The Mountain in the Sea

David Mitchell meets Arrival meets My Octopus Teacher in a breathlessly entertaining literary thriller exploring men's fraught relationship with nature.

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'I loved this novel's brain and heart'
DAVID MITCHELL, AUTHOR OF CLOUD ATLAS

'A first-rate speculative thriller, by turns fascinating, brutal, powerful, and redemptive'
JEFF VANDERMEER, AUTHOR OF ANNIHILATION

There are creatures in the water of Con Dao.
To the locals, they're monsters.
To the corporate owners of the island, an opportunity.
To the team of three sent to study them, a revelation.

Their minds are unlike ours.
Their bodies are malleable, transformable, shifting.
They can communicate.
And they want us to leave.

When pioneering marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen is offered the chance to travel to the remote Con Dao Archipelago to investigate a highly intelligent, dangerous octopus species, she doesn't pause long enough to look at the fine print. DIANIMA- a transnational tech corporation best known for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence - has purchased the islands, evacuated their population and sealed the archipelago off from the world so that Nguyen can focus on her research.

But the stakes are high: the octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence and there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of their advancements. And no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it.

What readers are saying about The Mountain in the Sea:

'Poetic, thrilling, and sent my imagination into overdrive . . . packed full of wholly original, mind-expanding ideas about consciousness and communication' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A masterfully spun poem of a story that explores power differentials, what we do to each other, and what we do to the species with which we share our planet' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Kicks off from first contact with an intelligent octopus species and the exploration of its language and culture to a broader reflection on intelligence, consciousness, and self. Ray Nayler does an outstanding job' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Fans of the short story/movie Arrival, take note of this one . . . If you want to read a fun twist on an "alien encounter" story with a great mix of thrills and brains, I would strongly recommend this' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'It's completely unique, and I loved it . . . fascinating and complex' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I cannot put my finger on exact thing that kept me in this story and made me finish in one sitting . . . It expands the perspective. I can go on and on about this book, but I would recommend that all sci-fi and sea lovers read this' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