That brings me to another reason way Annihilation was so extraordinary: The vast majority of the main characters in this inventive, and undeniably gory, novel were women . The book centres on a five-person expedition into a mysterious landscape called Area X, which had been cordoned off years ago. Our protagonist, called only the Biologist in the book, was compelled to join this dangerous trek in order to discover what happened to her husband when he ventured into Area X years prior. The other women on the mission, also professionals in their fields, are chosen for their skills: a psychologist, a linguist, an anthropologist, and a surveyor set forth into Area X along with the Biologist