Author Jeff VanderMeer

Episode notes

Photo Credit: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Author Jeff VanderMeer on fantasy writing, “Annihilation” and his latest novel, “A Peculiar Peril”

Author Jeff VanderMeer spent much of his childhood in Fiji while his parents were working for the Peace Corps. They instilled a sense of wonder in him from a very young age and he spent a lot of his youth being fascinated by the flora and fauna he found around him. 

He dreamed of being a professional writer and documented his experiences on the island. 

After school, he started self-publishing fiction stories, most of them fantasy. Some of his first short stories were included in his self-published books The Book of Frog and in his 1996 collection titled The Book of Lost Places. 

In 2014, he wrote Annihilation. The first book in his Southern Reach trilogy. It featured sci-fi exploration into a classified area referred to as “Area X.” In it, nature has reclaimed the land in often mesmerizing ways. 

 Annihilation won the Nebula award for science fiction writing. It was eventually adapted into a feature-length film in 2018 starring Natalie Portman.

His latest book is called A Peculiar Peril. It’s sort of a fantasy novel, geared towards a younger audience. It takes place in a world that’s part Victorian, part dystopian. The book is extremely sharp, fun and very funny.

Guest host Jordan Morris chats with Jeff about how his writing process has evolved, what it’s like collaborating on projects after being self-published and what it’s like doing a book tour from home. Plus, we’ll ask him about how his parents shaped the way he looks at the world.

Click here to order your copy of A Peculiar Peril.