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Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep
The sea is full of mysteries and rivers shelter the unknown. Dating back to ancient Assyria, folkloric tales of mermaids, sirens, rusalka, nymphs, selkes, and other seafolk are found in many cultures, including those of Europe, Africa, the Near East and Asia. Dangerous or benevolent, seductive or sinister - modern masters of fantasy continue to create new legends of these creatures that enchant and entertain us more than ever. Gathered here are some of the finest of these stories. Immerse yourself in this wonderful - and sometimes wicked - watery world!
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2015
29 people are currently reading
1163 people want to read
About the author
Paula Guran
97 books211 followersPaula Guran is senior editor for Prime Books. She edited the Juno fantasy imprint from its small press inception through its incarnation as an imprint of Pocket Books. She is also senior editor of Prime's soon-to-launch digital imprint Masque Books. Guran edits the annual Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series as well as a growing number of other anthologies. In an earlier life she produced weekly email newsletter DarkEcho (winning two Stokers, an IHG award, and a World Fantasy Award nomination), edited Horror Garage (earning another IHG and a second World Fantasy nomination), and has contributed reviews, interviews, and articles to numerous professional publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 18, 2022
Magritte’s Secret Agent by Tanith Lee ★★★★½
"When you look at the sea, especially at night, anything at all seems possible."
Top notch writing! A young woman falls in obsession with a beautiful young man in a wheelchair. The mystery unravels to a moment of ‘terror without fear.’ Loved it!
Each to Each by Seanan McGuire ★★★★½
The future is the ocean and as such governments have started modifying women into fantastical creatures to claim the depths. Considered both poster children for the Navy, and freaks, the women leave more of their humanity behind with every modification. But instead of soldiers they may become a revolution!
Salt Wine by Peter S. Beagle ★★★★☆
After saving the life of a merrow Henry Lee receives the merman’s most precious possession - a recipe for salt wine. It makes him a fortune but not everyone can handle the wine.
The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean by Caitlín R. Kiernan ★★★★☆
Kiernan can make even ordinary moments magical. I could have listened to this old New York muse talk for hours…
Somewhere Beneath Those Waves Was Her Home by Sarah Monette ★★★★☆
A women helps a selkie find her skin. I’m glad they were also able to “free” the wooden maidens, but I was not clear what nefarious thing Ezekiel was doing there.
Forever, Miss Tapekwa County by Lisa L. Hannett ★★★★☆
A magical beauty pageant where the winner succeeds in turning herself into a mermaid. Some die trying and the winner stops caring.
The Corridors of the Sea by Jane Yolen ★★★½☆
Through biomedical engineering scientists in Hydro Cities attempt to breathe underwater and return us to the sea. But some never left and they don’t intend to share.
The Nebraskan and the Nereid by Gene Wolfe ★★★½☆
A folklore researcher goes to the Greek isle in search of mermaid myths. A poor local girl falls in love with him, and conspires to give him his mermaid. It was sad.
Flotsam by Amanda Downum ★★★½☆
"Down and down and down, into the cathedral of the abyss, to an altar-throne where things older than gods hold court."
A dying Irish woman comes home to see if her first love still waits for her.
Swell by Elizabeth Bear ★★★☆☆
An ethereal icy mermaid gives a kindly brave musician a gift. She appreciates it, but wants to earn such things on her own.
The Mermaid Game by Chris Howard ★★★☆☆
“The dead do not forget. The living do.”
In a strange and over-long tale a mermaid helps a widowed author work through his pain and write again.
A Good Husband by Angela Slatter ★★★☆☆
A lady-of-the-lake spirit helps an abused wife the best way she knows.
Rusalka by Anna Taborska ★★★☆☆
A young man far from home, but in ancestral lands, searches for a beautiful girl and finds death instead.
Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drowning by A.C. Wise ★★☆☆☆
Story after story like wave after wave. I drowned in drudgery.
Urchins, While Swimming by Catherynne M. Valente ★★☆☆☆
A sad rusalka story in an impoverished post war world.
Driftglass by Samuel Delany ★★☆☆☆ DNF
While the concept of migrating into the ocean due to climate change was interesting the story was not. Pages and Pages of boredom before I DNF’d.
The Mermaids Singing Each to Each by Cat Rambo ★★☆☆☆
Depressing. After being raped at 13 Lolo chooses to become gender neutral - a free service for rape victims. Unfortunately, she didn’t understand just how expensive the medical bills would be to claiming a gender. As a poor villager she had to accept working the boat she was raped in. And there were mermaids, but it didn’t lift the story.
Miss Carstairs and the Merman by Delia Sherman ★★☆☆☆
A Victorian lady scientist drags a beached merman into her conservatory for study. It could have been fascinating, and sexy, but it was painfully boring.
Sea-Hearts by Margo Lanagan ★☆☆☆☆ DNF
I stopped at drowning newborn baby girls tied to crosses.
The Drowned Mermaid by Christopher Barzak ★☆☆☆☆
A mother driven mad by her lost junkie daughter tortures a mermaid. This sucked.
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat by Genevieve Valentine DNF
The Sea Change by Neil Gaimen Skipped
I finished 20/22 stories averaging 2.975 stars rounded to three.
"When you look at the sea, especially at night, anything at all seems possible."
Top notch writing! A young woman falls in obsession with a beautiful young man in a wheelchair. The mystery unravels to a moment of ‘terror without fear.’ Loved it!
