Denver Writers Book Club: The Fisherman by John Langan

“Men die, and the world goes on. The sun rises, the sun sets. The seasons turn. But sometimes, when you look at the dark water, you realize something is looking back.” This month, the Denver Writers Book Club wades into cosmic horror and grief with John Langan’s Bram Stoker Award-winning novel, The Fisherman. Set against the rugged backdrop of upstate New York, the story follows Abe and Dan—two widowers bound by loss who find solace in the quiet ritual of fly fishing. But their search for peace draws them to Dutchman’s Creek, an elusive, off-map tributary rumored to hold something far darker than trout: a promise to undo death, guarded by ancient folklore, sorcery, and an encroaching abyss. Langan masterfully weaves a modern narrative with nested campfire folklore and Lovecraftian dread, using the weight of sorrow as the ultimate bait. ### Discussion Points for the Evening: * Nested Narratives & Framing: How effectively does the mid-book pivot into 19th-century folklore (*the tale of Rainer and the Ashokan Reservoir*) serve Abe and Dan’s contemporary story? * Grief as Vulnerability: How does Langan use personal bereavement as the primary engine for supernatural terror? * Atmospheric Worldbuilding: Examining Langan’s technique of grounding cosmic horror in the tangible details of outdoor fishing culture and regional Catskills history.