Five years have passed since a mysterious millennial downpour sent Homo Britannicus hurtling towards extinction. But as the Fertility Crisis deepens, Bobby Sullivan, veterinary surgeon and Elvis fan, has other things on his mind – such as fleeing London for illegally exterminating the cherished baby-substitute of a litigious pet-owner. Changing his name to Buck de Savile, the vet sets up in the northern coastal town of Thunder Spit – only to discover that the town is being haunted by the past life and unusual genesis of the Victorian freak Tobias Phelps. As the country’s logic, religion, magic and science begin to connect, two men, three women and Queen Victoria’s entire bestiary find themselves capitulated into a hilarious tale of rampant Darwinism, vegetarian conversion, true love and extinction. Compelling, exuberant and richly imagined, Ark Baby is a gala feast of a novel, sparkling with ideas and issues.

‘Ark Baby is a thoroughbred among comic novels ... Jensen entwines her narratives with careful relish to evoke a world whose evolutionary path meanders more than we might expect; a world where Darwin comes within ten seconds of witnessing the missing link that would undermine his theory ... ambitious, mischievious, clever and very funny’ Time Out

‘Superb ... a complex, intelligent novel which draws upon a vast array of ideas without ever losing coherence ... magnificently crowded, wonderfully funny fiction – if ever a book deserved to be declared an epic for its density (rather than its length), it is this one’ Daily Telegraph

‘Exuberant and exhilarating ... Ark Baby is a magnificent novel, which is intellectually and imaginatively challenging and yet utterly accesible.It is bold and original, quick-witted and big-hearted, ideal reading for the post-Christmas doldrums ... Ark Baby may be one of the first novels to appear in 1998 but, if its quality provides a precedent, it will be a rare year indeed’ Daily Mail