Project Hail Mary is often hailed as an exhilarating must-read science fiction novel that follows in the footsteps of his breakout novel The Martian. Weir returns to what he knows, writing in the voice of a sophomoric smart guy on a scientific mission turned survival story. It makes for a fun, fast-paced read with exciting twists and turns couched in a landscape of complex scientific concepts made palatable because the protagonist is a science teacher (the cool one, in fact). 

On his own, Ryland feels like a fundamentally decent and likable main character who you can't help but root for as a reluctant hero, even if your feelings may change throughout the book. But where Weir breaks from this past success is in making this story an unexpected buddy story, starring a creature who is the perfect poster child that life in space might be very alien from our own. 

Since Ryland awakes suffering amnesia, Weir uses the character's mental state to dumb down science and spoon-feed readers information as his memory slowly returns. Weir uses this trope to his advantage, both in the present and to reveal fragments of the past as Ryland's memory returns to him. 

Where Project Hail Mary sometimes misses the mark is with Ryland. Sometimes his supposed personality never allows us to be mesmerized by the wonder of the experience nor the dread of being the sole survivor or your crew light years away from earth. Any time Ryland hopes to reflect on the human condition, he staves off the moment by repeatedly proving that he's just a "stupid human."