Let's celebrate the October release of Jeff Vandemeer's fourth book in the Area X / Southern Reach series: Absolution.
You have enough time/holiday-time between now and February to read this series, and get caught up!

We will be discussing spoilers for all four books!

**Megan's words:**
"Do you like immersing yourself in atmospheric stories? Do you enjoy mysteries within mysteries?

I can’t say much about this trilogy without going into spoiler territory, yet I also am unsure I can spoil the books to begin with. Why is this? Part psychological and cosmic horror, part fantasy, part mystery, part science fiction, I can only say with certainty that this is a set of books that will leave you asking questions.

Written by Jeff VanderMeer, [...]. Annihilation is what you’ll start with. [...] I ended up finishing all 3 books within a couple of weeks because I couldn’t put it down.

To pique your interest, here’s a quick synopsis of Annihilation:
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.
The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.

You can find the books on Kindle or in print form from any major book seller, but I encourage you to check out your local libraries. If you're in the region for the Jefferson-Madison regional library, I know for certain that all 3 books can be borrowed for no cost."

**Joel says:**
If anyone needs to borrow a copy of the audiobook, let me know!

**5pm:** Socialize, food (more below)
**6pm:** We will watch this YouTube dissecting of some of the series' mysteries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp85doDIjPE
**7pm:** Book discussion, and discussion of top posts in the Southern Reach sub-Reddit.
**9pm:** We will watch a few short episodes of the show Scavenger's Reign, a very unique show about exploring another planet full of alien animal and plant life, a show that is highly recommended by the Southern Reach sub-Reddit, and also highly recommended by Andrea and myself.

**Dinner:**
Bring a potluck item. Anything at all. But feel free to explore unique plant and animal foods, if you want a theme that matches the books.

Several group members have allergies, including to wheat, gluten, dairy, onion, garlic, eggs, and more, so please label your food clearly, and we will keep serving spoons from mixing with other dishes.
If you have allergies or need details about other's allergies, feel free to contact me.

Please post what you'd like to bring below so we can coordinate.

If you are culinary creativity challenged, that's okay, please contact the host for no-cook ideas that will help with the group effort.

Geeks of the Blue Ridge

Hobbies & Passions

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Geocaching

Card Games

Film

Movie Nights

Games

Foreign Films

Game of Thrones

Dinner and a Movie

Geeks & Nerds

TV/Film/Video

Game Night

Indie Film

Board Games

Logic Puzzles

Will you have read all four books for this event?

Book Discussion: Area X / Southern Reach, new book 4 plus books 1-3

Horror Writing

Book Club

Dinner

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Book Discussion: Area X / Southern Reach, new book 4 plus books 1-3

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