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A review by angethology
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
5.0
"Observation always meant more to me than interaction... I was nothing but expression in other ways. My sole gift or talent, I believe now, was that places could impress themselves upon me, and I could become a part of them with ease."
This is a surreal, weird and profound epistolary novel told through a fascinating narrative with a heavy emphasis on semiotics. With the mysterious Area X seemingly 'destabilizing' whatever is in it, the four scientists find that exploring the abandoned place means exploring their own identity as well. Jeff VanderMeer centers nature and reminds us of its existence independent of humans, and is especially more conspicuous through the biologist's point of view β as her passion as well as her coping mechanism lies with the solitude and inevitability of nature.
The biologist's life almost entirely revolves around her work, making her seem like she's in a "continuous dream" that distorts her reality, or rather, other people's reality as it disrupts their standards of the norm. Once in Area X, she finds a parallel to her previous ecosystems she's accustomed to, blending in the more she unveils the sinister aspects of the area. Her own account of her expedition along with her flashbacks to the past show how she stands out from the others, and what she realizes about her spouse. There's a mysterious sign system that the scientists become privy to in Area X; it's a form of communication that speaks to people differently, or barely register in their minds. The words may be in English but they're alien all the same, and with their training, made them "know everything, and nothing" simultaneously.
I also find the Crawler, the tower, and the lighthouse compelling imagery wherein their significance starts changing throughout the book. The lighthouse is the blueprint for familiarity. When delved in it uncovers a great deal of issues that result in incoherence, despite the myriad of similar accounts in it. Mapping out the lighthouse as a safe haven, instilled in the scientists, proves to be a source of false beacon of light. The tower on the other hand, while in every way pushes you into fight or flight mode, also draws the biologist in through its own way of calling. It brings a certain escape that the biologist has been striving toward; the same escapism she desires in the "real world" : "When you see beauty in desolation it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonize you." The Crawler, akin to the tower, can you compel you to seek it, as βIn unusual situations there can be a comfort in the presence of even someone you think might be your enemy.β It gives you the illusion of control when none actually exists because when you think you know something, it gives you a reason to fight back as opposed to resigning to the inevitability of certain outcomes.
It's clear that the author has a great respect and passion for nature, and to incorporate it aptly in a horror context symbolic of our current climate, as well as the characters themselves, makes it one of my favorite reads this year.
This is a surreal, weird and profound epistolary novel told through a fascinating narrative with a heavy emphasis on semiotics. With the mysterious Area X seemingly 'destabilizing' whatever is in it, the four scientists find that exploring the abandoned place means exploring their own identity as well. Jeff VanderMeer centers nature and reminds us of its existence independent of humans, and is especially more conspicuous through the biologist's point of view β as her passion as well as her coping mechanism lies with the solitude and inevitability of nature.
The biologist's life almost entirely revolves around her work, making her seem like she's in a "continuous dream" that distorts her reality, or rather, other people's reality as it disrupts their standards of the norm. Once in Area X, she finds a parallel to her previous ecosystems she's accustomed to, blending in the more she unveils the sinister aspects of the area. Her own account of her expedition along with her flashbacks to the past show how she stands out from the others, and what she realizes about her spouse. There's a mysterious sign system that the scientists become privy to in Area X; it's a form of communication that speaks to people differently, or barely register in their minds. The words may be in English but they're alien all the same, and with their training, made them "know everything, and nothing" simultaneously.
I also find the Crawler, the tower, and the lighthouse compelling imagery wherein their significance starts changing throughout the book. The lighthouse is the blueprint for familiarity. When delved in it uncovers a great deal of issues that result in incoherence, despite the myriad of similar accounts in it. Mapping out the lighthouse as a safe haven, instilled in the scientists, proves to be a source of false beacon of light. The tower on the other hand, while in every way pushes you into fight or flight mode, also draws the biologist in through its own way of calling. It brings a certain escape that the biologist has been striving toward; the same escapism she desires in the "real world" : "When you see beauty in desolation it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonize you." The Crawler, akin to the tower, can you compel you to seek it, as βIn unusual situations there can be a comfort in the presence of even someone you think might be your enemy.β It gives you the illusion of control when none actually exists because when you think you know something, it gives you a reason to fight back as opposed to resigning to the inevitability of certain outcomes.
It's clear that the author has a great respect and passion for nature, and to incorporate it aptly in a horror context symbolic of our current climate, as well as the characters themselves, makes it one of my favorite reads this year.