The Drake Passage sits between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, and crossing it takes two full days. With nothing but open ocean in every direction, you’ll need to keep yourself occupied in one way or another.
Reading is a great way to pass the time, as long as you have the right book in your hand. You just need to know what will set the tone on your trip.
Why the Drake Passage Demands a Different Kind of Reading
Not every book works for this kind of trip. The Drake Passage has its own kind of mood, a strange mix of awe and unease, and your reading should reflect that. Otherwise, you’ll spend the crossing feeling vaguely out of sync with everything around you.
Although a light read is perfect for unwinding on a traditional cruise, the Drake couldn’t be more different. You want a book with some real weight to it.
Fiction That Matches the Antarctic State of Mind
The following recommendations capture something about the experience you’re already living, that mix of wonder and unease that comes with heading somewhere very few people ever go.
Stories of Ice and Survival
Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness is set on a planet that’s locked in a permanent winter. Here, the cold sets the tone and changes how people think and act.
Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation is shorter and weirder. Scientists walk into a strange region, and things go very wrong…
Both of these reads are hard to put down, and get under your skin the same way the Drake does.
Psychological Isolation and Moral Ambiguity
If you want something based on a real event, The Terror by Dan Simmons is the perfect choice. It tells the story of two ships that got stuck in Antarctica in 1845, with the crew being stranded for years.
It’s hard not to become a little paranoid when reading this book, but it will make you glad to be on a modern ship!
Sci-Fi and Cosmic Horror
Some books were practically made for the Drake, and one of the best examples is H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. Set in Antarctica, it’s the story of scientists who find something under the ice that they really wish they hadn’t.
This book is unsettling without being gory, and shares the same eerie feeling as the Drake does.
Books That Hold Their Mystery
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is a novel that’s set in Alaska but makes for a great read in any cold, wintry setting.
Between the covers, you’ll find the story of a couple who find a girl who seems to be made out of snow. Is she real? The story never quite answers that question, which is what makes it such an intriguing read.
How to Read While Crossing the Drake
Before you depart, make sure to pack smart and put physical books on your list. E-readers like Kindles can be pretty frustrating to use in rough seas.
The voyage will interrupt your reading at various points, and that’s fine. Try to pick books that you can read in short bursts. For example, Annihilation is barely 200 pages long, and The Snow Child has short chapters you can finish between meals.
Let the Sea Set the Pace
An Antarctica cruise is one of those rare trips where you really have nowhere else to be. So take it easy and let your books breathe. Put them down when the view calls for it, because the view will call for it often, and the story will still be waiting when you come back.
Although reading at sea can be extremely rewarding, the Drake is its own kind of story, so try to be as present as you can.