What scares you most, the idea of going into outer space or diving deep beneath the sea in a submarine?
Honestly, I find both ideas kind of terrifying, but the idea of going underwater scares me the most. So I’ve been reading some deep sea horror novels recently and they all make the Mariana Trench sound like the most terrifying place in the world.
Here are some reviews of books for you to check out. I wouldn’t write about them if I didn’t love them.
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
The first book is Into the Drowning Deep. The story is about a fated expedition that traveled out to the Mariana Trench to see if mermaids really do exist. Unfortunately, everyone on the ship vanished along with the footage that was shot for the show they were taping, except for one mysterious tape that seems to show a glimpse of what could be a monstrous mermaid.
Fast forward ten years and the tv station is sending a second crew of scientists to the same spot to figure out what happened. Well, this is a deep sea horror novel so you can pretty much guess what happens next.
Into the Drowning Deep was a fun read. We get time to get to know the characters and their connections in the beginning as they sail out to the Mariana Trench. Once they get out there and contact the mermaids it’s nonstop action with some gore. It kept me reading. This is definitely one to check out if you want an interesting twist on mermaid mythology.
The Deep by Nick Cutter
After reading Into the Drowning Deep I really wanted another deep sea adventure. The Deep didn’t disappoint. I actually found the setting of this one to be even more terrifying because they are in an underwater lab deep in the Mariana Trench and they are basically stuck there. That part alone would be enough to give me an anxiety attack.
In the story, there is a disease that is wiping out the human population, but some mysterious blobby stuff deep in the ocean seems like a promising cure. Some scientists are in an underwater station studying it but things are going wrong and they haven’t been in contact with the surface for longer than they should be.
One of the scientists sends a message to the surface for his brother to join them. So the government gets his brother and takes him down to the underwater lab. Let’s just say that things get trippy down there.
I liked all of the flashbacks to the main character’s childhood and how well the author showed that those incidents were affecting the way he was interpreting the current situations. In the end even the little stories about his childhood that you might not have understood why he was recounting them pay off.
I have to admit that though I liked it, the ending felt a bit goofy in places. Does that mean you shouldn’t read it? Not at all. You should definitely read it because the writing is stunning.