I was thoroughly intrigued by Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation, which I read in preparation for the Natalie Portman adaptation to be released in 2018. Of course, since my library had the next two books in the trilogy, I thought, Why not? and borrowed the whole set. I am delighted to discover a strange and thoroughly interesting series of books from a talented and inventive writer. The events of Annihilation are written from the perspective of the biologist. VanderMeer switches gears here, and he writes from the […]
A strange but excellent thriller
I am a huge Alex Garland fan. I *loved* Ex Machina and Sunshine and have since sought out his other screenwriting ventures. When I found out that his new movie releases in 2018, I was so excited. And then I found out that there was a book attached. Even better. My sister had read and recommended Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy, of which Annihilation is the first book. I thought, Let’s start here. And what a wild ride it is. Area X is thought to […]
The Nature of the Unknown
This book felt a lot like Gaiman’s Ocean at the End of the Lane. Very quietly brooding, the horrors sneak up on your when you’re not looking. There is little dialog and the characters have no names, but that takes nothing away from the simplistic beauty of this story. A female biologist and a group of four other women are sent on an expedition to the strange and uncanny Area X, where their mission is to record data on the un-peopled area and figure out […]
Resistance is futile
Oh dear. What did I just read? Acceptance is the third and final part of the Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. So, if you haven’t read the first and second part, and you’re planning on reading them despite my ”proceed with caution” reviews, stop reading now. SPOILERS AHOY Acceptance deals with the events that take place right after Control and Ghost Bird jump into the tidal pool, but also with the past (the light keeper’s life as well as the months preceding the director’s […]