The Book of Sea Monsters: Leviathans of Literature

A fascinating and beautifully illustrated journey across the world and through the centuries in search of the sea monster.

This absorbing exploration of the sea monster in all its tentacular forms is a deep dive into the world of sirens, mermaids, Scylla and the kraken from the 3rd century BCE to the modern day. Told through writings from ancient myths to early scientific natural histories and iconic literature, the tales are intertwined with wonderful contemporary engravings, diagrams and paintings. Through these accounts we get a unique perspective on the histories of societies and cultures around the world, taking in significant events like the Age of Sail, the Enlightenment and Darwinian evolution.

With their excess size, claws, tentacles and bloodlust, monsters represent our greatest fears: of the unknown, the dark, the natural world, and even of ourselves. As stories were passed from generation to generation, they were analogues for dangerous weather events, foreign invaders, enemy nations, physical phenomena and real animals.

Author Prema Arasu brings together excerpts from Homer’s The Odyssey, Filipino, Polynesian and Aboriginal Australian myths, Beowulf, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Moby Dick and many other writings by authors such as Tennyson, Browning, Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, HG Wells… Each is brought to life with a lively introduction and beautifully gory woodcuts and illustrations, making this a gorgeous book that’s sure to draw you in and drag you down…

About the Author

Dr Prema Arasu is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. Prema’s research considers the representation of the deep sea in the popular imagination and the significance of sea monsters across different cultures and mythologies. @prema_arasu