Each to Each by Seanan McGuire ★★★★½
The future is the ocean and as such governments have started modifying women into fantastical creatures to claim the depths. Considered both poster children for the Navy, and freaks, the women leave more of their humanity behind with every modification. But instead of soldiers they may become a revolution!
Salt Wine by Peter S. Beagle ★★★★☆
After saving the life of a merrow Henry Lee receives the merman’s most precious possession - a recipe for salt wine. It makes him a fortune but not everyone can handle the wine.
The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean by Caitlín R. Kiernan ★★★★☆
Kiernan can make even ordinary moments magical. I could have listened to this old New York muse talk for hours…
Somewhere Beneath Those Waves Was Her Home by Sarah Monette ★★★★☆
A women helps a selkie find her skin. I’m glad they were also able to “free” the wooden maidens, but I was not clear what nefarious thing Ezekiel was doing there.
Forever, Miss Tapekwa County by Lisa L. Hannett ★★★★☆
A magical beauty pageant where the winner succeeds in turning herself into a mermaid. Some die trying and the winner stops caring.
The Corridors of the Sea by Jane Yolen ★★★½☆
Through biomedical engineering scientists in Hydro Cities attempt to breathe underwater and return us to the sea. But some never left and they don’t intend to share.
The Nebraskan and the Nereid by Gene Wolfe ★★★½☆
A folklore researcher goes to the Greek isle in search of mermaid myths. A poor local girl falls in love with him, and conspires to give him his mermaid. It was sad.
Flotsam by Amanda Downum ★★★½☆
"Down and down and down, into the cathedral of the abyss, to an altar-throne where things older than gods hold court."
A dying Irish woman comes home to see if her first love still waits for her.
Swell by Elizabeth Bear ★★★☆☆
An ethereal icy mermaid gives a kindly brave musician a gift. She appreciates it, but wants to earn such things on her own.
The Mermaid Game by Chris Howard ★★★☆☆
“The dead do not forget. The living do.”
In a strange and over-long tale a mermaid helps a widowed author work through his pain and write again.
A Good Husband by Angela Slatter ★★★☆☆
A lady-of-the-lake spirit helps an abused wife the best way she knows.
Rusalka by Anna Taborska ★★★☆☆
A young man far from home, but in ancestral lands, searches for a beautiful girl and finds death instead.
Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drowning by A.C. Wise ★★☆☆☆
Story after story like wave after wave. I drowned in drudgery.
Urchins, While Swimming by Catherynne M. Valente ★★☆☆☆
A sad rusalka story in an impoverished post war world.
Driftglass by Samuel Delany ★★☆☆☆ DNF
While the concept of migrating into the ocean due to climate change was interesting the story was not. Pages and Pages of boredom before I DNF’d.
The Mermaids Singing Each to Each by Cat Rambo ★★☆☆☆
Depressing. After being raped at 13 Lolo chooses to become gender neutral - a free service for rape victims. Unfortunately, she didn’t understand just how expensive the medical bills would be to claiming a gender. As a poor villager she had to accept working the boat she was raped in. And there were mermaids, but it didn’t lift the story.
Miss Carstairs and the Merman by Delia Sherman ★★☆☆☆
A Victorian lady scientist drags a beached merman into her conservatory for study. It could have been fascinating, and sexy, but it was painfully boring.
Sea-Hearts by Margo Lanagan ★☆☆☆☆ DNF
I stopped at drowning newborn baby girls tied to crosses.
The Drowned Mermaid by Christopher Barzak ★☆☆☆☆
A mother driven mad by her lost junkie daughter tortures a mermaid. This sucked.
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat by Genevieve Valentine DNF
The Sea Change by Neil Gaimen Skipped
I finished 20/22 stories averaging 2.975 stars rounded to three.
May 27, 2015
Another excellent Paula Guran anthology! This time thoroughly exploring the breadth of folklore and mythos surrounding water-based entities: rusalka, selkies, mer, nereids, et al. Whereas vampires often personify passion and sex, and zombies claw at the very definition of humanity, these creatures often personify longing, dysmorphia and gender-dysphoria. Creatures with a foot is two worlds rarely fully sync with both and that discomfit makes for great story telling.
There are a few stories of science fiction in which humans have modified themselves to exploit the oceans, and not without consequence. Three give perspectives on the celtic lore of selkies, the seal people that can strip off their seal skin and appear as human. A couple tales highlight the slavic rusalka, water spirits born of the violence when a young woman purposely drowns herself. Many of the stories are haunting. Not surprisingly, many also contain a heavy queer element due to the dysmorphic nature of mer.
