PHM was the second sci-fi book I have ever read and I really, really loved it. I thought I hated it at first as I’m not usually a huge fan of first-person narration (and Ryland is so, so cringe) but the story is so sweet and Rocky is incredibly loveable. Also, coming from someone who works in education, trust and believe, cringey millennial science teachers are a dime a dozen. Ryland is annoying, but his character is pretty familiar and grounded in reality if you have spent time in a middle/high school staff room. The dialogue isn’t perfect and (apparently) neither is the science but it is easy to digest, feel-good fiction. Not the avenue one should walk down if searching for infallible hypotheses. Perhaps some of the Reddit hate mob should vet their literature through Google Scholar, keep it all peer-reviewed. Anyway, gripes aside, it was very refreshing to read something so optimistic. The real world is grim enough. I really loved the absence of evil, loved the happy ending, loved how teamwork made the dream work. One of the reviews on the cover described the book as “life-affirming” and I couldn’t agree more. So, does anyone have any similarly-themed books to recommend? Happy ending, working together, saving friends without experiencing catastrophic loss, good vibes stories? I’m sick of depressing “humans are naturally evil” nonsense. Need more life-affirming lit. The only tears I want to shed are happy ones. Genre doesn’t bother me, just looking for something that will ignite the same warmth in me as Grace did when he finally launched those beetles and turned his ship around.
by OldPaprika
1 Comment
The Martian has a very similar vibe (granted, same author), with the same kind of team work, although not face to face. It’s overcoming adversity, perseverance and working through problems. Plus the main character is very likable. If you loved Project Hail Mary, I’ll bet The Martian will do it for you too!