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Under the Blue
Metro Best New Books to Read in Spring PickGlossary Magazine Highly Anticipated Fiction PickA road trip beneath clear blue skies and a blazing a reclusive artist is forced to abandon his home and follow two young sisters across a post-pandemic Europe in search of a safe place. Is this the end of the world?Meanwhile two computer scientists have been educating their baby in a remote location. Their baby is called Talos, and he is an advanced AI program. Every week they feed him data, starting from the beginning of written history, era by era, and ask him to predict what will happen next to the human race. At the same time they're involved in an increasingly fraught philosophical debate about why human life is sacred and why the purpose for which he was built - to predict threats to human life to help us avoid them - is a worthwhile and ethical pursuit.These two strands come together in a way that is always suspenseful, surprising and intellectually this is an extraordinarily prescient and vital work of fiction - an apocalyptic road novel to frighten and thrill.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 11, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 28, 2021
Fans of Station Eleven, this one’s for you: the best dystopian novel I’ve read since Mandel’s. Aristide started writing this in 2017, and unknowingly predicted a much worse pandemic than Covid-19. In July 2020, Harry, a middle-aged painter inhabiting his late nephew’s apartment in London, finally twigs that something major is going on. He packs his car and heads to his Devon cottage, leaving its address under the door of the cute neighbour he sometimes flirts with. Hot days stack up and his new habits of rationing food and soap are deeply ingrained by the time the gal from #22, Ash – along with her sister, Jessie, a doctor who stocked up on medicine before fleeing her hospital – turn up. They quickly sink into his routines but have a bigger game plan: getting to Uganda, where their mum once worked and where they know they will be out of range of Europe’s at-risk nuclear reactors. An epic road trip ensues.
It gradually becomes clear that Harry, Ash and Jessie are among mere thousands of survivors worldwide, somehow immune to a novel disease that spread like wildfire. There are echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road in the way that they ransack the homes of the dead for supplies, and yet there’s lightness to their journey. Jessie has a sharp sense of humour, provoking much banter, and the places they pass through in France and Italy are gorgeous despite the circumstances. It would be a privilege to wander empty tourist destinations were it not for fear of nuclear winter and not finding sufficient food – and petrol to keep “the Lioness” (the replacement car they steal; it becomes their refuge) going. While the vague sexual tension between Harry and Ash persists, all three bonds are intriguing.
In an alternating storyline starting in 2017, Lisa and Paul, two computer scientists based in a lab at the Arctic Circle, are programming an AI, Talos XI. Based on reams of data on history and human nature, Talos is asked to predict what will happen next. But when it comes to questions like the purpose of art and whether humans are worth saving, the conclusions he comes to aren’t the ones his creators were hoping for. These sections are set out as transcripts of dialogues, and provide a change of pace and perspective. Initially, I was less sure about this strand, worrying that it would resort to that well-worn trope of machines gone bad. Luckily, Aristide avoids sci-fi clichés, and presents a believable vision of life after the collapse of civilization.
The novel is full of memorable lines (“This absurd overkill, this baroque wedding cake of an apocalypse: plague and then nuclear meltdowns”) and scenes, from Harry burying a dead cow to the trio acting out a dinner party – just in case it’s their last. There’s an environmentalist message here, but it’s subtly conveyed via a propulsive cautionary tale that also reminded me of work by Louisa Hall and Maja Lunde.
It gradually becomes clear that Harry, Ash and Jessie are among mere thousands of survivors worldwide, somehow immune to a novel disease that spread like wildfire. There are echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road in the way that they ransack the homes of the dead for supplies, and yet there’s lightness to their journey. Jessie has a sharp sense of humour, provoking much banter, and the places they pass through in France and Italy are gorgeous despite the circumstances. It would be a privilege to wander empty tourist destinations were it not for fear of nuclear winter and not finding sufficient food – and petrol to keep “the Lioness” (the replacement car they steal; it becomes their refuge) going. While the vague sexual tension between Harry and Ash persists, all three bonds are intriguing.
In an alternating storyline starting in 2017, Lisa and Paul, two computer scientists based in a lab at the Arctic Circle, are programming an AI, Talos XI. Based on reams of data on history and human nature, Talos is asked to predict what will happen next. But when it comes to questions like the purpose of art and whether humans are worth saving, the conclusions he comes to aren’t the ones his creators were hoping for. These sections are set out as transcripts of dialogues, and provide a change of pace and perspective. Initially, I was less sure about this strand, worrying that it would resort to that well-worn trope of machines gone bad. Luckily, Aristide avoids sci-fi clichés, and presents a believable vision of life after the collapse of civilization.
The novel is full of memorable lines (“This absurd overkill, this baroque wedding cake of an apocalypse: plague and then nuclear meltdowns”) and scenes, from Harry burying a dead cow to the trio acting out a dinner party – just in case it’s their last. There’s an environmentalist message here, but it’s subtly conveyed via a propulsive cautionary tale that also reminded me of work by Louisa Hall and Maja Lunde.
January 16, 2021
I've never read a book that manage to tie together all major threats to the existence of humanity and life itself into one story, yet this dystopian novel manage to do it with both great elegance and humor. One part of the plot involves three characters on a quest for survival after a deadly pandemic hit earth wiping out almost all of mankind, the other part brings you along the journey of an artificial intelligence maturing from the cradle into the world of self-consciousness. The plot twist leaves something for both heart and mind, and the excitement of being thrown between hope and disparity made it way too difficult to take a break, so I stayed up all night reading from cover to cover. Totally worth it.
April 10, 2024
Imagine coming up with the idea for a novel about a devastating global pandemic and – during editing – life suddenly decides to imitate art and an actual pandemic hits! Fellow Goodreaders, I present to you: Oana Aristide’s Under The Blue.
