Still Sea

Name: Still Sea
ISBN: 9787572265563

艾米丽·圣约翰·曼德尔 / 王林园Sep 2024

4.2

Word count: 96K words
Chapters: 58
ISBN: 9787572265563

Report an error Find this book

Summary

In 1912, eighteen-year-old Edwin St. Andrew is exiled to the desolate edge of the Western world.

In 2020, artist Paul James Smith plays a video left behind by the dead during a performance.

In 2203, writer Olive Llewellyn, living in a lunar colony, leaves her husband and daughter behind to tour her home planet for a book tour.

They do not know one another, yet they share the same images—beneath towering forests, under ancient maples, a moment of darkness,

an unnamed static.

Strange phenomena across time and space fall like a pebble into the Sea of Tranquility. Life trajectories that were never meant to intersect shift ever so slightly, stretching toward that

incredible truth and the true nature of this world...

Editor's review

This book links its narrative across three far-apart points in time: a boy exiled to a desolate edge in 1912, an artist playing images of the deceased in 2020, and a writer from a lunar colony on a book tour away from family in 2203. The three lives do not know one another, yet they share the same images of a forest, a maple tree, darkness, and static noise. This strange connection across time and space is like a stone dropped into a still sea, subtly shifting lives that would otherwise run parallel. The work's appeal lies not in simple answers but in weaving together chance, memory, and the true nature of the world with restrained strokes, letting readers sense hidden echoes within seemingly loose fragments. It suits readers willing to slow down and enjoy structural puzzles and atmospheric immersion; those expecting strong plot momentum or clear explanations may find the experience less smooth. Reading in chapter order and noting recurring images and details is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers who enjoy cross-temporal narratives and structural puzzle novels
Readers who prefer atmospheric, slow-paced works
Readers interested in themes of memory, chance, and human connection
Readers willing to piece together clues themselves and savor room for reflection

Not a good fit for

Mystery readers expecting strong plot momentum and rapid twists
Readers who want all strange phenomena to receive clear scientific explanation
Readers who prefer single-protagonist linear narratives

Reading tips

Read in chapter order without skipping, noting recurring images such as the forest, maple tree, darkness, and static noise.
Pause briefly at timeline shifts and recall the previous section's characters and images, actively building connections.
Do not rush to seek the truth; first feel the atmosphere and characters' situations, then review the overall structure after finishing for greater clarity.
Keep paper and pen to note the character relationships and shared images across the three eras, helping you piece together the narrative threads.

版权信息
阅读前的友情提示
一侨居 1912
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
二米蕾拉和文森特 2020
1
2
3
三地球上的最后一次巡回售书 2203
四瘟鸡 2401
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
五地球上的最后一次巡回售书 2203
六米蕾拉和文森特文档损坏
1
2
3
4
5
七侨居 1918，1990，2008
1
2
3
4
5
八异常
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
后记

FAQ

Is this book science fiction?

The book includes future settings such as a lunar colony in 2203, but it does not center on hard science fiction's technical extrapolation; the future scenes are more a part of the narrative structure. It is closer to literary fiction with a speculative bent, focusing on memory, chance, and human connection. Readers expecting extensive scientific worldbuilding by hard science fiction standards may find a mismatch with their expectations.

What is the relationship among the stories of the three eras?

The characters of the three eras do not know one another, yet they share the same images: a forest, an ancient maple tree, a momentary darkness, and nameless static. This strange connection across time and space shifts life trajectories that would otherwise never intersect. The specific relationships must be pieced together by the reader; the work values a sense of resonance over directly explaining cause and effect.

Is the pacing very slow?

The overall pace is gentle, emphasizing atmosphere and detailed echoes rather than strong plot momentum. Readers accustomed to fast-paced, high-conflict narratives may find it insufficiently brisk; but those willing to slow down and attend to imagery and structure will find the reading process highly immersive and evocative.

Can I understand the so-called truth after finishing?

The work handles strange phenomena with restraint and does not offer a clearly ordered explanation. It prefers that readers feel the connections and shifts among the fragments of the three eras and form their own understanding. Those expecting all clues to be clearly resolved may feel unsatisfied; accepting an open-ended reflection is, in fact, more in keeping with how this book is meant to be read.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

艾米丽·圣约翰·曼德尔 Author · Canada · 1979

Emily St. John Mandel is a Canadian novelist born in 1979. Two of her works are currently available in Chinese translation: Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel. Station Eleven is her best-known work and is commonly classified under foreign literature and science fiction. Her novels often unfold after the collapse of civilization, focusing on the connections between people in the aftermath of disaster and on the place and meaning of art in unsettled times. Rather than dwelling on apocalyptic imagination alone, they are more concerned with how survivors rebuild their emotional lives and everyday existence. Publicly available information about her life is limited, and readers and critics have focused mainly on the themes and narrative style of her work.

王林园 Author

Wang Linyuan is a Chinese compiler and editor of books about whom little public information is available; details of identity and biography have not been clearly recorded. Judging from the seven works held in the collection, the areas covered are concentrated in foreign literature and science fiction. Representative titles include Great Expectations (2 volumes), Station Eleven, All the Clouds Disperse, Selected Works of the Science Fiction Master Wells, The Medieval Trilogy (9 volumes), The Quiet Sea, and The Neglected Sera. These works span classic literature, works by a science fiction master, and contemporary science fiction narratives, indicating a sustained interest in genre literature and classic texts in terms of topic selection and compilation. Because the author's own statements and external materials are lacking, writing style and personal influence cannot be assessed in detail; only from the composition of the works can one infer an editorial direction inclined toward introducing and integrating foreign literary resources.