Author: Jeff Spry

Hot off the tremendous theatrical success of this year's "Project Hail Mary," adapted from Andy Weir's 2021 novel of the same name, the New York Times bestselling author is rocketing back into deep space with a brand new Audible Original release landing on Nov. 5, 2026, titled "Exoplanet."

Weir ("The Martian") is executive producing this ambitious full-cast audiobook drama with acclaimed author and ace comic writer Benjamin Percy ("Wolverine") for the first in a series of curated sci-fi projects for Amazon's Audible.

The seven-episode sci-fi thriller stars the vocal talents of Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose, and John Leguizamo in a wild time-travel space disaster odyssey that also benefits from Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound, which provided the show’s immersive acoustic elements.

"One crew. One planet. Three timelines. No one survives alone," states the official synopsis. "When a quantum anomaly tears apart the starship Wild Blue Yonder, each surviving crew member crash-lands in a different era on the same deadly exoplanet—hunted, alone, and running out of time."

Ahead of the audio drama's launch, we sat down with Weir and Percy to find out more about this exciting science fiction adventure.

When Percy was first approached by Audible about this challenging endeavor, it was part of a bake-off situation where he was competing with several other writers, all jockeying for position.

"I think the thing that set me apart is my understanding of how to channel legacy properties," Percy tells Space. "Having written for DC and for Marvel, I can take 'Star Wars' or 'Predator' or Wolverine or Batman and honor that legacy but also put my own unique spin on it.

"When it came to the banner of 'Andy Weir Presents,' my job was to write my best version of an awesome Andy Weir story. So I thought about space disasters, big-hearted hopefulness, quippy humor, and a roller coaster plot, and then I nested into all of that a time-travel story."

Writing an audio drama is unlike the comic work that Percy is known for, but as he explains, it's also quite different from working on conventional shows and movies too.

"If you’re watching TV or film, you’re passive and letting it wash over you. You’re taking in the story as a passenger," notes Percy. "But when you're listening to audio, you're invited in with the dialogue, the narration, the sound cues. You’re invited to fill in the vacancies. As a result of that, you become like a co-author in the experience. I was super excited to jump into this project."

The genesis of "Exoplanet" started with Audible approaching Weir with the basic idea, but what they didn't know was that he had already been thinking about resurrecting great radio dramas of the past.

"Earlier on in my life, even before 'The Martian,' I wanted to bring back audio-only entertainment with full-cast productions and sound effects," shares Weir. "I got into listening to things like 'The Lone Ranger' and 'The Shadow' and, of course, the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Also, 'Zorro' was a radio show, and there were a lot of good westerns.

"At the time, I wasn't yet famous or a writer, but I thought I could do this myself. I could write something, narrate it, throw in some sound effects, and put it up online," Weir recalls. "But then I didn't because I’m really lazy. Then many moons later, Audible comes up to me, and I have an opportunity to participate in that exact thing. I especially like the part where all the hard work is done by Ben. That’s my favorite part."

As Weir points out, he's thankfully not the one wielding the pen this time around, but he did select Percy to be his champion.

"We got a bunch of different story concepts submitted to us from lots of talented authors, and Ben's was the one that stood out head and shoulders above the rest. It’s a really interesting concept," says Weir.

"It's not just trope sci-fi with an evil empire of bad guys and some plucky rebels. Ben came up with a unique story with a unique angle. Audio is quickly becoming a larger and larger medium. Everyone's on the go, and now for the first time in history we all have computers in our pocket capable of storing multiple audiobooks to last us years. It's a great time to revive the old art of radio plays, and I think this is a great way to do it.”

Weir's enthusiasm for the project is clear, and we can't wait to check it out. And we won't have to, because it releases today!

"Exoplanet" is available starting Nov. 5 exclusively from Audible for members of its subscription tiers or as an a la carte option.

Abandoned, possessed, or infested spaceships in sci-fi films, books, and video games are usually not a welcoming place to hang your helmet and kick back inside.