The story unfolds in a post-pandemic Europe and centers largely on a reclusive artist named Harry who initially contrives to miss the disaster only to soon discover that he is one of only a few remaining survivors. Leaving a decimated, fire-engulfed London behind, he escapes to his home in the country, where he soon comes to terms with the true extent of the catastrophe that has unfolded. Joined unexpectedly by his neighbor from London and her sister, the trio navigate the altered landscape of a world on the brink, determined to survive against all odds.
Running parallel to the main story is a research project involving a pair of computer scientists and an advanced AI program named Talos, who’s being fed data – era by era – with the eventual aim of helping predict and prevent future threats to humanity. These mini breaks from the main narrative, I found fascinating and often comical; Talos, grappling with his growing understanding of ethics, becomes more and more stubborn, more quarrelsome and, much to his programmers’ annoyance, more righteous. And let’s be perfectly clear here: the points he makes are compelling.
Ethics is certainly a central theme to the story, but equally as pervasive, are themes of identity and purpose, desolation and hope and ecological mismanagement. Are we doing all we can to save what is left of our great planet? Do we care enough to make the changes necessary, no matter the cost?
Under The Blue blends dystopia with science, philosophy and ethics quite brilliantly, inviting the reader to contemplate the fragility of our world, whilst drawing a light to the choices we make, and the consequences that ripple through time. A fantastic read!
The story unfolds in a post-pandemic Europe and centers largely on a reclusive artist named Harry who initially contrives to miss the disaster only to soon discover that he is one of only a few remaining survivors. Leaving a decimated, fire-engulfed London behind, he escapes to his home in the country, where he soon comes to terms with the true extent of the catastrophe that has unfolded. Joined unexpectedly by his neighbor from London and her sister, the trio navigate the altered landscape of a world on the brink, determined to survive against all odds.
Running parallel to the main story is a research project involving a pair of computer scientists and an advanced AI program named Talos, who’s being fed data – era by era – with the eventual aim of helping predict and prevent future threats to humanity. These mini breaks from the main narrative, I found fascinating and often comical; Talos, grappling with his growing understanding of ethics, becomes more and more stubborn, more quarrelsome and, much to his programmers’ annoyance, more righteous. And let’s be perfectly clear here: the points he makes are compelling.
Ethics is certainly a central theme to the story, but equally as pervasive, are themes of identity and purpose, desolation and hope and ecological mismanagement. Are we doing all we can to save what is left of our great planet? Do we care enough to make the changes necessary, no matter the cost?
Under The Blue blends dystopia with science, philosophy and ethics quite brilliantly, inviting the reader to contemplate the fragility of our world, whilst drawing a light to the choices we make, and the consequences that ripple through time. A fantastic read!
November 23, 2021
4.5/5
An excellent, environmentally engaged post-apocalyptic novel. It shows, through brutal and emotionless logic that humans are one of the worst things that happened to Earth. Sure, we try to idolize ourselves but Talos's (an AI presented in the book) divagations on ethics may prove the opposite.
Well worth a read.
An excellent, environmentally engaged post-apocalyptic novel. It shows, through brutal and emotionless logic that humans are one of the worst things that happened to Earth. Sure, we try to idolize ourselves but Talos's (an AI presented in the book) divagations on ethics may prove the opposite.
Well worth a read.
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November 30, 2020Under the Blue is a novel with a terrible beauty. Oana Aristide gives us so much to think about: environmental destruction, the melting of the polar ice, eco-terrorism, but all within a heart-stopping story of three survivors travelling through Europe alone. As well as horror, Under the Blue is filled with love and trust and ultimately, hope. I couldn’t look away.
May 22, 2023
Harry is an artist who lives in his late nephew’s apartment. He is fairly self-contained and is so engrossed in his work that he misses what is happening in the outside world. When it dawns on him that the London that he used to know is pretty much a ghost town, he decides to head to the cottage he has in the West Country. He leaves a note for his neighbour not knowing that he will ever see her again.
Driving to the cottage he is very much aware of how few people have survived the pandemic that has hit the world. After a little while he is surprised to see his London neighbour and her sister appear at his door. They like him, are some of the few survivors that are left. She is a doctor and she saw first-hand the devastation of this disease and the news she brings is even more alarming. The nuclear power stations that are scattered across Europe only had a certain amount of time before they become critical and blew.
They need to get to Africa as soon as possible to ensure their safety.
So begins their adventure travelling across Europe scavenging things from homes and other properties on the run from the coming nuclear winter.
Woven in with this story is another thread. Two scientists, Paul and Lisa, are working with an AI. They are teaching it human history with the hope that it could learn what went right and wrong at each stage of civilisation and be able to advise them what humanity needs to do in the modern age. The predictions that it gives are not what the scientist and their backers want to hear.
I thought that this was excellent. It is both plausible and utterly terrifying. The timing of this book was spot on, written just prior to the pandemic and then released after it bought home just how vulnerable we still are. And still so unprepared too. I did think that there would be a few more people left in this, near-future, but that does not diminish from the quality of the story. If you are a fan of Station Eleven, then I would recommend reading this too.
Driving to the cottage he is very much aware of how few people have survived the pandemic that has hit the world. After a little while he is surprised to see his London neighbour and her sister appear at his door. They like him, are some of the few survivors that are left. She is a doctor and she saw first-hand the devastation of this disease and the news she brings is even more alarming. The nuclear power stations that are scattered across Europe only had a certain amount of time before they become critical and blew.
They need to get to Africa as soon as possible to ensure their safety.
So begins their adventure travelling across Europe scavenging things from homes and other properties on the run from the coming nuclear winter.
Woven in with this story is another thread. Two scientists, Paul and Lisa, are working with an AI. They are teaching it human history with the hope that it could learn what went right and wrong at each stage of civilisation and be able to advise them what humanity needs to do in the modern age. The predictions that it gives are not what the scientist and their backers want to hear.
