Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Orbit (2017), Edition: 01, 496 pages
ISBN
0356508102 / 9780356508108
Description
"Seven years ago Atagaris set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a "mockumentary" bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they're not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life's work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves"--
Pages
496
User reviews
LibraryThing member rivkat
My favorite of Grant’s work in a while—killer mermaids! Totally filmable, this horror book follows the second expedition into a remote area of the ocean, following the first that ended in tragedy years before, leaving only footage that most people wrote off as fake. The second expedition is
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better prepared—or so they think. After a lot of setup, the invasion of the killer mermaids is still really scary, and there’s enough science to make the necessary leaps of faith acceptable. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Odd. Starts well, with an interesting middle but kind of fizzles a bit at the end. Also let down a bit by a few errors in basic science - not the mermaids themselves but simple things like a conduit being baffled for radiating sound but still being able to hear incoming sound. I was also somewhat
Jillian Tosh has long believed the ocean's been hiding secrets in it's vast depths and seldom tracked remote areas. None are more remote than the Marinas Trench. A film company thinks that it can make a good hunt the monster series and sets out for the Marinas trench with a boat full of personalities. It is discovered drifting without a soul on board. The leaked footage is hotly debated as a hoax, but no-one is ever heard form again. This is the story of the 2nd boat, launched seven years later "fully aware" of what they're up against. A crew of 500 hundred people make it more of a liner than a 'boat' a mixture of scientists and professionals the only lightweights are the security staff because despite the videos no-one really believes in anything lurking in the deep. I still don't get the rationale for this and it's another of the slight errors that makes this less wonderful than Feed.
We follow a few scientists - again Grant has gone for the exotic rather than the mundane, and in my experience there's no one more mundane than a bunch of scientists. We have deaf twins; bisexuals; and women. Any of which may be reasonably present in a grouping of 100 or so, but it's quite unlikely that they'd all be there. There are no people of colour on board at all. However the mermaids don't care who you are, only that you can sate their hunger. I did like most of the details provided about the mermaid culture and biology, it's clear Grant has thought a bit about what might be plausible, and overcome the obvious difficulties. It was shame more wasn't done with the language and culture because first contact is always an interesting problem. As the story progresses and the scientists race against time to understand what they've come up against it becomes clear that Grant's had this clear idea about the monsters, but then only superfluously added the rest of the plot around them which is disappointing. She's a sufficiently talented author that it remains interesting and enjoyable to read, but something is lacking and the ending is distinctly rushed - the scientists discover a solution in time for some of them to survive (some more believably than others) and that's it.
If you haven't already read Feed, go and read that it's so much better, but if you've read everything else by Grant this will pass the time for a couple of hours pleasurably enough.
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surprised by the talons being able to penetrate sheet steel, (and why the shutters any different?) Boat hulls are normally strong enough to avoid damage during collisions and the mermaids don't have enough mass/energy to generate that kind of force.Jillian Tosh has long believed the ocean's been hiding secrets in it's vast depths and seldom tracked remote areas. None are more remote than the Marinas Trench. A film company thinks that it can make a good hunt the monster series and sets out for the Marinas trench with a boat full of personalities. It is discovered drifting without a soul on board. The leaked footage is hotly debated as a hoax, but no-one is ever heard form again. This is the story of the 2nd boat, launched seven years later "fully aware" of what they're up against. A crew of 500 hundred people make it more of a liner than a 'boat' a mixture of scientists and professionals the only lightweights are the security staff because despite the videos no-one really believes in anything lurking in the deep. I still don't get the rationale for this and it's another of the slight errors that makes this less wonderful than Feed.
We follow a few scientists - again Grant has gone for the exotic rather than the mundane, and in my experience there's no one more mundane than a bunch of scientists. We have deaf twins; bisexuals; and women. Any of which may be reasonably present in a grouping of 100 or so, but it's quite unlikely that they'd all be there. There are no people of colour on board at all. However the mermaids don't care who you are, only that you can sate their hunger. I did like most of the details provided about the mermaid culture and biology, it's clear Grant has thought a bit about what might be plausible, and overcome the obvious difficulties. It was shame more wasn't done with the language and culture because first contact is always an interesting problem. As the story progresses and the scientists race against time to understand what they've come up against it becomes clear that Grant's had this clear idea about the monsters, but then only superfluously added the rest of the plot around them which is disappointing. She's a sufficiently talented author that it remains interesting and enjoyable to read, but something is lacking and the ending is distinctly rushed - the scientists discover a solution in time for some of them to survive (some more believably than others) and that's it.
If you haven't already read Feed, go and read that it's so much better, but if you've read everything else by Grant this will pass the time for a couple of hours pleasurably enough.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fred_mouse
This is an amazing piece of horror writing -- the kind of story I wish I could watch, because it is so visually written, but which benefits so from the writing of the characters and their motivations.
Some thoughts, in no particular order or coherence - contains generic but not specific spoilers:
*
* more than one queer character whose contribution to the story is not their sexuality; more that one disabled character whose contribution to the story is not their disability. In both cases, these inform aspects of the story, but because they are integral parts of the individuals.
* really interesting development of the biology of the monster. Across multiple scenes.
