“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir

Andy Weir’s The Martian was one of my favorite books of the past decade. The focus on smart scientists solving hard science problems was both a welcome throwback to the Golden Age of science fiction and a clever new take on the space-disaster genre. I thought Artemis was a bit of a misfire, largely because Weir seemed to struggle writing a female protagonist. Project Hail Mary retains Weir’s trademark glorification of science and scientists, but also differs from his previous two books. It’s a more emotional story and takes some very unexpected turns.

“Artemis” by Andy Weir

Andy Weir’s debut novel, The Martian, was one of the best science fiction novels of the past decade, so I was naturally intrigued when I heard about his new book, Artemis. On the one hand, Weir’s success means that he’ll likely have a much larger audience for Artemis than he initially did for The Martian, which he had to self-publish on Amazon. On the other hand, it’s nearly impossible to avoid comparing Artemis to The Martian, and unfortunately that comparison does Weir’s new book no favors.

“Beyond Words” by Carl Safina

In the 1980s, astrophysicist and science-fiction author David Brin wrote the Uplift series, in which humans elevate chimpanzees and dolphins to near-human intelligence. The idea of chimps conducting scientific research or dolphins piloting starships is somewhat ridiculous, but perhaps not as ridiculous as we once thought. As biologist Carl Safina shows in Beyond Words, many animals have complex emotional and intellectual lives. Safina invites readers to view animals as individuals who have their own “personalities” (“who, not what”). The chimps and dolphins in Beyond Words are even more interesting than anything in the Uplift novels – and they happen to be real!

“The Science of Battlestar Galactica” by Patrick di Justo and Kevin R. Grazier

In honor of Glen A. Larson’s recent passing on November 14, 2014, I am running several reviews about books related to Battlestar Galactica, his most famous and greatest creation.

The Science of Battlestar Galactica is written by Kevin R. Grazier, science advisor for the Battlestar Galactica remake during the 2000s. This gives him a unique insight into both the science and the production of the show.