Loved Project Hail Mary? 5 Sci-Fi Books to Read Next

Few space stories in recent memory have landed like Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir's 2021 novel became a Ryan Gosling movie this spring, opening in U.S. theaters on March 20, 2026, and it became one of the biggest box office hits of the year. That's a lot of people who just spent two and a half hours rooting for a middle school science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there.

If you walked out of the theater (or closed the book) wanting more, you're in luck. Science fiction has a deep bench of stories built on the same things that make Project Hail Mary work: real science, impossible problems, a sense of humor, and the hope that clever people can figure things out. Here are five reads to pick up next, plus a few tips on building a sci-fi bookshelf without spending a fortune.

Start with the book, even if you saw the movie

If you only know the film, the novel is still worth your time. Weir's book spends far more time inside Ryland Grace's head as he works through problems one experiment at a time, and the slow return of his memories hits differently on the page. The movie, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a screenplay by Drew Goddard, keeps the heart of the story, but the book gives you every calculation, every wrong guess, and every small victory. It's also a fun way to see what a screen adaptation chooses to keep and what it lets go.

The movie tie-in edition is an easy pick if you want a copy that matches what you saw in theaters.

The Martian, by Andy Weir

Before Project Hail Mary, there was Mark Watney. The Martian is the story of an astronaut stranded on Mars after his crew leaves him for dead, and his long, funny, stubborn campaign to survive until rescue. It started as a story Weir posted in chapters on his own website, then became a self-published ebook before a major publisher picked it up. Ridley Scott turned it into a hit film starring Matt Damon in 2015.

If what you loved about Project Hail Mary was the problem-solving, this is the closest match you'll find. Watney's voice is sarcastic and warm, and the science is the engine of the plot. Read them back to back and you'll notice how much Weir grew as a storyteller, especially in how he writes friendship.

Dune, by Frank Herbert

Dune is a very different kind of book, and that's the point. Published in 1965, it won the very first Nebula Award for Best Novel and shared the Hugo Award the following year. Where Weir zooms in on one person and one problem, Herbert zooms out to a whole desert planet, its ecology, its politics, its religions, and the precious spice that the entire galaxy depends on.

If the alien biology in Project Hail Mary was your favorite part, Dune scratches a similar itch. Herbert built Arrakis from the sand up, with an ecosystem that shapes everything about the people who live there. Give the first hundred pages some patience. Once the world clicks, it's very hard to put down, and it's a good warm-up if you plan to revisit the recent film adaptations.

Foundation, by Isaac Asimov

Asimov's Foundation began as a series of stories in Astounding Science Fiction magazine in the 1940s and was collected as a novel in 1951. The premise is huge: a mathematician named Hari Seldon uses a science called psychohistory to predict that the Galactic Empire will fall, followed by thousands of years of darkness. His plan is to shorten that dark age by establishing a Foundation at the edge of the galaxy.

What connects it to Project Hail Mary is the faith that knowledge can save civilization. The characters here win with ideas, not blasters, and each section jumps ahead in time to show how Seldon's plan plays out. It's a quick read, a cornerstone of the genre, and the source for Apple TV+'s Foundation series if you want something to watch afterward.

The Gods Themselves, by Isaac Asimov

If you loved the first contact side of Project Hail Mary, this is a hidden gem. Published in 1972, The Gods Themselves won both the Hugo and the Nebula Award for Best Novel. It's built around a seemingly perfect source of free energy that is actually an exchange with a parallel universe, and a handful of scientists who realize the exchange could destroy one world or the other.

The middle section, told from the point of view of the beings in that other universe, is one of the strangest and most memorable pieces of alien writing in classic sci-fi. Their biology and family life are nothing like ours, and Asimov makes you care about them anyway. It's a reminder that great first contact stories are really about empathy, which is exactly what makes Grace's friendship in Project Hail Mary so moving.

Masterpieces, edited by Orson Scott Card

Not sure which direction to go next? An anthology is the best sampler platter in science fiction. Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century collects 27 short stories picked by Orson Scott Card, including Arthur C. Clarke's "The Nine Billion Names of God," Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," Ray Bradbury's "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed," Larry Niven's "Inconstant Moon," and Harlan Ellison's "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman."

Each story takes about as long as a coffee break, and when one grabs you, you've found your next author. It also makes a great bedside book, since you can dip in and out without losing the thread.

How to build a sci-fi shelf on a budget

Classic science fiction is one of the friendliest genres to collect secondhand. Here are a few habits that help:

• Check thrift stores and library sales first. Asimov, Herbert, and Clarke paperbacks were printed in huge numbers, so used copies turn up all the time, often for a dollar or two.
• Look at the edition, not just the title. Older mass market paperbacks often have wonderful painted cover art. If you're collecting for display, those vintage covers are half the fun.
• Inspect the spine and pages. A creased spine just means a book was loved. Water stains, mildew smell, or loose pages are worth skipping.
• Mix new and used. Grab newer titles like Project Hail Mary new or as a gift, and fill in the classics secondhand.
• Keep a running list. Anthologies like Masterpieces will send you looking for more by a dozen authors, so jot down names as you read.

And when you finish a book you don't plan to reread, pass it on. Resale keeps good stories moving to the next reader, which is the whole idea behind Spock's Closet.

Your next mission

There's no wrong order here. If you want more of Weir's style, go straight to The Martian. If you want something bigger and stranger, try Dune or The Gods Themselves. If you want to taste a little of everything, start with Masterpieces. Whichever you choose, settle in with a mug of something warm and enjoy the trip.

Happy reading, and live long and prosper.