'Fresh, fast-paced, compulsive and clever' Nick HornbyThe classic story of paradise found and lostRichard lands in East Asia in search of an earthly utopia. In Thailand, he is given a map promising an unknown island, a secluded beach and a new way of life. What Richard finds when he gets there is breathtaking: more extraordinary, more frightening than his wildest dreams.But how long can paradise survive here on Earth? And what lengths will Richard go to in order to save it?'A white-knuckle ride into the heart of darkness' Sunday Times'Lord of the Flies and The Magus lurk at the roots of this novel, but Garland reshapes them with panache into something terrifyingly new' Mail on Sunday'A mesmerising, knuckle-clenching read' Maxim.