Overview

From the bestselling author of The Porpoise come eight mesmerising stories moving between Greek myth and the near future to explore what, ultimately, makes us human The bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time weaves ancient fables into fresh, unexpected forms and forges new unforgettable legends. 'A marvel of a collection' Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time 'A consummate storyteller' New York Times The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth is turned into a wrenching parable of maternal love - and of the monstrosities of patriarchy. The lover of a goddess, Tithonus, is gifted eternal life but without eternal youth. Actaeon, changed into a stag after glimpsing the naked Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about how humans use and misuse animals. From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon showcases how we are subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks, as he reimagines stories from Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit to St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert. 'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' Francis Spufford, author of Cahokia Jazz

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9781529929188

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Reviews

'A marvel of a collection - suffused with curiosity, humanity and mystery, bold in its scope and virtuoso in its telling. Mark Haddon makes stories matter' * Kaliane Bradley * 'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' * Francis Spufford * 'Timeless spins on classic Greek myths . . . [Haddon] seems to be toying with the essence of storytelling, the way that it has persevered and sustained itself through the ages . . . The times may change but the stories remain the same in this ambitious, eclectic collection' * Kirkus * I’m looking forward to this – Haddon is reliably excellent * New Scientist * Praise for Mark Haddon’s short stories: ‘He is a master of the short form’ i paper ‘The real redemption in these superbly gripping stories comes from their canny human detail, and the vivid, unsettling clarity they bring to our brief lives’ * Sunday Times *

Author Information

Mark Haddon is a writer and artist. His bestselling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) won seventeen literary prizes, was translated into 36 languages, and went on to become an award-winning stage adaptation by Simon Stephens. His most recent works of fiction include a novel, The Porpoise (2019), and a collection of fables and stories, Dogs and Monsters (2024).

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