I've reviewed each story contained within. My favorites were:
Delaney, Samuel R.--"Driftglass"--5 stars
Lee, Tanith--"Magritte's Secret Agent"--5 stars
Monette, Sarah--"Somewhere Beneath Those Waves Was Her Home"--5 stars
Bear, Elizabeth--"Swell"--4 stars
Gaiman, Neil--"The Sea Change"--4 stars
Kiernan, Caitlin R.--"The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean"--4 stars
Slatter, Angela--"A Good Husband"--4 stars
Taborska, Anna--"Rusalka"--4 stars
Valente, Catherynne M.--"Urchins, While Swimming"--4 stars
Wise, A. C.--"Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drowning"--4 stars
Also included:
Barzak, Christopher--"The Drowned Mermaid"--3 stars
Beagle, Peter S.--"Salt Wine"--3 stars
Downum, Amanda--"Flotsam"--3 stars
Howard, Chris--"The Mermaid Game"--3 stars
Lanagan, Margo--"Sea-Hearts"--3 stars
Rambo, Cat--"The Mermaids Singing Each to Each"--3 stars
Wolfe, Gene--"The Nebraskan and the Nereid"--3 stars
McGuire, Seanan--"Each to Each"--2 stars
Sherman, Delia--"Miss Carstairs and the Merman"--2 stars
Valentine, Genevieve--"Abyssus Abyssum Invocat--2 stars
Yolen, Jane--"The Corridors of the Sea"--2 stars
Hannett, Lisa L.--"Forever, Miss Tapekwa County"--1 star
I received my copy of the anthology directly from Prime Books. This collection is highly recommended. Previously, I've reviewed two other Paula Guran anthologies:
After the End: Recent Apocalypses --4 stars
Extreme Zombies --4 stars
There are a few stories of science fiction in which humans have modified themselves to exploit the oceans, and not without consequence. Three give perspectives on the celtic lore of selkies, the seal people that can strip off their seal skin and appear as human. A couple tales highlight the slavic rusalka, water spirits born of the violence when a young woman purposely drowns herself. Many of the stories are haunting. Not surprisingly, many also contain a heavy queer element due to the dysmorphic nature of mer.
I've reviewed each story contained within. My favorites were:
Delaney, Samuel R.--"Driftglass"--5 stars
Lee, Tanith--"Magritte's Secret Agent"--5 stars
Monette, Sarah--"Somewhere Beneath Those Waves Was Her Home"--5 stars
Bear, Elizabeth--"Swell"--4 stars
Gaiman, Neil--"The Sea Change"--4 stars
Kiernan, Caitlin R.--"The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean"--4 stars
Slatter, Angela--"A Good Husband"--4 stars
Taborska, Anna--"Rusalka"--4 stars
Valente, Catherynne M.--"Urchins, While Swimming"--4 stars
Wise, A. C.--"Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drowning"--4 stars
Also included:
Barzak, Christopher--"The Drowned Mermaid"--3 stars
Beagle, Peter S.--"Salt Wine"--3 stars
Downum, Amanda--"Flotsam"--3 stars
Howard, Chris--"The Mermaid Game"--3 stars
Lanagan, Margo--"Sea-Hearts"--3 stars
Rambo, Cat--"The Mermaids Singing Each to Each"--3 stars
Wolfe, Gene--"The Nebraskan and the Nereid"--3 stars
McGuire, Seanan--"Each to Each"--2 stars
Sherman, Delia--"Miss Carstairs and the Merman"--2 stars
Valentine, Genevieve--"Abyssus Abyssum Invocat--2 stars
Yolen, Jane--"The Corridors of the Sea"--2 stars
Hannett, Lisa L.--"Forever, Miss Tapekwa County"--1 star
I received my copy of the anthology directly from Prime Books. This collection is highly recommended. Previously, I've reviewed two other Paula Guran anthologies:
After the End: Recent Apocalypses --4 stars
Extreme Zombies --4 stars
June 9, 2021
Like any anthology, this is a mixed bag and I liked some stories more than others.
SWELL ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Have you heard of pale blind cavefish? Now imagine a cold weather mermaid like that
DRIFTGLASS - ⭐️ Humans altered themselves to have webbed fingers and breathe underwater to lay lines down. Sometimes they get hurt.
THE SEA CHANGE - ⭐️ A crippled former sailor contemplates suicide by drowning to perhaps see the mermaid again that he once saw.
MISS CARSTAIRS AND THE MERMAN - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A Victorian era (?) lady scientist finds a merman and keeps him in captivity to observe
SEA-HEARTS - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A town where all the mams are captive Selkies. This story was a bit long for what it was, and I wish there had been a more complete wrap up.
THE DROWNED MERMAID - ⭐️A mother who lost her daughter to meth addiction finds an injured mermaid and makes the mermaid her new focus.
ABYSSUS ABYSSUM INVOCAT - ⭐️ A disturbing tale of a teacher choosing a student to seduce to the sea
EACH TO EACH - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Navy has recruited women for special duty, where they are turned into mermaids. This change, though, may alter their loyalty
SOMEWHERE BENEATH THOSE WAVES WAS HER HOME- ⭐️ A selkie and a human woman in an unhappy relationship find the selkies skin and free her, along with freeing some mastheads they feel have souls
SALT WINE ⭐️⭐️⭐️- A salty old sailor tells of how a merman taught another sailor to make salt wine. On an unlucky few the salt wine could have disastrous effects. This story is a bit long for what it was.
THE MERMAID OF THE CONCRETE OCEAN - ⭐️ An elderly woman in a wheelchair meets with a journalist to discuss a mermaid painting she once modeled for.
FLOTSAM - ⭐️ An artist who is dying of cancer and only has a few weeks left to live is attracted to her intern and to her cousin who became a mermaid. The artist can be cured and live forever with her mermaid cousin but instead decides to stay on land with the intern she barely knows.
THE MERMAIDS SINGING EACH TO EACH - ⭐️A gender neutral person who was once female has a talking boat that her uncle who molested her left her. This main character has a crush on her friend Nikko who is male and likes boys. They go with another person to salvage some material from the ocean, the main character hopes to use the money from the salvage to surgically make herself a boy in hopes that Nikko will like her back. The third person on the voyage is untrustworthy. The mermaids steal some of the items they salvaged.
