This did have some genuine moments of horror that were well written, gross, and enjoyable so I'm bumping this one up to 1.5 stars. I made it through the whole year with nothing less than 2 stars, then in December I have had two 1 star books. Both were supposed to be horror, but both were just horrible. A mysterious disease dubbed “the ‘gets” is ravaging the human population. Starting off slowly, it hinders your ability to remember where you parked or where you left your wallet. In time, it advances to the point where you forget to breathe and your heart forgets to beat. The second one is the prize-nominated book titled Cataract City. The story features two childhood friends turned foes, whose quest for survival amid social problems drives a wedge between their long-lasting close friendship. Mad Scientist: Clayton is one, in a very pure sense; he's so detached from humanity that his mind has no philosophical limits (and also no conscience about experimenting).

They are called "Fig Men" and are very old and ancient and have been trapped at the bottom of the ocean for a very long time. How long? Don't ask. Where did they come from? Don't ask. Why are they trapped? Just cuz. Are they extraterrestrial, gods, girl scouts? Don't ask because you won't find out. Deep in the Marianas Trench, in the Pacific Ocean, an unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. Just in time as the world is being ravaged by a plague called 'Gets. We find ourselves in a special research lab eight miles under the sea, after a strange transmission is sent out and has been radio dark since. Luke and a few of his crew are sent below the depths to find out what happened to the other crew and preserve research. Luke will find out the former crew has tapped into something not of this world. I really wanted to love this book. I found it dragged for me between discoveries. It would have been better if it had a faster pace and more terror. It was an okay read, but nothing special. I’m sure plenty of you will disagree with this 5 Star rating come January, but Honey Badger don’t give a shit so she’s giving it all 5. Just a note: the Trieste in this novel is probably a reference to the Trieste bathyscaphe, which in 1960 reached the deepest part of the ocean (the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench). The bathyscaphe was largely contructed in the Italian city of Trieste, which is where it got its name. So, while it’s possible that the author was refering to the Spanish word for “sorrow”, it’s more likely that he was refering to the previous deep sea exploratory vehicle. This is fairly realistic – those who commission and build exploratory vessels have a tendency to name them after other exploratory vessels (all the things named after the original HMS Challenger, such as the Glomar Challenger scientific ship and the Challenger space shuttle, attest to this). Hellish, grotesque imagery abounds. You are going to see some crazy, deeply unsettling stuff. Trust me. I was half expecting the Cenobites from Hellraiser to show up at some point.The beginning was alright and the ending was stupid. That's really all you need to know, but I'll keep going. Disturbing dreams begin on the descent...childhood nightmares of a cruel and disgusting mother, aka Battle-Ax Beth, and worse, the millipede memory, (for me the most disturbing part of the story) that brings with it a painful, guilt ridden and heartbreaking loss. "Come Home Daddy." I've been a lifelong fan of horror and the older I get, it seems to me the harder it's getting to scare me and to get my hands on the good stuff. One positive thing about this sad development is that it's forced me to venture out into other genres and try new things and find new loves. My first love however -- my one true love -- will always remain horror. It's in my DNA (literally probably because my parents were huge fans of things going bump in the night). I was weaned on the stuff, and on the stuff I shall die. Luke brings his own burdens with him: His little boy disappeared one day when they were playing hide and seek in the woods. He has yet to be found. Not to mention his own childhood trauma that stems from a mother straight from hell and a brilliant yet troubled brother who conducts unsettling experiments in the basement. John Carpenter's The Thing is sacred ground. The scene with the disembodied hand that had an arachnid-like appearance was straight out of the movie. Not a tribute. Just a repeat. I was more offended than disappointed.

So down Luke, the protagonist of The Deep, goes. Down into the frigidly cold depths of darkest, unexplored sea. Down into a claustrophobic metal spider of a habitat protects its frail human and animal cargo from the immense pressure of the world outside. Down into a nightmare where the truth of Ambrosia, its origins, and its purpose are revealed.

There was not one redeeming quality about him and if I were his brother, I would never have even bothered going to the Trieste in the first place.