A Tropical Horror
Encyclopedia
"A Tropical Horror" is a short story by William Hope Hodgson
, first published in 1905.
-like sea monster
. The story is told from the point of view of the sole survivor, a young apprentice. The creature is aboard the ship for several days and gradually kills and/or eats the remainder of the crew. A second apprentice eventually succeeds in killing the creature, but he is killed in the process.
The end of the story is presented using a literary device in the form of a report from another ship, who has rescued the sole survivor. They validate his story, finding the ship damaged and the crew missing or dead.
This story was adapted into a comic by Gary Gianni
in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters by Dark Horse Comics
.
William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror, fantastic fiction and science fiction. Early in his writing career he dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his...
, first published in 1905.
Plot summary
In this story, a ship at sea is attacked by a giant, eelEel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
-like sea monster
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
. The story is told from the point of view of the sole survivor, a young apprentice. The creature is aboard the ship for several days and gradually kills and/or eats the remainder of the crew. A second apprentice eventually succeeds in killing the creature, but he is killed in the process.
The end of the story is presented using a literary device in the form of a report from another ship, who has rescued the sole survivor. They validate his story, finding the ship damaged and the crew missing or dead.
This story was adapted into a comic by Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni is an American comics artist best known for the syndicated newspaper comic Prince Valiant.-Biography:Gianni graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1976...
in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
.