Genevieve Valentine

Disney's new live-action extravaganza is just the latest retelling of this classic fairy tale. But why do Beauty and her Beast have such a hold on us? And why are there so many versions of their tale?

Kim Stanley Robinson envisions a future that's closer than we like to think in New York 2140. Sea levels 50 feet higher have swamped Manhattan, but there's a tiny thread of hope that we might float.

Lydia Edwards gives a knowledgeable introduction to Western European dresses. It feels bare at times but Edwards is more interested in providing insights rather than an extensive history.

Glenn Frankel's new book about the making of the classic Western sets its tumultuous production against the backdrop of the Hollywood "Red Scare," drawing parallels between celluloid and reality.

Artist Joe Ollman's new The Abominable Mr. Seabrook is a biography of the Lost Generation travel writer (and sadist, alcoholic and cannibal) William Seabrook. But how much Seabrook can you stand?

Women's contributions to scientific progress are often ignored — but two new books, Dava Sobel's The Glass Universe and Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures are out to remedy that oversight.

Before modern fan fiction, there were the Whitman Authorized Editions — a series of mystery novels from the 1940s and 50s that "starred" real movie stars, like Ginger Rogers and Gene Tierney.

Tepper wrote several classics of '80s sci-fi, but she's curiously unknown today. Her work is didactic and often uncomfortable, mixing eco-feminist politics with gripping characters and world-building.

Therese Oneill's new Unmentionable is a snarkily informal history of the difficulty of being a woman in the Victorian Era, hemmed in from head to toe with countless rules about dress and manners.

The future of the smash-hit baking competition is in question after a move from the BBC to independent broadcaster Channel 4 prompted beloved hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins to step down.