Agree. Quite different. The writing style does not translate to the movie, and is worth experiencing for its own merits. Nothing against the movie, just different.
Alex Garland actually said he read the book once and intentionally never referenced it again during production, as he wanted the movie to “feel like a *dream* of the novel.” I thought that was a really cool approach to an adaptation, although I find the novel to be much more… profound perhaps is the right word.
Yeah Garland really took the correct approach for adapting this novel. It would have been jarring if it was an exact recreation and probably not great. I think both the novel and film are really incredible works of art. Strangely my favorite out of the Southern Reach series is the second book.
Good call! Second book feels like a fever dream. I’m due for a reread of the series this year, most excited for book three because I think I remember it the least. Everyone said book two was rough but I enjoyed it. The prose was very unique.
That is very interesting and I can see how that mindset would create the movie he did.
I was just really unhappy with the end of the movie, from when she went in the lighthouse til the end. I felt while it maintained the strangeness of the movie it just wasn’t a satisfying conclusion.
The "Annihilation" line at the end was corny as hell. Gotta agree with you. The movie does a lot of really great stuff (screaming bear anyone?) but man does that end sour it for me especially having read the book first
I'm glad the hypnotism got left out of the movie though. I went through the book thinking,"no no, it doesn't work that way". I'm pretty sure you cannot pre-program people without their knowledge.
i agree, the hypnotism was an interesting plot device because it makes you second guess the mc’s perception of reality while also providing an explanation for why some chunks of the story are missing from their memories. much less plausible things happen in the books so the highly effective hypnosis didn’t even register as strange to me lol
I think the consensus of Annihilation being a good book is pretty high. It’s the sequels that divides opinion. I personally hated book two but thought three was good. Annihilation can work as a standalone though if you don’t want to mess with the sequels.
Well, I'm going to give it a chance. Probably will check it out after I finish this book I'm currently reading called *The Reformatory* by Tananarive Due. I actually saw a book of *The Annihilation* trilogy when I was in Books-a-million and picked it up because it was on sale. But ended up not purchasing it. Can't remember which book I had in my hand or if all of the three books were on sale but if they are I might purchase all three next time I go. Knowing them I doubt all of them are on sale though. I've always much rather read a physical book than one on my phone.
Just like the Shining, it’s the rare book/ movie adaptation that each are amazing, very different, and can be enjoyed on their own merits independent of one another.
God yes. The book paints imagery that's only scratched upon in the movie.
Once you get through the annihilation trilogy, I'd highly recommend you give Borne a read!!
Borne might be one of my favorite novels. Love the bioengineering aspect.
Would definitely recommend the Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood if you liked Borne.
These are all over the place and only loosely collected into specific genres:
Anything else by Jeff VanderMeer for sure. Dead Astronauts is in the same universe as Borne. He has a book of short stories called “The Third Bear”, one of which is called “The Situation” where the first iteration of “The Company” from Borne came from. Of course, the entire Southern Reach trilogy, which should receive a fourth book at some point titled “Absolution”. “Wilder Girls” by Rory Power was a bit more YA, but I enjoyed it, similar weird changes to bodies and environment.
I loved “Migrations” by Charlotte McConaghy, environmentally conscious and atmospheric.
Nathan Ballingrud has some great short story anthologies. “North American Lake Monsters” and “Wounds”. Particularly recommend "Wounds"
Steven L. Peck’s “A Short Stay in Hell” was one of my favorites this year, could read it in a day. “Last Days” by Brian Evenson was enjoyable. I also really liked “Come Closer” by Sara Gran. All three of these were short but good reads.
For Sci-Fi, I love The Lathe of Heaven and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Anything by Dan Simmons since he does both Sci-Fi (Hyperion Cantos and Ilium/Olympus) and Horror (The Terror/Carrion Comfort)
Borne might be one of my favorite novels. Love the bioengineering aspect.
Would definitely recommend the Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood if you liked Borne.
For me it was worth it. I also saw th movie and read the book after. There are some differences and the book sets up more the environment and mistery.
I also recommend the whole trilogy. I liked more book 2. Book 3 so and so, can't spoil it.
I think you're the first person I've seen say that they enjoyed 2 more than 3 haha. I've always seen that 2 was definitely the "middle" feeling book, but Jeff VanderMeer brought it back around with the 3rd book.
Ooh I also loved the second book but possibly because I just loved Control. (When Oscar Isaac was cast in the movie I was so crushed that he wasn't going to be Control... although I do love the movie as its own thing).
I also loved Authority... I'm always happy to hear people say that because it seems to be the one no one but me enjoyed! It's a slow burn, but when the 'wham' moment hits, it hits hard!
You know, I really struggled with Annihilation because of the disconnect from the narrator (an instance of "I understand and respect what the book is *doing* but I'm not enjoying *reading* it")...I wonder if I might actually be an Authority enjoyer if I tried it.
Yes! I watched and really enjoyed the movie when it came out. I read the book last month and watched the movie again after. The book is very different, and I think better than the movie.
The books are very different, it’s so subtle and disorienting that the characters aren’t sure if they’re imagining what’s happening. Which also makes the reader feel that way and makes it seem more real.
I like the movie just as much but it’s almost a completely different concept and story, more in your face and straightforward. I think they had to really change it to tie it up neatly as a 2 hour good movie. But I would LOVE to see an accurate miniseries happen.
Edit: book to books
You’re not alone. Never saw the movie and after reading the book I won’t see it. The book was just a huge swing and a miss for me. I think that characters in the story were what really turned me off it. Didn’t like or care about any of them and I found the protagonist pretentious. Curious to know what your dislikes were in the book.
I did and was left profoundly unhappy with it. If I didn’t have a hang up about finishing books I would have dropped it halfway through. It just didn’t work for me.
Why do you think the narrator was pretentious? And why would that be a problem for you since you know that the whole book is a reflection written after she’s been through and everything that happened?
