Veniss Underground

A Novel

De: Jeff VanderMeer

Narrado por: Ron Butler, Scott Brick, Emily Woo Zeller, Bronson Pinchot

From the New York Times bestselling author of Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer’s first novel, Veniss Underground, takes listeners on a journey to a labyrinthine city of tunnels, and the dangers lurking behind each turn.

Set in the mysterious and magical city of Veniss, a surreal metropolis that sits over an underground labyrinth of tunnels and mines. In this tale, epic and mythological in scope, VanderMeer takes the listener below the surface of the earth to the dark and decadent future. It’s a world where Living Artists craft works out of biological material, and humans are either tossed out or recycled into something wholly unrecognizable.

Told from three distinct viewpoints―Nicholas, a not-quite-talented-enough Artist; his twin sister, Nicola; and Nicola’s former lover, Shadrach―Veniss Underground follows these characters as they embark on a journey to hell and back, replete with the blend of horrors (biological, environmental, and ethical) that also animate VanderMeer’s subsequent blockbuster novels. Veniss Underground explores the limits of love, memory, and obsession in a landscape that defies the boundaries of imagination.

This reissue will include a new introduction by the National Book Award-winning author Charles Yu and more new material from Jeff VanderMeer.

©2003 VanderMeer Creative, Inc. Foreword © 2023 by Charles Yu (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Great performances!

I think this an excellent, more accessible VanderMeer story than his ambergris series, but it still has the incredible world-building and intrigue too.

However… all of the performances are worth the price of admission alone. Particular during Shadrach’s section has excellent acting. It’s so good!

Horrifying and Fascinating

Gruesome, creative and unpredictable. I went into this blind and not a single event that happened was on my bingo card. Very dark but very addictive. The narrators did a wonderful job bringing the story to life.

A great follow up to Ambergris

This is a great way to fill the void in your life left by the titanic work that is the Ambergris series. They share similar themes and it's evident that Veniss is the kernel that eventually grew into Ambergris.

Amazing

The three viewpoints are tied very well in the story and the last part is a great addition.

Pretentious Crap!

Annihilation is one of my favorite movies ever. Because of that movie I purchased the entire Southern Reach trilogy. I should have just read that but instead I had the brilliant idea to read some of Jeff Vander Meer‘s other works first. I purchased Veniss Underground & City of Saints and Madmen. I started with City of Saints and Madmen but I wasn’t really in the mood for a romance novel between a man & a mannequin so I put it down.

Recently I jumped into Veniss Underground & the entire time I’m reading it my mind is trying to figure out where I’ve seen this before. Tonight I finally figured out why I recognized Jeff Vander Meer‘s work. If you’ve ever went to a modern art museum to see creations by artists that art critics rave about & got a shock well this is it. Jeff Vander Meer’s works are the equivalent of an artist dragging their ass covered in feces across a canvas & calling it art. The critics absolutely love it & so do the folks trying to look sophisticated but the rest of us are moving away from the stench.

As far as the narration goes some was of it was fine but I wasn’t a fan of Bronson Pinchot‘s performance. That said it definitely wasn’t what made me resent having read this book.

As far as recommendations go if you’re the type of person that likes when an artist fills a bottle with urine & suspends stuff in it then Jeff Vander Meer‘s work is for you. Anyone else should skip this pretentious crap.