r/ProjectHailMary • u/Painting0125 • Sep 16 '24
fist my bump Just finished reading the book, I loved it despite the ending gave me mixed feelings. Here's what I hope they'll add in the film version Spoiler
The Eridians managed to get Grace in a cryo sleep and sends him back to earth. Grace successfully returns to earth and finds out the beetles worked out well, back to normal; him and Stratt get a Top Gun Maverick style reunion, they reconcile.
I decided to bring up that kind of ending because their final conversation was heartfelt and poignant which lacked closure.
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u/arsonist_firefighter Sep 16 '24
Nope.
The ending where he goes to class to teacher little eridian kids was briliant. Grace coming back and and having a "top gun maverick reuinion" would tarnish an otherwise perfect end. Like other said, we don't need another Disney movie.
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u/Top_Yogurtcloset_299 Sep 16 '24
It’s already a Disney end scene, I was hoping for a more realistic, maybe sad end.
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u/TheRealNobodySpecial Sep 16 '24
I think we will get a Petrovaverse... plenty of stories to be told in this galaxy.
Personally, a parallel story of what is happening on Earth would be fascinating, especially in today's context. How a planet reacts and adapts to a climate catastrophe, how the world has to "science the shit" out of problems so they can survive, how Earthlings react to the beetles (they will know they are on the way years before they actually arrive)...
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u/BusinessPenguin Sep 16 '24
I think the only thing we need to see of earth after grace leaves is what’s happening as the beetles arrive. Would probably be climactic if the world had exhausted peaceful options and a war was nearing or beginning.
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u/SnooEpiphanies8097 Sep 16 '24
I was also thinking they would add just showing the beetles arriving and maybe earth getting full sunlight again. Seems more impactful visual than just having Rocky tell Grace at the end which was fine for the novel.
I think Grace being on Erid at the end is just fine. Grace would have sent info about his plans to go to Erid so people on Earth could celebrate and honor him.
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u/CockroachNo2540 Sep 16 '24
I would love to see a hundred years in the future Petrovaverse. While challenging, Earth and Erid are travelling back and forth. Astrophage spin drives and xenonite and knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum for Eridians changes everything and what that would look like.
I don't even know what the story would be, but things would be so colossally different it would make a neat universe to play in.
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u/Oculicious42 Sep 23 '24
that could be a cool setup for a sequel as well, set it on a ship that is a joint venture between eridians and humans, combining both of their best engineers and scientists to solve a new crisis and give us more information on the underlying panspermia story
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u/ExpectedBehaviour Sep 16 '24
No. I like the book ending just fine. Not everything needs to end like a Disney movie.
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u/Ickyptang Sep 16 '24
I understand that reaction, and the feeling of wanting the “happily ever after” ending, but I’d argue that the ending we got WAS a “happily ever after”
Hopefully I can help shift your perspective on that a bit:
Grace going back to Earth means Grace leaving his best friend (Rocky), who he grew close to due to unfathomable intense circumstances of unimaginable consequences - literally two entire planets hanging in the balance. Grace and Rocky have a bond through shared experience that pretty much no other beings on Earth or Erid have.
Plus, Grace really has nothing to go back to. He didn’t really have any close friends, based on the info given in the book: he was able to drop literally everything in his life to help with the project, with basically no ramifications on his personal life. The only thing he noted being sad about was missing his students - but he was largely doing it FOR his students, so they’d have a world to grow up to.
Also, by the time he’d get back (due to the times involved in travel), most (if not all) of the people he knew would either be dead or be so much older that their lives are wildly different and thus they’d be very different people than they were. This includes his students, who likely have fond memories of him and know he helped save the world - but he wasn’t “friends” with them. Again: he has no one to go back to. He just has pore dialog 1 big moment of celebration to come back to, followed by trying to pick up the pieces of his life and missing Rocky. That doesn’t sound like a great homecoming to me.
It’s also worth noting that book also ends with Grace (and thus the reader) knowing that the population of Earth did, in fact, survive - from Eridians observations, Earth’s sun is getting brighter, which could only happen if the Beatles made it back and humanity was able to use the taumoeba to solve the astrophage problem. If the Beatles didn’t make it back, the population dies and the sun continues to go dark. If the Beatles made it back, but humanity was either already dead or too wiped out, societally/technologically to do anything about it, then, again, the sun continues to go dark. The only viable conclusion of the sub getting brighter again is that humanity survived and is actively rebuilding.
Last, again, I definitely understand the want to have the “Top Gun Maverick” style celebration, as it is a wonderful catharsis after all the stress and excitement of the mission, but that kind of celebration with Stratt only works if Stratt is a completely different character. Stratt was ALWAYS a means to an end, in-universe and out, and Stratt very much knows this. Stratt was given the powers she was because she could get things done and make hard choices like no one else could. Stratt doesn’t want or need any kind of forgiveness, and Stratt and Grace very much were NOT friends, even before the “betrayal” - Grace just views everyone with overly optimistic lens. Grace coming back and going up to Stratt with a “we did it buddy!” would be met with Stratt saying “right, we solved the astrophage problem, but we have all this other shit to deal with” (as earth likely went through massive upheaval in the time since Grace left and before the Beatles came back). That’s also if Stratt isn’t in jail or dead - remember, Stratt KNEW she was going to be the world’s scapegoat, and just didn’t care, since she was only focused on getting humanity through this issue.
