Involution Ocean by Bruce Sterling is a science fiction novel that takes place on the planet Nullaqua, which features a vast, dried-up ocean filled with dust.
The story follows John Newhouse, a drug addict who joins a whaling ship that hunts for a giant sea creature called the “great dustwhale.” The novel is a blend of steampunk aesthetics and classic sea adventure narratives, exploring themes of addiction, obsession, and environmentalism.
License Model
Involution Ocean Book Information
29 Best Similar Books To Involution Ocean
1: Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
A fantasy novel by Zen Cho, set in Regency England, where a sorcerer and an unconventional young woman must navigate magical politics and prejudice.
2: The Spice Must Flow by Ryan Britt
A reference to the importance of spice in Frank Herbert’s "Dune" series, emphasizing its role in interstellar politics, power, and survival.
Advertisement
3: Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson
A novel exploring a world divided by a massive wall, where characters confront their pasts, secrets, and the mysteries beyond the barrier.
4: Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
A sci-fi series by Dan Simmons, featuring a pilgrimage to meet the mysterious Shrike, blending multiple genres and exploring themes of religion, time, and technology.
Advertisement
5: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
A post-apocalyptic fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor, following a young woman with magical abilities as she confronts a powerful sorcerer and seeks to change her destiny.
6: Solaris by Stanisław Lem
A sci-fi novel by Stanisław Lem, exploring a mysterious, sentient ocean on a distant planet, where scientists struggle with the unknown and their own psychological fears.
Advertisement
7: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
A sci-fi novel by Robert A. Heinlein, about a human raised by Martians who returns to Earth, challenging societal norms and exploring themes of freedom and identity.
8: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A sci-fi novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky, where humanity's last survivors attempt to colonize a terraformed planet, only to discover it's inhabited by evolved, intelligent spiders.
9: American War by Omar El Akkad
A dystopian novel by Omar El Akkad, set in a future where America is ravaged by a second civil war and climate change, exploring the personal and political costs of conflict.
10: The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
A sci-fi novel by Karen Lord, following the survivors of a destroyed planet as they seek to rebuild their culture and find new homes.
11: Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
A sci-fi novel by Sheri S. Tepper, set on a mysterious planet where strange rituals and alien lifeforms may hold the key to humanity's survival.
12: Neuromancer by William Gibson
A cyberpunk novel by William Gibson, exploring a dystopian future where a washed-up hacker is hired for a final job in a world dominated by AI and cybernetics.
13: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams
The Illustrated Edition: A humorous sci-fi adventure by Douglas Adams, following Arthur Dent's journey through space with quirky companions and absurd scenarios.
14: Jaran by Kate Elliott
A sci-fi/fantasy novel by Kate Elliott, combining interstellar politics with a story of a nomadic people on a low-tech planet, focusing on culture, honor, and rebellion.
15: Nova by Samuel R. Delany
A sci-fi novel by Samuel R. Delany, set in a far-future galaxy, following a crew on a quest for a rare element that could change the balance of power.
16: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
A space opera set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, featuring political intrigue, interstellar conflict, and a mysterious alien threat.
17: Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A dystopian sci-fi novel where a young man infiltrates the elite ruling class of a brutal society to spark a revolution against oppression.
18: Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1) by Ann Lecki
A space opera about a former starship AI seeking revenge against the empire that betrayed it, raising questions about identity, consciousness, and justice.
19: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
A space opera exploring a universe with different zones of thought, featuring an ancient superintelligence, galactic war, and a race to save the galaxy.
20: Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
A series of loosely connected sci-fi novels by Ursula K. Le Guin, exploring themes of culture, society, and communication across different worlds.
21: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
A fantasy novel set in a world plagued by apocalyptic seismic activity, following a woman with earth-shattering powers as she seeks her missing daughter.
22: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A philosophical sci-fi novel about a physicist who travels between two contrasting societies—one anarchist, one capitalist—exploring freedom, utopia, and social structures.
23: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
A sci-fi novel exploring humanity's first contact with an alien civilization, blending physics, philosophy, and politics in a tense, thought-provoking narrative.
24: The Complete Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
A dense, literary sci-fi/fantasy epic set in a distant future Earth, following an exiled torturer on a surreal, transformative journey.
25: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel exploring the cyclical nature of history through a Catholic monastery preserving knowledge after a nuclear war.
26: Hyperion by Dan Simmons
A sci-fi novel structured like "The Canterbury Tales," featuring pilgrims journeying to meet a mysterious creature called the Shrike in a richly imagined future.
27: The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed
A historical novel about a community's resilience and survival during a siege, exploring themes of war, loyalty, and the human spirit.
28: Foundation by Isaac Asimov
A sci-fi classic about a group of scientists trying to preserve knowledge and civilization as the Galactic Empire declines, introducing the concept of psychohistory.
29: Dune by Frank Herbert
A sci-fi epic by Frank Herbert, set on the desert planet Arrakis, focusing on politics, religion, and power struggles over the valuable resource "spice."