The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
A minimally speaking autistic man just wrote a best-selling book. Or did he?
What To Read
The Paradox of Modern Medicine
Testing has become so advanced that doctors now miss important elements of diagnosis.
What Does Lena Dunham Want to Tell Us?
Her new memoir captures the cost of being an impossibly popular target.
The Eighth Deadly Sin
Humankind has devised a new form of debasement.
The Seinfeld Theory of Fiction
Annoying characters let us admit that we might be annoying too.
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
Seven Books That Explore How Marriage Really Works
In writing, matrimony can prompt questions about freedom, desire, and identity.
Seven Books That Will Make You Put Down Your Phone
These titles self-consciously aim to grab their reader’s attention.
24 Books to Get Lost in This Summer
The Atlantic’s writers and editors recommend titles to match some warm-weather moods.
Seven Books for the Lifelong Learner
These books may tempt you to take up a new pursuit and enlarge your sense of your own capabilities.
Five Books That’ll Fit Right Into Your Busy Schedule
These essay and short-story collections are easy to read at your own pace.
What to Read When You Want to Reimagine Family
These books offer a wide set of perspectives on what kinship can be, and on the endless ways we might create it.
Nine Books That Will Actually Make You Laugh
Serious literature is better when it’s funny.
What to Read When You’re Feeling Ambitious
Literature, rife with tales of ambition or slackerdom, can be well-equipped to answer questions about the costs and benefits of striving.
Six Books That Feel Like Puzzles
These titles represent an eclectic mix of various styles and moods, but any one of them will be exactly right if you want a brainteaser.
What to Read When You Need to Start Over
If you’re in search of a boost or motivation to change your life, these seven books may help.