7 books like Project Hail Mary for your next sci-fi fix

Project Hail Mary hits a sweet spot: a lone protagonist out-thinking impossible problems, real science worn lightly, and a surprising amount of heart. If you want that exact feeling again, start here.

1. The Martian — Andy Weir

The obvious first stop if you somehow haven’t read it. One stranded botanist, a hostile planet, and a lot of duct-tape ingenuity.

2. Children of Time — Adrian Tchaikovsky

Big-idea sci-fi about evolution, intelligence, and a very unexpected civilization. Patient, brilliant, and deeply rewarding.

3. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet — Becky Chambers

For the warmth and found-family side of Weir. Lower stakes, higher coziness, an utterly likable crew.

4. Recursion — Blake Crouch

A propulsive, twisty thriller built on one mind-bending premise. Same page-turning momentum, more existential dread.

5. Sea of Tranquility — Emily St. John Mandel

More literary, but ideas-rich and humane — time, art, and connection. For when you want sci-fi that lingers.

6. Hail Mary’s cousins in classic SF: The Mote in God’s Eye — Niven & Pournelle

First-contact problem-solving on a grand scale. A bit older, but the puzzle-box engineering will feel familiar.

7. Klara and the Sun — Kazuo Ishiguro

Quiet, tender science fiction told by an unforgettable narrator. The emotional aftertaste of PHM, in a very different key.

Find your next mission

Any of these might be on our shelves right now. Not sure where to jump in? Tell the Next Read Matchmaker what you loved about Project Hail Mary and let it choose — then trade it backwhen you’re done.