BOOK
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
THE GIST
The gist
A schoolteacher wakes up alone on a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there and has to piece together his mission, and his past, while Earth's future hangs on it. A problem-solving survival story with a big heart (2021).
ON THE SHOW
On the show.
- Ep 1 — Why Does SciFi Matter? (00:52–02:40, 12:52): Rob's example of sci-fi that's both a fun ride and a story that sticks with you: Grace's journey toward courage alongside Rocky. Caitlin adds the bigger picture of a whole world cooperating to save itself. Later, both call it the book to start with if you're new to sci-fi. ⚠️ Caitlin discusses the ending around 01:45–02:00.
TERMS
Terms it runs on.
- Hard vs. Soft Science Fiction — A spectrum, not a rule: hard sci-fi sticks closely to real, checkable science, while soft sci-fi cares more about people, societies, and ideas than about how the technology works.