Book review: James by Percival Everett
The perspective we didn't hear in "Huckleberry Finn"
Culture
Laugh or you’ll cry
When comedian Richard Herring got cancer of the testicle, it confirmed his belief that life is precious – and ridiculous
A telescope the size of the Earth
How scientists obtained the first image of the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way
Book review: Battleground Ukraine
Ukraine built a national identity over 30 years. Russia’s invasion has put it to the ultimate test
Do Swifties really care about the music?
The intense fandom around Taylor Swift is less about music, and more to do with the power of shared suffering
Next year, let’s remember the Pacific War
As the 80th anniversary of 1945 approaches, the Pacific front of the Second World War must be commemorated too
An astronomer’s take on “Fly Me to the Moon”
The Hollywood blockbuster offers a twist on the story of Apollo 11 – but does it stay true to the science?
Why are so many books so boring now?
Publishers are selling more books than ever – but they’re all the same. Here's why
Tropical modernism
A new exhibition sheds light on the attempt to build – literally – a new postcolonial order in India and Ghana
Great thinkers and their clutter
What geniuses's homes can tell us about their minds