Titles in This Set:
Wish I Was Here
The Course of the Heart
The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again

Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9786613335043

Overview:
This three-book collection brings together M. John Harrison’s most arresting and genre-bending works in a single, beautifully packaged paperback set. Wish I Was Here is an acclaimed “anti-memoir,” a fearless, aphoristic self-portrait written in Harrison’s signature, destabilizing voice. The Course of the Heart threads memory, ritual, and obsession through a kaleidoscope of Cambridge student life, where ordinary nights become the hinge on which lives pivot. The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again—winner of the Goldsmiths Prize 2020—probes a Brexit-era Britain through an uncanny, almost hallucinatory narrative that blends myth, fiction, and social observation. Together, these titles showcase Harrison’s extraordinary range: from intimate, reflexive prose to expansive, unsettling fantasy, all underpinned by his precise, luminous prose and a sharp eye for human vulnerability. Ideal for readers who want literature that challenges, unsettles, and rewards careful rereading. This is more than a collection; it’s a singular journey through a writer at the peak of his powers.

What Makes This Collection Special:
What ties these three books together is Harrison’s gift for bending familiar forms into something strange, intimate, and unforgettable. The set spans memoir, speculative fiction, and uncanny social critique, inviting readers to compare memory against myth, and private unrest against public history. The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again harnesses Brexit-era anxieties into a dreamlike fable, while Wish I Was Here turns self-reflection into a probing, almost anti-narrative meditation. The Course of the Heart binds three Cambridge lives with a shared aftertaste of ritual and insomnia, showing how past actions ripple across decades. Collecting these titles in one set offers a binge-read experience that deepens appreciation for Harrison’s voice, his experimental instincts, and his ability to illuminate ordinary life with extraordinary strain and beauty. This is a premium, thought-provoking purchase for fans of literary SF, near-future mythologies, and meticulous, daring storytelling.

Books Included in This Collection:
Wish I Was Here
This is Harrison’s celebrated “anti-memoir,” a bold, compact distillation of memory, philosophy, and self-scrutiny. Rather than a straightforward life story, the book presents fragments, aphorisms, and meditations that recreate the feel of a mind at play with truth and fiction. The result is a piercing, sometimes melancholic, always inventive reflection on what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. Readers who relish lyrical prose, challenging structure, and ideas that linger will find in Wish I Was Here a doorway to Harrison’s most intimate and provocative concerns.
The Course of the Heart
Three Cambridge students engage in a ritual that alters the course of their lives, yet decades later memory has blurred the details. What remains is the inescapable connection among them, and a web of visions, guilt, and desire. Pam Stuyvesant’s epilepsy and vivid sensory episodes intensify the emotional terrain, while another character’s obsessive fascination with a dwarfish figure adds a mythic layer. The unnamed narrator navigates guilt and complicity, trying to help his friends escape a long shadow. Harrison blends psychological insight with surreal imagery to craft a hypnotic, memory-haunted meditation on friendship, culpability, and the costs of growing up.
The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again
Set against a Britain awakening to uncertain futures, this novel follows Victoria as she renovates her late mother’s house in the Midlands and confronts unresolved mysteries about her family and the town’s strangest legends. What happened to Victoria’s mother, and why does a local waitress vanish into a shallow pool behind the house? The narrative drifts through haunting imagery and echoes of The Water Babies, fusing folklore with contemporary disquiet. The book’s hallucinatory atmosphere and sharp social observation earned it the Goldsmiths Prize 2020, marking Harrison as a master of form who can bend reality without losing emotional clarity.

Who This Set Is Perfect For:
This collection is ideal for readers who crave literary risk-taking, atmospheric prose, and narratives that ask big questions about memory, identity, and belief. It will appeal to fans of speculative fiction and literary fiction alike, as well as readers who enjoy BookTok favourites and collected works by acclaimed authors. Gift buyers seeking a premium, conversation-starting set for curious readers, book clubs exploring modern myth and memory, or collectors seeking a complete, cohesive read from a distinctive voice will find a compelling case here. Whether you’re immersing yourself in Harrison’s uncanny worlds for the first time or revisiting them with fresh eyes, this trio offers a dense, rewarding reading experience.

Key Benefits:

• Three distinct, exceptionally written books in one carefully curated collection.
• A versatile mix of memoir, surreal fiction, and mythic storytelling from a single, acclaimed author.
• Strong gift appeal for readers of literary fiction, speculative fiction, and glass-clearly written prose.
• Premium paperback format that’s comfortable to handle and built for long-term reading pleasure.
• High collectability value for fans of M. John Harrison’s body of work.

About the Author:
M. John Harrison is one of Britain's most influential writers in science fiction and literary fantasy, renowned for his precise, luminous prose and willingness to push form beyond conventional boundaries. The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again won the Goldsmiths Prize in 2020, cementing his reputation as a master of experimental and innovative fiction. Harrison’s work spans decades and archives a distinctive voice that blends myth, philosophy, and a keen ear for the odd, unsettling detail. Readers appreciate his ability to render the strange as intimately human, and to make the unfamiliar feel emotionally recognisable. This collection provides a rare opportunity to experience his breadth—from intimate anti-memoir to sprawling, uncanny narratives—within a single introduction to the author’s enduring impact on contemporary fiction.

Why You’ll Love This Set:
Owning the Wish I Was Here and The Sunken Land collection alongside The Course of the Heart offers a panoramic view of Harrison’s daring, genre-defying approach. It’s a compact library of experimental storytelling that rewards careful reading and repeated returns, with each book shedding new light on the others. The set is perfect for gifting to serious readers who value originality, for book clubs seeking challenging discussion prompts, and for collectors who want a definitive, cohesive physical edition from a celebrated British author. This three-book box of wonder promises not just entertainment, but a lasting, contemplative reading experience.

Please Note: The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown in the image.