Project Hail Mary: What Fantasy Can Learn From Science Fiction

Yes, this is an article about hard magic systems and how they compare to thoughtful science fiction. Spoilers Ahead for Project Hail Mary. If you’re a fantasy reader and you haven’t read this sci-fi gem yet, go check it out, then come back here!

Thoughtful science fiction takes an idea and dissects it. The exploration of human interaction with the unknown or the imagined has brought beloved stories to life for centuries. Long before Wells, Verne, or Asimov put pen to page, we looked to the stars and wondered what might be looking back.

Project Hail Mary presents fact and fiction in perfectly paced layers. The reader’s understanding of the science in the story allows Ryland Grace’s triumphs, failures, and discoveries to resonate as only the best speculative fiction can.

Whether you’re a new writer learning how to present hard science or a hard magic system or a reader who enjoys deconstructing writing mechanics and pacing, Project Hail Mary is both valuable and entertaining.

“What’s 2+2? What’s your name?”

Andy Weir doesn’t waste time expositing. He lets the nameless main character wake from his medically induced coma and start solving problems. As he solves them, he recalls fragments of his past, each relevant to the science mysteries he is solving. The first memories reveal his name, Ryland Grace, and his name is the password to access the next room on the ship. The parallels between both timelines keep the story moving, and revealing information piece by piece helps exposition land without long narrative breaks for lore dumping.

Rather than fill in the audience on the history of the Hail Mary or daily life on Earth, the memories tell Grace’s story and reveal the science he uses to solve problems on his spacecraft. The perspective is closely tied to Grace throughout the book, and it is his acumen that drives his recall of important memories and important deductions as he experiences the events of the book.

Weir starts the action at the beginning of the adventure: the protagonist waking from a coma covered in electrodes, well-muscled, but clumsy and amnesiac. He can recall data, processes, and other things, then the computer asks him, “What’s two plus two?” And at first he can barely get a word out. His labored “four” is the first triumph of the novel. Soon the computerized voice asks, “What’s your name?” and he realizes he doesn’t know. “Only now does it occur to me: I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what I do. I don’t remember anything at all.”

As the novel progresses, we see the scope and scale of the questions Grace is asked get more complex. But the combination of coma fog and computerized addition equations start the pace off at an accessible, familiar level before diving deep into the questions and mysteries that drive the core conflict of the novel. This is a science fiction novel that you can approach with very little scientific background; we learn alongside Grace, and his expertise helps guide us through the questions at the heart of his journey.

Astrophage Exposition

Adding layers to your magic system without adding new pieces helps it feel deep and interconnected. This is Sanderson’s third law, and it can help you avoid bloated exposition. Astrophage is the primary speculative element of the novel, and remains Weir’s only significant invention until well into the novel. Astrophage is at first a cell, a space creature at the scale of bacteria that doesn’t change temperature; it retains a temperature of 96.415 degrees Celsius. Soon, the properties of the sun-eating bacteria lead to the discovery of clean energy sources, light-speed travel, and the impending ice age and end of the world.

It starts as practically a conspiracy theory, then becomes a problem when the characters realize the sun is dimming. Solutions become problems, problems become solutions, and the uses and human understanding of Astrophage become the driving force behind both of the book’s timelines.

As we learn about Grace and about Astrophage, we see more threads connecting the two timelines. Grace’s miniature mortal enemy is also his radiation shielding, his fuel, his engine, and his map through the Tau Ceti system. And one day, after his arrival in that system, he sees an infrared flare in his Petrovascope. Astute readers might surmise that this is another spaceship, burning Astrophage to cross the stars and meet Grace.

Gonna 🎵🎶 Now

Enter Rocky. Grace’s alien roommate and research assistant serves the narrative while deepening readers’ interactions with Astrophage; Sanderson’s third law remains a throughline here. Limiting your magic system gives space for unique characters, who in turn give unique perspectives on magic system mechanics. The same is true for thoughtful science fiction. Project Hail Mary’s cast is fairly small, with a few scientists working on the Astrophage problem with Grace at home and one exotic engineer helping him solve problems in deep space. The science is always moving forward, even when the Astrophage problem takes a backseat to Grace’s discovery of spacefaring intelligent life.

Rocky’s existence does a few things for the story: It helps establish that the Astrophage problem is universal, demonstrates that other species are in space looking for answers, and introduces Grace to an intelligent alien. Fast thinking and a wealth of computer technology help facilitate communication, and with the miracles of xenonite manufacturing and some of the Blip-A’s resources, they start solving interstellar mysteries hand-in-claw. Rocky and Grace’s relationship is the emotional heart of this novel, and adds depth to Grace’s motivations to both understand the world around him (through experimentation and memory recall) and save Earth for his students.

They are both geniuses in their own ways; Rocky’s engineering expertise complements Grace’s problem-solving and abstract reasoning. Together they are able to navigate orbital escapades, language barriers, and massive space adventures. The uses for Astrophage that were established by Grace’s early flashbacks help us extrapolate information about Rocky and the Eridians (Rocky’s species) that the characters can’t talk about yet.

Between a Rocky and a Hard Place

The science leads to increased character depth and growth that deepens their relationship. This is a sci-fi story that moves forward by focusing on its characters. Scientific discoveries are flavored by Dr. Grace’s (and Andy Weir’s) characteristic wit. Even when science takes the spotlight, it’s Grace’s humor and his relationships that bring true magic to this man-vs.-nature story. Fantasy writers take note: Your characters are often more important to the story you are telling than an interesting world or magic system.

This also leads to the story’s climax, when Grace and Rocky head home, ready to deliver the miraculous Taumoeba to their home planets and end the Astrophage crisis. But after breeding their nitrogen-resistant strain of miracle bacteria, Grace discovers that the precious microzoa has now evolved to penetrate xenonite, a feat that even nitrogen molecules can’t match.

With Grace’s replacement fuel cells made of xenonite, his ship is severely affected, but not as badly as Rocky’s, which is entirely made of xenonite. This single extrapolation of the “magic system’s” evolution also forces Grace to choose between his triumphant return to Earth or saving Rocky—and by extension, Rocky’s race and people. The science and the characters work together right until the end, when we discover Grace’s retirement on Erid, and get the final confirmation that Earth was saved. *Jazz hands!*

Experience, the Great Teacher

If you’re writing fantasy with a hard magic system, you can learn from Project Hail Mary. Carefully layering your magic system and your worldbuilding while letting characters drive the story makes for a compelling narrative. This is a system with no shortcuts; you’ll still need to write compelling scenes and arcs for these characters to work. A great character doesn’t need a fantastic magic system to be beloved, but a great magic system can’t make up for poor characters.

Andy Weir knows these lessons, and he doesn't shortcut the science for a great scene. In an interview with Penguin Random House, he was asked how he balances scientific accuracy with narrative intrigue. Andy said:

That same care has been taken in the film version. Aditya Sood, producer of both The Martian and Project Hail Mary, gave us the secret formula for big screen success:

If one word could describe Project Hail Mary, I might use “thoughtful.” Weir considers Astrophage from more than a dozen angles before introducing the next fictional element, and the same care goes into the introduction of Rocky and Taumoeba. Every introduction of a character, new system on the Hail Mary, or new property of Astrophage adds layers to the mystery Grace is solving. Taking time to layer your novel’s speculative elements helps keep the story tight. A tight story lets your characters shine, adding emotional weight to the reader’s experience with your novel. And unforgettable reads like Project Hail Mary go on to inspire other writers, debut on the big screen, and pave the way for the next great adventure.