Jeff VanderMeer is an American author and literary critic. He was initially associated with the New Weird literary genre before gaining wider recognition for his Southern Reach Series. The first novel in the series, Annihilation, won both the Nebula and Shirley Jackson Awards, establishing VanderMeer as a significant voice in contemporary speculative fiction. The novel was adapted into a Hollywood film directed by Alex Garland. Beyond the Southern Reach Series, VanderMeer has written other notable novels including Shriek: An Afterword and Borne, demonstrating range across different speculative and literary styles. In addition to his fiction work, he has been active as an editor and anthologist. Working with his wife Ann VanderMeer, he has edited several influential anthologies including The New Weird, The Weird, and The Big Book of Science Fiction, contributing to the critical conversation around genre literature and helping to define and preserve important works in speculative fiction.