Shelfology Book Pairing

A Novel

by Ray Nayler

Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future. When Dr. Ha Nguyen--a pioneering marine biologist with a very specific, cephalopod-focused résumé--is offered the chance to travel to the remote Con Dao Archipelago to investigate a highly intelligent, dangerous octopus species, she doesn't pause long enough to look at the fine print. She will be the only scientist to have access to these octopuses, who just may hold the key to extrahuman intelligence. DIANIMA--a transnational tech corporation best known for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence, including having developed the world's first true android--has purchased the islands, evacuated their population, and sealed the archipelago off from the world. That android, along with a battle-tested security officer, will form the entirety of Nguyen's team as she attempts to understand the octopuses' sophisticated communications. But she may not have much time. Forces larger and more powerful than DIANIMA want access to the octopuses and are ruthless and innovative in their pursuit. And meanwhile, of course, the octopuses themselves may have something to say about it. A near-future thriller about the nature of intelligence, Ray Nayler's The Mountain in the Sea is at once a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing inquiry into some of humanity's most alluring questions.

by Homer

The Odyssey, translated by T. E. Lawrence, an epic 12,000-line poem composed over 2,700 years ago, is the first adventure story in Western literature. It describes the ten-year wanderings of Odysseus in his quest to return home after the Trojan War. Hounded by the sea-god Poseidon and championed by the goddess Athene, he encounters giants, sorceresses, and sea monsters before finally reaching his beloved Ithaca. There he must endure the taunts of the Suitors to his queen, Penelope, who have taken up residence in his palace. At once enchanting fairy tale and gripping drama, the Odyssey is eminently readable, not least for the rich complexity and magnetism of its hero. An inspiration to writers as diverse as Virgil, Swift, and Joyce, the Odyssey has proved enormously influential and continues to captivate readers of all ages.