First published 2004
John Bandicut plunges through alien waters toward an impossible sight. Below him spreads a vast underwater civilization built by the Neri, a species that has mastered the ocean depths of this distant world. Bandicut and his companions have been hurled across space to this watery planet, where they must navigate both the physical dangers of the deep sea and the complex politics of a failing aquatic society. The Neri's underwater city shows signs of decay and crisis. Something lurks in the deepest trenches of this ocean world, an object so threatening that it has shaken the foundations of Neri civilization. Bandicut finds himself caught between his need to understand this alien culture and his growing awareness that time is running out. As the third volume in The Chaos Chronicles, this story weaves hard science fiction concepts rooted in chaos theory into a tale of survival and discovery. Bandicut must bridge the gap between human and alien thinking while confronting forces that could destroy both species. The ocean depths hold secrets that will test everything he believes about science, survival, and the connections that bind different forms of life together.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, survival
Setting: Neri, Underwater City
621 pages · Paperback · Bastei Lübbe