Playground

Set against the backdrop of French Polynesia, the narrative tracks the intersection of four lives shaped by the Pacific Ocean. Evie Beaulieu learns to dive at the dawn of scuba technology, witnessing the collapse of coral ecosystems over decades. Simultaneously, childhood friends Todd Keane and Rafi Young build a friendship through chess and coding, leading to the creation of a global AI platform. These threads converge on the island of Makatea, where residents must vote on a proposal by tech billionaires to build autonomous seasteads in international waters.

Readers interested in the tension between biological systems and artificial intelligence will find a detailed look at how data structures mimic natural evolution. The book serves those who study the history of oceanography and the logistics of maritime governance. It provides a technical and philosophical examination of whether human engineering can preserve a planet it has already altered. One finishes the text with a clearer understanding of pelagic biology and the mechanical challenges of permanent deep-sea habitation.