Along with the landslide victory for Obama, mystery waves were thrashing the shore of southeastern Maine on Tuesday afternoon. The Boston Globe reports that the water level suddenly rose 12 feet in a matter of minutes, and then drained away in a series of unusual whirlpools. Storm surge, undersea landslide, sudden release of benthic gas? Or just the usual shenanigans of the U.S. Navy and alien engineers from Planet Xabulon?

Of course, these rogue waves brought to mind John Creasey’s novel, The Depths, in which Dr, Palfrey, (the enigmatic leader of a global allied intelligence service,) tangles with a mad scientist who has harnessed the power of the sea. The mad doctor sends gigantic tsunamis onto coastlines with the flip of a switch, part of his eugenics scheme to create a perfect race of humans under the oceans, far away from the dog-eat-dog world of surface dwelling scum. Somehow the appearance of monster waves on election day sparked off random thoughts on the schemes of madmen. Such as those of our current Vice President, which seem to a have sinister parallel to the downunder community called Topeka in the film adaption of Harlan Ellison’s Boy and His Dog; as well as the farcical undersea missions of Hagbard Celine and his Golden Submarine fighting the ghost armies of the Third Reich.

Rogue waves or not, there are stormy waters ahead. Let us hope they float all boats!