51 pages 1 hour read

Jeff VanderMeer

Authority: A Novel

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

In Authority, the second book in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, John "Control" Rodriguez becomes the new director of the Southern Reach, a government facility studying the mysterious and dangerous Area X in Florida. Control struggles to understand the anomaly through files, interviews, and confrontations with an uncooperative colleague and the enigmatic survivor "Ghost Bird," while grappling with his own deteriorating mental state as Area X's influence spreads.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Jeff VanderMeer’s Authority captivates with its intricate atmosphere and deep psychological tension, continuing the mysteries of the Southern Reach trilogy. Praise highlights its eerie, immersive quality and complex, introspective characters. Critiques focus on its slower pacing and occasionally convoluted narrative, which some find less engaging than its predecessor, Annihilation.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Authority?

Authority by Jeff VanderMeer appeals to readers who enjoy immersive, mind-bending tales that blend science fiction and psychological thriller elements. Similar to fans of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and Annihilation by VanderMeer himself, these readers crave complex narratives with eerie, atmospheric settings.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Fantasy

Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Themes

Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Natural World: Environment