I think this is one of the main reasons why Project Hail Mary works so well. It’s about something we can all get behind, whatever our beliefs are: we should not let the sun go out! We should struggle very hard with everything in us to prevent the sun from being destroyed.

Within that context, which cannot be disputed, the movie is about a values question: should the individual’s life take precedence over serving the community? Is this something that anyone should allow you to bow out of trying to help with? It’s a movie with an argument. Its argument is: by serving the community you will discover more about yourself and live a richer and better life than by simply serving your own narrow interests.

It’s an argument for shared values, presented within some science-fiction about being a competent person who works hard and has fun.

I think the amount that it struck a chord probably shows that actually those values are still very commonly held, and that it is still really exciting to see someone live by them. It is weird how a lot of modern drama has given up on the idea that we can have shared values other than “feeling sorry for people who have suffered“.

So… I would not necessarily diagnose the problem with a lot of other movies and shows as narcissism but as a lack of interest in shared values. Or maybe I mean: giving up on the idea that there can be such a thing as shared values.

A lot of older science-fiction, and indeed a lot of literature is about the question “what is the right thing to do?“ I mean, that’s the question of Greek tragedy too.

You work out what the right thing to do is by taking the various positions really seriously. Is revenge a good motivation? Where does justice become revenge? What should the limits of revenge be?

Not that I’m going to keep on banging on about the information Crisis for the rest of my life but – this is an information Crisis problem. It’s a problem of fragmented media and fragmented discourse. It’s a lack of confidence problem among Writers. When you hear enough people shouting or chattering online that your values are wrong, you start to feel that you cannot portray those values in your work without criticism. So you fall back on character alone.

The irony is that Project Hail Mary comes out of collaborative online discussions… The exact putting in community above self that the movie is about, and with seems so impossible for many writers to portray in their work now.