Andy Weir reveals his fun and frantic creative process behind 'Project Hail Mary'

NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

Aug 19, 202611:48Arts

In Project Hail Mary, amateur astronaut Ryland Grace must travel light years from Earth to save humanity from a dying Sun. The stakes are high, to say the least. But author Andy Weir was intentional about centering hope...

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from NPR's Book of the Day.

'Odyssey' translator Emily Wilson on her book of essays 'Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea'

Sep 15, 2026 - 7:51

Emily Wilson is a classicist whose translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey are popular and controversia...

Marlon James' novel 'The Disappearers' chronicles the aftermath of a violent attack

Sep 14, 2026 - 8:55

In 1988, a group of gay men gathered in Kingston, Jamaica to put on a play. At the time, homophobia in th...

Marking 25 years since Sept. 11 with 'All the Presidents' Wars' and 'Scattered Steel'

Sep 11, 2026 - 17:18

On today’s show, we mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with two books that historicize the attacks. Fi...

Sen. Ted Cruz's new book 'Going Further' praises Justice Clarence Thomas

Sep 10, 2026 - 8:17

Sen. Ted Cruz’s new book isn’t a political memoir but an exploration of the life and career of Justice Cl...

Author Jade Chang on the books she's reading to keep summer going

Sep 9, 2026 - 8:41

For author Jade Chang, the vibe of summer isn’t encapsulated at the pool or by the beach, but in time its...

To combat the 'Artificial State,' Jill Lepore says to look to science fiction

Sep 8, 2026 - 7:32

Jill Lepore says our liberal democracy has been replaced by corporations and technology. But what can we...

Author Liane Moriarty on her long-awaited sequel to 'Big Little Lies'

Sep 7, 2026 - 9:42

After the big success of the 2014 novel Big Little Lies , which included an award-winning HBO adaptation,...

New music books take on Paul Simon's 'Graceland' and the history of music and prison

Sep 4, 2026 - 17:19

In today’s episode, we chat about two new music histories. First, 1986’s Graceland is considered Paul Sim...