September 17, 2024
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Book Review: A return to the eerie tension of Area X
in PardonJeff VanderMeer unravels the mystery with his Southern Reach trilogy
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Absolution: A Southern Reach Novel
By Jeff VanderMeer.
MCD, 2024 ($30)
Told in three sinister tales by author and critic Jeff VanderMeer Pardon This film fills in the gaps in the Southern Reach trilogy about the mysterious Area X. Old Jim, a reluctant and damaged agent of a secret government organization called Central, discovers 20-year-old records of the first expedition to the area by biologists who encounter time dilation, animal mimicry, a lighthouse that emits green energy, and a mysterious figure named Rogue who stops their research. Old Jim learns that Central uses brain augmentation and conditioning to control both scientists and animals. VanderMeer ratchets up the tension with these atmospheric and truly creepy stories that will unsettle and entertain you at the same time.
