Kraken, by Wendy Williams

Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid, by Wendy Williams.  Abrams Books, 2010.  223 pp.  978-0-8109-8465-3.

... in which we learn about the new frontiers in the field of squid/cephalopod science.

In Kraken, author Wendy Williams takes the reader on a tour of various research projects involving squid (and octopi, etc).  Starting out with a general discussion of the myths and cultural beliefs associated with squid, we learn a little bit about the evolutionary history of squid, and molluscs in general.  From there, Williams moves on to follow several different scientists who study different aspects of squid and their cousins.  She describes life on a squid research vessel, participates in or observes several squid dissections, explores the intricacies of the cells that allow some cephalopods to change color, and compares various parts of the squid anatomy to human anatomy. 

Kraken, by China Mieville

Kraken, by China Miéville.  Del Rey Books, 2010.  509 pp.  978-0-345-49750-5.

... in which a missing giant squid comes close to causing the end of the world.

For those of you not familiar with China Miéville, it's important to remember that this guy is basically known for writing weird fiction.  So if you don't have a decently high tolerance for weird fiction, this is probably not the author for you.

At its heart, Kraken is a story of faith.  The book opens with Billy Harrow, a curator at London's Natural History Museum, giving a tour of the museum's specimen rooms.  The most interesting specimen in the museum's collection is the body of a giant squid (kraken), preserved in a large glass tank.  When Billy brings the tour group into the squid room, however, the squid and its tank are missing, with no evidence to explain who took it or how they got it out without anyone noticing.  From this point on, Billy finds himself pulled into a conflict in a hidden underworld of London, an underworld involving magic, myths, cults and gods.  At the center of this conflict are four groups: the Church of the God Kraken, the followers of crime lord Grisamentum, the followers of the crime lord known as the Tattoo, and the Londonmancers.  For various reasons, each of these groups want to find the missing squid, because the kraken might have the powers of a god, and it might be the key to ending (or saving) the world, and everyone thinks that Billy is some kind of prophet for the kraken god..