*Veniss Underground* is a classic in what is now known as New Weird, and this 20th anniversary edition includes additional stories set in the same world. VanderMeer describes it as “an unabashedly decadent, phantasmagorical novel,” and it includes themes — such as the implications of biotechnology — that also appear elsewhere in his work. Blending three character POVs and first, second, and third person, it is an ambitious book that mixes the illusory and the concrete in ways that blur the boundaries between them. It is almost entirely setting-driven: the plot is quite simple and straightforward and the character development somewhat sparse, but the descriptions of the scenes are impactful, evocative, and deeply disturbing. It is a book that gets under one’s skin and refuses to leave. This is an early work from VanderMeer — he notes in a brief essay here that he was still learning his craft at the time the initial ideas for this novel came to him — and is not as strong as some of his later work. This is decidedly not a book for everyone, but it is one I’d recommend to those into New Weird; it definitely has the beginnings of the style that can be recognized in his later work such as the ******Area X****** trilogy. I appreciated the additional stories for the most part, and the inclusion of Vandermeer’s thoughts on these works.


*Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing an ARC in exchange for this review*.

I’m honestly not sure what to think of this book. The reader has to go in with an open mind, a VERY open mind, as with many of the author’s other publications.

I’ve read VanderMeer’s work before and felt the same way. Some parts I could understand, and others were beyond my grasp.

This is a fluid book, filled with weird and horrific imagery, vibrant chaos, and is quintessentially “VanderMeer”.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this reissued story!

I received an ARC for the re-issue version of this book from NetGalley.

Jeff VanderMeer has long been on my list of authors to read because of his focus on 'weird ecology' for lack of a better phrase. Veniss Underground absolutely delivered on that count. In fact, the world VanderMeer creates is really the main character of the book. Veniss, not just on its surface, but also in the layers (both known and unknown) underneath.

This was not only my first VanderMeer, but also my first foray into the New Weird genre. The narrative starts off like some sort of fever dream, being introduced to VanderMeer's imaginative world from within the mind of Nicholas, a failed "Living Artist". Looking for any way out of his predicament, Nicholas chooses to approach the elusive Quin, who, during his narrative, seems like some sort of mob boss. Soon after his visit to Quin, Nicholas goes missing.

Nicholas's twin sister Nicola takes over the narrative for the second part of this novel. Written in the second person, we follow Nicola as she quite literally transforms from a 'normal' (as normal as can be in this world) person with a day job into something entirely different. She has asked questions about Nicholas, prompting a series of events that also results in her own capture and attempted murder at the hands of a meerkat assassin.

The final, and longest section of this novel, switches back to the third person perspective and tells the story of Shadrach, Nicola's pining ex-boyfriend, an associate of Quin's, and who just happened to be the person who started all of this when he told Nicholas how to find Quin. Shadrach, who was born in the underground rebels of Veniss, but made his way up to the top in his 20s, embarks upon an Orphic journey to rescue Nicola in the many layers under Veniss.

What ensues is a gripping tale of Shadrach's journey through the many layers of Vennis Underground, of grotesque mutant races, of genetic splicing gone wrong, and ultimately about the mysterious and sinister Quin, who is not exactly as he seems. Upon his descent into Vennis Underground, the book reads as sort of a wild dream (or perhaps, more accurately, a horrible nightmare) where decay and rot are inescapable products of the world VanderMeer has created.

My copy included an Afterward by VanderMeer himself, explaining the origin of Vennis, the idea that the climate crises resulted in huge walled cities that, instead of expanding outward, expanded downward. It also included some short stories set in Veniss. This new edition ends with the story of Quin, and an explanation as to why he remains a mysterious background player throughout the novel.

Overall, a gripping and quick read. I will definitely be reading more of VanderMeer's work.

Veniss Underground
Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here's a fascinating tale. Not perfect by a long shot, but definitely out there, fearless, and lyrical. I've become a fan of VanderMeer for quite some time now. Some of his tales are evocative, full of vitality and the dark atmosphere of the truly strange, others are nicely grounded and only give you grazing shots of the unique and unknowable.

Veniss Underground, on the other hand, gives us a full city that is both remarkably familiar and deeply strange. We're come to understand this is a good 700 hundred years in the future and there are bioengineered freaks, mutants, and enough obsessions to drive anyone nuts. It's a great mix of the usual and the deeply disturbing. Meerkats, for example, are creations that I was fully prepared to be delighted by, but instead I'm reminded of brains in jars and dark incantations.

I like it. When VanderMeer goes all out in with the lyrical grossness, the existential horror with the icing of sheer, screaming, body horror, it's hard not to get sucked right in and remember, fondly of the earlier passages that seemed so light and breezy but have now turned to dread.

I'm not going to say that this was a flawless work, from either the short novel or the handful of short stories capturing more of Veniss, but I can say that I was nicely disturbed and equally impressed with the author. It's challenging, but worth the effort.

Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer
Pub. Date : March 7th, 2023
⭐⭐⭐. 5

I would like to thank @NetGalley and @penguinrandomhouse for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Veniss Underground is a Cyberpunk SciFi book that was first published in 2003. It is interesting to revisit this work telling the story of a world dominated by AI as we've seen the rise of that technology in the last couple of months. In that novel, AI rules the world and, therefore, programmers are favored resource.

Told in three point of views : Nicolas, Nicola and Shadrach. It's a psychedelic tale where the characters are trying to. Find their purpose in that futuristic world. This is a very short novel(around 300 pages depending of the edition) but depending of your interest of SciFi literature, this could read very slow. I must say that I was a bit lost at first as it's been a while since I've dived into a major SciFi work with intense world building. It's so much different from fantasy so I had to find my balance and my rhythm at first.

The first half of the book covers the initial work of VanderMeer on Veniss Underground. The second half of the reedition contains new material, mostly short stories from the same world with a focus on AI technologies. It will appeal to those who loved the world and idea of Veniss Underground and will make a great addition to your collection if you've already read this work in the past.

Considering the current time and trends, it's a very interesting read that delves into a possible future.

This re-issue of VanderMeer's early work looks to capitalize on the enormous success of his recent publications. Those who enjoyed the Annihilation Trilogy will find the roots (no pun intended) of those massively successful sci-fi novels in this early effort. A great way to acquaint (or re-acquaint) yourself with VanderMeer's body of work.