So so good, not as depressing as it sounds by the title lol. Explores war but in a sci-fi way ig. Alternatively,
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer was a pretty quick read. Its the first book of a series and I think exists in a wider universe by Vandermeer. It has an unreliable narrator who observes like freaky fucked up nature
My absolute fav fav fav book ever please read it itβs so good (and the rest of the trilogy too) Also bangers:
βοΈ Chain Gang All Stars - Nana Kwame Adeji-Brenyah
β³ Exhalation - Ted Chiang
π« Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado
Story of Your Life and Others, Ted Chiang
Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro
Hyperion, Dan Simmons
The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
The Word for World is Forrest & The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K. Le Guin
These books expertly combine genre vibes of mystery, science fiction, eldritch horror, espionage, and more, all wrapped in beautifully written, "literary" prose. And Vandermeer's clear affection for nature buoy's all of the above, containing some of the most lovely, evocative, and creative descriptions of plants, animals, and environments/ecosystems. Oh and Jeff just released a new Southern Reach trilogy prequel / sequel novel, Absolution. I'll be reading this after finishing a reread of the original trilogy (currently on the second book Authority). Looking forward to giving Acceptance another shot, as it was the weakest (or least accessible to me) of the three when I first read them years ago.