RUSALKA - ⭐️⭐️A foreigner visiting Poland is seduced and downed by a lovely water spirit
THE MERMAID GAME- ⭐️ This story felt very contrived. A cop who lost his military wife goes overboard trying to save his wedding ring and finds a cluster of dead people chained to the bottom of the water. A mermaid is playing a game with him, somehow knew his wife, and is entering his life to compel him to write again.
THE NEBRASKAN AND THE NEREID - ⭐️A man travels from the USA to Greece, finds a local researcher who tells him tales of mermaids. He finds a woman in a cave, is it a mermaid? It turns out it was the maid of the inn he was staying at
A GOOD HUSBAND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - My favorite story from the collection, a true mermaid tale. Be careful what you ask for when dealing with supernatural beings, as their solution may not be what you desired
LETTERS TO A BODY ON THE CUSP OF DROWNING ⭐️⭐️-A female sailor under the guise of being a man is granted by a sea witch the ability to switch genders whenever she wants. However, each time she does do she will remember an entire past life and her thoughts will get confusing. I liked a couple of the stories within the story (Mermaids Tale and The selkies tale) but I did not like the actual main story
THE CORRIDORS OF THE SEA - ⭐️⭐️⭐️Another story where humans are changing their bodies through science to live under water. How will they fare, though, when they meet actual mermaids?
FOREVER, MISS TAPEKWA COUNTY - ⭐️A young woman who can hear her mother’s bird tattoo talk to her successfully changes into a mermaid to win a competition (and live forever in captivity?)
URCHINS WHILE SWIMMING - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Another rusalka story, a woman drowns herself when she becomes pregnant and her lover will not assist. She transforms to a water spirit and has a water spirit child. They must both stay wet or die.
MAGRITTE’S SECRET AGENT - ⭐️ A retail worker is mysteriously drawn to a disabled man in a wheelchair pushed around by his mother. She eventually takes him to the ocean where he possibly becomes a hippocampus?
SWELL ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Have you heard of pale blind cavefish? Now imagine a cold weather mermaid like that
DRIFTGLASS - ⭐️ Humans altered themselves to have webbed fingers and breathe underwater to lay lines down. Sometimes they get hurt.
THE SEA CHANGE - ⭐️ A crippled former sailor contemplates suicide by drowning to perhaps see the mermaid again that he once saw.
MISS CARSTAIRS AND THE MERMAN - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A Victorian era (?) lady scientist finds a merman and keeps him in captivity to observe
SEA-HEARTS - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A town where all the mams are captive Selkies. This story was a bit long for what it was, and I wish there had been a more complete wrap up.
THE DROWNED MERMAID - ⭐️A mother who lost her daughter to meth addiction finds an injured mermaid and makes the mermaid her new focus.
ABYSSUS ABYSSUM INVOCAT - ⭐️ A disturbing tale of a teacher choosing a student to seduce to the sea
EACH TO EACH - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Navy has recruited women for special duty, where they are turned into mermaids. This change, though, may alter their loyalty
SOMEWHERE BENEATH THOSE WAVES WAS HER HOME- ⭐️ A selkie and a human woman in an unhappy relationship find the selkies skin and free her, along with freeing some mastheads they feel have souls
SALT WINE ⭐️⭐️⭐️- A salty old sailor tells of how a merman taught another sailor to make salt wine. On an unlucky few the salt wine could have disastrous effects. This story is a bit long for what it was.
THE MERMAID OF THE CONCRETE OCEAN - ⭐️ An elderly woman in a wheelchair meets with a journalist to discuss a mermaid painting she once modeled for.
FLOTSAM - ⭐️ An artist who is dying of cancer and only has a few weeks left to live is attracted to her intern and to her cousin who became a mermaid. The artist can be cured and live forever with her mermaid cousin but instead decides to stay on land with the intern she barely knows.
THE MERMAIDS SINGING EACH TO EACH - ⭐️A gender neutral person who was once female has a talking boat that her uncle who molested her left her. This main character has a crush on her friend Nikko who is male and likes boys. They go with another person to salvage some material from the ocean, the main character hopes to use the money from the salvage to surgically make herself a boy in hopes that Nikko will like her back. The third person on the voyage is untrustworthy. The mermaids steal some of the items they salvaged.
RUSALKA - ⭐️⭐️A foreigner visiting Poland is seduced and downed by a lovely water spirit
THE MERMAID GAME- ⭐️ This story felt very contrived. A cop who lost his military wife goes overboard trying to save his wedding ring and finds a cluster of dead people chained to the bottom of the water. A mermaid is playing a game with him, somehow knew his wife, and is entering his life to compel him to write again.
THE NEBRASKAN AND THE NEREID - ⭐️A man travels from the USA to Greece, finds a local researcher who tells him tales of mermaids. He finds a woman in a cave, is it a mermaid? It turns out it was the maid of the inn he was staying at
A GOOD HUSBAND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - My favorite story from the collection, a true mermaid tale. Be careful what you ask for when dealing with supernatural beings, as their solution may not be what you desired
LETTERS TO A BODY ON THE CUSP OF DROWNING ⭐️⭐️-A female sailor under the guise of being a man is granted by a sea witch the ability to switch genders whenever she wants. However, each time she does do she will remember an entire past life and her thoughts will get confusing. I liked a couple of the stories within the story (Mermaids Tale and The selkies tale) but I did not like the actual main story
THE CORRIDORS OF THE SEA - ⭐️⭐️⭐️Another story where humans are changing their bodies through science to live under water. How will they fare, though, when they meet actual mermaids?
