The Mountain in the Sea, set in a not-too-distant future, has several major subjects: the most important is intelligence, in particular an intelligence fundamentally different from ours, that of the octopus. In the novel, a population of octopuses living in an isolated archipelago has developed tool-making, language and even writing. Another main subject is artificial intelligence, for example an advanced android who seems to be fully conscious, but also simpler LLM-like AIs, like fully automated fishing boats; this brings us to another major subject, which is the depiction of a dystopian late-stage capitalism society. Machines are too expensive, so the the AI-vessels also keep some human slaves aboard those fishing boats to do the hard work. The novel is an easy read, a page-turner with some sci-fi action, but it also contains some deeper thoughts about society, AI, and how we can connect with other lifeforms. I liked it.

(written without AI by a non-native speaker, any awkward formulations are mine)