The Sea Gives Up the Dead

By: Molly Olguín

Narrated by: Heather Kay Ling

INDIES INTRODUCE SELECTION ● DEBUT AUTHOR MOLLY OLGUÍN brings us THE SEA GIVES UP THE DEAD, a collection of stories sprinkled into the soil of fairy tales, left to take root and grow wild there.

"A wunderkammer of beauty and sorrow." —Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House ● "Witty, witchy, darkly brilliant" —Andrea Barrett, author of Natural History and Ship Fever ● "Mix the wildness of fairy tales with horror." —Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers ● "Fantastical, queer, wildly inventive stories." —Austin Carter, Pocket Books Shop ● "A mouthwatering ride." —Desirae Wilkerson, Paper Boat Booksellers ● "Absolutely fantastic!" —Randy Schiller, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, Missouri

A lovesick nanny slays a dragon. The devil tries to save her mother. A girl drowns and becomes a saint. Three kids plot to blow up their dad, a grieving mother sails the sea to find her son's grave, a scientist brings a voice to life, and a mermaid falls into the power of a witch. Here, historical fiction, horror, and fantasy tangle together in a queer garden of love, grief, and longing.

©2025 Molly Olguin (P)2025 Highbridge Audio

Porbably Not Written For Me

The Sea Gives Up the Dead is frequently marketed as a creepy, supernatural, or dark fantasy collection, but readers expecting tension or unease may find it underwhelming. The book favors mood and emotional introspection over plot, and many of the stories feel more like brief sketches than fully developed narratives.

While the prose is often lyrical, the characters are lightly drawn and rarely experience anything that feels consequential or transformative.
This approach may resonate with readers who enjoy quiet, melancholic storytelling and subtle emotional themes, possibly appealing more to a younger or romantically inclined audience. For others, the lack of narrative momentum makes the collection feel bland rather than atmospheric.

One of the later stories—an inversion of The Little Mermaid—stands out for committing more fully to its premise and using the supernatural in a meaningful way. Overall, the book isn’t poorly written, but it feels mis-marketed; those seeking genuinely creepy or impactful supernatural fiction may be disappointed, while readers drawn to gentle, mood-driven vignettes may appreciate it.