The Mountain in the Sea

A Novel

de

Livre relié, 456 pages

Langue : English

Publié 4 octobre 2022 par MCD.

ISBN :
978-0-374-60595-7
ISBN copié !
ASIN :
0374605955

Voir sur OpenLibrary

(3 critiques)

Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future.

Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them.

The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, off from the world. Dr. Nguyen joins DIANIMA’s team on the islands: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android.

The octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence. The stakes are high: there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of the octopuses’ advancements, and as Dr. Nguyen struggles to communicate with the newly discovered …

5 éditions

a publié une critique de Mountain in the Sea par Ray Nayler

Thoughtful hard sci-fi

This is a thoughtful work of sci-fi with the relationship between humans and their environment as a central theme. With a mystery at its center (or perhaps two or three mysteries, depending how you count), it was an exciting read, and also a moving and thought-provoking one, touching on themes what it means to be conscious, to communicate with other beings, to connect, to be a part / apart.

This was much "harder" on the science than most of what I've been reading recently, and certainly harder than the most of the recent Hugo and Nebula nominees and awards. I'm surprised I haven't seen more buzz about this book.

a publié une critique de The Mountain in the Sea par Ray Nayler

Amazing

This is one of my favorite books from 2022. It investigates how difficult communications will be when the two parties have almost no common reference. It takes a swipe (perhaps not intentionally) at the books and movies where alien communication moves rapidly from no commonality to complete sentences conveying complex abstract topics. Along with language, the book also explores consciousness and what makes a person a person.

The environmental message never feels heavy handed, and while it often paints a disturbing picture, it also offers a hopeful outlook.

As I neared the end I worried that it would take a sloppy shortcut to wrap up so much, but the ending was quite satisfying, although perhaps not in the ways I was expecting.

a publié une critique de The Mountain in the Sea par Ray Nayler

The Mountain in the Sea

Another one I'm not sure what to say about, but this time for negative reasons. The premise is amazing, and I adore every scene with the octopuses themselves. But pretty much nothing else-plot, characters, dialogue, writing style-worked for me. However, it's a debut novel so perhaps the next one will be better.

Sujets

  • Fiction
  • Science Fiction
  • Speculative Fiction
  • Ecology