The Fish That Climbed a Mountain
The wild tale of a small fishing club, a national park, and an epic battle over alien trout.
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The Edge of Emptiness
Lena Rowat skied 1,600 grueling miles across the Coast Range to quiet her demons. But she didn’t begin to silence them until tragedy struck.
On (the) Sublime
When we reach for our limits, what is it that we ultimately grasp?
The Bad Thing
Sometimes the most haunting part of trauma isn’t what happened—it’s wondering what could have happened if you hadn’t trusted your gut.
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Kickstart your weekend by getting the week’s best reads, hand-picked and introduced by Longreads editors, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning.
Weekly Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Showcasing stories from Katya Apekina, Jonathan W. Rosen, Robert Sanchez, Eric Levitz, and Natalie Marlin.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending notable stories by Andy Greenberg, Michelle Orange, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Jefferson Mao, and Will Steinfeld.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week we have stories from Sarah Miller, James D. Walsh, Hanif Abdurraqib, Gabrielle Drolet, and Jeremiah David.
Essays and Features
How to Scam Like a Celebrity
“His alleged victims say he bribed New York Police Department officials, stole millions in diamonds, and persuaded Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Kim Kardashian to shill for a scam cryptocurrency. So why is Jona Rechnitz still free?”
Around The Pit
Circling billions of gallons of toxic water at America’s largest Superfund site.
Well Without Water
Haunted by a running tap in prison, a man grows obsessed with water waste and climate change, pushing him to the edge.
In Defense of Spiders
Eight legs, many lessons: One writer explores the liminal spaces between self-censorship and creativity.
The Race That Turned to Ruin
“Fifteen teams lifted off from Switzerland in gas ballooning’s most audacious race. Three days later, two of them drifted into Belarusian airspace—but only one would survive.”
Tattoos
The ways memory, history, and identity are inscribed—on skin, in silence, and through generations.
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Reading Lists
Suspended Falling: A Reading List on Walking
After seven million years of evolution, walking feels as natural as breathing. But as our environments evolve, so do our ways of walking through them.
What’s Your Type? A Reading List on Typefaces with Wild Tales to Tell
Seven stories exploring our love affair with type.
Love, Lust, Loneliness: A Valentine’s Day Reading List
Essays, reading lists, and editors’ picks on relationships, breakups, and many different kinds of love.
Remember the Titans: An ‘Attack on Titan’ Reading List
The influential anime didn’t just upend kaiju tropes—it delivered an unsettling look at imperialism and hubris.
TikTok Covens and QAnon Shamans: A Reading List on Neo-Paganism
People in the West are responding to modern life by reviving ancient pagan spiritual practices.
Ten Outstanding Short Stories to Read in 2025
Kickstart your reading year with 10 short stories selected by longtime contributor Pravesh Bhardwaj.
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