Books

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (2021)

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Non Spoiler Review

I think I broadly quite liked this book. The characters felt like they lacked depth, but the scenario felt very "real" and thought out and scratched a deep worldbuilding itch I have. The ending was brilliant, and I very much enjoyed the review that Brandon Sanderson posted to YouTube, where he described it as optimistic. It was definitely a breath of fresh air compared to most of the dystopian hard sci-fi.

Having not read any other novels from Weir, I do wonder if my issues with the dialogue/depth are better in his other work. I want to read The Martian following this and see how it holds up. I'm also excited to watch the adaptation coming out later this year.

Spoiler Review

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Rocky was by far the most interesting part of the book, and the frequent collision of his biology and environment with Grace was compelling. Having two people need to work together but at an arms length was great. Along those lines, Rocky truly felt alien. Very few pieces of media are able to depict aliens with a different and complicated biology that makes them feel truly otherworldly, but this book now sits alongside the film Arrival as one of my favourite depictions of aliens. Though it is annoyingly convenient that Rocky is able to process English in real time, and do maths in different bases.

I found myself regularly annoyed by Stratt, whose dialogue was schlocky. She felt very one dimensional, and the one time and interesting dynamic was brought up (her soft spot for Grace, and the implications of their relationship), it was quickly brushed aside. The dialogue all around is slightly too casual for my tastes, and it makes it hard to care for any of the characters.

Grace's full story, when revealed, is a little disheartening too. Many of the circumstances that lead to him being the sole survivor of Project Hail Mary feel quite contrived. He is also quite unlikeable as a protagonist, cowardly and (at the start of the novel) reactive. I think I can give hime a pass for this though, because eventually he does become more proactive. He also redeems himself at the end, by letting go of his cowardice and saving Rocky (and by extension, the Eridians).

Films

Hamnet (2025)

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I went into this film with high expectations, I love Paul Mescal and I love artsy films, but this just wasn't for me. The concept is definitely interesting, and I had no idea about the rest of Shakespeare's family, so I might pick up the book. Unfortunately, a lot of the shot composition felt distant and combined with the fleeting dialogue it was quite hard to connect with the characters.

To be a little vulnerable, I think this story speaks a lot to the trauma of childbirth and death, and the roles we place on women socially as the stewards of childrearing. I think that might be part of why this story doesn't resonate with me but has with many other people. I hope the book places me inside Agnes' thoughts and feelings, and can help me identify with the character and what she is going through more. These are complicated topics and whilst I feel like the ethereal nature of the film is good at getting the emotion/vibe across to a familiar audience, it misses the mark for me.