Project Hail Mary Spoiler-Free Review – The Perfect Novel for Engineers

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a must read for everyone who enjoys science fiction, but especially for engineers. Even if you do not particularly enjoy reading, you will be able to enjoy the story in its movie adaptation that will be released in theaters next month, but I still highly recommend reading the book. Unlike most of the books that are reviewed on the BYU Design Review, Project Hail Mary is a fictional novel and not a piece of nonfiction about design thinking, so it is necessary to state that this is a spoiler free review. Major plot points will not be addressed, but I will share minor details and my general thoughts just to show that Project Hail Mary is the perfect book for engineers.

Figure 1: The book cover of Project Hail Mary [1].

Andy Weir is no stranger to writing commercially successful and critically acclaimed pieces of science fiction. His first book, The Martian, was first published in 2012 and was subsequently adapted into a movie of the same title starring Matt Damon in 2015. The Martian is praised for being (mostly) scientifically accurate, and Weir conducted meticulous research to accomplish such [2]. One of the experiments that he writes about in The Martian was never actually performed in real life before the book was published, but 8 years later, the Perseverance rover on Mars successfully performed the experiment [3]. Weir also conducted careful scientific research to ensure that the science in Project Hail Mary was well represented, but he also steers much more into the fiction part of science fiction than in The Martian.

Project Hail Mary is about a scientist, Ryland Grace (who will be played by Ryan Gosling in the movie), that wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of how he got there and what his mission is. Grace is a fantastic main character and narrator as he is relatable, hilarious, and resourceful. Throughout the novel, Grace must solve countless engineering problems to fight for his survival as his memory slowly comes back to him. While reading Project Hail Mary, I found myself well equipped for most of the scientific jargon used in the novel as I am about to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. It felt like principles from every class that I have taken in pursuit of my degree were represented in some shape or form as the story unfolded. To just name a few of the engineering concepts showcased in the novel, Grace has to perform heat transfer radiation analysis, use CAD to prototype, machine custom components using a mill, design and analyze pressure vessels, perform a frequency analysis using the Fourier Transform, select appropriate materials, and calculate dynamic forces and relative time related to space travel at light speed [4].

Figure 2: A scene from the Project Hail Mary trailer [5].

Project Hail Mary is an especially fun and rewarding read for engineers, but do not be worried that you will not understand everything if science is not your forte. Weir always explains scientific processes in a clear and easy to understand way. Whenever he describes a complex concept, he usually spends three to four sentences providing just enough information to impart a big picture understanding which often includes an example from everyday life, and then he states in a brief sentence what Grace is going to do because of this specific phenomenon. Even if you do not understand the specific mechanics of the scientific concept, you always understand why this concept is important to the story and how it will impact Grace’s decision making. Weir’s method of explaining the science in the novel is extremely well designed and makes the reader feel smart as they are solving puzzles alongside Grace. It is by far the easiest book I have ever read about complicated scientific phenomena [4].

Besides the fun and engaging depiction of science, I think the novel’s biggest strength is its pacing. The story moves along at a brisk pace and always divulges the perfect amount of information at the right time to keep the reader engaged. The story also never gets boring because the non-linear narrative goes back and forth between Grace’s mission in space and his memories from Earth that are slowly coming back to him. Project Hail Mary is difficult to put down and is a fast read despite its almost 500 pages.

To sum up my thoughts, Project Hail Mary is an engaging, heartwarming, and hilarious book that I recommend to everyone regardless of their scientific background, but I especially recommend it to engineers. I am looking forward to seeing how the movie brings the novel’s witty sense of humor to the big screen, and since the directors of the movie, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, also wrote and directed The Lego Movie, I have high hopes [6].

Sources

1] Weir, Andy. Andy Weir, 2024, https://andyweirauthor.com/.

[2] Weir, Andy. The Martian: A Novel. Crown Publishers, 2012.

[3] "How Scientifically Accurate is The Martian?" National Space Centre, 2021, https://www.spacecentre.co.uk/news/space-now-blog/how-scientifically-accurate-is-the-martian/.

[4] Weir, Andy. Project Hail Mary: A Novel. Ballantine Books, 2021.

[5] "Project Hail Mary." IMDb, 2026, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042730/.

[6] "The Lego Movie." IMDb, 2014, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1490017/.

To cite this article:
Ipsen, Blake. “Project Hail Mary Spoiler Free Review – The Perfect Novel for Engineers.” The BYU Design Review, 4 February 2026, https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/project-hail-mary-spoiler-free-review-the-perfect-novel-for-engineers.