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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Only read this book if you are super into octopuses. It had great ideas within, but it did not keep my attention and I struggled to finish.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
slow-paced
I found the core conceit fascinating: intelligent octopuses! The little group researching them I also loved. But there were subplots (Rustem and the ship) that I didn't need to be here at all, and I'm not sure why they were. They just add bloat and if you cut them entirely there wouldn't be a lose to the narrative. Hence the 3 star rating.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From IUU fishing (including transshipment and forced labor) to MPAs (including the struggles of enforcement and the balance between local needs and ecosystem protection), this is a science fiction book for the CaMS girlies for sure. This might be a controversial take because the octopuses are not as personable as Marcellus, but a better book overall than Remarkably Bright Creatures imho.
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Incredible book. I love the blend of sci-fi, philosophy, and cephalopods. I really wish the fictional books referenced were real.
What an absolutely entertaining and intelligent book. In The Mountain in the Sea, humankind (in a more capitalist and corporatized future) discovers some octopuses have developed language and culture. Some race to understand them, some to exploit them, and some to protect them, although it's not quite clear who is doing what. What follows is a plot with high stakes, brilliant characters and a meditation on consciousness, humanity and relationships (between different species and each other!) One thing I loved about this book (out of many) was how global it is. Sci-fi has a tendency to center the US, and if not that, the West, and I appreciated that the scope of not only geography but also characters was truly global.
Nayler also manages to convey some very high level concepts in a way that's simple, understandable, and yet, very exciting. You feel like you're learning without being condescended to or having to try very hard.
Read this!
reading blog with more reviews here: https://damselindistress.substack.com/
Nayler also manages to convey some very high level concepts in a way that's simple, understandable, and yet, very exciting. You feel like you're learning without being condescended to or having to try very hard.
Read this!
reading blog with more reviews here: https://damselindistress.substack.com/
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this book. Most times when reading, I find there is always a section when I start slowing down. Whether it’s because of the book’s pacing or my own interest waning in it. With this book I did not feel that once, it was different from what I thought it would be, but I’m so happy it was.
Every character in this book is the edgiest, most isolated smart person in the world, or they’re a vaguely interesting pov character who gets killed immediately. The libertarian AI wankery in this book got to a point that I could not tolerate it anymore. It fails the bechdel test in the only sort of conversation between two women (a woman and her ai girlfriend) that happens in the book (up to where I read). Annoying.