* I want to say 'no gratuitous death scenes', which isn't quite right, given it is a monster horror story. More, there are no death scenes where the only goal is the reader's reaction.
Some thoughts, in no particular order or coherence - contains generic but not specific spoilers:
*
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The TV reporter who trades on her looks knows she is doing this, and it is written as a strength, not a weekness* more than one queer character whose contribution to the story is not their sexuality; more that one disabled character whose contribution to the story is not their disability. In both cases, these inform aspects of the story, but because they are integral parts of the individuals.
* really interesting development of the biology of the monster. Across multiple scenes.
* I want to say 'no gratuitous death scenes', which isn't quite right, given it is a monster horror story. More, there are no death scenes where the only goal is the reader's reaction.
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com
Balancing on a thin point between Science Fiction, Thriller, and Horror, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP transcends genre to be an engrossing, heartbreaking, thrill ride. Reminiscent of JURASSIC PARK, but with oh so much more science and process to
My favorite urban fantasy worlds posit one magical addition, one transformative difference, and spin from that a world both familiar and fundamentally different. INTO THE DROWNING DEEPtakes place less than a decade in our future and instead of adding magic builds a terrifyingly realistic scenario of what will be revealed in the world we already live in. Each change is a tiny delight, made all the more realistic by the meticulous scaffolding connecting back to our present day. Engrossing from the start, my only disappointments lie with the ending, where the constraints of starting a series seemed to short circuit the realistic world building up to that point. This is a criticism that can only be supported by further research, however, and I will gladly dive in to future books to test my hypothesis. A long time fan of Mira Grant's fantasy persona, Seanan McGuire, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP will definitely lure me into Grant's back catalog as I wait for Rolling in the Deep to continue.
A terrifying adventure for process nerds and science enthusiasts, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP spares no expense in humanizing the characters that followed a siren song out into the unforgiving ocean. With one notable, and ultimately forgivable, exception, Grant lavishes detail and humanity on her characters, but not much sympathy in the face of danger. Nature is red in tooth and claw, and in this world, and perhaps our own, that is magic enough.
Sexual Content: Kissing, non-explicit sex scenes.
allthingsuf.com
Balancing on a thin point between Science Fiction, Thriller, and Horror, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP transcends genre to be an engrossing, heartbreaking, thrill ride. Reminiscent of JURASSIC PARK, but with oh so much more science and process to
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enjoy, this meticulous world captivates even as it kills.My favorite urban fantasy worlds posit one magical addition, one transformative difference, and spin from that a world both familiar and fundamentally different. INTO THE DROWNING DEEPtakes place less than a decade in our future and instead of adding magic builds a terrifyingly realistic scenario of what will be revealed in the world we already live in. Each change is a tiny delight, made all the more realistic by the meticulous scaffolding connecting back to our present day. Engrossing from the start, my only disappointments lie with the ending, where the constraints of starting a series seemed to short circuit the realistic world building up to that point. This is a criticism that can only be supported by further research, however, and I will gladly dive in to future books to test my hypothesis. A long time fan of Mira Grant's fantasy persona, Seanan McGuire, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP will definitely lure me into Grant's back catalog as I wait for Rolling in the Deep to continue.
A terrifying adventure for process nerds and science enthusiasts, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP spares no expense in humanizing the characters that followed a siren song out into the unforgiving ocean. With one notable, and ultimately forgivable, exception, Grant lavishes detail and humanity on her characters, but not much sympathy in the face of danger. Nature is red in tooth and claw, and in this world, and perhaps our own, that is magic enough.
Sexual Content: Kissing, non-explicit sex scenes.
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LibraryThing member caanderson
Super creepy scary mermaids. I loved it! The characters are great. The story loves along at a fast pace. A page turner.
LibraryThing member krau0098
I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review. This book was an interesting read that followed up the events that took place in the Rolling in the Deep novella. It got a bit long at times but overall I enjoyed it.
This is definitely one of those slow-boiling horror types of novels with a
I also felt like given the deliberate pace of the rest of the story the ending was very rushed. The pace of the story was a bit slower than I would have liked; too many of the same issues were addressed over and over again.
I did enjoy all the scientific research the characters were doing. I also enjoyed the characters in general; even the side characters have a lot of depth to them and are interesting. I also liked the near future setting of the book and how global issues of ocean temperature and global warming were discussed.
Overall this was a good book about horrific mermaids and the future of our world as a whole. I think it should have been shorter and that the ending was rushed. I will most likely read future books in this series because, in general, I like Grant’s writing style.
This is definitely one of those slow-boiling horror types of novels with a
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heavy paranormal bent to it. The whole time you know things are going to go very poorly for the characters on the next mission. I liked the suspense but was a bit disappointed that the story was so predictable.I also felt like given the deliberate pace of the rest of the story the ending was very rushed. The pace of the story was a bit slower than I would have liked; too many of the same issues were addressed over and over again.
I did enjoy all the scientific research the characters were doing. I also enjoyed the characters in general; even the side characters have a lot of depth to them and are interesting. I also liked the near future setting of the book and how global issues of ocean temperature and global warming were discussed.
