"'Am I a person?' Borne asks Rachel, in extremis. 'Yes, you are a person, ' Rachel tells him. 'But like a person, you can be a weapon, too.' In a ruined, nameless city of the future, Rachel makes her living as a scavenger. She finds a creature she names Borne entangled in the fur of Mord, a gigantic despotic bear that once prowled the corridors of a biotech firm, the Company, until he was experimented on, grew large, learned to fly, and broke free. Made insane by the company's torture of him, Mord terrorizes the city even as he provides sustenance for scavengers. At first, Borne looks like nothing at all--just a green lump that might be a discard from the Company, which, although severely damaged, is rumored to still make creatures and send them to far-distant places that have not yet suffered collapse. Borne reminds Rachel of the island nation of her birth, now long lost to rising seas. She feels an attachment that she resents: attachments are traps, and in this world any weakness can kill you. Yet when she takes Borne to her subterranean sanctuary, Rachel convinces her lover, Wick--a special kind of dealer--not to render down Borne as raw genetic material for the drugs he sells. But nothing is quite the way it seems: not the past, not the present, not the future. If Wick is hiding secrets, so is Rachel--and Borne most of all. What Rachel finds hidden deep within the Company will change everything and everyone. There, lost and forgotten things have lingered and grown. What they have grown into is mighty indeed"--
"From the author of the Southern Reach Trilogy comes a story about two humans, and two creatures. The humans are Rachel and Wick - a scavenger and a drug dealer - both with too many secrets and fears, ready with traps to be set and sprung. The creatures are Mord and Borne - animal, perhaps plant, maybe company discard, biotech, cruel experiment, dinner, deity, or source of spare parts"--
"From the author of the Southern Reach Trilogy comes a story about two humans, and two creatures. The humans are Rachel and Wick - a scavenger and a drug dealer - both with too many secrets and fears, ready with traps to be set and sprung. The creatures are Mord and Borne - animal, perhaps plant, maybe company discard, biotech, cruel experiment, dinner, deity, or source of spare parts"--
- Details
- Full Record
- Additional Info
Searching for more content…
Searching for more content…
Publisher:
New York :, MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux,, 2017.
Edition:
First edition.
ISBN:
9780374115241
0374115249
0374115249
Branch Call Number:
FIC VAND
Characteristics:
pages
Opinion
From the critics
Community Activity
Comment
Add a CommentScary!
Once again, Vandermeer serves up a full portion of fear.
As with his earlier work (the Southern Reach trilogy with "Annihilation" coming out in film 2018), the aspect that drives the reader mad is how little we can see and know about the forces moving in the ruined world around; the writing will leave you looking over your shoulder wondering when the next deadly attack will fall, and if you will even see it coming.
In a ruined futuristic city, live Rachel and Wick, both dealing with their own pasts. After 'The Company ' leaves the city to its fate, mechanical and biological creatures flourish-none more terrifying than Mord, a gigantic bear. Then Rachel finds a creature she names Borne. His relationship with Rachel is complicated and neither she or Wick can know what he will mean to their future. Wonderful writing and this book would make a great movie.
While well written, and an interesting premise, I had to return this book about halfway through: I couldn't take the violence and gore.
A really interesting fresh take on a post-apocalyptic world. Reminiscent of Atwood's Oryx and Crake, but also different.
I loved this book.
essentially, a waste of time. Did the author write with a film contract in mind??
Borne is a great mysterious character. There are so many post-apocalyptic novels out there right now, but this one is special. The book has a great feeling of claustrophobia about it.
Kind of creepy and depicts a lot of gruesome behavior. Liked the unique creativity of the Borne creature.
It's charming, in a disgusting way, with innocent killers and gruesome worms and word play, and with a landscape that is so tangible you can taste the dust and feel the wind sweeping through the streets. But the pacing is bizarre and the characters, while likable after a while, are kept at a considerable distance. The narration style is isolated and lonely. It's a slow burn with secrets that don't give themselves up easily. The ending is beautiful, but the bulk leading up to it is disjointed. I feel like I might have gotten more out of this if I were a parent, seeing a child change as they learn and become human. If I had to guess, I bet Station Eleven fans would enjoy this one. If they can deal with a giant flying bear and a whole lot of tentacles, of course.