
A down‑and‑out reporter wanders the sun‑baked sands of Santa Monica, nursing a broken heart and an empty bank account. When a striking blonde swimmer catches his eye, the brief flirtation turns terrifying as a guttural scream pierces the surf and something monstrous rises from the water—a nightmarish creature part sword‑fish, part unknown beast, its razor‑edged snout flashing like a blade.
The beach erupts into chaos as the creature’s horde surges onto the shore, forcing the pair to flee for their lives. Amid the panic, the protagonist must confront both the terrifying sea monsters and the haunting memories of a lost love. The opening thrusts listeners into a pulse‑pounding, sun‑soaked nightmare where humanity’s fragile grip on safety is ripped away by an ancient, aquatic terror.
Language
en
Duration
~57 minutes (55K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Fictioneers, Inc.,1942.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2022-08-09
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1915–1978
A pioneering writer who moved easily between pulp science fiction and Hollywood, creating vivid adventure stories on the page and helping shape classic films on the screen. Best known for her planetary romances, noir work, and screenwriting, she built a career that still feels energetic and modern.
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