FOREVER, MISS TAPEKWA COUNTY - ⭐️A young woman who can hear her mother’s bird tattoo talk to her successfully changes into a mermaid to win a competition (and live forever in captivity?)
URCHINS WHILE SWIMMING - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Another rusalka story, a woman drowns herself when she becomes pregnant and her lover will not assist. She transforms to a water spirit and has a water spirit child. They must both stay wet or die.
MAGRITTE’S SECRET AGENT - ⭐️ A retail worker is mysteriously drawn to a disabled man in a wheelchair pushed around by his mother. She eventually takes him to the ocean where he possibly becomes a hippocampus?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2016
So normally, I am not into a book of short stories. Why when I love Stephen King stories so much? Because I've come to love the full-length tales more- but with this book- I was not disappointed. There's nothing more terrifying than the things that may or may not lurk beneath the glassy surface of our oceans.
Picture
In Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep, put together by editor, Paula Guran, popular authors like Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlin R. Kieran and so many more put together stories of sirens, nymphs, and various sea people. From shy to seductive; from benevolent to beastly- all holding tight to the tales that make Disney's Little Mermaid look like a walk in the park. No, my friends, these are more like the mer-folk of The Pirates of the Caribbean movie! So before I give a few reviews, I first have to mention this book cover.
I fell in love with this book cover the moment it popped up on my computer screen! I had to have it. Look at her eyes- doesn't she look real!? Mystical? Magical? This is what book covers are all about! I'd have been happy with this book on my shelf even without reading it, but then I'd lose the true treasures that make this so great.
Her skin textures, her plica semilunaris (the pink corners of her eyes)- all of it screams to me. What do you think? Am I just crazy or is this book cover not amazing? You know it is- just say so!
To read the rest of this review, http://tinyurl.com/pgkvwlk
*Book provided by Paula Guran, for an honest review.
Picture
In Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep, put together by editor, Paula Guran, popular authors like Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlin R. Kieran and so many more put together stories of sirens, nymphs, and various sea people. From shy to seductive; from benevolent to beastly- all holding tight to the tales that make Disney's Little Mermaid look like a walk in the park. No, my friends, these are more like the mer-folk of The Pirates of the Caribbean movie! So before I give a few reviews, I first have to mention this book cover.
I fell in love with this book cover the moment it popped up on my computer screen! I had to have it. Look at her eyes- doesn't she look real!? Mystical? Magical? This is what book covers are all about! I'd have been happy with this book on my shelf even without reading it, but then I'd lose the true treasures that make this so great.
Her skin textures, her plica semilunaris (the pink corners of her eyes)- all of it screams to me. What do you think? Am I just crazy or is this book cover not amazing? You know it is- just say so!
To read the rest of this review, http://tinyurl.com/pgkvwlk
*Book provided by Paula Guran, for an honest review.
May 26, 2016
I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.
I would have loved to put a stringer through the mermaids gills and secured them to the bank while I looked for something better.
Not a big fan of short stories to begin with. If they were really good stories the author would convert them to a book. Also not a big fantasy fiction fan. Nevertheless, I thought I would give it a try. I read a story...didn't enjoy. Thought to myself, "That is the good thing about short stories is that the next one will probably be a lot better." Nope. I kept going with this for over 170 pages till I had just had enough. Now those last stories were probably awesome but life is too short and there are too many great books out there to read.
I would have loved to put a stringer through the mermaids gills and secured them to the bank while I looked for something better.
Not a big fan of short stories to begin with. If they were really good stories the author would convert them to a book. Also not a big fantasy fiction fan. Nevertheless, I thought I would give it a try. I read a story...didn't enjoy. Thought to myself, "That is the good thing about short stories is that the next one will probably be a lot better." Nope. I kept going with this for over 170 pages till I had just had enough. Now those last stories were probably awesome but life is too short and there are too many great books out there to read.
March 5, 2016
As a fan of mermaids and other water-dwelling spirits, I found this collection delightful. Stories ranged from horror through fairy tale retellings, and hit interesting beats in between. The shorts were pleasantly diverse in terms of romance and gender, even offering a nice gender-fluid piece, and after a time it became a game to spot the mythical creature before the story explicitly introduced them.
Highlights include the body-modded submarine mermaid brigade, the eerie atmosphere of the selkie island, the aspiring singer and her dark mermaid tryst, and the wealthy Victorian scientist studying the merman her men found on the shore.
Highlights include the body-modded submarine mermaid brigade, the eerie atmosphere of the selkie island, the aspiring singer and her dark mermaid tryst, and the wealthy Victorian scientist studying the merman her men found on the shore.
July 12, 2016
Paula Guran's name on a cover always catches my attention as I was a subscriber to her horror newsletter many, many years ago. The collection she edits here is eclectic and wide-ranging giving us visions of Mermaids both traditional and futuristic, although it does lean more to the darker side than some readers might be comfortable with. Still the stories invoke thought and can lead to an examination of both our relationship with nature, the unknown, and ourselves.
January 3, 2016
A number of the stories in this collection are stellar. The only real problem is that it turns out there aren't actually that many mermaid stories to be told--while almost all of these would come off as thoughtful and creative in a less homogeneous context, when read back-to-back, the archetypes get a little threadbare.
