The Modern World (published as Dangerous Offspring in the US) is a 2007 fantasy/science fiction novel by the British author Steph Swainston and is a sequel to The Year of Our War (2004) and No Present Like Time (2005).

The novel is set in the Fourlands, a country in danger of being overrun by large hostile Insects, and follows the exploits of Jant, also called "the Messenger" or "Comet".

As a half-breed of two humanoid species Jant is the only person who can fly, which makes him an indispensable part of the Emperor's Circle of about 50 immortals, an elite group of (mostly) warriors who do not age (but, despite the name, are capable of being killed).

At Slake Cross near the border with the Insect-held Paperlands, the immortals are gathered to oversee the latest plan to retake lost territory.

At the dam he finds a chaotic scene; the Insects, previously unable to fly, have taken to the air in a mating flight, and are laying their eggs in the lake, killing any who approach.

To the astonishment of all, the Emperor orders all the armies of the Fourlands to be called into action, and prepares to leave the palace to go to the front - an event said to mean that the end of the world is approaching.