Our Tragic Universe

Could a story save your life?

If Kelsey Newman's theory about the end of time is true, we are all going to live forever.

For Meg - locked in a hopeless relationship and creatively uninspired - this thought fills her with dread. But could there be an important connection to be made between a wild beast living on Dartmoor, a ship in a bottle, the science of time, a knitting pattern for the shape of the universe and the Cottingley fairies? And could a story offer a way through her own personal labyrinth?

“Our Tragic Universe surprised me, and in such a terrific way. It is so addictive, you can't help but fall deeper and deeper under Scarlett Thomas's spell. She's a genius”

-- Douglas Coupland Thomas can discuss quantum physics and philosophy while making you think you're reading a sparkling romantic comedy -- Kate Saunders The Times Is it odd to describe a book as kind? The commodity itself seems an increasingly rare thing in an internet-frazzled world, and so how unexpectedly wonderful to read Scarlett Thomas's Our Tragic Universe, a book that brims with a compassion and warmth -- Patrick Ness Guardian A delight, not least for the quality of Scarlett Thomas's writing... Full of life and energy. -- Philip Pullman Our Tragic Universe is a huge, ambitious experiment, carried out by one of the finest minds of her generation. SFX magazine Warm and Brainy -- Colin Waters Sunday Herald Thomas is excellent on emotional tangles and meandering plotlines that still manage to mean something. -- Lesley McDowell Independent on Sunday Thomas' style is engaging and lures us into Meg's world. -- Alastair Mabbott Herald

SCARLETT THOMAS was born in London in 1972. Her previous novels include Bright Young Things, Going Out, PopCo and The End of Mr. Y, which was longlisted for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007. She teaches at the University of Kent.

The brilliant new mind-frazzling adventure from the author of the 150,000 copy-selling The End of Mr. Y Could a story save your life? If Kelsey Newman's theory about the end of time is true, we are all going to live forever. For Meg - locked in a hopeless relationship and creatively uninspired - this thought fills her with dread. But could there be an important connection to be made between a wild beast living on Dartmoor, a ship in a bottle, the science of time, a knitting pattern for the shape of the universe and the Cottingley fairies? And could a story offer a way through her own personal labyrinth?

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