Fiction

Books

illustration of two hands holding a copy of the book The Let Them Theory — Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Stefanie Keenan / Getty.

Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?

Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.

8:00 AM ET

A baseball in a muddy field — craymondr / Getty

Catch

A poem

April 19, 2026

An illustration of a woman laying on someone's lap; the other person is touching the woman's head — Illustration by Caroline Péron

Scars

A short story

April 18, 2026

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath — Jessica Miglio / HBO / Everett Collection

The First Draft of Cultural History

Lena Dunham’s new memoir is a fascinating primary source of Hollywood in the 2010s.

April 17, 2026

What To Read

Two people holding books to their ears like phones — David Avazzadeh / Connected Archives

Six Books That Simply Must Be Talked About

These six books demand discussion—with a pal, a date, or a book club.

March 10, 2026

A photo of a book with animals coming out of the bucolic field pictured on its cover. — Illustration by Paul Spella / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.

Nine Books to Reset Your View of the World

Each of these titles will widen your perspective, offering you original insight and vision.

Deb Olin Unferth

February 25, 2026

A colored-pencil illustration of people reading on the train — Illustration by Pat Thomas

Seven Books to Read When You Have No Time to Read

These titles are worth picking up, even if you have only a moment to spare.

February 3, 2026

A video illustration of a book set against moving clouds — Illustration by Li Anne Liew for The Atlantic

Six Books You Can Get Lost In

These novels highlight the power—both good and bad—of unchecked fantasizing.

January 6, 2026

Latest

An illustration of a woman laying on someone's lap; the other person is touching the woman's head — Illustration by Caroline Péron

Scars

A short story

April 18, 2026

A painting of a dark-haired figure in a yellow jacket reading a pink-and-white-striped book — Jean-Francois Debord / Bridgeman Images

Fortunes

A short story

March 12, 2026

two figures looking at each other across a gap — Illustration by Lourenço Providência

The Honor of the Layward Brothers

A short story

Benjamin Markovits

December 21, 2025

Collage illustration with a green silhouette of girl, overlaid with a red vertical rope and part of purple and orange photo of a man looking upward. — Illustration by Lauren Peters-Collaer*

We Are Not One

A short story

November 6, 2025

An image of a woman with her head bent down over a notebook, holding a pencil in her hand, is sliced at various angles and superimposed over yellow lined notebook paper. — Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic

Diseducators

A short story

Domenico Starnone

September 28, 2025

Bird feathers falling over an image of a tree trunk with a hole in the center — Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Sources: Philippe Gerber / Getty; nadtytok / Getty.

June

A short story

Daniel J. O’Malley

August 26, 2025

Painted illustration of man seen from behind in a jagged cave opening, silhouetted against a pink sky and landscape beyond. — Illustration by Holly Stapleton

Lamentations

A short story

July 6, 2025

black and white photo of a tattooed couple laying on a beach towel — Bruce Davidson / Magnum

Fools for Love

A short story

June 26, 2025

Watercolor-like illustration of a painted western landscape with buttes and a small figure standing in foreground. — Illustration by Ben Pearce

Weepers

A short story

Peter Mendelsund

June 13, 2025

girl in bathing suit — Marlen Mueller / Connected Archives

Skin a Rabbit

A short story

May 4, 2025