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The Fisherman: A chilling supernatural horror epic
'Illusory, frightening, and deeply moving, The Fisherman is a modern horror epic. And it's simply a must read' Paul TremblayIn upstate New York, within the woods, Dutchman's Creek flows out of the Ashokan Reservoir. Steep-banked and fast-moving, it offers the promise of fine fishing, and of something more, a possibility too fantastic to be true.
When Abe and Dan, two widowers who have found solace in each other's company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumours of the Creek and what might be found there, the remedy to both their losses, they dismiss them. Soon, though, the men find themselves drawn into a tale as deep and old as the Reservoir.
It's a tale of dark pacts, of long-buried secrets, and of a mysterious figure known as the Fisherman. It will bring Abe and Dan face to face with all that they have lost, and with the price they must pay to regain it.
'An epic, yet intimate, horror novel. Langan channels M. R. James, Robert E. Howard and Norman Maclean. What you get is A River Runs Through It... straight to hell' Laird Barron
More praise for The Fisherman 'Reading this, your mouth fills with worms. Just let them wriggle and crawl as they will, thoughdon't swallow. John Langan is fishing for your sleep, for your soul. I fear he's already got mine' Stephen Graham Jones
'What starts as a slow, melancholy tale gains momentum and drops you head first into a churning nightmare from which you might escape, but you'll never forget, and the memory of what you saw will change you forever' Richard Kadrey
'The Fisherman is a treasure, the kind of book you just want to snuggle up and shiver through. I can't say enough good things about the confidence, the patience, the satisfying cumulative power of this book. It was a pleasure to read from the first page to the last' Victor LaValle
'Stories within stories, folk tales becoming modern legends, all spinning into a fisherman's tale about the one he wishes had gotten away. Langan's latest is at turns epic and personal, dense yet compulsively readable, frightening but endearing' Adam Cesare
When Abe and Dan, two widowers who have found solace in each other's company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumours of the Creek and what might be found there, the remedy to both their losses, they dismiss them. Soon, though, the men find themselves drawn into a tale as deep and old as the Reservoir.
It's a tale of dark pacts, of long-buried secrets, and of a mysterious figure known as the Fisherman. It will bring Abe and Dan face to face with all that they have lost, and with the price they must pay to regain it.
'An epic, yet intimate, horror novel. Langan channels M. R. James, Robert E. Howard and Norman Maclean. What you get is A River Runs Through It... straight to hell' Laird Barron
More praise for The Fisherman 'Reading this, your mouth fills with worms. Just let them wriggle and crawl as they will, thoughdon't swallow. John Langan is fishing for your sleep, for your soul. I fear he's already got mine' Stephen Graham Jones
'What starts as a slow, melancholy tale gains momentum and drops you head first into a churning nightmare from which you might escape, but you'll never forget, and the memory of what you saw will change you forever' Richard Kadrey
'The Fisherman is a treasure, the kind of book you just want to snuggle up and shiver through. I can't say enough good things about the confidence, the patience, the satisfying cumulative power of this book. It was a pleasure to read from the first page to the last' Victor LaValle
'Stories within stories, folk tales becoming modern legends, all spinning into a fisherman's tale about the one he wishes had gotten away. Langan's latest is at turns epic and personal, dense yet compulsively readable, frightening but endearing' Adam Cesare
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2023
17 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
John Langan
83 books1,885 followersJohn Langan is the author of two novels, The Fisherman (Word Horde 2016) and House of Windows (Night Shade 2009), and two collections of stories, The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies (Hippocampus 2013) and Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters (Prime 2008). With Paul Tremblay, he co-edited Creatures: Thirty Years of Monsters (Prime 2011). He's one of the founders of the Shirley Jackson Awards, for which he served as a juror during its first three years. Currently, he reviews horror and dark fantasy for Locus magazine.
John Langan lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his wife, younger son, and many, many animals. He teaches at SUNY New Paltz. He's working toward his black belt in the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do.
John Langan lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his wife, younger son, and many, many animals. He teaches at SUNY New Paltz. He's working toward his black belt in the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do.
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January 23, 2026
Absolutely loved the setup and middle section, completely absorbed in the world and the feeling of dread never really leaves. The ending is a bit limp in my opinion, but I’m not mad at it
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