My second favorite sci-fi book of all time. Three body being the first.

Indeed. Have you read the rest of the series? It just gets crazier and crazier.

Yes, the trilogy is really a unit for me. Books 1 and 2 are really a single story. Book 3 is different but amazingly great.

The rest of the hail mary series?? Or Three Body?

I have read two of the three body books, but I wasn't aware of a sequel to project hail mary, would be very excited if that's the case!

The rest of the three body problem series.

Ah got you, I think I still have one more to read.

I recommend the audiobook in particular for this book.

I think Hail Mary (and Astronaut) is more suited for people who don't usually like sci-fi.

I like sci-fi, and enjoyed Hail Mary very much

It is not a bad book but I'd say for sure over-hyped. As much as I enjoyed reading it, I would not recommend it as "must have" if someone was into "The Martian". It is not a "must have" more like it is OK for general public and for hardcore sci-fi fans I would say that I can see how it could be disappointing. But yeah no one can easily appease hardcore fans anyway :)

I read it without any expectations and without knowing anything about the plot.

It was just recommended to me by someone, but I'm usually into sci-fi, stuff like Greg Egan.

I really enjoyed it, but maybe I would have been disappointed if I was expecting more of a mind melter!

Any recommendations on a mind melter?!?!? Something that is logically consistent is my only criterion (not much of a mind melter if it's incosistent within its own world) ... and the writing not being at a 10th grade level (distracting).

I would say anything by Greg Egan!

My favorite is probably Permutation City, followed by Diaspora. His stuff can get heavy though.

* spoiler alert *

yes, the writing was annoying in parts (especially the Earth flashbacks). What I liked about it was 1) if you don't know anything about it (I didn't even read the back cover) the surprises evolve nicely; and most importantly, 2) it was a story of humans cooperating with another species rather than either subjugating or resisting subjugation

Yeah I totally agree, the surprises were great. I knew literally nothing except for the title and the author and that it could have something to do with space, as he wrote the Martian.

I hadn't read any Andy Weir before, but someone recommended it to me so just started reading.

Thank you for the recommendation! Started reading yesterday and I'm loving it.

Glad to hear, enjoy!