Title: The Mountain in the Sea
Author: Ray Nayler
Publisher: Picador
Publication date: October 4, 2022
Length: 464 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The Mountain in the Sea had been on my radar for a while, so I was happy to have my book group discussion as motivation to finally pick it up and read it! The Mountain in the Sea is a first-contact story, but also a deep-dive (sorry, hard to avoid ocean-related punning!) into the meaning of consciousness, communication, and perception.

The main plotline of this complicated book centers on researcher Dr. Ha Nguyen, whose focus is on communication across species and whether such a thing is truly possible. She arrives, via high-tech security, on the island of Con Dao, part of an archipelago purchased by the DIANIMA corporation and sealed off from the outside world via the heavy weaponry used to defend its perimeters.

But Con Dao is not just a nature preserve, shielding marine biology from a world that plunders the remaining global supply of sea life in a quest for protein for a world on the brink of starvation. It also hides a discovery that could upend human understanding of consciousness and perception.

Before the population of Con Dao was relocated by DIANIMA, rumors abounded about a sea monster, a scary and possibly supernatural being that stalked the shores and left death in its wake. But as Ha discovers, the truth is less supernatural and far more wondrous — a species of octopus that has developed symbolic communication, enabling the sharing of knowledge across generations. The octopus community that the researchers discover does not welcome intrusion, and issues clear warning that the humans should stay away… or else.

Meanwhile, the book also introduces various shady figures who seek access to the most heavily guarded of AI systems, and who will kill to keep their secrets. Some fascinating concepts are introduced, including what’s known as a “point-five” — a virtual companion who communicates and interacts with a person in such a realistic way that they’re indistinguishable from a real human, but custom-made to suit as a partner.

There’s also a plot thread about an AI-driven illegal fishing vessel trawling the seas, crewed by people kidnapped and enslaved and a team of human guards — but the ship’s functions and actions are entirely controlled by its AI core, and all of the people are dispensable. It’s scary and horrifying, but entirely believable.

“The great and terrible thing about humankind is simply this: we will always do what we are capable of.”

Some of the science discussion probably went over my head, and there’s a lot — almost too much — talk about the meaning of consciousness and what defines being a human — but overall, the storylines are fascinating.

I wished that the aspects showing Ha’s deciphering of the octopus symbols and her attempts at communication were a bigger part of the overall story. This is the piece that interested me the most, but it’s just one part of the whole, and I wanted more, especially to see where it goes from where the story ends.

Also, I could have done with less of the corporate espionage plotlines — they build out the world of the book, but are far removed from the central element — spending time learning about the octopus consciousness.

Reading The Mountain in the Sea brough to mind the non-fiction book An Immense World, which I read last year. If you’re interested in understanding how animal senses shape the way they perceive the world, I recommend checking it out.

I was also vastly entertained by the number of words I had to look up while reading! This tends to be the case with any book with a science or technology focus, but it amused me to see just how many there were in The Mountain in the Sea. Some new-to-me words included:

• senescent
• icosahedral
• qualia
• benthic
• exapted
• sfumato
• peristyle
• arcature
• manuport

The Moutain in the Sea is a deeply engrossing book with themes concerning humanity, connection, and communication, and it explores the risks and barriers inherent in a first contact situation — in this case, not between humans and aliens, as we so often see in science fiction, but between two vastly different species inhabiting the same planet.

Despite the book’s length, it’s a fast read, largely because it’s impossible to put the book down. The Mountain in the Sea is not a light read, but it’s worth the effort to experience this thought-provoking, startling story.