Project Hail Mary

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 even 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, with 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 this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery--and conquer an extinction-level threat to our 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?

An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, 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.

These book club questions are a selection from Penguin Random House's Teacher's Guide.

Book club questions for Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Discuss the project's, and novel's, name. Why do you think the project to save Earth was given the name Project Hail Mary?

Based on the memories of being in his classroom, what do you think Dr. Grace’s strengths were as a teacher? What do you think it would have been like to take his class? How can you tell that he enjoyed being a teacher?

When Grace makes first contact with the alien ship, how does he communicate? Do you agree with his decision to allow further contact with the alien ship at the risk to his own safety?

How does Stratt justify her guideline that all members of the Hail Mary crew be heterosexual men? Why does Grace find this problematic? What do you think?

Grace and Rocky develop an unspoken rule that differences in their cultures have to be accepted. Why would this rule be helpful for friends, crewmates, or team members?

What theories do Rocky and Grace come up with to explain why they evolved in such a way that they can hear similar frequencies, have similar intelligence, and both are willing to risk their lives to save others? Do you find their theories plausible?

Why do you think Stratt did not tell Grace that he was the tertiary science specialist at the beginning of the project? Do you think it would have made a difference if she had?

What “gifts” do Rocky and Grace exchange before they depart for their respective voyages home? How do you think Eridians and humans will use the knowledge they glean from the alien technology?

Do you find the book’s conclusion satisfying?

Project Hail Mary Book Club Questions PDF

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