Many are distinctly marked as DO NOT APPROACH zones and equipped with clearly articulated warning messages to keep your distance, but that doesn't ever seem to stop scavengers, space pirates, or evil industrial mega corporations from waving off these dangerous signs to board anyway.

Other creaky craft are apt to contain nasty alien hitchhikers or biological hazards not exactly conducive to a pleasant star-trekking voyage. Whether these nefarious neglected craft have just reappeared from the other side of a black hole or have been lying dormant for eons on a hostile planetoid, visitors are usually infrequent.

So ignore those distress beacons at your own peril and step into this alarming armada of 9 nightmarish sci-fi spaceships before orbits decay.

Happy Halloween!

This is not a ranked list, just a collection of our favorites.

1. USG ISHIMURA — "DEAD SPACE" (2008)

It's basically a perfectly good interstellar mining vessel owned by the Concordance Extraction Corporation if you forget about the nasty reanimated corpses found lurking on nearly every deadly deck.

The pesky Necromorphs are a resilient crop of creatures and are extremely inhospitable when it comes to having uninvited guests, yet they don't mind if you're staying for dinner.

This plague of hungry zombified corpses is a real drag, unless you happen to have a flaring plasma cutter in your back pocket and your name is Isaac Clarke.

2. THE GRENDEL — "JASON X" (2002)

Things would be much more peaceful aboard the Grendel if a notorious undead slasher named Jason Voorhees wasn't stashed in the cargo bay, but when scientific discovery enters the equation, many questionable choices follow.

The Grendel is a 25th-century medical research vessel on a field trip from hell to an overly polluted Earth, where the frozen Jason is kept at the Crystal Lake Research Facility and shipped back home to Earth 2 for cellular research.

Once thawed, the ship becomes his private killing field with an ample supply of student bodies until the fiery finale when Jason becomes an inhuman meteor in the sky. Next time, take the school bus.

3. RAMA — "RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA" (1973)

This spooky classic novel written by "2001's" legendary author, Arthur C. Clarke, focuses on a massive alien spaceship entering Earth's atmosphere.

The 31-mile-long cylindrical spaceship does not parallel park easily and is quite spacious inside. In fact, it’s primarily hollow at first and likely offers up a fantastic location for some echoey yodeling. As we later learn, Rama aliens are apparently collecting forms of intelligent life from around the galaxy, employing their ginormous Rama spacecraft.

As an ice ring thaws and forms a vast ocean, astronauts explore the ship’s cavernous confines, only to find automated bio-machines and weird metallic towers, curved alloy cliffs, and fantastic geometric city-like structures. The myriad mysteries that unfold are enough to drive sane humans to absolute madness!

4. THE SCOPULI — "LEVIATHAN WAKES" (2011)

Ignore that glistening brown protomolecular goo, and come on in and sit a spell in the Scopuli, a light Martian freighter used by the Outer Planets Alliance for clandestine missions and ransacked by the evil security firm Protogen in an attempt to hijack its alien cargo.

Hailing from James S.A. Corey's first book in "The Expanse Series", the Scopuli was found moored to an asteroid by James Holden and his Canterbury crew. The amber-brown mess discovered inside the rigged ship is not to be trifled with, let alone inhaled, eaten, or touched.

Come to think of it, it’s probably much wiser to get out while you can and move along!

5. THE DERELICT — "ALIEN" (1979)

Anything that looks like an organic hammer-headed horseshoe lying canted in a rocky ravine on a hostile, uncharted planetoid is best to avoid. Especially when its repeating SOS beacon is translated into its true message… a dire warning to keep curious rubberneckers the hell away!

Once its strange, sexually suggestive openings are penetrated by Nostromo crew members, seeing fossilized giants and oceans of squishy egg pods in the cargo hold would make most reasonable people flee in terror.

We're better off leaving this sleeping nightmare in its resting place.

