The Deep (novella)

The Deep

Company type	Novel
Industry	Publishing
Founded	2019
Founder	Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes
Products	Fantasy novel
Website	www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Deep/Rivers-Solomon/9781534435337

The Deep is a 2019 fantasy novel authored by Rivers Solomon, alongside collaborators Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes. The narrative explores an aquatic society inhabited by water-breathing descendants of enslaved pregnant women who were cast into the ocean from slave ships. Originating from a track by the experimental hip-hop group Clipping, the novel received the Lambda Literary Award and earned nominations for the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and Locus Award.

Background

In 2017, Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life featured an episode centered on Afrofuturism, commissioning Clipping to create the song “The Deep.” This piece honors the mythical underwater civilization conceived by Acid/Techno duo Drexciya, which imagines African mothers thrown overboard during the slave trade giving rise to an aquatic society. The song also integrates influences from Parliament’s Motor Booty Affair album. Captivated by Clipping’s narrative approach, Saga Press senior editor Navah Wolfe—whose work garnered a Hugo nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation (short form)—sought an author to expand this tale. She chose Rivers Solomon, who shared thematic interests in diaspora, slavery, ecological crisis, memory, and resilience.

Solomon transformed the concept into a full-length novel, introducing Yetu as the central character and collective memory-keeper of her people. Members of Clipping—Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes—actively contributed during the book’s creation and are credited as co-authors. Daveed Diggs also performs as the audiobook narrator.

Plot synopsis

The wajinru are aquatic beings capable of breathing underwater, descended from thousands of pregnant African women thrown into the sea during the Atlantic slave trade. While these women perished, their offspring survived and evolved into their present form, establishing a serene underwater civilization. Yetu, known as the Historian, alone carries all ancestral trauma to protect her community from its weight. She must suppress her own identity and once annually leads the entire group through a shared remembrance of their painful history.

The immense responsibility endangers Yetu’s well-being; she escapes to the ocean surface during the annual ritual but becomes trapped in a tidal pool. There, she encounters several "two-legs," including Oori, another memory-keeper among her people. Oori provides sustenance, and they develop a connection that challenges preconceived notions about two-legs, revealing that not all are white slave traders.

This interaction contrasts with a past revelation: a generation earlier, the wajinru waged war against surface dwellers. Through Basha’s memories—Yetu’s predecessor—we learn that the wajinru, who possess telekinetic control over ocean water, generated a catastrophic storm to defend themselves from fossil fuel extraction operations beneath the seabed.

With their Historian absent, collective trauma drives the underwater society toward madness, provoking another destructive storm similar to before. Yetu faces a critical choice: return to bear her people's memories once more in order to protect both her community and those above.

Reception

Jason Heller of NPR characterizes The Deep as "immersive, gut-wrenching, and poetic," applauding its fusion of music, poetry, and prose as a compelling storytelling method. He emphasizes Yetu’s internal struggle between obligation and self-sacrifice as emotionally resonant and recognizes the novel as a standalone contribution to Afrofuturism.

A starred critique from Publishers Weekly praises Solomon’s nuanced character development within this complex narrative rooted in historical trauma. The writing is described as "meditative, didactic, and rawly angry," confronting slavery's brutal legacy without centering white viewpoints—a significant reframing for empathetic readers.

In Locus Magazine, Gary K. Wolf examines the difficulties in representing historical atrocities like the Middle Passage through fantasy literature. He commends Solomon’s portrayal as "a powerful combination of anguish and hope," noting that despite its heavy themes, the novel concludes on an optimistic note with Yetu and Oori’s romantic bond. Reviewer Ian Mond adds that it is "beautifully written," though concise.

Alex Brown at Tor.com describes The Deep as "Afrofuturism with a folklore twist," highlighting its lyrical prose and immersive worldbuilding where past and present intertwine. Brown regards Yetu as "a force to behold" and values Solomon’s storytelling craft.

Booklist awarded it a starred review, recommending it for readers interested in speculative fiction addressing colonialism and racism's enduring impacts through imaginative futures. Meanwhile, Book Reporter notes that The Deep offers "a challenging read" marked by potent poetic language exploring themes of violence, racism, suffering, memory, and identity.

Awards

The Deep earned a place on the shortlist for the British Fantasy Award in the Best Novella category, though it did not secure the prize.

Awards Received:

• Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror (2020)

Award Nominations:

• Hugo Award for Best Novella (2020)
• Nebula Award for Best Novella (2019)
• Locus Award for Best Novella (2020)
• IGNYTE Award for Best Novella (2020)
• Otherwise Award (2019)
• World Fantasy Award—Novella (2020)

See also

• Skin of the Sea, a fantasy novel centered on the Mami Wata, mermaid figures who gather the souls of enslaved individuals cast into the ocean from slave ships.
• Ten-Cent Daisy, a fantasy drama film depicting a Caribbean family that has taken in a mermaid, drawing on folklore about enslaved people surviving underwater in transformed states.

External links

• The Deep at Simon & Schuster