Sean Willson lives in North Carolina with his wife and three beautiful children. He's a Computer Engineer in his day job, and when he's not busy being a father, you can find him peering through his telescope, reading, or enjoying a great cup of coffee. It was only after having kids and teaching them that they could do anything they put their minds to, that he resolved to rekindle his passion for writing. He has since self-published multiple popular science fiction series.

Drowning Earth by Sean Willson

Her sub can break the underwater speed of sound. But can she outpace the threat of nuclear winter?

In 2055, with global tensions nearing the breaking point, humanity teeters on the brink of annihilation. Their only hope lies with Captain Kel Williams and her loyal team, crewing what some call the deadliest submarine ever built.

Kel races to stake a claim to valuable undersea biomass—a lifeline that could prolong humanity's demise. But deadly Russo-Chinese factions lurk in the lightless depths, determined to stop her at every turn.

Besieged by threats within and without, Kel finds herself walking a razor's edge to maintain control. Surrounded on all sides, she relies on her crew's dedication and her Bull Nuke Oscar Allen to maintain order and avert disaster.

Yet unbeknownst to all, salvation may lie in secrets lurking deep beneath the waves. Hidden truths once dismissed as myth. Whispers of impossible doorways and gods long forgotten.

With danger at every turn, will anyone escape the deadly snare, or do ancient myths hold the key to humanity's survival?

Drowning Earth is the pulse-pounding first book in the Portalverse Elemental Origins science fiction techno-thriller series. If you like bold characters, dystopian conflicts, and wild surprises, then you'll love Sean Willson's plunge beneath the waves.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Drowning Earth by Sean Willson explores Earth's deep oceans in a near-future setting, combining submarine warfare with mythological mysteries. The story pushes exploration both underwater and potentially into supernatural realms. – C. Gockel

 

REVIEWS

  • "An offbeat and unyielding undersea adventure that bubbles with tension. OUR VERDICT: ✔ GET IT!"

    – Kirkus Reviews

  • "Drowning Earth is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that captivated me from start to finish and I would highly recommend it to fans of environmental dystopian fiction everywhere."

    – Readers’ Favorite

  • "Very good blend of possible tech details with intense personality conflicts at submarine crush depths, surrounded by spies and communications blackouts. This well written and fast paced tale will keep you guessing and turning pages long into nail biting nights."

    – H. Hook (Amazon Reader)
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

The submarine's fire alarm klaxons cut through the silence like a knife, an urgent, deafening call to action. Captain Kel Williams and the crew of the HMS Bancroft flew into a well-rehearsed dance of survival, snatching up their Emergency Air Breathers with practiced hands. After strapping on the form-fitting device and connecting to the nearby air manifold, Kel secured her burn hood against the threat of flames. Her gaze flicked to the overhead computer display, assessing the boat's status, while around her, the crew performed a silent ballet of safety checks with one another, ensuring not a sliver of their skin was left vulnerable. Satisfied their EABs were secure, they pivoted back to their stations, ready to wrestle their submersible from the jaws of calamity.

"Fire in the galley. I repeat, there is a fire in the galley," Müller, their German communications officer, said over the boat-wide intercom. "The deep-fat fryers appear to have ignited. Rig for fire and general emergency. All hands, seal your compartments."

Kel lowered her gaze from the display and stepped up behind her crew. They'd prepared for this moment countless times, performing fire drills at all hours of the day and night. Not that the time of day mattered under nearly a kilometer of ocean water.

Just days earlier, the crew had been blindsided by a drill and narrowly averted disaster, but today their response was immediate and unwavering. What they didn't know, however, was that this particular fire was also a ruse. One not at all like the others before it.

She was playing along, taking it as seriously as they were. As the captain, she had to. It was her nightmare and sixth sense that had brought this on in the first place. When she took a final account of the crew around her, she paused, a growl escaping her lips.

"Crewman Hinault!" She stepped up behind him, rapping her knuckles on his chair. "If you've any fondness for your extremities, I suggest you don your gloves whilst on the bridge." She pointed at his naked hands. "You're our eyes and ears up here, trainee. Our last line of defense should matters go pear-shaped. Don't be an oxygen thief. Where'd you train, Pyongyang?"

Without a word, Warfare Officer in Training Hinault retrieved his gloves from a compartment below his station before sliding them on. He knew enough not to react in any other way but with swift resolve. Until a trainee proved their worth and earned their dolphin badge, they were seen as next to useless. Or merely oxygen thieves, as the crew called them.

Kel reached down to her leg and detached her mobile command tablet where the drill she'd created was playing out. She'd jolted awake this morning from yet another ghastly nightmare, making her question the technology they had at their disposal. One of the perks of being captain was having your own soundproof cabin and rack. If she hadn't, there's no telling the rumors that would circulate after someone heard her screams.

As the klaxons repeatedly rang out, she tapped the screen to advance to the next stage of the drill. The virtual fire spread rapidly, and within seconds, it reached one of their communication rooms, taking out their blue laser and Very Long Frequency gear. Without their laser or VLF receivers, they were cut off from the rest of the world and Central Command. Especially since they weren't anywhere near an IUSS or FISUS array. The antique American sound and modern EU fiber surveillance systems kept them connected to Command. Without any of that communications equipment, recovery would be impossible as it would reveal their position.

"That's some bull!" Müller slammed her gloved hand on the edge of her station, being careful not to crack the carbon alloy frame or hit the display panels.

Kel walked back to her side. "Is there a problem, Officer?"

"No disrespect, ma'am, but there's no way the fire jumped half the boat like that. There's something off here." Müller peered sideways, making eye contact with Kel before returning her attention to her controls. She must have somehow realized this was another drill.

Kel tapped her tablet and shared her view of the boat with Müller's control panel. When she did, the woman winced. What she hadn't seen were the open bulkhead hatches between the galley and communication rooms.

Müller locked her jaw and nodded. "Damn all the thieves," she muttered before reaching forward and patching through to the forward comm rooms. "Ilda! Are you still awake down there?"

"Yea. I mean, yes, ma'am!" Trainee Ilda Halla, an engineering technician, said.

"You're dead!" Müller adjusted the microphone on her EAB. "You left the aft hatch open. Flag anyone red within five meters."

"Shi—" she began as she cut the line.

"What in blazes happened?" XO Collins asked from the distant hatch entrance. He hopped through the opening onto the bridge, making sure to seal it closed behind him.

Kel wished he'd have left it open. It'd make her morning to red flag the prick herself. After their private disagreement the other night, she was still fuming and centimeters away from writing him up with Command. He had years of insubordination write-ups on his record, and this would surely end him.