Shriek and Finch

[swimpenguin]

I just finished Shriek last night and am starting Finch tonight; the author of both, Jeff Vandermeer, is pretty much a genius. I couldn't figure out, as much as I loved the closing pages of Shriek, what else I was feeling about it, until this morning: sadness at the ambiguity of things at the end. Not that I wanted a tied up with a bow ending, but I realized it's very poignant at what the characters are facing by the end, and since Finch takes place decades later in the same world, I'm thinking it's not going to be for the better. Vandermeer is yet another writer that really has a grasp on using fantasy to create something really new and profound, with something to say about the (in)human condition, but also just in love with the creative ideas of creating a new world and it's singular creatures, places, and so on.
Makes me want to strive and inspires my own world in creation-trying out two short story ideas in it currently.
Also watched UP last night and loved it!