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meemawreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
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? No
4.0
Men generally aren't socialized to imagine their existence outside their own POV or predict the emotions and actions of people who aren't like them just to survive, so I usually don't like their writing as much 🙆🏼♀️
That's why a book by a male author that doesn't annoy the doodoo out of me deserves extra praise! Thank you, Ray, for writing a book I enjoyed! We follow a marine biologist, Ha Nguyen, and other interesting side characters as a future world researches the existence of superintelligent octopi and their ability to possibly communicate with humans. It touches on lots of philosophy without dwelling too long: what makes a human human? What would communication in other species look like? Are humans capable of interacting with another sapiens without destroying them? At times it got a bit in the weeds on the science and I was bored, that's why I say my enjoyment of listening to it was probably three taters, but the way it made me think even after the book was done bumped it to four 🥔🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
That's why a book by a male author that doesn't annoy the doodoo out of me deserves extra praise! Thank you, Ray, for writing a book I enjoyed! We follow a marine biologist, Ha Nguyen, and other interesting side characters as a future world researches the existence of superintelligent octopi and their ability to possibly communicate with humans. It touches on lots of philosophy without dwelling too long: what makes a human human? What would communication in other species look like? Are humans capable of interacting with another sapiens without destroying them? At times it got a bit in the weeds on the science and I was bored, that's why I say my enjoyment of listening to it was probably three taters, but the way it made me think even after the book was done bumped it to four 🥔🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death
pezzo's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Slavery
juksu's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm and Torture
boglord's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Deportation
Minor: Confinement, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Death of parent
johnnyboy836's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
maggiemac23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Trafficking, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Blood, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
barbsantos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book promises developed octopuses and deliveres a philosophical discussion on conscience. I wanted to see.l more octopuses and a stronger conclusion of the discovery plot. There is ALOT of boring philosophical dialogue, which I probably wouldn't mind so much if I was not here for the discovery of developed octopuses. Some story lines seem unnecessary, like Eikos'. While his story line builds the world, it could be completely cut out and the book would still be the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Slavery
jaredt's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
'The world still contains miracles, despite everything that has been done to it.'
I eyed this book for months before buying it. The black and blue hardcover enticed me. Finally, I decided to flip to a few random pages, figured if I liked them enough on their own I would get it. Every page I happened on was quite reflective and introspective, which I dig, so I knew it would be a fun read for me.
And it was! Went in a few directions I wasn't expecting, but still enjoyed. Though I did lose some steam in the other stories outside of Ha's. I figured there would be enough overlap or connection between the stories to give a good enough payoff, and I would say it exceeded for me.
What hooked me the most was the philosophical approach to understanding another species so different from humans, in body and nerves and mind. And it took me to really see at the end that these are cyberpunk settings, and so the story followed that setting. I knew that as soon as the technologies were introduced at the start, but its also in the way it closes up the narrative.
I would say this is not a book for folks wanting a focus on only the octopus sentience, and not interested in the cyberpunk setting and themes that come with it. Also while there is some action, it's not a book for readers looking for quick chase scenes or drawn out fights.
This *IS* a book for fans of that subgenre, as well as wanting something dealing with scifi that is quite reflective, discussing both linguistic development and the nature of humanity and connection.
I eyed this book for months before buying it. The black and blue hardcover enticed me. Finally, I decided to flip to a few random pages, figured if I liked them enough on their own I would get it. Every page I happened on was quite reflective and introspective, which I dig, so I knew it would be a fun read for me.
And it was! Went in a few directions I wasn't expecting, but still enjoyed. Though I did lose some steam in the other stories outside of Ha's. I figured there would be enough overlap or connection between the stories to give a good enough payoff, and I would say it exceeded for me.
What hooked me the most was the philosophical approach to understanding another species so different from humans, in body and nerves and mind. And it took me to really see at the end that these are cyberpunk settings, and so the story followed that setting. I knew that as soon as the technologies were introduced at the start, but its also in the way it closes up the narrative.
I would say this is not a book for folks wanting a focus on only the octopus sentience, and not interested in the cyberpunk setting and themes that come with it. Also while there is some action, it's not a book for readers looking for quick chase scenes or drawn out fights.
This *IS* a book for fans of that subgenre, as well as wanting something dealing with scifi that is quite reflective, discussing both linguistic development and the nature of humanity and connection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Slavery
Minor: Animal death
hendrixpants's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
aturb92's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Self harm