The Story of the Book: Project Hail Mary

The Story of the Book: Project Hail Mary

A schoolteacher-turned-astronaut, and his mission to reverse a solar dimming event
In the near future, scientists observe a global dimming event coinciding with the formation of a bright line from the Sun to Venus. The exponential rate of dimming will cause a catastrophic ice age within 30 years. To solve this problem, governments cooperate and appoint former European Space Agency administrator Eva Stratt to solve the problem. A space probe is sent to Venus, and it is discovered that the line contains alien microbes. Ryland Grace, a junior high school teacher and former molecular biologist, is appointed to study a sample of the organism recovered from Venus.
Grace discovers that the single-celled organism consumes electromagnetic radiation and uses radiant energy to move, naming it "Astrophage." Other scientists discover that Astrophage can be mass-bred for use as rocket fuel. Astronomy data reveals that Astrophage has infected and dimmed nearby stars, but one star, Tau Ceti, has resisted the infection. An Astrophage-fueled starship, the Hail Mary, is created to travel to Tau Ceti and obtain information about Astrophage resistance.
Project Hail Mary
The crew is tasked with returning the findings to Earth with unmanned mini-ships called "beetles." Grace trains the science experts for the mission, but they are killed in an accident shortly before launch. With no time to train a comparably skilled replacement, Stratt forces Grace to join the mission.
Project Hail Mary
Years later, Ryland Grace emerges from his coma aboard the Hail Mary with no memory of his identity or situation. He finds that his crew members have died and gives them a space burial. Hail Mary reaches Tau Ceti and is approached by an alien starship, which Grace names "Blip-A." The other ship indicates that its home system in 40 Eridani is also plagued by an Astrophage infection.
Project Hail Mary
Grace and Rocky discover Astrophage's home planet in orbit around Tau Ceti, which is named after his mate, and Grace names it "Adrian." The planet's atmosphere contains a natural predator of Astrophage, forcing Grace and Rocky to construct a 10-kilometer chain made of xenonite, an Eridian xenon compound with extraordinary tensile strength and heat resistance.
Project Hail Mary

Grace chooses to send the beetles back to Earth with Taumeoba farms and instructions to save the Sun, while he locates the Blip-A and reunites with Rocky. Rocky tells Grace that the Astrophage infection around the Sun has abated, meaning Grace's mission was successful.

About the Writer

Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.
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