Overall this was a good book about horrific mermaids and the future of our world as a whole. I think it should have been shorter and that the ending was rushed. I will most likely read future books in this series because, in general, I like Grant’s writing style.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Mira Grant, as far as I am concerned, is the queen of horror. Her novels never fail to scare the bejesus out of me at the same time keeping me absolutely glued to the page. With her latest novel, she capitalizes on people’s general uneasiness with the ocean’s depths and the unknown creatures it
One of the many ways which makes Into the Drowning Deep so terrifying is its plausibility. The arguments the characters make for the existence of killer mermaids logically hits all the right notes. It becomes difficult to argue away their points especially when there are so many things about the ocean that we just do not know. So the story becomes something that could realistically occur.
As with her other novels, the characters in Into the Drowning Deep are mesmerizing. Flawed and human, they cross the gamut from autistic Internet celebrity to a big game hunters to scientists who believe to crew members who doubt. No matter how briefly they may appear on the page, Ms. Grant finds ways to create their humanity, to make them more than one-dimensional descriptions but real-live people with emotions and family and backstories we can only imagine. This helps not only keep a reader’s interest but also enhances the scene when the blood starts flying.
A horror story is only as good as the anticipation built before the monsters make their debut. With Into the Drowning Deep, that anticipation is high indeed. As mentioned earlier, Ms. Grant uses the innate fear of the unknown and of the ocean to build suspense and create tension before anything really occurs. She continues to utilizes these fears and adds others to the mis as the story progresses. She manipulates these fears to such a degree that she primes readers to anticipate the danger, ratcheting the tension ever higher. Once contact is made, Ms. Grant keeps her foot firmly in place, never allowing the story to lose steam or readers to lose that anxiety, keeping it finely tuned until she allows readers to take a breath and relax.
Mira Grant knows how to write a horror story and with Into the Drowning Deep she shows off her talent to do so. Her control of the tension and of readers’ emotions is beyond excellent, and her writing style is such that it becomes way too easy to forget that the novel is fictional. She is so successful at this that the thought of taking a cruise into the open ocean scares me to no end. After all, who really knows what creatures exist in the unexplored depths of the ocean?
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holds to generate that fear. That and she creates an indelible new image of mermaids that will have you thinking of the Disney princess Ariel in a whole new light.One of the many ways which makes Into the Drowning Deep so terrifying is its plausibility. The arguments the characters make for the existence of killer mermaids logically hits all the right notes. It becomes difficult to argue away their points especially when there are so many things about the ocean that we just do not know. So the story becomes something that could realistically occur.
As with her other novels, the characters in Into the Drowning Deep are mesmerizing. Flawed and human, they cross the gamut from autistic Internet celebrity to a big game hunters to scientists who believe to crew members who doubt. No matter how briefly they may appear on the page, Ms. Grant finds ways to create their humanity, to make them more than one-dimensional descriptions but real-live people with emotions and family and backstories we can only imagine. This helps not only keep a reader’s interest but also enhances the scene when the blood starts flying.
A horror story is only as good as the anticipation built before the monsters make their debut. With Into the Drowning Deep, that anticipation is high indeed. As mentioned earlier, Ms. Grant uses the innate fear of the unknown and of the ocean to build suspense and create tension before anything really occurs. She continues to utilizes these fears and adds others to the mis as the story progresses. She manipulates these fears to such a degree that she primes readers to anticipate the danger, ratcheting the tension ever higher. Once contact is made, Ms. Grant keeps her foot firmly in place, never allowing the story to lose steam or readers to lose that anxiety, keeping it finely tuned until she allows readers to take a breath and relax.
Mira Grant knows how to write a horror story and with Into the Drowning Deep she shows off her talent to do so. Her control of the tension and of readers’ emotions is beyond excellent, and her writing style is such that it becomes way too easy to forget that the novel is fictional. She is so successful at this that the thought of taking a cruise into the open ocean scares me to no end. After all, who really knows what creatures exist in the unexplored depths of the ocean?
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LibraryThing member EmpressReece
4.5 stars.. It felt like the ending of the story just abruptly wrapped up and cut off too quickly.
LibraryThing member BillieBook
For the longest time, the narrator's pronunciation made me think one of the characters was named "Jock". He was actually "Jacques". These are two different names with two different pronunciations. There were a couple of other mis-pronounced words that were jarring enough to take me out of the
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story. But, the narration, in this case, had little to no impact on my rating. The three stars are because this is the third mermaid/siren book I've "read" in the last few weeks and it probably would have been four stars at another time, but I'm experiencing a bit of burnout. Show Less
LibraryThing member thelibraryladies
A special thanks to Orbit for providing me with an ARC of this book!
I’ve come to learn many truths within this literary world, and one of those truths is that if you want some well plotted out techno-horror, Mira Grant is the person to go to. I’ve mentioned her “Newsflesh” Series here
Killer. Mermaids.
