the aquatic horror trench
on this page I talk about various aquatic horror books I’ve read. my general ranking system is:
- is it Creepy? is it actually spooky in any way?
- is it Wet? how often are characters in the water? for how long? how deep do they go?
- is it Syfy? as in, how much does it remind me of a Syfy Channel Original Movie? either pre- or post-sharknado era, which are in my mind two different vibes.
- is it Gay? are there any queer people in the book? yeah i could have just asked "is it queer" and it would have fit better but i'm here for the alliteration baybeee
- is it Good? did I like it? also a spot for like, general thoughts that don’t fit anywhere else.
From Below by Darcy Coates
No light. No air. No escape.
Hundreds of feet beneath the ocean's surface, a graveyard waits...
Years ago, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace during a routine voyage. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course...a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean's surface, eagerly waiting for the first sign of life.
Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the Arcadia's rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished.
But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them.
Because once they're trapped beneath the ocean's waves, there's no going back.
I liveblogged this one here!
Creepy: I’d say so. You’re constantly aware of how much danger the divers are in. The water zombies are described in plenty of gross detail.
Wet: Extremely wet. A vast majority of the book is spent over 300 feet down while they explore the shipwreck. There’s only a tiny bit at the end that does not take place either in a boat or underwater.
Syfy: This book isn’t very Syfy. However, I think I would like to see this as a film of some kind. There’s two ways to do it, I reckon. One is to present it in documentary format a la Hell House. I think you could keep the portions that took place on the past Arcadia if you presented them as dramatic re-enactments; slap a cheap sepia filter over them and you’re good to go. However, this would require you to change the ending of the book. So you’d probably end up presenting something more like The Bay, a sort of “this is what Really happened” expose, but then you’d probably have to cut the past Arcadia segments. That’d probably be fine; I could take or leave those segments in the book.
Gay: There is one gay character in this book. Vanna is a lesbian. However, we only find this out towards the end for arbitrary reasons (more on that later). We also find this out through a conversation where she explains that her partner died recently.
Good: Yes. Mostly. It has a few major drawbacks.
Firstly, the dual timeline. I was fairly neutral towards it but I know that dual timelines can be a point of contention for some people. I think it would also depend on whether or not you viewed it as a true dual timeline situation or as one timeline with lots of flashbacks. I don’t read a lot of dual timeline books so I’m not sure where the line is for most people.
Second, the author tries to hide information that we would logically know by cutting away from the main timeline at certain times, but rather than building suspense it tends to ruin it. There are 3 main instances of this. The first is after they find the first body. The encounter doesn’t even feel fully over before we cut to the next chapter and we’re halfway towards the surface saying we shouldn’t talk about it until we surface. A short time later we get to see the rest of the scene as the characters watch the video footage they collected. Second, the Vanna conversation. This conversation happens fairly early in the book, but we aren’t told of what was revealed until nearly the end. It would be one thing if the characters had just had a private conversation and it was left mysterious, but the information revealed, the death of Vanna’s partner, is *explicitly stated* to be pivotal to the emotional climax of the book. We aren’t allowed to absorb the information as it happens and see how it affects Vanna or her actions. The third is Deveraux’s secret assignment to Aidan. This is probably the most understandable of the cuts, but I personally think it would have ratcheted up the tension more to know going into the dive that Aidan was gonna go off course.
The sabotaged ROV subplot is kinda dropped for a while in a way that got on my nerves. I get that Sean has found a new thing to bitch about but the way he seems to completely stop caring about it bugs me. It’s basically never mentioned again until the saboteur confesses, and the timing of that bothers me too. And like, I know we need the ROVs out of commission for plot reasons, but it didn’t have to be sabotage! There are so many other reasons they could have been non-functioning for an extended period of time that wouldn’t have caused the same plot issues.
My final & most minor complaint is that the characters make a lot of decisions underwater that they really should have talked out on land first. Like, they all know they have limited air and that the dives are super dangerous, but sure, let’s not discuss who teams up with who until we’re at the bottom of the ocean and then argue about it and waste oxygen.
