IzzyAug 30, 2023

[Results] Book of the Month (August 2023)

https://lemmy.world/post/4136077

[Results] Book of the Month (August 2023) - Lemmy.world

# Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir [https://i.imgur.com/UAezzh8.jpg] We had a pretty good turnout for our first book of the month vote. To be honest I did not anticipate the problem of there being a tie. I took the liberty of flipping a coin which came out heads for Project Hail Mary. In the future I might have to come up with a better method of tie breaking. I’m figuring this out as I go and it is all just for the fun of it anyway so please don’t take this too seriously. 1) Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir [https://bookwyrm.social/book/102060/s/project-hail-mary] - 20 votes 2) Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky [https://bookwyrm.social/book/318855/s/children-of-time] - 20 votes 3) Neuromancer - William Gibson [https://bookwyrm.social/book/886299/s/neuromancer] - 17 votes 4) Hyperion - Dan Simmons [https://bookwyrm.social/book/151613/s/hyperion-hyperion-cantos] - 13 votes 5) Leviathan Wakes - James S. A. Corey [https://bookwyrm.social/book/662565/s/leviathan-wakes] - 13 votes 6) A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine [https://bookwyrm.social/book/5273/s/a-memory-called-empire] - 11 votes 7) Wool (Silo Series Book 1) - Hugh Howey [https://bookwyrm.social/book/116789/s/wool] - 10 votes 8) Red Rising - Pierce Brown [https://bookwyrm.social/book/17739/s/red-rising] - 4 votes 9) 22/11/63 - Stephen King [https://bookwyrm.social/book/1035492/s/221163] - 1 vote https://bookwyrm.social/user/ScienceFiction [https://bookwyrm.social/user/ScienceFiction]

Show threadkryptonianCodeMonkeyAug 30, 2023

This book was my favorite read from last year. I love Weir’s mixture of researched scientific detail and irreverent humor, which he also exhibited in my other favorite novel of his, The Martian. His protagonists are down to earth even while being literally anywhere else, problem solve while facing extreme and dire straights, and use humor as a defense mechanism in very non-humorous situations.

Though he writes in a similar style to The Martian in Project Hail Mary, the feel is very different. Without spoiling any details, unlike The Martian’s straight forward survival story, PHM has a non-linear narrative, a slowly revealing mystery, epic stakes, and more classic pop sci-fi elements. My wife and I listened to this as an audiobook in the car together, enjoying the tension, the creative problem solving, and the witticisms throughout. If that sounds like something you’re into or if you enjoyed The Martian, you should pick this one up.

Show threadjettrscgaAug 30, 2023

I felt that the protagonist in The Martian and Project Hail Mary were way too similar - both loveable science goofs making jokes while doing unreasonable math on napkins. But maybe that’s the right formula to keep the science interesting for the reader.

The stories were different enough, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mark Watney was on this new mission.

Show threadpartial_accumenAug 30, 2023
Thank you for this comment. I read both The Martian and Artemis (both by Weir). I loved The Martian. My enjoyment of The Martian was equal to my disappointment in Artemis. I was guarded about giving another Weir book a chance.
Show threadkryptonianCodeMonkey
Yeah, I attempted Artemis. I couldn’t get into it. I was disappointed as well. Project Hail Mary is far better, in my opinion.
Aug 30, 2023 at 4:03pmWeb