I mean, honestly, at this point she had me and I was guaranteed to give it a solid review. But let’s talk about why I liked this book so much, beyond mermaids disemboweling people. To start, the plot is exciting and interesting from the get go. While we don’t see much about the ‘doomed voyage’ of the Atargatis (but if you want to, the prequel story “Rolling in the Deep” is about that voyage), we do get to see those who have been affected by it and their motivations for wanting to follow up with it. The range of reasons is wide for our characters. For Tory it is because her older sister was the media face for Imagine, the network that sent the movie crew out to the Mariana Trench in the first place. Tory is an Ahab-esque character, though far more likable. She has a vendetta out for whatever killed her sister Anne (in “Rolling in the Deep”), and her pain and rage makes her a very human and sympathetic person to follow. You also have Dr. Jillian Toth, who is an Academic who has always believed in mermaids. This is both a validation of her work, but also a painful reminder that her enthusiasm and certainty of their existence was one of the motivators that sent the Artagatis out in the first place. Along with that is the fact her estranged husband Theo is on board too, who left his conservation activism life after an accident left him in chronic pain…. and joined Imagine as a suit. And you have Olivia, the new face for Imagine Entertainment, who finds herself in a mutual attraction with Tory, even though she has the job that Anne had. Which, of course, leads to some angst for Tory. You also have big game hunters, cryptozoologists, scientists, and others that round out our cast, all of them feeling very real and human, a skill that Grant has always had a knack for.
Grant is known for bringing a certain amount of fascinating at at times ‘hard’ (at least for me!) science into her horror stories. As someone who isn’t terribly science minded, she manages to make some pretty complex (to me) concepts and break them down for the average person like me, and to effortlessly weave them into her story lines without forcing them to fit. In “Into the Drowning Deep” that science is climate change, and how it could potentially change our oceans, as well as potential technology that could come forth because of it. “Into the Drowning Deep” takes place in 2020, and works under the assumption that in a mere four years things will be getting to the point of dire, ocean ecosystem wise, and this book brings up these ideas while incorporating them into the greater plot. She also peppers a lot of the story with facts about the ocean and sea life, and this fan of Monterey Bay, California was pleased as punch that a lot of the action at the beginning takes place there. Grant’s science has always been a bit of a trademark, and this book continues that grand tradition.
And even though perhaps the idea of ‘killer mermaids’ sounds silly to you, this book is so well done that it completely sells it. Grant does a great job of giving these mermaids an evolutionary basis, and finds them a place in the ocean ecosystem that makes them seem like they could, in fact, exist. The slow build of found footage descriptions to the reveal of the deadly mermaids deep under the sea, all the way to the inevitable slaughter had me flipping through the pages quickly, needing to find out what comes next. While this book could have come off as cheesy, it never does, and the stakes are high as Grant holds no sacred cows, character wise. You have to go into a Grant book assuming that at LEAST one of your favorite characters isn’t going to make it out alive, and even knowing this I still was caught off guard and saddened by a few of those who become mermaid chow.
“Into the Drowning Deep” was a scary and entertaining read that I had a hard time walking away from. Mira Grant is absolutely one of those authors who I am always going to be on the look out for, and I hope that the wait for the next in the series isn’t that long. I think that the literary world could use more killer mermaids, and I can’t wait to see where Grant takes them next.
I’ve come to learn many truths within this literary world, and one of those truths is that if you want some well plotted out techno-horror, Mira Grant is the person to go to. I’ve mentioned her “Newsflesh” Series here
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before, and I reviewed the most recent book “Feedback”, as well as her short story “Final Girls”. Basically, Mira Grant is one of the most original and fun tech horror writers out there, and she needs more attention. I will admit that I went into “Into the Drowning Deep” with little knowledge about it. So imagine my surprise when early on it became quite clear what kind of story I was getting myself into.Killer. Mermaids.
I mean, honestly, at this point she had me and I was guaranteed to give it a solid review. But let’s talk about why I liked this book so much, beyond mermaids disemboweling people. To start, the plot is exciting and interesting from the get go. While we don’t see much about the ‘doomed voyage’ of the Atargatis (but if you want to, the prequel story “Rolling in the Deep” is about that voyage), we do get to see those who have been affected by it and their motivations for wanting to follow up with it. The range of reasons is wide for our characters. For Tory it is because her older sister was the media face for Imagine, the network that sent the movie crew out to the Mariana Trench in the first place. Tory is an Ahab-esque character, though far more likable. She has a vendetta out for whatever killed her sister Anne (in “Rolling in the Deep”), and her pain and rage makes her a very human and sympathetic person to follow. You also have Dr. Jillian Toth, who is an Academic who has always believed in mermaids. This is both a validation of her work, but also a painful reminder that her enthusiasm and certainty of their existence was one of the motivators that sent the Artagatis out in the first place. Along with that is the fact her estranged husband Theo is on board too, who left his conservation activism life after an accident left him in chronic pain…. and joined Imagine as a suit. And you have Olivia, the new face for Imagine Entertainment, who finds herself in a mutual attraction with Tory, even though she has the job that Anne had. Which, of course, leads to some angst for Tory. You also have big game hunters, cryptozoologists, scientists, and others that round out our cast, all of them feeling very real and human, a skill that Grant has always had a knack for.
