by Ray Nayler
First published 2023
Dr. Ha Nguyen has devoted her career to studying cephalopod intelligence. When reports emerge of octopuses with their own language and culture in the remote Con Dao Archipelago, she knows she must investigate. The tech corporation DIANIMA has cordoned off the islands from the outside world. Nguyen joins their research team, working alongside a battle-worn security operative and the first android ever created. These octopuses could unlock new frontiers in nonhuman intelligence, making fortunes for whoever controls their secrets. As Nguyen attempts to establish communication with the creatures, competing forces move to capture them. The corporation faces pressure from powerful interests seeking to exploit the discovery. Yet nobody has considered what the octopuses themselves want or how they might respond to human interference. The fate of both species hangs in the balance.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corporate-conspiracy, first-contact
Setting: Con Dao Archipelago, DIANIMA
Period: Contemporary
452 pages · Paperback · Picador