Blindsight by Peter Watts

An alien race send thousands of short lived probes to take a peek at earth. Now something is approaching the outer edges of our solar system so mankind sends a mission out to meet them.

In his Starfish sequence Watts postulated that living in the extreme environment of the ocean floor would require a very unusual mix of people and he continues that theme here. The ship is crewed by a bunch of genetically engineered oddities. None more so than the Vampire Captain, a member of the once extinct race that preyed on humans now resurrected through genetic technology.

This isn't necessarily an easy read. The action is often interrupted by meandering thoughts on the meaning and value of human consciousness. It is high quality hard sci fi but don't expect to come away cheered up.

Side note: the main protagonist suffered serious brain malfunction in his youth which has left him without empathy but with a remarkable algorithmic ability to explain things to people even when he doesn't actually understand them himself. His name is Siri. I think someone on Apple might have read this book.

Behemoth by Peter Watts

Behemoth follows on from Starfish and Maelstrom concluding this saga of a future world threatened by a bug from the deep oceans.

This is a more conventional adventure story than the first two books with heroes and villains and an epic final confrontation. Watts does keep us guessing for quite some time as to who is hero and who is villain however. This is facilitated by one of Watts major themes: the conflict between the greater good and personal sentiment.

The most powerful humans in Watts world are the Law breakers. Vastly powerful controllers who are subject to no law other than a genetically manipulated conscience. They will kill a thousand in order to save a million.

A bit confusing at times and the end when it does come feels a bit rushed. Nevertheless has to be recommended as the closing chapter of an excellent sci fi trilogy.

Maelstrom by Porter Watts

Starfish, Peter Watts brooding novel about a bunch of misfits living and working under the deep ocean could have worked as a standalone novel but it is actually the beginning of a trilogy and Maelstrom is the follow up episode.

With the main characters released from the ocean depths the claustrophobic psychological drama gives way to adventure story. It is a good one though and Watts still manages to keep you thinking about the characters and their roles. The main plot is about an ancient life form from the bottom of the ocean that threatens to destroy humanity and everything we know. Watts is quite ambiguous though about who his heroes are. Is it the controlling agencies who are fighting against the infection but who routinely sacrifice every human right of their subjects "for the greater good"? Is it the psychologically scarred heroine who deliberately spreads the doomsday bug as a form of twisted revenge? Is it the various misguided individuals who worship this Typhoid Mary and help her macabre quest? Is it the artificial intelligences who become entangled in the plot for their own motivations? Read this excellent thought provoking novel and decide for yourself.

Starfish by Peter Watts

A ragbag collection of sociopaths are bioengineering to live and work in the deep ocean maintaining the geothermal energy plants on which the future world depends for its electricity. Apparently the mega-corporation who sent them down thinks their peculiar personalities makes them just right for the job. Needless to say there is a lot more going on down in the depths than anyone anticipated and what starts out as a story of dysfunctional humans living in extreme conditions turns out to have consequences which threaten all life as we know it. This is really superior sci-fi and a highly recommended read. It is only after finishing it that I realised it is the first part of a trilogy. Indeed this first volume was such a satisfying and complete read in itself that I think I may wait a while before tackling the follow on books.