How is the book structured?

The novel utilizes a nested narrative structure, often compared to a Russian doll, where the primary story of the two protagonists serves as a frame for a much longer, historical tale told by another character within the book.

Did this book win any major awards?

It received the 2016 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.

The Fisherman

Reader reviews of The Fisherman

Mahtab · 2026-08-31T11:18:25.000000Z

This is a difficult one to rate. Once I realized this book is a mix of folk/cosmic and grief horror, I thought I would DEVOUR it. But unfortunately, it did not pull me in the way I thought it would. It started off pretty well. I really liked the narration (despite being 1st person pov) and the characters. There was love, loss, grief, there was mystery, tension was being built for the climax. I loved it. Part 2, which provides the folkloric background of the story was very well-written and interesting... up to a point. I have no idea when, where, or why it happened, but I started to lose interest during that part. The story started to draaaaaaag, things got predictable, I got bored. I got so bored, I was just waiting for that part to end, so we could go back to our main characters (Abe and Dan) again. But once that did happen, I noticed even the main characters irritate me now, I could see exactly where the story was going, I was unfortunately bored with the main story too. Again, I can't pinpoint what exactly changed my opinion about this book, because I wanted to love it; it has everything I normally love in a horror book. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either. I only kept reading just get done with the book. After all of that though, the very last sentence of the book actually caught me off-guard. It actually made me go WTF, and it's what made me not go too low with my rating.

Cosmic Horror Fantasy

Pages: 282
Published: 2016
Language: English

Two grieving widowers find solace in fishing and each other, but their quiet lives are disrupted by whispers of a legendary fishing spot. This legendary creek promises more than just a good catch; it holds ancient secrets and a dark power that could either heal their losses or consume them entirely. They are drawn into a story of pacts and buried truths, facing the ultimate price for what they desire.

Prose complexity: 7/10

Dark Tense Mysterious Emotional Reflective

Quest Sacrifice Dual Timeline

John Langan

John Langan is the editor of The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror and the author of Wastelands--Stories of the Apocalypse. He's a go-to for dark fantasy and horror fans looking for the best in the genre.

AbeProtagonist

Der FisherAntagonist

All characters in The Fisherman

Frequently asked questions

How is the book structured?
The novel utilizes a nested narrative structure, often compared to a Russian doll, where the primary story of the two protagonists serves as a frame for a much longer, historical tale told by another character within the book.
Did this book win any major awards?
It received the 2016 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.