A review by killa_bunnies
Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation; Authority; Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Jeff VanderMeer is one of the leading figures of the literary movement of New Weird, or weird fiction, as it is often used. However his works are much more diverse than that and also includes excursions to steam punk, a genre he dedicated several non-fiction books to. Basically it means covering various genres and literary traditions, like postmodernism, post-apocalyptic, or horror, combined with various strangeness (physical/psychical) and deep psychological sides of its characters. 

Area X contains all three books of the original Southern Reach trilogy, specifically Annihilation, Authority & Acceptance (Absolution is not part of it since it was released only this October). What to say about these books? First thing first: forget the Annihilation movie. Only a small fragment of it has anything to do with VanderMeer’s book, like the setting and main character, the rest is Alex Garland’s imagination. The books are nothing like that. With that out of the way, let’s dig deeper. Area X is a zone with various phenomena taking place, including mutations and strange occurrences, that support the overall dark, almost horror-like tone of the books. The main protagonist changes through each book, as well as the point of view, each bringing a different angle on the phenomena of the zone that is slowly expanding. In general point of view it is not a book for everyone, the slow-paced rhythm of narration as well as many introspective moments are asking the reader to follow up on its own, paying attention to details and making the assumptions as they go. There are no answers, but more fuel for thoughts; no explanations, but more suggestions for you to complete the gaps; no dramatic action, or fast-moving narrative, but rather contemplative psychological horror-like story. VanderMeer excels in worldbuilding, creating an intricate world where he manages to fit strange, basically otherworldly events with personal psychological drama and character backstories, mixing the external with the internal, the global with personal. The best part is: it all works well here and creates an unforgettable mixture of fiction. Highly recommend it.