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Thu Mar 26 2026

Clare Mulroy | Books Reporter

Happy Thursday, booklovers!

"Project Hail Mary" has us stocking up on the latest and greatest in sci-fi. And before you ask, yes, the movie is really that good. Ryan Gosling captures the wit and heart of Weir's reluctant astronaut Ryland Grace, and puppeteers make even the faceless alien Rocky feel emotive and lovable. USA TODAY's movie critic Brian Truitt calls it "the first great movie of 2026."

While the film certainly simplifies the hardcore science, it's impressively faithful. Part of that is because Weir served as a producer, fact-checking what Gosling calls "space math" and helping translate scenes beat for beat. Just ahead of the release, we took Weir to the science museum and chatted with him about "Project Hail Mary." Read our full interview with Weir to see him crack dirty science jokes with an astrophysicist, talk about working with Gosling and geek out in his natural habitat.

Andy Weir holds a copy of "Project Hail Mary" while admiring a scale model of the planets at the American Museum of Natural History.

Nathanial Gary, USA Today

If you're craving more interstellar adventures after seeing or reading "Project Hail Mary," we've got suggestions. Check out our full roundup, which includes books like:

👾 'The Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu: A science-heavy novel that follows a secret military project making contact with a crumbling alien civilization

🚀 'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins Reid: For those who want something a little more tender, a big-hearted love story against the backdrop of NASA's 1980s space shuttle program

👽 'Dawn' by Octavia Butler: Aliens rescue the human survivors of a nuclear war and restore Earth, but at what price?

What did you think of "Project Hail Mary"? Let me know in an email at cmulroy@usatoday.com or by reaching out on Instagram. Thanks for checking out USA TODAY Books this week!