Recommendations Submarine-related and generally naval fiction

[LilRora]

So, in regards to a recent interest of mine, I'm looking for some books that take place on submarines or other naval vessels. It would be ideal if the whole story happened on one, but it doesn't have to. Specifically, I'd like something in a darker tone where that vessel is a core part of the story, not just a means of transport.

Could be a spaceship as well if it fits the other criteria, since what matters the most to me is the tone of the story with a crew living in a small, cramped ship and dealing with various things thrown their way.

No particular preferences past that, but I'd rather not have romance now when I'm looking for references.

Thanks in advance for anything you hit me with, since I know there's not many stories like that - why I ask in the first place.

 

[Piisfun]

Pretty much everything in this genre on the site is based on "ship girls."

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I have a short story concept I came up with but never wrote...

Basically: A sea serpent mistakes an active sonar pulse from a submarine as a mating call and chases it across the Pacific Ocean for a couple of days.

Submarine type? Nuclear attack submarine, since those are the only ones that might "go active" while also being fast enough. Also, I didn't want the sub having to surface for air.

Why is there a sea serpent? No idea.
Why was the submarine transmitting active near test depth in the middle of the Pacific? Need a good excuse here.

How do they escape? By luring in a second sea serpent and running away while they fight. They tried a torpedo, but it had no effect.

 

[Kraken1]

As mentioned before there's lots of ship girl stories on here. I have one semi historical one chapter story based on an interesting part of ww2 I found. I've thought about writing more naval based stuff as that's a big interest of mine but haven't got round to it.

There's a few reincarnated as the ship but not as a ship girl stories.

Wings of Fire: Dragons, Steel, and Pom-Poms | Royal Road

The humans of Pyrrhia have been barely hanging on in their fight for survival for millennia. They have lived for generations under the talons of dragons, and are none too happy about it. A transatlantic supply convoy from late 1942 has found itself no longer in the grim waters of the North...

www.royalroad.com

Blockade

Sylvie is chosen as the Kapitan Zur See for a merchant ship that is tasked with breaking through the enemy blockade.

www.scribblehub.com

Warship’s Mania

Vulilognan Shissurna is the newest Warship of the Mezhained Golden fleet. Built in record time to aid her sisters in a war against an unknown power she is considered a miracle Ship. With a terrifying glee and the ability to defiantly go beyond the speed of light she and her...

www.scribblehub.com

These are some I can think of right now. I'll add more if I think of any later. There's not many stories where there is an actual crew.

 

[SirDogeTheFirst]

Is 20000 Leagues under the Sea a good template for what you are looking for, I think I know one or two similar stories.

 

[LilRora]

Is 20000 Leagues under the Sea a good template for what you are looking for, I think I know one or two similar stories.

Based on a quick google search, I'd say there's good change that's exactly what I'm looking for. I haven't read the book nor watched the movie though.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

Douglas Reeman/Alexander Kent (Same author) writes a lot about ships, both Napoleonic and Second World War. I've read quite a few books he wrote (Just found out he died in 2017) and they were a great source of inspiration for me when it came about Nelson (The Admiral) and Second World War naval battles.

 

[Cortavar]

It's on Literotica but the smut content is fairly low: The Fourth Vector is a pretty cool nautical adventure (no subs though)!

It's got WW2 era and below ships, a lot of nautical battles, a fair bit of landbased conflict, and an overreaching plot that I liked.

 

[Cortavar]

Pretty much everything in this genre on the site is based on "ship girls."

---
I have a short story concept I came up with but never wrote...

Basically: A sea serpent mistakes an active sonar pulse from a submarine as a mating call and chases it across the Pacific Ocean for a couple of days.

Submarine type? Nuclear attack submarine, since those are the only ones that might "go active" while also being fast enough. Also, I didn't want the sub having to surface for air.

Why is there a sea serpent? No idea.
Why was the submarine transmitting active near test depth in the middle of the Pacific? Need a good excuse here.

How do they escape? By luring in a second sea serpent and running away while they fight. They tried a torpedo, but it had no effect.

So, you'd lure another sea serpent with a mating call and hope they "fight"...

Do you want to start a native population of sea serpents? That's how you get a native population of sea serpents!

As for the "why are you using sonar and not keeping quiet" thing, you can have the sub be in active combat or close to it with an unfriendly sub that gets destroyed by the amorous sea serpent as a demonstration of why it's a bad idea to let it come near. (I'm visualizing a massive beast coiling around the sub and squeezing just a bit too much)

 

[hauntedbarrow]

Unjust Depths is an incredibly marine-focused webserial, the vast majority of it takes place across different submarines that crews are aboard for extended periods of time (with some sections set on underwater habitats as well). Although it does also focus a lot on the various romances of the women on the ships, I feel like it matches up to your desires about crews enduring everything that comes their way through really intense and fraught circumstances really well!
https://unjustdepths.com/