In Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, we meet ‘the biologist’, one of a team of four sent to the mysterious Area X. Previous explorations have ended in mass death, strange disease and surreal loss of self in the returned. Vandermeer perfectly renders the sparse wasteland in the reader’s head. With a rolling build of tension that would make Lovecraft jealous, and a brilliantly unnerving commentary on the concept of trust, the Southern Reach Trilogy is off to a killer start with this first volume.

An uneasy novel filled with woozy memories - a purgatory on earth filled with nightmares. The story is narrated in journal form by a biologist sent as part of a team to a contaminated coastal zone known as Area X, a mysterious location seemingly unbridled by the rules of the natural world. We are not introduced to the members of the party by name, each character is instead clinically referred to only by their role. Eleven previous teams were sent, all of which never returned, died shortly after or came back different. This theme of transmutation permeates through the whole book. The narrator herself is possibly an unreliable narrator, as shortly after arriving at Area X she becomes compromised and other characters note her appearing and behaving differently. There are strange monsters with unsettlingly human characteristics, bringing back memories of John Carpenter’s superb 1982 film The Thing, and shapeless creatures daubing ominous phrases. There is certainly a touch of Cthulhu about the place with that same creeping unease that permeates the best of H. P. Lovecraft’s work. Previous expeditions have all had conflicting reports and maps, with the main constant being an obsession with a lighthouse found some distance from the base camp. There is this unshakeable feeling throughout that something is going unsaid, and that things have possibly been in motion for years, a cycle constantly erupting and resetting with subtle variations. Does anybody ever leave Area X, or are they changed and absorbed by whatever lurks there? Now if all this talk of Weird (with a capital letter) and Lovecraft puts you off, it should be said that the book also deals with a loss of human connection and trust as we peel back the biologist’s life to uncover her motivations for taking such a mission. It is immersive and gripping, moving at a quick pace, even while describing such vivid imagery in evocative detail. Indeed, for a short book, it casts a long shadow, and readers who pick this up and enjoy it will be pleased to know that they will only have until May to wait for the next instalment.

Area X has been closed off for thirty years after an unspecified disaster. Various expeditions have gone across the border, all with fatal consequences. This is the story of Expedition 12. No details are provided about the members of the Expedition, they are known only by their job title: psychologist & leader, biologist, anthropologist & surveyor. They, in turn, have been provided with no details of the previous expeditions and only have instructions to continue their work. Their equipment is non-electrical and basic, but they have been provided with supplies and have been instructed to use what was left by the previous expeditions. The story is told by the biologist and we gradually find out more about her history and the reasons she volunteered. The horror of what she discovers is intense and unclear. She finds out some of what happened to the previous expeditions and that the authorities had been lying to them. By the end we are no closer to finding out why Area X is the way it is. The pristine and beautiful countryside is described in sharp contrast to the tension and dark horror awaiting them. This is a compelling and unsettling read, thankfully we do not have to wait too long for the next instalments.

The Biologist leads us through Area X: A pristine and mysterious eco-system that has developed and spread since an environmental event thirty years prior. Area X is a sort of Bermuda Triangle as far as I can tell - it is part of the general consciousness of the population of the world though nobody really understands or questions it. The stories concerning it are fantastical, intriguing but ultimately easily dismissed and forgotten. It's not a concern to most, just a vague mystery. The Biologist has been chosen and sent to Area X. She finds beauty and irregularity everywhere and seems to fare better in this landscape than the others in her party. What unfolds, through her journal entries, is the start of an unsettling environmental horror-lit journey the likes of which I’ve never read before. It is sinister and unsettling and The Biologist's assessment of the events manages to compound this fear as she mixes genuinely terrifying observations with a detached sense of wonder. This reminded me of ‘Lost’ and H G Wells and ‘The X files’ and maybe a bit of Cormac McCarthy - yet although I could see some elements of kinship to these other masters of muted suspense, Annihilation is really quite unique.

This is a review for the entire Southern Reach Trilogy and not just Annihilation. Very smart, very clever, bursting with ideas, symbolism, metaphysical landscapes, this is intelligent and thought provoking sci-fi. It isn't always an easy read but stick with it. You'll probably finish it and not be sure how you feel about it, but it stays with you, keeps you thinking and maybe realising the cleverness and complexity weeks after. A great trilogy to debate. If you like Philip K Dick you'll enjoy.