Read more about the ocean
On my bookshelf at home, I was telling a new acquaintance (as is my nature, to generally spout too-personal stories of my life to strangers than is generally socially acceptable), we have a whole section about the Ocean.
Oh really, they seem interested. Although, if they truly are I cannot tell for sure; I have a story to tell about my ocean-themed books. Is there any particular reason for that?
No! I’m quite proud of my fun shelves. Only that we happen to have so many books about the ocean. We have five, maybe six.
There are a lot of books about the ocean, many more so than I could ever have space for on my ocean-themed shelf at home. They follow cast-away adventurers on colonial ships, or pirates in middle-grade fantasy: mermaids and sea-creatures can be the terror or delight of a readers’ experience. Little Women frequent the seaside for their health, and rowdy english school-boys become stranded on deserted islands.
The ocean can take on many different personas dependent on an author’s will: it may be characterised by its terrifying depths and ability to capsize ships or hide civilisations on its unexplored seafloor. It can be a friend, a familiar home or the promise of a great escape. There is so much that we do not know about the ocean, that an author may bend and blend it to their own desires for the purpose of great storytelling.
I really love reading books that feature the ocean, whether that be as a setting, an almost-character or a generally mysterious force of nature that influences the narrative in an unavoidable way. Whether the ocean is merely mentioned in passing as the brief episode within a longer series, or the setting on which the whole novel takes place, it will contribute to my enjoyment of reading it.
Here are some suggestions for the curious!
1. The Swarm, by Frank Schätzing
Science-Fiction, Mystery-Adventure
Across the world, a number of strange things start happening in the ocean. First, only marine biologists and deep-sea chemists notice that animals are acting strangely and the ocean’s makeup is changing. Soon enough, however, the rest of the world cannot avoid it: seemingly natural disasters begin killing thousands across the world, crabs invade New York and the North Sea shelf collapses. The CIA become involved, collecting scientists across the world to collaborate to save the world from itself, and save the human race from something unknown at the bottom of the ocean.
The Swarm is a Science Fiction novel set in the near future, exploring the hypothetical of a second earth-bound conscious race’s retaliation against humans for their detrimental actions against the environment: overfishing, sea-floor drenching, toxic-waste dumping, city-sized commercial cruises and the off-shore oil industry culminate in the removal of human presence from the ocean by this unknown aggravator.
As an epic 800-page book The Swarm absolutely flies by. With incredibly fleshed-out and interesting characters, amazingly detailed and believable science behind the phenomenon and perfectly paced twists and turns to the plot, The Swarm is very high up in my current 2024 ratings. Schätzing manages to be very funny while wrenching out your heart when you least expect it, diverting from the main action with interesting side-quests and exploring the globe through the brilliant minds of these fictional scientists.
If you enjoy this premise, but find the 800-page undertaking daunting, try Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman. It’s much shorter and has a different take on the near future reactions to environmental deterioration.
2. Our Wives Under The Sea, by Julia Armfield
Horror, Fantasy
Miri’s wife Leah returns from a deep-sea dive that ended in tragedy. Thinking her wife’s behaviour is simply an effect of the trauma from losing her crew at the bottom of the ocean, Miri doesn’t think twice about some of her strange behaviour. It’s only when Leah’s behaviour escalates to be increasingly strange does Miri become unsettled. From the bottom of the ocean, something has accompanied Leah onto dry land and into their home, and it wants to go back.
I described Our Wives Under The Sea as ‘very spooky, without ever really knowing why’ when someone picked it up from a bookshelf. This story sees a lot of disturbingly strange things happen to Leah and in the home she shares with her wife, Miri. We never fully understand what Leah is going through, but we observe it through Miri’s internal monologue of concern for her wife.
With the ocean as the removed centre of this horror debut, it has an otherworldly draw to it. The inherent mysteriousness of the ocean and its depths are maintained as a central part of this narrative, yet we see the persuasive effects it has on Leah as she becomes increasingly dependent on its water to survive. Scenes of body horror display the series of alterations she goes through to better suit a marine habitat, and we watch Miri begin to grieve her wife and the life they could have had together while still having to care for her disintegrating form.
3. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, by William Finnegan
Biography
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is William Finnegan’s memoir of a way of life. A product of late 60’s Hawaii, Finnegan recounts his life through his relationship with surfing not only as a sport but as an addiction. We follow him through his almost-circumnavigation of the world in search of legendary waves, his relationships with his friends and family, and later with his wife and daughter. Rich in atmosphere and dense surfer jargon, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life turley transports the reader into another time and place in world history.
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is as much about the ocean as it is about William Finnegan. The ocean is its own character in Finnegan’s memoir; it is an alluring mystery to be solved by obsessed surfers. The ocean can be a pleasant companion, providing glassy waves up to the standard of a surfer’s dream, or a deadly foe with the power to kill. There is so much that goes into the decision that surfer’s make when approaching the swell: what direction is the wind, where are the channels in the seafloor, how big are the waves and what style of board do they have with them.
The history of surfing is loosely outlined in Finnegan’s memoir: how it grew over the years from a delinquent past-time to a globally renowned sport worth billions of dollars with its own supercelebrities and places to be. This book is chock full of nostalgia, heart warming to the degree of nonsensical yearning for a time that would not live up to the dream it projects. With big personalities and incredible waves, Finnegan’s memoir would have a non-surfer checking out the swell on a windy coast.
4. It Happened One Summer, by Tessa Bailey
Romance
A fashionable Los Angeles Wild-Child is banished to the lazy sea-side hometown of her late father. With her sister joining her in solidarity, the two women are met with a rude awakening to their glamorous lifestyle: renovating their fathers bar and living in less-than-expected quarters, these two sisters have to adapt quickly. Quicker still, however, our Wild-Child runs into the resident bearded, grumpy fisherman, who just so happens to be everywhere in this small town. Our sisters have to overcome their own issues, while the slower life of seaside living - and the local personalities - begin to grow on them.
It Happened One Summer is exactly what you want from a romance: we have a classic grumpy/sunshine duo, the city-slicker and small-town dweller and two main characters that grow to absolutely adore each other. While the ocean does not play a major part of this story, it is the perfect setting for this romance. The atmosphere of a small seaside town is at direct odds with our main character, who initially feels like a fish-out-of-water in her new home. Her sister’s support, the stillness to figure out what she really wants, and a DIY passion project is the perfect formula for our main character to realise her potential.
5. All the Stars and Teeth, by Adalyn Grace
Young Adult Fantasy
As the heir to her kingdom, Amora must be able to prove herself by wielding the power passed down through her family but when her coming-of-age presentation goes awry, she has to flee. During her escape she makes a deal with a mysterious pirate: in exchange for helping her master her powers, she will help him reclaim his stolen magic. In this epic adventure across the ocean, Amora must face challenges, fight monsters and prove herself worthy of the throne, all the while preventing a great evil from overthrowing the kingdom.
An adventure across the ocean in a pirate ship is the only way to close on a blog about the ocean. All the yearning and mystery of the ocean has been explored and all that’s left is to have a bit of fun. Although not tended by a full crew, this magical ship lends itself to a perfect adventure of mermaids, sea creatures and blood magic.