The Latest Breaking News from George Orwell

As epic new sci-fi show 3 Body Problem hits Netflix, Tesseract bassist/avid sci-fi fan Amos Williams picks the novels that encapsulate the genre at its best

Authors, critics and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month. Join the conversation in the comments

Iqbal Khan’s production lays bare the uncomfortable parallels between a mid-20th century Soviet Union and today’s marauding politicians

The US writer’s fictionalised portrait of the young Eric Blair’s time with the imperial police in Burma is a keenly felt and vividly researched account of colonial bigotry and power

An American chemist’s recipe advising salt and hot milk does not sound like a nice cuppa to me

In many ways, the long 21st century began when Apple launched the Macintosh with its ‘1984’ Super Bowl ad

At the British artist’s new Melbourne work, you can exchange a ratty old ball for a pristine new one. Just don’t leave an apple instead

The idea of free speech sparked into life 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greece – in part because it served a politician’s interests. The ability to speak freely was seen as essential for the new Athenian democracy, which the politician Cleisthenes both introduced and benefited from.

The British high street has for years been dominated by a chain of cheap-and-cheerful pubs boasting straightforward food, inexpensive pints and mad carpets. Oh, and political propaganda. As Spoons founder Tim Martin is granted a knighthood, Katie Rosseinsky dives into a polarising brand that we can never seem to agree…