6. CHALLENGE 142 — "IT, THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE" (1956)

One of the inspirations for Ridley Scott's "Alien", this Golden Age goodie brings us aboard the sleek silver rescue rocketship, Challenge 142, and locks us inside after a bloodthirsty reptilian alien from Mars decides to catch a lift back to Earth with its new astronaut friends in the far-flung future of... 1973!

Mute, clawed monsters with insatiable appetites for human flesh are never good travel companions in the confines of a steel spacecraft. A wiser choice would have been to have stayed on Mars and used the Challenge 142 as a stylized red planet potato farm.

7. ICARUS 1 — "SUNSHINE" (2007)

Need a glowing golden suntan? This vessel was launched from Earth to detonate a nuclear payload within the sun's fury to keep its fusion furnace burning and was never heard from again.

A sister rescue vessel, the Icarus 2, was dispatched as a last resort and encountered this long-abandoned ship drifting near the scorching star. Inside the Icarus 1, its over-tanned Captain Pinback has been caught in an addictive ritual of basking in the sun's brilliant embrace and has gone quite insane.

Back out quietly and toss him a nice bottle of aloe vera lotion.

8. THE EVENT HORIZON — "EVENT HORIZON" (1997)

Lawrence Fishburne's Captain Miller thinks this place is a tomb! Well, that's not a very polite way to describe what I think is one of the most ominous spaceships ever seen on screen.

The fact that this foreboding vessel, designed after the cathedral of Notre Dame, has appeared in Neptune's orbit following its disappearance after entering a black hole should be enough to keep the crew of the Lewis and Clark from steering anywhere close. Nothing good can be happening on that doomed craft considering the seven-year absence.

One second after discovering that the craft punctured a route straight to Hades and returned with some extra baggage, I'd be running for the exit hatch! The welcome mat is out, but there's no need to knock on this airlock.

9. THE SHENANDOAH — "CREATURE" (1985)

Basically an "Alien" ripoff, this low-budget cult sci-fi flick has its following, but only from those midnight runs to the video store in the '80s to grab the tape with the craziest-looking alien on the cover.

The Shenandoah is a prospecting explorer sent by a ruthless corporation to claim an alien archaeological site on Saturn's moon, Titan. Assorted chaos ensues when a rival West German spaceship is discovered at the dig site, only for our protagonists to find the crew slaughtered.

The carnivorous monster that creeps onto the Shenandoah suffers from little monster syndrome, but its bite is impressive. Best to have never touched the metallic pods in the subterranean cave and just skipped this homicidal mission entirely.

As we all begin to absorb the bitter news of Patrick Stewart's death at the age of 86, a flood of personal tributes are pouring in, reflecting this global treasure's wonderful life lived with a dignity and bravado that few mortals possess.

We’re getting just a hint of what Patrick Stewart meant to those who worked with him or knew him throughout his stellar career. Whether on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, on TV as the dashing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and in Hollywood spectacles like 1984's "Dune," four "Star Trek" feature films, and the many "X-Men" movies in which he portrayed Professor Charles Xavier, Stewart was always the consummate professional. His final screen performance arrives on Dec. 18 with "Avengers: Doomsday" where he’ll present his Charles Xavier character once more.

"Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end," Ian McKellen wrote on Instagram of his "X-Men" co-star and friend. "You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and, in my case, love."

William Shatner, a fellow Enterprise captain, offered his profound sense of loss on Stewart's passing. The legends shared the screen in 1994's "Star Trek: Generations."

"What a heartbreaking week it has been. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor," Shatner posted on Facebook. "From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him. I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work. My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed."

Akiva Goldsman, co-creator of Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Picard" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," delivered a sorrowful message in the aftermath of Stewart's death

"Patrick was not only a true lion of the profession, he was the rarest of alchemists, one who could literally turn the written word into flesh and blood," Goldsman wrote. "Patrick was kind, strong, fiercely intelligent, collaborative, vulnerable and wise. His Captain Jean-Luc Picard permanently expanded the universe of 'Star Trek' without measure. He will be deeply missed by this one fan and by so many more."

