Culture
The snowball effect
Christmas films are cheesy, mindless and widely loved. Why?
The obviousness is part of the appeal
The future of humanity
Was Henry Kissinger an AI “doomer”?
A posthumous postscript on a hair-raising topic
Full of sound and fury
The novel was a dominant art form last century
What does the 21st century hold for it?
In tune with the times
The Economist’s pick of the best albums of 2024
A musical tour through pop, rap, rock and more
Singing from the same hymn sheet
The unholy alliance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin
Patriarch Kirill is one of the most vocal defenders of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine
From the shelf to the couch
Does great literature translate into great television?
Netflix hopes so, with its adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
A word in your ear
All of our favourite words of 2024
Explore gaokao, chiplets, kidulting and dozens more intriguing terms
Twenty-sided dicing with death
How did “Dungeons & Dragons” win?
The role-playing game, celebrating its 50th birthday, continues to inspire players and Hollywood creators
Seeds of change
The forgotten botanists who resisted the Nazis
A remarkable tale of sacrifice in the name of science
In another world
The best video games of 2024
Retro formats and characters are providing hours of entertainment
Back Story
Gifts for friends and enemies: a fictional guide
From the “Iliad” to “Succession”, storytelling can help with your Christmas shopping
The Economist recommends
What to see and read about the Vatican
The tension between the heavenly and earthly concerns of Catholic officials makes for good stories