What do you get when you mix an alien with jazz hands, too many scientific references, and a hint of cannibalism? A really tough read. 

Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace, the sole survivor on a spaceship where he can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone…or does he? 

Our Sci-fi expert, Ella Kopeikin, joins me today to talk about this hot mess of a 400-page book we had to endure. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Why we REALLY disliked this book (some would say hate)


• Why the necessity of an alien doing jazz hands was beyond us


• How this book has 4.5 stars on Goodreads…just, how?!

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will leave you squirming and red in the face for all the wrong reasons. 

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• Space Force  (TV Show)


• The Martian (Book)


• Gravity (Movie)


• 2001: A Space Odyssey (Book)


• Guardians of the Galaxy (Movie)


• Real Genius (Movie)


• Regular Show (TV Show)

Wine Pairings: Moon X and any gin, because Ella hates gin

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you! 

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