The Mountain in the Sea

A Novel

De: Ray Nayler

Narrado por: Eunice Wong

2022 Slate Book Review Best Books of the Year, Long-listed
2023 Locus Awards - Winner
2023 Nebula Awards - Nominee, Short-listed
2022 Slate Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

“Eunice Wong’s measured pacing and mellow tones perfectly complement Nayler’s provocative exploration of memory, minds, and consciousness.” - Booklist

"The theme of the nature of consciousness is equal parts intriguing, thrilling, and eerie. Best of all, it's always compellingly narrated, making for a performance that's difficult to pause."- AudioFile Magazine

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 species, forces larger than DIANIMA close in to seize the octopuses for themselves.

But no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it.

A near-future thriller about the nature of consciousness, Ray Nayler’s The Mountain in the Sea is a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing dive into the treasure and wreckage of humankind’s legacy.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

©2022 Ray Nayler (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"With a thriller heart and a sci-fi head, The Mountain in the Sea delivers a spooky smart read. Artificial intelligence, nascent animal sentience, murderous flying drones: like the best of Gibson or Atwood, it brings all of the plot without forgetting the bigger questions of consciousness, ecocide, and scientific progress. Truly a one-of-a-kind story"—Kawai Strong Washburn, author of Sharks in the Time of Saviors

"Nayler’s masterful debut combines fascinating science and well-wrought characters to deliver a deep dive into the nature of intelligent life. . . As entertaining as it is intellectually rigorous, this taut exploration of human—and inhuman—consciousness is a knockout." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Less a science-fiction adventure than a meditation on consciousness and self-awareness, the limitations of human language, and the reasons for those limitations, the novel teaches as it engages." —Kirkus Reviews

"With a thriller heart and a sci-fi head, The Mountain in the Sea delivers a spooky smart read. Artificial intelligence, nascent animal sentience, murderous flying drones: like the best of Gibson or Atwood, it brings all of the plot without forgetting the bigger questions of consciousness, ecocide, and scientific progress. Truly a one-of-a-kind story" —Kawai Strong Washburn, author of Sharks in the Time of Saviors

Enjoyable and interesting

Really great storytelling. I hope there is a book 2 - unique and fresh concept for first contact. Finally someone in ‘science fiction’ with an original idea. EDIT: I would like to add that this book is not preachy. I'm pretty conservative, also a scientist, and don't go along with 'the narrative' about the environment. There are some parts where the CHARACTERS are trying to get across some environmental ideas (blaming humans for fill in the blank..). But it's speculative fiction based in some other future - so this story isn't talking about 'our world'. It's some other world. Maybe it's our future world but it didn't look much like our present world at all to me. So if you have a hard time separating the author's views and the character's views, you might find it preachy. But it didn't bother me.

So many interesting ideas if you can just allow yourself to enjoy the story without forcing it to make a statement.

And extremely timely read for everyone.

Loved this view of the planet reminded me of the Indians and how everything should be able to coexist and there being no waste. What is afraid it might be too anti-religious but love the fact that the monks ended up in control of the islands. Very spiritual aspects regardless of any religious beliefs. Can’t wait to recommend it to some family members and friends.

the whole idea of this book is very unique.

this is a wonderful example of Eco writing. loved this book. wonderfully crafted wonderfully performed

Thoroughly enjoyed this.

This is a thought provoking story.
Basically, I think, is the question can a human ever truly understand someone or something other than themselves? Put in the context of storytelling rather than just discussion makes the concepts come to life.

Meanders a lot, then ends too quickly

Well written, but ultimately unsatisfying book with some excellent and very interesting day after tomorrow world building