Project Hail Mary

Outstanding offering based on Andy Weir's book by the same name. A mysterious alien "infection" is plaguing the sun and siphoning energy away. Which means that within <50 years, catastrophic environmental system collapse change life on earth. In a remarkable (and likely utopian view of the goodness of humanity) all countries on earth collaborate to find a solution. Yes, there are some science fiction stretches in this story, but "global collaboration" is the most unbelievable part of the entire thing. What ends up happening is a massive effort to use the "alien infection" as a fuel source for an interstellar investigative flight to a system that is also infected but for some reason has reached homeostasis. There are a lot of surprises and fun moments along the way, which you should see or read (or both). For me, the most fun in this entire tale comes with the 'cynical realism' of a stereotypical scientist/engineer. The background dialogue give Murderbot vibes, which I also love. 

5 stars (out of 5)