Welcome, and thanks for joining me, Brent McGregor, horror author and devotee of the dark unknown. Today, I’m setting sail into one of my favourite horror subgenres: nautical (or marine-themed) horror. This is the realm of the deep—stories steeped in saltwater dread, shipwrecks, isolation, and the unrelenting vastness of the ocean. Rather than comparing or ranking these books, this guide is meant to help you navigate the waters—to point you toward ten unforgettable reads that will make you think twice before stepping onto a boat… or maybe even into the bath.

1. Jaws by Peter Benchley

The quintessential marine horror novel—the one that made an entire generation afraid to go back in the water. Benchley’s Jaws is more than a killer-shark thriller; it’s a primal tale about nature’s indifference, human arrogance, and the thin line between hunter and prey. Even decades later, it bites deep.

2. The Fisherman by John Langan

A haunting, literary descent into grief and cosmic dread. Two widowers find solace in fishing—until they cast their lines into a cursed stretch of river that connects to something ancient and unfathomable. Langan’s The Fisherman is a slow-burn Lovecraftian masterpiece that captures both sorrow and sea-born terror.

3. The Terror by Dan Simmons

Part historical fiction, part supernatural horror, Simmons reimagines Captain Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition. Ice, hunger, madness—and something else—stalks the crew through endless winter. Equal parts claustrophobic and epic, The Terror captures humanity’s fragility against the merciless sea and sky.

4. The Deep by Nick Cutter

From the author of The Troop, this claustrophobic deep-sea horror follows a crew descending into the Mariana Trench to investigate a strange substance called “Ambrosia.” What they find below is beyond science—and sanity. Cutter mixes psychological terror with body horror, all under crushing pressure miles beneath the surface.

5. The Deep by Alma Katsu

Not to be confused with Cutter’s novel, Katsu’s The Deep blends historical fiction and supernatural dread aboard the Titanic. Ghosts of guilt, grief, and something darker stalk the doomed ship. It’s a beautifully eerie tale of love, loss, and haunting on the high seas.

6. Lure by Tim McGregor

This one’s for fans of folklore and the siren’s song. Lure weaves myth and maritime menace into a modern coastal setting, exploring how temptation and obsession can pull a person under as surely as the tide. McGregor’s prose hums with an eerie stillness—until the storm hits.

7. Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

While not strictly horror, Kraus’s Whalefall is a harrowing survival story with a psychological edge sharp enough to cut. Trapped inside the belly of a whale, a diver faces both suffocating darkness and the ghosts of his past. It’s a visceral, existential plunge into grief, forgiveness, and the monstrous beauty of nature.

8. Duma Key by Stephen King

Set on a lonely stretch of Florida’s coast, Duma Key is a tale of artistic creation, trauma, and haunting forces that rise like a tide. Though not purely nautical horror, its isolation, seaside atmosphere, and creeping supernatural influence will stay with you like sand that won’t wash off.

9. From Below by Darcy Coates

Coates takes readers aboard a deep-sea expedition to document a sunken wreck—but what they find is no ghost ship. As the crew explores, something ancient stirs in the dark. From Below delivers creeping tension, eerie underwater imagery, and the suffocating terror of being trapped far beneath the surface.

10. Sphere by Michael Crichton

A team of scientists discovers a mysterious alien sphere on the ocean floor—and soon, reality begins to fracture around them. Equal parts psychological thriller and sci-fi horror, Sphere probes what happens when humanity’s curiosity dives too deep. The ocean isn’t the only thing that hides monsters.

Final Thoughts

The ocean has always been a mirror—reflecting our fears, our obsessions, and our insignificance in the face of the unknown. These stories remind us that the sea is both cradle and crypt, teeming with life—and death.

Thanks for reading this far. If you love tales of the deep, dark, and deadly, you might enjoy my own novel —

BLOOD TIDE by Brent McGregor

Struggling restaurant server Dani Kowalski yearns for escape from her loveless marriage and haunting memories. Her world flips when she meets the brooding stranger Eric Gilman—but what starts as passion quickly turns deadly. Meanwhile, Detective Frank Hagen investigates a string of grisly murders that hint the killer stalking the city may not be entirely human. Terror has come to Fort Lauderdale, and it will eat you alive.