Authority (novel)
_by_Jeff_VanderMeer.jpg) |
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| Author | Jeff VanderMeer |
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| Genre | Fantasy, Horror, Science fiction |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
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Publication date
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May 6, 2014 |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | Annihilation |
| Followed by | Acceptance |
Authority is a 2014 novel by Jeff VanderMeer. It is the second in a series of three books called the Southern Reach Trilogy. The book is said to focus on the Southern Reach agency. In an interview, VanderMeer states that, "if Annihilation is an expedition into Area X, then Authority is an expedition into the Southern Reach, the agency sending in the expeditions." It was released in May 2014.
Authority revolves around the operatives of the Southern Reach agency. The agency is responsible for the investigation into the unexplained phenomena of Area X. The second book takes place in the human inhabited areas unlike the first book Annihilation which was completely set within Area X.
John Rodriguez aka Control takes over as the new director of the Southern Reach agency. He is a secret operative assigned by the mysterious Central group which oversees the Southern Reach agency. He comes from a family of operatives, his mother and grandfather are prominent and influential members. Control reports to a handler called "the Voice" at the Central over phone calls and emails.
In his role as director, Control frequently encounters friction with the existing staff to various degrees: in particular, the deputy director Grace is against him and tries to outdo him at every opportunity. In spite of this resistance, Control methodically sifts through the accumulated data (interviews, photos, videos) and works out several key facts. Control learns that the previous director (whom he replaced) was the psychologist of the twelfth expedition. He also finds that there were many more missions than what has been made public. The 11th expedition alone had multiple iterations with slightly different control factors similar to a lab experiment. The 12th expedition had an all-female crew to see how this composition would interact with Area X. The biologist, who is protagonist of the first book, and the psychologist were both part of the twelfth expedition.
Control interrogates the biologist who is undergoing debriefing after she mysteriously re-appeared in a vacant lot. Slowly, he begins to empathize with her and understands her interest for the biological ecosystem. However he does not gain any information about Area X or what happened there so he decides to use unconventional tactics to get the biologist to talk.
Control suspects that he is under hypnosis and (correctly) guesses that his handler "The Voice" is hypnotizing him to steer his investigation into specific lines. He breaks out of this hypnosis cycle which allows him to work more independently and make quicker progress on the investigation. However, it alienates him from the bosses at Central and he relies upon his mother to protect him from any retaliation. Central forcibly moves the biologist into their own detention facility and away from Control as they believe Control has developed an emotional attachment with the biologist.
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