Stewart's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" family shared their grief and offered up poignant words to try to describe what effect he had on their lives and profession.

"There's no one on this planet that I have acted with or directed more often than my late great friend Patrick Stewart," revealed actor and director Jonathan Frakes, who co-starred for over 35 years with Stewart as Commander Will Riker, in a touching statement. "He will be with me forever. May he rest in Peace."

Finally, Marina Sirtis posted a teary-eyed video in which she explained how much of an impact Stewart had on her life during their time together on "The Next Generation" series and films, in which she portrayed Counselor Deanna Troi beside him.

"Patrick, I loved you with all my heart," she said on Instagram. "I know you're up there now, reunited with all those that you've loved. But to say that you'll be missed down here is probably the understatement of the century. It was an honor to work with Patrick. It was more than an honor; it was the privilege of my life to work with him."

This has been a pretty rough week for "Star Trek" royalty on this 60th anniversary year with the deaths of both Walter Koenig, "Star Trek's" Lt. Pavel Chekov on Sunday, Oct. 25 and Patrick Stewart, the storied sci-fi property's Captain Jean Luc-Picard on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

With the passing of Walter Koenig at the age of 90 this past week, franchise luminaries of all degrees are coming out with heartfelt condolences, kind words of remembrance, and tearful reflections.

William Shatner, 95, and George Takei, 89, represent the final remaining members of the U.S.S. Enterprise's core crew from "Star Trek: The Original Series" and they both took to social media to express their deep sorrow over losing one of their fellow travelers in the final frontier.

"I am deeply saddened to learn of Walter Koenig’s passing," Shatner posted on Instagram.

"Although we did not know each other well away from the set, we shared the later seasons of the original 'Star Trek' series and the six films that followed. What I observed, and what so many fans have expressed over the years, was a man who genuinely loved the 'Star Trek' community.

"At conventions, Walter was rarely content to remain behind a signing table. He preferred to be among the people who had kept 'Star Trek' alive for so many decades. That kind of genuine connection is rare, and it will be remembered by everyone who came into contact with him.

"My condolences to his family, his friends, and the countless fans whose lives he touched."

George Takei, who portrayed Lt. Hikaru Sulu and co-starred with Koenig on two seasons of "The Original Series" from 1967-69, as well as six subsequent "Star Trek" feature films, offered similar thoughts in memoriam.

"My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today," Takei shared on his Instagram page.

"Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man. Just last month, on Sept. 14, he turned 90, on the same day Brad and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. I will always treasure that he and I shared that date.

"Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend. To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too.

"Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course."

Less than a week after the fates took Walter Koenig from our galaxy, another "Star Trek" legend has left us: Sir Patrick Stewart has died at the age of 86.

According to his spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak, the beloved Shakespearean actor passed away on Wednesday (Oct. 28) at his Los Angeles home after a short struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

"He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all," Bush Novak shared. "We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace."

The first time I ever saw Patrick Stewart was in director John Boorman’s masterful 1981 King Arthur film, "Excalibur." As a young teenager, I was immediately captivated by his commanding presence and charisma portraying King Leodegrance of Cameliard — Queen Guinevere’s noble father and a cunning warrior.

In 1984, he entered the sci-fi realm in David Lynch's grand and ambitious adaptation of Frank Herbert's "Dune," in which he played Paul Atreides' good friend and mentor, War Master Gurney Halleck.

Stewart was later cast as the U.S.S. Enterprise’s Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation. He entranced millions of viewers in this role, traveling the final frontier with his gallant crew and redefining the brave and compassionate traits of a Federation starship commander. His adventurous journey on that popular show, a spinoff of "Star Trek: The Original Series," ran from 1987 to 1994, encompassing 178 episodes across seven seasons confronting Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans and The Borg.

