Last week, I read two renowned science fiction books - Rendezvous with Rama and Project Hail Mary. Both books. I loved reading both of them for different reasons. Rendezvous with Rama is a brilliantly written sci-fi thriller which depicts a realistic, most likely scenario of what would happen if we were to encounter a more advanced life form in the universe. I would highly recommend for anyone to read the book and explore the mysteries of the spaceship - Rama.
Project Hail Mary on the other hand felt like a more comfort read written for widespread consumption. It has all the components of a book which doesn't require much thinking but readers can still enjoy a light science fiction read. Overall I would still recommend this book if you are interested in reading a science fiction book which isnt too heavy on science and does not require a lot of background knowledge, but is still thrilling and a page turner.
To help you decide on whether to pick up Project Hail Mary, below are some goods and bads of the book based on my read
The Good
Rocky - Rocky is absolutely the best character of the book. Without spoiling much of the book, I would say Rocky is likable right from the start and keeps the book engaging and the story moving forward. Enough said! Read the book if you want to find out more about Rocky!
Simple and engaging Storyline - The storyline and the way the author has written the story is simple and linear. Earth faces an existential crisis, our hero embarks on a journey to save everyone and wins. Easy peasy. However despite the simplicity, the story still has many unexpected twists and turns that will keep you engaged.
Interesting theories on evolution of life: I loved the multiple times the author asks great insightful questions on why life evolved a certain way and then proposed theories to support that. I personally never thought about those and really liked the reasoning behind the theories. I understand they might be widely accepted in the scientific community and the author probably just added those in the book. However i still found it very interesting to read and understand that.
The Bad
Unrealistic character actions: Some characters like Stratt for example act significantly differently than how humans would in a real life situation. In the book, the world gets together and pools its resources to fight against the threat. However, I feel that's different from reality. The movie “Dont look up” is more realistic in depicting how humanity responds to an existential threat. The infighting, the greed, prioritizing short term and personal gains over the longer term approach, how leaders and officials look for their benefit and survival over that of the others reflects reality. PHM on the other hand paints a picture of leaders working together to a common good to save the world. Even going to the extent of bombing Antartitica to buy time to save half of humanity.
Deus Ex Machina: there were a lot of times where the story used one of the characters as a Deus Ex Machina whenever the story required. Grace, our main character, faces issues or problems and there will be a Deus Ex Machina ready to help him out of the situation. I liked it and enjoyed the first few times where it felt believable. However towards the end it just felt like the author was throwing twists and turns to lengthen the story and would need the Deus Ex Machina to get him out of the situation.
Rushed Ending: The ending of the book felt rushed and not polished. It also felt very predictable.
Overall I really enjoyed the book and finished it in one setting. I would highly recommend everyone to read this book and give it a try.
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