Veniss Underground, by Jeff Vandermeer.

This brief sf novel blends together “The Island of Dr.
Moreau” with the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. The
result is a grotesque, nightmarish quest novel, told
from three separate points of view. The first
section, told in the first person, concerns Nicholas,
a holo-artist who wants to break into the field of
“Living Art”—biological sculptures created by grafted
DNA. In order to do this, he contacts the greatest
Living Artist of them all—Quinn, a mysterious,
underworld individual whose work has infiltrated
society. Nicholas contacts Quinn, through Shadrach,
his sister’s ex-lover, and promptly disappears. The
second movement is by Nicola, Nicholas’ twin sister,
and is narrated in the second person. She, too, gets
trapped in Quinn’s sinister game. The final piece, in
the third person, follows Shadrach, as he goes
searching for the twins in the city’s underground.

Vandermeer summons a world of urban decay beautifully.
The nightmarish images each character encounters
almost makes this a horror novel. Yet, it never loose
its pacing—the author does not indulge in overkill. A
gallows humor—in the form of a talking, murderous
meerkat--offsets the dark, bruised tone of the text.
“Veniss Underground” is a wonderful example of “New
Weird Fiction,” and should appeal to fans of China
Mieville, who like strong literary values along with
their escapism.
--CLG



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