The Fraud by Zadie Smith audiobook review – exuberant and funny
Narrated by the author, this story of a Victorian author and his housekeeper cousin, who is obsessed by the Tichborne claimant, explores the lies people tell themselves
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – reviews roundup
You Like It Darker by Stephen King; Tomorrowing by Terry Bisson; Freakslaw by Jane Flett; The Mark by Fríđa Isberg; Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas review – the power of love
Two men in midlife navigate their growing desire to commit to each other in a changing Australia
Everything is Water by Simon Cleary review – one man’s pilgrimage along Brisbane River
Navigating on foot, Cleary is guided by histories, traditional owners and some unexpected weather, resulting in a rich account of the natural world
Christopher Isherwood Inside Out by Katherine Bucknell review – courage and camp
The Anglo-American novelist’s angsty inner life is under the spotlight in this impressively researched biography
Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang review – a debut with real heart
This intricately plotted tale moves from a cruising spot for queer men in 1980s rural China to immigrant life in New York
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 review – mutant-bear slasher is back in the woods
This tiresomely meta sequel is as bad as the original, and there are better examples of this kind of nasty ‘humour’ on YouTube
Playing Kafka review – a well-intentioned but sanitised attempt at adapting the unadaptable
The forking paths and opaque traps of his writings might sound amenable to gaming. But the meaningful futility of his fiction doesn’t add up to much here
Under a Rock by Chris Stein review – sex, squalor and superstardom
The Blondie guitarist charts his drug-fuelled journey from young punk to pop pioneer with charming nonchalance
Going Home by Tom Lamont review – vibrant debut of fathers and sons
A 30-something man gains the abrupt responsibility of a surrogate child in an unsentimental, gorgeously written novel that’s bristling with life
The Captive Imagination by Elias Dakwar review – a window into addiction
A psychiatrist’s fascinating quest to understand drugs and addiction – and to describe the indescribable
Parade by Rachel Cusk review – cold visions of chaos
The world is turned upside down in an experimental novel about art, observation and making stories
Queenie review – so half-baked it could have been made by AI
The actors feel under-rehearsed, the plotlines are painful cliches and the lead character is totally bland. This adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams’s hit novel just isn’t fun – or funny – enough
Cairn by Kathleen Jamie review – a wry SOS for the world
The Scottish poet’s latest collection is a small marvel that shows an acute awareness of planetary and personal impermanence
Romeo n Juliet 4EVA review – Jamaican teens breathe fresh life into Shakespeare romance
What started life as a reality show following kids in schools putting on Shakespeare has become a rather lovely adaptation with performances that give the pros a run for their money