Yes, I just made up that word. No, I don’t feel bad about it. I’m doing a lot of things for the first time in human history out here and there’s a lot of stuff that needs naming. Just be glad I don’t name stuff after myself.
Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary
Format:
Audiobook
Publisher’s Synopsis:
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.
Point of view:
First person, entirely from Ryland Grace’s perspective.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this production. This was one of those audios where the tension and anticipation had me wanting it to hurry up for its resolution as much as the amazing adventures and storytelling made me want it to last forever. Andy Weir has this wonderful ability to craft a technically dense book balanced by character explanations or internal monologues that make it easy for anyone to understand.
Generally I don’t like books where the story is told through back & forth switching between present & past events. However, Weir’s juxtaposition works incredibly well for me here.
Ryland Grace is a terrific character. Not “perfect” but his flaws and emotions are part of what makes him so relatable and lend realism to a book that is ultimately science fiction/fantasy. So many emotional events, twists, and turns with mystery/suspense/thriller aspects that are best enjoyed if reviewers don’t spoil them, so I’ll stop here.
Narration:
Ray Porter is an amazing narrator. While I enjoyed The Martian this purchase was 100% narrator motivated. Porter’s skill with voices, emotions, and accents is matched by few other narrators. 16 hours completely immersed in Weir’s world is unstoppable with Porter at the helm. I read there’s talk of a movie and I’m hoping that perhaps Porter could be cast as the voice of a specific character – because that would be fantastic!
About the author:
Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.
You can connect with Andy Weir here:
About the narrator:
You can connect with Ray Porter here:
My Favorite Quotes
Who am I to question a creepy robot-armed computer overlord? – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
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I pull the stopwatch from my toga (the best ancient Greek philosophers always carried stopwatches in their togas). – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
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I’m not falling! This is just space! Everything is fine! – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
Tweet
I don’t know if this is a good idea or a terrible idea. But I’m going to knock a chunk of my hull off. – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
Tweet
Yes, I just made up that word. No, I don’t feel bad about it. I’m doing a lot of things for the first time in human history out here and there’s a lot of stuff that needs naming. Just be glad I don’t name stuff after myself. – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
Tweet
I’m sick of living in The Poseidon Adventure. Time to right this ship. – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
Tweet
When I can’t remove the bolt, I just start melting stuff. Can’t be stuck if it’s liquid. – Project Hail Mary @andyweirauthor #Audiobook #NarratorMotivated @Ray_Porter #SciFi #Space #Suspense #Thriller @audible_com
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Rellim Reads 