It's Not the End of the World

Named a New York Times Style Magazine pick for Best Queer Summer Fiction Allstora's September "(Very Gay) Book Club" pick! One of Marie Claire's "11 Best Climate Fiction Books" - Named a Most Anticipated book by Electric Literature, Jordy's Book Club, Out Magazine, and more! "Scarily prescient, outrageously funny, and utterly original" -Coco Mellors, New York Times Bestselling author of Blue Sisters 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?

About the Author :
Jonathan Parks-Ramage is the author of Yes, Daddy and the co-creator of the original musical THE BIG GAY JAMBOREE. An alumnus of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, his work has been featured in VICE, Slate, OUT, and Elle, among other outlets. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Review :
"Parks-Ramage takes the idea of a wealthy, sometimes frivolous main character getting ready for a party and dials it up to 11. But then, in an ambitious move that brings a delightful element of camp to the novel, he abandons that relatively safe and simple premise in favor of an exercise in maximalism. Which is to say that his plot goes off the rails - and it works...It's Not the End of the World is a wild ride of a novel. Sometimes you have to laugh so you won't cry - and as is usually the case with camp, there is something true and painful running beneath the humor." --Ilana Masad, LATimes "It's Not the End of the World reads like the best yap sesh you have with your friends after splitting a pitcher of mimosas at brunch...[Parks Ramage] distorts humanity just to the point of recognition, delivering a sharp-tongued satire indicting the current political landscape as well as human greed and apathy." --Liz Doupnik, Marie Claire "In an unfortunately not-at-all-distant 2044, Mason Daunt is rich enough to ignore the crumbling world outside-until an apocalyptic event threatens to crash the over-the-top baby shower he's throwing with his partner in their LA mansion. A gore- and sex-fueled satire from the author of Yes, Daddy this novel skewers privilege and denial with bleakness and hilarity." --Michelle Hart, Electric Literature "After the success of his debut modern gothic novel Yes, Daddy, Parks-Ramage returns with this new yarn chronicling the lives of queer men navigating homophobia, political opposition, a totalitarian government, and climate collapse in a futuristic world...This is a wild ride that spans a century in the life of two queer fathers in the future." --Jim Piechota, Bay Area Reporter "Parks-Ramage's ambitiously bonkers new page turner It's Not the End of the World is a mash-up of social satire, sci-fi, soap opera, and horror set on the edge of the apocalypse. Both snark and gore ramp up quickly (a mutilated body is "still breathing tartare") as Parks-Ramage pulls the reader into a breathless B-movie world situated somewhere between Mad Max and The Real Housewives." --Jim Gladstone, Passport Magazine, "Favorite Books for Summer 2025" "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 "Terrifying, tender, prescient: read Jonathan Parks-Ramage's eco-thriller at your peril. The countdown to the future starts here." --Taymour Soomro, author of OTHER NAMES FOR LOVE "It's Not the End of the World is a gonzo queer dystopic thriller. Jonathan Parks-Ramage explodes sentimental genre conventions with shoot-em-up style, satirical verve, and an exuberant view of the end." --Kyle Dillon Hertz, author of THE LOOKBACK WINDOW "A head-spinning sendup of our current catastrophe - bursting with gory guts but also deadly serious about trust, lust, and other complexities of human connection." --Jeremy Atherton Lin, author of GAY BAR and DEEP HOUSE "Scarily prescient, outrageously funny, and utterly original, It's Not the End of the World has officially made "baby shower climate thriller" my new favorite genre. Parks-Ramage is that rarest of finds: a biting social satirist, a bonafide weirdo, and a writer of real conscience and heart. I devoured this book-and it, frankly, devoured me." --Coco Mellors, New York Times bestselling author of BLUE SISTERS "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 "Existential political threats turn America into a nightmare in this ambitious tale... a takedown of wealth inequality and consumption in the age of environmental destruction." --Kirkus