The ''Southern Reach Series'' is a series of novels by the American author

Jeff VanderMeer Jeff VanderMeer (born July 7, 1968) is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Series. The se ...

first published in 2014—''

Annihilation In particle physics, annihilation is the process that occurs when a subatomic particle collides with its respective antiparticle to produce other particles, such as an electron colliding with a positron to produce two photons. The total energy a ...

'', ''

Authority Authority is commonly understood as the legitimate power of a person or group of other people. In a civil state, ''authority'' may be practiced by legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government,''The New Fontana Dictionary of M ...

'', ''

Acceptance Acceptance in psychology is a person's recognition and assent to the finality of a situation without attempting to change or protest it. This plays out at both the individual and societal level as people experience change. Types of acceptanc ...

'', and '' Absolution''. The series takes its name from the secret agency that is central to the plot. In 2013,

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

bought the movie rights for the series, and a film adaptation of ''Annihilation'' was made with

Alex Garland Alexander Medawar Garland (born 26 May 1970) is an English author, screenwriter, and director. He rose to prominence with his novel '' The Beach'' (1996). He received praise for writing the Danny Boyle films '' 28 Days Later'' (2002) and '' Sun ...

as writer-director. The film was released in 2018. The most recent entry in the series, ''Absolution'', was released on 22 October 2024.

"Area X"

In the series, Southern Reach is a secret agency that manages expeditions into a place known as Area X, an uninhabited and abandoned coastal area of an unnamed country which nature is gradually reclaiming. It is the main setting for ''Annihilation''.

Influences

VanderMeer has said that the main inspiration for Area X was a hike through St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. However, he has also said that dreams inspired such elements as the writing in the tower from ''Annihilation''. Moreover, VanderMeer has cited a number of books as having an influence on ''Southern Reach'' such as ''The Other Side of the Mountain'' by Michel Bernanos.

Release

The original trilogy was released in quick succession over an eight-month period in what has been called an innovative "

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

-inspired strategy". The strategy helped the series' second and third books reach the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list and established VanderMeer as "one of the most forward-thinking authors of the decade".

Reception

The series was positively received by critics. ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

'' called the original trilogy one of "the most uncompromising — yet most rewarding — genre series", while author

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

called it "creepy and fascinating". Writing about the third book, ''Acceptance,'' ''The New York Times'' said "VanderMeer has created an immersive and wonderfully realized world", and that the trilogy as a whole is a "pure reading pleasure". ''Annihilation'' won the

Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...

and

Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Her writing career spanned over two decades, during which she composed six novels, two memoirs, and mor ...

Awards for Best Novel. The original trilogy was also named a finalist for the 2015

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

and the 2016 Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis.2016 Kurd Laßwitz Preis Nominees
" File 770, April 24, 2016.

Film adaptation

The first novel, ''Annihilation,'' was adapted into a

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

by director

, starring

Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...

Gina Rodriguez Gina Alexis Rodriguez (born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award f ...

Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the List of Theatre Communications Group member theatres, Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica ...

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She re ...

, and

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is an American actor. Recognized for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino characters in Cinema of the United States, H ...

. It was released on February 23, 2018.

References

External links

* * * VanderMeer, Jeff
The Nature Of Reading: 10 Influences On The Southern Reach Trilogy
''Huffington Post'', 27 July 2014. {{authority control 2014 American novels American science fiction novels Literary trilogies Weird fiction novels Farrar, Straus and Giroux books