The Quiet Earth, Paperback

John Hobson, a geneticist, wakes one morning to find his watch stopped at 6:12. The streets are deserted, there are no signs of life or death anywhere, and every clock he finds has stopped: at 6:12.

The Quiet Earth is a gripping, utterly absorbing New Zealand cult classic.

About the Author:

Craig Harrison was born in Leeds in 1942. He left for New Zealand in 1966 after being appointed a lecturer at Massey University. There he devised a course in art history, which he taught until his retirement in 2000.

His award-winning play Tomorrow Will Be a Lovely Day (1974) was performed for a quarter of a century, including in the Soviet Union. He is the author of five other plays, including Ground Level (1974), which led to a television series, Joe & Koro.

Craig's most recent book, the young-adult comedy The Dumpster Saga, was a finalist in the 2008 New Zealand Post Book Awards. He lives in Palmerston North, New Zealand

Bernard Beckett is a high school teacher in Wellington. He has published ten works of fiction, including the metaphysical novels Genesis and August.