Stephen Fry's Odyssey retells the story for modern audiences, while The Place of Tides by James Rebanks is a poignant memoir about the now-lost trade of caring for eider ducks
Tales of family and feuds, the eldritch and otherworldly, as well as our Earth's own elusive waters invite you to dive right in.
Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai’i
By Sara Kehaulani Goo
The gorgeous, untouched stretch of shores on Maui’s eastern coast, known as Hāna, were given to Sara Kehaulani Goo’s family in 1848. When a property tax bill comes with a 500% increase, the financial burden leads Goo to uncover what else colonial rule had taken from her forefathers — not to mention the Native Hawaiian population at large. Kuleana, named for the word meaning “responsibility” or “duty”, is an award-winning journalist’s exploration of intergenerational stewardship, ancestral ties and the indigenous communities still fighting to keep their land and culture.
Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness
By David Attenborough + Colin Butfield
Co-penned by recently turned centenarian Sir David Attenborough and producer Colin Butfield, this enlightening read frames Earth’s elusive yet wondrous body of water through the personal stories of the beloved natural historian’s lifetime. A collection of scientific and historic accounts conveys not only the ocean’s role in shaping the land and air around us, but its resilience in the face of man-made damage. Behind these vibrant tales of eight unique underwater habitats and their multitudinous native species is a compelling call to action — to safeguard the spectacular marine world before it is too late.
The Book of Records
By Madeleine Thien
Fleeing the flooded Pearl River Delta in the near future, Lina and her father find refuge in a large, labyrinthine and liminal migrant compound called “The Sea”, where buildings themselves seem encapsulated in their own decade. Lina finds a link to the past via the biographical tomes she has brought — three stories of scholars across eras and nations. Later, she discovers her neighbours are avatars of these individuals, a trio of apparitions slipping through history on their own quests. Time and thought fold and interact in Thien’s vivid, mercurial fantasy, an homage to intellect, the inheritance of memory and mankind’s quest for belonging.
The Place of Tides
By James Rebanks
Farmer James Rebanks, transfixed by an old carer for wild eider ducks he once encountered on a remote Norwegian island, sends her a letter asking to work together for a season. This poignantly profound memoir recounts years devoted to a now-lost trade: toiling through winter to make a safe haven for the fowl to nest, awaiting the blessed summer when they shed their precious down. Her humble dedication and connection to nature is not only a stronghold of old-world sustainability, but teaches Rebanks the value of forgiveness and what small acts of heroism can do for the earth.
Ultramarine
By Mariette Navarro
The water giveth and taketh away; those who drift upon her exist on a tenuous membrane between life and death. Ultramarine’s lead, a female captain who manages 20 male sailors, knows this — her seafaring father lost his mind to something inexplicable years ago. Now, inexplicable things are happening to her vessel. After a mysterious 21st crewman appears, in rolls a thick, paralysing fog that freezes the ship, which itself seems to take on a life of its own. Hypnotic and atmospheric, this psychologically disorienting narrative of muddled perception and clawing for control is rife with intensity and deftness of description.
The Ferryman and His Wife
By Frode Grytten
The moments before death are often preceded by one’s life flashing before their eyes. When ferryman Nils Vik wakes up on Nov 18, he knows today will be his last. He boards his boat to cross the fjord for the final time as deceased figures from his past appear to ride with him: his long-dead dog Luna, ghosts of family, friends and former passengers, good and bad. Vik’s memories are revealed with gentle yet haunting simplicity, rendering an honest reflection of love, loss and the little things he never noticed. All that is left is to wait for the person he most hopes to see again — his late wife, Marta.
Odyssey
By Stephen Fry
The tale of Greek king Odysseus’ treacherous, 10-year return to fallen Troy is among literary history’s most commonly referenced great journeys. Rather than the poetic epic or glamourised reincarnation, though, Stephen Fry’s latest retelling is equal parts erudite, candid and witty in its prose. Odyssey extends a relatable hand to the modern reader, such that unheeded prophecies are comedic and suitorship is bombastic, while wrathful shipwrecks and familial drama dip back into tense sobriety. The fourth in Fry’s mythological series invigorates an ancient classic with the contemporary charm of an expert storyteller.
North Sun, or The Voyage of the Whaleship Esther
By Ethan Rutherford
Disgruntled captain Arnold Lovejoy is recruited on an ominous trip aboard the whaleship Esther, commissioned by a wealthy whaling family to capture something they want. But the maritime adventure quickly turns sinister when they reach their destination, each encounter more bizarre and otherworldly than the last. On the eldritch and surreal waters, who are predators and who are prey? Interlaced with brutal descriptions of slaughter, exciting chases and chilling lyrical prose, Ethan Rutherford’s debut novel traces how far human greed is willing to dip into the dark and monstrous unknown.
This article first appeared on June 15, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