Natural Selection by Dave Freedman
A shocking biological discovery. A previously unknown predatory species. Evolving just like the dinosaurs. Now. Today. Being forced out of its world and into man's for a violent first encounter.
Weaving science and thriller in a way not seen since Jurassic Park , Natural Selection introduces a phenomenally dangerous new species that is rapidly adapting in a way never before seen.
A mystery. A chase. A vast expansive puzzle. A team of marine scientists is on the verge of making the most stunning discovery in the history of man. In their quest for answers, they engage a host of fascinating characters. The world's premier neurology expert. A specialist on animal teeth. Flight simulation wizards, evolution historians, deep sea geologists, and so many more.
Along the way, the team of six men and women experience love, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Together, they set off to exotic locales. Literally to the bottom of the ocean. To a vast and mysterious redwood forest. To an unknown complex of massive caves. When people start dying, the stakes are upped even further. Then the real hunt begins. . . .
Loaded with astonishing action sequences, Natural Selection is that rare breed of thriller, filled with intricately layered research, real three-dimensional characters, and tornado pacing.
I liveblogged this one here!
Creepy: No. A lot of our early encounters with the demonrays are actually kinda sad and pathetic. You have to get pretty far into the book before it becomes any kind of threat to humans, despite how often characters keep saying “oh man, this thing is probably really scary!” If you’re looking for scares you’ll probably give up way before the monster movie portion comes up.
Wet: It’s about a species of ray that evolves to live on land, so it gets progressively drier as the book goes on. The early rays spend a lot of time in the depths, the human characters go on a few dives, but even before the rays move to land the characters spend a lot of time off the boat talking to one expert or another.
Syfy: Here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna go watch Wyern. And when they show off the wyvern’s origin and explain it, erase that and pretend it’s a big old evil manta ray that learned to fly. You will have a much better time.
Gay: Painfully straight. There are no queer people in this book. Lisa and Jason are described as kinda hating each other before the book starts but now suddenly like each other and are falling in love. The author feels the need to periodically mention “oh hey they like each other now” because it does not come across at all. There’s a married couple on the team, and one of them constantly refers to Lisa as “soccer mom,” a nickname he’s given her because he’s certain that after the research expedition she’s gonna find a man & have kids and be a soccer mom. One of the scientists is a creep who flirts with Lisa no matter how much she tells him to fuck off and he only stops once it gets out she and Jason are into each other. There’s a guy on the team whose presence would literally make much more sense if he was Jason’s boyfriend who tagged along, and who has a much better starting relationship with Jason than Lisa does, but everyone in this book is straight so he’s just some dude nobody but Jason likes.
Good: No.
Here’s the thing: I think a grounded sci-fi following a team as they discover a new species could actually be a pretty fun read; I'm actually really into books where people go out to do research and stuff. And to be fair, some parts of this book are! I wouldn't have stuck with it so long if something about it didn’t captivate me. But I do not think that genre mixes well with cheesy monster terror. I think the people who want a grounded new-species research book will get to a point where things are too ridiculous to continue enjoying, and the people who want cheesy monsters will get bored when 60% of the book is setup.
It’s also written in a clunky way. The writing feels bloated, and there’s a lot of telling rather than showing. Several concepts are over-explained to the point of tedium. There’s a point where the author feels the need to give a long-winded explanation about the concept of sonar & how it relates to echolocation and echolocation vs. ampullae of lorenzini. And it’s just like, dude, it’s okay, I know what dolphins are.
The characters argue constantly over what the rays can and can’t do. The first few times it’s maybe fine, but after you get to a point where you already know these are Not Like Other Rays, and you’re literally looking at evidence that rays can do a thing, maybe don’t waste my time arguing about “oh but rays can’t do THAT!” They argue about a lot of other shit too, and it all just gets really old.
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep-sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah is not the same. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has brought part of it back with her, onto dry land and into their home.
Moving through something that only resembles normal life, Miri comes to realize that the life that they had before might be gone. Though Leah is still there, Miri can feel the woman she loves slipping from her grasp.
