The book is written from the perspective of a single character, part of a group of ex-special operatives turned truckers that collectively make up the 'Haulage & HazMat Emergency Civil Freebooting Company'.

It tells the story of the unnamed main character and his best friend, Gonzo Lubitsch, and their experiences during and after "The Go-Away War", a conflict that reduces the world population to 2 billion.

To combat the Stuff, the war's survivors rely upon a substance called "FOX" which is produced by Jorgmond, a corporation that, for all intents and purposes, functions as the only governmental authority by virtue of the constant and universal need for their product.

In the end, the story comes back to the opening passage and the effort to extinguish the burning pipeline, which turns out to be maliciously connected to enemies that Gonzo and the protagonist have been dealing with for many years, and to evil plans by Jorgmund itself.

"[1] Steven Poole was mixed in his review for The Guardian said "Reading The Gone-Away World is a bit like spending a week with a hyperactive puppy: there are delightful moments aplenty, but it's slightly wearing over the long run.

"[2] Ed King was again somewhat mixed in his review for The Daily Telegraph saying "but amid the chapter-long digressions and manic proliferation of characters, the narrative threatens to collapse under the weight of its own excess.