I thought that this was excellent. It is both plausible and utterly terrifying. The timing of this book was spot on, written just prior to the pandemic and then released after it bought home just how vulnerable we still are. And still so unprepared too. I did think that there would be a few more people left in this, near-future, but that does not diminish from the quality of the story. If you are a fan of Station Eleven, then I would recommend reading this too.
November 24, 2021
A bleak but glaring vision of the near future.
I didn't pay nearly enough attention to the blurb. As I started on Under the Blue, I was keen to read about the artificial intelligence and somehow overlooked the pandemic aspect (ironic, considering the protagonist). As mentioned in the afterword, Aristide didn't plan on writing a novel that directly reflected the times but that's how it ended up. God bless the traditional publishing process and the little ironies created by its slow speed.
At first I didn't much care for Harry, a grieving artist who becomes so obsessed with his painting that he blocks out global panic. It wasn't until Ash and Jessie turned up at his summer cottage that this plot really got going for me. After a while I was kind of rooting for Harry to find some happiness with Ash. How foolish of me. There's more at stake here than one middle-aged bloke trying to pull that young neighbour he used to flirt with in an elevator.
Aristide instead focuses on the struggle of this uneasy trio. Harry is stubbornly optimistic, Ash is in softly-spoken denial and Jessie is a medical professional whose black humour has outlived her compassion for her fellow man. They bicker like family but they're not quite bonded. There's too much paranoia for all that. Still, once the Golden Lioness's engine roars into life and makes its way across Europe, the group dynamic is at its most engaging.
What remained engaging from the start was the artificial intelligence subplot. I was instantly fascinated by the teaching of Talos to predict future crisis events. Like in a lot of AI stories, Talos begins to question the motives of its human handlers, leading to an ongoing debate about human ego getting in the way of true scientific discovery. Wonderfully unsettling.
However I'm not too convinced by the way these plots dovetail. I felt that the final twist is a bit understated and could have benefited from greater hints at the dubious nature of these three survivors. It feels like there could easily be a sequel to the adventures of Harry, Ash and Jessie.
That being said, Aristide apparently had an environmentalist message in mind, which this novel follows through on all by itself. The idea of nuclear power stations all falling into disrepair now terrifies me. Also, it's not always safe in shiny water...
In summary, Under the Blue is not an easy book and it will put a lot of people off. It should have put me off but I went into it blissfully unaware and came out harrowed but glad of the wisdom imparted. I recommend Under the Blue to fans of timely science fiction, who agree to some extent that humanity should spend less time adoring itself and more time improving its efforts to be better.
I didn't pay nearly enough attention to the blurb. As I started on Under the Blue, I was keen to read about the artificial intelligence and somehow overlooked the pandemic aspect (ironic, considering the protagonist). As mentioned in the afterword, Aristide didn't plan on writing a novel that directly reflected the times but that's how it ended up. God bless the traditional publishing process and the little ironies created by its slow speed.
At first I didn't much care for Harry, a grieving artist who becomes so obsessed with his painting that he blocks out global panic. It wasn't until Ash and Jessie turned up at his summer cottage that this plot really got going for me. After a while I was kind of rooting for Harry to find some happiness with Ash. How foolish of me. There's more at stake here than one middle-aged bloke trying to pull that young neighbour he used to flirt with in an elevator.
Aristide instead focuses on the struggle of this uneasy trio. Harry is stubbornly optimistic, Ash is in softly-spoken denial and Jessie is a medical professional whose black humour has outlived her compassion for her fellow man. They bicker like family but they're not quite bonded. There's too much paranoia for all that. Still, once the Golden Lioness's engine roars into life and makes its way across Europe, the group dynamic is at its most engaging.
What remained engaging from the start was the artificial intelligence subplot. I was instantly fascinated by the teaching of Talos to predict future crisis events. Like in a lot of AI stories, Talos begins to question the motives of its human handlers, leading to an ongoing debate about human ego getting in the way of true scientific discovery. Wonderfully unsettling.
However I'm not too convinced by the way these plots dovetail. I felt that the final twist is a bit understated and could have benefited from greater hints at the dubious nature of these three survivors. It feels like there could easily be a sequel to the adventures of Harry, Ash and Jessie.
That being said, Aristide apparently had an environmentalist message in mind, which this novel follows through on all by itself. The idea of nuclear power stations all falling into disrepair now terrifies me. Also, it's not always safe in shiny water...
In summary, Under the Blue is not an easy book and it will put a lot of people off. It should have put me off but I went into it blissfully unaware and came out harrowed but glad of the wisdom imparted. I recommend Under the Blue to fans of timely science fiction, who agree to some extent that humanity should spend less time adoring itself and more time improving its efforts to be better.
March 26, 2021
You might think that currently living through a pandemic would make me want to avoid reading a novel in which a pandemic wipes out most of the population, but you’d be wrong - and the reason for that is that this novel is too brilliant, too original and just too important to avoid.
There are two threads to this story - there’s the survivor style road trip which is told in dialogue between Harry, Ash and Jessie, and with Harry’s narration, and there’s the transcript of scientists trying to prepare Talos, an AI programme who basically thinks in the most logical and intelligent way imaginable which isn’t always favourable to humans. It’s not revealed until the very end how the two stories will connect, and even then there’s a certain amount of ambiguity.
Harry probably isn’t the type of character you’d cast in the ‘last survivor’ type of role, and yet the dynamic between him and the two sisters works well. Sometimes the dialogue felt a little unnatural but then I had to remind myself that the circumstances were about as unnatural as possible so perhaps that’s how it should be.
The realities of how the pandemic came to be, and the knock on effect were just terrifying in a way no other eco-fiction or dystopian novel has been for me before. It all felt far too plausible and even like something which could happen in my lifetime. There’s no doubt that this story is meant as a warning, and the last discussion with Talos especially felt poignant - how we choose what’s convenient or cheaper in the short term without worrying about the impact long term.
