<p>The Derelict is a short story by William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1912. An elderly ship's doctor recounts a strange event that happened to him some years earlier, in the context of discussing his ideas about a fundamental life force that can manifest itself in the presence of proper materials. While sailing as a passenger, a sudden storm disables the ship. In the aftermath, a derelict vessel is discovered. Excerpt: "'Seen anything of C...