The astronaut (novel)

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The astronaut is the third science fiction novel by the American writer Andy Weir after The Martian and Artemis . The English-language original edition was published in spring 2021 under the title Project Hail Mary . At the center of the story is the astronaut Ryland Grace, who is on an interstellar mission to save humanity.

background

After completing Der Martianer , Weir planned a multi-volume space opera called Zhek . It was about a black substance that absorbs electromagnetic radiation and serves as fuel for interstellar travel. However, Weir was dissatisfied with the plot and discontinued the project. Parts of it were reused for Project Hail Mary .

Some readers saw parallels in the work with the COVID-19 pandemic , as infection, social isolation, and global scientific efforts to cope with a disaster are central elements of the story. However, Weir finished the book during the early days of the pandemic and described the similarities as coincidental.

plot

Main setting of the novel: The system of Tau Ceti (blue circle) in the constellation Whale

A man wakes up from a coma with no memories whatsoever of where he is or where he came from. In the same room there is another man and woman who have obviously been dead for a long time. With the help of his scientific knowledge, he finds out that he is on a spaceship that is traveling in the system of another star. Little by little, memories of the events that led to his situation come back during his mission.

The earth is on the brink of a new ice age. This is triggered by a loss of energy in the sun, which is related to the mysterious Petrowa ray , named after its discoverer, which extends between the sun and Venus and shines weakly in the infrared range . It is estimated that a large part of the world's population will die in just a few decades. Observations of stars in the vicinity of the Sun show that the phenomenon is widespread and appears to be transmitted from star to star. Only Tau Ceti is an exception: it is located in the center of the contaminated stars and is not itself affected.

The passionate teacher and former molecular biologist Ryland Grace is contacted by Eva Stratt and is supposed to help with researching the phenomenon. Stratt is the head of a United Nations task force that is looking for a solution to the problem. First, Grace is supposed to examine a sample from the Petrova ray. He finds out that they are single-celled organisms and researches their life cycle, which he deciphered together with other scientists: The single-celled organisms, known as astrophages , collect energy on the sun and store it inside in the form of neutrinos . Then they go to a source of carbon dioxide (Venus), which they need for their reproduction, and then return to the sun. They use radiant infrared light to move. They are able to withstand extremely high and low temperatures by absorbing or releasing enormous amounts of energy in order to maintain their body temperature. They also absorb all types of radiation. Their inheritance is based on DNA , and they also have mitochondria . Under the direction of Stratt, the Hail Mary project is initiated to save mankind , which envisages an interstellar journey to the Tau-Ceti system to find out why the astrophages are not harming the star. With the astrophages as energy carriers, the so-called spin drive is developed. The astrophages necessary for the flight are multiplied in large quantities and charged using solar thermal energy on around a quarter of the surface of the Sahara . The mission is planned with three crew members who will be placed in a risky artificial coma for the long flight and for whom there will be no return trip. The Hail Mary houses four probes with which the relevant findings are to be brought back to earth. Shortly before take-off, one of the astronauts is killed in an accident. Grace is supposed to replace him, but he is afraid of certain death, also because he will not see his students again. However, Stratt forces him and has him administered a drug that temporarily erases his memories.

When Grace remembers his name again, he gets access to the bridge and thus full control of the Hail Mary . When he discovers that there is also a Petrowa ray in the Tau-Ceti system, an unknown spaceship approaches him. The crew is interested in communication and is building a tunnel between the two ships. On a partition wall in the tunnel, Grace encounters an alien life form for the first time: a stone, spider-like creature with five clawed legs that Grace calls Rocky from now on . Rocky cannot see any light and perceives his surroundings via echolocation . He communicates with melodies that Grace uses to create a dictionary on a computer. In this way, a lively exchange soon takes place. Rocky is a gifted engineer and in the same situation as Grace: his home star 40 Eridani A is infested with astrophages, so his people developed a similar drive and sent a crew of 23 to Tau Ceti. Since their home planet 40 Eridani A b (called 'Erid' by Grace) has a strong magnetic field, they did not know anything about the cosmic rays , which all died; except for Rocky, who was mostly between the tanks with the protective astrophages. The Eridians live in an ammonia- containing atmosphere under high pressure and high temperature, so that Grace and Rocky can only stay in separate areas. Their lives are also based on DNA, but their bodies contain little organic material, while a large part consists of silicates and metals . Their life expectancy is significantly higher than that of humans - Rocky has been in the Tau-Ceti system for over 40 years. His planet still has a little more time than the earth. From now on they both work together.

