The Fisherman: A Novel

John Langan, The Fisherman: A Novel (Word Horde: 2016).

Langan's prose, his incredible descriptions of the awful, and his deft handling of emotionally complicated themes all in the context of a story of cosmic horror is impressive. I'm always interested in that strand of Mythos stories that explore different psychological reactions to the weird, and I appreciated the contrast between the reactions of Abe, Dan, Rainer, and Jacob to the unbelievable.

If you haven't yet read this novel, you won't want to continue reading this post. Below contains a HUGE SPOILER:

There is an interesting hint of something new here: While Leviathan is certainly awe-inspiring and affects cosmic dread in us, left to its own devices, it is unlikely to harm. The existential threat emerges from the actions of Der Fischer and his attempts to capture. With that said, even just the existence of the black ocean and a creature of that scale veiled just beyond our experience is horrifying.

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