Grendel, John GardnerWhen Grendel is drawn up from the caves under the mere where he lives with his bloated, inarticulate hag of a mother into the fresh night air, it is to lay waste Hrothgar's meadhall and heap destruction on the humans he finds there. What else can he do? For he is not like the men who busy themselves with God, love and beauty. He sees the infuriating human rage for order and recognises the meaninglessness of his own existence. GRENDEL is John Gardner's

'A masterpiece of research

'Books this ingenious don't come along very often' - Michael Connelly

for anyone to name anything

•Can I lose my contact lens inside my head forever

and snorts mountains of cocaine

Wealthier societies are more stable

' And then one day his heart is shattered when he learns his parents are to replace him with a younger sibling - the utter bastards

Winner of the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year award

Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture

A thrill-ride of a novel that blends present-day romance and futuristic suspense

which was first featured in The Little World of Liz Climo-a place where porcupines

Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants