Floating Dragon

Floating Dragon by Peter Straub is a richly atmospheric supernatural thriller that unfolds in the sleepy town of Hampstead, Connecticut, during one catastrophic summer. A toxic nerve gas known as DRG‑16 escapes from a defense lab, triggering widespread madness, hallucinations, and violence. Simultaneously, a spectral evil—nicknamed the “Dragon”—awakens every thirty years, sowing supernatural terror in descendants of the town’s founders.

Graham Williams, a writer and descendant of one original settler, becomes obsessed with the town’s cycle of disaster. He reconnects with three other heirs—Richard Allbee, Patsy McCloud, and Tabby Smithfield—each haunted by visions and personal grief. As DRG‑16 spreads, lines blur between chemical-induced frenzy and ancient curse. Are the monstrous events hallucinations, or is the Dragon real?

Straub skillfully alternates perspectives, blending psychic breakdown with family history and mythic horror. Townsfolk drop dead, children drown mysteriously, and sparrows fall lifeless from trees—the normal unravels. When the Dragon’s shapeshifting vengeance becomes undeniable, the group must confront a malevolent force older than the town itself.

A novel praised for its literary ambition and sustained dread, Floating Dragon won the August Derleth Award in 1984. It’s perfect for fans of psychological horror that fuses science, folklore, and moral complexity, where reality and nightmare collide in unforgettable ways