Nehaveigur

Sometimes I read books that turn out to be boring, but rarely do I come across one I dislike. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel is one of them. It wasn’t written for me or someone like me. Instead it seems to have been written for Netflix producers, hoping to convince one of them to buy the rights to turn it into a sci fi series.

Like a mediocre sci fi series, the novel heaps mystery on mystery, and then ends without adequately resolving them. Good science fiction needs to be plausible within the framework of the universe it creates, but Mandel didn’t bother with that either. The plot relies on supposedly sophisticated organizations and individuals making decisions that are too stupid to make sense. There is also plenty of near-future technology that isn’t adequately explained, such as the ability to fly from the Earth to the moon just as if it were an intercontinental flight. The characters are going on my nerves, especially the one that seems to be modeled on the author herself. In addition, Mandel’s attempts to use science fiction to comment on today’s society lacks subtlety, even though I agree with some of her criticisms. I’ll admit that her writing style is good, but that’s unfortunately not enough make up for the novel’s many other defects.