“Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.”
One of the most acclaimed sci-fi books in recent times, Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary is the story of Ryland Grace, the sole survivor of a desperate, last-chance mission to save Earth and humanity. Only he doesn’t know that.
When he awakes after being asleep for a very, very long time, he has no recollection of his mission or how to complete it and only has a couple of corpses for company. Project Hail Mary is a breathtaking ride that follows Ryland as he attempts to piece together his situation and conquer an extinction-level threat looming on the horizon. Delivered with all of the imagination and wit Weir has become renowned for, join us at What We Reading for the best sci-fi books like Project Hail Mary!
The Martian – Andy Weir
Where better to kick off our list of the best books like Project Hail Mary than with another stellar read from the author himself? A Goodreads Choice Award winner for Best Science-Fiction, readers follow astronaut Mark Watney. Six days ago, he became the first man to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he’s sure to become the first person to die on it.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his team to leave him behind, thinking for sure that he must have perished, Mark wakes up with no way of evacuating or signalling for help. However, through a combination of his engineer ingenuity and a dogged refusal to give up, he soldiers on, overcoming obstacle after obstacle in the process. But, will his resourcefulness be enough?
The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1) – Liu Cixin
Set against China’s Cultural Revolution, Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem kicks off with a secret government programme that sends signals to space to get in contact with alien species. Before long, a civilisation on the brink of collapse latches onto this signal and plans to invade.
Back on Earth, the book follows humanity as factions are formed. Some prepare to welcome their would-be invaders, seeing the world at present as corrupt and in need of superior beings to take control. Others, prepare to take a stand. Wildly imaginative, The Three-Body Problem is one of the great contemporary sci-fi reads, and one of the best books like Project Hail Mary.
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Rendezvous With Rama (Rama #1) – Arthur C. Clarke
Rendezvous with Rama is the first entry in the Rama series from one of the most acclaimed and important writers in the sci-fi world. In it, he opens on a strange astronomical object scientists soon named ‘Rama’. Weighing more than ten trillion tons and hurtling through the solar system at unimaginable speed, they soon discover that this is no naturally forming object.
Incredibly, Rama is an interstellar object and represents humanity’s first-ever interaction with alien life. However, whilst Rama may kindle their wildest hopes, it so too can easily wield some of their gravest nightmares. Rendezvous with Rama is a pulsating book that continues to capture the imaginations of sci-fi fans and is sure to be a hit with any fan of Andy Weir’s works.
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) – Martha Wells
Martha Wells introduces a space-faring future in All Systems Red where planetary missions must be approved by the Company. For safety, exploratory teams are always accompanied by a Company-supplied security android.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests. They are accompanied by their android, a self-aware robot that refers to itself as ‘Murderbot’. Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants nothing more than to venture out on its own and discover its sense of belonging. But, when another mission goes dark, it is up to the scientists and Murderbot to work out the truth of what has happened.
Blind Lake – Robert Charles Wilson
For another book like Project Hail Mary that captures the enticing sensation of the events being more than feasible, Blind Lake by Robert Charles Wilson remains a go-to. Blind Lake is a large federal research compound in rural Minnesota where a group of scientists are observing alien life on a distant planet. They can’t interact with the alien species, only observe it.
And then, the compound is put under a military cordon. No contact with the outside world is allowed, and food is delivered for them, but the scientists’ work continues. Readers follow one of the scientists, Nerissa Iverson. The alien Nerissa has been studying almost seems to be becoming aware of her observations, leading to her questioning the true nature of her work. But, with hostility within the compound growing and the military net tightening, getting to the truth will need to happen quickly.
Seveneves – Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson poses the question: ‘What would happen if the world were ending?’ in his Goodreads nominated sci-fi novel, Seveneves. After a catastrophic event leaves the Earth a ticking time bomb, nations around the globe work together to ensure the survival of humanity out among the stars in outer space. The complexities and unpredictability of human nature, however, leave only a handful of survivors left standing.
Fast forward five thousand years into the future, and these survivors have blossomed into seven distinct races, all totalling billions in strength. They embark on an equally ambitious trek to a land ravaged by time and cataclysm: Earth. Stephenson combines philosophical thinking with imaginative science-fiction in Seveneves, presenting a book like Project Hail Mary that is both a compelling piece of speculative fiction, as well as a grounded portrait of a future that looks eerily recognisable.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse #1) – Dennis E. Taylor
In Dennis E. Taylor’s We Are Legion, readers are introduced to Bob Johansson. Having just sold his software company, he is looking forward to a life of leisure. Which makes his sudden death after being run over all the more unfair.
Bob wakes up a century later as property of the state, discovering that corpsicles have been denied any basic rights. He is put to work as the controlling AI of an interstellar probe tasked with finding habitable planets suitable for life. If he refuses, he will be permanently turned off. However, accepting the task will put him in competition with other probes who are all willing to play dirty. Jetting off from Earth at great speed, Bob will soon find other nasties out in the cosmos, who also don’t take too kindly to visitors.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