When the series ended, Stewart continued on in the Enterprise's center seat by starring in four "Star Trek" feature films: 1994’s "Star Trek: Generations," 1996’s "Star Trek: First Contact," 1998’s "Star Trek: Insurrection," and 2002’s "Star Trek: Nemesis." Stewart also reprised the role of Jean-Luc Picard in three seasons of Paramount+’s "Star Trek: Picard," which ran from 2020 to 2023.

Stewart's prodigious talent was on further display in the hit adaptations of Marvel’s "The X-Men." He played the powerful, wheelchair-bound telepath Professor Charles Xavier in 2000’s "X-Men," 2003’s "X2: X-Men United," 2006’s "X-Men: The Last Stand," 2014’s "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and 2017’s "Logan."

Stewart, and Xavier, were prominently featured in those films. The actor and character also appeared in 2009’s "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and 2013’s "The Wolverine," and will do so again in "Avengers: Doomsday," which will be released around Christmastime this year.

Aside from the two "Star Trek" and "The X-Men" franchise roles, Stewart had a flourishing career that spanned radio, stage and screen and was always a stellar attraction at any comic-con or other fan event around the world. Another of his many memorable projects was the compelling one-man stage show in which he played all the characters in Charles Dickens' novella "A Christmas Carol," captured on a two-disc CD set that I listen to each holiday season.

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, Sir Patrick Stewart leaves behind a remarkable legacy that brought a rare gravitas and humanity to every performance he was ever involved in, and his passing leaves fans, friends and loved ones with heavy hearts. Here’s to a wonderful life well-lived!

The "Star Trek" community lost one of its most beloved icons on Sunday, October 25, with the sad passing of Walter Koenig at the age of 90 in his North Hollywood home.

Koenig was best known as the U.S.S. Enterprise's Russian navigator Pavel Andreievich Chekov for two seasons on "Star Trek: The Original Series." The popular American actor continued in that role for Paramount's first seven "Star Trek" films, which began in 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and ended with 1994's "Star Trek: Generations."

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Marvin Walter Koenig was born on Sept. 14, 1936, to Lithuanian immigrant parents and spent his formative years in New York City. After a short college stint at UCLA in California, Koenig was accepted into the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York in 1958, joining future stars like James Caan and Christopher Lloyd.

TV guest spots in the early '60s on "Mr. Novak" and "Ben Casey" led Koenig to join the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise for Gene Roddenberry’s sophomore series of "Star Trek." He co-starred in 36 of the 50 installments airing on the NBC Network in 1967-68 and 1968-69, premiering in famed sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon's excellent episode, "Amok Time," broadcast on Sept. 15, 1967.

Although Koenig's Ensign Chekov character was not resurrected for the 1973-74 Saturday morning cartoon spinoff, "Star Trek: The Animated Series," due to budget issues, he did write a screenplay for that show’s first season titled "The Infinite Vulcan."

In 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," he was promoted to Commander aboard the U.S.S. Reliant when he and Captain Terrell (Paul Winfield) beamed down to Seti Alpha V and ran into the genetically enhanced Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban).

Following his work in the "Star Trek" movies, Koenig scored an ongoing TV role on creator J. Michael Straczynski's "Babylon 5" starting in 1993, where he portrayed the former Psi Ops commander and war criminal, Alfred Bester, through the 1998 season.

A core member of the original "Star Trek" and its Hollywood features alongside William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and James Doohan, Koenig was often utilized as comic relief.

His thick accent, where he pronounced his “Vs” as “Ws,” was derived from hearing his Russian-Jewish father's particular manner of speech. Koenig’s undeniable contributions to the legacy of "Star Trek" and the chemistry of its cast cannot be overestimated, and he'll be sorely missed.

His bestselling 1998 autobiography, "Warped Factors: A Neurotic’s Guide to the Universe," was later followed by a detailed memoir titled "Beaming Up and Getting Off," released back in 2020.

Koenig is survived by his sole daughter, screenwriter and actress Danielle Koenig.