What to Read After Project Hail Mary: Sci-Fi for Andy Weir Fans
June 5, 2026
Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary hit a sweet spot a lot of readers didn’t know they were craving: a lone, resourceful narrator solving impossible problems with real science, a ticking clock, genuine wonder, and a streak of optimism rare in modern sci-fi. With a film adaptation drawing fresh attention, plenty of people are finishing it and asking for more of exactly that. Here’s where to go next.
If you want more Andy Weir
Start with the obvious: The Martian (2014), the survival story that made his name, and Artemis (2017), a heist on the Moon with the same wisecracking, technically-grounded voice. If you somehow came to Project Hail Mary first, The Martian is essential. Browse Andy Weir’s books →
If you want competence and problem-solving
The Calculating Stars — Mary Robinette Kowal An alternate-history space race led by a brilliant mathematician-pilot. Warm, smart, and propulsive — perfect for readers who loved watching a competent protagonist work the problem.
Seveneves — Neal Stephenson The Moon explodes; humanity has two years to get people off Earth. Dense with orbital mechanics and engineering, and unmatched if the hard-science side of Project Hail Mary is what hooked you.
If you want first contact and wonder
Children of Time — Adrian Tchaikovsky A generation ship, a terraformed world, and an utterly alien intelligence evolving in parallel. The “thinking through a non-human mind” element will land hard for Rocky fans.
A Memory Called Empire — Arkady Martine Political, dazzling first-contact-adjacent SF about identity, language, and empire — for readers who want big ideas with their tension.
If you want the survival thriller
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet — Becky Chambers Less peril, more heart — a cosy, character-driven space opera for readers who loved the hope in Project Hail Mary more than the danger.
Recursion — Blake Crouch Not space, but pure high-concept science thriller with the same page-turning “what happens next?” engine.
The through-line
What unites these is Weir’s real signature: intelligence treated as heroic, science treated as a source of awe rather than dread, and the conviction that a clever, stubborn person can make a difference. Any of the above will scratch that itch.