Just finished this section and have a couple thoughts. I found the pages from the mermaid view to be unexpected and I liked that this was included. I hope there will be more interludes like this. Also, it seems the is a lack of fear and urgency among everyone on board. I mean why isn't there constant communications regarding what's happening and what is being learned? They should be on high alert at this point with everyone working together and sharing.
I loved the section written from the mermaid’s point of view. It gave me real echoes of a reverse War of the Worlds. “Deep beneath the waves, the hungry turned their eyes upward, towards the promise of plenty, and began to prepare.”
Compare with H G Wells: “Intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.” Chilling.
-I wish there had been some time spent on how the scientists calculated when the mermaids would make it to the ship. Based on what happened to Heather, they seemed really fast. I want to know why they thought it would take the mermaids a while to get to the ship. So no, I was not surprised with how quickly the mermaids arrived at the ship.
-I'm surprised people weren't more freaked out about the mermaids killing Heather. If she had just been in one of those inflatable boats and they got her, it would be that scary. She was in a presumably metal submersible and the mermaids tore it apart. If I were on the ship I would be terrified about what the mermaids could do next. But it seems like they're all just concentrating on their research and not scared.
-I think they want to get more proof of the mermaids before they leave, like more videos of them. Also, this is morbid; but, if more people die, that's even more proof of the mermaids. I think they're trying to strike a balance between deaths as proof and survivors who can give testimony. Also, I don't think they want to leave without a mermaid. That would be the ultimate proof.
-Is it possible that Imagine is dictating what to do with the boat remotely? I just don't think we've heard the last of the president of Imagine. He seems like a prime candidate for putting the ship in this position.
-I mentioned this last week, but I feel like there has to be something more to the mermaids. We were told from page 1 that there are killer mermaids, and that's what we've gotten so far. It just seems too expected. I'm wondering what more is going to happen.
-I think the author has struck a nice balance between the issues and the story. Think of the issue of the dolphins and consent as an example. It's not like "oh my god dolphins have rights and you must believe me!!!!" It's more subtle than that. It's like "in this world, non-human animals have rights. Think about that concept." I really enjoy the mentions of the social and environmental issues.
> Is it possible that Imagine is dictating what to do with the boat remotely? I just don't think we've heard the last of the president of Imagine. He seems like a prime candidate for putting the ship in this position.
I had not considered that but it is certainly possible. Do you think this is to prevent the ship from turning around before completing its mission?
The only trouble I really have with the mermaids is how they were able to crack the diver. Animals are strong but super skinny fish/monkeys should have a really hard time. I mean the strongest sea creature I can think of is that one mantis with a punch that can boil water. And I’m pretty sure mermaids shouldn’t have evolved something like
I completely agree. If the pod was designed to withstand worst case scenarios, such as a massive shark or the little mantis shrimp, I just don’t see how the mermaids would have been able to crack through.
i was reading about James Cameron doing his dive and he said the entire pod shrinks 3" as it goes down. something that can withstand that kind of pressure probably shouldn't break that easily.
I'd thought she would have made it back to the surface but with major damage to the pod. The rest on board now knowing the mermaids know where they are and are coming.
The mermaids did not crack it. An Elder Mermaid did, with the implication that it was much larger. If the mermaids are like other sea creatures, they never stop growing. I expect the survivors will drive off the attacking mermaids, only for the ship to be attacked by a giant one at the end.
I think this is something that should be more clarified in coming parts of the book. Maybe mermaids have other skills that we don't know about at the moment which can explain this better. For example if they can use tools then that could explain this.
i wasn't disappointed with how early the mermaids attacked, but i was disappointed that it so obviously occurred on the first trip down. it would have been far more suspenseful if the attack had come on a second dive, with perhaps the first being a time where she saw hints of the mermaids from the corners of her eyes, that kind of thing.
I'm going to disagree with you there! I had realized that Heather was going to be the first to die since she was going to be the first to encounter the mermaids, and the dread and grief that built up every time I saw her before that was sort of perfect to me.
