional register
Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
what a dumb story, they reduced an intelligent life form to a human pet dog
Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Hollywood Stopped Making Movies in Hollywood”
small technical/scientific mistakes that shouldn't have had to be there
Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
It had a good premise. But it also fell apart immediately.
Criticizes · May 2026 · in “Project Hail Mary – Stellar Navigation Chart”
a local well-respected popular astronomy magazine was quite impressed by the movie, relative to Hollywood standards anyway
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
it's about friendship and loneliness and the fragility of the human experience and the triumph of the human spirit
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
this is written, if not exactly as a screenplay, in such a way to make it SO easy to adapt to a screenplay
Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “'Backrooms' Stuns with $81M Debut”
Watching the movie first will set the stage for a lot of details that work better in a book than a movie.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “My Astrophotography in the Movie Project Hail Mary”
I already liked Project Hail Mary a lot after having seen it, but my respect for it went through the roof
Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “In the wake of Tippett Studios’ closure, a digital archive appears online”
The last time I felt this way was reading "Project Hail Mary" and that was for a fictional cell!
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “The tiny cell that wasn't there”
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