Mel, who narrates the story, sails a ship around the Pacific that submerges captured carbon in the ocean in the form of diatoms. The “Lady” referred to in the title is an orbiting artificial intelligence who sends warnings about potential weather disasters. Years before, Mel’s wife was killed during one such disaster. Now, another weather event looms just as Mel takes on two young deck hands to help on his latest drift around the gyre (a ring-like rotation of ocean currents).

There is quite a lot going on in the world of this story, and the way the author gradually broadens the scope and scale of its background is the story’s best attribute. Our Lady of the Gyre is one of several AIs that take on a mythological importance in this future, and are frequently the subject of poetry and performance art, a detail I enjoyed a great deal. The narrator also refers to a sort of information chaos brought on by a reliance on generative AI, making it difficult for society to distinguish between fact and falsehood, and I wish the author had utilized this idea a little more than he did. The characters are agreeable and well-drawn and the plot moves along at a steady clip, though is a little light on suspense and surprise.