Ian McEwan and Iain Banks both shocked the literary world with their macabre debut novels, published respectively in 1978 and 1984. McEwan would end up becoming one of the best known literary authors of the UK, with many of his books being turned into films. Banks split himself in two: he continued a career as a slightly obscure literary author and became a successful and much-loved sci-fi writer under the name Ian M. Banks. Towards the end of his career (he died in 2013) the two Banks merged somewhat: his 2009 novel Transition was published under the name Iain Banks in the UK and Iain M. Banks in the US. Neither author disappointed after the promise of their debut novels, and both The Wasp Factory and The Cement Garden stand the test of time. Our copy of The Cement Garden is signed, and we also have a proof copy available, if that’s your thing…