Murderous Bio-Engineered Plant Monster in Jeff Vandermeer's Newest Work, Borne, is a Shitposter

eriophora zia

Obā-san

i just wanna say, that i saw a trailer for the southern reach movie, and it was so good that

A. I actually sat through an entire youtube advertisement

B. I really, really want to see said movie, based on that trailer

both of these things are novel occurrences in my life

also i should read those books because he wrote the foreward for that Ligotti compilation and if that isnt a sign that he's a cool dude i dont know what is

Imipolex G

I remember reading Vandermeer's "City of Saints and Madmen" years ago, was good stuff.

That said, this just makes me think of Deco Bleu and "bassoon! bassoon!"

eriophora zia

Seriously, he's great. I have a few issues with the Annihilation trailer, but I suspect that it will likely be a pretty great film overall. In typical Hollywood style, they're putting wayyyyy too much emphasis on the husband - who didn't really matter to the Biologist in the book. Her whole deal is being emotionally disconnected from other people, including (perhaps especially including) her husband. She's definitely not on a rescue mission, and I feel it detracts from her character and the overall surreal dream-like narrative to put it into the focus. If they can keep the creepy surreal vibe, they should be OK.

Borne is possibly my favorite thing he's written, right up there with City of Saints and Madmen. Borne is really damn good. 

Klinotaxis

wow, i thought the movie looked pretty cool but that sounds way cooler

Obā-san

holy shit yeah

eriophora zia

I highly recommend reading the novel for the full experience. The Biologist (whose actual name is never revealed in the novel) is meant to be largely disconnected - or at least affecting a disconnect - until Area X starts getting under her skin. It's less about saving her husband and more about tracing his footsteps... what did he see? There's never a drive to save, only a drive to know. It's also established in the novel that her husband is basically a vegetable whose mind (and possibly bod) was consumed by Area X.

There is a scene where the Biologist describes when her husband came home is one that has always stuck with me. That was a critical moment to who the Biologist is and her relationship with her husband post Area X. It drives in how thoroughly she has written him off as lost to her. There is no redemption. There is no rescue. It is futile, but she still must know what he experienced... but for herself, not for him. 

She is, in many ways, a reflection of Area X itself in terms of being a self-contained and self-serving entity with little overall identity. She simply is.

Obā-san

i definitely will read the books

eriophora zia

You should also give Sredni a thanks, since he's the one who first turned me on the VanderMeer to begin with!