Status Updates From La Montagne dans la mer

At the end of the day, I'm stuck giving this a 2/5 on account that through all its beauty and cool concepts and intense investigative probes into AI ethics, animal cruelty, and sentient robots--it sorta of lands hollow. 452 pages and it lands with a minimal thud.

Inside this book are about five books. One is about contact with aliens, then one about AI, another is about environmental destruction, then there is a through line about corporate greed. The most tangible story that comes through is that of a fishing boat that has enslaved people. That one feels the strongest. Trying to balance all of these togethers showcases a lack of focus that hurts this book, more than helps it

I am so struggling with this one. Like massively struggling. I pick it up. I try. I try again. Have not made what feels like substantial progress with this.

I’m loving this books tightly woven and thoroughly committed themes exploring communication, cognition, and what it means to be alive and human.