Viamos e não veremos by Anonymous
Let's talk about the book that's been living rent-free in my head: Viamos e não veremos by Anonymous. Don't let the 'anonymous' part fool you into thinking it's shallow; this is a carefully crafted puzzle of a story.
The Story
The book is framed as a recovered field log from a failed expedition. We follow a team of botanists, geologists, and a linguist as they venture up a mysterious river, seeking glory and discovery. The early entries are filled with wonder—detailed sketches of impossible flowers, notes on a language that uses bird calls, that kind of thing. But the tone changes subtly. Days on the river don't match the distance traveled on their maps. They find ruins that their instruments say aren't there one day, and toweringly ancient the next. The group fractures between those who want to push forward into the heart of the mystery and those who are desperately afraid they've already gone too far to ever return to a world that makes sense.
Why You Should Read It
This isn't a monster-in-the-bushes thriller. The horror here is existential and brilliantly quiet. It's in the chilling calm of a journal entry that describes a teammate walking into the trees, not in panic, but with serene purpose, never to be seen again. The 'anonymous' authorship actually adds to the creep factor—is this a work of fiction, or did someone actually want this account to be read without their name attached? The book plays with ideas of perception and reality in a way that feels fresh. It asks: what if some places on Earth just operate on different logic, and our very presence is an offense to that logic?
Final Verdict
Perfect for readers who loved the eerie atmosphere of Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer or the slow-drip dread of Roadside Picnic. If you're looking for fast-paced action and clear answers, this might frustrate you. But if you love a story that plants a seed of unease and lets it grow roots in your imagination long after you've finished the last page, this is your next read. It's a haunting, thoughtful trip into the unknown that proves the scariest frontier is often the one inside our own heads.