Books like Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary (in theaters) is based on Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. An amnesiac scientist wakes alone in deep space and problem-solves his way toward saving humanity, one giddy eureka at a time. Here's the source — and what to read when you've finished it.
Start at the source
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir — the heart of the film is right here — science, jokes, and one very good friend
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
Dennis E. Taylor · 2016
A geeky everyman wakes up as a starship AI and has to outwit hostile rival probes — light, banter-driven sci-fi that reads like a competent nerd's inner…
The Martian
Andy Weir · 2011
A relentlessly propulsive survival story told largely through log entries, where each engineering crisis is met with wisecracks and duct-taped ingenuity.
Recursion
Blake Crouch · 2019
A high-concept sci-fi thriller braiding a detective's investigation with a neuroscientist's memory technology as reality itself begins to unravel.
Children of Time
Adrian Tchaikovsky · 2015
A generations-spanning dual narrative braids humanity's desperate ark-ship struggle with the uplift-driven evolution of an alien civilization on a…
Network Effect
Martha Wells · 2020
A wry, first-person AI narrator carries pew-pew space-opera action with deadpan humor and reluctant loyalty to its human crew — propulsive and relatable…
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman · 2020
A gonzo apocalypse-as-game-show premise that plays gladiatorial dungeon-crawling for both splatter comedy and satirical bite — episodic level-by-level…
Seveneves
Neal Stephenson · 2015
An apocalyptic countdown that widens into a millennia-spanning survival epic, trading intimate character focus for scale, engineering detail, and the sweep…
Rendezvous with Rama
Arthur C. Clarke · 1973
A methodical, awe-tinged exploration of an enormous alien artifact where the wonder is in the puzzle, not the people — Clarke's cool, engineer's voice…
Only Human
Sylvain Neuvel · 2018
A fast, plot-driven return to a fractured world where alliances collapse and old friends turn on each other — action-forward and escalating.
Rocket Ship Galileo
Robert A. Heinlein · 1947
A can-do band of teens and a scientist engineer their own rocket and face down sabotage on the way to the moon — earnest mid-century adventure with a…
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
Hank Green · 2018
A viral-fame thriller wrapped around a first-contact mystery — cinematic, propulsive, and preoccupied with what internet celebrity does to a person's sense…
To Be Taught, If Fortunate
Becky Chambers · 2019
A quiet, philosophical novella about a small crew of somaformed astronauts exploring exoplanets — reflective and idea-driven rather than plot-propulsive.
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig · 2020
An accessible, high-concept fable that hops between alternate lives in short, digestible chapters, building toward an earnest affirmation about regret and…
Foundation
Isaac Asimov · 1951
Idea-driven galactic chess where puzzles of psychology and misdirection matter more than action — plain prose, ensemble cast, and a young Arkady Darell at…
Gateway
Frederik Pohl · 1977
A survivor's-guilt story wrapped in a lottery-ticket premise: each alien ship voyage might mean riches or death, and the reveals come in fragments.
The Darkest Minds
Alexandra Bracken · 2012
A dystopian road-trip thriller with psychic teens on the run — propulsive, emotionally charged, and anchored by a wary first-person narrator whose powers…
Ringworld
Larry Niven · 1970
A big-idea exploration novel where the sheer scale of the ringworld is the star — puzzle-solving, alien banter, and vintage hard-SF wonder over character depth.
Shift
Hugh Howey · 2012
A dystopian origin story that reaches back to explain how the silos came to be, braiding architects of catastrophe with those trapped inside its consequences.
We Are Legion
Dennis E. Taylor · 2016
A breezy, geek-friendly sci-fi adventure: engineer-turned-AI-probe narrates his predicament with dry wit while dodging rival nations and alien threats.
Artemis
Andy Weir · 2017
A fast-paced heist thriller set in humanity's first lunar city, where a smuggler must navigate conspiracy and danger through technical problem-solving and…
Artificial Condition
Martha Wells · 2018
A short, propulsive AI-noir where a self-named 'Murderbot' investigates its own gap-riddled past alongside a snarky research transport — plot moves fast…
Between Planets
Robert A. Heinlein · 1951
A young protagonist navigates identity and loyalty across colonized worlds amid solar-system war, blending Heinlein's earnest adventurism with intimate…
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor
Hank Green · 2020
A fast-talking, idea-dense sequel that mixes internet-culture satire with genuine anxiety about fame, technology, and what it means to be human.
Carl's Doomsday Scenario
Matt Dinniman · 2020
A gonzo, darkly funny dungeon-crawl LitRPG where survival horror collides with gameshow satire, propelled by Carl's snarky voice and his cat Donut's antics.
Find your next read by its genome
Tell Novelome one book you love — recommendations tuned to how books actually read.
Start free →