‘Sea of Tranquility’ by Emily St. John Mandel

Sea of Tranquility (2022) by Emily St. John Mandel is a sweeping, time-bending novel that links an English exile in 1912, a famous author on a book tour during a pandemic in 2203, and a lonely investigator on the Moon two centuries later. Written in Mandel’s elegant and understated style, the novel explores the fragility of existence, the persistence of memory, and the mysterious connections that tie lives together across centuries.

Critics around the world have praised the book for its ambition and beauty. The Guardian described it as “hugely ambitious in scope, yet also intimate and written with a graceful and beguiling fluency,” highlighting how the mix of speculative fiction and deeply human themes keeps readers engaged throughout. The Los Angeles Times called it “pure pleasure to read,” noting that Mandel weaves time travel, pandemics, and human longing into a narrative that feels both cosmic and personal. WIRED admired the way Mandel reuses and remixes elements from her earlier novels to create “a trippy, wistful story,” confirming her talent for building entire fictional universes.

The novel received several accolades, including the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction in 2022, and it was named among Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year. It also appeared on many “Best Books of 2022” lists by leading publications like WIRED and The New York Times, confirming its status as one of the most talked-about novels of the year.

Emily St. John Mandel was born in 1979 in British Columbia, Canada, and originally trained as a dancer at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre before dedicating herself fully to writing. She achieved international recognition with her 2014 novel Station Eleven, which became a finalist for the National Book Award, won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and was later adapted into a successful HBO Max miniseries.

Her literary career continued to flourish with The Glass Hotel (2020) and Sea of Tranquility (2022), both praised for their elegant prose and intricate narrative structures. Mandel’s work is often celebrated for blending intimate character portraits with broader speculative themes such as pandemics, financial collapse, and time travel. Living between New York and Los Angeles, she is known for creating haunting, interwoven stories that explore the delicate threads connecting people across time and space.

Book discussion: ‘Sea of Tranquility’ by Emily St. John Mandel

When: August 23rd, 2025, at 16:00 (4pm, Madrid local time)

Where:

Cafetería de la Residencia de Estudiantes del CSIC

Calle del Pinar, 21-23

Madrid

Language: English (we’ll debate in English)

Organizer: Adrian Diaz

Contact: +34 668853320

Mandatory: Read the book

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

It’s not necessary to book in advance anymore, just show up at the designated place on the day and time of the discussion and we’ll be there. We’re usually 14-15 people for the famous books, and around 9-10 people for the less known ones.