The Gone-Away World

De: Nick Harkaway

Narrado por: 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