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# 25 Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer


Dead Astronauts was published in 2019 and is the second book set in the world of Borne. However, keep in mind that it is not a typical sequel. The only reason I would suggest reading Borne first is that it’s a much more accessible book compared to what I’m about to delve into here.

Here, things are more complex, more allegorical, and undeniably experimental. If the first book was, let’s say, the In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson, then this one is the A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers by Van der Graaf Generator. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, this might be a good opportunity to check out those albums and bands.

So, what actually happens in Dead Astronauts? Chaos. Madness. A complete unraveling. This novel is by far the most challenging of VanderMeer’s works that I’ve read, but in the best possible way. If I had to describe it broadly, I’d say it feels more like a transcendental experience than a traditional narrative, and you realize that within the very first pages. It’s nonlinear, fragmented, and multidimensional. The protagonists act as symbols, as tools to explore the meaning behind what has happened to this world warped by the Company, which also serves as the main antagonist in Borne.

A few details about the story itself:

We follow three central figures: Chen, a former employee of the Company who has turned against it; Grayson, who actually is an astronaut; and Moss, who isn’t exactly human but a sentient, organic, plant-based intelligence with a mutable humanoid form. I should note that I’m cautious about how much I truly grasped, because there were moments when the narrative was deliberately opaque, and now that I’m writing about it, I feel a certain uncertainty. So forgive me if there are any misinterpretations.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is calling these characters “astronauts” not because they all are – only one of them is literally – but because they travel through fractured realities in a world destabilized by the Company’s actions.

The setting is post-apocalyptic, filled with techno-organic landscapes, ranging from barren deserts to dense overgrowth, inhabited by creatures such as Mord (a nod to Borne). I also believe I caught subtle references to Rachel and Borne themselves.

The nightmarish atmosphere that permeates Dead Astronauts culminates in a harrowing finale, one of those endings that leaves you numb and instills a profound sense of futility and entrapment.

Through it all, VanderMeer demonstrates his mastery, blending ecological themes with science fiction, dystopian elements, and space-time paradoxes, shifting seamlessly between narrative prose and passages that read like freeform poetry.

It’s an original, introspective, and deeply engaging work, and if you appreciate VanderMeer’s writing, you’ll likely see this as the next bold step in his creative evolution.

Until next time — be well, and keep reading.

It’s important!

 

Accompanying Notes: 

 https://open.spotify.com/album/75ol9OP8bJaRqzGimpFHDm?si=qnu2guedSq-tJeEYN-kwwQ

https://open.spotify.com/album/5GuP6isw4DZpsTaucdWkC5?si=CwNDd-4ER3WrPFe_RINpYQ



https://currentreadings25.blogspot.com/2025/05/6-borne-by-jeff-vandermeer.html

 

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