Grant is known for bringing a certain amount of fascinating at at times ‘hard’ (at least for me!) science into her horror stories. As someone who isn’t terribly science minded, she manages to make some pretty complex (to me) concepts and break them down for the average person like me, and to effortlessly weave them into her story lines without forcing them to fit. In “Into the Drowning Deep” that science is climate change, and how it could potentially change our oceans, as well as potential technology that could come forth because of it. “Into the Drowning Deep” takes place in 2020, and works under the assumption that in a mere four years things will be getting to the point of dire, ocean ecosystem wise, and this book brings up these ideas while incorporating them into the greater plot. She also peppers a lot of the story with facts about the ocean and sea life, and this fan of Monterey Bay, California was pleased as punch that a lot of the action at the beginning takes place there. Grant’s science has always been a bit of a trademark, and this book continues that grand tradition.
And even though perhaps the idea of ‘killer mermaids’ sounds silly to you, this book is so well done that it completely sells it. Grant does a great job of giving these mermaids an evolutionary basis, and finds them a place in the ocean ecosystem that makes them seem like they could, in fact, exist. The slow build of found footage descriptions to the reveal of the deadly mermaids deep under the sea, all the way to the inevitable slaughter had me flipping through the pages quickly, needing to find out what comes next. While this book could have come off as cheesy, it never does, and the stakes are high as Grant holds no sacred cows, character wise. You have to go into a Grant book assuming that at LEAST one of your favorite characters isn’t going to make it out alive, and even knowing this I still was caught off guard and saddened by a few of those who become mermaid chow.
“Into the Drowning Deep” was a scary and entertaining read that I had a hard time walking away from. Mira Grant is absolutely one of those authors who I am always going to be on the look out for, and I hope that the wait for the next in the series isn’t that long. I think that the literary world could use more killer mermaids, and I can’t wait to see where Grant takes them next.
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LibraryThing member Rhondavu
I truly enjoyed this upmarket sci-fi novel. Grant uses a universal POV, but that doesn’t diminish the intensity of action and felling for the reader. As a writer, I was tempted to insist there be one clear protagonist. I couldn’t point to one character and say this is the protagonist, but Grant
I rated it 4.
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did such a fine job of portraying the major characters and making it clear why they were there, establishing their relationships and their stakes in the action, that I decided to just enjoy the novel and forget officious writing rules.I rated it 4.
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
A total delight of a frothy summer monster novel - good characters, good monsters, and plenty of tension. There's not much to it, in the end, but I enjoyed it a lot.
LibraryThing member themjrawr
I was kind of torn on rating this. I mean, killer mermaids is inherently kind of ridiculous. But, it was still well written, with nice horror touches and suspense. So you know, if you can suspend your disbelief for killer mermaids, it's a fun ride!
LibraryThing member AWahle
Christmas gift in 2017. Definitely a Keeper! I loved Rolling in the Deep (which was a birthday present a few years ago) You don't have to have read Rolling in the Deep to love Into the Drowning Deep because the author does such a great job of filling you in on those events without it being all
I'm so impressed with the creative science that explains these creatures we call mermaids. The Melusine is a entertainment company/television channel ship bound for the Mariana Trench to find out what happened years ago when all hands were lost on another voyage. The first ship was filming a mockumentary about mermaids. They actually discovered mermaids, but learned they were not like Disney's Ariel.
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explanation. It's organic in the story.I'm so impressed with the creative science that explains these creatures we call mermaids. The Melusine is a entertainment company/television channel ship bound for the Mariana Trench to find out what happened years ago when all hands were lost on another voyage. The first ship was filming a mockumentary about mermaids. They actually discovered mermaids, but learned they were not like Disney's Ariel.
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LibraryThing member 4leschats
I really wanted to love this book but found it uneven--parts of the book seemed to focused on the science aspects while other parts seem written more for a TV audience with heavy overstatement. Also, the slow start to the book in building the characters just seemed to make the whole thing longer
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than it needed to be. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lauranthalas
Although a little long, I found this horror/science fiction book quite enjoyable and well written. It played out like a movie and was very detailed.
Victoria lost her sister 7 years ago when the ship she was on disappeared while filming a “mockumentary” on ancient sea creatures. Now Victoria is
Victoria lost her sister 7 years ago when the ship she was on disappeared while filming a “mockumentary” on ancient sea creatures. Now Victoria is
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part of a new crew that is setting out to find out what happened. But the truth comes with a price. Show Less
LibraryThing member dcoward
I REALLY enjoyed this one. Reading it reminded me of the suspense and science of a Preston and Child or Michael Crichton, but adding in quality characterizations, a strong female lead, and diverse characters. Oh, and the book is about murderous mermaids, so it has that going for it too.