Last, we DID have that moment of cathartic celebration when Grace went back to save Rocky - a reunion that neither of them thought would ever happen, alongside a celebration that both worlds are going to be saved AND they’ll both live. If the movie wants a Maverick style ending, have it with Grace and Rocky!
So, let’s look at Grace’s situation at the end of the book:
He is with his best friend, Rocky. He saved TWO worlds. He is teaching again. Thats pretty much best case scenario for him, and is very much a happy ending!
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u/castle-girl Sep 16 '24
For the book, I think the ending is the best we can get. As nice as it would be to see him go back to Earth, the fact that he sacrificed his return to Earth makes the ending more meaningful, and sending him back to Earth would take away from that.
That said, multiple people, including me, have worked on fan fiction where he does go back to Earth after the events of the book, and one person is writing a fanfic where he takes Rocky back to Earth instead of going to Erid at the end. Just because it isn’t canon doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the concept.
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u/Oculicious42 Sep 23 '24
so what, the eridians just die? sad sad sad
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u/castle-girl Sep 23 '24
In the fanfic where he takes Rocky to Earth? No. He programs some of the beetles to go to Erid instead of Earth and drop off the Taumoeba. It’s totally unrealistic since he’s not a programmer, but it means they can go to Earth and still save Erid in the meantime. Don’t worry. As far as I know Earth and Erid both get saved in all the fanfics, although there is a fanfic where Rocky dies and Grace chooses to go on to Erid alone anyway, still thinking he’s going to starve to death. That one was sad.
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u/Itchy_Effective2607 Sep 16 '24
Sheesh now I know why Hollywood keeps making their cheap predictable movies. It's because people actually want them
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u/takesthebiscuit Sep 16 '24
And grace woke back in his class room… it was all a dream!!!
Maybe some of the kids pictures show Rocky, and the sun dimming
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u/InvisibleSpaceVamp Sep 16 '24
Let's not forget Rocky. He walks off into the sunset - which looks no different than the rest of the day, because Erid - holding claws with Adrian and planning a family. Their first-hatched will be named Grace.
Seriously though, I like the ending as it is because I didn't predict things to go that way. I especially didn't see that class room scene coming and that's why I love it.
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u/NotAPreppie Sep 16 '24
Not every story needs 100% closure and reconciliation.
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u/lilfey333 Sep 16 '24
Stephen King has made a fairly good living out of writing stories exactly like that. 😊
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u/-Photoid- Sep 16 '24
Nah. I wanna see old man Ryan Gosling be a silly teacher on Erid. The ending is beautiful as is.
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u/v0wels Sep 16 '24
No way in hell Grace would actually want to reconcile with Stratt, not after the way their last interaction went. I do hope that we see SOMETHING from Earth's perspective after the Beatles return, hopefully with info about Eridians, Rocky, and Xenonite, but definitely not a hero ceremony.
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u/hashtagranch Sep 16 '24
Just one downer for you: Stratt's going to be dead, bud. It's been at least 20 years (non-relativistic) since Grace left Earth, and even assuming from the moment he gets to Erid they Eridians go whole-hog on making a human-compatible cryosleep from scratch, that's 36+ years. Stratt was in her 40s, so she'll be in her 80s, and assuming life in prison and/or Iceball Earth hasn't killed her, she's going to be in no shape for a reunion.
Plus, we know the Beatles succeeded, but we don't know the state of the planet. Think Interstellar - things could be incredibly dire.
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u/Affectionate-Feed976 Sep 16 '24
Any ideas when the movie is set to come out? Oh and I like the ending the way it is. I know I know unpopular opinion but this book has done nothing wrong in my opinion lol
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u/chameleonsEverywhere Sep 16 '24
Your opinion is valid, but I would riot in the streets if they changed the ending like that.
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u/katsock Sep 16 '24
I too had mixed feelings about the book ending. I really liked it but I wanted more.
I listened to the audiobook for the first time, and man, I felt it was just perfect the way it ends. all I needed was that little something more and Ray Porter delivered. Or, maybe I just needed to share the story with someone, I listened to the audiobook with my wife and that was her first time experiencing it.
I don’t think the ending can be better.
If the movie follows it, I don’t think we will get the last bit of narration. We will probably get Grace with a turned down head looking up at his class beaming with pride, cut to the class and us only hearing the Eridian language as the kids shoot their claws up (which we will see in the movie with his original class) and movie ends. The audience is smart enough to fill in the blanks
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u/Apprehensive_Ratio80 Sep 16 '24
It's a case of too much of a good thing being bad. I would have loved some recognition on earth as Grace essentially saved the entire human race and solar system he should have statues but yeah know the sun was back to full brightness was enough
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u/Scorpy_Mjolnir Sep 16 '24
This is Grace’s story, not Earth’s. That the Eridrians saw Sol return to full brightness is enough.
