A Science Fiction Classic
First published in 1955, The Dragon in the Sea, by Frank Herbert (alternative title: 21st Century Sub), foreshadows Tarkovsky's classic motion picture Solaris. A study of intense interpersonal relationships aboard a four-man nuclear "subtug" (a submarine tugboat towing a huge "slug" to be filled with crude oil from a secret undersea source), this novel explores the roles of emotional pressure under wartime conditions, leadership, faith, courage, and loyalty among the four members of the crew. In this reviewer's opinion, it is one of the great classics of science fiction, without a hint of fantasy, and just enough technical data to lend plausibility to the story. Set against a background of crucial petroleum shortages several decades after 1955, the novel contains eerily accurate predictions of technology and future global conflicts, missing only the development of GPS systems. It has my highest recommendation.
