The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler is a sci-fi thriller taking place in the near future, however, the way Nayler writes about the world makes it feel more like science than fiction. With topics ranging from the nature of consciousness and discovering intelligent life in octopuses to declining fish populations due to overfishing and high-tech dating apps, this book discusses what the world could be like in an alternate reality or possibly in our future.

The story follows three characters with wildly different lives, all of which are connected by the mega tech company DIANIMA. The main plot follows Dr. Ha Ngyuen, a marine biologist who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence. When Dr. Ha is contacted by DIANIMA asking her to join their research team in Con Dao Archipelago, she jumps at the chance to study an intelligent octopus species. But Dr. Ha soon discovers that she should have asked more questions before agreeing to the job.

This new hyperintelligent species of octopus, with rumors of their own culture and language, may hold the key to discovering extra human intelligence and end human’s reign as the only intelligent species. The challenge is finding a way to communicate with these dangerous creatures to uncover their mysterious lives. Yet, no one stops to ask whether these creatures want to be figured out and what will happen to them once they’re uncovered.

Ray Nayler is an incredible author; he writes his characters with so many layers and depth that it’s hard not to feel for them and sympathize with their problems. While reading this story, I often forgot that they were fictional characters, desperately trying to find Dr. Ha’s book to read for myself. Nayler sucks you into this high-tech world that feels a little too close to reality, highlighting the amazing inventions as well as the destruction caused by humankind.

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