LibraryThing member marsenault13
this book. Let me tell you. It is deliciously creepy, and a real page-turner. The premise of Killer Mermaids is fascinating! The way they've wrapped it around as a reality show gone wrong, entwined all the characters throughout the story, and gotten us hooked so easily ( heh, see that sea-term I
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used there?) is great. Seanan McGuire is the author behind the Mira Grant label, and I've been on a total kick of her writing lately. I really enjoyed the interactions between all the characters, it's like the author actually KNOWS scientists and what socially awkward weirdos they can be ( said in a loving manner) I will be recommending this book to anyone that wants a great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Strider66
Pros: excellent creature building, diverse cast, some tense moments
Cons: several minor items made me lose immersion, minor inconsistencies
Seven years ago the entertainment company Imagine’s ship Atargatis was lost in the Mariana Trench. Video, called a hoax by most, showed mermaid like creatures
There’s a great diverse cast. It was interesting seeing the hearing impaired twins interact with and without their translator (though I was surprised more people didn’t consider handwriting or typing notes to communicate with them). I really liked Victoria, and seeing her determination to discover what happened to her sister on the Atargatis. The book had some great friend duos between Victoria and Luis and Olivia and Ray. It’s not common to see close and supportive male/female friendships so it was great seeing those. While I didn’t particularly like Dr. Toth, I loved her mixture of curiosity and fatalism when it came to the mermaids.
The mermaids, or sirens as Dr. Toth preferred to call them, were incredible. They’re both alien and based on deep ocean creatures, beautiful and terrifying. I was impressed that the author makes it clear how they became objects of myth while also being quite different from the stories they inspired. I loved the hypotheses regarding aspects of their biology, mannerisms, and communication. The creature building was brilliantly done.
I appreciated that the romantic elements came with a healthy dose of communication and a lack of manufactured drama. It came up quickly but felt organic to the story.
There were several conversations and minor issues that kept bumping me out of the story. This ruined my immersion and lessened the tension. For example, when scientists start boarding the ship Ray and Olivia point people out to each other. Ray sees Luis Martines and knows a surprising amount of information about his life and field of study. He’s even read one of Luis’ academic papers. While I’ll accept that Olivia and Ray were given a crew manifest, he definitely knows more than a cursory search would bring up, even if Martines’ wealth makes him an intriguing subject. But then he doesn’t know who Dr. Toth is, which makes no sense if he studied the crew, considering she’s more famous and important as a subject for their work.
Another scene with Olivia made me pause when she thought about her family: conservative father, liberal mother. Apparently her mother doesn’t think she should ever have sex due to her ‘condition’, which doesn’t seem ‘liberal’ to me. Had Olivia framed her thought explaining that her mother believed she was liberal but her words to Olivia proved otherwise, it would have made more sense.
I noticed several minor inconsistencies. I’m not sure if other readers will find these as distracting as I did. Thankfully the last hundred pages or so didn’t include any of these so I was able to really get into the action and feel the suspense and horror of the ending.
The book wasn’t perfect but it has some great creatures and the ending is excellent.
Cons: several minor items made me lose immersion, minor inconsistencies
Seven years ago the entertainment company Imagine’s ship Atargatis was lost in the Mariana Trench. Video, called a hoax by most, showed mermaid like creatures
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attacking the ship. Now, a new ship is being sent to find out what really happened.There’s a great diverse cast. It was interesting seeing the hearing impaired twins interact with and without their translator (though I was surprised more people didn’t consider handwriting or typing notes to communicate with them). I really liked Victoria, and seeing her determination to discover what happened to her sister on the Atargatis. The book had some great friend duos between Victoria and Luis and Olivia and Ray. It’s not common to see close and supportive male/female friendships so it was great seeing those. While I didn’t particularly like Dr. Toth, I loved her mixture of curiosity and fatalism when it came to the mermaids.
The mermaids, or sirens as Dr. Toth preferred to call them, were incredible. They’re both alien and based on deep ocean creatures, beautiful and terrifying. I was impressed that the author makes it clear how they became objects of myth while also being quite different from the stories they inspired. I loved the hypotheses regarding aspects of their biology, mannerisms, and communication. The creature building was brilliantly done.
I appreciated that the romantic elements came with a healthy dose of communication and a lack of manufactured drama. It came up quickly but felt organic to the story.
There were several conversations and minor issues that kept bumping me out of the story. This ruined my immersion and lessened the tension. For example, when scientists start boarding the ship Ray and Olivia point people out to each other. Ray sees Luis Martines and knows a surprising amount of information about his life and field of study. He’s even read one of Luis’ academic papers. While I’ll accept that Olivia and Ray were given a crew manifest, he definitely knows more than a cursory search would bring up, even if Martines’ wealth makes him an intriguing subject. But then he doesn’t know who Dr. Toth is, which makes no sense if he studied the crew, considering she’s more famous and important as a subject for their work.
Another scene with Olivia made me pause when she thought about her family: conservative father, liberal mother. Apparently her mother doesn’t think she should ever have sex due to her ‘condition’, which doesn’t seem ‘liberal’ to me. Had Olivia framed her thought explaining that her mother believed she was liberal but her words to Olivia proved otherwise, it would have made more sense.
I noticed several minor inconsistencies. I’m not sure if other readers will find these as distracting as I did. Thankfully the last hundred pages or so didn’t include any of these so I was able to really get into the action and feel the suspense and horror of the ending.
The book wasn’t perfect but it has some great creatures and the ending is excellent.
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LibraryThing member ViragoReads
This started out good, which is why it got the two stars.
This was a great idea and concept, which was poorly executed in the end. There were characters that were likeable enough that their deaths were dramatic and upsetting. The dolphins... It was just gratuitous animal death for the sake of it.
