If You Like Project Hail Mary…
Everyone has been talking about Ryan Gosling and the movie of Project Hail Mary. I haven’t seen the movie, but I have read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021). In Weir’s novel, Ryland Grace is a middle-school science teacher content to teach his kids and have a quiet life. It is discovered that something is dimming the sun, an event that will lead to the destruction of life on Earth. Because of his past research, he is pulled into the team searching for a solution, which results in his setting off on a one-way trip to space. [mild spoilers ahead] Once in space, he meets an alien whose world is also threatened by the same issue, and they team up to find a way to save their planets.
The books below have similar suspense, drama, and sense of exploration.
Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (2014)
Rosemary is the newest addition to a spaceship captained by Ashby. She likes to keep to herself but the crew slowly brings her out. The ship’s job is to create wormholes for efficient travel — an important job with inherent risks. Chambers takes time to highlight each character in the crew, like episodes in your favorite sci-fi TV show.
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (2021)
Shizuka Satomi, a former prodigy and violin teacher, has made a deal with the devil. She must find seven musicians willing to hand over their souls to save herself. She has only one more to find, but time is running out. She may have found the seventh when she encounters Katrina Nguyen, a self-taught violinist who is transgender. Rejected by her family, she has run away and is struggling to survive. The offer from Shizuka to train her sounds too good to be true. And then there is the donut shop run by a crew of aliens, led by their captain Lan Tran, who have come to Earth to try to prevent a plague.
The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes (2021)
Cavalon is a member of the royal family who has been sent to the Divide (the edge of the known universe) after rebelling against his grandfather. Adequin heads up the Argus, a ship posted at the edge. The ship’s purpose is to prevent another crossing of the long-defeated enemy. Life on the border is also isolated and challenging, but when the border starts moving, things get really complicated. Some passages of Dewes novel felt like a Star Trek: Next Generation time loop episode — in a great way.
Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas (2024)
A ragtag crew attempts to take down a corrupt system without killing themselves. AI Eoan is the captain of the Ambit, which has a crew of two others: Saint and Nash. They take on a semi-stowaway named Jal, who has a past with Saint. When they discover that terraforming planets are being destroyed on purpose, they hope that genius coder Anke will help them defeat the bad guys. A good adventure with interesting characters.
The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal (2025)
In volume four of the Lady Astronaut series, Elma and her husband are among the first settlers on Mars. Life in space requires constant problem solving and adaptation. One of the crew’s challenges is to honor the many cultures and beliefs of the citizens of the settlement without bringing along prejudice, racism, and hatred. As the characters try to survive and thrive, readers will cheer them on through all the struggles and triumphs.