Set in our near-future, it is a story of walking away from "non-work", and surveillance and control by a brutal, immensely rich oligarchical elite; love and romance; a post-scarcity gift economy; revolution and eventual war; and a means of finally ending death.

"[3] The improvement of 3D printers over current real-world versions, as well as the invention of machines that can search for and reprocess waste or discarded materials, mean the characters no longer have need of Default for the basic essentials of life, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

"[1] Sheehan says that Walkaway is a remarkable "story of a utopia in progress, as messy as every new thing ever is, told in the form of people talking to each other, arguing with each other and working together to solve problems.

"[1] In The Verge, Adi Robertson writes: "Walkaway imagines a future shaped by the same problems and possibilities Doctorow's been playing with for years: the threat of ubiquitous surveillance and artificial scarcity, and the promise that almost any technology can be repurposed and turned against its creator".

"[2] In Ars Technica, Sean Gallagher writes that "the future is open source in this optimistic sci-fi disaster epic full of big ideas.