Photo-Illustration: Vulture When we meet Rhys Kinnick at the beginning of Jess Walter’s new novel, So Far Gone , he’s in the process of erasing himself. After 30 years working as an environmental journalist across the Pacific Northwest, Kinnick (who’s almost always referred to by his last name) was forced into retirement by his ever-shrinking industry in 2015, just as everyone around him seemed to be losing their grasp on reality. In his years as a reporter, Kinnick observed as conspiracy