The Book To Read Before It Hits The Big Screen

Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi life-or-death thriller by Andy Weir, which begins with Ryland Grace waking up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he's there. 

As his memory returns, he realizes he's on a last-ditch mission to save humanity. Earth is in danger due to a microorganism floating in space, which is consuming the Sun's energy and causing global cooling. And here is the kicker: Ryland is not an astronaut. He is a teacher who has absolutely no business being up in space, or, needless to say, having the responsibility of a giant interstellar mission to save the world.  

Grace's mission takes him to another star system where he meets an alien, Rocky, whose planet is suffering the same disastrous fate. Despite being from entirely different species, the two form a deep friendship and collaborate to find a solution. 

I just recently saw a preview of the film adaptation from MGM Studios, and I am beyond excited. Who is playing the extraordinary teacher turned planet-saving astronaut? None other than one of the world's most beloved heartthrobs, Ryan Gosling. So not only is there a fabulous plot, but now a star-studded actor to match? It is going to be amazing.

If you are anything like me, you'll want to catch this one before it hits the big screen in 2026. However, please be warned that it was not a quick weekend read. Filled with Ryland's inner thoughts on biology, physics, and chemistry, it requires a lot of thinking and a handful of dedicated reading hours to grasp the world-ending problem as well as the world-ending solution (for me at least). This read was worth every second, so let me reiterate how excited I am for the big screen.

-Lauren