‘The crime fiction I’m interested in is political’: Ian Rankin on his new novel about the super-rich
The bestselling writer talks about leaving Edinburgh for London in his latest mystery, and what the future holds for RebusSir Ian Rankin rarely watches television. Certainly, there’s no gleaming flatscreen in the corner of the apartment in Edinburgh…
‘People forgot I existed’: Audrey Niffenegger on taking 14 years to write a sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife
Her debut made her a global star. Now she has finally written a follow-up – and this time, it’s political. She talks about impostor syndrome, screen adaptations and becoming radicalisedThe artist and novelist Audrey Niffenegger began writing the…
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle; As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers; The Eye of Goliath by Diego Muzzio; Our Cut of Salt by Deena HelmThe Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (Penguin, £9.99)This short novel won almost every genre…
AK Blakemore: ‘The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt was extremely silly and bad’
The poet and author on F Scott Fitzgerald’s perfect novel, losing faith in Ernest Hemingway – and the recent debut that blew her awayMy earliest reading memory Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy – where an assortment of…
Anne Carson wins Nobel prize in literature 2026
Most prestigious literature prize goes to Canadian known for genre-crossing works such as Autobiography of Red‘Delights await!’: Margaret Atwood and other writers on Nobel winner Anne CarsonWhere to start with: Anne CarsonThe Nobel prize in literature…
Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and Peter Straub review – a self-indulgent finale to the Talisman trilogy
There are moments of shivering joy as the protagonist of two enduring classics, Jack Sawyer, returns – but this time his journey feels endlessly repetitiveBear with me, because there is some backstory to get through before we can talk about the book I am…
Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare obituary
Bestselling author and Conservative politician whose scandal-ridden career ended with a prison sentenceJeffrey Archer, who has died aged 86, was irrepressible, though not necessarily in a good way. Ordinary humans would be sunk by the allegations of…
Partita By Barbara Kingsolver review – a midlife follow-up to Demon Copperhead
The sex writing threatens to throw the novel off-kilter, but there are rich rewards in this tale of music and middle-aged compromisesWhat is the role of art in an artist’s life? Should you commit everything to honing your talent in the hope of becoming a…
The Long Cloud by Hector MacKenzie review – there’s only so much depth to a himbo
This wry debut novel about a male model’s inner life, written in lowercase fragments, has tender insights but isn’t as profound as it aims to beShould you care about a vape-loving, philandering male model who just goes with the flow because that’s life?…
What we’re reading: China Miéville, Sebastian Barry, Derek Owusu and Guardian readers on the books they enjoyed in September
Writers and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month. Join the conversation in the commentsI was sideswiped by Giada Scodellaro’s Ruins, Child. A brilliant, strange book that challenged me in the most exhilarating way, with…