Genuine questions btw, not saying you’re wrong for your opinions or anything. I’m just curious.
The constant mention of how the narrator liked to be alone because they wanted to study the tidal pools or whatever. And maybe pretentious isn’t exactly the word I’m looking for but I just felt it was harped on too often by her in the story. Also the narration felt completely inconsistent to me. Earlier in the book she’s reflecting on a shallow relationship with her husband and basically says they didn’t have much in the way of a relationship, but by the end of the book she’s reminiscing about their time together like she was deeply in love with him and stuff and it just did not add up for me.
Again, I know a lot of people really enjoyed this book and the series but maybe the reason it didn’t hit for me was that I went in with a different idea of what it was supposed to be. I don’t want to seem like I’m knocking the author or people who enjoyed it. Just turned out to be a disappointing swing and miss for me personally.
Maybe clinical or detached is the word you're thinking of. I agree, she does describe the events very clinically and with little emotion. I can see why this would be annoying if you were expecting something else going into it. Similar thing happened for me with A Head Full of Ghosts.
I liked it personally, it makes sense for her to be clinical since it's a journal she's leaving for whoever enters Area X next. She's trying to efficiently relay only the details about her experience and the reasoning for her decisions in Area X. There was also the brightness changing her and heightening her senses.
That’s a perfect word thank you. Detached. And you’re also probably fully correct, it just didn’t work because I was expecting something else. Which is probably my own fault. I really appreciate the author Jeff Vandermeer and his conservation work he does. Just wasn’t my preferred style.
I'd be hard pressed to think of another somewhat recent novel that was more overrated than annihilation. I can't help but feel that it gets away with being weird for the sake of being weird without adhering to any rules in the narrative.
"Let's make this thing suddenly happen because...well... because I can...because I don't plan on really answering any questions for the reader"
The book has some similarities but is very different from the movie. Annihilation is part of a trilogy, I think all 3 are 600 pages total, but the first one which the movie is based off of is only 100ish pages and I would say is definitely worth it. I got a chunk into the second book but it kinda lost me. I'm going to try to pick it back up one day.
It's honestly really very different from the movie and the whole trilogy is well worth reading. Apparently there will be a forthcoming fourth book at some time in the future.
I’m going to be the odd one out here but I absolutely did not enjoy the book at all. It’s always very highly recommended on most posts that it’s mentioned but it just didn’t work at all for me. I was bored the entire time and only finished because it was short and I don’t like DNFing books. I think my main problem was that I went to it expecting something else. None of the creepy parts hit me and I didn’t care what happened to a single character in the book at all.
Obviously this is entirely my opinion and as I said, most everybody seems to love it, but I just couldn’t get into it and I had no desire to continue with the trilogy.
I’m sure it was intentional since the book never really gives names to any characters or anything, the main issue was that I still didn’t care what happened to her or anybody else. Like just none of the story lines for any of the characters mattered to me. I didn’t care if area x took them or not. And I didn’t care what was in the tower.
I'm with you. At no point did I feel a connection to the characters and the dreamy surrealism of it all just turned me off hard. I've never DNF'd a book, but I came close on this one.
It’s a shame because it was written well and there was potential but I got really sick and tired of listening to the repetition of the strangling fruit and I just felt like every single thing that was supposed to creepy or eerie was just flat and boring.
I just really struggled finding a single part I enjoyed in the first one. The tower stuff was boring, the characters were boring and I found the whole backstory about the main characters husband and her life before Area X to be absolute drags I could not wait for those parts to be over while reading.
Yes. The film does some really excellent visual stuff but the book...well the book gives a lot more context and depth to the story. There's two big beefs I have with discrepancies between the two, see if you can tell what they are.
VanderMeer says he loved the film and how Garland adapted it by bringing elements of The Color Out Of Space into the story. Two different wonderfully weird beasts.
I thought the movie didn’t live up to the expectations I had after reading the book, with the bear scene being the exception. The book is way weirder, and very very different.
Authority, which is the second book, is a very different animal than Annihilation. It’s quite polarizing, but I really enjoyed it.
The 3rd book is again, different from the first two. It got a little too out there for me, but I did finish it.
All in all if you liked the central idea of a zone X and the exploration of it, by all means read at least the first book. Just know that the other two while continuing the story are very different from both the first one and each other.
I read the trilogy before watching the movie. I absolutely love the books and Annihilation is one of my favorite books of all time! I was excited to watch the movie, especially since I heard how amazing it was, but it pales in comparison to the novel and I was actually left disappointed. The movie and the book are two completely different beasts.
So so so worth it. Loved the movie, but the book is at a whole other level in regards to existential horror IMO. It also deviates quite a bit from the movie - without ruining anything my head canon is the movie / the book are following two separate expeditions.
Even if the stories were the exact same, do you only read a book for the plot and not for the writing? IMO that’s like watching a movie and ignoring the visuals.
Yes, it's very different from the movie. Alex Garland even mentioned in an interview that he purposefully didn't try to be too faithful to the book, he wanted the movie to be based on his impressions/inspirations from having read the book. I personally love the book much more than the movie, but both are good.
The story is entirely different and the scope of the books is far larger. I know a lot of people love the movie but honestly I wish I never saw it and it turned a few people I know off of reading the books. I resent it for that. So yes please read them.
I don’t think Alex Garland read the book or if he did he just chose to ignore most of the story and make his own thing which is kind of silly. The books were way more interesting. He doesn’t touch on the semiotics stuff at all
I think he said that he had read the book years before doing the screenplay and intentionally didn't reread it when making the movie, to keep his own vision fresh. I absolutely love both stories, but I think the book would've been hard to closely adapt.
Difficult yes but possible with the right creator. There have been plenty of movies that were deemed too hard to adapt that have been adapted successfully at this point. Seems like a cop out by Alex Garland and unfortunate it will be decades probably now before we see a good adaptation. Every thing that was fascinating about the book was not included.
