[Publishing Industry Issue] Big-Screen Release Boosts… “Project Hail Mary” Becomes #1 Bestseller

The film’s impact is carrying over to bookstores. Andy Weir’s science-fiction novel 'Project Hail Mary' has taken the No. 1 spot on the general bestseller list, riding on the theater success of the movie of the same name.

According to Kyobo Bookstore’s bestseller rankings for the third week of March, 'Project Hail Mary' rose five places from the previous week to seize the top spot. With the film of the same name, released on the 18th of this month, reaching No. 2 on the Korean box office chart over the weekend, public interest in revisiting the original novel in print has surged sharply.

◇ Following 'The Martian,' the upward climb lifts the space trilogy in tandem

The excitement around 'Project Hail Mary' is also spreading to Andy Weir’s earlier works. His space trilogy—famously 'The Martian' and 'Artemis' —is also winning readers’ votes, with foreign-language fiction entries at No. 9 and No. 10 side by side.

◇ Buddhist books gain momentum, captivating women in their 30s

Another key topic in the publishing market is the momentum of "Buddhist books." Beyond religious color, books that shed light on Buddhism from the perspectives of the humanities and self-improvement are finding strong resonance with younger readers, especially women in their 30s.

The self-improvement book 'Try Living According to the Buddha’s Teachings' climbed eight spots from the previous week to reach No. 10 on the general list. Kyobo Bookstore said it reflects the phenomenon in which the recent boom in Buddhist culture events among younger people has spread to the publishing industry as well. In the humanities category too, 'The Buddha’s Words, in Full Translation' recorded No. 9, strongly backing this momentum.

◇ Kyobo Bookstore March, Week 3 Bestseller Rankings

1. Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir·RH Korea)

2. The Perfect Primitive (Ja Cheong·Pilotic)

3. Goethe Said Everything (Yui Suzuki·Leaf)

4. Jamong Salgu Club (Han Roro·Authentic)

5. My Perfect Funeral (Jo Hyeon-seon·Book Romance)

6. The Bare Minimum Thoughts for Life (Shin Young-joon·Imagine Square)

7. Paradox (Yang Guja·Suda)

8. Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse·Minumsa)

9. A Pavane for a Dead Princess (Min-gyu Park·Wisdomhouse)

10. Try Living According to the Buddha’s Teachings (Tony Fernando·Wilma)