Did a fish inspire one of the most famous works of gothic horror literature? A pet theory of mine.
In 1847 a ship bound from the Mediterranean to England is caught in a terrible storm in the Bay of Biscay. The crew are supersitious that a mysterious, coffin-like box on board the ship could be the cause of their bad fortune. The box bears only the address of an Oxford academic - could it be a cadaver bound for the doctor's dissection table? Soon the crew are demanding for the box to be opened. The carpenter removes the fastenings from the box, opens the lid and reveals ... a large Tuna packed in salt.
(1/2)