And the Doctor we liked and thought was the conservationist was actually an asshole who wanted to wipe the mermaids, who were actually sirens, off the face of the earth. The ending was unsatisfying and I'm so disappointed that it started off good and interesting and ended so badly! I mean it was like WWE Creative got a hold of this story and spun their magic. And anyone who is familiar with WWE in recent years knows they start off a storyline great but it always ends in disappointment.
Ugh I'm so angry I'm definitely returning and getting my Audible credit back.
This was a great idea and concept, which was poorly executed in the end. There were characters that were likeable enough that their deaths were dramatic and upsetting. The dolphins... It was just gratuitous animal death for the sake of it.
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That pissed me off to no end. So I finished listening just to see if everyone deserving got their comeuppance and of course not. The asshole big game hunters got theirs and the douchey ex died horribly. But the asshole who was responsible for the dolphins, he lived.And the Doctor we liked and thought was the conservationist was actually an asshole who wanted to wipe the mermaids, who were actually sirens, off the face of the earth. The ending was unsatisfying and I'm so disappointed that it started off good and interesting and ended so badly! I mean it was like WWE Creative got a hold of this story and spun their magic. And anyone who is familiar with WWE in recent years knows they start off a storyline great but it always ends in disappointment.
Ugh I'm so angry I'm definitely returning and getting my Audible credit back.
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LibraryThing member bookbrig
I looooved this. Monster disaster stories are some of my very favorites (see: Jurassic Park), and this has a wonderful cast and truly amazing killer monsters. There's romance and gore and science! It's great! My one wish was that the denouement unspooled a little bit slower, but that's a minor
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quibble. 10/10 would recommend if you're in the mood for something funny and unsettling. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jonez
4.25
Very well written. Thoroughly entertaining. Interesting characters (though a bit cliche). Aspects of the ending left a little to be desired, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.
Very well written. Thoroughly entertaining. Interesting characters (though a bit cliche). Aspects of the ending left a little to be desired, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member ericlee
Mermaids are lovely, aren’t they? I’m thinking the 1989 Walt Disney cartoon or Daryl Hannah in the 1984 comedy ‘Splash’. Well, Mira Grant, the author of staggering number of horror novels, some of which I’ve read and were quite good, has a rather different take. In this entertaining
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story, mermaids are super-predators with razor sharp teeth, and they hunt in packs. Their prey this time are the people trapped on board a cruise ship sent out into the Pacific Ocean to find evidence of mermaids (as if the video evidence from the previous voyage, which showed mermaids devouring everyone on board weren’t enough). It’s a great idea for a story (possibly even a film), but Grant sorely needs an editor. The book is over-long and repetitive, and with such a large cast, it became quite difficult to remember who was who — for example Holly, Heather and Hallie are sisters (two of whom were deaf, two — or maybe all three — were scientists). All the main characters, or at least the likeable ones, are women. But the mermaids turn out to be … well, I don’t want to give that one away. I can only add that if this ever did become a film, it would probably have the same effect as ‘Jaws’. No one will want to go anywhere near the water ever again. Show Less
LibraryThing member titania86
Seven years ago, the Atargatis was found empty after a voyage to make a faux documentary about mermaids, funded by a sci-fi channel Imagine. No one was ever found. Now, in 2022, a new ship is chartered by the same company, much more prepared, with a crew of all different types of (mostly skeptical)
Into the Drowning Deep takes place in the near future of 2022 where things are just a little bit different. Advances in medical technology have been made including repairing spinal injuries that would normally leave a person without use of their legs. Self driving cars are a typical sight on the road. Unfortunately, pollution and climate change have taken a small but significant toll on day to day life. Human sympathy and care for animals and the environment is outweighed by indifference at best and greed or flat out ignorance at worst. This sets the stage for what will come later for both a creature relegated to myth and intelligent beings relegated to entertainment and containment. There is a running discussion about marine mammals and how sentient they are. Legislation was passed to improve treatment of marine mammals, but they are continually used selfishly by humans no matter how well meaning.
Seanan McGuire especially excels at getting into the heads of each and every character. Each one of their unique experiences and points of view is showcased without judgment or censorship. The cast of characters is large and diverse with different ethnicities and expressions of sexuality in addition to numerous disabled people. It felt like real life where people aren’t homogenous. My favorite character is Tory, a marine biologist focused on marine sounds, who lost a sister in the Atargatis. Her life’s obsession has been finding out what happened to her, working as a whale watching guide for use of the boat on its off time. Olivia is an unexpected character as a person with autism working as a reporter for Imagine. She copes with intense social situations by exploring the place thoroughly in advance and always being accompanied by her camera man. I love Olivia because she goes against so many stereotypes of people with autism and shows that they aren’t limited to certain industries or activities.
Less sympathetic characters, such as the Australian poacher couple, are given the same treatment. Their hatred of and blatant disregard for animal preservation laws and enthusiasts is on display along with their love of the hunt, the kill, and each other. All of the characters are well rounded no matter their politics or opinions. Jillian Toth has been talking about mermaids for years and knows she’s right. She didn’t want to go on the first voyage because she rightfully had no desire to encounter them. Filled with guilt over the first voyage, she feels obligated to be on the second one, accompanied by Theo, her estranged husband who she still loves but refuses to be around. I loved the inclusion of complex, unconventional relationships. Human emotions and situations are messy and not always easily defined.
