Review: Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Expectation is unfair. It can tell us what is good or bad before it is even upon us. Some excuse it as an evolutionary leftover, embracing our once vital need to hunt and fish, but that implies that this skill isn't useful in today's first class world. This, of course, is untrue. Practical use in everyday life aside, expectation plays an important factor in determining what I read next. With "The Martian" being one of my favorite books, Andy Weir's latest performed the rare feat of jumping to the top of my rather large "to read" pile. The cover/title alone had me expecting this to be The Martian 2.0. Now that I have finished with "Project Hail Mary", the only question left is if it met these rather high expectations.

One sidestep, I want to briefly revisit Andy Weir's second book "Artemis". While there is plenty to love about it, it falls flat in several areas. There are several aspects of the main character that felt out of Weir's element and come off as unremarkable. As if parts of it were written, or at least influenced, by committee. There's also a lot of world-building in that book. And, while some of it was interesting, it isn't Weir's strong suit. I merely point these things out to illuminate my mindset going into this new book. I have to admit "Artemis" might have left me purposely looking for pitfalls.

I'll start off with something nice before going to the negative zone. The wonderful writing, wit, and science are all here. Grace is the weakest character, trying to come off as an anti-Watney, but even he manages to gets a stamp of approval. Basically, everything you loved about Weir's work is all here with the added bonus of having the experience of two other novels under his belt. I won't say it's as good as "The Martian", but it is still a wonderful read that is difficult to put down.

Now, to nitpick.

Writing non-linearly can be rough. Or, to phrase it better, can be difficult to do well. I will say, given the story, it was the correct way to tell this tale. The flashes between past and present can be clunky at times as they are often motivated more by the plot than anything else, but it mostly works. The past segments could have been structured better, especially towards the end as they fade away once they become irrelevant. There are also a few scenes that come off as unimportant (i.e. Stratt v. Copyright). Well written and extremely entertaining scenes, but unimportant to the overall plot. This aspect of the book I could probably nitpick the most, but I still prefer the story being told this way than a straightforward linear thread.

Most of the book is paced well, thanks non-linear plot, but it wavers towards the end. The big problem is a lack of climax and resolution. There's a point in the book where our character(s) make a dangerous attempt to grab a sample. Honestly, this should have framed as the climax of the book because it answers much of what is proposed. However, there is one last problem that pops up and it serves as the framework for the novel's ending. I felt this was just one problem too many, there being a missed opportunity for a more somber conclusion.

Don't think I didn't like the ending. It was satisfying in both structure and emotion. In fact, I'll be uncharacteristically revealing in telling you something. The ending made me smile. And, if you have ever seen my normally stoic Sam the Eagle inspired face, you'll understand how big of an accomplishment this is. I haven't smiled at a book's ending since, well, The Martian.

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Review: 20XX, Vol. 1

20XX, Vol. 1 by Jonathan Luna
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ever been on a first date and you realize about halfway in that you don't even like the person you're on the date with. I don't mean hate them, but rather that they're just annoying. You don't even really want to be vague social media buddies much less romantic partners that are allowed to invade each other's personal space. The worst part is that you feel pressured to finish the date enough though the relationship has already failed. That's what it felt like reading this book. Nothing to really hate, but it was annoying to finish because I felt pressured to do so. I think mostly so I could complain about it in this review.

The reason I choose the dating analogy was because this book has a lot of post-teen social drama. Every character in this book is at that awkward age where they can legally have sex but still can't be compelled to behave like an adult most of the time. I found myself skimming the unreasonably large text bubbles that were mostly people venting their unearned emotions. Whenever someone is discussing plot or literally taking an exposition dump, their voice is far more concise. But when they're unpacking their emotional baggage, they'll hold the plot hostage for several pages until they're finished.

It's just bad writing all around. Bloated dialogue aside, there's almost no intelligent world-building or engaging characters. The pacing is downright horrible and several issues end with the exact same cliffhanger of the 'villain' looking at someone and making a statement that doesn't impact the story as much as the comic seems to think it does. It just doesn't effectively utilize anything. And I mean anything. Even naked boobs.

The art was obviously meant to be in color. There's a difference in how artists draw if the art is going to be colored in later compared to knowing it's going to stay black and white. The art in 'The Walking Dead' works because it was always meant to be in B&W. Sure, it looks fine colored in but remains in its best effect if it stays without color. The art, at least to me, looks as if they planned to add color but backed out after the fact. Either it was a money or bad artistic decision. Doesn't really matter. I doubt I would have enjoyed the art even if it was in color.

If it isn't obvious by now, I didn't care much for this book. I'm not disappointed because that implies this book showed promise. It did not. It wasted some of my life, but, to be fair, it is my life to waste. My only regret is that I just didn't get up and leave without even paying the bill.

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