Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time author weaves ancient fables into fresh, unexpected forms and forges new unforgettable legends, reimagining stories from Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit to St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert.

The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth becomes a wrenching parable of maternal love – and of the monstrosities of patriarchy. 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 shows us that we’re subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks.