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Mountain in the Sea

Mountain in the Sea

Winner of the Locus Best First Novel Award
Hard Sci-FiScience Fiction
Pages
464
Published
2022
Language
English

Synopsis

Dr. Ha Nguyen, a marine biologist, accepts an offer to study a highly intelligent octopus species on a remote, privately owned archipelago. A powerful tech corporation has sealed off the islands, creating a secluded research environment. However, the octopuses' intelligence could lead to massive profits, and no one has considered their own intentions. What will happen when humanity's ambition clashes with an unknown intelligence?

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

TenseMysteriousThought-ProvokingIntellectual
First ContactSurvival

Genres

Hard Sci-Fi Science Fiction Thriller

About the author

R
Ray Nayler

Ray Nayler is an American science fiction author and career U.S. Foreign Service officer who has also served in the Peace Corps and international development, working across Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Vietnam, and the Balkans. His debut novel, The Mountain in the Sea, won the 2023 Locus Award for Best First Novel, and his novella The Tusks of Extinction won the 2025 Hugo Award.

Characters

Dr. Ha NguyenProtagonist
DIANIMAAntagonist
All characters in Mountain in the Sea

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