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A review by angethology
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
3.0
"It was 'pristine wilderness, after all, human-made toxins now absent."
Unlike its predecessor 'Annihilation', 'Authority' swings more toward the mystiques of fhe government agency, Southern Reach, which spearhead the Area X expeditions.
The book introduces John Rodriguez ("Control") as the new head of Southern Reach after their previous director disappeared in the 12th expedition to Area X. John is not well liked by the new assistant director and is hard-pressed to find things regarding the expeditions that give him fully satisfactory answers. He interviews the biologist that came back from the latest expedition, but her answers only add to the confusion. With his mother (who's an operative) hovering over him, John attempts to make head-and-tails over the increasingly uncanny Southern Agency. As he uncovers more footage and files, his head becomes more tumultuous and doesn't seem to be reflecting the nickname he gave himself.
Like 'Annihilation,' the protagonist's past is an integral part in the progression of events as he goes deep in the trenches of Area X. How John experiences the strangeness and mystery of the region, even if not directly in it, is related to his relationships, personality, insecurities, etc. But while I absolutely loved how they tied these two things together in the first book, I find this one infinitely more underwhelming.
What's unsatisfactory about this book are the lack of new revelations. We are introduced to an eerie, unexplainable phenomenon of Area X in the first book, with a lot of answers left out on purpose, with the implication that Southern Reach is extremely questionable. The second book, however, despite focusing on Southern Reach as a suspicious organization, doesn't reify what we already know from Annihilation. Mysteries are lodged in other mysteries, to the point where the novel feels like a big conspiracy theory, with an array of speculation that never gets confirmed nor denied. There's simply nothing new that gets revealed, perhaps except for the final act which is what I liked best about the book. Because of its different focus, it understandably has less of the eco-horror elements like the previous book. But this on top of the lack of plot development makes it hard to be as enthusiastic about it. We already knew Southern Reach was probably bad, just not how exactly they operated, and I'm still left with the same sentiment after finishing 'Authority.'
Because of how much I loved Annihilation, this felt more disappointing to me, but it still has the prose that I enjoy on a technical level, and there are some scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This feels definitely more on the mystery side rather than horror. I'll be finishing the trilogy (as eventually Absolution when it comes out), but hopefully I like Acceptance better.
Unlike its predecessor 'Annihilation', 'Authority' swings more toward the mystiques of fhe government agency, Southern Reach, which spearhead the Area X expeditions.
The book introduces John Rodriguez ("Control") as the new head of Southern Reach after their previous director disappeared in the 12th expedition to Area X. John is not well liked by the new assistant director and is hard-pressed to find things regarding the expeditions that give him fully satisfactory answers. He interviews the biologist that came back from the latest expedition, but her answers only add to the confusion. With his mother (who's an operative) hovering over him, John attempts to make head-and-tails over the increasingly uncanny Southern Agency. As he uncovers more footage and files, his head becomes more tumultuous and doesn't seem to be reflecting the nickname he gave himself.
Like 'Annihilation,' the protagonist's past is an integral part in the progression of events as he goes deep in the trenches of Area X. How John experiences the strangeness and mystery of the region, even if not directly in it, is related to his relationships, personality, insecurities, etc. But while I absolutely loved how they tied these two things together in the first book, I find this one infinitely more underwhelming.
What's unsatisfactory about this book are the lack of new revelations. We are introduced to an eerie, unexplainable phenomenon of Area X in the first book, with a lot of answers left out on purpose, with the implication that Southern Reach is extremely questionable. The second book, however, despite focusing on Southern Reach as a suspicious organization, doesn't reify what we already know from Annihilation. Mysteries are lodged in other mysteries, to the point where the novel feels like a big conspiracy theory, with an array of speculation that never gets confirmed nor denied. There's simply nothing new that gets revealed, perhaps except for the final act which is what I liked best about the book. Because of its different focus, it understandably has less of the eco-horror elements like the previous book. But this on top of the lack of plot development makes it hard to be as enthusiastic about it. We already knew Southern Reach was probably bad, just not how exactly they operated, and I'm still left with the same sentiment after finishing 'Authority.'
Because of how much I loved Annihilation, this felt more disappointing to me, but it still has the prose that I enjoy on a technical level, and there are some scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This feels definitely more on the mystery side rather than horror. I'll be finishing the trilogy (as eventually Absolution when it comes out), but hopefully I like Acceptance better.