Jo Harper, a successful young journalist, has only her adored two-year-old son, Sam, to remind her of her late partner. When Sam falls ill, there is only one slim hope
- that his stepbrother John may hold the key to his survival. But John has disappeared. Seeking absolution for his part in the accidental death of his marine archeologist father & tortured by their failed relationship, John has set out alone against impossible odds to fulfil his father's dream
- to uncover the last traces of the Franklin expedition, which vanished in the Arctic in 1847 while searching for the North West Passage.
As uncanny parallels begin to unfold between the last days of the Franklin crew & the crisis facing Sam, Jo is plunged into a desparate race against time to save both the life of her son & the soul of her stepson.
Beautifully written & deeply moving, THE ICE CHILD is storytelling at its very best.



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Jo Harper, a successful young journalist, has only her adored two-year-old son, Sam, to remind her of her late partner. When Sam falls ill, there is only one slim hope
- that his stepbrother John may hold the key to his survival. But John has disappeared. Seeking absolution for his part in the accidental death of his marine archeologist father & tortured by their failed relationship, John has set out alone against impossible odds to fulfil his father's dream
- to uncover the last traces of the Franklin expedition, which vanished in the Arctic in 1847 while searching for the North West Passage.
As uncanny parallels begin to unfold between the last days of the Franklin crew & the crisis facing Sam, Jo is plunged into a desparate race against time to save both the life of her son & the soul of her stepson.
Beautifully written & deeply moving, THE ICE CHILD is storytelling at its very best.



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A fairy tale for grown ups, which brings together, as only Hoffman can, the fabulous & the real, chaos theory & the irrational everyday moment, in a compelling, haunting & sexy novel, with a sharp edge. The story begins with a little girl who makes a wish one snowy night & ruins her life. She grows up with a splinter of ice in her heart until one day, standing by her kitchen window, she is struck by lightning.

Instead of killing her, this cataclysmic event sparks off a new beginning. She seeks out Lazarus Jones, a fellow lightning survivor. He is her opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water & whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets
- what turned one to ice & the other to fire. The Ice Queen is a haunting story of passion, loss, second chances & the secrets that come to define us, if we're not careful.


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The Idler team believe that idleness is unjustly criticised in modern society when it is, in fact, a vital component of a ...

This new issue of The Idler explores childhood & wonders whether today's kids are suffering from too much education, too ...

The Idler team believe that idleness is unjustly criticised in modern society when it is, in fact, a vital component of a ...

We are all agreed that there's a lot to complain about in contemporary society. Boredom, exploitation, an explosion of legislation & interference with our everyday freedoms: central government & big business seem to make life more difficult with each month that passes.

But do we really need to take to the streets to protest? Or would a more effective form of resistance be to take to our beds & quietly recreate our own lives? In this issue of the Idler, we reflect & philosophise on the notion of protest.

CORINNE MAIER interviews three French filmmakers making anti-work movies; we meet the brilliant history professor RONALD HUTTON. JAY GRIFFITHS writes on missionaries; JOHN NICHOLSON celebrates paradise; we ask whether there's any point in going to university & PENNY RIMBAUD reveals the meaning of life. Plus articles on the practical side of idling with advice on treehouse-building & beer-brewing.



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Sex today seems too much like hard work. Magazines tell us we have to put more effort in & learn new tips. So how can we bring the playfulness back?

This issue of the Idler features an exclusive cover from Damien Hirst & an interview with Esther Perel, author of the best-seller Mating in Captivity. Michael Bywater condemns the rise of frantic sex. Neil Boorman asks whether he is the only one who

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