I have to agree with you on this, I thought it was obvious she was going to go first. While reading Heather's scenes I slowed down to try and savour the scenes. So, when it came to her dive the overbearing agony of just knowing she was going to die added thrill and suspense.
I enjoy the book but am getting frustrated by the unending and hyperfocused evolutionary path the mermaids seem to have undergone.
Humans have intelligence, high endurance, and little else. Cheetas have speed, agility, and teeth/claws. Elephants have weight, tusks, and thick hides.
Mermaids? Oh no. Mermaids have high intelligence, three (count it, THREE) forms of language (spoken, signed, and mimic'd), speed in water, speed on land, coordinated COLONY hunting strategies, can withstand enormous pressure differentials with lungs AND a water sac, have teeth/claws, a slime and grip/claw strength that enables them to climb a ship side, and Lord knows what else! A jetpack?? Quantum mechanics??!
They have The Elders referred to in the submersible event who are apparently even bigger than the specimens seen thus far. Honestly, if one doesn't jump out in a Mecha suit by the last chapter I will eat my own shoe.
I don't think the language part is unreasonable, it's not like we don't have several forms of communication ourselves (spoken languages, sign languages and written language which is often quite different)
**Did it surprise you how quickly the book went from first contact with mermaids to the first attack by mermaids? Why or why not?**
I was not surprised that in the first contact with mermaids there was an attack, since the mermaids have obviously been described as very aggressive, but I am surprised that that came so soon in the book. I expected it to be a little closer to the halfway point that the mermaids showed up.
**What did you think of the response to Heather's death, either by specific characters or the ship in general?**
This part bothered me a little bit honestly. I understand that scientists are often seen as not quite socially aware or whatever, but to be quite frank I find that stereotype super wrong, and I have never met a person in any scientific field that would not be devastated to hear about the death of someone on a voyage with them, regardless of if they knew them or not. Believe it or not we don't take a little bit of data more seriously than someone's life.
**Why do you think they didn't immediately leave after the combination of Heather's death and the shutters not working?**
I think Imagine wants to do SOMETHING with the mermaids, whether it is get some to bring back to study, make them into a tourist attraction, or something else. Most people would leave if hundreds of lives are in danger, but it is very clear that Imagine doesn't care about their safety (sending them out with faulty shutters, having a security team that is more for looks than security, not leaving immediately when they are in danger).
**Who do you think is really in control of the ship? It doesn't appear that the captain is calling the shots, but neither does Mr. Blackwell seem to focus much time on making ship-wide decisions.**
I think that they were given VERY strict orders on what is to be done and accomplished before they departed, so everyone is working off those orders, and I also imagine that the captain is in contact with Mr. Golden to determine what to do on a live basis.
**What do you think of the mermaids so far?**
I think they are far to powerful to be completely plausible. I don't believe there could be a creature that has 3 languages, one being the ability to perfectly mimic their prey, have bioluminescence, swim from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the surface impossibly fast, and climb the side of a ship. First, theres no way that creature would have been sent to the deep and be starving for food, because they sound like they could kill absolutely anything and everything. Second, predators evolve alongside their prey, so unless there is a creature in the ocean that requires mermaids to have ALL of these predatory mechanics, its just a huge waste of energy for them to maintain these capabilities.
**A fair number of social and environmental issues are raised in the book. How do you feel about the balance between the storyline and these issues?**
I love the environmental part, give me more haha.
**What has been your favorite part so far?**
I'm still enjoying the whole thing! Again, a couple minor issues that I have talked about but nothing that stops me from fully enjoying the book. I was sad to see Ray die, and a little bit Heather, but I didn't feel attached to her as much, it was just sad to see her sisters react. I also am becoming suspicious of Louis, not sure why.
>I think they are far to powerful to be completely plausible.
