Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

"In the second volume of the Southern Reach Trilogy, questions are answered, stakes are raised, and mysteries are deepened. In Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer introduced Area X--a remote and lush terrain mysteriously sequestered from civilization. This was the first volume of a projected trilogy; well in advance of publication, translation rights had already sold around the world and a major movie deal had been struck. Just months later, Authority, the second volume, is here. For thirty years, the only human engagement with Area X has taken the form of a series of expeditions monitored by a secret agency called the Southern Reach. After the disastrous twelfth expedition chronicled in Annihilation, the Southern Reach is in disarray, and John Rodriguez, aka "Control," is the team's newly appointed head. From a series of interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, the secrets of Area X begin to reveal themselves--and what they expose pushes Control to confront disturbing truths about both himself and the agency he's promised to serve. And the consequences will spread much further than that. The Southern Reach trilogy will conclude in fall 2014 with Acceptance"--

"In the second volume of the Southern Reach trilogy, Area X's most troubling questions are answered... but the answers are far from reassuring"--

This book is an odd duck–on the one hand it's about world-changing events, but on the other hand it has nice little moments where the protagonist goes for a jog. I like the mixing of scope. Not only does it make the protagonist more interesting, it centers the horror/weirdness in a personal way. A page turner where, frankly, not a whole lot happens until the end–and yet still a page-turner.

My only complaint is that, while the first book was clearly a set up for a trilogy, it at least had a solid ending. This one has a very Empire Strikes Back ending, which isn't a bad thing in itself, but I love it more when authors can give us a contained story and still make us want to read “the next one”.

Could and should have been half as long. Drags and turns a creative premise into a slog. The first was great and still worth reading.

I good quick scifi read. I read this long after reading Annihilation and it immediately drew me back into the setting. Will definitely read book 3.

Area X over the horizon bounded guarded The Southern Reach is the institution given the task of investigating which it has done by probing with little to show. We see the operation of Southern Reach from its newly appointed director. His task to work out what is happening given the mystery surrounding its last director. The reader this time is able or rather the author has the luxury of enabling the reader to relate to the director initially nameless but for his role ... Control.
Are there answers or more understanding amidst the few strange facts. Yes but well no maybe by the end have a better understanding of where we are in relation to Area X and its still bleak.

Third volume on my shopping list, I want answers.