‘The Mountain in the Sea’ by Ray Nayler

Storytelling:
A marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen and author of the book named ‘How Oceans Think’ carries out scientific research on octopi on a conservation sanctuary, a remote and desolate Vietnamese island, discovering that the animals possess incredible capabilities of communication and even artistry. She questions if these animals have a consciousness. She recalls memories of when she was in an orphanage on the island as a child, how she managed to isolate herself, describing herself as a ‘preconscious being.’
Ideas:
Humankind has a desire to communicate with aliens and animals, and this theme is explored through our protagonist and her artificially intelligent robot colleagues. Ha is concerned that she will damage the animals through her passion for research, as she has before in the past when she was studied cuttlefish, she ignored everything else except herself and her studies.
Her AI colleague Altantsetseg sometimes chats with her using a faulty translator which she explains, she uses to keep people at a distance and avoid having conversations.
Aligned to that are the translating possibilities of skin colouring and shape shifting which the octopi use to communicate with her. These natural behaviours inherent in an octopus take on a deliberate nature and Ha works out the way to translate them.
Keys to translation are explored as puzzles, paths through a hypothetical palace, a place to store memories and a way to unlock secrets.
Outlining:
The story covers her historic research and the ultimate days on Con Dao island where she makes her latest scientific discovery. Aligned with that there is a sub plot which describes how artificial intelligence runs business enterprises such as automated fishing fleets using enslaved labour forces with fatal consequences for humankind.
Show vs tell:
Each scene starts with a short extract from her published book or from Dr. Anrkatia Minervudottir-Chan’s book titled ‘Building Minds,’ and it invokes thoughts and ideas in the reader which is a kind of ‘tell’ technique. This leads well into the next piece of action in the story, which becomes the ‘show.’
Style and pacing
There is a steady pace due to the short scenes and extracted quotes.
Star Review:
4/5