Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their … of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.
The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one anotioner, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.
They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.
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Annihilation caught my eye with its fantastic cover design when it first came out. I thought the premise sounded neat but didn’t purchase it at the time. Luckily, @meredith lent it to me this week! It’s definitely important to not know too much about this book going in, but I will say that it filled me with dread in all the right ways and I will …
Beautifully written, with a fully imagined world that the author is clearly only letting you see a veeeeeeeeery tiny piece of. I liked it!
But did I love it? I think I was hoping for something a little more creepy? Like, I enjoyed reading it, but it didn’t fill me with existential dread. I think that’s because it’s “Nature Horror” and I never …
I started reading Annihilation last night and I bought the other two books in the trilogy this morning, that’s how good it’s been so far. (I’m planning on finishing it today — hope it doesn’t go off the rails.)
Okay, um, where do I start? First of all, this book is SO CREEPY. There is an almost palpable current of dread running across every page, …
If you’re looking for a sci-fi/horror with a ton of plot, I would pick a different book/series. However, if you’re intrigued by great descriptions of a world where humans don’t know the rules and are trying desperately to figure them out while not being killed by the plant life/each other, I’d recommend Annihilation.
I really, really enjoyed the …
This is my very first ever sci-fi read and I truly read it in one day — I loved it! I usually veer towards literary fiction, so Annihilation was a great choice for me because the language is really beautiful. The eerie yet gorgeous world-building, spectacular characterization, and overall sense of tension and suspense make this book so unique.
A group of scientists enter Area X, where a strange mutation seems to changing the environment. Strange creatures. Mutated plants. And a tunnel that seems unremarkable, except that one of the scientists can see it for what it truly is …
This is a fast read, a weird read, and a scary read wrapped up in one!
Stunningly creative and deeply weird. If you like strong women, troubling mysteries, in a sci-fi context that goes off the deep end and just keeps going — in a good way — you definitely need to pick this one up. Nothing else like it.
The Southern Reach Trilogy. Down the Rabbit Hole of Area X
A Review
Recently, I read Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. A film, based on the first first book of the trilogy, Annihilation had just been released and the trailer was so intriguing that I decided to read the book.
Annihilation, the first book of …
Annihilation
(Southern Reach #1)
by Jeff VanderMeer
This is a fascinating sci-fi that takes the reader into an environmental catastrophe known as Area X. It doesn’t describe what exactly happened to make the area so different. Was it aliens, war, nukes, environmental spill? But the the gal of the story, her husband had cancer and died soon after …
The first volume in the Southern Reach Trilogy is a masterclass in how to craft a compelling narrative from an enigmatic and perhaps unsolvable mystery. The un-named Biologist narrates her mission to the heart of Area X – an unspecified coastal region of the US transformed by unknown means into something decidedly non-Earthlike – with a compelling …
Very interesting first person psychological journey. Different in a good way
This book is the first in a trilogy. The approach and some of the ideas in it were quite different from anything else I have read. The book throws some good twists to the plot as you go along. My only caveat is that if you read the second book that you don’t expect it to be anything like the first. My hope is the third one in the series will …
The trilogy is a work of art. Mr. VanderMeer challenged me in several ways but mostly to keep an open mind and just go along for the ride. The imagination, follow through and conviction kept me glued to the screen. I hope many will give this complicated and enduring story a chance.
One of the best novels I have ever read. A simple chilling story with more questions asked then answered. The tunnel/tower is one of the most evocative settings (characters?) in any piece of writing I have ever encountered. Book 2 and 3 of this series are also interesting, but Book 1 stands apart and stands on its own. Run, don’t crawl, to read …
Don’t read Jeff Van der Meer if you’re looking for resolution or closure, but if you want to explore strange new worlds he is absolutely your go-to author.
Alternately gorgeous and horrifying. The audiobook is spectacular.
It is definitely not as ‘haunting’ and ‘twisted’ as I though it would be. It is a book outside my comfort zone, but it was not my favourite. I liked the biologist perspective surrounding how she described the environment and creatures. It is not fast paced but it lures you, as reader in some way or another. So, maybe if you are fond of sci- fi you …
This book was fascinating! A great read for anyone who loves a book that keeps them thinking.
Hugh cliffhangers but a phenomenal read. Im finishing the second book in the serious and cant wait to start the third.
I won’t be reading the rest of this trilogy. While it was a descent story it was written in a way/style that made the exciting parts meh/so-so. For me, the adventure was missing from this book. All of the elements and situations were set-up for a suspenseful and climatic story, but just did not deliver. While I appreciate that the story was told …