The Kraken Wakes
by John Wyndham · first published 1953
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It started with fireballs raining down from the sky and crashing into the oceans' deeps. Then ships began sinking mysteriously and later 'sea tanks' emerged from the deeps to claim people . . .For journalists Mike and Phyllis Watson, what at first appears to be a curiosity becomes a global calamity. Helpless, they watch as humanity struggles to survive now that water – one of the compounds upon which life depends – is turned against them. Finally, sea levels begin their inexorable rise . . .The Kraken Wakes is a brilliant novel of how humankind responds to the threat of its own extinction and,
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By the way, John Wyndham (author of The Day of the Triffids. Mentioned in the article) also wrote a novel titled, "The Kraken Wakes". Which is a hilarious, messed up and excellent piece of scifi full of early 20th century flavorful goodness.
on “Falsehoods programmers believe about names – with examples (2018)” ↗This is a theme in several John Wyndham stories -- I’m thinking Day of the Triffids and especially The Kraken Wakes. He often seems to get looked down on today for writing “cosy catastrophes” about plucky English survivors, but his books have a lot more going on than that.
on “Before Skynet and the Matrix, This 50-Year-Old Movie Predicted the Rise of AI” ↗Dagnammit - I thought it was going to be a video version, but it's just audio. As a John Wyndham fan, I reckon it's about time there was a film version of The Kraken Wakes.
on “Trouble with Lichen by John Wyndham (1962) [video]” ↗Bits of John Wyndham's "The Kraken Wakes" (published 1953) also present rising sea levels, albeit caused by aliens intentionally melting the ice caps rather than humans accidentally doing it. In the book, most people don't care until it's too…
on “The Drowned World” ↗