MovieChat Forums > Annihilation (2018) Discussion > Anyone who have read anything by J.-H. R...

Anyone who have read anything by J.-H. Rosny aîné?

posted 9 years ago by Askur
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You know, the guy who wrote novels set into prehistoric times, like Quest for Fire which was adapted into a movie starring Everett McGill and Ron Perlman as Neanderthals (or something like that).

Some of his stories are now available in English, and three of them sounds interesting and makes you think of both Annihilation and Roadside Picnic (and to some degree The Lost Room (2006)):

In "The Cataclysm", the physical laws of nature change in an entire region of France because of the arrival of a strange electro-magnetic entity from outer space.

"The Mysterious Force" is about the destruction of a portion of the light spectrum by aliens who, for a brief while, share our physical existence.

In "Hareton Ironcastle", explorers discover a mysterious alien world, fauna and flora, embedded in the Heart of Africa. It has previously been translated by Philip José Farmer, but so much was changed from the original story that less a translation and more a retelling (according to the rumors).

I have not read any of these myself yet, but for those who enjoyed Annihilation, these could be interesting as well.

[–] Strixis 9 years ago

Thank you for posting those suggestions. After finding a book you really like it can sometimes be hard to find another that has the same feel. I did read the rest of the trilogy. The other two books in the series were not as good as the first, but I do like the trilogy as whole almost as much as I love the first book.

I would also recommend 14 by Peter Clines. It isn't a lush nature thing, but it taps into that feeling that everything might be normal and then proceeds to get more and more strange.

I also suggest State of Wonder by Anne Patchett. In this story a medical/research doctor has to go on an excursion into the Amazon to follow up on the work of a colleague.

[–] Askur 9 years ago

No mention. As I said, I have not read the stories myself, and I doubt it has the same kind of mood and atmosphere (and since the author died in 1940, they probably have a different feel to them), but they share the same concepts about alien ecosystems and strange phenomena.

Then there is The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard, which I assume more people have heard about, that seems to have a weak resemblance too, but I must confess it was not exactly my cup of tea. Still, others could enjoy it.

Haven't heard about the novels you mention, but I'll check them out.