Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)

by Jeff VanderMeer

Beyond the marsh flats and the natural canals lies the ocean and, a little farther down the coast, a derelict lighthouse.

A shot I took around mile seven out at the St Marks Wildlife Refuge, looking out on the marsh flats with the sea somewhere beyond. At this point on the hike, you’re pretty far out and the quality of the light is extraordinary. I became a lighthouse enthusiast while researching the Southern Reach novels. The histories of most lighthouses are interesting in part because most lighthouse keepers were loners and eccentrics. I recommend two books, Guardians of the Lights and Women Who Kept the Lights. This image is from the lighthouse at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, smaller than the one in the novel. But, oddly, the inside, which I hadn’t seen until last month since it’s not open to the public, strongly resembled the description in the Annihilation.