February 11, 2016
Overall an excellent anthology. A few clunkers but those were more than balanced by generally good stories and a few that had some really interesting twists on mermaids and ties to aquatic creatures. Some of the images were deeply disturbing and creepy.
May 17, 2025
I’ve read several stories available in the sample of the book. I think I expected them to be much darker and have a lot more of the fantastical elements. So far, even though the stories are well written, I felt underwhelmed by them. Probably will not try to finish this book.
Only read:
- the introduction;
- the following stories:
1. “Swell” by Elizabeth Bear - good. A bit too long for what it has to say, but interesting. The description of the mermaid was one I had not encountered before. Not clear on what exactly she took from Missy in exchange for her gift of an enchanting voice though.
2. “Driftglass” by Samuel Delany - good. The prose was beautiful and the futuristic world of amphi-people (humans surgically modified to be able to breathe and see underwater as well as to withstand enormous pressures of the deep) was interesting. I kept losing interest in the story though, because it seemed to center on a group of teenagers - 16-19 years old, who are supposed to be brave and skilled and what not. They just seemed like cocky and self-assured idiots to me. And in a future society where scientific advances have enabled people to live on other planets and build cities underwater no one has tried to figure out why an attempt to lay cable over a critical
section on the bottom of the ocean failed a dozen years ago? Whether something they did triggered the underwater volcanic eruption? And they’re just going to try doing it again - exactly the same way? Sounds stupid to me. I was also creeped out by the narrator (a 31 year old guy) being overly-fascinated by a 16-year old girl and his mental comment about liking being followed by beautiful young girls. The only “person” I truly felt sorry for was that giant fish they all hunted, trapped, killed, speared, cooked, and carved - all within a span of an evening.
3. “The Sea Change” by Neil Gaiman (partially read) - not bad. It’s a poem about a sailor almost drowning and encountering a sea goblin. His whole body is wrecked and twisted now and he’s forever obsessed by the image of the creature, whose fall he keeps hearing.
Only read:
- the introduction;
- the following stories:
1. “Swell” by Elizabeth Bear - good. A bit too long for what it has to say, but interesting. The description of the mermaid was one I had not encountered before. Not clear on what exactly she took from Missy in exchange for her gift of an enchanting voice though.
2. “Driftglass” by Samuel Delany - good. The prose was beautiful and the futuristic world of amphi-people (humans surgically modified to be able to breathe and see underwater as well as to withstand enormous pressures of the deep) was interesting. I kept losing interest in the story though, because it seemed to center on a group of teenagers - 16-19 years old, who are supposed to be brave and skilled and what not. They just seemed like cocky and self-assured idiots to me. And in a future society where scientific advances have enabled people to live on other planets and build cities underwater no one has tried to figure out why an attempt to lay cable over a critical
section on the bottom of the ocean failed a dozen years ago? Whether something they did triggered the underwater volcanic eruption? And they’re just going to try doing it again - exactly the same way? Sounds stupid to me. I was also creeped out by the narrator (a 31 year old guy) being overly-fascinated by a 16-year old girl and his mental comment about liking being followed by beautiful young girls. The only “person” I truly felt sorry for was that giant fish they all hunted, trapped, killed, speared, cooked, and carved - all within a span of an evening.
3. “The Sea Change” by Neil Gaiman (partially read) - not bad. It’s a poem about a sailor almost drowning and encountering a sea goblin. His whole body is wrecked and twisted now and he’s forever obsessed by the image of the creature, whose fall he keeps hearing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
Well this took a while but I finally got it done.
I had Several Favourites in the short stories. Such as: Abyssus Abyssum Invocat, Swell, Flotsam, Rusalka, and A Good Husband.
My all time favs were: Somewhere beneath those waves was her home AND Urchins, While Swimming.
Though, unfortunately, I disliked more than I Liked. I know that doesn't seem like it, but some of them were so bad I put the book down and just... didn't read it for a while. Which says a lot cause it was on my phone.
But I will say that what I did like, made up for all the ones that flopped. Especially the ones i listed. Those were some powerful ones.
It did have a good mix, it wasn't all mermaids, there was other folklore in there as well, which was super cool! If you like all things mermaid i would totally recommend reading this one.
I had Several Favourites in the short stories. Such as: Abyssus Abyssum Invocat, Swell, Flotsam, Rusalka, and A Good Husband.
My all time favs were: Somewhere beneath those waves was her home AND Urchins, While Swimming.
Though, unfortunately, I disliked more than I Liked. I know that doesn't seem like it, but some of them were so bad I put the book down and just... didn't read it for a while. Which says a lot cause it was on my phone.
But I will say that what I did like, made up for all the ones that flopped. Especially the ones i listed. Those were some powerful ones.
It did have a good mix, it wasn't all mermaids, there was other folklore in there as well, which was super cool! If you like all things mermaid i would totally recommend reading this one.
August 11, 2022
I had a hiatus of nearly two years in the middle of this book, during which I read very little of anything. When I finally did resolve to finish it, I found it a bit of a trudge to the end. I find that strange, because I think most of these stories are good. A couple of them are very good. But to me, the anthology suffers a bit from the components being too much the same. While they are about slightly different creatures and mythologies (mermaids, selkies, rusalka, sirens, etc.), set in different places and times, and employ styles ranging from modern and realistic, to antiquated and fantastical, to outright poetry, the emotional tone of every story is almost identical. Melancholy, loss and regret dominate this book. And while it can be very effective for an individual story, when you string a dozen or more together, it becomes wearying. I suspect if I had used these stories as palate cleansers between other books, I would have enjoyed each of them much more than I did trying to power through the lot all at once (or twice, as it turned out).
