Modern & contemporary fiction

There is something here for every Streatfeild fan in this very special Christmas collection: escapades on stage and ice, a merry trip to the pantomime with the Bell family, festive adventures and mishaps, celebrations and small disasters. Originally written for annuals, magazines and the radio fr...

Most have heard about Nordic crime fiction with its dark noir flare or the Icelandic Sagas. This anthology combines all that is unique about Nordic speculative fiction, from the darkest dystopian science fiction to terrifying horror. From the rational to the eccentric, these stories combine a dee...

In this collection we meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; and a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him. Witty and wise, with subtle connections between the stories, 'Normal Rules Don't Apply' is a startling , and fu...

In this collection we meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; and a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him. Witty and wise, with subtle connections between the stories, 'Normal Rules Don't Apply' is a startling, and fun...

This collection focuses on offbeat characters caught up in extraordinary situations - a mysterious woman of the sea in search of love arrives on an island inhabited by eunuchs; dimensional-hopping monks navigating a season of silence face a bloody reckoning in the ruins of an abbey; an aspiring j...

An exploited child worker in the silver mines of Bolivia finds an ally - but at what cost? A young woman's workplace affair has terrifying repercussions when her lover's wife dies. A sailor's wife takes her communion with nature a little too far. From a hungry young woman who is not what she seem...

Margaret Atwood is celebrated as one of the most gifted storytellers in the world. This new collection showcases her many talents - and the return of her beloved characters Nell and Tig. They explore the full warp and weft of experience, from two best friends disagreeing about their shared past, ...

Margaret Atwood is celebrated as one of the most gifted storytellers in the world. These stories explore the full warp and weft of experience, from two best friends disagreeing about their shared past, to the right way to stop someone from choking; from a daughter determining if her mother really...

Originally published in 1859, this book challenged many of the deeply-held beliefs of the Western world. Darwin's emphasis on the value of diversity speaks more strongly today than ever.

Lydia Davis is a virtuoso at detecting the seemingly casual, inconsequential surprises of daily life and pinning them for inspection. In 'Our Strangers', conversations are overheard and misheard, a special delivery letter is mistaken for a rare white butterfly, toddlers learning to speak identify...