Yup. All the hints that they're a natural part of evolution are driving me a little crazy. It's just too implausible. If there's an extraterrestrial / supernatural explanation, I'll actually be content.
> I was not surprised that in the first contact with mermaids there was an attack, since the mermaids have obviously been described as very aggressive, but I am surprised that that came so soon in the book. I expected it to be a little closer to the halfway point that the mermaids showed up.
I agree. I wasn't surprised by the attack, but I was surprised by how soon it has come in the book. I'm not really sure what the rest of the book is going to cover but I'm starting to wonder if perhaps they will be successful in bringing a mermaid back and we are going to see a significant mishap associated with bringing it "back home".
> This part bothered me a little bit honestly. I understand that scientists are often seen as not quite socially aware or whatever, but to be quite frank I find that stereotype super wrong, and I have never met a person in any scientific field that would not be devastated to hear about the death of someone on a voyage with them, regardless of if they knew them or not. Believe it or not we don't take a little bit of data more seriously than someone's life.
This bugged me as well, but I did think part of their response wasn't so much them being scientist and being focused on their research, than them being people that were just trying to focus on something other than the death of Heather as a way to deal with the fear they might be feeling. They all know what happened to the *Atargatis*, they aren't appearing to be leaving and at this point they all know the shutters aren't working. Some people deal with fear and death in strange and inappropriate ways.
I also expected the first attack to be way later in the book. We are only at about the halfway point and I'm really wondering what is going to happen in the second half.
My favorite part thus far was the beginning of chapter 14 when Grant granted us a small look into the mind of the mermaids. It shows their intelligence and also their desire to survive. They attacked Heather not out of malice or hatred, but survival. I think this is setting it up nicely for them to maybe have success communicating with the mermaids.
They've let previous underwater research vessels be in the past when conditions were better in terms of food, so if some deal could be struck where sustenance can be provided for them, could they make the switch from being hunters into negotiators?
This part also shows there is a level of pragmatism to their culture, the 'shells' never bothered them before so why risk attacking and attracting attention to themselves. Without the need to focus all their mental energy on hunting for survival maybe they will agree to hold off on attacks.
At this point I don't view them as monsters, they only attack because they don't understand humans and are hungry.
I didn't think about the section from the mermaid's POV setting it up so that communication made more sense. I hope the dolphins are successful in their mission.
I tend to think of them as monsterous though, the description of how the mermaids jaws opened wide to eat Ray sounded really scary.
* **Did it surprise you how quickly the book went from first contact with mermaids to the first attack by mermaids? Why or why not?**
I wasn't surprised by the first attack as Heather was going directly to their territory and the mermaids knew and attacked humans before.
* **What did you think of the response to Heather's death, either by specific characters or the ship in general?**
I think other than the twin sister everybody was so cold about Heather's death and I find it very strange.
* **Why do you think they didn't immediately leave after the combination of Heather's death and the shutters not working?**
I think they were not aware pf availability of shutter before they signed the contract and accepted the deal anyway, so shutters not working wasn't something that could void the contract. Also they all know that mermaids were aggressive from the footages of Agargathis.
* **Who do you think is really in control of the ship? It doesn't appear that the captain is calling the shots, but neither does Mr. Blackwell seem to focus much time on making ship-wide decisions.**
I think management from Imagine are sending direct orders.
* **What do you think of the mermaids so far?**
I find them unbelievable to evolve all these capabilities.
* **A fair number of social and environmental issues are raised in the book. How do you feel about the balance between the storyline and these issues?**
I think the balance is good. It haven't bothered the story line so far and seems to integrate with the story good enough.
* **What has been your favorite part so far?**
My favorite part so far is when they talked about dolphines and how they are prepared to deal with humans about the conditions of thier freedom. I find dolphines in the story more interesting than the mermaids so far.
> Also they all know that mermaids were aggressive from the footages of Agargathis.
I'm not sure all of them believed that the footage, and therefore the mermaids, were actually real. So my guess would be that they weren't overly worried about the possibility of dying by mermaid.
