in  bantam books published a movie tie-in novelization written by mike mcquay that adopts a lean humorous style reminiscent of the film the novel is significant because it includes scenes that were cut out of the film such as the federal reserve depository robbery that results in snakes incarceration the novel provides motivation and backstory to snake and hauk — both disillusioned war veterans — deepening their relationship that was only hinted at it in the film the novel explains how snake lost his eye during the battle for leningrad in world war iii how hauk became warden of new york and hauks quest to find his crazy son who lives somewhere in the prison the novel fleshes out the world that these characters exist in at times presenting a future even bleaker than the one depicted in the film the book explains that the west coast is a no-mans land and the countrys population is gradually being driven crazy by nerve gas as a result of world war iii