Authority (The Southern Reach Trilogy)

Published Feb. 14, 2001 by Fourth Estate Ltd.

ISBN:: 978-0-00-813911-7

(1 review)

For thirty years, a secret agency called the Southern Reach has monitored expeditions into Area X, a remote and lush terrain mysteriously sequestered from civilization. After the twelfth expedition, the Southern Reach is in disarray, and John Rodriguez is the team's newly appointed head. From a series of interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and more than two hundred hours of profoundly troubling video footage, the secrets of Area X begin to reveal themselves.

9 editions

Johnny reviewed Authority (The Southern Reach Trilogy) by Jeff VanderMeer

A perfectly executed change of scenery

5 stars

Despite being completely different from the first entry in terms of setting and protagonist, this worked perfectly as the continuation of the story. It was a contrast to other aspects of the first book, too: whereas Annihilation was intentionally built to be impersonal, distant from the characters (except the protagonist), Authority is the exact opposite in being all about the relationships between the protagonist and other characters. Inside of Area X vs. outside of Area X.

Again, this was excellently written, and, despite (or maybe because of) being outside of Area X this time, it was just as eerie as the first one!