From the Depths: And Other Strange Tales of the Sea (Tales of the Weird)

When I lived in Ohio I had no interest in tales of the sea, or of the sea itself. But when I moved to South Carolina and saw the ocean for the first time I experienced something akin to what William James referred to as a 'vastation' - the sheer immensity and magnitude of what I was seeing was beyond my comprehension, both great and horrible at the same time.The ocean, especially at night, became a source of awe.Most of the stories in this book put those feelings into words."The Ship of Silence" by Albert R. WetjenA veteran sailor tells a story of his youth, when a ship he was on discovered the abandoned "Robert Sutter". A parrot seems to hold a possible key to the mystery. Appropriately suggestive and atmospheric - a nice opening piece."From the Darkness and the Depths" by Morgan RobertsonAn invisible creature is released after an earthquake and attacks a ship. The author seems to have taken ideas that were proposed by Ambrose Bierce in "The Damned Thing" and greatly expanded upon them, going to great effort to make the science seem believable."Sargasso" by Ward MuirA journalist leaves a record of the ship he is on being stranded in the Sargasso Sea, and possibly being pursued by a huge undersea creature.I liked some of the flashes of humor the author displayed before getting to the section that was the journal. I would enjoy reading more of his fiction if any becomes available."Held by the Sargasso Sea" by Frank H. ShawSeparated from its captain, a ship is caught in the Sargasso Sea. The ending is rather fanciful and quite unexpected."The Floating Forest" by Herman ScheffauerIt would be difficult to say much about this story without giving anything away. Simply stated, a woman suspects her captain husband of planning a crime, and tragedy follows.The editor states that "there is an element of Edgar Allan Poe" (one of the author's influences) to this story. I can see that, although it would be a much more melodramatic and less disciplined Poe."Tracked: A Mystery of the Sea" by C.N. BarhamHypnotism and clairvoyance are combined as a tool in an attempt to locate a missing ship."The Mystery of the Water-Logged Ship" by William Hope HodgsonMen disappear without a trace while investigating a derelict ship. Was the supernatural involved?This was the only story I had encountered before, but the editor certainly cannot be blamed for wanting to include something by nautical tale master William Hope Hodgson. This selection was a lesser-known yet intriguing mystery."From the Depths" by F. Britten AustinGhosts of victims of torpedoed ships find an unusual means of communication."The Murdered Ships" by James Francis DwyerSometimes it is useful to discover a physical link to a haunting."The Ship That Died" by John GilbertA rather short tale of the Carnivordshire, another phantom ship."Devereux's Last Smoke" by Izola Forrester(This one is only incidently a sea story. With some slightly altered circumstances, it could have taken place anywhere.)It appears to be a rather straightforward tale about a man who dies and his return manifests as a spectral but unseen figure smoking a cigar in the fog, following his former lover. But there is seemingly a bit more to the haunting after the main plot is resolved."The Black Bell Buoy" by Rupert ChestertonA man is working with a rival in love, setting up a buoy on a dangerous mass of coral. The man returns, horrified, telling that his coworker had been seized by an octopus and pulled into the sea. The buoy had been set loose in the process and a substantial reward was offered for it.Most readers will likely guess where the story is going as it progresses, but I should point out that it still comes off as a nice traditional nautical ghost story which is quite welcomed as the book is coming near an end."The High Seas" by Elinor MordauntTwo twins, Agar and Bran, have hated each other since birth, and this comes to a head when they find themselves working together on the same ship. We learn that being haunted may or may not necessarily involve an actual ghost. Desolate, but well-written ending."The Soul Saver" by Morgan BurkeWhat connection does a small white mouse have to a man a cruel sea captain has killed? And what happens after one death and one white mouse becomes two?"No Ships Pass" by Lady Eleanor SmithA man is shipwrecked on an island and discovers other people who claim to be from various periods of time and distant locations. This is only the beginning of mysterious events.While definitely a tale of the sea, virtually nothing in this one takes place on a ship.The editor remarked that this seemed like something that could have been an inspiration for the television series "Lost", and that set the stage for my mood while reading it. * * *Unlike most anthologies, there was not a single story in this volume that I did not like. I read it at night with my windows open. The roar and call of the ocean was just a short distance away...all in all, it was quite enjoyable.

Finally decided to start reading this and it's pretty good! Has collection of writings from multiple authors from long ago with each story starting with a short bio about that particular author. First 2 stories were intense, lots of unknown that keep the fear and stories based on facts/sailors tales (sea monster sightings, unexplained happenings, etc.)

In my kindle app I read the book and enjoyed the twists and turns in the book.

From the Depths and Other Strange Tales of the Sea (British Library Tales of the Weird #1) is an enjoyable selection of nautical-themed short stories that read well despite all being from the first half of the twentieth century. While you can tell that they are older owing to their period-specific language and overall style, this isn't detrimental, and they still convey the gothic tension even after all this time.There are very much reoccurring themes here; long-lost boats return lacking their crew but engendered with palpable menace, ghosts of the sea visit revenge for past crimes, and survivors recount tales of tragedy.As this is an anthology, there is a great deal of difference in terms of writing style and voice, though there are some shared commonalities. The most obvious is the preference to deliver the story, within a story, through a narrator recounting a tale to a listener. While it seems an odd delivery by today's standards, it doesn't take anything away despite the oddness.Barring two of the stories, I enjoyed them all, particularly both set in the Sargasso Sea and the final tale on a shipwrecked island.Overall this was a fun read and one I would highly recommend.

What a great collection of sea related tales.As with all anthologies some are better than others ,but even the weaker stories hold a certain fascination.My own personal favorite's are The ship of siience ,Sarggaso,From the depths,The ship that died and the brilliant Where no ships pass.This story alone is worth the price of the book

Some stories are excellent, some not so good. I enjoyed parts but though one or two of the stories little more than space fillers. OK for a rainy afternoon.

Really enjoyed these stories even though I was never a fan of literature about sea travel. Given that they are also of supernatural/horror nature really gives them an edge and I could well be tempted to read more mainstream sea books.

Nice selection of odd stories, set in a legible font with good printing. One of an ongoing set that shows an interesting editorial hand, with an eye for stories you wouldn't necessarily find elsewhere. Worth a read.