4 ms·

Good read! Adrian Tchaikovsky explored octopus consciousness in the sci-fi novel 'Children of Ruin'. They really do seem alien.

mojomark 7y ago
The intelligence of related cephalopod 'cuttlefish' was also highlighted in Baxter's "Time" novel: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_(Baxter_novel) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_(Baxter_novel)
- pndy 7y ago
  I'm not sure if that counts as well but Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee Rama series includes "octospider" species but that would be more for "alien" part in the article title.
derg 7y ago
I assume this is the sequel to 'Children of Time'? I enjoyed it, so I guess I should check out the sequel sooner rather than later.
- arcticfox 7y ago
  It is - I thought it remained excellent, but unlike Children of Time, missed the mark a bit on its potential.
- strig 7y ago
  I actually enjoyed it a bit more than Children of Time. Both are great books.
- legohead 7y ago
  Just finished, would definitely recommend. The book has many interesting ideas, not just the octopodes :)
  - bduerst 7y ago
    Yeah, it legit turned into horror at one point - it's been a while since a book gave an adrenaline rush. Loved it.
    - derg 7y ago
      oh this sounds fun. Will add it to the front of the book queue for this weekend.
      - bduerst 7y ago
        Make sure to read Children of Time first, otherwise some of the context will be lost.
        derg 7y ago
        Already have! I enjoyed it a lot.
    - paranoidrobot 7y ago
      > it legit turned into horror at one point As did the first book, in a different way. Just the thought of something like this[0] whose body is ~4 feet long (let alone the legs, too) is enough to descend into horror territory for me. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtlvZGmHYk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtlvZGmHYk
drdeadringer 7y ago
Also: genetically modified squid in Stephen Baxter's book 'Time'.
shostack 7y ago
Yeah, it was a fantastic deep dive into how a creature like that perceives and operates within reality. Not as enjoyable as Children of Time IMHO as I preferred the evolutionary journey of the Portiids more, but still excellent. Ending was lacking though. Hope he does a third book.

mojomark 7y ago

The intelligence of related cephalopod 'cuttlefish' was also highlighted in Baxter's "Time" novel: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_(Baxter_novel) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_(Baxter_novel)

pndy 7y ago
I'm not sure if that counts as well but Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee Rama series includes "octospider" species but that would be more for "alien" part in the article title.

derg 7y ago

I assume this is the sequel to 'Children of Time'? I enjoyed it, so I guess I should check out the sequel sooner rather than later.

arcticfox 7y ago
It is - I thought it remained excellent, but unlike Children of Time, missed the mark a bit on its potential.
strig 7y ago
I actually enjoyed it a bit more than Children of Time. Both are great books.
legohead 7y ago
Just finished, would definitely recommend. The book has many interesting ideas, not just the octopodes :)
- bduerst 7y ago
  Yeah, it legit turned into horror at one point - it's been a while since a book gave an adrenaline rush. Loved it.
  - derg 7y ago
    oh this sounds fun. Will add it to the front of the book queue for this weekend.
    - bduerst 7y ago
      Make sure to read Children of Time first, otherwise some of the context will be lost.
      - derg 7y ago
        Already have! I enjoyed it a lot.
  - paranoidrobot 7y ago
    > it legit turned into horror at one point As did the first book, in a different way. Just the thought of something like this[0] whose body is ~4 feet long (let alone the legs, too) is enough to descend into horror territory for me. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtlvZGmHYk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtlvZGmHYk

drdeadringer 7y ago

Also: genetically modified squid in Stephen Baxter's book 'Time'.

shostack 7y ago

Yeah, it was a fantastic deep dive into how a creature like that perceives and operates within reality. Not as enjoyable as Children of Time IMHO as I preferred the evolutionary journey of the Portiids more, but still excellent. Ending was lacking though. Hope he does a third book.