Review of Authority (Southern Reach, #2) by Jeff VanderMeer

I am sad to say I did not get any entertainment out of this one. 

Sure, it put a few of the pieces into place, but the ever expanding mystery of Area X remains largely unexplained. But we did not go into it hoping for explanations, I would think. We went into it for that sense of dread, that oozing foreboding ever on the periphery. Area X is a liminal space, a zone of anomaly, where you cannot trust your senses or your comrades. However, this second installment includes none of that tone. Instead it is largely about interrogating past adventurers in boring rooms. Talking ad nauseum. Plenty of character development but… not in a fun setting. Cinematic moments of characters realizing disturbing things about the phenomena they study. But on the whole, I did not need this volume, did not appreciate it, and did not enjoy it. I consider it a missed opportunity. Did he rush through it to meet a deadline or is this exactly what he wanted to do with the idea? The more I read of Vandermeer, the more I wonder why some of his work does not adhere to the principles he expounds in his exposes of weird fiction. I could not call this weird fiction with a straight face.