Weird, Weird, Weird
Review: Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
When I read the first book in this series, I wasn't too fond of it and was glad it was short. When I sat down to read the rest...well.
Book one was about 150 pages, hardly a novel. Book two, 270. Book three, about the same. Book four...over 300.
And, unfortunately, it didn't get any better. I'm not unfond of weird fiction, but there's something about VanderMeer's style that doesn't appeal. Also, there's a bit too much body horror in this for me.
Authority is also an explanation book. There's a bit too much exposition in it, a bit too much information. The surreality of the first book is dampened...and that was the best part of it. VanderMeer does tell a fascinating story, but this book would have benefitted from some more ruthless editing and an understanding that we don't need to know what's actually going on with Area X.
Review: Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
It appears this was originally intended to be the final volume, and VanderMeer came back to extend it...ten years later. I'll be curious to see how his writing has matured.
I liked Acceptance a bit better than Authority, perhaps because the time jumping brought back some of that surreal creepiness, horror that is as much in...ah, yeah, that's it. Annihilation was horror in what you did not see. Authorityshowed us too much of it. Acceptance tries to get back some of that by twisting multiple layers together, and while we find out what Area X is made of, we are still left wondering what it is, with apologies to C.S. Lewis.
Review: Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer
This book reads like one of those fix ups put together from notes found in the author's desk after he dies, except VanderMeer is very much alive and did this himself. Absolution is several shorter books that kind of frame themselves around the other books. You might call it a prequel, and I suppose it technically is, especially as it definitely both starts and ends before the rest of the series.
It just doesn't feel like one. And with apologies to VanderMeer, I still don't like it. Absolution also feels like an attempt to regain the surreal creepiness, but I think it's too late. We know too much at this point to really regain the white space horror and instead this fourth volume leans into body horror.
I suppose I can see the edges of what the fuss is about. But ultimately, this is a series I should have liked and wanted to like, but which missed the mark for me. YMMV and I suspect if you have a higher enjoyment of body horror in general it might make a difference.
(Cosmic horror I'm there for, body horror not so much).
It's an interesting ride, and I think there might be space for more, but I doubt I'll be seeking it out if so.
I received free copies of these books for award consideration purposes.