Optimism is great, but not when it’s the product of ignoring the obvious.

Dozens of great authors have been interviewed for Current Affairs. If you’re looking to read something new and insightful, check out one of these titles.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2020 climate novel has been hailed as one of the most important books of the era. But is it good climate commentary, or even good fiction?

Editor Lyta Gold reflects on the writings of Connie Willis and the heroes of history.

Dan Walden examines what makes life worth living, according to sleeper masterpiece “The Last Samurai”.

How did cartoonist Scott Adams go from Dilbert to MAGA and what does the Cold War have to do with it?

The creator of Harry Potter could imagine the most marvelous fictional universe in children’s literature—yet she can’t imagine the inner lives of transgender people or the radical expansion of political possibilities.

A personal essay about childhood, popularity, trailer parks, and the meaning of class.