Dead Astronauts

A Novel

No cover

Jeff VanderMeer: Dead Astronauts (2019, Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

352 pages

English language

Published Sept. 5, 2019 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

ISBN:
978-0-374-72070-4
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5 stars (3 reviews)

5 editions

A surrealist painting

5 stars

Imagine a surrealist painting in an apocalyptic landscape with bioengineered monsters. But that description does not do it justice. I am left with poignant images that have to be pieced together and ruminated on. Or I can stop trying to piece this narrative puzzle together and just accept the beautiful fragments as they are. The message of this novel is that the dread and violence at the end of the world will be searing but also there will be wonder and love.

It's Good, But Caveats

5 stars

This book reaffirmed my suspicion that I enjoy abstract unimaginable prose to direct linear storytelling. If that's not something you're in for, we'll unfortunately you've made it this far in the Borne series.

I would say Borne is great as a standalone and doesn't need any of the other two books. Strange Bird adds a heart breaking and beautiful layer of nuance to the world and makes for a great Duology. Dead Astronauts does for me what Strange Bird did, yet I really can relate to why there are so many that this book didn't click for. I've never read something that required so much heavy lifting to really integrate and engage with, and that's with reading all three books back to back in a short period of time. The effort was well rewarded in my opinion, but I feel compelled to warn potential readers that enjoyment feels predicated on …

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rated it

5 stars

Subjects

  • Fiction, dystopian