Amorphic shape comes to life.
I was spellbound and compelled to finish Borne after only starting Jeff Vandermeer’s latest science fiction masterpiece this week. I describe Borne as a combination of Blade Runner, Planet of the Apes and Monument Valley. Vandermeer did it again, but differently than the Southern Reach Trilogy. This time he made me feel an overwhelming empathy for the characters, especially Borne. I cried over those beautiful, endearing behaviors of Borne, even those actions riddled with horror. What mesmerized me the most was the parenting scenes that are deeply touching and loving as a mother bestows upon a child, the lessons, and mistakes that occur during child rearing and that a child learns later is a parent’s vulnerability, and forgives. There was a great deal of innocence in this fast-moving adventure about life death and everything else. You can’t help getting caught up in Rachel’s willful strength and only to find out…well you will have to find out.
Jeff Vandermeer’s words are mystical and profoundly visual describing a possible future, a future that is complex in which unintended consequences of biotechnology advancement change everything. Vandermeer challenges the “nature” of what is real!
There are so many precious phrases that I would love to quote, but I won’t spoil the effect by taking them out of context.
Bahni Turpin’s beautiful and haunting narration is a brilliant transformation from of Jeff Vandermeer’s characters from one to the other and the magical world they all live in.