The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will probably always nod to Wyndham's Day of the Triffids as a crowning piece of SF, but The Kraken Wakes takes on a very similar tone, albeit very different problems.

The two both have a heavy focus on science and rationality in the face of unfathomable problems. Triffids had mass blindness turning most of humanity into meat for ambulatory plants while Kraken shows us just how lame we are against deep-ocean dwelling aliens despite nukes... especially when the icebergs melt. I especially loved the full logical exploration of options, possibilities, and solutions... but humanity and governments being what they are, the most rational options are usually thrown out the window for the sake of sovereignty and dominance.

What? We don't like the idea of giving up our naval superiority? Oh, well. Let the escalations begin. And they go far beyond mere escalations. Some of the novel has the tone of War of the Worlds, while other parts feel like any number of global-warming disaster novels (or movies!).

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a Captain Nemo novel. The whole world is affected and the death count is truly awesome. In that respect, it's very much in tune with Triffids! :)

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