The Gone World
| Author | Tom Sweterlitsch |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
Publication date | February 6, 2018 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 383 |
| ISBN | 978-0399167508 |
The Gone World is a 2018 science fiction novel by American author Tom Sweterlitsch.[1] Combining time travel, police procedural mystery, and cosmic horror, it is often described as a mind bending thriller.[2] Set primarily in 1997, the story follows an investigator for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service who travels into potential futures to solve a present day murder and prevent a global apocalypse known as the Terminus.[3]
Plot summary
NCIS Special Agent Shannon Moss belongs to the Deep Waters division, which uses secret technology to travel into "Inadmissible Future Trajectories" (IFTs). These are unstable, branching possibilities that vanish once a traveler returns to the present timeline, "Terra Firma".
In 1997, Moss investigates the murder of a Navy SEAL's family and the disappearance of his daughter, Marian. The suspect is the father, Patrick Mursult, a SEAL supposedly serving aboard the U.S.S. Libra, a spaceship lost in deep space. Mursult's presence on Earth suggests a link to the Deep Waters program.
Moss jumps to various IFTs to observe the investigation's future outcomes. She discovers the "Terminus", a cataclysmic event where victims are found crucified on upside down crosses, is moving backward through time and appearing earlier in each subsequent future. Moss eventually realizes the murder and the Terminus are inextricably linked, leading to a race to save the Terra Firma timeline.
Themes
The novel explores fatalism, identity, and the subjective experience of time. It utilizes the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics with a grim twist: alternate futures are inherently unstable and die once the observer departs. The Terminus introduces cosmic horror, suggesting a universe indifferent to humanity, grounded in a gritty noir atmosphere.[4]
Reception
The Gone World received positive reviews for its merger of procedural and speculative genres. Locus Magazine called it "relentless and terrifying",[1] while SFBook Reviews awarded it five stars, praising the time travel mechanics.[5] It has been cited as one of the best science fiction thrillers for its ability to maintain tension across multiple timelines.[6]
Film adaptation
In 2018, director Neill Blomkamp was reported to be in talks to write and direct an adaptation for 20th Century Studios.[7] Blomkamp later confirmed his involvement via social media.[8]
References
- ^ a b Martini, Adrienne (February 2018). "Adrienne Martini Reviews The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch". Locus Magazine. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ Liptak, Andrew (March 3, 2018). "The Gone World is a complicated, mind-bending time travel mystery". The Verge. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ Frauenfelder, Mark (March 11, 2024). "How The Gone World twists time travel into a thrilling, mind-bending mystery". Boing Boing. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ Power, Chris (March 9, 2018). "Science fiction and fantasy novels roundup". The Guardian. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ "The Gone World Review". SFBook Reviews. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ Kingsbury, Margaret (August 27, 2020). "The Best Sci-Fi Thrillers". Book Riot. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ Canfield, David (January 29, 2018). "District 9 director Neill Blomkamp and Tom Sweterlitsch talk The Gone World". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ Breihan, Tom. "Neill Blomkamp Confirms 'The Gone World' Adaptation". ScreenCrush. Retrieved January 18, 2026.