1. How did it feel to begin the novel by reading through the eyes of a character, as the author narrates the scene using the second-person “you”?

2. How did your perception of Saul shift throughout your encounters with him? What does his relationship with Charlie tell us about his capacity for love?

3. As Ghost Bird confronts her authentic self, what does the novel say about the nature of identity? To what extent do we all contend with disguises, if not doppelgängers?

4. What did you predict regarding the aims of the Séance & Science Brigade and the intentions of Henry and Suzanne?

5. The closing letter includes the line “acceptance moves past denial.” Ultimately, what realities were the most difficult for Gloria to accept? What does her story say about the power of the mind’s eye?

6. Discuss the significance of the three novels’ titles: ANNIHILATION, AUTHORITY and ACCEPTANCE. What does the complete story line tell us about the inevitability of these phases? How have they been experienced in the history of humanity?

7. Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach concept has led him to be compared to a variety of luminaries from around the globe, from H. G. Wells to H. P. Lovecraft and Jorge Luis Borges. How does Area X compare to other imagined worlds you have explored through fiction? How does it enhance your experience of VanderMeer’s other books?