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The Endless Self

Exploring animal life beyond the limits of human understanding.

When Hannibal Lecter Took Over

With “The Silence of the Lambs” hitting theaters, Orion wanted a hit. They didn’t anticipate an antihero.

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Recent Editors’ Picks

What Is Claude? Anthropic Doesn’t Know, Either

Gideon Lewis-Kraus | The New Yorker | February 9, 2026 | 10,268 words

“Researchers at the company are trying to understand their A.I. system’s mind—examining its neurons, running it through psychology experiments, and putting it on the therapy couch.”

Good Medicine

Sheila Heti | Granta | February 12, 2026 | 16,321 words

“I was simply tired of being me.”

Phantom Pains

Rochelle L. Johnson | The Georgia Review | Winter 2025 | 6,795 words

“These losses—my limb, my students’ hopes, Thoreau’s mammals, the wings falling from our skies—they are not all that distinct from one another. They can’t be, because all of us, all…

To the Old Man in the Cowboy Costume

J.Y. Lee | Off Assignment | February 10, 2026 | 1,573 words

“All the parts about me that I hate the most, I got from you. All the parts I love the most, too.”

The Myth of the Police State

Eve Fairbanks | The Dial | January 27, 2026 | 4,997 words

“No one, not even the supposed beneficiaries, is protected.”

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Weekly Top 5

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Andy Greenberg, Darshana Narayanan, Lauren Lee White, Sarah Stillman, and Gabriel Furshong.

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

Showcasing stories from Jasper Craven, Mike Kane, Francesco Pacifico, Dorothy Guerrero and Stephen Harrigan, and Byard Duncan.

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More Longreads Essays and Features

By All Measures

Our problems are too vast, our distance from them too great. How do we navigate our derangement of scale?
by B. R. Cohen

Anatomy of Absolute Power

The people of Wilcox County, Alabama, remember a longtime sheriff as a god or a monster—it just depends on who you ask.
by Longreads

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Longreads Reading Lists

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The best nonfiction on the web, all in one place.

Each year since 2011, we’ve collected our favorite longform stories. Dive in and enjoy.

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