‘Steers a dizzying path between science fiction and the existential thriller, with writing that is kinetic, street-smart and supremely fertile.’ Rupert Thompson ‘The Broken World is, in short, a page-turner, combining originality with readability…One of our most stimulating writers.’ Michael Moorcock Very little is known at the start. As the story unfolds, more will be revealed.Writing an on-line ‘walk-through’ to a computer game of Borgesian complexity can take up a lot of time. So much so, it can be difficult to see things turning sour in the real world. As our narrator grapples with his players’ guide, life starts to intrude in troublesome ways. Things aren’t going so well with the live-in girlfriend (the one who pays the rent) and the job preparing ‘cooked circular food’ is getting increasingly hard to stomach.

To top it all, the best friend is clearly depressed and acting weirder by the day. But despite all this, his attention is focussed on The Broken World – an engrossing, possibly addictive, adventure that takes him from town to town in a struggle with zombies, agents, puzzle and mysteries. It’s not clear which of these worlds - the real or the on-line - is the more challenging, or where survival tips and peer-support are more urgently needed. What is clear is that he must work out solutions to problems involving life and love and happiness, not just in The Broken World, but in the real one too.‘Phenomenal. Quite scary in its originality, ingenuity and signifigance. Bound to become a cult book, and in serious danger of being a world-wide bestseller.’ Victoria Glendinning ‘The Broken World see Etchells pulling apart the contemporary and creating literature where you might not expect to find it…A wonderful novel.

’ Tony White.