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The Mountain in the Sea

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The Mountain in the Sea

By: Ray Nayler
Narrated by: Eunice Wong
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About this listen
'I loved this novel's brain and heart'
DAVID MITCHELL, AUTHOR OF CLOUD ATLAS

'A first-rate speculative thriller, by turns fascinating, brutal, powerful, and redemptive'
JEFF VANDERMEER, AUTHOR OF ANNIHILATION

There are creatures in the water of Con Dao.
To the locals, they're monsters.
To the corporate owners of the island, an opportunity.
To the team of three sent to study them, a revelation.

Their minds are unlike ours.
Their bodies are malleable, transformable, shifting.
They can communicate.
And they want us to leave.

When pioneering marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen is offered the chance to travel to the remote Con Dao Archipelago to investigate a highly intelligent, dangerous octopus species, she doesn't pause long enough to look at the fine print. DIANIMA - a transnational tech corporation best known for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence - has purchased the islands, evacuated their population and sealed the archipelago off from the world so that Nguyen can focus on her research.

But the stakes are high: the octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence and there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of their advancements. And no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it.

Locus Award 2023 - Winner of First Novel award
Nebula Award 2023 Finalist.
Ray Bradbury Prize 2023 Finalist.
Shortlisted for the 2024 Arthur C. Clarke Award
©2022 Ray Nayler (P)2022 Weidenfeld & Nicolson Animals Environment Genre Fiction Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Science Fiction Conservation Fiction
All stars
Most relevant
Unfortunately, this fantastic idea was spoilt firstly by the narrators use of inflection and emphasis. Second by poor writing.
And lastly by a missed opportunity to focus the books story on the octopus itself. Instead, We are dragged through an irritating and clunky espionage/corprate greed tale. That fails to intrigue entirely. The characters stories are mostly dull. And one dimensional. The only interesting thing here was the octopus. Who only plays a very small part. And for very long parts of the story is completely ignored. A real Shame.

Great idea for a book. Ruined by narrator and poor writing.

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I was sceptical about the female narrator but she is top class. The story is a Gibson esque fan fiction at best, not the high concept myth sold in the advertising. The plot is messy and has cool pieces placed in a sequence but lacks beauty in the prose. As if written quickly to fill a gap in the market.
Ai, Octopus, Hacking, Secret societies... it just feels too much. A better book is Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Gibson again Gibson again

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This book is a masterpiece. A must-read for sci-fi heads, philosophers, animal lovers, climate activists and human beings. Stunning, captivating and a journey that will take a long while to fade from mind.

Sci-fi brilliance with a beating heart

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Good ideas concept and well written I liked it a lot nothing to compare to maybe a bit of children of ruin meets dogs of war but this was its own thing I always want more from books with so in them

Great if anything I just wanted more

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i loved this book. Full of very interesting human observations thru the lens of a diverse array of life forms and thru their stuff we’re able to think on where our conscience resides.

a meditation on what is life and the value of conscience

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This is a philosophical and highly listenable near future sci fi about the development of artificial, human and other-animal intelligence in a world where human exploitation (of all available resources, people included) is pushing the planet to its limits. I absolutely loved this book and it has had my mind buzzing with ideas, my favourite being the Paul Virilio notion that every technological innovation automatically comes with all the accidents, complications and misuses of that invention. Eg the invention of the train created the invention of the train wreck.

The narration is excellent and well suited to the characters and locations.

Thoroughly recommended.

Exceptional sci fi exploration of animal and artificial consciousness

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I really enjoyed the reminder of how interconnected the world is to all our big and little decision.

Subtle call the action 🩷

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Criss-crossing boundaries of human, animal and artificial intelligences, this story is both savage and beautiful. A great performance too.

Grounded science fiction

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well written, well narrated. really enjoyed the exploration of what intelligence is and what makes something human.

loved it!

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This was in interesting and engaging listen. I have mixed feelings about yhe ending. There is so much left unexplored/undone, but maybe that is a good thing? Give it a try and see what you think.

Good books!

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