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Title details for The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler - Available

The Mountain in the Sea

A Novel

by Ray Nayler
Eunice Wong
Audiobook
3 of 3 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
3 of 3 copies available

"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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 4, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781250868916
      • File size: 319669 KB
      • Duration: 11:05:58

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 11, 2022
      Nayler’s masterful debut combines fascinating science and well-wrought characters to deliver a deep dive into the nature of intelligent life. Marine biologist Ha Nguyen gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s invited to study a recently discovered society of intelligent octopuses in Vietnam’s Con Dao archipelago. Aiding her are Evrim, the world’s first android, and Altantsetseg, a human expert drone operator, both of whom add nuance to Nayler’s thematic exploration of consciousness through their vivid personalities and backstories: Evrim’s programming gradually breaks down, leaving them contemplating the nature of self, meanwhile drones enhance Altantsetseg’s natural awareness as she uses them to both observe the octopuses in their natural habitat and defend the archipelago from rivals eager to capitalize on Nguyen’s research. Throughout, Nayler provides a tightly focused framework for the challenges Nguyen faces as she attempts to decipher octopus language and culture, which will especially please science-minded readers. Subplots featuring genius hacker Rustem and Eiko, a man trafficked into slavery aboard a fishing vessel, expertly weave into the narrative while also offering readers a broader understanding of the political and technological state of this near-future world. As entertaining as it is intellectually rigorous, this taut exploration of human—and inhuman—consciousness is a knockout.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Eunice Wong narrates a fascinating thriller in which humanity confronts a potential intellectual equal. Dr. Ha Nguyen jumps at the opportunity to study a new species of octopus said to have achieved hyperintelligence. She is ushered to a remote archipelago populated only by the octopuses, a security agent, and a degrading android. Wong complements the narrative wonderfully with consistent and distinct characters and a steadfast delivery of the narrative. The story is tightly focused, and the narration keeps it feeling both entertaining and contemplative. 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. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      December 1, 2022

      Nayler's debut novel of speculative fiction laced with cyberpunk elements and environmentalism is set against coastal Asia on future-Earth. The most prominent of the novel's three interwoven narratives features Ha Nguyen, a cephalopod researcher; Evrim, the world's only android with manufactured consciousness; and Altantsetseg, a technologically advanced security guard. All are on the mysterious Con Dao Archipelago research facility, which has been cordoned off from outsiders to hide the octopus consortium living in surrounding waters. The trio aims to confirm that the consortium communicates among itself, and they are also determined to bridge the communication gap between humans and another species. The remaining two narratives follow a sophisticated hacker sent to breach Evrim's mind and enslaved people aboard an AI-controlled fishing vessel who are poaching the ocean's creatures. The multiple narrative threads, coupled with quotes from fictional books (written by the characters) at the beginning of each chapter, make for challenging narratorial work, but despite the hard-to-follow transitions, Eunice Wong remains polished. VERDICT This slow-burning novel strikes a balance between hard- and soft-speculative fiction without being too heady or obtuse and would be a sound addition to any library's collection.--Kym Goering

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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