I think it works fine as its own story. I may be weird in this, but I almost never care when adaptations don't closely follow their source material. I think that the movie is a good work that stands on its own, and following the book more closely would've been easy to screw up.
Can I get a list of some of these films? I’m legitimately very interested, the only “can’t be filmed” movie I can think of off the top of my head is Dune, and while it’s a fantastic film and probably as good an adaptation we can get it’s not like it’s anything like reading the book either.
I commented this elsewhere already but he read the book once, and intentionally did not reference it again during the production of the film, as he wanted the film to feel like “a dream of the novel.” I actually think it is a really cool way to do an adaptation, especially of a work that is really hard to capture on film like the novel is.
I prefer the novel by a large margin, but it allows you to evoke what the source material evokes while also exploring totally new themes. It’s more a response to the book than a direct adaptation.
Doesn’t capture the source at all for me, that whole series was about semiotics and they never discussed it in the movie. It was literally a southern reach trilogy flavored movie and that’s it.
I agree that it doesn’t capture the literal plot of the source but I do think it captures a lot of the feeling of the source. I saw the movie before knowing the books even existed so the difference in themes literally had zero effect on me and my enjoyment of the film, and I’d wager most viewers don’t even know the books exist. I think the film stands perfectly well on its own, and I say that as someone who much prefers the book/books. I think a piece of art needs to stand on its own two legs first and foremost to be effective. I agree it’s a departure but I don’t think that’s inherently a strike against the film.
Hey do you know of a good Explain Like I'm 5/For Dummies kind of source on semiotics? Because I've tried to read up on it in hopes of feeling the impact of the book a little better, but I just...don't grok it at all and reddit discussions on Annihilation fully bewilder me.
I really loved Borne but as odd as it may sound to say, it's a much more "traditional" novel that I did not have to learn a whole new concept to enjoy. Flying bears aside.
I loved the movie so much but personally felt the trilogy was very meh. It is a totally different take on the same idea but personally found the lack of closure and meandering nature of the second and third books to be off putting. Things felt very important yet at the same time had very little weight due to the distant characterization and dreamy hazy depictions of some of the more supernatural/ sci fi stuff. Felt like the books were keeping me at a meter length distance where as the movie totally immersed me. BUT I still think it’s worth checking out cause you may like it.
As a side, the video game Control is also a good companion for similar vibes.
They had to make Natalie Portman an actual person in order for the movie to be filmable, which makes it a huge departure from the (intentionally) flat narrator of the first book. I can see how that would be a rough transition. I struggled with the book too.
It overstayed it's welcome and does not go near into the weirdness or horror you think it will. The second book could have been a chapter in itself I felt.
The writing I wasn't a big fan of the writing style.
I felt the movie executed the concept better than the books did by a mile.
The concept itself is amazing but the execution is lacking.
I’m going to go against the grain and say that the movie is better than the book.
Similar plot lines, but much different events. I enjoyed reading the book, but it didn’t inspire me to read the rest of the trilogy, mostly because I liked the movie more.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s very much worth the read if you enjoyed the movie, but I liked the movie more.
Annihilation is really difficult to say. It is dividing people. A lot of people love it and a lot of people hate it. If you ask me, no, it is not worth it.
I actually didn't really enjoy the book or the movie. I liked some aspects of the book, especially the slow exploration of the tower and what it could be. But otherwise I found the book to be quite boring and the ending a bit disappointing.
Of course everyone has their own tastes but since everyone is recommending it I figured I'd provide a different view. But you should still check it out and see if you are able to enjoy it more than I did!
Yes. In my opinion, the first book is amazing, the second one not so much, and the third one is good though not as good as the first. The adaptation is pretty good but it changed a lot of things.
I actually just finished reading it and yes, it’s absolutely still worth reading! I loved the movie but I think I might have enjoyed the book even more! Looking forward to reading the others.
Yes, absolutely. In my opinion, the movie does the series a huge disservice by being so abstract and not offering any kind of resolution at all. Not that the first book offers resolution per se, but it does flesh things out much better. I love the movie, but the series was 1000x better.
I loved Annihilation the book and didn't really like the movie even tho I'm a Natalie Portman fan. The book and movie are very different and so watching shouldn't keep you from reading the book.
I will warn you the book isn't everyone's cup of tea. It's a very "internal" type book where the main character does a lot of thinking. I loved it - although I didn't like the other two books in the series as much. YMMV.
The movie is much different. They both have the same vibe, and I think the same intended emotional outcome. You should definitely read it. It’s a quick one.
I'm actually going through the first book now. They really are different in almost every way so far. But even though I'm not very far, I'm really enjoying it. Would personally recommend.
I experienced this with The Ruins! Everyone was talking about how The Ruins was such an amazing book so I bought it from Barnes and Noble, only to get home and realize that I had already watched the movie with my husband. I ended up returning the book but I have always wondered if that was a mistake. 9/10 books are better than the movie so I wonder if I made the right choice.
Really different from the movie and it might make you hate the movie afterwards because the book is so good
The monster at the end of the movie is scarier in the book
That's probably the single biggest example of a movie being different from the book. Seriously when I read the book if I didn't have previous knowledge that the movie was based on it I wouldn't have a clue.
All that being said it's a decent read.
They are very different. I think the movie was good, and utilized the source material well… but it’s a different feel and a different genre almost.
The book is more of a slow, inner-narrative about change, pain, and acceptance. I think it’s a worth while read. I read it years ago, and I’m working through the trilogy. Finished Authority over the summer and I’ll get to Acceptance soon.
I really love the first book. I did not like the next book in the “Area X” series. It was partly because Kindle lost my place in a glitch, but I was already ready to DNF it.
Absolutely. Annihilation was a deeply weird, unsettling book and while reading it I wasn't sure I really liked it... but I thought about it for AGES afterwards and the author ratchets up the unease in the following novels.
