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, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, 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.

Before I was a science-fiction writer, I was an engineer, which means I learned to see the world in numbers. In fact, I tell my daughter that everything is numbers, from music to technology to sports. Numbers are the cause of and solution to every problem. That makes math a superpower, and one of the things I adore about Andy Weir is that his heroes use math and science to get out of any jam.

Project Hail Mary continues that tradition. When Ryland Grace wakes up alone aboard a strange spacecraft, he must discover why he's hurtling through the cosmos far from Earth—and why he can't remember his life. As he puts the pieces together, the secrets of the titular project are revealed, twisting and turning the story in ways that really shouldn't be spoiled at all. The surprises keep coming chapter by chapter, making for a fast, fun read that puts you right alongside Ryland as he solves—with math, of course—the universe's greatest mysteries in an epic attempt to save planet Earth.

For a book driven by science, Project Hail Mary is fueled by so much heart; it’s also about hope, the human condition, and unlikely friendships. Those things all come together for a story that is so many things, from riveting discovery to laugh-and-cry characters to fist-pumping ingenuity. Oh, and it's one heck of a page-turner. And it'll make you want to thank your high school science teachers. If that's not the best testament for this book, I don't know what is.