In the distant future, when mortals mingle with the gods in deep space, an out-of-date automaton, a recovering addict, and an angel race to solve the Pope’s murder in an abandoned corner of the galaxy.
Dreamy, beautifully written queer science-fantasy novella, for fans of Becky Chambers and This is How You Lose the Time War.
Scribe IV is an obsolete automaton living on the Bastion, a secluded monastery in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. When the visiting Pope is found murdered, Scribe IV knows he has very little time before the terrifying Sisters of the Drowned Deep rise up to punish all the Bastion’s residents for their supposed crime.
Quin, a recovering drug addict turned private investigator, agrees to take the case. Traumatized by a bizarre experience in his childhood, Quin repeatedly feeds his memories to his lover, the angel Murmuration. But fragmented glimpses of an otherworldly horror he calls the crawling dark continue to haunt his dreams.
Meanwhile in heaven, an angel named Angel hears Scribe IV’s prayer. Intrigued by the idea of solving a crime with mortals, xe descends to offer xyr divine assistance.
With the Drowned Sisters closing in, Scribe IV, Quin, and Angel race to find out who really murdered the Pope, and why. Quin’s missing memories may hold the key to the case – but is remembering worth what it will cost him?
"A unique vision. Automatons, angels, and cosmic horror nuns are only the beginning of a murder mystery wondrously orbited by metaphysical sci-fi as only A. C. Wise can weave together. Out of the Drowning Deep introduces a universe of the undefinable fantastic, gifted by one of our finest imaginations." Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Light Most Hateful
"A strange and singular book. Wise has crafted a story quite unlike any other and it blew my mind. One of the best books I've read in a long time." Tendai Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead
“Full of fantastic queer representation and a broad range of voices within the cast of characters, Out of the Drowning Deep makes each perspective relatable to audiences...Richly textured and easy to imagine." ScreenRant
"Out of the Drowning Deep is an evocative mystery set in a richly imagined world, populated by a diverse cast of instantly intriguing characters. I loved every word of this gorgeous novella." Emmi Itäranta, author of The Moonday Letters
“Out of the Drowning Deep is entertaining, moving, and gave me a fresh perspective on myself–what more could I want from a novella? It has moments of brilliance, and I highly recommend it to anyone who lives with or around addiction.” Grimdark Magazine
A.C. Wise is the author of Hooked and the bestselling Wendy, Darling. She also has two short story collections published by Lethe Press, Catfish Lullaby, a novella published by Broken Eye Books (2019), and The Ghost Sequences, a short story collection published by Undertow Books (2021), which was shortlisted for a 2021 Bram Stoker Award.
Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US.
In the distant future, when mortals mingle with the gods in deep space, an out-of-date automaton, a recovering addict, and an angel race to solve the Pope’s murder in an abandoned corner of the galaxy.
Dreamy, beautifully written queer science-fantasy novella, for fans of Becky Chambers and This is How You Lose the Time War.
Scribe IV is an obsolete automaton living on the Bastion, a secluded monastery in an abandoned corner of the galaxy. When the visiting Pope is found murdered, Scribe IV knows he has very little time before the terrifying Sisters of the Drowned Deep rise up to punish all the Bastion’s residents for their supposed crime.
Quin, a recovering drug addict turned private investigator, agrees to take the case. Traumatized by a bizarre experience in his childhood, Quin repeatedly feeds his memories to his lover, the angel Murmuration. But fragmented glimpses of an otherworldly horror he calls the crawling dark continue to haunt his dreams.
Meanwhile in heaven, an angel named Angel hears Scribe IV’s prayer. Intrigued by the idea of solving a crime with mortals, xe descends to offer xyr divine assistance.
With the Drowned Sisters closing in, Scribe IV, Quin, and Angel race to find out who really murdered the Pope, and why. Quin’s missing memories may hold the key to the case – but is remembering worth what it will cost him?
Reviews
"A unique vision. Automatons, angels, and cosmic horror nuns are only the beginning of a murder mystery wondrously orbited by metaphysical sci-fi as only A. C. Wise can weave together. Out of the Drowning Deep introduces a universe of the undefinable fantastic, gifted by one of our finest imaginations." Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Light Most Hateful
"A strange and singular book. Wise has crafted a story quite unlike any other and it blew my mind. One of the best books I've read in a long time." Tendai Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead
“Full of fantastic queer representation and a broad range of voices within the cast of characters, Out of the Drowning Deep makes each perspective relatable to audiences...Richly textured and easy to imagine." ScreenRant
"Out of the Drowning Deep is an evocative mystery set in a richly imagined world, populated by a diverse cast of instantly intriguing characters. I loved every word of this gorgeous novella." Emmi Itäranta, author of The Moonday Letters
“Out of the Drowning Deep is entertaining, moving, and gave me a fresh perspective on myself–what more could I want from a novella? It has moments of brilliance, and I highly recommend it to anyone who lives with or around addiction.” Grimdark Magazine
Author
A.C. Wise is the author of Hooked and the bestselling Wendy, Darling. She also has two short story collections published by Lethe Press, Catfish Lullaby, a novella published by Broken Eye Books (2019), and The Ghost Sequences, a short story collection published by Undertow Books (2021), which was shortlisted for a 2021 Bram Stoker Award.
Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US.
