Authority
World Fantasy Award nominee 2015.
In the second volume of the Southern Reach Trilogy, questions are answered, stakes raised, mysteries deepened...
In Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer introduced the mysteries of Area X — a remote and lush terrain mysteriously sequestered from civilization. It was the first volume of a projected trilogy; well in advance of publication, translation rights had sold all around the world and a major movie deal had been struck.
Just months later, the second volume is here. For thirty years, the only human engagement with Area X has taken the form of a series of expeditions monitored by a secret agency called the Southern Reach. After the disastrous twelfth expedition chronicled in Annihilation, the Southern Reach is in disarray, and John Rodriguez (aka “Control”) is the team’s newly appointed head. From a series of interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, the secrets of Area X begin to reveal themselves — and what they expose pushes Control to confront disturbing truths about both himself and the agency he’s promised to serve. And the consequences will reach much farther than that.
The Southern Reach trilogy will conclude in fall 2014 with Acceptance.
Readers also enjoyed
Jeff VanderMeer
When Jeff VanderMeer writes, the world gets stranger—but in a way that feels unsettlingly familiar. Known for blurring the boundaries between nature and the surreal, his work isn’t content to just entertain—it transforms. With Annihilation, the first book in the Southern Reach Trilogy, VanderMeer didn’t just capture imaginations—he redefined what ecological science fiction could look like. The novel’s hypnotic blend of decay, transformation, and unknowable forces led to a bestselling series and a major film adaptation by Alex Garland. But for longtime readers, Annihilation was just the latest evolution of a voice that has always thrived in the liminal.
Southern Reach
Southern Reach consists of four primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
