The Mountain in the SeaThe Mountain in the Sea
What it's about
A tech corporation has sealed off a remote Vietnamese archipelago where a species of octopus may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life studying cephalopod intelligence, joins the team, alongside a battle-scarred security agent and the world's first android.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Nebula Award finalist. It's a thoughtful novel about consciousness and communication.
You'll love it if you liked
Children of Time
Project Hail Mary
ExhalationGood to know
It's slow and full of ideas, more philosophy than action.
By the numbers
- Readers53 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #150 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #188 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #269 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1576 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Gripping, Dark
If you like this, read next
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
The Tainted Cup
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Mountain in the Sea worth reading?
Yes. It was a Nebula Award finalist. It ranks #1,576 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Mountain in the Sea about?
A tech corporation has sealed off a remote Vietnamese archipelago where a species of octopus may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life studying cephalopod intelligence, joins the team, alongside a battle-scarred security agent and the world's first android.
How long does it take to read The Mountain in the Sea?
About 12 hours (464 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Mountain in the Sea?
If you liked it, try Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir or Exhalation by Ted Chiang.