Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer

In his debut novel, literary alchemist Jeff VanderMeer takes us on an unforgettable journey, a triumph of the imagination that reveals the magical and mysterious city of Veniss through three intertwined voices. First, Nicholas, a would-be Living Artist, seeks to escape his demons in the shadowy underground--but in doing so makes a deal with the devil himself. In her fevered search for him, his twin sister, Nicola, spins her own unusual and hypnotic tale as she discovers the hidden secrets of the city. And finally, haunted by Nicola's sudden, mysterious disappearance and gripped by despair, Shadrach, Nicola's lover, embarks on a mythic journey to the nightmarish levels deep beneath the surface of the city to bring his love back to light. There he will find wonders beyond imagining...and horrors greater than the heart can bear. By turns beautiful, horrifying, delicate, and powerful, Veniss Underground explores the limits of love, memory, and obsession in a landscape that defies the boundaries of the imagination. This special edition includes the short stories "The Sea, Mendeho, and Moonlight"; "Detectives and Cadavers"; and "A Heart for Lucretia" and the novella Balzac's War, offering a complete tour of the fantastic world of Veniss.From the Trade Paperback edition.

The book contains one short novel, a novella, and three short stories, revolving around the city of Veniss. Reminiscent of Harrison's Viriconium in the way the portrayal of the city changes so much, while some elements reappear from story to story. Not quite as memorable as Vandermeer's Ambergris, but an interesting blend of dystopian science fiction and dark fantasy elements.

I just finished Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer

Have you ever read a book and when you are done just kinda go huh! This book did that to me. He was bizarre and weirdly interesting. Really graphic and the level of detail that went into describing the living art was attentive and rich but disturbing. The book had a really odd format too. I've never read a book like it.

Starts with Nicholas and his part is told in the first person narrative. OK, cool.

Then we have his twin sister who he is estranged from and her part is told in the second person. Did not like that at all. It felt weird to me to do this for her when Nicholas' wasn't. Then Shadrach was written in the third person and he was Nichola's ex lover. Confused? Understandably so but it kinda worked in a strange way.

I don't want to spoil the book for you but it's basically about a world where the surface is pretty much dead and everyone is underground on different levels. There is this person called Quin who creates weird creatures and has an underground network going on which is so intricate and complex that no one truly knows the ins and outs of it, not even the workers.

I felt that while I can see the talent in the writing, it was a little monotone for me. I expect my sci-fi books to have a bit more excitement to them. To be pulled into their world and emerge myself in it. This book keeps you at the edges like a visitor watching through a lens and I have never read a book like it.

4 stars purely for being the first book of its kind for me.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouseca for my gifted copy

Fascinatingly disturbing. I arrived at this book with just a vague recommendation. What I found is hard to place. Feels like sci-fi and urban fantasy dipping into grotesque body horror, and I absolutely enjoyed it.

At first I found myself lost, much like when I read the Neuromancer, until it started to unfold. It’s a futuristic setting where bioengineering experiments have found a place in society, a city, and the story of 3 characters struggling in this place and its many floors below ground. The descriptions are very graphical at times, but it’s a gripping journey into strangeness.

”Soon he would bend into a totally new shape altogether. He welcomed that. He wanted that. Maybe the new thing he would become would no longer hurt, would no longer fear, would no longer look back down into the void and wonder what was left of him“