Project Hail Mary is a science fiction novel by Andy Weir, who is also famous for his best-selling book The Martian. Weir published Project Hail Mary in 2021, but it recently gained popularity due to the movie adaptation starring Ryan Gosling, coming out on March 20, 2026.

The book follows a 7th-grade teacher named Ryland Grace, who wakes up on a strange ship with no memory of who he is and why he is there. As the book progresses, Grace is able to recount memories and better understand his mission to save Earth as the sun is slowly dying. 

Project Hail Mary explores topics of grief, loss, growth, and acceptance, relating to millions across the globe. Through the entirely unrelatable situation of being trapped on a spaceship, sent away to save Earth, Weir expresses the human emotions and life themes that every person can relate to. 

Originally, this was a suicide mission, meaning once completed, the astronauts would not return to Earth with their findings. Once Grace remembers this, he makes peace with death, but is still faced with the heartache of it all. Towards the end of the novel, Grace finds out there might be a way to return home after all. However, returning to Earth might put another planet in the same danger of mass extinction.

He has to make the difficult decision of saving Earth, along with his own life and returning home, or saving both planets and living the rest of his life alone in space. Throughout the book, Grace is faced with these detrimental decisions, and shows his selflessness every time. 

Grace lived as a 7th-grade science teacher with a PHD in Molecular Biology, and died as the hero of humankind. His magnanimous decision-making allowed him to persevere through the hardest of times.
Project Hail Mary forces the reader to reflect on some of life’s most difficult decisions while enjoying the comedic presence of Ryland Grace. Critics recommend this book for those interested in realistic science fiction, an intriguing read, and an overall amazing time.