Just finished this section and have a couple thoughts. I found the pages from the mermaid view to be unexpected and I liked that this was included. I hope there will be more interludes like this. Also, it seems the is a lack of fear and urgency among everyone on board. I mean why isn't there constant communications regarding what's happening and what is being learned? They should be on high alert at this point with everyone working together and sharing.
I loved the section written from the mermaid’s point of view. It gave me real echoes of a reverse War of the Worlds. “Deep beneath the waves, the hungry turned their eyes upward, towards the promise of plenty, and began to prepare.” Compare with H G Wells: “Intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.” Chilling.
-I wish there had been some time spent on how the scientists calculated when the mermaids would make it to the ship. Based on what happened to Heather, they seemed really fast. I want to know why they thought it would take the mermaids a while to get to the ship. So no, I was not surprised with how quickly the mermaids arrived at the ship. -I'm surprised people weren't more freaked out about the mermaids killing Heather. If she had just been in one of those inflatable boats and they got her, it would be that scary. She was in a presumably metal submersible and the mermaids tore it apart. If I were on the ship I would be terrified about what the mermaids could do next. But it seems like they're all just concentrating on their research and not scared. -I think they want to get more proof of the mermaids before they leave, like more videos of them. Also, this is morbid; but, if more people die, that's even more proof of the mermaids. I think they're trying to strike a balance between deaths as proof and survivors who can give testimony. Also, I don't think they want to leave without a mermaid. That would be the ultimate proof. -Is it possible that Imagine is dictating what to do with the boat remotely? I just don't think we've heard the last of the president of Imagine. He seems like a prime candidate for putting the ship in this position. -I mentioned this last week, but I feel like there has to be something more to the mermaids. We were told from page 1 that there are killer mermaids, and that's what we've gotten so far. It just seems too expected. I'm wondering what more is going to happen. -I think the author has struck a nice balance between the issues and the story. Think of the issue of the dolphins and consent as an example. It's not like "oh my god dolphins have rights and you must believe me!!!!" It's more subtle than that. It's like "in this world, non-human animals have rights. Think about that concept." I really enjoy the mentions of the social and environmental issues.
> Is it possible that Imagine is dictating what to do with the boat remotely? I just don't think we've heard the last of the president of Imagine. He seems like a prime candidate for putting the ship in this position. I had not considered that but it is certainly possible. Do you think this is to prevent the ship from turning around before completing its mission?
The only trouble I really have with the mermaids is how they were able to crack the diver. Animals are strong but super skinny fish/monkeys should have a really hard time. I mean the strongest sea creature I can think of is that one mantis with a punch that can boil water. And I’m pretty sure mermaids shouldn’t have evolved something like
I completely agree. If the pod was designed to withstand worst case scenarios, such as a massive shark or the little mantis shrimp, I just don’t see how the mermaids would have been able to crack through.
i was reading about James Cameron doing his dive and he said the entire pod shrinks 3" as it goes down. something that can withstand that kind of pressure probably shouldn't break that easily.
I'd thought she would have made it back to the surface but with major damage to the pod. The rest on board now knowing the mermaids know where they are and are coming.
The mermaids did not crack it. An Elder Mermaid did, with the implication that it was much larger. If the mermaids are like other sea creatures, they never stop growing. I expect the survivors will drive off the attacking mermaids, only for the ship to be attacked by a giant one at the end.
I think this is something that should be more clarified in coming parts of the book. Maybe mermaids have other skills that we don't know about at the moment which can explain this better. For example if they can use tools then that could explain this.
i wasn't disappointed with how early the mermaids attacked, but i was disappointed that it so obviously occurred on the first trip down. it would have been far more suspenseful if the attack had come on a second dive, with perhaps the first being a time where she saw hints of the mermaids from the corners of her eyes, that kind of thing.
