Books

Storytelling is part of being human. In this nonfiction book, we learn why and how such narratives can also be a trap

A novel that takes place in a near-future surveillance state plots a path toward liberation

Carl Zimmer’s new book dives into aerobiology and the reasons humans seem unwilling to confront airborne threats

A collection of nonfiction and fiction books Scientific American editorial staff and contributors read and recommend in 2024

The connection between queer love and the power to imagine a more sustainable future

In the often-gloomy genre of climate fiction, a new novel hits a high-water mark for its empathy

The nose knows more than we thought

In End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, the title is flipped, but cyberpunk pleasures remain

Oak trees have genetic flexibility that allows them to solve ecological problems. But even they will need our help to survive climate change

Censoring what children read deprives them of reality and the chance to feed their curiosity and develop empathy

A science photo book probes the colors we can see—and even “forbidden” colors we can’t

In Absolution, the fourth novel in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach saga, scientists try to know the unknowable