A review by ergative
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

5.0

 SO GOOD. Andy Weir really does the one-guy-solving-problems + huge-world-effort-to-solve-problem quite well. I also think the decision for the ending worked very effectively to sidestep the much more complex social-political ramifications of his set-up that he was perhaps not capable of or interested in exploring in all their nuance and complexity. Even the bitts with Strat wielding all her power strained credulity just a bit, although I was happy to swallow that porcupine because the rest of it was so good. And, anyway, I didn't really want to read about that story. Society-falling-apart-when-confronted-with-catastrophe is a grim tale. A bright guy solving problems with an alien buddy is so much more fun.