'Borne' by Jeff VanderMeer is otherworldly, its characters questioning themselves as to whether they are "people" and yet their relationships are profoundly human. The perfect concoction of literary ingredients for those looking for weird fantasy with a sentimental focus.
"We all just want to be people, and none of us know what that really means."
Relationships are a big part of Borne, each one feels carefully curated to complement the bigger picture, this being a desperate battle of survival in a world ruined by the mysterious "company" aptly named "The Company". Sounds like real life to me. All the best dystopians do...
Borne, the creature character, takes on a few different roles as the story evolves, but always keeps a childlike quality to him that makes him endearing despite his Godlike abilities and unexplainable existence. I loved watching him learn about himself and the world, he provided a lens through which we ourselves could learn. I especially enjoyed his manner of speaking, where he had to "digest" words to understand them, and questioned things as a toddler would. It becomes easy to forget that Borne is as terrifying as he is sweet.
On the topic of Godlike creatures, Jeff revisits the idea of a terrifying bear dominating his landscape. Anyone who has read, or seen the movie adaptation of, 'Annihilation' will remember the secondmost scary element which was the creepy bear. What have you got against bears, Jeff?? Leave bears alone!
(FYI, the scariest part of Annihilation for me was The Crawler)
Mord (giant bear, floats and kills stuff) was a truly epic antagonist, ever-present and mysterious, like some cosmic giant, filled to the brim with violent hatred. I don't want to use this term but I'll use it anyway: "Lovecraftian". Mord, and in some ways, Borne, as well, felt Lovecraftian. Jeff leaves the tentacles at the door (for Borne to use) but utilises a nightmare god concept with Mord that reminded me of Lovecraft's Father Dagon or Cthulhu. The passages depicting Mord were truly spine-chilling. He infects everything he touches and doesn't touch alike. I think what makes Mord work so well in this setting is that he represents The Company. The Company may not be around anymore, but it lives on through their bastardisation of nature.
VanderMeer loves springing ideas at you while leaving out just enough information to keep things on the "creepy" side of dystopia. I've spent some time describing the "things" that exist in the book, but while there are a lot of "things", most of which I haven't mentioned, it never feels overwhelming. We the readers are fed this information in a natural way, bit by bit as we uncover the truth of the world, through Rachel's exploration, recounting of memories and teaching Borne. Her mothering role to Borne makes it easy to digest Jeff's world.
"Once, it was different. Once, people had homes and parents and went to schools. Cities existed within countries and those countries had leaders. Travel could be for adventure or recreation, not survival. But by the time I was grown up, the wider context was a sick joke. Incredible, how a slip could become a freefall and a freefall could become a hell where we lived on as ghosts in a haunted world."
The world building! As with the Southern Reach trilogy, the world is focused on a "zone" comparable to the Strugatsky brothers "Roadside Picnic". While there was no actual influence (in Jeff's words: "...Roadside Picnic/Stalker are zero influence on the novels...") I would still like to use Roadside Picnic (and it's movie adaptation: Stalker) to draw comparison in atmosphere. In all cases, the Horror comes from external sources (aliens, The Company). It is an idea that works well, giving the thing an aura of uncertainty and doom. Something out of our control, that we simply have to adapt to but will never understand. In Jeff's books, though, there is emphasis on environmental destruction, which brings his books close to home. Jeff's worlds may seem farfetched but are mere exaggerations of what us Earth dwellers are capable of manifesting, in some shape or another we are on the path to self-obliteration. I just hope when we destroy ourselves, we don't use bears as a catalyst. I'm pretty sure I would ignore the danger and try to give Mord (giant bear, kills stuff) a hug. Maybe that's what he needs...
Jeff's acknowledgment: "My gratitude to bears for putting up with my nonsense about them. Bears are fascinating, intelligent, clever, awe-inspiring animals. They deserve our love and support. If you see one, please do not run. Instead, stand still. If necessary, fall to the ground, be still, and pretend you are a boulder...*
*...Please consult official bear-safety manuals prior to encountering bears."
I'll summarise by saying that Borne is the perfect book. Structurally coherent, creepy, exciting and wholesome. Jeff really is a master storyteller.
Thanks for reading my review!