Project Hail Mary (2021)

A lone human’s attempt to solve an astronomical emergency becomes a practical exercise in cooperation across profoundly different physical conditions. Weir makes shared experiments, mistakes and improvised equipment do much of the work. The tone is more companionable than many first-contact novels, although survival keeps the consequences serious. Choose it for an accessible, enthusiastic problem-solving adventure; avoid detailed summaries if you want the discoveries to arrive in the book’s order.