I hope everyone reads this - whilst it is frightening, it’s also very compelling, well written and thought provoking. Powerful stuff!
There are two threads to this story - there’s the survivor style road trip which is told in dialogue between Harry, Ash and Jessie, and with Harry’s narration, and there’s the transcript of scientists trying to prepare Talos, an AI programme who basically thinks in the most logical and intelligent way imaginable which isn’t always favourable to humans. It’s not revealed until the very end how the two stories will connect, and even then there’s a certain amount of ambiguity.
Harry probably isn’t the type of character you’d cast in the ‘last survivor’ type of role, and yet the dynamic between him and the two sisters works well. Sometimes the dialogue felt a little unnatural but then I had to remind myself that the circumstances were about as unnatural as possible so perhaps that’s how it should be.
The realities of how the pandemic came to be, and the knock on effect were just terrifying in a way no other eco-fiction or dystopian novel has been for me before. It all felt far too plausible and even like something which could happen in my lifetime. There’s no doubt that this story is meant as a warning, and the last discussion with Talos especially felt poignant - how we choose what’s convenient or cheaper in the short term without worrying about the impact long term.
I hope everyone reads this - whilst it is frightening, it’s also very compelling, well written and thought provoking. Powerful stuff!
March 30, 2021
I approached this book with the naïveté of someone who believed no work of fiction which included a pandemic could affect her the slightest. I may still be too engulfed in its spirit to offer a proper objective review or even a coherent one. I appreciated the quirky references from Bergman’s Wild Strawberries to Pink Floyd. I enjoyed the fine humor which erupted in the unexpected context of the transcripts from working sessions with an AI.
I found, at times, the book provoked visceral reactions with its realism. This is not a dystopian future one can deem unimaginable. This is a setting that may happen, so my personal disclaimer would be to tread carefully. There are references galore, starting from historical events to ethical dilemmas, presented in the easy-breezy manner that makes this a perfect weekend read. Still, it also makes one want to explore more. Sure, it is first a novel dealing with the ever-negating habit of us humans damaging ourselves. Every page bleeds the sudden realization that we brought this upon us.
As a novel dealing with “the end of the world as we know it,” it managed to avoid all cliches and then some. It is filled with witty remarks and abundant in logical thinking: an unexpected delight, if one can say that while contemplating humanity’s frailty.
For me, the most pressing issue it presented is that of life’s meaning and purpose and how even faced with this seemingly unbearable trauma, there was resilience. Some books stick with you for reasons unbeknownst. This is one of them.
I found, at times, the book provoked visceral reactions with its realism. This is not a dystopian future one can deem unimaginable. This is a setting that may happen, so my personal disclaimer would be to tread carefully. There are references galore, starting from historical events to ethical dilemmas, presented in the easy-breezy manner that makes this a perfect weekend read. Still, it also makes one want to explore more. Sure, it is first a novel dealing with the ever-negating habit of us humans damaging ourselves. Every page bleeds the sudden realization that we brought this upon us.
As a novel dealing with “the end of the world as we know it,” it managed to avoid all cliches and then some. It is filled with witty remarks and abundant in logical thinking: an unexpected delight, if one can say that while contemplating humanity’s frailty.
For me, the most pressing issue it presented is that of life’s meaning and purpose and how even faced with this seemingly unbearable trauma, there was resilience. Some books stick with you for reasons unbeknownst. This is one of them.
November 7, 2021
I came across Under the Blue via a book festival event. My general rule is to read books before listening to discussion of them. I didn't manage it in this case, but still found the event really good and subsequently appreciated the book. Admittedly, I didn't find the start hugely promising. Under the Blue begins with an oblivious artist realising that a sudden lethal pandemic has depopulated London. It's a very similar vibe to the eerie opening scenes of 28 Days Later (an excellent movie), which is pretty intense to read during an actual pandemic. The protagonist, Harry, flees to a cottage in the countryside where Ash, the neighbour he has a crush on, finds him. She brings her sister Jessie and the three decide to flee Europe before all the nuclear power plants melt down. I found Harry's point of view a little irritating, as he often makes foolish decisions and continually lusts after Ash. She and Jessie are clearly more sensible. Their journey across empty Europe is vivid and tense, especially the frightening scene at the polluted lake.
Meanwhile there is a fascinating parallel narrative in which a couple of scientists teach an AI called Talos. The conversations between Talos and the two scientists have the dynamic of two teachers condescending to a child and acting offended when it ignores them. They attempt to explain why human life is sacred to the AI in a presumptuous and muddled way, brushing aside all the ways that humans do not treat human life as sacred at all. In both narratives, the reader sees events from the perspective of the more blinkered and unaware individual. While I found this slightly frustrating, it's also highly compelling and pays off very effectively at the end. Indeed, the best thing about the novel is the excellent ending. Aristide paces the plot very cleverly.
I also really enjoyed Aristide's afterword on the weirdness of an actual pandemic happening just after she'd finished writing about one. This final paragraph is striking:
This is a powerful point that I both agree and disagree with. Fiction definitely depicts what cultures like to believe about themselves. However, I think fiction can also play a part in changing what we believe about ourselves and our capabilities. Destructive habits have to be viewed as destructive, and ways to stop destruction imagined, for things to change. I don't see idealisation of humanity's problem-solving capabilities in fiction as the problem as much as fiction refusing to honestly face the problems we've created. To overcome climate change and pandemics, we have to believe that's possible and be prepared for systemic change. So perhaps I am not disagreeing so much as quibbling about terminology (idealisation vs denial) and sequencing. It's certainly true that we have to stop pretending capitalism isn't destroying the environment and killing us. I think fiction can have a role in dismantling such beliefs.
