title: The Hike: A Novel
author:  Drew Magary 
description: Drew Magarys new novel, <i>The Hike</i>, 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.<br /><i><b>GQ</b></i><br /><br /><i>The Hike</i>just 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 completely<i>other</i>. 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.<br /><b>NPR.org</b><br /><br />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.<br /><b><i>BoingBoing</i></b><br /><br />Its kind of a more cynical version of<i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i>mixed with a game of Dungeons &amp; Dragons from<i>Community</i>creator Dan Harmons podcast<i>Harmontown</i>.<br /><b><i>Wired</i>, chosen as one of This Summers 14 Must-Read Books</b><br /><br />At once heartfelt, nerve-wracking, and soul-searching,<i>The Hike</i>is 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.<br /><b><i></i>Tor.com</b><br /><br />Often hilarious, as you would expect any book by Magary to be, but like <i>The Postmortal</i> there is a real darkness and thoughtfulness to Bens journey that will keep you engrossed.<br /><b><i></i>i09.coms Summer Reading Guide</b><br /><br />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.<br /><b><i>Men's Journal</i></b><br /><br /><i>The Hike</i>does for casual hiking what<i>Jaws</i>did 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.<br /><b><i></i>GeekDad.com</b><br /><br />A fun and funny book. <br /><b><i></i>PopMatters.com</b><br /><br /><i>The Hike</i>reads like a mix of<i>The Odyssey</i>and<i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i>, 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.<br /><b><i>Washington City Paper<br /><br /></i></b>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.<br /><b><i>BookPage</i></b><br /><br />A road novel, a psychedelic <i>Pilgrims Progress</i> for the 21st Century, Cormac McCarthy after three scotches. . . . I loved every single page of it. . . . [This book] is very good. Tell your friends.<br /><b><i>The Free Lance-Star</i></b><br /><br />Magarys second novel (after <i>The Postmortal</i>) features elements reminiscent of Homers <i>Odyssey</i>, Stephen Kings Dark Tower series, Lewis Carrolls <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>, and the PC game<i> Kings Quest</i>. 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. <br /><b><i><i></i>Library Journal</i> (starred review)</b><br /><br />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. <br /><b><i><i></i>Publishers Weekly</i></b><br /><br />Creepy. . . . Magary isn't shy about getting weird fast. . . . [He] even nails the ending with a <i>Twilight Zone</i> 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.<br /><b><i>Kirkus Reviews<br /><br /></i></b><i>The Hike</i>is Cormac McCarthys<i>Alice in Wonderland</i>gritty 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.<b><i><br /></i><b>Jeffrey Cranor,<i>New York Times</i>bestselling cowriter of<i>Welcome to Night Vale</i><br /><br /></b></b><i>The Hike</i>is 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.<b><br /><b>Charles Yu, author of</b><i><b>How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe</b></i></b><u><br /><br />Praise for <i>The Postmortal</i></u><br /> 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 <i>The Postmortal</i> is that this could really happenits not a supernatural story, but its even more terrifying than zombie apocalypse.<br /> <b>Mark Frauenfelder, <i>BoingBoing</i></b><br /> <br /> Unnerving. . . . An absorbing picture of dawning apocalypse . . . <i>The Postmortal</i> is a suitably chilling entry into the its-the-end-of-the-world canon.<br /> <b><i>The Austin Chronicle</i></b><br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <b>Ron Hogan, <i>Shelf Awareness</i></b><br /> <br /> <i>The Postmortal</i> surprised me in a good way.<br /> <b>Michelle West, <i>Fantasy &amp; Science Fiction</i> magazine</b><br /> <br /> Magarys vision of future technology and science is eerily realistic.<br /> <b><i>The New York Press</i></b>
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  * * *
  
  Rollo at Play
  
  
  THE SETTING OUT.
  
  BRIDGE BUILDING
  
  A VISITOR.
  
  DIFFICULTY.
  
  HEARTS WRONG.
  
  HEARTS RIGHT AGAIN.
  
  THE STEEPLE TRAP
  
  THE STEEPLE TRAP
  
  THE WAY TO CATCH A SQUIRREL
  
  THE WAY TO LOSE A SQUIRREL
  
  HOW TO KEEP A SQUIRREL
  
  FIRES IN THE WOODS.
  
  THE HALO ROUND THE MOON; OR, LUCY'S VISIT.
  
  THE HALO ROUND THE MOON, OR, LUCY'S VISIT.
  
  “A ROUND RAINBOW.”
  
  WHO KNOWS BEST, A LITTLE BOY OR HIS FATHER?
  
  REPENTANCE.
  
  THE FRESHET.
  
  THE FRESHET
  
  MARIA AND THE CARAVAN.
  
  SMALL CRAFT
  
  THE PRINCIPLES OF ORDER.
  
  CLEARING UP.
  
  BLUEBERRYING.
  
  BLUEBERRYING.
  
  OLD TRUMPETER.
  
  DEVIATION.
  
  LITTLE MOSETTE
  
  GOING UP.
  
  THE SECRET OUT.
  
  TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN
  
  BOASTING.
  
  GETTING IN TROUBLE.
  
  A TEST OF PENITENCE.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This page copyright © 2004 Blackmask Online.
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  # Rollo at Play
  
  
  ### Jacob Abbott
  
  
  This page copyright © 2004 Blackmask Online.
  
  
  http://www.blackmask.com  
    
  
  * THE SETTING OUT.
  
  
  * BRIDGE BUILDING
  
  
  * A VISITOR.
  
  
  * DIFFICULTY.
  
  
  * HEARTS WRONG.
  
  
  