Only Forward

Michael Marshall Smith’s surreal, groundbreaking, and award-winning debut which resonates with wild humour interlaced with dark recollections of an emotional minefield.
May we introduce you to Stark.

Oh, and by the way — good luck.

Stark is the private investigator who goes to work when Something Happens to you. And when a Something happens it’s no good chanting ‘go away go away go away’ and cowering in a corner, because a Something always comes from your darkest past and won’t be beaten until you face it. And that’s not easy in a city where reality is twisting and broken, a world in which friends can become enemies in a heartbeat — and where your most secret fear can become a soul-shredding reality.

And the worst of it is, for this nightmare you don’t even have to be asleep…

Considered a modern classic, and consistently featured in lists of Books To Read Before Your Head Explodes, ONLY FORWARD is a novel you'll never forget.

“Excellent reviews: 'A major work indeed'Today 'Smith delivers that rarest of commodities: a genuinely new twist with a punchline of Crying Game proportions'Time Out 'A storytelling skill that can only be described as pure genius'Venue”

‘A major work indeed’
TODAY

‘Smith delivers that rarest of commodities: a genuinely new twist with a punchline of CRYING GAME proportions’
TIME OUT

‘No one writes better than Smith about love…No one writes better about being wasted … Nigh-on unique.’ i-D

Michael Marshall Smith lives in north London with his wife Paula, and is currently working on screenplays and his next book, while providing two cats with somewhere warm and comfortable to sit.

Michael Marshall Smith's surreal, groundbreaking, and award-winning debut which resonates with wild humour interlaced with dark recollections of an emotional minefield. May we introduce you to Stark. Oh, and by the way -- good luck. Stark is the private investigator who goes to work when Something Happens to you. And when a Something happens it's no good chanting 'go away go away go away' and cowering in a corner, because a Something always comes from your darkest past and won't be beaten until you face it. And that's not easy in a city where reality is twisting and broken, a world in which friends can become enemies in a heartbeat -- and where your most secret fear can become a soul-shredding reality. And the worst of it is, for this nightmare you don't even have to be asleep... Considered a modern classic, and consistently featured in lists of Books To Read Before Your Head Explodes, ONLY FORWARD is a novel you'll never forget.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.