Fans of hard science fiction and Ryan Gosling, rejoice! Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is hitting the big screen with Gosling in the lead role of science teacher and former biologist Ryland Grace, a man who finds himself alone in space with a serious case of amnesia and a nearly impossible mission to save the world.
This is Weir's second best-selling novel to get the Hollywood treatment after his 2011 debut The Martian became an Oscar-nominated film of the same name. Weir's fiction is lauded for his balance of realistic science and the mechanics of survival in space alongside compelling human characters who approach their terrible circumstances with humor and tenacity.
Whether you've read all of Andy Weir's novels already and you're looking for something new or you're patiently waiting for your copy of Project Hail Mary to arrive, here are some other great reads to satisfy your sci-fi needs.
If you're looking for more tales of danger and survival, check out The Last Astronaut by David Wellington or Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe. Both are action-packed and suspenseful, full of the details that sci-fi readers love, but read The Last Astronaut when you're also in the mood for something darker with its nightmarish alien encounters. Try Velocity Weapon if you're looking for witty dialogue and the cracking political intrigue of a space opera (it's also the start of a trilogy).
Inner Space by Jakub Szamalek tells the story of American and Russian astronauts trapped together in the International Space Station when war breaks out on Earth below and life support systems fail in the ISS. Is it an accident or is it sabotage? This fast-paced story has the unputdownable thrills of Project Hail Mary along with a locked room mystery set amongst the stars.
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh is a more reflective look at human relations in the face of isolation and survival. A small team of teens and a few veteran astronauts have been chosen to prepare Terra-Two for human inhabitants, but the decades-long journey is darker and more dangerous than they could have prepared for. This is an interesting twist on a coming-of-age novel.
If quirky fiction suits your mood, Badasstronauts by Grady Hendrix fits the bill. Best known for his mostly offbeat horror novels, this sci-fi novella is a bit of a departure. As with Andy Weir's novels, he tells the story of a lone stranded astronaut, but in this case, it's his burnout cousin and a growing team of misfits in rural South Carolina who must launch a rescue rocket when the government has decided he isn't worth the effort. Originally written in 2011 at the height of the Occupy movement, the novel's political themes will still resonate with today's readers.
From epic space operas to backyard rocket builders, there's something for every kind of Andy Weir fan. What other sci-fi reads do you recommend?
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