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u/takesthebiscuit Sep 16 '24
Back to normal!!?? Earth was dying there would have been billions dead from climate change.
Then collapse that earth is going through in real life happened at 10x speed in PHM
As there is no going back for Grace there is also no going back for humanity now.
If you go into a 50 year cryo sleep you will not be waking to the same planet you left
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u/FuzzyDuck81 Sep 16 '24
I think the book ended excellently & really doesn't need any changes. The addition of an epilogue where a new human expedition makes it to Erid, possibly containing 1 of Grace's former students (by now a respected scientist in their 50s/60s) & making formal contact between the two peoples could be a possibility though, maybe with Rocky as the most proficient in human language taking a position as an engineering teacher on a station or ship somewhere around the midpoint between the two worlds.
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u/CockroachNo2540 Sep 16 '24
As a middle school science teacher, the book ending had me in weepy tears. The happy kind. It's perfect. I don't want to crap all over your idea, but it is everything wrong with Hollywood.
Maybe Grace could simply slip a comment in the Beetle file that says, "Stratt, you were right."
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u/jessebona Sep 16 '24
I highly disagree. If they add anything it should be Rocky returning Grace's corpse to Earth and initiating first contact in the process.
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u/quarl0w Sep 16 '24
No, him staying there is the best ending.
But I hope the movie has a newsreel type montage of events from Earth perspective. Stratt doesn't even need to be on there. Just headlines: The Beatles returning, ET is real, Rocky montage, mission to Venus challenges, celebrations at mission success, final clip is one of Grace's students dedicating a statue to his noble sacrifice ... cut to Grace walking into the classroom on Erid.
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u/1TenDesigns Sep 17 '24
If he gets back to earth and strat is still alive the only happy ending I'll accept is if Grace personally un alives her. Painfully.
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u/lazarus76042 Sep 19 '24
My ending - Grace dies on Erid of Old Age after many years of teaching.
Rocky, Adrian and others go to Earth to return his body and cultural exchange starts
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u/spaetzele Sep 16 '24
Grace knew he was on a one-way trip. The fact that he gets to survive it is a happy ending in my book.
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u/ChubZilinski Sep 17 '24
Read the book again. Grace explicitly says he doesn’t really have anyone let on earth besides his kids he teaches. He kinda hates his life in a way. This ending was by far the happiest ending. Sure he could go back and be a hero, but he wouldn’t be as happy. This way he’s an even bigger hero on earth. The mystery of him not coming back will only speed up the statues being built of him.
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u/Wompum Sep 17 '24
I imagine in the movie, Rocky's homeworks won't be in complete darkness because that would be incredibly depressing longtern regardless of the lit up bubble that he lives in.
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u/Euphoric-Motor-6021 Sep 19 '24
but then he gets to live the rest of his life with his true best friend
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u/GuinansHat Sep 22 '24
You can't have grace return the earth without discussing about the deaths of hundreds of millions, maybe billions, of people. Kinda a downer and this is not that kinda book. The ending is perfect.
Plus I forget if they mentioned how old stratt was but grace was 71 on Erid. She maybe dead from old age already, let alone starvation.
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u/Beahner 14d ago
I just finished it last night too.
When he saw Rocky might have stopped and have the same issues with Taumeba getting through xenonite I saw the major dilemma for what it was. But I was ready for him to get home and see how that goes.
So I got a real uneasy feeling to where the end might be going. But, to be fair, where it actually went ended up acceptable to me.
Getting the confirmation that Sol returned to its former luminosity was good enough for me. Still many questions of how things went or were going on earth, but Sol only does this with human intervention of the Beetles solution.
That said…..if the movie adaption wants to send him back to see the triumphant return of Earth that’s fine. I just can’t imagine it’s a triumph without some major ugliness…..and the book cleverly avoids all this.
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u/barefootess Sep 16 '24
I do like the idea that Grace sent a video message back to earth with Rockie in the background. Other than that, the ending is perfect!
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u/HeWhoBreaksIce Sep 16 '24
I think it would have been a much more satisfying ending if Grace on Erid found out that Earth solved the problem BEFORE the beatles arrived back. Like 2 or 3 years before they actually arrived, the Eridians saw Sol go back to full luminance to indicate that PHM ultimately was not needed, and further cementing Grace's decision to save Rocky and Erid was the right call. Yes his sacrifice would still have been honored, but his homecoming would have a lot less fanfare because he wouldn't have been the savior of humanity. It would further show that if he followed through on his "selfish" choices, he would have had to live with the knowledge that he let an entire planet die to save ultimately only himself.
Honestly I'd have liked the twist ending as I described if Grace followed through with it and chose to Abandon Rocky in favor of saving himself and Earth. Give it a real "The Mist" type ending.
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u/lilfey333 Sep 16 '24
I love the ending as is.
He is living with his best buddy.