A Bit Bookish

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I would have given this book 3-1/2 stars if I could. I did like it. VanderMeer is a three time winner of the World Fantasy Award--but this book, and the two others in the Southern Reach trilogy Authority and Acceptance, aren't exactly fantasy. The book is quite different and it seems to have split people pretty much into two groups, those who love it and those who think something on the order of what was that I just read? It has a Lovecraft vibe and is a mash of SF/horror. The basic plot is that there is an area of the U.S. that was mysteriously taken over by an environment called Area X. The unknown force that created it surrounded it with a border. The border does have one opening that allows humans to enter and less frequently leave. Numerous expeditions have been dispatched--most have ended in violent deaths or disappearances of those involved. An all female expedition is sent in and they know each other only by their functions--psychologist, surveyor, anthropologist, etc. It is what VanderMeer does with this basic plot that is so interesting. The framework seems to be that humans are isolated, easily manipulated, poorly suited to their natural habitat, and insignificant in the face of untamed splendor. Again, interesting concepts. I'm interested in how he finishes the trilogy.


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