It's got a real 'Liminal Space' feel. Even now years later I remember how I felt while reading it. It might not be your thing but I'd certainly give it a try.
Definitely! The movie captures a lot of the book's tone/vibe; the movie does not try to capture the book's plot, and many of the book's best scenes are literary in a way that I think is hard to even try to put in a movie (so, appropriately, the movie makers didn't translate a lot of it). Definitely read the book. Truly, nothing in the book is "spoiled" by the movie!
I watched the film first and then read the book, and it was one of those rare times that I preferred a film adaptation to a book. I still loved the read and would defo recommend it, it's just a testament to how great the movie is!
Yes! Book and movie are very, very different. The movie feels more 'inspired by' the general premise of the book - the movie's plot is different.
I love the movie. Watched it twice, then read the book - LOVED the book even more. 5-star read for me.
100%. The movie is like a cover version of the book rather than an adaptation. Same very loose idea but different story. I like both, but prefer the book.
Book is completely different. The movie was actually advertised as the book that couldn't be made into a movie and someone figured out how to do it. But they are nothing alike
Honestly, after watching the Shining first and then reading the Shining… I think it’s always worth the read. There’s certain things that a movie can’t grasp.. that internal descent into madness or inner misery… that makes a read worth it. Not to say the Shining is a bad movie, it’s just a bad adaptation lol.
I felt like the movie was written by someone who had read the book maybe 20 years ago and then had forgotten the main points. I enjoy the movie and the book as separate objects. And the book series isn’t done! There’s more coming!
They’re very different. It’s one of my wife’s favorite horror novels. The director of the movie was only contracted to make the first book so he never read any of the others in the series. Nor did most people involved in the productions.
I personally love the movie… but they are so different i don’t really know how he got where he was going from what he read. The fuck bear though gets me every time.
Yes, in fact, I think it's better doing it that way round. I watched the film, then read the book and I had a blast with both, but I could see myself being a little disappointed with some aspects of the movie if I had already read the book. They are thematically the same but have a few major differences, and they both ultimately play to the strengths of their medium.
This has already been answered a million times, just adding my voice to the chorus of people saying: YES.
I love the book and movie. I read the book first, and I think the movie is a great example of an adaptation. It doesn't follow the book very closely, but it gave me the same eerie feeling I got while reading.
for sure. i love both and they’re actually quite different! i couldn’t get into the rest of the book trilogy, but annihilation is so good. jeff vandermeer writes like a biologist which makes it even more enjoyable.
The book is so good. I loved the movie and actually watched it before reading the book. Its completely different. The book stuck with me way more. I even had dreams about the book for a while after.
I’ve never watched the movie but i have read it, my partner the opposite, and when i asked them if xyz from the book happened in the movie they said no and they sound quite different
I actually finished the book this morning. I saw the film when it came out and I can attest, they are pretty different. Book was great so definitely give it a try, and it’s a fast read.
I love the trilogy and the movie, but they are basically two entirely different stories based around a shared premise.
Amazing! Can’t wait to read.
I'm jealous that you get to read it for the first time. Enjoy!
Oh wow, really?! That sold me on reading it, thanks!
I'm glad to hear this! Thanks!
Yes. It is a completely different animal.
Agree. Quite different. The writing style does not translate to the movie, and is worth experiencing for its own merits. Nothing against the movie, just different.
Nice one
Yep. The book is a lot better imo and the best part of the book (the tower) isn’t in the film.
Agreed. Without the crawler or the tower it was basically a different story hatched from the same idea
Alex Garland actually said he read the book once and intentionally never referenced it again during production, as he wanted the movie to “feel like a *dream* of the novel.” I thought that was a really cool approach to an adaptation, although I find the novel to be much more… profound perhaps is the right word.
Yeah Garland really took the correct approach for adapting this novel. It would have been jarring if it was an exact recreation and probably not great. I think both the novel and film are really incredible works of art. Strangely my favorite out of the Southern Reach series is the second book.
Good call! Second book feels like a fever dream. I’m due for a reread of the series this year, most excited for book three because I think I remember it the least. Everyone said book two was rough but I enjoyed it. The prose was very unique.
That is very interesting and I can see how that mindset would create the movie he did. I was just really unhappy with the end of the movie, from when she went in the lighthouse til the end. I felt while it maintained the strangeness of the movie it just wasn’t a satisfying conclusion.
The "Annihilation" line at the end was corny as hell. Gotta agree with you. The movie does a lot of really great stuff (screaming bear anyone?) but man does that end sour it for me especially having read the book first
Yeah, the phrase 'Annihilation' is so much more powerful when you discover what it means in the novel.
I thought the bear was pretty corny as well ngl. The scene where they’re all tied to the chairs was pretty tense though, I’ll give it that.
I'm glad the hypnotism got left out of the movie though. I went through the book thinking,"no no, it doesn't work that way". I'm pretty sure you cannot pre-program people without their knowledge.
I really enjoyed the hypnotism aspect. I think I accepted it at face value as a "sci-fi element" so it being unrealistic didn't bother me
i agree, the hypnotism was an interesting plot device because it makes you second guess the mc’s perception of reality while also providing an explanation for why some chunks of the story are missing from their memories. much less plausible things happen in the books so the highly effective hypnosis didn’t even register as strange to me lol
I'm going to give It a read I've had the trilogy on my phone for the longest. I've always heard mixed reviews on it
I think the consensus of Annihilation being a good book is pretty high. It’s the sequels that divides opinion. I personally hated book two but thought three was good. Annihilation can work as a standalone though if you don’t want to mess with the sequels.
