The Hike

(Paperback)

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Description

A man named Ben decided to take a hike. He didn't plan on being out that long. He had a business meeting later that night and a family to return home to the next day. He didn't expect to get lost. He didn't expect to stumble upon a scene of unimaginable horror, forcing him to run down a deep and twisting path that would lead him into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects.

Reviews

Drew Magarys new novel, The Hike, follows Ben, a dad trying to get home after wandering into a parallel universe on a business trip. . . . Buy it for all your friendseveryone loves a good dad odyssey.
GQ

The Hikejust works. Its like early, good Chuck Palahniuk leeched of all bitterness and class warfareback when Chuck was still weird and tired and furious. Its like a story you tell yourself on a long drive alone in the dark. Its fun and fast and bizarre, familiar yet completelyother. But the real kicker Magary underhands a twist in at the end that hits you like a sharp jab at the bell. You'll see stars, I promise, but I don't want to come within a million miles of spoiling for you. Its just that good.
NPR.org

A page-turner. . . . A successful work of contemporary fantasy. It displays a writer in command of his voice and experimenting with more traditional forms of narrative, while being inventive, funny, and, by the end of the work, quietly profound and touching.
BoingBoing

Its kind of a more cynical version ofThe Phantom Tollboothmixed with a game of Dungeons & Dragons fromCommunitycreator Dan Harmons podcastHarmontown.
Wired, chosen as one of This Summers 14 Must-Read Books

At once heartfelt, nerve-wracking, and soul-searching,The Hikeis an emotional punch to the gut draped in the trappings of fantasy and psychological horror. Its a beautifully written novel with thoughtful characters, crunchy descriptions, and crisp action. I loved every single ounce of this book. Im already looking forward to re-reading it and I only finished it a few days ago. Easily a contender for a slot in my top five favorite books of 2016.
Tor.com

Often hilarious, as you would expect any book by Magary to be, but like The Postmortal there is a real darkness and thoughtfulness to Bens journey that will keep you engrossed.
i09.coms Summer Reading Guide

Agonzo fantasy adventure with a simple premise: a guy gets lost in the woods. Yet with Magary, getting lost means being chased by dog-faced murderers, crashing into an iceberg, almost getting eaten by a giant, and being forced to build a castle for the undead. In short, things get weird.
Men's Journal

The Hikedoes for casual hiking whatJawsdid for swimming in the ocean. . . . An existential, metaphysical journey into what would happen if you ended up in an alternate universe that challenged everything you thought you knew about yourself.
GeekDad.com

A fun and funny book.
PopMatters.com

The Hikereads like a mix ofThe OdysseyandThe Phantom Tollbooth, with the same humor Magary uses onDeadspin. . .. Along the way, Magarys hero hunts for an enigmatic mastermind, encounters man-eating giants and monsters, and teams up with a talking crab. What starts out as a saga of suburban ennui quickly turns into gripping tale of survival.
Washington City Paper

Among the strangest books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. . . . True to its nature, the story stays unpredictable and weird right up to the climax. Magarys book is a love letter to fans of gaming, fantasy and adventure, but above all, to open minded readers who can relax and hang on for the ride.
BookPage

A road novel, a psychedelic Pilgrims Progress for the 21st Century, Cormac McCarthy after three scotches. . . . I loved every single page of it. . . . [This book] is very good. Tell your friends.
The Free Lance-Star

Magarys second novel (after The Postmortal) features elements reminiscent of Homers Odyssey, Stephen Kings Dark Tower series, Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland, and the PC game Kings Quest. Mostly, it is a reminder of not only how easy it is to get lost but also how difficult it can be to find ones way back. Fast-paced and immensely entertaining, this is highly recommended for sf fans and adventurous literary readers.
Library Journal (starred review)

In this literary odyssey, Magary combines fascinating dream imagery, assorted video game tropes, and a story structure thats deliberately predictable (with nods to many other tales of wandering through strange lands before returning home) but still surprising.
Publishers Weekly

Creepy. . . . Magary isn't shy about getting weird fast. . . . [He] even nails the ending with a Twilight Zone twist that would have Rod Serling nodding with approval. An eerie odyssey that would be right at home in the pages of the pulpy Warren comics.
Kirkus Reviews

The Hikeis Cormac McCarthysAlice in Wonderlandgritty and terrifying but with deliriously surreal twists and turns. Theres not a chapter that doesnt shock and surprise, and underneath it all is the levity and wit Ive come to expect of Drew Magarys writing.
Jeffrey Cranor,New York Timesbestselling cowriter ofWelcome to Night Vale

The Hikeis so much fun, has so much pure velocity, that I didn't realize until it was too latewhat I thought was a drumbeat of excitement was actually the novels secret, powerful heart. Magarys new book is a metaphysical thrill ride that will stay with me.
Charles Yu, author ofHow to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

Praise for The Postmortal
An exciting page turner . . . Drew Magary is an excellent writer. This is his first novel but he tells the story masterfully. . . . The most frightening thing about The Postmortal is that this could really happenits not a supernatural story, but its even more terrifying than zombie apocalypse.
Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing

Unnerving. . . . An absorbing picture of dawning apocalypse . . . The Postmortal is a suitably chilling entry into the its-the-end-of-the-world canon.
The Austin Chronicle

The first novel from a popular sports blogger and humorist puts a darkly comic spin on a science fiction premise and hits the sweet spot between Margaret Atwood and Kurt Vonnegut.
Ron Hogan, Shelf Awareness

The Postmortal surprised me in a good way.
Michelle West, Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine

Magarys vision of future technology and science is eerily realistic.
The New York Press

Author Bio

Drew Magary is a correspondent for GQ and a columnist for Deadspin. He is the author of the memoir Someone Could Get Hurt and the novel The Postmortal. His writing has appeared in Maxim, New York, The Atlantic, Bon Appetit, The Huffington Post, the Awl, Gawker, Penthouse, Playboy,Rolling Stone, and on Comedy Central, NPR, NBC,Yahoo!, ESPN,and more. He's been featured on Good Morning America and has been interviewed by the AV Club, the New York Observer, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and many others. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids, and is a Chopped champion. From the Hardcover edition.