Meanwhile there is a fascinating parallel narrative in which a couple of scientists teach an AI called Talos. The conversations between Talos and the two scientists have the dynamic of two teachers condescending to a child and acting offended when it ignores them. They attempt to explain why human life is sacred to the AI in a presumptuous and muddled way, brushing aside all the ways that humans do not treat human life as sacred at all. In both narratives, the reader sees events from the perspective of the more blinkered and unaware individual. While I found this slightly frustrating, it's also highly compelling and pays off very effectively at the end. Indeed, the best thing about the novel is the excellent ending. Aristide paces the plot very cleverly.
I also really enjoyed Aristide's afterword on the weirdness of an actual pandemic happening just after she'd finished writing about one. This final paragraph is striking:
It was only in autumn 2020, when during the final edits I came across the line where Talos says that works of fiction are useful because they show him what humans like to believe about themselves, that it dawned on me: I had written that sentence, I had meant exactly that, but I still somehow managed to miss the point. And it was so easily done. Coming to terms with this penchant for idealising ourselves seems key in how things will turn out, and whether we'll succeed in changing destructive habits. Collectively and individually, we have to stop worshipping a fictional version of mankind, and instead start behaving in a way that will allow us to like who we really are.
This is a powerful point that I both agree and disagree with. Fiction definitely depicts what cultures like to believe about themselves. However, I think fiction can also play a part in changing what we believe about ourselves and our capabilities. Destructive habits have to be viewed as destructive, and ways to stop destruction imagined, for things to change. I don't see idealisation of humanity's problem-solving capabilities in fiction as the problem as much as fiction refusing to honestly face the problems we've created. To overcome climate change and pandemics, we have to believe that's possible and be prepared for systemic change. So perhaps I am not disagreeing so much as quibbling about terminology (idealisation vs denial) and sequencing. It's certainly true that we have to stop pretending capitalism isn't destroying the environment and killing us. I think fiction can have a role in dismantling such beliefs.
March 24, 2021
I'd been looking forward to reading Under The Blue for months – a relative heard about it on I think a radio show or a written interview and told me it'd be right up my street. They were totally right!
This is a beautifully written book that blends the complex subject of teaching ethics to AI with the loss, desperation and panic of navigating a pandemic. I don't want to say too much else about the plot, because I was happy to go into the story with little knowledge of what was going to happen.
It's a must-read for lovers of science-fiction and pandemic-related fiction, but that shouldn't put you off if that's not your usual cup of tea as the character building and thoughtful handling of philosophical subjects is bound to appeal to everyone.
This is easily one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.
This is a beautifully written book that blends the complex subject of teaching ethics to AI with the loss, desperation and panic of navigating a pandemic. I don't want to say too much else about the plot, because I was happy to go into the story with little knowledge of what was going to happen.
It's a must-read for lovers of science-fiction and pandemic-related fiction, but that shouldn't put you off if that's not your usual cup of tea as the character building and thoughtful handling of philosophical subjects is bound to appeal to everyone.
This is easily one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.
March 27, 2021
A stellar novel which is both immensely enjoyable to read, challenging and though provoking. The book is only coincidentally about a pandemic, having been completed before Covid. At its heart,
it exposes the fundamental contradiction of the present-day human condition: that we know as a species what is needed to save ourselves yet as individuals are incapable of behaving as if it were possible. The two intertwined narratives - an unlikely post-apocalypse road trip which manages to be funny and chilling by turns, and the education of an AI which brutally analyses human behaviours - are each compelling in different ways, and come together in the final pages in a way that is both surprising and curiously hopeful.
it exposes the fundamental contradiction of the present-day human condition: that we know as a species what is needed to save ourselves yet as individuals are incapable of behaving as if it were possible. The two intertwined narratives - an unlikely post-apocalypse road trip which manages to be funny and chilling by turns, and the education of an AI which brutally analyses human behaviours - are each compelling in different ways, and come together in the final pages in a way that is both surprising and curiously hopeful.
March 6, 2021
Interesting to read in the middle of our real worldwide catastrophe but I still found it hard to be as shocked as I probably should have been. I couldn’t quite read the characters and they all ended up blurring into a sort of ageless non-featured person/persons.
July 6, 2021
So much of speculative fiction is heading towards truism than speculation. Under the Blue has that same chilling, haunting, and eerily prescient quality that is pervasive seeps beneath your skin. It is a pandemic novel set in the current time, circumstances of which are far worse than the one we have experienced in the last year and a half, and in this case, most of humanity hasn’t survived. Three lone survivors make their way across a deserted and ravaged Europe towards the middle east and Africa to escape the threat of unmonitored nuclear reactors exploding and obliterating most of Europe. In parallel, you follow two computer scientists in the Arctic Circle, a few years previously in 2017, training and educating their very advanced, humanoid AI, Talos with data across eons, in the hopes that he would be able to predict where humanity is heading and warn them in advance.
Romanian writer, Oana Aristide is a macroeconomist, and that intelligence and objective excavation of where humanity is heading based on data from the past several hundred years and the trends seen now, really glimmers in the sections between Talos, the AI, and the scientists conversing with him. The sections following Talos making sense of the world and the questions he poses to the scientists on ethics and whether human life is really as sacred as we think were my favourite parts of the book. There is almost a sense of philosophical, existential inquiry into the nature of human existence, environmental destruction, the melting ice-caps, the rise of religious extremism, and the multitude of ways in which humans continue to cripple themselves. The way these two parallel threads converge becomes the novel.
Talos’s segments, however, constitute a smaller portion of the novel, with the majority of the novel focussing on the three survivors. Whilst I found their road trip storyline compelling, I wasn’t as invested in them as people as Aristide doesn’t really develop them as fully realized characters. There was something lacking, something orchestrated and clunky in their interactions that weren’t as convincing. That ultimately was the reason it very slightly brought the book down for me. But it still is one I’d very highly recommend. It manages to be both unnerving, unsettling but also gentle and tender in its bleakness. If you don’t mind a pandemic novel given the current situation, I would urge you to pick it up.
