Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir Space Trilogy

Author Andy Weir · Publisher RHK · Published 2021-05-04 · ISBN 9788925588735

About the Book

"I can't even remember my own name, yet I'm humanity's last hope?"
A project to save Earth from impending doom!

*Simultaneously published in 30 countries worldwide
*Film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling (from "La La Land") confirmed
*Instant bestseller upon release
*Named one of Publishers Weekly's most anticipated novels of 2021

The term 'Hail Mary' in American football refers to a desperate, last-minute pass thrown to try and win the game. The spaceship in the story, the 'Hail Mary', is named with the hope of achieving a last-minute reversal to save Earth from its impending end.

The protagonist awakens from a long sleep in the middle of space. But he can't even remember his own name. To make matters worse, his fellow crew members on the spaceship Hail Mary are all dead, leaving him alone. After thoroughly searching the Hail Mary, he realizes one crucial fact: he is humanity's last hope, a scientist destined to die alone in the vastness of space.

In the novel, Earth faces destruction due to 'Astrophage,' an unknown life form that is dimming the sun. The protagonist was sent on this space mission to investigate the Astrophage and find a solution. However, due to technological limitations, he was fated to send the solution back to Earth and then die alone in space. In essence, he was part of a 'one-way Hail Mary' mission.

But wait, something strange is detected on the spaceship's instruments. He's busy trying to regain his memory and save humanity, and now aliens are suddenly appearing? Will he be able to complete his mission to save Earth and die peacefully (or not)?

"Not everyone is willing to die for others."
An epic saga with the most brilliant ending in SF history,
Ordinary kindness saves two civilizations!

Andy Weir, who has been called a 'genius' in the industry since working at the U.S. National Laboratory at age fifteen, skillfully utilizes his excellent scientific knowledge in his novels. It is well-known among science enthusiasts that Andy Weir writes his works without breaking any existing physical laws. In this novel too, from Euler's formula to aerodynamics and the Goldilocks Zone, nothing is overlooked.

Another equally strong point is that he is a proven 'page-turner'. The author's skill in weaving scientific fields with narrative entertainment is arguably world-class. In "Project Hail Mary," crises constantly arise, and the situations of resolving them repeat. Moreover, with a space setting, the scale is grand.

The reasons why readers can't put this book down and find it engaging don't stop there. Despite the serious atmosphere of humanity's crisis, the protagonist frequently cracks jokes, and the author's unique optimism permeates between the lines. So, where does this power of optimism come from? To this question, Andy Weir replied, "I've struggled with depression and poverty, but I always hold a strong belief in humanity. Things like calling an ambulance for a stranger or moving out of the way for an ambulance don't make the news. Human acts of helping each other are perfectly normal and ordinary. From a broad perspective, I believe we are continuously making the future better."

Thus, the reason his novels are so readable is not only due to their well-structured narratives and witty prose but also to his faith in a future filled with small acts of kindness. In "Project Hail Mary," where small acts of kindness are a key theme, not only a few heroes appear. Rather, numerous people, each in their own place, with small acts of kindness, simply seek ways to prevent Earth's destruction. When you see countries like the United States, the Soviet Union, Russia, and China come together to plan the construction of a spaceship to find a solution, regardless of their nationality, it feels even more fantastical than going into space and meeting aliens, and even brings a lump to your throat. The protagonist, a middle school teacher, was no different. Small actions he started for his students' future become the driving force to save Earth. Ultimately, this novel is a story of cosmic salvation brought about by ordinary and small acts of goodness. I hope you will experience those brilliant moments of immense salvation born from humility in "Project Hail Mary." And I hope you hear the whisper that your small acts of kindness can also make you a hero who saves Earth.

*

It was a particularly long and difficult task to figure out what new things we could convey to readers between what is imaginable and what is not. While preparing the first edition, we focused on announcing that "Project Hail Mary" was a new work by the same author who wrote "The Martian" and "Artemis." For subsequent re-covers, we concentrated on finding images that added cinematic imagination. This time, we were able to fully dedicate our efforts to dynamically capturing the passionate and thrilling journey of Rocky and Ryland, unfettered by any external factors. Finally, happiness, happiness, happiness. _Editor Kim Geon-hee

♪♬♪, (Hello)
There were scenes that made me unconsciously hold my breath and read with eyes darting as fast as the Earth's rotation. Thinking about how to translate that impression onto the new cover, I settled on 'two worlds' and 'encounter' as keywords. For the readers who will experience "Project Hail Mary" for the first time with this edition, and for those who already love this book, I wanted to create a meaningful cover. I debated dozens of times whether to include a small silhouette in the center. As a first-time reader and designer, I thought, "Let's not!" but as a fan, I thought, "It must be included!" But how can you beat a fan? As a designer, and more importantly, as a Project Hail Mary fan, I worked with the hope that this book would be one I'd keep on my shelf for a long time.
This book is "Good! Good! Good!" _Designer Kang Hye-rim

Table of Contents

Pages 01-10
Pages 02-34
Pages 03-54
Pages 04-83
Pages 05-112
Pages 06-150
Pages 07-180
Pages 08-201
Pages 09-227
Pages 10-248
Pages 11-271
Pages 12-289
Pages 13-311
Pages 14-336
Pages 15-362
Pages 16-379
Pages 17-400
Pages 18-422
Pages 19-445
Pages 20-471
Pages 21-494
Pages 22-523
Pages 23-550
Pages 24-570
Pages 25-590
Pages 26-617
Pages 27-632
Pages 28-639
Pages 29-652
Pages Vℓ-677

Acknowledgements - Page 686
Translator's Note - Page 688