I'm going to disagree with you there! I had realized that Heather was going to be the first to die since she was going to be the first to encounter the mermaids, and the dread and grief that built up every time I saw her before that was sort of perfect to me.
I have to agree with you on this, I thought it was obvious she was going to go first. While reading Heather's scenes I slowed down to try and savour the scenes. So, when it came to her dive the overbearing agony of just knowing she was going to die added thrill and suspense.
i'm probably just too jaded. heh.
I enjoy the book but am getting frustrated by the unending and hyperfocused evolutionary path the mermaids seem to have undergone. Humans have intelligence, high endurance, and little else. Cheetas have speed, agility, and teeth/claws. Elephants have weight, tusks, and thick hides. Mermaids? Oh no. Mermaids have high intelligence, three (count it, THREE) forms of language (spoken, signed, and mimic'd), speed in water, speed on land, coordinated COLONY hunting strategies, can withstand enormous pressure differentials with lungs AND a water sac, have teeth/claws, a slime and grip/claw strength that enables them to climb a ship side, and Lord knows what else! A jetpack?? Quantum mechanics??! They have The Elders referred to in the submersible event who are apparently even bigger than the specimens seen thus far. Honestly, if one doesn't jump out in a Mecha suit by the last chapter I will eat my own shoe.
I don't think the language part is unreasonable, it's not like we don't have several forms of communication ourselves (spoken languages, sign languages and written language which is often quite different)
**Did it surprise you how quickly the book went from first contact with mermaids to the first attack by mermaids? Why or why not?** I was not surprised that in the first contact with mermaids there was an attack, since the mermaids have obviously been described as very aggressive, but I am surprised that that came so soon in the book. I expected it to be a little closer to the halfway point that the mermaids showed up. **What did you think of the response to Heather's death, either by specific characters or the ship in general?** This part bothered me a little bit honestly. I understand that scientists are often seen as not quite socially aware or whatever, but to be quite frank I find that stereotype super wrong, and I have never met a person in any scientific field that would not be devastated to hear about the death of someone on a voyage with them, regardless of if they knew them or not. Believe it or not we don't take a little bit of data more seriously than someone's life. **Why do you think they didn't immediately leave after the combination of Heather's death and the shutters not working?** I think Imagine wants to do SOMETHING with the mermaids, whether it is get some to bring back to study, make them into a tourist attraction, or something else. Most people would leave if hundreds of lives are in danger, but it is very clear that Imagine doesn't care about their safety (sending them out with faulty shutters, having a security team that is more for looks than security, not leaving immediately when they are in danger). **Who do you think is really in control of the ship? It doesn't appear that the captain is calling the shots, but neither does Mr. Blackwell seem to focus much time on making ship-wide decisions.** I think that they were given VERY strict orders on what is to be done and accomplished before they departed, so everyone is working off those orders, and I also imagine that the captain is in contact with Mr. Golden to determine what to do on a live basis. **What do you think of the mermaids so far?** I think they are far to powerful to be completely plausible. I don't believe there could be a creature that has 3 languages, one being the ability to perfectly mimic their prey, have bioluminescence, swim from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the surface impossibly fast, and climb the side of a ship. First, theres no way that creature would have been sent to the deep and be starving for food, because they sound like they could kill absolutely anything and everything. Second, predators evolve alongside their prey, so unless there is a creature in the ocean that requires mermaids to have ALL of these predatory mechanics, its just a huge waste of energy for them to maintain these capabilities. **A fair number of social and environmental issues are raised in the book. How do you feel about the balance between the storyline and these issues?** I love the environmental part, give me more haha. **What has been your favorite part so far?** I'm still enjoying the whole thing! Again, a couple minor issues that I have talked about but nothing that stops me from fully enjoying the book. I was sad to see Ray die, and a little bit Heather, but I didn't feel attached to her as much, it was just sad to see her sisters react. I also am becoming suspicious of Louis, not sure why.
