Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation was interesting in its exploration of the weird and the events that happen in Area X. It has an interesting exploration of sanity as well. The way the book is written makes it seem as though the protagonists are entirely sane, but then continues to become dreamier and weirder. It seems like the place could just be too strange to rationalize sanely, which leads to us wondering if they are still a sane, rational observer of the area.
The lack of description of the creatures also helps buy into the weird and the devolving sanity. It would be difficult to create a creature that wasn’t based on some level of human experience with some recognizable trait. By keeping descriptions minimal, Annihilation manages to maintain the “weird” and lets the readers imagination take over and fill in the gaps.
Annihilation creates an experience that urges the reader to continue reading. The reader is meant to be affected by the visit to Area X the same way the team is, and their interpretation of what they read is based upon their preexisting beliefs and feelings. Annihilation as a standalone book captures a weird experience without answering many questions. While I haven’t read the next two books, I’ve read that they answer some of those questions. I believe keeping Annihilation as just a weird experience is just as valuable and compelling.
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with this! Less is more when it comes to the “weird.” The author gives the reader so little detail that it almost feels like we are in the main character’s shoes. We’re just as confused and frightened as she is, while also craving more answers in hopes of a satisfying conclusion.
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