April 12, 2020
Много от разказите не ми харесаха, но имаше три, които силно ме впечатлиха и препоръчвам.
Rusalka, написан от Anna Taborska беше чудесна история, за момче, попаднало в Полско село, където се сблъсква с местен мит, в който само бабите вярват.
A good husband, от Angela Slatter. Чудесно написан.
Любим, за мен, разказ стана Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drоwning, от A.C.Wise. Красиво написан разказ, страхотни изречения, приятна история и атмосфера, за която завиждам, колко умело е създадена.
На тези три бих дала 5 звезди.
Rusalka, написан от Anna Taborska беше чудесна история, за момче, попаднало в Полско село, където се сблъсква с местен мит, в който само бабите вярват.
A good husband, от Angela Slatter. Чудесно написан.
Любим, за мен, разказ стана Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drоwning, от A.C.Wise. Красиво написан разказ, страхотни изречения, приятна история и атмосфера, за която завиждам, колко умело е създадена.
На тези три бих дала 5 звезди.
August 27, 2023
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/mermaids-and-other-mysteries-of-the-deep-ed-paula-guran/
Lots of good stories in this collection, with a number of different takes on the mythology of mermaids and the closely related selkies. I think my favourite story was the rather gruesome “Mermaid of the Concrete Jungle”, by Caitlin R. Kiernan, closely followed by “Somewhere Beneath Those Waves Was Her Home”, by Sarah Monette, but none of these were clunkers and I recommend the whole collection.
Lots of good stories in this collection, with a number of different takes on the mythology of mermaids and the closely related selkies. I think my favourite story was the rather gruesome “Mermaid of the Concrete Jungle”, by Caitlin R. Kiernan, closely followed by “Somewhere Beneath Those Waves Was Her Home”, by Sarah Monette, but none of these were clunkers and I recommend the whole collection.
May 30, 2017
Read this exclusively while in the bathtub and I can't imagine any other way to do it. Like any anthology, it's a big mixed bag of 'pretty good' and 'I can't wait until this story is done.' It's at least unique compared to 'other' mermaid fiction you find, takes advantage of the mythology it has and will, at times, subvert the tropes. It's at the least fun and worth a read if someone is so inclined for mermaid stories. I'll admit, I was sad when it was done.
October 20, 2018
Picked up in two separate bundles over the year, and you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck. Uneven, as most anthologies are, but several highlights - including a story by Jane Yolen that I read in high school and, despite being haunted by it, forgot the title over the years, so that was a pleasant surprise. Whole heap of female authors too, which is a plus.
March 16, 2020
There's a good, wild selection of stories regarding all sorts of mermaids, by very different authors. Some are lovely, some are bittersweet, all have a degree of horror that makes them very compelling.
July 10, 2022
I will admit I was pulled in by the title and cover of this book. I wanted to like it and kept trying another story, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it never quite came together for me. The story plots were very confusing and left way too many holes for my liking.
August 11, 2023
3.5 stars
Short story compilations are typically a mixed bag and this one was no exception. A few of the stories are definitely stand outs but overall I was a bit disappointed when a story would end just as I was getting drawn into their world. I think Flotsam was my favorite overall.
Short story compilations are typically a mixed bag and this one was no exception. A few of the stories are definitely stand outs but overall I was a bit disappointed when a story would end just as I was getting drawn into their world. I think Flotsam was my favorite overall.
August 16, 2017
This collection keeps you on your toes the whole time. Never knowing what the end will be
December 3, 2017
Interesting collection of short stories, some more captivating than others, like Neil Gaiman for example. Not a bad way to pass the time and might look into Paula Guran’s short story catalogue.
June 11, 2018
I love it!
Read
December 14, 2021Dropped.
August 24, 2024
I'm not a slice of life fan. Also a lot of the stories seem to take too long to go anywhere, if they do at all.
March 19, 2019
These are stories about some seriously creepy mermaids. I was impressed with consistently high quality of writing in this anthology. Many of the stories had a dark fairy tale vibe, which I enjoyed very much. Sometimes the mermaids were the dangerous characters in the story ; sometimes the humans were even scarier.
July 15, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of stories about mermaids and other deep-sea creatures. Almost all were very good, although several were outstanding. "Mermaid of the Concrete Jungle" by Caitlan R. Keirnan, was particularly haunting, and one of the few stories that defied my expectation of where it was going to end up. "Miss Carstairs and the Merman" by Delia Sherman, was also very memorable. "Sea-Hearts" by Margo Lanagan, which was actually about selkies, also comes to mind. The stories ranged from fantasy to science fiction. The only one I actively disliked was "The Mermaid Game" by Chris Howard. The story had a promising start and was set locally, off the coast of New Hampshire, but the male protagonist was comprised primarily of cliché and felt like it belonged in a completely different anthology. (Note: This story lost me when the authors felt compelled to include the make and model of not only the the gun his main character carries, but also what the police are carrying. Do they ever use those guns? No they do not. do they figure into the action of the story? No. This information is unnecessary unless you and or your readers are a gun fetishists, and in a mermaid anthology seemed particularly out of place). In general, the female authors had a much better feel for the material than their male counterparts.
