The Swarm (2004)

"It's plain to see that humanity is going down the drain. We used to be at the centre of the universe until Copernicus moved it. We were at the pinnacle of creation until Darwin pushed us off. Then Freud claimed that our reason is in thrall to the unconscious. At least we were still the only civilised species on the planet – but now the yrr are trying to kill us."

It was a photo finish, but I've finally completed Frank Schätzing's sci-fi epic, The Swarm... just two days before I leave Canada for Australia (I refused to lug this weighty tome across continents).

The bestselling German novel sees humanity face-to-face with an alien force called the yrr, which has been lying hidden at the bottom of the ocean for millions of years. Fed up with humanity's shoddy treatment of the world's oceans, the yrr manipulate the planet's marine creatures to launch a relentless assault on mankind.

The Swarm may well be one of the best holiday reads I've ever picked up – my only advice is that, at almost 900 pages, it better be a long holiday. That said, rarely does The Swarm feel unworthy of its length. It's an eco-thriller rich in scientific detail, enjoyable character development and thought-provoking musings on numerous topics, including evolution, technology, politics and religion. At times, the discussions within the book are so profound that, even if they merely serve as diversions so that the author can explore a particular topic, the reader remains nevertheless compelled.

Schätzing's ability to seamlessly mix educational exchanges, vivid action sequences and detailed technological descriptions are part of the reason why this Michael Crichton-esque thriller works so well. Amid some epic scenes of destruction (the pages-long natural disaster that closes The Swarm's first part is brilliantly topped by a single sentence detailing further devastation), the author juggles the development of over 12 main characters with ease. One hopes that the makers of the upcoming film adaptation are equally deft.

Schätzing is unafraid to put forward his views on these topics explored within The Swarm (there's a fascinating, but thinly-veiled exploration of the effects the yrr's discovery has on religious groups, while the US government's actions are a transparent take on George W. Bush's politics), but the author's views shouldn't be too much of a deterrence, particularly if they don't run contrary to your own.

Most successful is the slow, suspenseful establishing events, which capture a genuinely scary sense of what lies beneath the world's oceans, somewhere we know little about. The Swarm's climax might be a bit action-heavy (its worthy political intrigue ultimately gives way to some pretty incredulous character motivations), but Schätzing admirably avoids anything approaching a complete explanation of the mysterious phenomenon that wreaks havoc on the world's coasts.

A highly-recommended read for fans of environmental thrillers.