The outstanding Belgian writer Jean Ray (real name Raymond Jean Marie de Cremer) (1887–1964) wrote in French and Dutch, using, in addition to his main one, several more pseudonyms. As Jean Ray, he became known as the author of many mystical and fantasy novels and short stories, as Harry Dixon - as an author of a purely detective genre; finally, under the name “John Flanders” he signed romantic, adventure-filled novels and stories about the sea. Researchers of Jean Ray's work note that the world of the sea occupies a significant place among his main themes: “Beyond the horizon there is always some strange island, a foggy port or sailors trying to forget the magic associated with them in taverns filled with tobacco smoke.” These works, originally written in Dutch, were subsequently translated into French by Ray, modifying them somewhat; This edition is based on the French versions of the texts. Ray’s works, signed under the pseudonym “John Flanders,” are published in Russian for the first time.