Can Nothing Save Us? by Irvine Welsh review – US family saga is a late-career triumph
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>The Scottish author focuses on gun culture and generational conflict in this darkly satirical tale about a great power in decline</p><p>“Why expect unconditional love from somebody you’ve brought into a fucked, dying planet, who then has to sit around and watch you screw it up even more?” So muses twentysomething college dropout Luke Ayrton on his parental lineage as he works the Las Vegas Strip, “comping girls for clubs” in Sin City. His job is to trawl the “plankton” of bacherlorette parties in order to lure the “whales” – rich men willing to spend to try to impress young women.</p><p>“In this game your sociology skills sharpened,” it’s observed, but beyond the seedy side hustle lie weightier concerns: the matter of his family legacy. Electronic dance music aficionado and aspiring writer Luke is estranged from his Maga-positive Mom and Dad, and now lives with grandparents George and Molly, affluent boomers with a countercultural past.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/13/can-nothing-save-us-by-irvine-welsh-review-us-family-saga-is-a-late-career-triumph">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
The Scottish author focuses on gun culture and generational conflict in this darkly satirical tale about a great power in decline“Why expect unconditional love from somebody you’ve brought into a fucked, dying planet, who then has to sit around and watch you screw it up even more?” So muses twentysomething college dropout Luke Ayrton on his parental lineage as he works the Las Vegas Strip, “comping girls for clubs” in Sin City. His job is to trawl the “plankton” of bacherlorette parties in order to lure the “whales” – rich men willing to spend to try to impress young women.“In this game your sociology skills sharpened,” it’s observed, but beyond the seedy side hustle lie weightier concerns: the matter of his family legacy. Electronic dance music aficionado and aspiring writer Luke is estranged from his Maga-positive Mom and Dad, and now lives with grandparents George and Molly, affluent boomers with a countercultural past. Continue reading...
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