Carson always wanted to be an author. When she was 10 years old, she published her first article “A Battle in the Clouds” in the St. Nicholas magazine. A paragraph long, the story was inspired by a letter sent to her from her brother who was at that time in the Army Air Service. She was awarded a silver medal for it by the magazine, which she continued to submit stories to.

During her time at the Bureau of Fisheries, Carson sold a piece about Chesapeake Bay shad fishing for $20 to Baltimore Sun titled “It’ll Be Shad Time Soon”, which ran in the Baltimore Sun Sunday Magazine on 1 March 1936. The article highlighted the issues of unsustainable fishing and industrial pollution which were killing the fish at Chesapeake Bay. Hence, writing articles based on research from her workplace became a way for her to share with the public what she felt were important environmental concerns.

“Undersea” (1937)

Carson continued to contribute articles to magazines such as the Sun and the Richmond Times about a variety of wildlife subjects, and among them was “Undersea” which was published in the Atlantic’s September issue in 1937. “Undersea” was based on everything she knew about life that crowded the sea and was written in a manner similar to William Beebe’s book Half Mile Down: it intended to bring the reader down to the seafloor without actually going for a dive. It also demonstrated her understanding of ecosystems and the idea of life being a continuum. Even though Carson was not a journalist and had never gone diving herself, she managed to write the article beautifully based on her own knowledge and research.

“Undersea” caught the attention of author Hendrik van Loon, who wrote to Carson encouraging her to write a book and inviting her to visit him in his home in Connecticut, where he would introduce her to the editor of his publisher.

Under the Sea-Wind (1941)

By February 1938, Carson had come up with an idea for a book similar to Henry Williamson’s Salar the Salmon- a story told from the perspective of a single fish. Eventually, Carson would decide to split the book into three sections, each based on a different marine creature (one of them was an American eel) and told in a different setting: the shoreline, the open sea and the depths of the sea. The setting for her book was inspired by a working vacation to Beaufort, where she kept her observations and ideas in a small notebook while exploring. She also asked van Loon to introduce her to an expert that could advise her on her research and writing, which was something she would continue to do for her subsequent books.

Under the Sea-Wind was published November 1, 1941 to favorable reviews including one from William Beebe, the experienced diver and leading naturalist who van Loon introduced to Carson. She had managed to combine literature with science and the book sold well for a few weeks, but never sold more than 1700 copies due to World War II (1939-1945). Disappointed about her book, Carson returned to work, unsure if she would ever write a book again.

The Sea around Us (1951)

In the years following the war, great improvements were being made in sea-related findings (Sonar was among them) and Carson had access to these findings due to her work at the Fish & Wildlife Service. She remained interested in the theme of migration and kept files filled with clippings and papers about waves, weather and currents. By 1948, she had begun thinking about a new book that would be about our dependence on the sea.

In order to gain a first-hand experience “Undersea”, Carson went on a helmet-diving trip to Florida with her friend and colleague, Shirley Briggs. The trip was a failure due to bad diving conditions, however at the very least, she did manage to dive for the first time. Carson also went to Woods Hole and Georges Bank in Massachusetts where she collected more information for her book. In addition, she enlisted the help of numerous ocean experts such as Henry Bigelow and did extensive research to obtain the latest scientific findings for the book.

Her hard work paid off and when published in 1951, The Sea around Us topped the New York Times bestseller list for thirty-nine weeks and won the National Book Award. Under the Sea-Wind was also reprinted to great acclaim, catapulting Carson to fame and establishing her reputation as a serious author.

The Edge of the Sea (1955)

Carson was already thinking about her third book even before The Sea around Us was published. It was going to be something like a guidebook on how human beings can protect nature and focused on coastal ecosystems. Carson also enlisted Bob Hines, an artist and illustrator at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to create drawings for her book.

It took Carson three years longer than planned to complete The Edge of the Sea, however like the two before it, the book was a great success. Although this was the first time that her book was based only on her own fieldwork, some people would also say that this was her first book as a conservationist instead of as a marine biologist.