Megalodon: a Deep Sea Thriller, Part I

[Russ]

This is the forum for discussion of Shark Week 2024 and the first half of The Megalodon: A Deep Sea Thriller. Spoilers within the first half are welcome here. (Just no spoilers from the second half please).

If you're the first to comment, please summarize the initial chapters.

[Cathy]

Just read the prologue.

Sonny is captain of a boat somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Drowning his sorrows over loosing his wife (?) in Wild Turkey. One of his crew goes overboard and despite the efforts of Sonny and his crew is killed by sharks. Chapter 1 picks up 6 months later.

The writing is not great, but ok.

Just realized that this is only a little over 100 pages long. Maybe we should read that runner-up as well or that zombie shark book… 😏

[Cathy]

Chapters 1-3, we are off to Norway with a passenger, looking for something that is not a Megalodon. First blood!

[Cathy]

Chapter 4, (view spoiler)[Freedom Fighters in Estonia? Why would Estonia need freedom fighters? (hide spoiler)] 🤔

[Cathy]

Chapter 5, (view spoiler)[Dino-Rhino? Ice shelf breaking off, they are trapped. Not sure why they are trapped. The description did not really bring it home to me. (hide spoiler)] 🤷

[Cathy]

Chapter 6, (view spoiler)[ finally the Megalodon at the end of this chapter. IMO, the author does not know how to build up suspense. There is no build-up. That was the blandest Megalodon attack ever.
Ok, the writing is not great anyway, he could do with an editor. (hide spoiler)]

Moving on to the other thread for the second part, maybe tomorrow.

[Fishface]

Just downloaded

[Russ]

Cathy wrote: "...The writing is not great, but ok...."

Agreed! It could be much worse, I'd say.

When lightning struck the ship, I was surprised that the microphone & PA system still worked. Wouldn't the electronics get fried? But what am I even saying--this is a book with exploding icebergs and a megalodon so I shouldn't be expecting realism...

At least it's moving along and I think Sonny is a sympathetic, morose hero.

[Russ]

Cathy wrote: "Chapter 4, [spoilers removed] 🤔"

I'm thinking it's an alternate reality where Russia has invaded Estonia? Or a pro-Russian puppet government has been installed and the true Estonian patriots are in rebellion?

[Russ]

Cathy wrote: "Chapter 5, [spoilers removed] 🤷"

Well, he's got to do the The Lost World trope wherein, once the prehistoric ecosystem has been discovered, the path to escape has been cut off, and it becomes a death trap.

I interpreted it as the ship basically entering a horseshoe of ice accumulation, only to have the ice grow into a full ring around them before they could backtrack.

[Russ]

Fishface wrote: "Just downloaded"

Awesome! Looking forward to your thoughts.

[Cathy]

Russ wrote: "Cathy wrote: "Chapter 4, [spoilers removed] 🤔"

I'm thinking it's an alternate reality where Russia has invaded Estonia? Or a pro-Russian puppet government has been installed and the true Estonian ..."

It‘s possible, but then the author should explain that somehow.

[Cathy]

Russ wrote: "Cathy wrote: "Chapter 5, [spoilers removed] 🤷"

interpreted it as the ship basically entering a horseshoe of ice accumulation, only to have the ice grow into a full ring around them before they could backtrack...."

Close enough! 😏

[Fishface]

Cathy wrote: "Russ wrote: "Cathy wrote: "Chapter 4, [spoilers removed] 🤔"

I'm thinking it's an alternate reality where Russia has invaded Estonia? Or a pro-Russian puppet government has been installed and the t..."

One sentence of explanation would have been enough to tell us why Estonia was doing good work, and for whom.

I think the author tried to hit all the familiar touchstones, but it would have been nice if they could have gotten the long lost love closer to her goal, instead of just abandoning it as soon as it was in reach. Wherefore art thou Dunkleosteous?

[Fishface]

Russ wrote: "Cathy wrote: "Chapter 4, [spoilers removed] 🤔"

I'm thinking it's an alternate reality where Russia has invaded Estonia? Or a pro-Russian puppet government has been installed and the true Estonian ..."


It would need to be an alternate reality considering what they stumble across in this story. Humans and every kind of extinct critter showing up in the teeth of how evolution works? (You should pardon the metaphor...)