Annihilation

My introduction to this book happened by accident. I was browsing TikTok (not the best place for book recommendations) and somehow I started getting more and more videos about books. At that point, I hadn't picked up any literature in months. Eventually I came across a video recommending “weird” books. There were books like “Negative Space” by B.R. Yeager, “You Should Have Left” by Daniel Kehlmann, and Annihilation. Annihilation hooked me the most with the themes of wilderness, government mysteries and anomalies. Like, the main setting is the Area X ... my favorite series is the X Files, put an X in the title with the themes I described above and I'm yours.

I ended up reading this book every day until I finished it. At work in a coffee shop, on the train, on the subway, at home late at night already when my girlfriend is asleep. I couldn't tear myself away from it. This book reminded me how much I am fascinated by nature, how addicted I am to mysteries and the inexplicable in stories, and it has it all. I don't know where VanderMeer got such a knowledge of biology and ecology, but the accurate descriptions of bird species, animals, trees and plants is what elevated the reading experience for me.

Everything strange in the book is given with the realization that to make anything supernatural convincing you have to leave it unclear, give enough for the reader to form an idea and leave everything else to the interpretation. And the seemingly unanswered questions would have left me unsatisfied or at least with the opinion that I would find my answers in the next book, but no. This is the first book in a trilogy of books, but after reading it, the book feels complete. I'm sure if you only read this one and don't read any further, you won't come away disappointed. All of this to bring me to a moment where thinking about what I had read, I realized that there were topics and issues that were never explained, but at the same time I didn't feel like I was ripped off or that the author was lazy .... everything felt right.

On a separate note, I want to talk about the main character. Her personality, flaws, it all felt so real that she felt real. The book gives details of her life with moments that are too fictional but also touching and wounding events after which you as a reader can not help yourself but empathize with her, although consciously criticizing her decisions here and there. Biologist is a strong character whom must have been extremely difficult to write, and if not, I just envy VanderMeer's abilities.

Annihilation was the first book in my return to the hobby of reading, and it's the most satisfying return ever. The book actively plays with your imagination, makes you think and empathize. A masterpiece.