Demons of the Sea by William Hope Hodgson

Narrated by Mark Saintonge, Demons of the Sea is a horror and adventure tale, one of many that British author William Hope Hodgson wrote that drew on his experience as a sailor.

At the age of 13, he fled the boarding school he'd been placed in and tried to gain any kind of position on a ship, but was foiled in the effort and returned to his family. A year later his father granted permission for him to be apprenticed as a cabin boy, a position that he held for the next four years. After further study, Hodgson received his mate's certificate and spent the next several years as a sailor. 

Sea stories featured heavily in his works, although he also wrote tales of the occult and supernatural stories, as well straight adventures. His second novel The House on the Borderland gained critical praise (even from H.P. Lovecraft, who was influenced by his work), but Hodgson never received much in the way of monetary awards for his work, remaining poor most of his life. He has been rediscovered in recent years and a number of modern authors have acknowledged the inspiration that he brought to their work, including China Miéville, Greg Bear, Elizabeth Massie, Iain Sinclair, and Gene Wolfe. For more about his writing and his life, visit this blog.