Five nautical SFF books to read when you’re far from shore

Vanessa Armstrong is a book lover and writer with bylines at the LA Times, SYFY WIRE, StarTrek.com and other publications. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog Penny and her husband Jon.

At Tor.com Armstrong tagged "five books [she's] read at sea that have the ocean as an integral part of their stories," including:

Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller

Miller’s dystopian tale takes place on a barely floating city near the Arctic Circle called Qaanaaq, one of the few places left on the planet that hasn’t fallen to ruin after climate change and the spread of a genetically-engineered disease that has wiped out much of civilization. The worldbuilding of Qaanaaq, which is powered by thermal vents and organized into eight different sectors, is full of rich details that make the city come to life, especially when the imagery of the waves sloshing against Qaanaaq is eerily similar to the waves pounding against the side of the ship you’re on. Add in well-developed characters and the ability for certain humans to bond to orcas and/or polar bears make this story a resonant albeit sometimes scary one when traveling at sea.

Blackfish City is among Amy Brady's seven books that provocatively tackle climate change.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue