Vampire Squid: Poems from the deep sea

by Prema Arasu

98 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly original collection of poetry that is influenced by the deep sea and the three years the author was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre.

The book is cleverly crafted in sections - Sunlight, Twilight, Midnight, Abyss, Hades.
‘Things may get stranger as we go deeper, but, as Poe wrote there is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness.’

I really enjoyed the insights into the individuals who study the sea, our human connection to the mysterious depths of the ocean, well as the enigma that is the deep sea and its creatures.

Some of the most memorable titles include - WFB (Working From Beach); mass stranding; Ode on a Blobfish; The language of (deep sea) flowers; Anglerfish podcast; in the lab with the taxonomist and the marine biologist; To H.P. Lovecraft; things we found 10925m deep and/or at IKEA. I also really appreciate the notes at the end, with additional relevant information and insights into various poems throughout.

‘The accurate communication of new scientific information about the deep sea can only go so far in changing how we feel about it. The deep sea’s constructed unreliability is an aesthetic challenge; and as a researcher, I selected the research methodology best suited to contemplation of aesthetics: poetry.’

If you have an interest in the deep sea or ocean science, this is a very enjoyable collection of poetry.

Prema Arasu is writer and researcher based in Perth, Western Australia. Prema has published stories, poems, and scholarly articles on the deep sea, fantasy, weird fiction, and monsters.

[Tiffany Hastie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for some perspectives from deep sea creatures, but this collection is mostly about the scientists who study them and their disconnection and emotional distance from the animals they collect and dissect. And the author's observations of them during a research cycle. Well written but was hoping for more focus on deep sea creatures.

[birchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

for the first time ever, i want to swim out into the ocean as far as i dare and dunk my head under.

[Jerry]

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[Samantha (thebobtailbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read poetry in a long time, but this collection reminded me how much I enjoy it! I love the way different poem will speak to different people, and how it helps you reflect on your own life.
I adore the way the author has used the deep sea as a way to reflect on the world and humanity, as well as the literary references throughout.