“MEG” by Steve Alten – Pandora's Trench

 

Short Summary

Steve Alten certainly has a fascination with the sea and all the creatures lurking beneath it, at least, if his MEG series is anything to go by. Diving into a horror seldom-explored, the first book, simply titled MEG, introduces us to Dr. Jonas Taylor, obsessed with finding a long-lost remnant of a prehistoric shark species thought extinct. However, his search for the seventy-foot long predator has some truly disastrous and unintended consequences.

Steve Alten Stirs the Monsters of the Depths

As much as we'd like to assume to know everything there is to about the planet we live on, the encouraging truth is we've barely scratched the surface, especially where the ocean is concerned. Most of it hasn't been mapped yet, and there's no telling what discoveries are waiting for us there. In MEG by Steve Alten, they are of a terrifying nature, setting a predator loose upon the world.

The first book in the MEG series begins by introducing us to Dr. Jonas Taylor, a marine paleontologist and former Navy deep-sea submarine pilot. His entire life is now dedicated to a single purpose, one stemming from an encounter he had over seven years ago, seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in the Marian Trench.

Though prehistoric animals are long-thought to be extinct, there remains the possibility that some of them have managed to survive in the furthest depths of our oceans, still waiting to be discovered. Dr. Taylor believes he had an encounter with just such an animal. More precisely, he believes there is still a living member of the Carcharodon megalodon species... that is to say, a prehistoric, seventy-foot long shark who subsists on whales.

One day, the opportunity arises for him to visit the Mariana Trench once again, and needless to say, he jumps at it the moment it presents itself. Obsessed with the idea of finding the last Meg, he takes the plunge in the name of science and personal vindication, but as the saying goes, one better be careful what it is they wish for; they just might get it.

When Dr. Taylor finally makes the discovery his whole life had been leading up to, he realizes how grave of a mistake he committed. In a split-second, his scientific expedition turns into a desperate fight for survival, not only for him, but for humanity at large. Because of his actions, the most ferocious predator in the planet's history is now roaming the oceans again, and there's no telling what it will take to stop it.

The Top Predator in MEG

To begin with, I would like to address how exactly this book ties-in with the movie you've doubtlessly heard about a couple of years ago (if the cover and title seem familiar, now you know why). I'm not going to extensively compare the two, but I would simply like to point out one thing: the movie is light years ahead of the book in terms of how ridiculous it is. Much more grounded in science and down-to-Earth, the book is, in my opinion, so different from the movie that the two essentially exist in different realities.

In any case, to move onward, MEG is a rare breed of horror novels: the shark book. While Jaws is without a doubt the best-known work in this genre, the truth is it has been a little lacking in prolific works in the past few decades. It felt to many like the idea of a shark and the threat it poses could only be taken so far before seeming ridiculous.

Well, Steve Alten sure found a way to take it further, and for all intents and purposes, the megalodon in this novel is basically a giant shark on steroids. Though biological predators don't exactly strike fear in our hearts the way they used to (considering our modern weaponry), the shark in MEG is perhaps the type of creature which can change this.

Seemingly all-powerful and nigh-invulnerable, we watch it take on submersibles, humans, whales, and virtually anything else it can get its jaws on. It makes for an excellent villain for Dr. Jonas Taylor to square of against, one whose weaknesses we're constantly looking for, wondering what sacrifices will be required to finally take it down.

Additionally, the author always finds new and clever ways to make use of the shark, having him do a lot more than just stalking and eating some people. He makes it about as clever as you would expect a predator who successfully evolved for millions of years, and ultimately, it's just entertaining to see the ways in which it could potentially wreak havoc on our world.

The Immense Cost of Knowledge

Rest assured, first and foremost this is a shark horror novel, and the scenes involving it are numerous enough that you'll never feel like you're wasting time reading about something which sidetracks the story. With this being said, this novel does have a lot more to offer, namely its scientific aspect and the colourful cast of characters we become acquainted with.

While Steve Alten doesn't exactly dive into profound scientific discussions filled with jargon and complex equations, he does try to explore the megalodon from a more realistic perspective, one grounded in the actual knowledge we have about the species. He keeps things simple enough to be digestible by readers of all types, and never beats you over the head with anything.

Adding this scientific backdrop very much works in the novel's favour, pulling the threat from imaginary realms and closer to our reality. Even though we are aware of the infinitesimally small chance of it actually witnessing something like this, the idea of it being physically (and even logically) possible is enough to make the atmosphere unsettling.

The characters in MEG are also an integral part of what makes the novel work, and most important among them is our protagonist, Dr. Jonas Taylor. He's a man of complexity and over the course of the story we get rather well-acquainted with his past, and most importantly, the obsession which drives him forward.

Through Dr. Taylor, we get to witness the concept of how our search for knowledge can quite easily turn disastrous, due to our very simple and human flaw of having tunnel vision. Even the most well-intentioned scientific endeavours could have unimaginable consequences, but I suppose it might be a little too late to teach us this lesson, we who now have the power to end our own history.

The Final Verdict

MEG by Steve Alten is a solid, original, fast-paced and even thought-provoking shark horror novel. It has plenty of action to spare, engaging characters to follow, and perhaps one of the best predatory-type villains in recent memory.

If you're a fan of horror novels focused on the deep sea and like the idea of following a giant shark as it roams and stalks our oceans, then this is without a doubt the right book for you.

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Steve Alten Personal site Steve Alten is an American author primarily specializing in science-fiction and horror literature. By far his best-known works are those belonging to the MEG series, centered on the survival of a single giant, prehistoric shark called a megalodon. MEG and The Trench mark the first two entries in the series. He also has some standalone works to his name, including Goliath, The Shell Game, The Omega Project and Undisclosed.