When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team.
In his new sci-fi horror novel, "Absolution," Jeff VanderMeer returns to the world of 2014's award-winning "Annihilation," which launched his Southern Reach Trilogy. Below, the best-selling 'weird fiction' author recommends six psychological expeditions into the unknown.
'Money' by Martin Amis (1984)
Sometimes explorations of the unknown cross not into a strange land but into the peculiarities of the human mind. Amis' trenchant, darkly funny portrayal of John Self, holed up in a New York City hotel as he attempts to direct his first movie, has an outrageous, kinetic quality that becomes at times phantasmagorical. Buy it here.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Our Wives Under the Sea' by Julia Armfield (2022)
This powerful novel charts the aftermath of an expedition steeped in the unknown while also mapping the depths of a relationship. After deep-sea researcher Leah returns from an expedition, she experiences odd symptoms, and her wife must grapple with changes in the marriage and with Leah's enigmatic employer, the Centre. Buy it here.
'The House on the Borderland' by William Hope Hodgson (1908)
Hodgson's masterpiece is the ultimate cosmic mystery. Filtered through a surprisingly sympathetic anonymous narrator, the eldritch exploration of a derelict house, unmoored from time and space, becomes a meditation on the unknowability of the universe. Buy it here.
'The Likeness' by Tana French (2008)
The old country house at the center of this disquieting novel stands at the edge of a different borderland, as French explores themes of identity and doppelgängers. When detective Cassie Maddox impersonates a dead woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance, she becomes a kind of ghost, haunting the dead woman's friends. Buy it here.
'A Perfect Spy' by John le Carré (1986)
"The past is another country" may be a cliché, but not in the hands of my favorite espionage novelist. His masterpiece charts the entanglements, both professional and personal, that bring about the downfall of operative Magnus Pym. A stunning tale of betrayals, redemption, and, ultimately, a compassionate portrayal of a compromised life. Buy it here.
'The Palm-Wine Drinkard' by Amos Tutuola (1952)
This surreal journey through a drunken night of uncanny encounters is a classic of Nigerian literature, fearlessly stacking absurdity atop absurdity. How much of the story is hallucination and how much is real matters less than experiencing a journey both joyous and enigmatic. Buy it here.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
Trump wants a weaker dollar but economists aren’t so sureTalking Points A weaker dollar can make imports more expensive but also boost gold
-
Political cartoons for February 3Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include empty seats, the worst of the worst of bunnies, and more
-
Trump’s Kennedy Center closure plan draws ireSpeed Read Trump said he will close the center for two years for ‘renovations’
-
The Beckhams: the feud dividing BritainIn the Spotlight ‘Civil war’ between the Beckhams and their estranged son ‘resonates’ with families across the country
-
6 homes with incredible balconiesFeature Featuring a graceful terrace above the trees in Utah and a posh wraparound in New York City
-
The Flower Bearers: a ‘visceral depiction of violence, loss and emotional destruction’The Week Recommends Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ ‘open wound of a memoir’ is also a powerful ‘love story’ and a ‘portrait of sisterhood’
-
Steal: ‘glossy’ Amazon Prime thriller starring Sophie TurnerThe Week Recommends The Game of Thrones alumna dazzles as a ‘disillusioned twentysomething’ whose life takes a dramatic turn during a financial heist
-
Anna Ancher: Painting Light – a ‘moving’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends Dulwich Picture Gallery show celebrates the Danish artist’s ‘virtuosic handling of the shifting Nordic light’
-
H is for Hawk: Claire Foy is ‘terrific’ in tender grief dramaThe Week Recommends Moving adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s bestselling memoir
-
Our Town: Michael Sheen stars in ‘beautiful’ Thornton Wilder classicThe Week Recommends Opening show at the Welsh National Theatre promises a ‘bright’ future
-
Music reviews: Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, and Madison BeerFeature “With Heaven on Top,” “Secret Love,” and “Locket”
