The Gone-Away World

By: Nick Harkaway

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

A wildly entertaining debut novel, introducing a bold new voice that combines antic humor (think Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut) with a stunning futuristic vision (á la A Clockwork Orange and 1984, with a little Mad Max thrown in) to give us an electrifyingly original tale of love, friendship, and the apocalypse.

There couldn't be a fire along the Jorgmund Pipe. It was the last thing the world needed. But there it was, burning bright on national television. The Pipe was what kept the Livable Zone safe from the bandits, monsters, and nightmares the Go-Away War had left in its wake. The fire was a very big problem.

Enter Gonzo Lubitsch and his friends, the Haulage & HazMat Emergency Civil Freebooting Company, a team of master troubleshooters who roll into action when things get particularly hot. They helped build the Pipe. Now they have to preserve it - and save humanity yet again. But this job is not all it seems. It will touch more closely on Gonzo's life - and that of his best friend - than either of them can imagine. And it will decide the fate of the Gone-Away World.

Equal parts raucous adventure, comic odyssey, geek nirvana, and ultra-cool epic, The Gone-Away World is a story of - among other things - love, pirates, mimes, greed, and ninjas. But it is also the story of a world, not unlike our own, in desperate need of heroes - however unlikely they may seem.

©2008 Nick Harkaway (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

i am a worm genetiscist.

Just kidding. I have to agree that I enjoyed the book and it's action. The depth of theme isn't radical or stunning, but it's clearly about acceptance, tolerance and change. But forget that, there's mutants. Fire. Love. Betrayal. Bad guys. Good guys. The misunderstood. The changed. It's a grab a bowl of popcorn or hit the road trip audio book that explores our nasty corporate tendencies as well as our love for big loud trucks, shiny things and heroes. Fun. That's the ticket. And seriously, mutants make almost anything more interesting. Science fiction often makes me depressed with it's lack of originality - or flowing phrasology. Like I know?! This was just darn solid good fun. Grab your wheel and head for a tri-state road trip with it - you'll be there before you want.

Audible give me more stars for this book

What made the experience of listening to The Gone-Away World the most enjoyable?

Kirby Heyborne embodies The Narrator. Brilliant!

What other book might you compare The Gone-Away World to and why?

Hard to say, since this story is truly unique, but Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey has some similarities.

Which scene was your favorite?

Pa Lubitch's monster bees.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Not that it isn't THAT good, but I needed to take breaks and digest it.

Any additional comments?

Buy it. Listen to it. Love it.

A rambleogue to the end of the world

I came here for a sci-fi story from an author I didn't know. I enjoyed the story, but it's hidden in a tangle of tangents hours deep. There's a good and interesting premise here, introduced in the start of the book, but in many ways it doesn't get back to the point till maybe fifteen hours in. Some of the twists and turns are quite good, but overall I spent a lot of time wishing the plot would gravitate back to the story.

Really threw me for a loop

this book has such a slow-burn of a story I actually wasn't sure at first whether or not I was enjoying it. The fictitious autobiography style of the book lends itself to an interesting viewpoint, and you feel like you've learned enough. When the story shifts, you realize you didn't know nearly enough.

10/10 execution of a pretty original concept, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the turnaround went. I'm almost disappointed there isn't a sequel, but that's definitely for the best. it wraps up nicely.

Kirby Heyborne does a fantastic job narrating, I don't ever feel like I missed anything due to his cadence. His sound effects were genuinely great.

A post apocalyptic world with heart

Where does The Gone-Away World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The world was wonderful, deep, and complex. I would rate it in the top 10% of the books I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters grew and kept me on my tows.

Which character – as performed by Kirby Heyborne – was your favorite?

The protagonist was definitely my favorite.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The world may have gone away, but one man will fight to save it

Great book. Long read, but fun.

while at times seemingly tedious and meandering, he brings it all together in a satisfying way. At the end, the numerous side paths all make sense. If you bog down, keep going, it's more than worth it.

Oh Yes

The language is beautiful - I want to read the book as well just to see the how lovely it falls together - one of the best performances I've heard - the story is captivating and complex without being confusing - so different - so refreshing - so worth it

Often funny and brilliant, but also exhausting

This is a science fiction/post-apocalyptic/kung fu/romance/war novel/comedy/drama/horror/adventure story written by John le Carré's son. If the description is a bit exhausting, so is the book. It feels like Harkaway threw in the kitchen sink into the book, and then the remaining sinks in the house, and other plumbing, for good measure.

The book is often entertaining and exciting, with wry comments and some laugh-out lines. But it is also very discursive: wandering through flashbacks and asides, switching tone between satirical and emotional. It isn't hard to follow, exactly, but rather tiring. The plot is interrupted so frequently that you sometimes want to shout "Get on with it!" at your audio player.

For example, the story is framed in a fascinating post-apocalyptic setting. Within that story, there are flashbacks to the vaguely absurdist Gone Away War that led to the apocalypse. Part of the story of that war involves an epic escape. In the middle of the escape, a secondary character dies, and the author decides to tell you what is going through the mind of the character during its death, which includes a flashback of the character's entire life, for a full 10+ minutes. It was a funny flashback, but I really wanted to just keep the main plot going.

This problem is exacerbated by the fact that it is an audio book, so, suddenly realizing that you are now going to spend 10-30 minutes listening to a discursive discussion can be really annoying.

On the other hand, the book is really interesting, very imaginative, and well-read. If you are okay with the meandering plot and willful switches of tone, this is a good choice.

Does a mime-combine sound stupid? Stay away.

I just spent more pages learning about a future combine where everyone is a mime named Kay than I spent on meeting, courting, marrying his wife. Everything is very punchy and quirky and boring. Hair color? Punchy-anecdote. Was the coffee hot? Wacky 2 page anecdote. His wife? So pretty and nice.

The best part of this incoherent rant was that the speaker was so clear I could listen to this on x2 speed.

This one stays with you...

Where does The Gone-Away World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top of the list of the audiobooks I remember (and I've listened to hundreds). Lovely but haunting, or...haunting but lovely.

What other book might you compare The Gone-Away World to and why?

In some ways it may compare to Neil Gaiman, Guy Gavriel Kay or Haruki Murakami (the author may or may not appreciate those comparisons but I consider them a compliment), but in a number of ways truly unique.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire last third of the book.

Any additional comments?

Not a happy story, really quite grim in places but still beautiful in total.