Meanwhile, Grace draws hope again: The Eridians sent their mission on their way without any knowledge of relativistic physics , which ensured that Rocky had significantly more fuel available than he needed for his return journey. He's ready to give Grace some of it. The two set off for the planet Tau Ceti e (named by Grace Adrian ), to which the Petrowa Ray extends. They find out that there are unicellular natural enemies of the astrophages that limit the astrophage population , and they name them dew flukes . In a risky operation, Grace and Rocky take a sample of dew from Adrian's atmosphere, where Rocky almost dies. A new problem is that dew owls are killed by even small amounts of nitrogen. As a result, they cannot be released on Venus or on the corresponding planet in Rocky's home system. However, the two succeed in breeding nitrogen- resistant dew - owls .

Rocky and Grace say goodbye and head for their respective homes. After a few days of flight, Grace notices that some of the dew have escaped from their containers. He can bring the situation under control, but Rocky is in trouble: As a side effect of breeding, dew-gusts have developed that are able to penetrate the material of the containers - the material that makes up almost all of Rocky's ship. After he no longer receives the infrared light from Rocky's drive, Grace makes up his mind. He sends the four probes to earth with all the information and dew and sets off to meet his friend, whom he reaches after six weeks. As expected, the dew has completely consumed Rocky's fuel. Grace takes him aboard the Hail Mary and sets course for 40 Eridani.

Several years have passed since Grace arrived on Erid and the planet was saved. The Eridians have built a living area for him and provide him with everything he needs. Rocky comes to visit and announces that the sun has also returned to its full luminosity. The mission was successful. Grace is not sure if he wants to go back to Earth. He has friends on Erid. And he has a job. A group of Eridian children gathers in front of him and he begins teaching.

reception

The book was received largely positively. Science fiction and fantasy authors such as Ernest Cline , Brandon Sanderson and George RR Martin found words of praise. Kirkus Reviews calls Project Hail Mary a "science fiction masterpiece". For Claire Wilson of the New Scientist , the special attraction of the book lies in the relationship between Grace and Rocky. According to science blogger Florian Freistetter , Weir succeeds once more in “ pouring his love of science into a great mixture of nerdism , MacGyverism , science fiction and crime”; whereby he particularly considers the "mixture of astronomy and biology" to be remarkable.

Mary Robinette Kowal is less enthusiastic about her review in the Washington Post . Although she praises the enthusiasm for science in the novel and the design of Rocky, she also sees some logic gaps. For example, she criticizes the lack of checklists on board the Hail Mary . These are omnipresent in space travel and have saved Grace many problems.

filming

In 2020 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer secured the filming rights for Project Hail Mary . Chris Miller and Phil Lord are slated to direct, while Ryan Gosling is slated to star .

expenditure

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Alexandra Alter: Andy Weir's New Space Odyssey. nytimes.com, May 3, 2021; accessed June 20, 2021 .
  2. ↑ Clare Wilson: Project Hail Mary review: Andy Weir conjures a new tale of space peril. New Scientist, May 15, 2021, accessed June 20, 2021 .
  3. ↑ Florian Freistetter: Extra-Terrestrial and Climate Crisis: The Book Recommendations from May 2021. ScienceBlogs , May 31, 2021, accessed on June 20, 2021 .
  4. ↑ Mary Robinette Kowal: Andy Weir's 'Project Hail Mary' is a bestseller. It also has some problems. The Washington Post , May 23, 2021, accessed June 20, 2021 .
  5. ↑ Ryan Gosling shoots astronaut thriller. sueddeutsche.de, May 17, 2020, accessed on June 21, 2021 .