How could we have known that the April book choice would be such a timely one?
On April 1st we were all transfixed by the historic launch of Artemis II, and as we discussed ‘Project Hail Mary’ by Andy Weir, the four astronauts were looping around the far side of the moon. About 252,760 miles (406,778 km) from Earth. This space sci-fi novel was definitely a departure from our usual genres but was enjoyed by most of the group. What did help was the fact that a film has just been released in cinemas with Ryan Gosling in the leading role.
A lone teacher - Astronaut, Ryland Grace wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of himself or his mission. He realises that he is the sole survivor of a crew sent to the Tau Ceti system to save Earth from disaster. He is on a desperate mission to save Earth from an energy-draining micro-organism called Astrophage, draining energy from the Sun.
However he discovers that he is not alone when he encounters an alien called Rocky. Difficult to believe, but Ryland forms a relationship with Rocky and they manage to communicate through harmonic tones and chords. Anything is possible. The ending did seem to fit perfectly into a post-Easter timeline. No spoilers here.
Average score was 7/10.