Romanian writer, Oana Aristide is a macroeconomist, and that intelligence and objective excavation of where humanity is heading based on data from the past several hundred years and the trends seen now, really glimmers in the sections between Talos, the AI, and the scientists conversing with him. The sections following Talos making sense of the world and the questions he poses to the scientists on ethics and whether human life is really as sacred as we think were my favourite parts of the book. There is almost a sense of philosophical, existential inquiry into the nature of human existence, environmental destruction, the melting ice-caps, the rise of religious extremism, and the multitude of ways in which humans continue to cripple themselves. The way these two parallel threads converge becomes the novel.
Talos’s segments, however, constitute a smaller portion of the novel, with the majority of the novel focussing on the three survivors. Whilst I found their road trip storyline compelling, I wasn’t as invested in them as people as Aristide doesn’t really develop them as fully realized characters. There was something lacking, something orchestrated and clunky in their interactions that weren’t as convincing. That ultimately was the reason it very slightly brought the book down for me. But it still is one I’d very highly recommend. It manages to be both unnerving, unsettling but also gentle and tender in its bleakness. If you don’t mind a pandemic novel given the current situation, I would urge you to pick it up.
April 7, 2021
A virus has spread across the world and an artist and two sisters are attempting to escape from post-pandemic Europe in search of a safe place. Meanwhile, two computer scientists are attempting to educate an advanced AI software called Talos to predict the future of humanity…
Bloody hell – talk about a timely read.
Reading a dystopian book about a pandemic while we are in one was SURREAL. The first couple of chapters felt freakishly like the first few weeks of lockdown – the initial panic and the hushed streets. I initially found it difficult to read –probably due to the bad memories which it triggered.
But once I got past the first two chapters…WOW. I literally COULD NOT STOP reading. I was utterly gripped by the journey of the three survivors travelling across an eerily silent Europe.
Although there were a lot of interesting points on ethics and eco-destruction, it was ultimately the humanistic side and the relationship between the three survivors which intrigued me the most. I accompanied them on their journey and wanted to see them reach salvation.
Although it was an ultimately bleak novel, there was a message of hope running throughout and I thought it was truly beautiful.
However, despite initially enjoying the chapters focusing on the conversations between Talos and the computer scientists, I did begin to bore of them slightly. I was so desperate to get back to the escape across Europe that I found myself skimming parts of the Talos chapters.
(Which, in hindsight, was a TERRIBLE decision because turns out that you really should be paying attention to them.)
Unfortunately, I fear that Under the Blue may not get the attention it rightly deserves as some readers are unlikely to want to read a narrative about a pandemic while we’re in the midst of one.
I would say - please don’t let the trauma of lockdown put you off. It’s worth it, believe me. It is a beautiful, thoughtful novel on existence and humanity, and I can’t recommend it enough.
A strong (and terrifying) four star read.
Thank you to serpents tail for my #gifted copy.
Bloody hell – talk about a timely read.
Reading a dystopian book about a pandemic while we are in one was SURREAL. The first couple of chapters felt freakishly like the first few weeks of lockdown – the initial panic and the hushed streets. I initially found it difficult to read –probably due to the bad memories which it triggered.
But once I got past the first two chapters…WOW. I literally COULD NOT STOP reading. I was utterly gripped by the journey of the three survivors travelling across an eerily silent Europe.
Although there were a lot of interesting points on ethics and eco-destruction, it was ultimately the humanistic side and the relationship between the three survivors which intrigued me the most. I accompanied them on their journey and wanted to see them reach salvation.
Although it was an ultimately bleak novel, there was a message of hope running throughout and I thought it was truly beautiful.
However, despite initially enjoying the chapters focusing on the conversations between Talos and the computer scientists, I did begin to bore of them slightly. I was so desperate to get back to the escape across Europe that I found myself skimming parts of the Talos chapters.
(Which, in hindsight, was a TERRIBLE decision because turns out that you really should be paying attention to them.)
Unfortunately, I fear that Under the Blue may not get the attention it rightly deserves as some readers are unlikely to want to read a narrative about a pandemic while we’re in the midst of one.
I would say - please don’t let the trauma of lockdown put you off. It’s worth it, believe me. It is a beautiful, thoughtful novel on existence and humanity, and I can’t recommend it enough.
A strong (and terrifying) four star read.
Thank you to serpents tail for my #gifted copy.
April 6, 2023
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!!
January 11, 2023
After fighting my way through this book, it was clear that it's written from a lofty patrician environmentalist position, one of despair at the state of the world, and at humans for allowing it to to get this bad. Now, there are a lot of criticisms of the 'deep Green' attitude to humanity - ahistoric, apolitical, for starters - but it would be too boring to go into them here. Enough to say that such a despairing and literally hopeless view of humans isn't helpful to those trying to improve the lot of humans and our environments. Basically, it says 'you made your toxic bed, you lie in it'.
This is a work of fiction, not an environmental treatise, so allowances have to be made and slack offered. When I first picked it up in the library my immediate thought was 'ho hum', another eco-apocalypse novel, but I was intrigued by the inclusion of an AI called Talos thinking that it would be a device to introduce radical solutions and thinking, so I gave it a go. The writing is ok, the plotting straightforward, the scenario highly unrealistic - no plague in human history has a 99.99% fatality rate, but the author needs this to explain the complete lack of other survivors. Neither is it likely that a plague from the permafrost (no spoiler - this appears early on) would spread so quickly and be so virulent. That Monsieur l'Artiste was so self-absorbed and insular that he didn't know WTF was happening for weeks on account of being cloistered in his studio was literally unbelievable.
The 'road trip' aspect felt dreamlike and for sure unreal, and there was clearly a dark secret between the two women which only became apparent at the end (and pretty ludicrous it was too, relying on a monstrously improbable occurrence). The lack of other human characters made plotting easy enough, but was in the end quite boring and lazy, so that the author didn't have to explain what happened.
