Book Review
Title: Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)
Author: Jeff VanderMeer
Published: 2014
Rating: 65/100
Review:
(From Goodreads)
When I heard Alex Garland was making this book into a movie, I had to read it. I downloaded it on Audible the very next day and dived head first into Jeff VanderMeer's bizarre and wacky world, Area X.
VanderMeer's Annihilation belongs to the 'New Weird' sub-genre of science fiction, a sub-genre I had never heard about until now. After reading Annihilation, I can safely say it's a sub-genre that doesn't sit with me very well. Reading it was like trying to swallow a sweet tasting candy and having it get stuck in the back of my throat. After nearly choking to death on it, safe to say I won't be rushing out for more candy, regardless of how nice it tasted going in.
Annihilation takes you on a journey into the unknown and posits a lot more questions than it does answers. It's like VanderMeer set out to deliberately confuse you and give you a throbbing headache. Remember watching Lost and having absolutely no idea what is really going on? That'll be you reading Annihilation. Don't get me wrong, I loved Lost. Lost was confusing, but it's diverse range of interesting characters and creative back stories anchored its weirdness. With Lost, you didn't really care how bonkers it all was, you just wanted to see if Kate would choose Jack or Sawyer. Annihilation has nothing to anchor it. The characters are flat and lifeless. Hell, they don't even have names... instead they are given titles like 'The Biologist' and 'The Surveyor'.
Annihilation's protagonist, The Biologist, has quite possibly one of the most depressing and boring back stories of all-time. She's the kind of person you would avoid at all costs, not the kind of person you want to spend an entire book with. She's like a walking science journal, clinical and cold. About half-way through the novel I started to hope VanderMeer would flip the script and kill her off, pulling a real George RR Martin on me. But no, I was stuck with her and her character alone is really what stopped me from enjoying the overall story.
Which brings me to the overarching story - a beautiful, mysterious and twisted place called 'Area X' that unfolds the more you read. Area X is intriguing and inescapably interesting. It makes you want to get sucked down the rabbit hole. It's like VanderMeer offers you the red pill and you swallow it without thinking twice. The overarching story is really what solidifies VanderMeer as a visionary sci-fi writer who will most likely become one of the greats. His mind must be like a Willy Wonka's Factory of ideas. I cannot wait to see how Garland transfers the world of Area X from the pages to the big screen. Regardless of how dull VanderMeer's characters are, Area X is really what Annihilation is about and it's why I'll be buying a ticket to see the movie.
In conclusion, I would have given this 4 stars but I also took a disliking to the voice artist on the audiobook. Her voice grated on me and made me hate the protagonist even more.
Who should read this book?
Anyone who likes the works of H.P. Lovecraft or appreciates weird science fiction, like Vanilla Sky.
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