Area X

The Southern Reach Trilogy - Annihilation, Authority, Acceptance

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick, Bronson Pinchot, Xe Sands

If J. J. Abrams, Margaret Atwood, and Alan Weisman collaborated on a series, it might be this awesome.

This collection includes all three novels in the epic Southern Reach trilogy: Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance. Praised for its evocative prose, chilling psychological twists, and intriguing story arc, this series has amassed high critical and popular acclaim, with book one landing on the New York Times best sellers list.

Dive into the mysteries of Area X, a remote and lush terrain that has inexplicably sequestered itself from civilization. Twelve expeditions have gone in, and not a single member of any of them has remained unchanged by the experience - for better or worse.

©2014 VanderMeer Creative, Inc. Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance © 2014 by VanderMeer Creative, Inc. (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

what an amazing ride

this book will live inside your head. part Heart of Darkness, Spy psychological novel, and Lovecraftian horror, this is a ride you won't soon forget. highly recommended.

spellbinding

This series breaks new ground in terms of the stylized writing style used to deliver its intense imagery and deep sense of psychological horror. I was drawn in by the layers of personality and mysteriously chaotic sinistry presented chapter by chapter.
Not for the closed minded or the traditionalists.

Confusing but mind jarring

Overly confusing storyline. Too much detail given to things that do not pertain to the plot. No real wrap up of the storyline and so many questions left unanswered. Nonetheless a great read/listen.

only needed one

the first book was fantastic and eerie and mysterious then the next two were boring and tedious and undid the fun mystery of the first. Annihilation is a phenomenal read. Stop after that one.

Lukewarm Review

Very well narrated, but struggled to finish this sometimes hard to follow story line.

good book & performance but difficult to listen to

I enjoyed this book and the narrators were great but the story line can be a bit confusing to listen to. I may have to go back and read it to fully appreciate the content.

incredibly strange and wonderful

incredibly strange and wonderful. understanding of what is happening comes slowly, like something in the corner of your eye. kept me thinking long after I finished listening. ambitious.

Weird and Wonderful

Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach is a weird place. I can't say much without spoiling the experience. And, the series is more of an experience than a story. It was great finding the entire trilogy in one audiobook.

The performances are very good and the narrators are perfectly matched to the book.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Slow-burn horror, masterfully executed

I loved the movie Annihilation, and when I found out that it was a Trilogy, I had to read all of the books. Honestly the movie was amazing, but it can't hold a light to the book. The similarities basically end with the most basic premise of area X. although there were parts of the movie that I enjoy tying back to the book. few things about this book are tied up into a neat little bow, but the character development is fantastic, the imagery is amazing. I feel as if this could be a world of literature as far-reaching as Star Wars or Harry Potter.

An interesting listen

I found some parts hard to follow because it was read in a hurry, like the narrators forgot how periods and commas worked. Other than that, this was brilliantly read.

The story itself is a strange and wild ride... one that you finish still not entirely sure what you've seen, heard or felt. It isn't that it cliffhangers you, or is badly written and has huge gaping holes in it. If anything the entire trilogy feels like it is meant to not be completely understood. The lack of comprehension is an instrument of the tale itself. It leaves you with several moments where you see the same scene through multiple eyes, but still leaves you with the ability to form your own impressions. The author allows you to take from it what you will, and sense from it what you will, adding your own version of the scenes to the narrative.

If you are the kind of person that likes all your details nice and neat, for your stories to make completely perfect sense by the time you finish the book or books... then this may not be the ideal choice for you. Even saying that, I think you would be denying yourself a unique experience if you passed this trilogy up.

I do think I will benefit, and thus suggest, that this be re-read, or listened to again. I found myself backing up and re-listening as I went along. It's one of those stories that if you blink, or let your focus wander a bit, you miss some small detail that makes a big difference. The entire trilogy is riddled with moments where you sit holding your breath and listening/reading/FEELING every word... every part of each word, down to the raw letters to absorb it as completely as you can.

It leaves you with questions, not completely unanswered, but the author also didn't hold your hand and spell it all out. I've rarely seen it become such a vital part of the story before. I've never seen it employed on this scale before. Finishing it leaves you wanting more in some ways, and not in others. The entirety making you think, and I mean really think about the message it leaves... And realizing it leaves a lingering impression that isn't likely to fade quickly if at all.

I'm both afraid and intrigued by the idea of sitting down to other tales by Jeff Vandermeer. It was an exhausting read, but in the best way possible. And the fear it imparts is more an excitement than actual fear. By far some of the strangest science fiction I've ever enjoyed, and I recommend this, even to people that don't usually like this sort of thing.