One notable exception was "The Salt Wife" by Peter S. Beagle. That one was a real corker, and told completely in authentic-sounding sailor dialect. A cautionary tale like something you might hear from an old salt down at the waterfront pub some foggy night. The book also thankfully avoids the "I-was a-mermaid-princess-and-didn't-know it" type of story which seems to be super-prevalent at the Y/A level and which have their place, but are definitely not my cup of tea. Overall worth checking out.
One notable exception was "The Salt Wife" by Peter S. Beagle. That one was a real corker, and told completely in authentic-sounding sailor dialect. A cautionary tale like something you might hear from an old salt down at the waterfront pub some foggy night. The book also thankfully avoids the "I-was a-mermaid-princess-and-didn't-know it" type of story which seems to be super-prevalent at the Y/A level and which have their place, but are definitely not my cup of tea. Overall worth checking out.
July 30, 2015
I struggled with this book. Each of the short stories is truly a well-written masterpiece. I enjoyed each of them for their individuality. I'm also a marine biologist and I find that the mystery of mermaids is something I want to believe in. HOWEVER, it took me forever to get through this book despite the great stories. Simply put, it was too dark. I understand that selkies, mermaids, etc. all have some mysterious, dark origins, but they are also tied to many light-hearted romances and children's stories too.
I wish the book had included a mixture of light and dark short stories to break up the monotony. I usually just breeze through books, especially as well written as this was, but I had to keep putting it down for days at a time and switching to novels that were lighter. So read with the expectation of darkness and you will not be disappointed. Make sure you have a spot of sunshine for in between stories or you'll never make it through.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads, but I was not required to review it.
I wish the book had included a mixture of light and dark short stories to break up the monotony. I usually just breeze through books, especially as well written as this was, but I had to keep putting it down for days at a time and switching to novels that were lighter. So read with the expectation of darkness and you will not be disappointed. Make sure you have a spot of sunshine for in between stories or you'll never make it through.
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads, but I was not required to review it.
July 28, 2016
All of the stories in this book were well written. The ratings below are mainly based on plot and how interesting I thought they were. As a whole, I liked how the stories came together to create an eerie and mystical mood. But, obviously, some were better than others.
"Swell" ⭐️⭐️
"Driftglass" ⭐️⭐️
"The Sea Change" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Miss Carstairs and the Mermaid" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Sea-Hearts" ⭐️⭐️
"The Drowned Mermaid" ⭐️⭐️
"Abyssus Abyssum Invocat" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Each to Each" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Somewhere Beneath the Waves Was Her Home" ⭐️⭐️
"Salt Wine" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Flotsam" ⭐️⭐️
"The Mermaids Singing Each to Each" ⭐️
"Rusalka" ⭐️⭐️
"The Mermaid Game" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The Nebraskan and the Nereid" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"A Good Husband" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drowning" ⭐️⭐️
"The Corridors of the Sea" ⭐️⭐️
"Forever, Ms. Tapekwa County" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Urchins, While Swimming" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Magritte's Secret Agent" ⭐️⭐️
"Swell" ⭐️⭐️
"Driftglass" ⭐️⭐️
"The Sea Change" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Miss Carstairs and the Mermaid" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Sea-Hearts" ⭐️⭐️
"The Drowned Mermaid" ⭐️⭐️
"Abyssus Abyssum Invocat" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Each to Each" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Somewhere Beneath the Waves Was Her Home" ⭐️⭐️
"Salt Wine" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The Mermaid of the Concrete Ocean" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Flotsam" ⭐️⭐️
"The Mermaids Singing Each to Each" ⭐️
"Rusalka" ⭐️⭐️
"The Mermaid Game" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The Nebraskan and the Nereid" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"A Good Husband" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Letters to a Body on the Cusp of Drowning" ⭐️⭐️
"The Corridors of the Sea" ⭐️⭐️
"Forever, Ms. Tapekwa County" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Urchins, While Swimming" ⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Magritte's Secret Agent" ⭐️⭐️
August 15, 2015
I'm not really a fan of short stories. I generally enjoy a longer, more in depth story. Which is why I usually stick to novels. However this collection is about mermaids, and that fascinates me; and it has stories by a lot of well known (and many of my favorite) authors.
My favorites were: "Swell", "Miss Carstairs and the Merman"; "Each to Each"; "Salt Wine"; and "Forever, Miss Tapekwa County". However, there weren't any of the stories that I disliked. The writing is all very well done, and all of the stories are unique. I recommend Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep for fans of mermaids, fantasy, science fiction and other speculative fiction; even if you normally shy away from short stories, like me.
Visit my blog for more in depth reviews, recommendations and more:
http://www.bookgirlsbooknookblog.blog...
My favorites were: "Swell", "Miss Carstairs and the Merman"; "Each to Each"; "Salt Wine"; and "Forever, Miss Tapekwa County". However, there weren't any of the stories that I disliked. The writing is all very well done, and all of the stories are unique. I recommend Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep for fans of mermaids, fantasy, science fiction and other speculative fiction; even if you normally shy away from short stories, like me.
Visit my blog for more in depth reviews, recommendations and more:
http://www.bookgirlsbooknookblog.blog...
November 25, 2016
Like most anthologies, this one is a mixed bag with different stories likely to appeal to different readers. It delivers on the premise, though, with underrepresented things like the rusalka and selkie filling in the edges around a plentiful collection of mermaid stories, and I've come away with a few new ideas.
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