What about Talos, humanity's (and the novel's) only hope? In the end it didn't tell us anything we don't already know. I was hoping that it perhaps had a dark involvement in the plague, a hope sparked by its going walkies at one point, but no luck.
In the end, which I was glad to reach at long last, the author's attitude and disdain for humanity was clear, as was her having written the book as a didactic and contemptuous swipe at all of us. No matter if we are young or old, poor or rich, black or white, powerful or powerless, etc etc, we are all to blame, and thus all to suffer the consequences of environmental destruction. To which I reply with Hannah Arendt's famous quote about collective guilt: where all are guilty, none are.
Her bio on the Serpent's Tail website gives a pointer to the origin of her patrician loftiness, as she's been a high-flying City macroeconomist then an adviser to the Romanian State. Her afterword makes great play of her opening up an "eco-friendly hotel on a Greek island" after being inspired by Greta Thunberg and XR. However, Greta and XR are, in the end, pro-human and working actively to save the natural world for all of us, and not retreating to eco hideaways for the ethically pure.
As a contribution to the apocalypse genre, this book will quickly fade into obscurity. There are far, far better books on the topic, with serious and even occasionally constructive things to say - Cory Doctorow's Masque of the Red Death, in his novella collection Radicalized, comes immediately to mind.
This is a work of fiction, not an environmental treatise, so allowances have to be made and slack offered. When I first picked it up in the library my immediate thought was 'ho hum', another eco-apocalypse novel, but I was intrigued by the inclusion of an AI called Talos thinking that it would be a device to introduce radical solutions and thinking, so I gave it a go. The writing is ok, the plotting straightforward, the scenario highly unrealistic - no plague in human history has a 99.99% fatality rate, but the author needs this to explain the complete lack of other survivors. Neither is it likely that a plague from the permafrost (no spoiler - this appears early on) would spread so quickly and be so virulent. That Monsieur l'Artiste was so self-absorbed and insular that he didn't know WTF was happening for weeks on account of being cloistered in his studio was literally unbelievable.
The 'road trip' aspect felt dreamlike and for sure unreal, and there was clearly a dark secret between the two women which only became apparent at the end (and pretty ludicrous it was too, relying on a monstrously improbable occurrence). The lack of other human characters made plotting easy enough, but was in the end quite boring and lazy, so that the author didn't have to explain what happened.
What about Talos, humanity's (and the novel's) only hope? In the end it didn't tell us anything we don't already know. I was hoping that it perhaps had a dark involvement in the plague, a hope sparked by its going walkies at one point, but no luck.
In the end, which I was glad to reach at long last, the author's attitude and disdain for humanity was clear, as was her having written the book as a didactic and contemptuous swipe at all of us. No matter if we are young or old, poor or rich, black or white, powerful or powerless, etc etc, we are all to blame, and thus all to suffer the consequences of environmental destruction. To which I reply with Hannah Arendt's famous quote about collective guilt: where all are guilty, none are.
Her bio on the Serpent's Tail website gives a pointer to the origin of her patrician loftiness, as she's been a high-flying City macroeconomist then an adviser to the Romanian State. Her afterword makes great play of her opening up an "eco-friendly hotel on a Greek island" after being inspired by Greta Thunberg and XR. However, Greta and XR are, in the end, pro-human and working actively to save the natural world for all of us, and not retreating to eco hideaways for the ethically pure.
As a contribution to the apocalypse genre, this book will quickly fade into obscurity. There are far, far better books on the topic, with serious and even occasionally constructive things to say - Cory Doctorow's Masque of the Red Death, in his novella collection Radicalized, comes immediately to mind.
March 7, 2021
Oana Aristide is Romanian(as myself). It is so rare to see a Romanian author being promoted in the West that I really, really wanted to show my support too. But turns out, Under the Blue didn't work for me, sadly.
The main problem is that I couldn't warm up to the writing style. In such cases, something else(the story, the characters, the ideas transmitted to readers etc) needs to be extraordinary to force me to overlook the writing itself. But it is not the case here. The story is frankly boring, the characters are noting to write home about, and while there were a few instances I enjoyed some dialogues(for example when Jessie and Ash were fighting I was finally feeling excitement, some fire in the platitude of their endless drive), or a few ideas discusses in the interactions between Thalos and Lisa; overall, once again, there's not much substance to impress.
I could go on with my criticism but that would reveal too much from the book, so I'll limit myself to saying: if you are into overused tropes like nuclear apocalypse, robots taking over the world and overpowering humans and haven't had enough of the current pandemic, then you may enjoy this! Lol.
*Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher.
The main problem is that I couldn't warm up to the writing style. In such cases, something else(the story, the characters, the ideas transmitted to readers etc) needs to be extraordinary to force me to overlook the writing itself. But it is not the case here. The story is frankly boring, the characters are noting to write home about, and while there were a few instances I enjoyed some dialogues(for example when Jessie and Ash were fighting I was finally feeling excitement, some fire in the platitude of their endless drive), or a few ideas discusses in the interactions between Thalos and Lisa; overall, once again, there's not much substance to impress.
I could go on with my criticism but that would reveal too much from the book, so I'll limit myself to saying: if you are into overused tropes like nuclear apocalypse, robots taking over the world and overpowering humans and haven't had enough of the current pandemic, then you may enjoy this! Lol.
*Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher.
January 14, 2022
Mixed feelings about this book. Interesting premise and decent execution for a debut novel from this author.
My main issue was the secondary storyline with Talos (the AI program), it felt very disjointed from the main storyline, and honestly it was annoying each time I had to jump from the more engaging main storyline to the dragging and cliched "AI borned dumb and turned sentient" cliche story.
