The Raw Shark Texts
Eric Sanderson wakes up in a place he doesn't recognise, unable to remember who he is. All he has left are journal entries recalling Clio, a perfect love now gone. So begins a thrilling adventure that will send Eric and his cynical cat Ian on a search for the Ludovician, the force that is threatening his life, and Dr Trey Fidorus, the only man who knows its secrets.
What you might want to know about The Raw Shark Texts
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Eric Sanderson wakes in a small English flat with no memory and no idea who he is, and finds the first of many letters from his earlier self. The letters warn him about a conceptual Ludovician shark that swims through ideas and language and is hunting him through his texts.
Yes. The Raw Shark Texts uses experimental typography (including pages where text forms a shark) and dense conceptual framing. The form is intentional and rewards readers who enjoy ergodic fiction. It is sometimes paired with House of Leaves.
The Raw Shark Texts was written by Steven Hall and published in 2007. It was Hall's debut novel. He published a follow-up, Maxwell's Demon, in 2021.
The Raw Shark Texts is 448 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Raw Shark Texts takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
The Raw Shark Texts is a standalone novel by Steven Hall, not part of a series.
The Raw Shark Texts is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
