-
Access Our
Best Book Club
Books of 2025!
When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.
As a grieving teacher, a reclusive artist, and a narcissistic celebrity children's author lead the others in trying to understand why they've been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone… is up.
And so begins a race to the top, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares, as the group fights to hold onto its humanity, while the twisted horror of why they're here grows ever more apparent – and death stalks their every move.
"Cleverly blending science fiction, fantasy, and horror, Hanks uses a video game format to probe the nature of humanity in all its glory and gore…The pages fly by through all the humor, social commentary, and suspense." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A compelling blend of science fiction and horror, conceptualized as reality TV with huge consequences. Readers of SF thrillers will be chilled and thrilled." —Library Journal
"The Way Up is Death is quintessential Dan Hanks: a nonstop bonkers adventure that gets you laughing just hard enough so you won't see it coming when it stabs you in the heart." —Chris Panatier, author of The Phlebotomist, Stringers and The Redemption of Morgan Bright
"Dan Hanks has done it again with The Way Up is Death - a book which crosses all the excitement of your favorite video game with the heart of your favorite quest novel. Definitely his best book yet!" —Ginger Smith, author of The Rush's Edge
This information about The Way Up is Death 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.
Dan is a writer, editor, and vastly overqualified archaeologist who has lived everywhere from London to Hertfordshire to Manchester to Sydney, which explains the panic in his eyes anytime someone asks "where are you from?" Thankfully he is now settled in the rolling green hills of the Peak District with his human family and fluffy sidekicks Indy and Maverick, where he writes books, screenplays and comics.
.gif)
Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
