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A Novel
by Jonathan Parks-Ramage
From the acclaimed author of Yes, Daddy; It's Not the End of the World is a terrifying climate thriller, a vicious takedown of the uber-wealthy, and a queer family saga that isn't afraid to punch back.
It's 2044 and life is bleak for many Americans, but not for Mason Daunt. Safe in his Los Angeles mansion, Mason can remain blissfully unaware of the relentless wildfires engulfing California, the proliferation of violent right-wing militias, and the rampant authoritarianism destroying American society. He's so rich, in fact, that he and his partner Yunho Kim are throwing a 100-person, $100,000 baby shower to celebrate their newborn-on-the-way. When a potentially apocalyptic event hits Los Angeles on the day of their celebration, though, the wealthy gay couple refuses to cancel their party. Surely it's not the end of the world? But as Mason runs a few last-minute errands, a staggering twist thrusts him into the mounting chaos, and threatens the lives of everyone he holds dear.
Shot through with biting wit, brutal gore, primal sex, and unexpected catharsis, It's Not the End of the World is a nerve-shredding roller coaster of a novel that will leave readers shocked, heartbroken, and inspired to question their most firmly held convictions. What happens when our current battles with climate change, capitalism, and white supremacy are pushed to their breaking points? And how can we find hope?
"Too many storylines unnecessarily muddy this commentary on near-future America." —Kirkus Reviews
"Parks-Ramage (Yes, Daddy) offers a bracing tale of a commune of queer progressives attempting to survive an authoritarian government and the ravages of climate change. As wildfires decimate a near-future Los Angeles, toxic clouds induce violent psychosis, and the government oppresses the LGBTQ+ community ... The author peppers the nightmarish narrative with plenty of inspired ideas, such as an apocalypse-themed vacation retreat modeled after Cormac McCarthy's The Road, and he shines in his depiction of the makeshift family's love for each other, which is expressed in the increasingly extreme lengths they go to in protecting one another." ―Publishers Weekly
"It's Not the End of the World is both a demented, technicolor romp through end times and a heartbreaking story of love and family. From its terrifying opening to its gut punch conclusion, this grotesque, hilarious, beautiful novel had me in its thrall. Parks-Ramage has written the most imaginative and visceral cli-fi I've read to date." ―Kate Brody, author of Rabbit Hole
"It's Not the End of the World is a prescient and harrowing page turner and a brutally vivid wakeup call blending queer family making, an Atwood-esque ethos and a horny gay odyssey. Parks-Ramage warns us that the eradication of queer peoples' rights isn't only feasible, we're barreling directly toward its inevitability. Yet despite the terrors at play, we're imbued with hope that speculative fiction of this caliber combined with our will to persist might just save us all." ―Jason Yamas, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Tweaker World
This information about It's Not the End of the World was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jonathan Parks-Ramage is a Los Angeles based novelist, playwright, screenwriter and journalist. His critically acclaimed debut novel Yes, Daddy (HarperCollins) was named one of the best queer books of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly, NBC News, The Advocate, Lambda Literary, Bustle, Goodreads and more. Yes, Daddy was also optioned for television by Amazon Studios. His second novel, It's Not the End of the World (Bloomsbury) was released in the summer of 2025.
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