Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror

If you drew up a checklist of the necessary components of a B-movie creature-feature, then Meg would tick pretty much every box.

Imperfect hero haunted by his past? Check ☑
Beautiful heroine who loathes the hero with every fibre of her being right up to the point where she realises that she's never loved anyone more in her life? Check ☑
Outrageous monster that no-one except the hero believes exists until it starts eating everyone? Check ☑
Comedy deaths of unlikeable characters introduced two minutes earlier? Check ☑
The hero surviving a suicide mission to slay the beast? Check ☑

Heck, while reading the book I couldn't help but be reminded of that magnum opus of creature features: Shark Attack 3: Megalodon. Don't misunderstand me, show more I'm aware that Meg predates Shark Attack 3 by some five or six years, but the presence of a few set pieces common to both works led me to compare the two and wonder why I delight in watching the latter while reading the former was more of a trawl. And I think I figured out why.

B-movies tend to be fun because they fall into the "so-bad-they're-good" category. Shark Attack 3 transcends such humdrumness, being so sublimely terrible and ridiculous that it becomes a work of art. The actor's ad-libs are left in the finished film, the human antagonists are bad people and worse actors, there's pretty much only one repeatedly used shot of the Megalodon, which is patently a shot of a great white shark crudely blown up in size. And so when someone rides their jet ski into the shark's mouth you can forgive how silly it is and rejoice in the moment.

Meg's greatest failing is, ironically, that it's not quite bad enough. Steve Alten seems to be trying to play the book straight: with pages of dialogue given over to dry scientific discussion of a Megalodon's ampullae of Lorenzini; with relatively minor plot points discussed repeatedly so that the reader knows that some incongruous plot detail was a clever point and not an error; when the protagonist dons a pair of night-vision goggles we have to be told that they work by "improving light amplification by using a coating of gallium arsenide on the photocathode of the intensifier." I get it, Steve, you did your research, and it's impressive, but with all this straight-lacery around, a few pages later when a surfer douchebag surfs straight into the Megalodon's mouth it's somehow not as much fun as the aforementioned jet-ski incident.

There are some problems with the writing as well, with Steve Alten apparently going to the same writing school as [a:Matthew Reilly|83714|Matthew Reilly|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1309746050p2/83714.jpg]. Exclamations points abound. When someone who isn't expecting to be eaten by a sixty foot shark is unexpectedly eaten by a sixty foot shark I get that it's unexpected. I don't need an exclamation mark to tell me to be surprised. There's also a slew of those annoying line breaks mid-dramatic moment, sometimes two or three in a row, which I've never seen the point of. And my last gripe concerns a moment very early on. The first chapter starts strong, with a T-rex in the Jurassic age hunting a herd of Shantungosaurus. Seriously, if the whole book had been as awesome as a freaking T-rex hunting a pack of honest to goodness Shantungosaurus then it would've been a contender for three stars. But wait, there's more! The T-rex follows its quarry into the shallow coastal water only to get stuck in the loose sand. We're in four star territory now, ladies and gents. A hush descends as the hunter becomes the hunted and a shark the size of Texas shows up not for those pansy Shantungosaurus, but for the mother funking T-rex. A shark eating a T-rex is perhaps the greatest shark related thing ever, with the possible exception of a shark genetically spliced with an octopus, but that'd never happen. What could possibly ruin this moment of perfect literature? Only this: after thrusting us so thoroughly into the Jurassic age that I can almost hear the Procompsognathus chirp outside my window, that I half expect a Stegosaurus to walk through my front door, what simile does Steve Alten use to describe a Megalodon charging into a T-rex? It was, and I quote, "like a freight train striking a disabled SUV." Way to preserve the mood, Steve. show less

If you drew up a checklist of the necessary components of a B-movie creature-feature, then Meg would tick pretty much every box.

Imperfect hero haunted by his past? Check ☑
Beautiful heroine who loathes the hero with every fibre of her being right up to the point where she realises that she's never loved anyone more in her life? Check ☑
Outrageous monster that no-one except the hero believes exists until it starts eating everyone? Check ☑
Comedy deaths of unlikeable characters introduced two minutes earlier? Check ☑
The hero surviving a suicide mission to slay the beast? Check ☑

Heck, while reading the book I couldn't help but be reminded of that magnum opus of creature features: Shark Attack 3: Megalodon. Don't misunderstand me, show more I'm aware that Meg predates Shark Attack 3 by some five or six years, but the presence of a few set pieces common to both works led me to compare the two and wonder why I delight in watching the latter while reading the former was more of a trawl. And I think I figured out why.

B-movies tend to be fun because they fall into the "so-bad-they're-good" category. Shark Attack 3 transcends such humdrumness, being so sublimely terrible and ridiculous that it becomes a work of art. The actor's ad-libs are left in the finished film, the human antagonists are bad people and worse actors, there's pretty much only one repeatedly used shot of the Megalodon, which is patently a shot of a great white shark crudely blown up in size. And so when someone rides their jet ski into the shark's mouth you can forgive how silly it is and rejoice in the moment.