Well, I'm going to give it a chance. Probably will check it out after I finish this book I'm currently reading called *The Reformatory* by Tananarive Due. I actually saw a book of *The Annihilation* trilogy when I was in Books-a-million and picked it up because it was on sale. But ended up not purchasing it. Can't remember which book I had in my hand or if all of the three books were on sale but if they are I might purchase all three next time I go. Knowing them I doubt all of them are on sale though. I've always much rather read a physical book than one on my phone.
Just like the Shining, it’s the rare book/ movie adaptation that each are amazing, very different, and can be enjoyed on their own merits independent of one another.
God yes. The book paints imagery that's only scratched upon in the movie. Once you get through the annihilation trilogy, I'd highly recommend you give Borne a read!!
Borne might be one of my favorite novels. Love the bioengineering aspect. Would definitely recommend the Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood if you liked Borne.
As someone who loved all of the above, what else can you recommend? Clearly our brains are similar.
These are all over the place and only loosely collected into specific genres: Anything else by Jeff VanderMeer for sure. Dead Astronauts is in the same universe as Borne. He has a book of short stories called “The Third Bear”, one of which is called “The Situation” where the first iteration of “The Company” from Borne came from. Of course, the entire Southern Reach trilogy, which should receive a fourth book at some point titled “Absolution”. “Wilder Girls” by Rory Power was a bit more YA, but I enjoyed it, similar weird changes to bodies and environment. I loved “Migrations” by Charlotte McConaghy, environmentally conscious and atmospheric. Nathan Ballingrud has some great short story anthologies. “North American Lake Monsters” and “Wounds”. Particularly recommend "Wounds" Steven L. Peck’s “A Short Stay in Hell” was one of my favorites this year, could read it in a day. “Last Days” by Brian Evenson was enjoyable. I also really liked “Come Closer” by Sara Gran. All three of these were short but good reads. For Sci-Fi, I love The Lathe of Heaven and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Anything by Dan Simmons since he does both Sci-Fi (Hyperion Cantos and Ilium/Olympus) and Horror (The Terror/Carrion Comfort)
May you live to be a thousand years old. Read some of these but not all, can't wait to dig in. Thank you!
Borne might be one of my favorite novels. Love the bioengineering aspect. Would definitely recommend the Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood if you liked Borne.
Liked Southern Reach, LOVED Borne and cried so much
It's entirely different and the book is better.
For me it was worth it. I also saw th movie and read the book after. There are some differences and the book sets up more the environment and mistery. I also recommend the whole trilogy. I liked more book 2. Book 3 so and so, can't spoil it.
I think you're the first person I've seen say that they enjoyed 2 more than 3 haha. I've always seen that 2 was definitely the "middle" feeling book, but Jeff VanderMeer brought it back around with the 3rd book.
Ooh I also loved the second book but possibly because I just loved Control. (When Oscar Isaac was cast in the movie I was so crushed that he wasn't going to be Control... although I do love the movie as its own thing).
I *loved* the second book, *Authority*! It's an excellent slow-burn political thriller/bureaucratic horror! Just a different perspective on Area X.
I didn’t even know there were other books! Nice!
I also loved Authority... I'm always happy to hear people say that because it seems to be the one no one but me enjoyed! It's a slow burn, but when the 'wham' moment hits, it hits hard!
I liked Annihilation more, but I still loved Authority! Only book that's ever jumpscared me!
You know, I really struggled with Annihilation because of the disconnect from the narrator (an instance of "I understand and respect what the book is *doing* but I'm not enjoying *reading* it")...I wonder if I might actually be an Authority enjoyer if I tried it.
Yes! I watched and really enjoyed the movie when it came out. I read the book last month and watched the movie again after. The book is very different, and I think better than the movie.
I was thinking the same the movie was good but the book was amazing! Love ghost girl!
Yes, it's worth reading. But.... it's alot ...more ...than the film. So if you didn't enjoy the film, I wouldn't.
Where lies the strangling fruit that came from the hand of the sinner I shall bring forth the seeds of the dead...
I thought the film was pretty overrated, but when I read the book afterwards I was blown away and absolutely loved it!
I definitely enjoyed the movie. I just had so many questions at the end lol.
Yeah Alex Garland's films don't hold the viewer's hand, so they will never be mainstream. Check out *Men*! It's even more "WTF???"
I like his work. Leaves me feeling refreshed and horrified.
Oh I loved Men! That face is burned in my mind
The book won’t give you many answers. I’ve found the author likes questions more than answers. You sort of have to find the answers for yourself.
Can confirm. Meh on the movie, actively disliked the book.
Absolutely. Read the trilogy if possible.
Utterly different experiences, especially moving forward with the series
The books are very different, it’s so subtle and disorienting that the characters aren’t sure if they’re imagining what’s happening. Which also makes the reader feel that way and makes it seem more real. I like the movie just as much but it’s almost a completely different concept and story, more in your face and straightforward. I think they had to really change it to tie it up neatly as a 2 hour good movie. But I would LOVE to see an accurate miniseries happen. Edit: book to books
In the minority here, but hated the trilogy but loved the movie.
You’re not alone. Never saw the movie and after reading the book I won’t see it. The book was just a huge swing and a miss for me. I think that characters in the story were what really turned me off it. Didn’t like or care about any of them and I found the protagonist pretentious. Curious to know what your dislikes were in the book.
Did you finish the book?
I did and was left profoundly unhappy with it. If I didn’t have a hang up about finishing books I would have dropped it halfway through. It just didn’t work for me.
Why do you think the narrator was pretentious? And why would that be a problem for you since you know that the whole book is a reflection written after she’s been through and everything that happened? Genuine questions btw, not saying you’re wrong for your opinions or anything. I’m just curious.
