Annihilation

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer

My second book from @mrbsemporium and what a good book it was. I don't usually go for psychological horror or distorted reality, but this book held me from the get-go. In part because it played its mystery well (easy when the Southern Reach sequels bear that load), in part because its protagonist was a biologist, but mostly because it's just so well written. As well as handling its weirdness with aplomb, it realistically fleshes out its protagonist's reflections on her predicament and how she came to be there. I'll definitely be seeking out its successor volumes.

The Collapsing Empire

The Collapsing Empire, John Scalzi

A fast, fun read set in a vast trading empire reliant on a cosmological force known as the Flow. As the Flow shifts and cuts off whole solar systems, the empire, and its squabbling guilds, belatedly face down the barrel of calamity. It can easily be read as a fable about climate change, but the author - a new one to me - is mostly having fun with an amiable cast in an imperial setting. I'll definitely be following him up.

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, Brady Udall

Rambling, quirky to a fault, massively overlong - but not much of a miracle. It's a seemingly ambitious tale of an Apache child runover by a postal worker, abandoned by his parents, and consigned to abusive health- and social-care authorities. But its incoherence, mishandling of characters, overconfident stylistic florishes, and unjustified length just make it a big old slog. It's not terrible, but it's not an orphan I'd recommend making space in your home for.