Meg's greatest failing is, ironically, that it's not quite bad enough. Steve Alten seems to be trying to play the book straight: with pages of dialogue given over to dry scientific discussion of a Megalodon's ampullae of Lorenzini; with relatively minor plot points discussed repeatedly so that the reader knows that some incongruous plot detail was a clever point and not an error; when the protagonist dons a pair of night-vision goggles we have to be told that they work by "improving light amplification by using a coating of gallium arsenide on the photocathode of the intensifier." I get it, Steve, you did your research, and it's impressive, but with all this straight-lacery around, a few pages later when a surfer douchebag surfs straight into the Megalodon's mouth it's somehow not as much fun as the aforementioned jet-ski incident.

There are some problems with the writing as well, with Steve Alten apparently going to the same writing school as [a:Matthew Reilly|83714|Matthew Reilly|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1309746050p2/83714.jpg]. Exclamations points abound. When someone who isn't expecting to be eaten by a sixty foot shark is unexpectedly eaten by a sixty foot shark I get that it's unexpected. I don't need an exclamation mark to tell me to be surprised. There's also a slew of those annoying line breaks mid-dramatic moment, sometimes two or three in a row, which I've never seen the point of. And my last gripe concerns a moment very early on. The first chapter starts strong, with a T-rex in the Jurassic age hunting a herd of Shantungosaurus. Seriously, if the whole book had been as awesome as a freaking T-rex hunting a pack of honest to goodness Shantungosaurus then it would've been a contender for three stars. But wait, there's more! The T-rex follows its quarry into the shallow coastal water only to get stuck in the loose sand. We're in four star territory now, ladies and gents. A hush descends as the hunter becomes the hunted and a shark the size of Texas shows up not for those pansy Shantungosaurus, but for the mother funking T-rex. A shark eating a T-rex is perhaps the greatest shark related thing ever, with the possible exception of a shark genetically spliced with an octopus, but that'd never happen. What could possibly ruin this moment of perfect literature? Only this: after thrusting us so thoroughly into the Jurassic age that I can almost hear the Procompsognathus chirp outside my window, that I half expect a Stegosaurus to walk through my front door, what simile does Steve Alten use to describe a Megalodon charging into a T-rex? It was, and I quote, "like a freight train striking a disabled SUV." Way to preserve the mood, Steve. show less

Had I read this book BEFORE the movie came out, I would not have been nearly so skeptical about the quality of the storyline to be found there. After all - the likelihood of a quality movie increases significantly with the quality of the source material, and this is a truly legitimately disturbing book. Not only is it believable, but the characterizations lend themselves to only further selling the central storyline. This one does slightly more heavy-lifting than Jaws, since it needs to establish exactly what the central threat even is and why the reader should be scared - but, dang does it do a good job of that. Combined with a suitably ominous atmosphere and setting throughout much of the book - leaving the reader rarely feeling show more secure or confident - the tension is effectively ramped up, prior to snapping in spectacular fashion. show less

Jonas Taylor is an interesting character because he’s struggling. A few years back, his career tanked and he’s been kicking around since then between therapists and his hunt for the Meg. His wife, Maggie, has made her journalism career her priority and has turned rather nasty towards Jonas and his hunt. Meanwhile, the star of this story, Meg herself, inadvertently escapes from the warm water layer of the Marianas trench, up through the cold water section, into the upper warm waters of the Pacific. She’s on the loose and happy to be hunting.

I love stories that are just on the edge of possible when it comes to big dangerous beasties. We know so little about the depths of our oceans and that makes them a good breeding ground for show more stories of monsters. The Meg holds a lot of credibility since this proficient killer ruled the oceans for far longer than humanity has existed. Sharks as a species are hard to kill and Mother Earth has definitely tried…. and not always won. We still have plenty of sharks.

Terri and her father provide equipment and a pre-prepared California bay which might allow them to capture this prehistoric beast. Yeah, right! Right from the start, I knew this wasn’t going to happen as planned. And what’s more, the Meg appears to be pregnant! Yikes! The ocean’s animal social hierarchy will be changed forever! But I still hoped it would work.

After some sightings of the Meg and several deaths, the US Navy decides it’s best to put this beast down for good. Terri is in agreement with them but has to play for her dad’s team, which means teaming up with Jonas. There’s some playful flirtation between the two that comes off as rather forced and fake. I had high hopes that Terri would get to do some awesome stuff, but mostly she spends time on the sidelines.

The action ramps up and up and up… and it looks like things might just work out for those characters that are still left… and then stuff goes horribly wrong. Jonas ends up covered in blood and nearly drowned. More people die. Terri’s dad doesn’t get his prize. It’s a lovely mess of a situation.

The ending leaves us perfectly set up for the next book but closes off the main fights for this book. It also leaves us with a sappy romantic situation that I had trouble buying into even though I wanted some happiness for Jonas. Over all, 3.5/5 stars.