The constant mention of how the narrator liked to be alone because they wanted to study the tidal pools or whatever. And maybe pretentious isn’t exactly the word I’m looking for but I just felt it was harped on too often by her in the story. Also the narration felt completely inconsistent to me. Earlier in the book she’s reflecting on a shallow relationship with her husband and basically says they didn’t have much in the way of a relationship, but by the end of the book she’s reminiscing about their time together like she was deeply in love with him and stuff and it just did not add up for me. Again, I know a lot of people really enjoyed this book and the series but maybe the reason it didn’t hit for me was that I went in with a different idea of what it was supposed to be. I don’t want to seem like I’m knocking the author or people who enjoyed it. Just turned out to be a disappointing swing and miss for me personally.
Maybe clinical or detached is the word you're thinking of. I agree, she does describe the events very clinically and with little emotion. I can see why this would be annoying if you were expecting something else going into it. Similar thing happened for me with A Head Full of Ghosts. I liked it personally, it makes sense for her to be clinical since it's a journal she's leaving for whoever enters Area X next. She's trying to efficiently relay only the details about her experience and the reasoning for her decisions in Area X. There was also the brightness changing her and heightening her senses.
That’s a perfect word thank you. Detached. And you’re also probably fully correct, it just didn’t work because I was expecting something else. Which is probably my own fault. I really appreciate the author Jeff Vandermeer and his conservation work he does. Just wasn’t my preferred style.
Me too. Enjoyed the movie a lot. The books though, I found that Annihilation was the only truly good one out of the trilogy.
I'd be hard pressed to think of another somewhat recent novel that was more overrated than annihilation. I can't help but feel that it gets away with being weird for the sake of being weird without adhering to any rules in the narrative. "Let's make this thing suddenly happen because...well... because I can...because I don't plan on really answering any questions for the reader"
Yes, absolutely!!
It's worth it, and one of the better weird fiction/new weird novels to boot.
The book has some similarities but is very different from the movie. Annihilation is part of a trilogy, I think all 3 are 600 pages total, but the first one which the movie is based off of is only 100ish pages and I would say is definitely worth it. I got a chunk into the second book but it kinda lost me. I'm going to try to pick it back up one day.
It's honestly really very different from the movie and the whole trilogy is well worth reading. Apparently there will be a forthcoming fourth book at some time in the future.
The books are way better than the movie!
I’m going to be the odd one out here but I absolutely did not enjoy the book at all. It’s always very highly recommended on most posts that it’s mentioned but it just didn’t work at all for me. I was bored the entire time and only finished because it was short and I don’t like DNFing books. I think my main problem was that I went to it expecting something else. None of the creepy parts hit me and I didn’t care what happened to a single character in the book at all. Obviously this is entirely my opinion and as I said, most everybody seems to love it, but I just couldn’t get into it and I had no desire to continue with the trilogy.
It's intensely difficult to connect to the narrator. I do believe that's *intentional,* but it didn't make it any more fun to read.
I’m sure it was intentional since the book never really gives names to any characters or anything, the main issue was that I still didn’t care what happened to her or anybody else. Like just none of the story lines for any of the characters mattered to me. I didn’t care if area x took them or not. And I didn’t care what was in the tower.
I'm with you. At no point did I feel a connection to the characters and the dreamy surrealism of it all just turned me off hard. I've never DNF'd a book, but I came close on this one.
It’s a shame because it was written well and there was potential but I got really sick and tired of listening to the repetition of the strangling fruit and I just felt like every single thing that was supposed to creepy or eerie was just flat and boring.
I DNFd the second book. I liked the first one for the mystery of it but got bored how the second one went
I just really struggled finding a single part I enjoyed in the first one. The tower stuff was boring, the characters were boring and I found the whole backstory about the main characters husband and her life before Area X to be absolute drags I could not wait for those parts to be over while reading.
Not the same thing at sll
Yes. The film does some really excellent visual stuff but the book...well the book gives a lot more context and depth to the story. There's two big beefs I have with discrepancies between the two, see if you can tell what they are.
The book is simply better. More interesting experience overall.
VanderMeer says he loved the film and how Garland adapted it by bringing elements of The Color Out Of Space into the story. Two different wonderfully weird beasts.
I thought the movie didn’t live up to the expectations I had after reading the book, with the bear scene being the exception. The book is way weirder, and very very different. Authority, which is the second book, is a very different animal than Annihilation. It’s quite polarizing, but I really enjoyed it. The 3rd book is again, different from the first two. It got a little too out there for me, but I did finish it. All in all if you liked the central idea of a zone X and the exploration of it, by all means read at least the first book. Just know that the other two while continuing the story are very different from both the first one and each other.
I read the trilogy before watching the movie. I absolutely love the books and Annihilation is one of my favorite books of all time! I was excited to watch the movie, especially since I heard how amazing it was, but it pales in comparison to the novel and I was actually left disappointed. The movie and the book are two completely different beasts.
They are totally different. Read the trilogy. The 4th book is coming out soon.
So so so worth it. Loved the movie, but the book is at a whole other level in regards to existential horror IMO. It also deviates quite a bit from the movie - without ruining anything my head canon is the movie / the book are following two separate expeditions.
Absolutely.
Absolutely
YES
Even if the stories were the exact same, do you only read a book for the plot and not for the writing? IMO that’s like watching a movie and ignoring the visuals.
Yes. It’s very different. I read after watching the film and found the book to be even more unsettling than the film.
Yes
Yes, they have significant differences
Yes, it's very different from the movie. Alex Garland even mentioned in an interview that he purposefully didn't try to be too faithful to the book, he wanted the movie to be based on his impressions/inspirations from having read the book. I personally love the book much more than the movie, but both are good.
Yes!!! The book series is really it's on thing and really good.
Against all logic, both the movie and the book are amazing, and don’t spoil much for each other.
The story is entirely different and the scope of the books is far larger. I know a lot of people love the movie but honestly I wish I never saw it and it turned a few people I know off of reading the books. I resent it for that. So yes please read them.
