The rich themes of Annihilation recede a bit when Vandermeer does concrete exposition as to how things got the way there are. Characterization and development in Authority is more textbook "better" than Annihilation, but the series loses its allegory feel because of that. That said, the characters are very well thought out and their drives and reasonings are cohesive. If Annihilation's theme is the horror of nature and de/re-composition, then Authority's theme is the horror of bureaucracy. This is, by definition, less filled with overtly horrific scenes, and makes the book a little boring in some ways. That said, when these office worker characters inadvertently reveal the depth of their derangement, it is satisfyingly shocking.