 Cover of first edition (hardcover) | |
| Author | John Wyndham |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Michael Joseph |
Publication date | July 1953 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 288 |
| Followed by | The Chrysalids |
The Kraken Wakes is an apocalyptic science fiction novel by British writer John Wyndham, originally published by Michael Joseph in the United Kingdom in 1953, and first published in the United States in the same year by Ballantine Books under the title Out of the Deeps as a mass market paperback. The novel is also known as The Things from the Deep.
The novel is structured as a book within a book. After a short scene-setting introduction, the novel is the book written by the protagonist, radio reporter Mike Watson, chronicling the events that took place when creatures from the depths of the ocean attacked humanity. Mike and his wife Phyllis work for the (fictional) English Broadcasting Company (EBC) so are privy to decisions by government and scientific authorities, who alternatively try to counter the aliens' moves or stifle news to prevent panic. The aliens are never seen, and their origin and level of intelligence, if any, are never discerned. They are only known by their acts of violence against humanity, and their weapons of choice are not of the sort envisioned by humanity.
The title is a reference to Alfred Tennyson's sonnet The Kraken.