William Briden is a fictional character created by H. P. Lovecraft, who makes his only appearance in the 1928 short story "The Call of Cthulhu". He is a member of the Emma of Auburn, although his role is uncertain. Briden and Second Mate Gustaf Johansen are the only two men in the crew of 11 who manage to escape R'lyeh, however the crew's encounter with Cthulhu on the island renders Briden insane. By the time the Alert is sighted by the Vigilant several weeks later, Briden has been dead for no less than a week.