The Book, Set in Las Vegas, Is a Multigenerational Thriller Exploring Dissatisfaction Amid Crises, With Trump As an Unarticulated Presence

Irvine Welsh, the Scottish author behind the 1993 cult classic Trainspotting, has traded gritty settings for yoga mats and standing desks, but insists his new novel, Can Nothing Save Us?, retains the sharp realism that defined his debut. The book, set in Las Vegas, is a multigenerational thriller exploring dissatisfaction amid crises, with Trump as an unarticulated presence. Welsh, who has lived in the US for parts of two decades, says he avoided direct political commentary to focus on real people.

The novel emerged from a stalled HBO project with Calvin Harris, after early drafts were rejected by his editor and friends as 'shit. Welsh, now in his late 60s, has sold over 6 million books globally across 17 novels and four short-story collections. "That’s the brand."