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A review by neko_cam
Secret Life by Jeff VanderMeer, Theo Ellsworth
3.0
Many of the stories collected in 'Secret Life' take place within settings already established by Vandermeer elsewhere. For instance, there are a number set in Ambergris (of 'City of Saints and Madmen') and several set in and around the city of Veniss (of 'Veniss Underground'), with a few even set during the far flung future of the twisted city. There stories were, of course, absolutely amazing. The titular story was similarly astounding. It reminded me heavily of Vandermeer's other short story/novella 'The Situation', and that is a very good thing for it to do.
There is another collected set of stories presented in 'Secret Life', outcroppings of which I've not encountered (or perhaps not recognized) in any of Vandermeer's other works. This other collection is set during the Spanish invasion of the Incas and deals loosely with the events and experiences surrounding the last Incan emperor, Tupac Amaru. At first I was disinterested in this set which seemed comparatively mundane by Vandermeer standards, but as I recognized the cycle of stories for what they were by their interrelation, I couldn't help but become engaged by them. Perhaps I had prematurely judged them mundane because they're simply set in a real time and place, but by even the second story Vandermeer's trademark absurdity shone through the facade of the normal and I basked in its hearty glow.
I wouldn't suggest this collection as an introduction to Vandermeer's work. I actually enjoyed starting each story not knowing where (or when) it was set, and gradually collecting clues throughout the narrative as to which of Vandermeer's cycles it belongs, and obviously someone new to his works would be robbed of this experience.
So, contrariwise, I WOULD suggest 'Secret Life' to those who have read and enjoyed at least 'City of Saints and Madmen' and 'Veniss Underground'.
There is another collected set of stories presented in 'Secret Life', outcroppings of which I've not encountered (or perhaps not recognized) in any of Vandermeer's other works. This other collection is set during the Spanish invasion of the Incas and deals loosely with the events and experiences surrounding the last Incan emperor, Tupac Amaru. At first I was disinterested in this set which seemed comparatively mundane by Vandermeer standards, but as I recognized the cycle of stories for what they were by their interrelation, I couldn't help but become engaged by them. Perhaps I had prematurely judged them mundane because they're simply set in a real time and place, but by even the second story Vandermeer's trademark absurdity shone through the facade of the normal and I basked in its hearty glow.
I wouldn't suggest this collection as an introduction to Vandermeer's work. I actually enjoyed starting each story not knowing where (or when) it was set, and gradually collecting clues throughout the narrative as to which of Vandermeer's cycles it belongs, and obviously someone new to his works would be robbed of this experience.
So, contrariwise, I WOULD suggest 'Secret Life' to those who have read and enjoyed at least 'City of Saints and Madmen' and 'Veniss Underground'.