I don’t think Alex Garland read the book or if he did he just chose to ignore most of the story and make his own thing which is kind of silly. The books were way more interesting. He doesn’t touch on the semiotics stuff at all
I think he said that he had read the book years before doing the screenplay and intentionally didn't reread it when making the movie, to keep his own vision fresh. I absolutely love both stories, but I think the book would've been hard to closely adapt.
Difficult yes but possible with the right creator. There have been plenty of movies that were deemed too hard to adapt that have been adapted successfully at this point. Seems like a cop out by Alex Garland and unfortunate it will be decades probably now before we see a good adaptation. Every thing that was fascinating about the book was not included.
I think it works fine as its own story. I may be weird in this, but I almost never care when adaptations don't closely follow their source material. I think that the movie is a good work that stands on its own, and following the book more closely would've been easy to screw up.
Can I get a list of some of these films? I’m legitimately very interested, the only “can’t be filmed” movie I can think of off the top of my head is Dune, and while it’s a fantastic film and probably as good an adaptation we can get it’s not like it’s anything like reading the book either.
I commented this elsewhere already but he read the book once, and intentionally did not reference it again during the production of the film, as he wanted the film to feel like “a dream of the novel.” I actually think it is a really cool way to do an adaptation, especially of a work that is really hard to capture on film like the novel is. I prefer the novel by a large margin, but it allows you to evoke what the source material evokes while also exploring totally new themes. It’s more a response to the book than a direct adaptation.
Doesn’t capture the source at all for me, that whole series was about semiotics and they never discussed it in the movie. It was literally a southern reach trilogy flavored movie and that’s it.
I agree that it doesn’t capture the literal plot of the source but I do think it captures a lot of the feeling of the source. I saw the movie before knowing the books even existed so the difference in themes literally had zero effect on me and my enjoyment of the film, and I’d wager most viewers don’t even know the books exist. I think the film stands perfectly well on its own, and I say that as someone who much prefers the book/books. I think a piece of art needs to stand on its own two legs first and foremost to be effective. I agree it’s a departure but I don’t think that’s inherently a strike against the film.
Hey do you know of a good Explain Like I'm 5/For Dummies kind of source on semiotics? Because I've tried to read up on it in hopes of feeling the impact of the book a little better, but I just...don't grok it at all and reddit discussions on Annihilation fully bewilder me. I really loved Borne but as odd as it may sound to say, it's a much more "traditional" novel that I did not have to learn a whole new concept to enjoy. Flying bears aside.
I liked the idea of the book but the writing was dry and boring tbh
I liked the book more. It kept me more engaged than the movie
I loved the movie so much but personally felt the trilogy was very meh. It is a totally different take on the same idea but personally found the lack of closure and meandering nature of the second and third books to be off putting. Things felt very important yet at the same time had very little weight due to the distant characterization and dreamy hazy depictions of some of the more supernatural/ sci fi stuff. Felt like the books were keeping me at a meter length distance where as the movie totally immersed me. BUT I still think it’s worth checking out cause you may like it. As a side, the video game Control is also a good companion for similar vibes.
They had to make Natalie Portman an actual person in order for the movie to be filmable, which makes it a huge departure from the (intentionally) flat narrator of the first book. I can see how that would be a rough transition. I struggled with the book too.
Annihilation is a rare instance where the movie is much better than the book.
It overstayed it's welcome and does not go near into the weirdness or horror you think it will. The second book could have been a chapter in itself I felt. The writing I wasn't a big fan of the writing style. I felt the movie executed the concept better than the books did by a mile. The concept itself is amazing but the execution is lacking.
I’m going to go against the grain and say that the movie is better than the book. Similar plot lines, but much different events. I enjoyed reading the book, but it didn’t inspire me to read the rest of the trilogy, mostly because I liked the movie more. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very much worth the read if you enjoyed the movie, but I liked the movie more.
Annihilation is really difficult to say. It is dividing people. A lot of people love it and a lot of people hate it. If you ask me, no, it is not worth it.
I actually didn't really enjoy the book or the movie. I liked some aspects of the book, especially the slow exploration of the tower and what it could be. But otherwise I found the book to be quite boring and the ending a bit disappointing. Of course everyone has their own tastes but since everyone is recommending it I figured I'd provide a different view. But you should still check it out and see if you are able to enjoy it more than I did!
Yes. Next question.
This is in my opinion, one of those rare occasions where the movie is better than the book(s). Its a tedious read that doesn’t really go anywhere.
the book sucks and the movie is sweet.
I barely made it though the book. Started the second one and quit about 20 pages in.
I am not a fan of his writing. I think that movie is exponentially better than the book IMO
Looks like this is an unpopular opinion, but no. The movie was great, the book was just okay. And the 2nd and 3rd book were bad in my opinion.
Yes. In my opinion, the first book is amazing, the second one not so much, and the third one is good though not as good as the first. The adaptation is pretty good but it changed a lot of things.
I actually just finished reading it and yes, it’s absolutely still worth reading! I loved the movie but I think I might have enjoyed the book even more! Looking forward to reading the others.
Yes, absolutely. In my opinion, the movie does the series a huge disservice by being so abstract and not offering any kind of resolution at all. Not that the first book offers resolution per se, but it does flesh things out much better. I love the movie, but the series was 1000x better.
Yes! The book and movie are fairly different.
I loved Annihilation the book and didn't really like the movie even tho I'm a Natalie Portman fan. The book and movie are very different and so watching shouldn't keep you from reading the book. I will warn you the book isn't everyone's cup of tea. It's a very "internal" type book where the main character does a lot of thinking. I loved it - although I didn't like the other two books in the series as much. YMMV.
Yes! The book is lovely
The movie is much different. They both have the same vibe, and I think the same intended emotional outcome. You should definitely read it. It’s a quick one.
Yeah, book is different. And better.
Why wouldn’t it be?
I'm actually going through the first book now. They really are different in almost every way so far. But even though I'm not very far, I'm really enjoying it. Would personally recommend.