This particular audiobook version includes Book 0.5 Meg: Origins. It’s the story of how Jonas’s career tanked. I really liked this novella. Not only does it flesh out the bare bones facts in The Meg Book 1 but it also shows us that there are others who bumped into the Meg all those years ago. Jonas has mourned the loss of those scientists in the submersible with him that day but now we know how it all played out. This novella was written years after The Meg and it shows how the author’s skill has grown. 5/5 stars for Book 0.5.

The Narration: First, there’s a short bit from the author about his personal fascination with sharks, especially the Meg. I love when authors take the time to add a personal note like this and love it even more when it’s included in the audiobook. Sean Runnette was great as Jonas Taylor. He really does a great job portraying Jonas’s evolving emotions throughout the story. He starts off indecisive and dissatisfied with his life but as things heat up, the character focuses and becomes more and more sure of himself. Runnette did great with this. His female voices could use more femininity. He was great with Maggie’s venom and Terri’s assertiveness but they didn’t always sound like women. I liked his light Asian accent for Terri’s dad and how he made Terri and her brother sound all American. 4/5 stars show less

Shark!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I am not a biologist or any sort of shark expert. Other than avidly watching documentaries -- and Shark Week, of course -- I know very little about the ocean and its inhabitants. But I do know that I LOVE monster movies with one of two things: crazy angry carnivores or unknown humongous cryptids. This book delivers both. I wanted to go see the movie this summer, but when I found out that it was based on a book....I had to follow My Rule -- ALWAYS read the book first. So I opted to wait until the movie released on DVD to watch it. Netflix has the DVD available now....so I bumped the book to the top of my list and grabbed the audio book from my local library.

On the one hand, I do have to say that this show more story has been done before....many times. Rogue scientist touts unpopular belief...gets mocked, "ruins'' career, gets shunned by academia....UNTIL....

....that UNTIL is the most important part......

UNTIL (suspense building music stab inserted here)......the cryptid beast, pending doom, crazy idea he was warning everyone about shows up and starts killing/attacking, etc.

Then....academia and a whole host of other people come rushing back begging him to help them take care of the situation. Godzilla. Volcanoes. Earthquakes. Global warming. Whales. Giant Octopus/squid. Asteroids. Aliens. Dinosaurs. And....sharks.

It's been done. Many times.

But I love it! And this time...it's a GIANT shark. Move over Jaws.....The Meg eats Great Whites for a snack.....and whales, giant squid, submersibles, boats, divers....hell anything that will fit in its mouth.

SO....old plot. Bigger, badder monster. Bigger. Angrier. Hungrier. Did I say BIGGER??

BIGGER!!!!!

Loved this book! I don't care if it's impossible, faux science, old hat.....it makes me happy. This sort of book is my favorite brain candy.

I love the premise. I like the characters. And I even like the shark. It's only doing what it was made to do.....and very well for that matter. I like Steve Alten's writing....he mixes a scientific feel with an action/monster plot very well.

About the only complaint I have is a bit of an issue with the audio book narration. Sean Runnette reads at a nice pace and his acting is good for the most part. My issue is with his voice. He seems to have a problem pronouncing some consonants, especially S. It sounds like the actor might have poorly fitting dentures or some other speech problem? Or maybe it's just poor quality sound, equipment or editing? Not sure what the exact problem is, but I have partial hearing loss so crisp, quality sound on audio books is essential for me. I had a bit of trouble understanding Runnette's narration.

The audio book I listened to from Tantor Audio is 10.5 hours long and includes both The Meg and Origins (a prequel for The Meg). I was surprised to find out that The Meg is actually a series of 5 books! More large shark mayhem! Yay! I will definitely be listening/reading the rest of the series. And now that I've read the book....I can see the movie! Got it at the top of my Netflix list! show less

This is proof that bigger is not better. "Meg" is short for megalodon--a Jurassic Age shark four times as large as the Great White. This novel isn't anywhere near as good as Jaws though. That book and film generated its terror because it gave us a real, extant creature stalking people where we all play during the summer--in the surf off the beach, allowing us to easily imagine we could be a victim. Jaws's Chief Brody is an everyman. Meg's Jonas Taylor? A flat Marty Stu--and the style is flat too, with lots of head-hopping and truly clunky writing. And the female characters in this book? Especially Jonas' wife? Man, it's so misogynistic a portrayal it's hard not to speculate the author has issues with women. I couldn't take much of this show more one, so I skipped to the end... and found just about the most ridiculous exit since the explorers of Journey to the Center of the Earth rode out of the Earth's depths through floating on an exploding volcano... show less

I wanted to read this because I've seen the films. And, boy, am I glad I read this after I watched the movies. This is so much better. The build-up is amazing. Definitely different story line from the films, but the basic story is there. A megalodon comes up from the deep and terrorizes humanity.

Do yourself a favor. Sit back, read, and enjoy. It's worth the ride!