Project Hail Mary
Contents (2)
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 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, without nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him.
Hurtling through space on his tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to out species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he?
Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary
A Novel
ePub r1.0
Titivillus 01.12.2021
Andy Weir, 2021
Cover design: Will Staehle
Title page image: iStock/Roman Kulinskiy
Rocket diagrams: David Lindroth Inc.
Digital editor: Titivillus
ePub base r2.1
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
About the Author
FOR JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE, AND RINGO
I’d like to thank the following people who helped me get the science as accurate as possible: Andrew Howell, for helping me with astronomy and stellar sciences. Jim Green, for explaining the basics of planetary science and how atmospheres work. Shawn Goldman, for telling me all about exoplanet detection. Charles Duba (who I actually went to high school with!), for explaining complex details about neutrinos. And finally, Cody Don Reeder, for giving me vital chemistry information and also being an all-around cool guy to exchange emails with.
On the book front, I’d like to thank my agent, David Fugate, for always having my back. Also, Julian Pavia, my editor on this book and so far all of my books. And Sarah Breivogel, who has handled publicity for my books since day one. And I’d like to thank my eclectic group of beta readers: My mother, Janet, who loves everything I do; Duncan Harris, who questions every plot point and keeps me honest; and Dan Snyder, who… wait. You never got back to me, Dan! What, am I not good enough for you!?
And I’d like to thank my wife, Ashley, for putting up with god-knows how many conversations about possible plot and story structure ideas and always giving me wise feedback.