The Gone-Away World

Nick Harkaway

Sept 2008 · Sold by Vintage

About this eBook

A hilarious, action-packed look at the apocalypse that combines a touching tale of friendship, a thrilling war story, and an all out kung-fu infused mission to save the world. 

“A flat-out ferociously good novel.... Reads like a surrealist smashup of Pynchon and Pratchett, Vonnegut and Heller.” —Austin Chronicle

Gonzo Lubitch and his best friend have been inseparable since birth. They grew up together, they studied kung-fu together, they rebelled in college together, and they fought in the Go Away War together. Now, with the world in shambles and dark, nightmarish clouds billowing over the wastelands, they have been tapped for an incredibly perilous mission. But they quickly realize that this assignment is more complex than it seems, and before it is over they will have encountered everything from mimes, ninjas, and pirates to one ultra-sinister mastermind, whose only goal is world domination.

Ratings and reviews

If Quentin Tarantino could have written the ultimate SF dystopia, it might have read something like this. A lot of brilliant set pieces, but they struggle to contribute to a convincing whole. A huge problem is that, after building up a terrific head of steam, the book doesn't so much end as fizzle out. Definitely worth a sequel or two.

A great action story underpinned by pretty deep philosophical questions. I was skeptical at first, not normally being a ninja-story person, but the ending has stayed with me. Completely engrossing, great plane read.

Not many books have made me laugh out loud and tear up within a handful of pages, but this was one of them. Captivating writing style and interesting ideas and characters. The author's gong fu is strong

About the author

NICK HARKAWAY is the author of five novels, Titanium Noir, The Gone-Away World, Angelmaker, Tigerman, and Gnomon, as well as a nonfiction work about digital culture, The Blind Giant: Being Human in a Digital World. He is also a regular blogger for The Bookseller's FutureBook website. He lives in London with his wife, a human rights lawyer, and their two children.