Of course it was expected that both storylines would crossover at some point and give us some explanations but I had the feeling it wouldn't be worth the hassle and I was right. If somehow the little critical info from the AI storyline could have been put in some other way (shorter) or even removed at all, the story could have worked out much better. 3 stars.
My main issue was the secondary storyline with Talos (the AI program), it felt very disjointed from the main storyline, and honestly it was annoying each time I had to jump from the more engaging main storyline to the dragging and cliched "AI borned dumb and turned sentient" cliche story.
Of course it was expected that both storylines would crossover at some point and give us some explanations but I had the feeling it wouldn't be worth the hassle and I was right. If somehow the little critical info from the AI storyline could have been put in some other way (shorter) or even removed at all, the story could have worked out much better. 3 stars.
October 11, 2022
A very unnerving read as it is close to what has been happening the last few years and seems very plausible with all that is happening with the environment. The author explains she stared writing this book pre pandemic but then had to make changes as the release was during the pandemic. This story has two themes running parallel throughout. Three people trying to out run a virus that is wiping out humanity whilst at the same time two scientists are building an AI robot. I didn’t get the links between the two so the ending was a surprise for me. A thoroughly enjoyable read even if it made me uncomfortable at times.
January 23, 2025
Really made you question morality. Not sure if I liked the ending though, did leave it open ended but felt a bit rushed.
August 23, 2022
I don't normally write anything here but this book really got me. It's intense, and frightening, and I loved it so much. Just need to find someone to talk to about it, I need a debrief!
December 23, 2025
I really enjoyed this dystopian book looking at the fall out of a pandemic (coincidentally written just before Covid). It reads easily and wears its messages about environmentalism and AI lightly although powerfully. One for fans of Mandel’s Station Eleven.
May 8, 2022
4,5/5. Excellent and thought-provoking in a way which never feels forced. There is no forced drama or romance (aka. this feels way more grown up than your typical YA dystopia), no fighting the big scary system for justice. Just three people at the end of the world. Actually, surprisingly little action happens - in the best, most refreshing way possible. This book was different than any dystopian novel I’ve ever read.
A raw and beautiful book which leaves you with lots of open-ended questions about ethics, climate, AI and humanity. I found this quite easy to read and swallowed it almost whole. Definitely recommend!
A raw and beautiful book which leaves you with lots of open-ended questions about ethics, climate, AI and humanity. I found this quite easy to read and swallowed it almost whole. Definitely recommend!
February 2, 2024
I dislike dystopian books, or so I thought, until I read this one. Very clever, very subtle, very absorbing. But I’m very glad I didn’t read it in early 2020 cos it would have scared me to death.
March 7, 2021
Under The Blue is a post-apocalyptic novel told largely from the perspective of Harry, a reclusive artist, who initially misses the worldwide disaster but soon finds himself on a journey accompanied by two sisters seeking refuge overseas.
We travel with Harry, Ash and Jessie as they struggle to survive against environmental factors and other humans, and piece together the events of the last few months.
Eerily, given the recent pandemic, this book was written in 2017 and predicts quite accurately the negative actions of humans to a threat to their survival (hoarding, panicking, fleeing to the countryside, etc). One line that struck me was ‘He is surprised at how quickly the abnormal becomes normal’, which we have definitely seen across 2020/21 to date.
The story deals with some dark and deep issues – pandemic, environmental concerns and the impact of both human actions and inaction. It is such a terrifying concept (the end of the world as we know it) which makes Under The Blue such a page-turner, full of both desperation, tension, mystery and hope, leaving the reader determined to find out what happens next.
The novel also includes conversations between a scientist and her AI, Talos, designed to monitor threats to the World and humanity, as well as to provide potential solutions. I loved this element of the story, seeing Talos grow and develop. What was concerning, was how often I found myself agreeing with his opinions!
Under The Blue is one of the most thought-provoking stories I’ve read in a long time and the ending left me thinking on the key themes and outcomes for the cast of characters for a good while after.
A highly recommended read and would make a great movie!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We travel with Harry, Ash and Jessie as they struggle to survive against environmental factors and other humans, and piece together the events of the last few months.
Eerily, given the recent pandemic, this book was written in 2017 and predicts quite accurately the negative actions of humans to a threat to their survival (hoarding, panicking, fleeing to the countryside, etc). One line that struck me was ‘He is surprised at how quickly the abnormal becomes normal’, which we have definitely seen across 2020/21 to date.
The story deals with some dark and deep issues – pandemic, environmental concerns and the impact of both human actions and inaction. It is such a terrifying concept (the end of the world as we know it) which makes Under The Blue such a page-turner, full of both desperation, tension, mystery and hope, leaving the reader determined to find out what happens next.
The novel also includes conversations between a scientist and her AI, Talos, designed to monitor threats to the World and humanity, as well as to provide potential solutions. I loved this element of the story, seeing Talos grow and develop. What was concerning, was how often I found myself agreeing with his opinions!
Under The Blue is one of the most thought-provoking stories I’ve read in a long time and the ending left me thinking on the key themes and outcomes for the cast of characters for a good while after.
A highly recommended read and would make a great movie!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2021
Hot on the heals of 'Detransition, Baby', another hit from Serpent's Tail. Before reading, I'd heard that it was a pandemic novel, but had missed that there's also an AI storyline. That is brought together so well. Already set to be a favourite of mine for the prize.
March 21, 2021
truly wonderful. could not leave it out of my hands.
March 2, 2021
A fascinating and timely novel with two narratives that combine beautifully. One being a desperate struggle for personal survival, and perhaps the survival of humanity itself. The other, being the awaking awareness of an AI that increasingly exposes the failing logic of it’s creators. The work gives a moving insight into society’s self-inflicted wounds while never losing sight of the hope, beauty and humour that surround us. It is made all the more poignant as it was written some time before the consequences of these wounds that we are now all enduring. If only it had been published two years ago and every head of state was forced to read it.
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