Fiction

"Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." — Mark Twain

Learing This Sad Time: On Edward St. Aubyn’s “Dunbar”
It is foolish to ask: is this novel as good as "King Lear?" But it is as foolish to restate the prejudice that Shakespeare is the incomparable great bard.
Daniel SwiftDec 23, 2017
- Fiction
Let It Go: Niña Weijers’s Debut Novel and Understanding the Universe
Rebecca Waldron on Niña Weijers's novel of self-erasure and self-discovery.
Rebecca WaldronDec 22, 2017
- Around the World
- Fiction
Books of Revelation: Christianity and Miracles in the Life and Work of Denis Johnson
Brian Dille, who was Denis Johnson’s friend, gives his perspective on how Christianity and Alcoholics Anonymous informed the “Jesus’ Son” author’s work.
Brian B. DilleDec 21, 2017
- Fiction
- Religion
The Curious Translucence of Henry Green’s Late-Career Novels
Dustin Illingworth reveals the magic of Henry Green’s late-career novels “Concluding,” “Nothing,” and “Doting.”
Dustin IllingworthDec 20, 2017
- Fiction
“A Field of Strangeness”: Anna Kavan’s “Ice” and the Merits of World-Blocking
Tyler Malone praises the “world-blocking” technique of the mysterious classic “Ice” by Anna Kavan.
Tyler MaloneDec 19, 2017
- Fiction
- SF
“Israel Potter”; or, the Excrescence
On Melville’s neglected “epic of the piecemeal.”
Colin DayanDec 19, 2017
- Fiction
- Literary Criticism
The Ghosts of Gun Violence: Jason Reynold’s “Long Way Down”
Julia Walton on a new novel in verse about trauma and family tragedy.
Julia WaltonDec 16, 2017
Free-Range Horror
Jason Middleton on Stephen King's "It" and the "era of the ubiquitous missing child."
Jason MiddletonDec 13, 2017
- Fiction
Louise Erdrich’s Dystopian Dreams in “Future Home of the Living God”
Anita Felicelli finds flaw and favor in Louise Erdrich’s dystopian novel “Future Home of the Living God.”
Anita FelicelliDec 12, 2017
- Fiction
- SF
The Fucked-Up Thing Is You Don’t Know You’re Burning: A Conversation with Kiese Laymon
Aisha Sabatini Sloan and Kiese Laymon in dialogue.
Aisha Sabatini SloanDec 7, 2017
- Fiction
- Memoir & Essay
Naked in the Sun: Talking Transformation with “Absolutely Golden” Author D. Foy
Colin Winnette talks with D. Foy about his new novel, "Absolutely Golden."
Colin WinnetteDec 5, 2017
- Fiction
“Kill the Ámpaya!”: On Latin American Baseball Fiction
Dick Cluster discusses Latin American baseball fiction, which he has translated and anthologized in “Kill the Ámpaya!”
Dick ClusterDec 3, 2017
- Around the World
- Fiction