Our Wives Under The Sea is the debut novel from Julia Armfield, the critically acclaimed author of Salt Slow. It’s a story of falling in love, loss, grief, and what life there is in the deep deep sea.
I liveblogged this one here!
Creepy: Not really. Some of the underwater sections are trying, but the vibes are thrown off when we cut back to the more mundane land sections. There are a few sections in the later land chapters that are meant to be creepy, but
I was too checked out at that point to be affected by them.
Wet: It's pretty wet. While half of the chapters do take place on land, the rest take place at the bottom of the ocean, which evens it out. There are also multiple scenes where Leah intentionally floods the bathroom because she Needs to be wet.
Syfy: Absolutely not. It is definitely Not That Kind Of Book.
Gay: It's very gay. The book centers entirely around a lesbian couple & one of the partners processing their grief over slowly losing the other. There are a lot of sections dedicated to discussing their relationship.
Good: On a technical level, yes. The writing is lovely, I'm sure. It is a very Deep book with Themes and everything. But I personally didn't enjoy it. It's just not for me. I tend to go for more of a monster movie vibe with my aquatic horror and this was more of a psychological thing. I didn't vibe with it but a lot of other people do.
Devil Sharks by Chris Jameson [DNF]
A pleasure cruise in Paradise leads to a group of friends to a shark-infested Hell...
When Alex Simmons is invited to a college reunion in the Hawaiian Islands aboard the private yacht of his old pal Harry Curtis, he is not sure what to expect. The two men had a falling-out years ago over the suicide of one of their friends. Could this be Harry's way of making amends? Or is something more sinister in store?
The crew sets sail and arrives at Orchid Atoll, the site of a deserted former Coast Guard station. But they are far from alone. Out here, three hundred miles from civilization, Alex and his friends are about to encounter two very different brands of evil--one human, the other with fins--unlike anything they could have possibly imagined. They have entered a place where there's no law, no mercy... and no way out.
I liveblogged this one here!
Creepy: Depends. Do you find pirates creepy? Then sure, I guess.
Wet: A little. There are boats. People swim. But a lot of the book is Pirate Peril vs Shark Peril.
Syfy: This book is not a Syfy movie, but it is very cinematic. It kinda has the vibes of stuff like Shark Night or The Shallows, y’know? One of those shark movies that tried to stay a bit more grounded and actually got a theatrical release. If you’ve seen some you know what I’m talking about. Hopefully.
Gay: There are 2 gay people! A married couple of gay men. They do not survive the book.
Good: The books is fine. It’s just not for me. I think there are a lot of interesting characters, and I think it’s fairly well-written, I just don’t really care about modern-day pirates. I was expecting more of a shark attack movie from the synopsis and wasn’t expecting the pirate stuff at all. Part of me really wants to finish the book, and the other part goes to sleep whenever pirate shit starts happening. If the pirate stuff doesn't put you off it's worth taking a look at.
Devour by Kurt Anderson [DNF]
IT LURKS
Deep beneath the ice of the Arctic Circle, something has awakened. A primordial creature frozen in time, it is the oldest, largest, most efficient predator that nature has ever produced. And it is ravenously hungry…
IT HUNTS
Thirty-five miles off the Massachussetts coast, a small research ship is attacked. All but one of its crew is killed by the massive serpentine horror that rises from the sea. The creature likes this human prey. The chewy outer hide. The tender saltiness within. And it wants more…
IT FEEDS
Responding to a distress signal, fishing-boat captain Brian Hawkins arrives in time to save the ship’s last survivor. But the nightmare is just beginning. A casino cruise ship carrying high-stakes passengers—and a top-secret cargo—becomes the creature’s bloodsoaked hunting ground. Desperate but determined, Hawkins goes after the biggest catch of the century.
I liveblogged this one here!
Stopped pretty early with this one. I hated all of the characters, didn’t like the ableism or the cheap gay joke, and didn’t care about the mob shit. I wasn’t having fun so I decided not to waste my time.