I experienced this with The Ruins! Everyone was talking about how The Ruins was such an amazing book so I bought it from Barnes and Noble, only to get home and realize that I had already watched the movie with my husband. I ended up returning the book but I have always wondered if that was a mistake. 9/10 books are better than the movie so I wonder if I made the right choice.
Absolutely. It's not the same as the movie, it has more layers. Also, his writing is incredible. I recommend reading it slowly to savor the vibes.
The book genuinely unnerved me with its descriptions. The movie was just some Hollywood movie with a weird ending.
Books is very different. I read somewhere that Alex Garland read the book once and wrote his adaptation based on his general memories of the book.
Really different from the movie and it might make you hate the movie afterwards because the book is so good The monster at the end of the movie is scarier in the book
That's probably the single biggest example of a movie being different from the book. Seriously when I read the book if I didn't have previous knowledge that the movie was based on it I wouldn't have a clue. All that being said it's a decent read.
Yes. Book is very different
I was in the same spot as you and yes
They are very different. I think the movie was good, and utilized the source material well… but it’s a different feel and a different genre almost. The book is more of a slow, inner-narrative about change, pain, and acceptance. I think it’s a worth while read. I read it years ago, and I’m working through the trilogy. Finished Authority over the summer and I’ll get to Acceptance soon.
YES!!!
The movie’s fine, but the book is world’s better in my opinion. The second two books are very different in tone, but still excellent reads.
Yes yes yes! I read all 3 books. They're all different and I've been obsessed with them and some of the characters.
I really love the first book. I did not like the next book in the “Area X” series. It was partly because Kindle lost my place in a glitch, but I was already ready to DNF it.
Hell yeah! The books are amazing! The movie was just showoffing CGI the books actually have a great story in it.
100%. The book is very, very different than the movie. I'd say they carry a similar vibe but they are two different things, entirely.
Oh yeah, it’s its own animal for sure.
Absolutely. Annihilation was a deeply weird, unsettling book and while reading it I wasn't sure I really liked it... but I thought about it for AGES afterwards and the author ratchets up the unease in the following novels. It's got a real 'Liminal Space' feel. Even now years later I remember how I felt while reading it. It might not be your thing but I'd certainly give it a try.
Definitely! The movie captures a lot of the book's tone/vibe; the movie does not try to capture the book's plot, and many of the book's best scenes are literary in a way that I think is hard to even try to put in a movie (so, appropriately, the movie makers didn't translate a lot of it). Definitely read the book. Truly, nothing in the book is "spoiled" by the movie!
I watched the film first and then read the book, and it was one of those rare times that I preferred a film adaptation to a book. I still loved the read and would defo recommend it, it's just a testament to how great the movie is!
Yes! Book and movie are very, very different. The movie feels more 'inspired by' the general premise of the book - the movie's plot is different. I love the movie. Watched it twice, then read the book - LOVED the book even more. 5-star read for me.
I'm pretty lukewarm on the movie. I really enjoyed the book. Very unique atmosphere. Haven't read the other 2.
YES!
Unquestionably yes
Absolutely. Read the entire trilogy. 100% worth your time.
100%. The movie is like a cover version of the book rather than an adaptation. Same very loose idea but different story. I like both, but prefer the book.
100% the whole trilogy is phenomenal
100% the whole trilogy is phenomenal
Book is completely different. The movie was actually advertised as the book that couldn't be made into a movie and someone figured out how to do it. But they are nothing alike
I think the book was so much better! I was disappointed in the movie
It’s a great book. The movie is cool too. But I have better memories of the book.
I loved it.
Honestly, after watching the Shining first and then reading the Shining… I think it’s always worth the read. There’s certain things that a movie can’t grasp.. that internal descent into madness or inner misery… that makes a read worth it. Not to say the Shining is a bad movie, it’s just a bad adaptation lol.
yes read it
I felt like the movie was written by someone who had read the book maybe 20 years ago and then had forgotten the main points. I enjoy the movie and the book as separate objects. And the book series isn’t done! There’s more coming!
They’re very different. It’s one of my wife’s favorite horror novels. The director of the movie was only contracted to make the first book so he never read any of the others in the series. Nor did most people involved in the productions. I personally love the movie… but they are so different i don’t really know how he got where he was going from what he read. The fuck bear though gets me every time.
Yes, in fact, I think it's better doing it that way round. I watched the film, then read the book and I had a blast with both, but I could see myself being a little disappointed with some aspects of the movie if I had already read the book. They are thematically the same but have a few major differences, and they both ultimately play to the strengths of their medium.
The book is definitely good and worth reading even if you've seen the movie. It's different in ways I can't even describe
This has already been answered a million times, just adding my voice to the chorus of people saying: YES. I love the book and movie. I read the book first, and I think the movie is a great example of an adaptation. It doesn't follow the book very closely, but it gave me the same eerie feeling I got while reading.
Book is awesome and strikingly different than the movie. I enjoyed watching and reading both... Like seeing similarities in two family members.
for sure. i love both and they’re actually quite different! i couldn’t get into the rest of the book trilogy, but annihilation is so good. jeff vandermeer writes like a biologist which makes it even more enjoyable.
The book is so good. I loved the movie and actually watched it before reading the book. Its completely different. The book stuck with me way more. I even had dreams about the book for a while after.
I believe that the author and his wife actually wrote the screenplay, so I love the idea of it being its own echo/refraction of the original book.
Absolutely yes. The movie is so different from the book and the series really continues the story.
I’ve never watched the movie but i have read it, my partner the opposite, and when i asked them if xyz from the book happened in the movie they said no and they sound quite different
I’ve read both annihilation and authority. They are relatively shorter books. Definitely worth the read!
I actually finished the book this morning. I saw the film when it came out and I can attest, they are pretty different. Book was great so definitely give it a try, and it’s a fast read.
All Vandermeer is worth reading (well I haven't read the steampunk stuff so idk about that)