Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

One of the standout titles of the 21st century is Project Hail Mary, which has captivated millions of readers. Andy Weir’s writing is both engaging and accessible, making it hard to set the book down.

The plot centers around Ryland Grace, an astronaut on a mission to rescue humanity from a looming alien threat. However, he faces a significant hurdle: amnesia has left him with no recollection of who he is or his mission. With his fellow crew members deceased, it falls on Ryland to save a world in peril.

Reading Project Hail Mary was an exhilarating experience. It was a rollercoaster ride of unpredictable twists that kept me glued to the pages, alternating between laughter and tears.

Here are some memorable quotes from the book:

• “Evolution can be insanely effective when you leave it alone for a few billion years.”
• “Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.”

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

As a child, I often found myself reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with a flashlight, sneaking in chapters long after bedtime. This classic ignited my passion for reading and remains a cherished favorite.

The story unfolds with aliens obliterating Earth to create a cosmic highway. Just before the destruction, Arthur Dent, an unsuspecting British man, manages to escape on a spaceship and embarks on an interstellar adventure.

While it may not be the most intricate sci-fi tale, its simplicity and humor make it universally appealing. It’s filled with clever jokes and amusing reflections on life.

Notable quotes include:

• “Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.”
• “The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to do a double-backward-somersault through a hoop.”

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Martha Wells is among my favorite authors, and I must say her works rival even those of Isaac Asimov. In All Systems Red, we follow a robot known as Murderbot, assigned to protect a group of humans studying an uninhabited planet. Yet, this robot has its own desires, primarily to binge-watch TV shows.

This brief but impactful novel, only 144 pages long, had me hooked from start to finish, prompting me to seek out its sequel immediately.

Here are a few quotes I enjoyed:

• “As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”
• “I liked the imaginary people on the entertainment feed way more than I liked real ones.”

Contact by Carl Sagan

Contact stands as one of the most impactful sci-fi novels, penned by Carl Sagan, a NASA scientist who contributed to the creation of the Pioneer Plaque. This story explores humanity’s first contact with extraterrestrial life and delves into the philosophical and spiritual ramifications of such a discovery.

For those intrigued by the cosmos, Contact is an essential read.

Favorite quotes include:

• “The universe is a pretty big place. If it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space.”
• “You’re an interesting species. An interesting mix.”

Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle

Lost in Time is an enthralling sci-fi novel that kept me riveted from the first page to the last. The plot follows Dr. Sam Anderson, who wakes up to find that his beloved has been murdered, and he is implicated in the crime.

In a future where murderers are exiled to the past, Sam's journey takes him back to the age of dinosaurs, forcing him to navigate survival in an alien environment. Riddle’s ability to explain complex scientific concepts is impressive and makes the story both engaging and educational.

Here are some quotes that resonated with me:

• “There was no single meaning of life — there was only the meaning of your life.”
• “People who have never been sick think that the worst thing about losing your health is what it takes from you.”