Tide

by Zach Hughes

An experiment in radiation treatment of fish produces mutations in the microscopic dino-flagellates the fish feed on. The result in the fish is horrifyingly abnormal aggressiveness - toward other fish and even against man. Science Fiction Thriller.

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror

156 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Zach Hughes is a pseudonym of American writer Hugh Zachary.

Reviews

[Kristoph Kosicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

well, this certainly was a book in the sense that it had pages with words on them. At its core I think there is a plot involving mad cow disease but for fish spreading across the ocean and beyond with a plan to use nukes to stop it. But nothing actually happens?

There are characters who have various romantic flings in the midst of this. One of them is named Tusk.

on the positive side there is a few paragraphs that raise interesting concerns about food shortages and in its stronger sections it gives off similar vibes to stories like Make room! Make Room! (Soylent Green). but very poorly executed.

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge fish factory in the middle of the ocean, high-tech experts from all the sciences, working on increasing fish numbers, food for global use. The facility is called Tide. Slowly fishes behaviors have started changing, aggressive, barging into each other, ferocious biting, chewing. Trying to improve nature, never been done. A fisherman falls overboard, a fish latches onto his lip, ripping, biting, tearing, the flesh coming off easily, the water now a deep dark red. People who consume the fish are aggressive, uncontrollable, people beating each other to pulp. Baseball bats, knives, kidney cut, skulls cracked. Elderly gentleman smashed over the head repeatedly with a chair. Mutant fish cause chaos and destruction. Birds attacking. Ecosystem on the verge of death. Well, maybe a nuclear weapon in the ocean might help? Well written for a pulpy animal attack book.

[Scott Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A government experiment to speed up the development of fish to help stabilise the food shortages goes awry when a plankton like organism mutates and send anything that consumes it into a murderous self destructive rage.

A good eco thriller giving a glimpse into what could happen when man meddles in nature

[Adam Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid little ecological horror.