Deep Current [Paperback]

Benjamin E. Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

A Marine unit, accompanied by a science team, is deployed to investigate an iceberg larger than Manhattan that poses a threat of incalcuable scope as it flows against the current, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. And it's heading-aiming-for Hawaii.

Their mission: to land on the floe itself, and do whatever it takes to disable the threat. But the mission turns out to be much more than expected when the threat becomes not the floe itself, but a prehistoric, predatory, species that puts every living creature in danger.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miller's second novel (after Zero Hour) starts with a fascinating premise—in Antarctic waters, a giant iceberg has been detected, moving against the stream and heading straight for Hawaii. Marines and biologists are dispatched to land on the leviathan, where they discover a young boy and his infant sister, the only survivors of a shipwreck. The boy talks nervously of the ghosts on the floe, and soon after, members of the landing party begin to meet with gruesome ends provided by mollusk-like creatures called cephids, byproducts of evolution taking a nasty turn. At this point, the story switches from military procedural to horror story, with members of the landing crew dispatched one by one and the survivors pulling together for a final showdown with the enemy; think Night of the Living Dead on an iceberg. Miller is not afraid to pile on the gore ("His viscera spilled onto the floor in a steaming heap"), which gets tiresome before long. The characters are thin and there are unresolved issues at story's end, but the story works on a gut level, thanks to a chilling monster and brisk pacing, even if it doesn't live up to the potential of its imaginative and promising setup.
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Review

"A terrific blend of speculative science and adrenaline-charged action." -- Jack Du Brul, Bestselling author of Deep Fire Rising

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451411293
• ISBN-13: 978-0451411297
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Horrible Horror., April 13, 2004

By 

Michael P Gallitelli (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deep Current (Paperback)

It sounded interesting, and the idea was novel, but I felt the title and cover misrepresented the book. The story worked on a basic level and the scientific details very informative, but the author went overboard in his vividly gruesome descriptions of death and dismemberment. I quickly grew tired of the macarble detail and found I could skip paragraphs at at time and stil keep track of the plotline. However, my real problem with this book were the one dimensional characters and the unrealistic interactions b/t the Marine characters. I really hate when authors write about the military withoutconsulting someone who served. The interactions b/t the Gunnery Sgt and his subordinates did not realistically reflect the Corps, and the Captain calling the Gunny, "sergeant", would not happen in the Marine Corps. To make matter worse, the author seems to confuse Marines w/ (Army) Soldiers, which is tantamount to heresy. All and all the strong premise of the book melted half way through.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It had promise..., January 28, 2008

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Deep Current (Paperback)

I figured the book was going to be a mixture of Tom Clancy, Stephen King and Lovecraft. Well, yes and no. First off, the first chapter kind of gives away the fact that all is not normal. In fact, each fact, every layer of new information, screams that something is not right. Yet, while the characters seemed worried, none of them really seemed to show the serious fear and wonder I think real people would feel even BEFORE landing on the iceberg. The reader, in fact, is given more information than the characters so that we never really feel anything unworldly about the creatures the people meet. They, in fact, seem logical and their actions totally reasonable and natural. In other words, there is little mystery for the reader to latch on to and enjoy.
Maybe get it used and read it once. Something to waste the time while waiting for your other books to be delivered.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book, September 7, 2006

By 

David Sekutowski - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deep Current (Paperback)

This book happens to be my personal favorite. It keeps you riveted and absolutely full of fear. This book is terrifying and grotesque, just the way I like it