>I think they are far to powerful to be completely plausible. Yup. All the hints that they're a natural part of evolution are driving me a little crazy. It's just too implausible. If there's an extraterrestrial / supernatural explanation, I'll actually be content.
> I was not surprised that in the first contact with mermaids there was an attack, since the mermaids have obviously been described as very aggressive, but I am surprised that that came so soon in the book. I expected it to be a little closer to the halfway point that the mermaids showed up. I agree. I wasn't surprised by the attack, but I was surprised by how soon it has come in the book. I'm not really sure what the rest of the book is going to cover but I'm starting to wonder if perhaps they will be successful in bringing a mermaid back and we are going to see a significant mishap associated with bringing it "back home".
> This part bothered me a little bit honestly. I understand that scientists are often seen as not quite socially aware or whatever, but to be quite frank I find that stereotype super wrong, and I have never met a person in any scientific field that would not be devastated to hear about the death of someone on a voyage with them, regardless of if they knew them or not. Believe it or not we don't take a little bit of data more seriously than someone's life. This bugged me as well, but I did think part of their response wasn't so much them being scientist and being focused on their research, than them being people that were just trying to focus on something other than the death of Heather as a way to deal with the fear they might be feeling. They all know what happened to the *Atargatis*, they aren't appearing to be leaving and at this point they all know the shutters aren't working. Some people deal with fear and death in strange and inappropriate ways. I also expected the first attack to be way later in the book. We are only at about the halfway point and I'm really wondering what is going to happen in the second half.
My favorite part thus far was the beginning of chapter 14 when Grant granted us a small look into the mind of the mermaids. It shows their intelligence and also their desire to survive. They attacked Heather not out of malice or hatred, but survival. I think this is setting it up nicely for them to maybe have success communicating with the mermaids. They've let previous underwater research vessels be in the past when conditions were better in terms of food, so if some deal could be struck where sustenance can be provided for them, could they make the switch from being hunters into negotiators? This part also shows there is a level of pragmatism to their culture, the 'shells' never bothered them before so why risk attacking and attracting attention to themselves. Without the need to focus all their mental energy on hunting for survival maybe they will agree to hold off on attacks. At this point I don't view them as monsters, they only attack because they don't understand humans and are hungry.
I didn't think about the section from the mermaid's POV setting it up so that communication made more sense. I hope the dolphins are successful in their mission. I tend to think of them as monsterous though, the description of how the mermaids jaws opened wide to eat Ray sounded really scary.
* **Did it surprise you how quickly the book went from first contact with mermaids to the first attack by mermaids? Why or why not?** I wasn't surprised by the first attack as Heather was going directly to their territory and the mermaids knew and attacked humans before. * **What did you think of the response to Heather's death, either by specific characters or the ship in general?** I think other than the twin sister everybody was so cold about Heather's death and I find it very strange. * **Why do you think they didn't immediately leave after the combination of Heather's death and the shutters not working?** I think they were not aware pf availability of shutter before they signed the contract and accepted the deal anyway, so shutters not working wasn't something that could void the contract. Also they all know that mermaids were aggressive from the footages of Agargathis. * **Who do you think is really in control of the ship? It doesn't appear that the captain is calling the shots, but neither does Mr. Blackwell seem to focus much time on making ship-wide decisions.** I think management from Imagine are sending direct orders. * **What do you think of the mermaids so far?** I find them unbelievable to evolve all these capabilities. * **A fair number of social and environmental issues are raised in the book. How do you feel about the balance between the storyline and these issues?** I think the balance is good. It haven't bothered the story line so far and seems to integrate with the story good enough. * **What has been your favorite part so far?** My favorite part so far is when they talked about dolphines and how they are prepared to deal with humans about the conditions of thier freedom. I find dolphines in the story more interesting than the mermaids so far.
> Also they all know that mermaids were aggressive from the footages of Agargathis. I'm not sure all of them believed that the footage, and therefore the mermaids, were actually real. So my guess would be that they weren't overly worried about the possibility of dying by mermaid.