The horror elements of the novel are amazing. It’s starts off like a typical horror film with the last footage of the Atargatis. The plot reflects that of Aliens, seen in many horror sub genres, and feels familiar even with the difference in creature and location. The ocean is so unknown that the story feels plausible. The mermaids themselves are slender with fish tails, humanoid upper bodies, and full lips. Other than their basic shape and lips, they are eerily inhuman with bioluminescent fibers like hair on their heads. They masterfully mimic other sounds when hunting and have a sort of sign language to speak to each other. As amphibians, the mermaids can survive out of water for a time, trailing slime to move around more easily and moving with much swifter speed than expected. Their attacks are savage, quick, and incredibly bloody. Their bodies are host to its own ecosystem never before seen that is deadly to humans. While these creatures are deadly and frightening, human shave some culpability for forcing them to the depths of the ocean and invading the only territory they have. A discussion for their preservation is posed with both sides being argued. One side arguing that they are dangerous and the other arguing that humans should preserve all life, not jus the cute and cuddly.
Into the Drowning Deep is a well researched, engrossing novel that speculates on where we are going as a world. It has everything: an exploitative corporation, science, gore, horror, suspense, dynamic characters, romance, and critique of society. The only small problems I had were in the pacing (but science takes a while to explain) and the fairly abrupt ending. I hope there will be a continuation to the story. In the meantime, I will be reading the short story prequel, Rolling in the Deep.
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marine scientists, a pair of big game hunters, and cutting edge technology to find out what happened. Will they find nothing or something the world has never seen?Into the Drowning Deep takes place in the near future of 2022 where things are just a little bit different. Advances in medical technology have been made including repairing spinal injuries that would normally leave a person without use of their legs. Self driving cars are a typical sight on the road. Unfortunately, pollution and climate change have taken a small but significant toll on day to day life. Human sympathy and care for animals and the environment is outweighed by indifference at best and greed or flat out ignorance at worst. This sets the stage for what will come later for both a creature relegated to myth and intelligent beings relegated to entertainment and containment. There is a running discussion about marine mammals and how sentient they are. Legislation was passed to improve treatment of marine mammals, but they are continually used selfishly by humans no matter how well meaning.
Seanan McGuire especially excels at getting into the heads of each and every character. Each one of their unique experiences and points of view is showcased without judgment or censorship. The cast of characters is large and diverse with different ethnicities and expressions of sexuality in addition to numerous disabled people. It felt like real life where people aren’t homogenous. My favorite character is Tory, a marine biologist focused on marine sounds, who lost a sister in the Atargatis. Her life’s obsession has been finding out what happened to her, working as a whale watching guide for use of the boat on its off time. Olivia is an unexpected character as a person with autism working as a reporter for Imagine. She copes with intense social situations by exploring the place thoroughly in advance and always being accompanied by her camera man. I love Olivia because she goes against so many stereotypes of people with autism and shows that they aren’t limited to certain industries or activities.
Less sympathetic characters, such as the Australian poacher couple, are given the same treatment. Their hatred of and blatant disregard for animal preservation laws and enthusiasts is on display along with their love of the hunt, the kill, and each other. All of the characters are well rounded no matter their politics or opinions. Jillian Toth has been talking about mermaids for years and knows she’s right. She didn’t want to go on the first voyage because she rightfully had no desire to encounter them. Filled with guilt over the first voyage, she feels obligated to be on the second one, accompanied by Theo, her estranged husband who she still loves but refuses to be around. I loved the inclusion of complex, unconventional relationships. Human emotions and situations are messy and not always easily defined.
The horror elements of the novel are amazing. It’s starts off like a typical horror film with the last footage of the Atargatis. The plot reflects that of Aliens, seen in many horror sub genres, and feels familiar even with the difference in creature and location. The ocean is so unknown that the story feels plausible. The mermaids themselves are slender with fish tails, humanoid upper bodies, and full lips. Other than their basic shape and lips, they are eerily inhuman with bioluminescent fibers like hair on their heads. They masterfully mimic other sounds when hunting and have a sort of sign language to speak to each other. As amphibians, the mermaids can survive out of water for a time, trailing slime to move around more easily and moving with much swifter speed than expected. Their attacks are savage, quick, and incredibly bloody. Their bodies are host to its own ecosystem never before seen that is deadly to humans. While these creatures are deadly and frightening, human shave some culpability for forcing them to the depths of the ocean and invading the only territory they have. A discussion for their preservation is posed with both sides being argued. One side arguing that they are dangerous and the other arguing that humans should preserve all life, not jus the cute and cuddly.
Into the Drowning Deep is a well researched, engrossing novel that speculates on where we are going as a world. It has everything: an exploitative corporation, science, gore, horror, suspense, dynamic characters, romance, and critique of society. The only small problems I had were in the pacing (but science takes a while to explain) and the fairly abrupt ending. I hope there will be a continuation to the story. In the meantime, I will be reading the short story prequel, Rolling in the Deep.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jlschilling
Seriously scary
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017
Physical description
496 p.; 7.76 inches