Back in 1936, H.P. Lovecraft wrote a creepy novella titled The Shadow Over Innsmouth, about a seaport village inhabited by grotesque, fish-like hybrids. Robert Olmstead, the story’s protagonist, knew full well that the ocean was a place where monsters lived—“overflowing with the ultimate quintessence of unknown and inhuman evil,” he said. 

In a way, you could say that The Shadow Over Innsmouth was an inspiration for Open Water, the new anthology edited by Alex J. Gardner. “The fear of open water lies in the fact that so much of it is unexplained,” wrote Gardner in his introduction. “It’s human nature to fear the unknown and to fill the void with speculation and imaginings.”

By my count, there are four, maybe five, stories in this collection that hark back to Lovecraft’s book from 1936. Probably the most overt example comes from author S.T. Talbot. “Lowest Dark” is about a fisherman’s family that finds an ancient book at the bottom of the ocean. “It was a book of power,” explains a lineal descendant. “My great-great-grandfather read aloud a select few words in the book. In just the right order, in just the right locations, he awoke something older than the stars.” He continued: “In simpler terms, Gramps trapped a god and the god made us all rich.”

All the abyssal creature required was an occasional sacrifice from time to time. In this case, the family chose their daughter Ronnie’s girlfriend as the necessary oblation. Ronnie had other plans, however. In one fell swoop, she successfully saved her girlfriend, ended her family’s horrible legacy and unleashed eldritch horror upon the world. The moral of the story was clear: the power of love can erase all moral ambiguities. 

The story “Home Again” has a similar Lovecraftian vibe, although author S.M. Davis eschews horror for parody.

Two brothers hike through a deciduous forest to find themselves navigating an unexpected drowned landscape. As they begin exploring the area, they begin to wonder: “What type of horror film are we in?” Until proven otherwise, they assume they’re trapped in an “elevated ecohorror” movie. 

As the swamp rises higher and higher, the brothers—now paddling a canoe—discover an altar in a hidden cavern. “This isn’t elevated ecohorror any more,” said one brother. “This is eldritch sacrifice and stygian exultation.”

And sure enough, they eventually confront a Lovecraftian-like beast in the littoral cave. “I am the Primordial Mother, Consumer of Worlds,” rumbled a giant swamp monster in a voice that sounded like an unholy mix of Jennifer Tilly and Tom Waits. “Your world is now my swamp.”

There are other excellent stories in this anthology of course. For example “Weekend Getaway” by Jayme Antrim is about how an interspecies friendship defeats a mountainous sea creature. “Bigger Fish” by Isabelle Nygren is about the tragic intersection shared by life and death. Felix Lilly’s story “Keep the Light Burning” is about one lighthouse keeper’s struggle to keep encroaching sea colossi at bay. And finally, “Lost Lake” by Troy Tradup will break your heart. 

Final verdict: I love the ocean’s unfathomable void and the monsters that live there. In my opinion, Open Water is one heck of a collection. To quote Captain Nemo from Vingt mille lieues sous les mers “The sea supplies all my wants.”

[ Open Water / Edited b Alex J. Gardner / First Printing: July 2026 / ISBN: 9781068269745 ]