Out of the Drowning Deep
Published on 3. September 2024
Book
Hardback
160 pages
978-1-80336-982-2 (ISBN)
Description
In the distant future, when mortals mingle with the gods in deep space, an out-of-date automaton, a recovering addict, and an angel race to solve the Pope's murder in an abandoned corner of the galaxy.
Dreamy, beautifully written science-fantasy novella, for fans of Martha Wells and This is How You Lose the Time War.
Scribe IV is an obsolete automaton living on the Bastion, a secluded monastery in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. When the visiting Pope is found murdered, Scribe IV knows he has very little time before the terrifying Sisters of the Drowned Deep rise up to punish all the Bastion's residents for their supposed crime.
Quin, a recovering drug addict turned private investigator, agrees to take the case. Traumatized by a bizarre experience in his childhood, Quin repeatedly feeds his memories to his lover, the angel Murmuration. But fragmented glimpses of an otherworldly horror he calls the crawling dark continue to haunt his dreams.
Meanwhile in heaven, an angel named Angel hears Scribe IV's prayer. Intrigued by the idea of solving a crime with mortals, xe descends to offer xyr divine assistance.
With the Drowned Sisters closing in, Scribe IV, Quin, and Angel race to find out who really murdered the Pope, and why. Quin's missing memories may hold the key to the case - but is remembering worth what it will cost him?
Dreamy, beautifully written science-fantasy novella, for fans of Martha Wells and This is How You Lose the Time War.
Scribe IV is an obsolete automaton living on the Bastion, a secluded monastery in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. When the visiting Pope is found murdered, Scribe IV knows he has very little time before the terrifying Sisters of the Drowned Deep rise up to punish all the Bastion's residents for their supposed crime.
Quin, a recovering drug addict turned private investigator, agrees to take the case. Traumatized by a bizarre experience in his childhood, Quin repeatedly feeds his memories to his lover, the angel Murmuration. But fragmented glimpses of an otherworldly horror he calls the crawling dark continue to haunt his dreams.
Meanwhile in heaven, an angel named Angel hears Scribe IV's prayer. Intrigued by the idea of solving a crime with mortals, xe descends to offer xyr divine assistance.
With the Drowned Sisters closing in, Scribe IV, Quin, and Angel race to find out who really murdered the Pope, and why. Quin's missing memories may hold the key to the case - but is remembering worth what it will cost him?
Reviews / Votes
"Hooked is an absolutely breathtaking accomplishment, and further proof that A.C. Wise is one of the most vital voices in fiction today. Her lush, beautiful prose draws you in and never lets you go... Be sure to put Hooked at the top of your reading list."Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Reluctant Immortals
"Hooked will effortlessly pull readers back into Wise's dark, seductive, and mesmerizing version of Neverland - and into the equally compelling inner world of her characters. A beautifully written and psychologically astute sequel."
Leah Cypess, author of Thornwood and Glass Slippers
"Fans of creepy updated fairy tales... should snap this up."
Publishers Weekly
"Haunting and poetic imagery captures an emotional, original, and breathtaking perspective of Captain Hook with lush visuals that will resonate long after finishing the book."
Seattle Book Review, 5 Stars
Praise for Wendy, Darling
"Feminist twists and creeping dread abound in this intriguing retelling of Peter Pan"
Library Journal
"Intelligent and deftly executed"
TOR.com
"This book hooked me immediately with Wendy's voice and rage and longing... what Wise does with the Peter Pan mythos here is nothing short of astonishing"
Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award-winning author of Blackfish City
"Wendy, Darling is a daring, gothic re-envisioning of everything we think we know - and an important, vivid adventure"
Fran Wilde, two-time Nebula award-winning, World Fantasy finalist author of Updraft
"Richly imagined, surprisingly dark, and heartbreakingly beautiful"
Marian Womack, author of The Swimmers
"A dark and delightful retelling of Peter Pan. Wendy, Darling is a gorgeous achievement, and one you don't want to miss."
Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Boneset & Feathers
"Neverland is more nightmare than dream... This rich tale of memory and magic is sure to resonate with fans of reimagined children's stories."
Publishers Weekly
"It's the horror-tinged feminist Peter Pan retelling I never knew I needed... a brilliant re-imagining of a classic boy's club story."
Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, author of 'Mantles' and 'Entanglement'
"A gorgeously imagined journey into the unfathomable depths of childhood myth."
Kelly Robson, author of Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach
A well crafted retelling that gently explores a variety of themes including trauma, toxic masculinity, feminism, and sexuality. Fans of the original story will want to get to know the grown-up Wendy.
Booklist
Magnificent... eloquently written and full of indelible characters, Wendy, Darling is a darkly beautiful story that proves to be as memorable as - and more meaningful than - its inspiration.
Locus
Praise for Catfish Lullaby
"This luscious, unsettling Louisiana horror novella from Wise boasts a contemporary, living-folklore aesthetic... visceral language conveys an experience of eerie magic that simultaneously lures and repels."
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"With a potent atmosphere, a formidable antagonist, and well-drawn, unforgettable characters, this book has definitely got it all.
An absolute must-read."
Gwendolyn Kiste, author of The Rust Maidens
"Catfish Lullaby seamlessly combines Southern folklore with cosmic horror. There's an elegiac undertone to this lullaby that's as deep and mysterious as the bayou where it takes place."
Craig Laurance Gidney, author of A Spectral Hue
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 206 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
224 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80336-982-2 (9781803369822)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
A.C. Wise is the author of Hooked and the bestselling Wendy, Darling. She also has two short story collections published by Lethe Press, Catfish Lullaby, a novella published by Broken Eye Books (2019), and The Ghost Sequences, a short story collection published by Undertow Books (2021), which was shortlisted for a 2021 Bram Stoker Award.
Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US.
She tweets at @ac_wise.
Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US.
She tweets at @ac_wise.