Pre-order

Loss Protocol

Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

Standard price shown. Sign in for personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Added to cart

Continue shopping or head to checkout

View cart

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Eight years after the catastrophic downfall of the cult his sister Izzy had joined, Marc Winters has at last found a refuge from unwanted attention. The wildlife ranger of a small, unremarkable island, he's quietly helping to preserve what survives of nature in a world wracked by climate change and chaotic weather, and trying his best to put his past behind him.

But then his narrowboat is burgled, the counterterrorism police come calling, and everything he thought he knew about the cult and his sister's fate is turned upside down. A cabal of so-called deep dreamers has revived the cult's crazy belief that the world could be healed by collective dreams fuelled by psychotropic mushrooms. They appear to think that Winters possesses information crucial to their success, and when he tries to discover more about them, he becomes inextricably entangled in plans that challenge his very existence.

Blending noir-inflected conspiracies and double-crosses, fantasies of dream science and elegiac evocations of a depleted world, Loss Protocol's chimerical story keeps its secrets until the last page

Critics Review

Paul McAuley's mastery of prose has created a future world of eerie believability. Loss Protocol is a beautiful story of intrigue and mystery featuring characters that resonate with all of us
Peter F. Hamilton, author of EXODUS: THE ARCHIMEDES ENGINE
Thrillingly paced, packed with big ideas and deeply, profoundly humane, Loss Protocol is McAuley at his dazzling best
James Bradley, author of LANDFALL
Astonishing, in the quiet way only McAuley manages. A deep dive, through loss of species, places, and cultural coherence into deep myth, and the reclaiming of the public, the personal, and the deeply private
Jon Courtenay Grimwood, author of ARCTIC SUN
Loss Protocol is Paul McAuley on absolute top form - a vision of near future England with a gripping thriller/mystery and profound thoughts about our dreams of landscape and possibility
Kim Newman, author of MODEL ACTRESS WHATEVER

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.