The Southern Reach Trilogy
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Annihilation Authority Acceptance |
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| Author | Jeff VanderMeer |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, Horror, Science fiction |
| Published | 2014 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback) E-book |
| No. of books | 3 |
Southern Reach is the name of Jeff VanderMeer's 2014 award-winning trilogy of novels, starting with Annihilation. The trilogy takes its name from the secret agency that is central to the plot. In 2013, it was announced that Paramount Pictures bought the movie rights for the series, with the film adaptation of Annihilation proceeding with writer-director Alex Garland.
In the series, Southern Reach is a secret agency that manages expeditions into an area known as Area X. The area is an uninhabited and abandoned section of the United States that nature has begun to reclaim. It is the main setting for the first book of the trilogy, Annihilation.
Jeff VanderMeer has said that the main inspiration for Area X was the hike through St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. However, he's also said that dreams inspired such elements as the writing in the tunnel from Annihilation. Moreover, Jeff has cited a number of books as having an influence on Southern Reach such as The Other Side of the Mountain by Michel Bernanos.
The trilogy was released in quick succession over an 8-month period in what has been called an innovative "Netflix-inspired strategy." The strategy helped the trilogy's second and third books reach the New York Times Bestseller list and established VanderMeer as "one of the most forward-thinking authors of the decade."
The critical response for the series was extremely positive. Slate called the trilogy one of "the most uncompromising—yet most rewarding—genre series" while authors like Stephen King praised the series calling it "creepy and fascinating".The New York Times wrote a full page review of the final book, Acceptance, calling it "pure reading pleasure" and adding that "VanderMeer has created an immersive and wonderfully realized world."
The series ended up being highly honored, with Annihilation winning the Nebula and Shirley Jackson Awards for Best Novel. The entire trilogy was also named a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy Award and the 2016 Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis.
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