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.