Should I read Project Hail Mary, or just wait for the movie?
I really can’t stress enough how absolutely, positively, 100 percent worth reading this book is, especially before seeing the film. Weir structures the sci-fi story with ‘now and then’ chapters, toggling back and forth between how Grace initially gets involved in the Project Hail Mary initiative (and the ensuing rollercoaster of how his role in the program develops), and then jumps ahead to his current predicament. I really enjoyed the way he shapes the narrative, and I think it serves the story well.
On top of that, Weir’s attention to detail regarding the minutiae of everything from the ship’s architecture to the complex mathematical equations Grace frequently solves on the fly in order to stay alive is beyond impressive. And exhaustive — there’s truly so much science and technology in here, folks. I’m not a rocket scientist myself, so if there are any plot holes present, I wasn’t able to pick up on them. In my eyes, Weir covers all his bases. (And then two additional sets of bases, just in case.)
Now, do those dry, heavily detailed explanations get a bit dry from time to time? Maybe a bit. (They did for me, at least.) But because of how deftly Weir handles the tonal balance of the novel — i.e. anchoring a high-stakes, action-heavy story with a sarcastic, irreverent main character — it all works. I also have to imagine that there’s no possible way the film is going to be able to cram every last detail from its source material onto the big screen, so make sure you read the book first. Much like improperly separating one type of otherworldly space algae from a slightly different type of otherworldly space algae, you’ll regret it if you don’t.
