According to this story giant squid now exceed us in biomass in the world. This is born out by the sudden appearance of the Humboldt squid in the Puget Sound and off the waters of Alaska–not these creatures normal hunting territories.
Then there is the story about the giant squid, probably Architeuthis Dux, confirmed in New Zealand, and measuring 12 meters long. That’s close to 40 feet, for the metric challenged. Taller than a four story building.
Since this is Halloween I decided to look to see if I could find a ghost story about giant squids. I didn’t find a story, exactly, but I did find a very interesting weblog writing from May, 2004, that seemed to be looking for the same type of thing. The post provided a link to a wonderful Michael Chabon introduction to Casting the Runes and Other Ghost Stories, and this marvelous quote:
It may be, in fact, that the ghost story, like the dinosaur, is still very much with us, transformed past the point of ready recognition into the feathered thing that we call “the modern short story.” All short stories, in other words, are ghost stories, accounts of visitations and reckonings with the traces of the past. They describe moments when a dark door, long closed, is opened, when a forgotten error is unwittingly repeated, when the fabric of a life is revealed to have been woven from frail and dubious fiber over top of something unknowable and possibly very bad. Were there ever characters in fiction more haunted than Chekhov’s or Joyce’s by ghosts?
All short stories are ghost stories, because they all reflect, in some ways ghosts from our past. Isn’t that lovely?
Comments to the post in the weblog (Wired Mesh ) led to this giant squid song lyrics — which will have to do for Halloween, and giant squids:
I Crush Everything
I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I’ve been dreaming of
And I’d like to swim beside you
Getting dizzy in your wake
Getting close enough to touch you
Getting brave enough to take you into my arms
And bring you down to be with meBut I can’t do that thing anymore
I can’t be the thing I was before
Maybe I am better off alone
Because I crush everything
And I crush everything
And I crush everythingMy body’s strong, but my will is weak
I got pretty nice arms, but I hate my beak
And the dolphins are all phonies
They seem nice enough at first
They pretend to be your friends
Until they see you at your worst and then they leave you
Without a word they swim awaySo I can’t do that thing anymore
I can’t be the thing I was before
Maybe I am better off alone
Because I crush everything
And I crush everything
And I crush everythingAnd everything I want I take
And everything I love I break
And every night I lie awakeDid the stars come out? Did the world spin round?
Does it matter that much when you’re ten miles down?
And in the light that filters down
Into my giant yellow eye
I can see the sails unfolding
Stretching white against the sky and I forgive them
I forgive and I let goCause I can’t do that thing anymore
I can’t be the thing I was before
Maybe I am better off alone
Because I crush everything
And I crush everything
And I crush everythingAnd I crush everything
And I crush everything
And I crush everythingI lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of
Sometimes this weblogging thing works out.
Thanks to Danny and his creepy pumpkins, and others,who have been sending me giant squid stories. They never fail to cheer.