8-28-25 — Guest Review with Donna Latham

THE BOATS OF THE GLEN CARRIG

By: William Hope Hodgson

I became interested in reading Hodgson after learning he had influence on Lovecraft.

Combining fantasy, science fiction and horror the story will take you away to 1757. The language was a bit difficult, but not unbearable and I expected as much knowing this was written in 1907. I gave myself grace when I got frustrated and I took my time reading.

Told as sort of a travelogue of one of the passengers of the Glen Carrig it was fascinating the myriad of obstacles the survivors faced. An island of trees with human faces and plants that are seemingly mobile. A fierce storm. Giant crabs and "devil fish". Giant seaweed continents that act as the sea's graveyard trapping ships and leaving their crew and passengers to the mercy of those giant crabs and devil fish. And finally, an island of toadstools surrounded by seaweed and terrorized by the weed men.

One of my favorite parts of this book is during the storm. With only canvas nailed to the lifeboat to protect them, the author did such a great job bringing me right into the storm. From the description of the eerie calmness and silence when they reach the eye of the storm, to the way the storyteller described the weightlessness as the boat was tossed around it was easy to visualize being in that situation.

My favorite character was the bo'sun who took charge. He not only directed the men on what to do, but he made sure all were fed, had water, was fair in the distribution of tobacco and rum. I don't know if that was typical for someone in his position back in the 1700s, but that character was the backbone of the story.

An amazing story that's opened my eyes to the weird fiction of the past.

Find it here: https://a.co/d/4rJAZPe