The Gone-Away World

this is mad max meets jitterbug perfume. this is the most fun the apocalypse has ever been.

with sentences that are unapologetically incomprehensible, and a plot that is if possible more so, this should be a frustrating read. but indeed, from the first few pages harkaway paints a world so frenetic, edgy, and impossible that the reader can't help but be drawn in. while the book's ultimate motive is, as with the best science fiction, to make a point about politics and human nature and culture and their intersection - and it has no little success here - it continues at the same time to be an engrossing and entertaining read. it is a story about the apocalypse, but not the one we were expecting; it's a story about growing up in the world, and how to be an adult in it; it's a story about... well... all the stuff stories are supposed to be about. and it's told in a style that is reminiscent of vonnegut, or kesey, or HST (it's no coincidence that one of the main characters is named gonzo!), one that keeps you rolling through a mad max universe for the sheer surprise of what will happen next. from pancakes as the clear solution to the decimation of the world, to a martial arts master who invents a secret so he can have one to not tell people who want to know the Inner Teachings, to the indescribably awful image of a professor's flaking scalp, this is writing as vivid as it is ungainly, and as ass-backwards as it is self-conscious and deliberate. read it, read it, read it!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Original & Fun

This is probably one of the more original stories I have read in a long time with great twists and turns. I became quite attached to the main character and was routing for him the entire time. The author's writing style does take some getting used to and I will admit I agree with other reviewers that his flashbacks can ramble and get quite tedious. I too skimmed through some pages to get back to the main story line. However, the original story and the author's dry and sarcastic humor made me an instant fan. I look forward to more from the author.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Refreshing Brilliant Book

Nick Harkaway has really done a work here for his first novel. He has a very unique writing style that vaguely resembles Douglas Adams with a sarcastic Kurt Vonnegut thrown in there. The rhythm of the book takes a little getting use to but once you do you will enjoy every word of it.

The characters and plot of this book are masterful and the book is wrapped up in a nice clean way.

To the reviewer, Very Confusing... perhaps if you hadn't "skimmed through many pages just to finish", the book might have been a little less confusing.

I'd recommend this novel to anyone, it is fun, adventurous. wacky and quiet outlandish at times but a work of art non the less.

Keep your eyes out for Nick's next book, I know I am.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An incredible first novel

The Gone-Away World is the best piece of speculative fiction I've read in years. Brilliantly conceived and finely crafted, it presents an internally consistent alternate (I hope!) reality, populates it with four-dimensional characters, and doesn't let up until the last page. Harkaway must have a truly twisted (and I mean that in the best possible sense) imagination to be able to create such an original world situation, while still keeping everything eminently believable, even compelling.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

One of the best books I've ever read.

I truly believe in time, this will sit on a shelf next to the likes of Catch 22 and Slaugherhouse 5.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

engaging satirical science fiction cautionary tale

For a rare time the government¿s claims re the Go Away Bomb is not obfuscated with the usual disinformation and misinformation. The assertion that the weapon was not of mass destruction just capable of erasing nasty reality elements made people euphoric with the no damage to property concept. However, the reality modification proved in reality a bit more convoluted as Einstein was right about relativity. Soon after the release of the Go Away Bomb, people¿s nightmarish thoughts started to turn into real monsters of the under the bed variety. The Jorgamund Pipe is built like a belt around the world that releases FOX, an elixir to counteract the Go Away Bomb effect at least for the few kilometers nearby. When a fire threatens the pipe and consequently the shrunk world, Gonzo Lubitsch, his best friend, and their HazMat emergency team go to put out the blaze and repair the damage. They know they enter a world of horrific chaos, but as Gonzo¿s pragmatic best friend says that is the norm for his pal going back to childhood under the tutelage of a Kung Fu guru, his military time building a bomb of not mass destruction and seeing its collateral damage shrinking the globe to a small Livable Zone. --- With nods to Vonnegut and Pratchett, THE GONE AWAY WORLD is an engaging satirical science fiction cautionary tale that takes a strong anti-war stand based on the justifications proving reality is relative. Those who believe will insure the facts fit their thesis those who do not likewise (Cheney and Anti Cheney Effects). The story line is non linear as the unnamed best friend narrates by providing readers with Gonzo¿s biography. This is for the most part entertaining and relevant even with a final monster twist but also at times at least to the reality envisioned by this reviewer feels as if a sidebar hijacked the plot temporarily. Still cerebral sci fi fans with plenty of time will want to read Nick Harkaway¿s thrilling thriller. --- Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved this book

If you like science fiction, fantasy or alternate reality stories, The Gone Away World is for you. If you like good story telling, this book is for you. I laughed out loud, I cried, was horrified and amazed. I think Rick Harkway is one of the best storytellers I've discovered lately. I will definitely be reading his other works and looking forward to new releases.

One of my top 5 favorites.

This book has everything-action, adventure, romance, ninjas...

It's like sci-fi meets kung-fu meets post-apocalypse meets war/military meets....everything else. It's hilarious in some parts and horribly sad in others.

I can't even begin to describe why this book is fantastic except for that it just is.

Genius

I discovered this little gem a couple years ago and have recommended it ever since. It is as if Nick Harkaway tapped into the dreams of my chuldhood, wove them into an epic and threaded in philosophy and mind blowing action. If you have come across this, read it. My only questio is when will he write more.

Very confusing

This book rambled and digressed so much that I confess I skimmed through many pages just to finish. It was a tiring and tense read. The concept is very creative but would be better as a sci-fi movie.

0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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