Customer Reviews

Ocean on Top

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am writing this review because there is no other review of Ocean on Top (as of this date) on Amazon, and to the best of my knowledge it is nigh on impossible to find a review or even a brief synopsis of this story online. To sum up, I will re-type the description as given on the back of the novel, which will give you a quick idea of whether or not this is the kind of book you might be interested in: "Under the Pacific the fate of the 21st Century world was in the balance. the world's energy supply was severely limited, and with a growing overpopulation the problem looked grim. In this grave new world the Power Board had become the virtual government of the planet. Power was rationed, it was guarded, its sources secret. So when three of the Power Board's top agents disappeared at sea and there was evidence that something sinister was happening to the energy quota in that area, it was time to hit all the 'alert' butons there were. Fast - and - hard...". So reads the back cover, and it is, generally, a pretty exciting read. The entire story takes place under water. It takes place exclusively from the protagonist's point of view (who remains unnamed throughout) - a Power Board agent investigating an illegal power source a couple of miles under the sea. Clement wrote this book a little over thirty years ago, but its message is even more relevant today and highlights the dangers of over-population and dwindling energy and food supplies. I won't go into details about what the protoganist finds at the bottom of the ocean or the 'people' he meets there, but Clement explores some very interesting themes of how mankind might create a new life for itself living under water -how it might grow food there, and how, under the vast, bone-crushing pressures of the deep, deep sea, humans might be biologically adapted to cope. Of particular interest also, is Clement's description of the language used (a kind of finger language akin to the one used in his other sea-faring adventure, Noise)between the indigenous inhabitants at the ocean floor, who must live perpetually in a fluid environment, and therefore cannot use speech. I hope I have whetted your appetite for what is, I believe, one of Clement's best novels (I have read about 7). This is a hidden gem, another 'lost' sci-fi book from the past that frankly has a lot to say about the possible world we are heading into. I would finally caution readers who are not familiar with Clement, particularly his writing style, which, let us say, is not exactly Clive Cussler. Clement is more of a thinker. If you like to do a bit of thinking then I recommend Ocean on Top as something worth your while. It is only 159 pages long too.