THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA by Ray Nayler

2023 Nebula Award Nominee Reviews Part 2/6

Reviewed by: Abe Ziesing

An outstanding mashup of multiple SF subgenres including cyberpunk, dystopian near future, first contact, AI/robot/android and hard SF (not too hard), Ray Nayler's first novel is a science fiction juggernaut with marine biology sprinkled on top. I picked this up knowing nothing about the book or the author as part of my quest to read all Nebula Award nominees, and holy shit, am I glad that I did so! You're submersed (pun intended) into a very believable world of high tech treachery and intense business and political maneuvering for the last of earth's dwindling resources, and that's just the backdrop. The real intensity comes in the form of a high stakes thriller with tons of action, but if that sounds like a little too much for you "cozy read" readers, fear not because it's balanced exquisitely well with enough emotional first contact drama, intriguing world building and character development to satisfy even the coziest crazy cat lady. I can't say enough about this one, but if you like books (haha) then do yourself a favor and dive in (pun intended).