<p><b>''A marvel of a collection'' Kaliane Bradley<br><br><i>''There is nothing more terrifying than the monster that squats behind the door you dare not open...''</i><br><br>From the bestselling author of <i>The Porpoise</i> come eight mesmerising stories exploring what, ultimately, makes us human.</b><br><br>Mark Haddon weaves ancient fables into fresh and unexpected forms, and forges new legends to sit alongside them. 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.<br><br>From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon showcases how we are subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks. Whether describing Lai
