Fins: A Novel of Relentless Satire

by Gene Helfman

Pirates catch sharks in a marine reserve, lop off their fins, and discard the sharks for dead. A series of puzzling, apparently related shark attacks follows, suggesting that sentient, compassionate, maternal, and goal-oriented sharks are cooperating to exact more than revenge. The carnage escalates until a brilliant, beautiful, beleaguered forensic technician, in league with an African-American tech wizard, battle malevolent white guys. Risking probable death and certain dismemberment, the heroes discover the secret behind the attacks, revealing much more than was bargained for.

Profits donated to shark conservation.

198 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2023

About the author

Gene Helfman is an animal behaviorist turned conservation biologist. With a PhD in Ecology from Cornell University, Gene was on the faculty of the University of Georgia for thirty years, authoring four books on fish and marine conservation and dozens of related scientific papers. He spent much of his professional career underwater demonstrating that fish are smarter than conventionally thought. In an effort to get the message to a larger audience, he has turned to writing screenplays and novels, on the premise that more people read fiction than non-fiction. Gene and his wife Dr. Judy Meyer, an aquatic ecologist, live on Lopez Island in Washington State.

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Agatha Garmin and first mate Rowdy Wagner of the Stinky Wrinkle fishing vessel bit off more than they could chew when they entered the Cousteau Memorial Marine protected area to harvest shark fins to sell. One after another, dozens of sharks are hoisted aboard the fishing vessel to have their fins brutally chopped off, then their remains thoughtlessly discarded back into the ocean. Grotesquely dismembered, the sharks shake in pain as blood flows from their wounds, but they do not pass away. They plot revenge.

The crew of the Stinky Wrinkle escapes into the night to cash in their fins and celebrate their catch at the dockside bar, The Spouter Inn. The celebration is cut short in the smoky dive bar when fighting breaks out, leaving numerous fishermen limbless and suffering. Similar events occur when Asian seafood processors are left missing limbs, delirious or dead. It is when a group of Asian tourists scuba diving in the Cousteau Memorial is ruthlessly killed that it seems the sharks are stereotyping their victims and working together to punish those that do not respect shark life.

Gene Helfman is a masterful storyteller educated in the world of animal behavior and conservation. His work of fiction, “Fins: A Novel of Relentless Satire” utilizes his impressive knowledge of marine life while educating and entertaining the reader. “Fins” is attractive to readers due to its outlandish in-your-face humor with shockingly graphic scenes of trauma that highlight a serious subject. In my opinion, the best teachers entertain while educating their audience. Helfman’s writing style is captivating and flows well. The action-packed scenes and bloodshed lead the reader headlong into a suspense-filled drama that is unlike any shark book previously written.

“Fins: A Novel of Relentless Satire” by Gene Helfman is a hilariously dark novel that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. Science fiction fans will devour the scientific experimentations and lab work jargon. Mystery fans have plenty of plot twists to navigate amongst gruesome blood baths, and carnage horror fans live for. Every time a fin quivers, watch out because all hell is about to break loose in a mafia-style vendetta featuring sharks with nasty attitudes. The unconventional tale of “Fins” is farfetched, yet I could not put it down. Page after page, suspense builds into a frenzy where I found myself rooting for the sharks to kill them all and reclaim their fins.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and hilarious book filled with satire! It is a witty mix of science, science fiction, conservation, and mystery. The book truly makes you laugh but also brings home the stark reality of the true predicament of sharks worldwide and the need for more conservation efforts.