The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall review – a genre-defying epic
Spanning 1933 to 2181, this ambitious novel explores the future of humanity through the lives of a few women, zeroing in on capitalism, AI and violence
Empires of the Steppes by Kenneth W Harl review – a nomadic route to civilisation
From Attila the Hun to Genghis Khan, a vibrant account of how roaming warlords shaped technology, religion and culture
Strangers at the Port by Lauren Aimee Curtis review – an island controlled by men
The second novel from one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists is a study of power, exile and dislocation
Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life by Anna Funder review – inside a troubled marriage
This feminist reimagining of the fierce and witty Eileen O’Shaughnessy strips her of agency all over again
The Ballad of Truman Capote review – party play goes jolly lightly
Andrew O’Hagan’s script has some witty lines but this drama about the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood lacks narrative focus
The Weekend review – Charlotte Wood stage adaptation tells of love, loss and ageing
Warmth, humour and a heartbreaking dog ground this new play about three women in their 70s dealing with the death of a friend
Lost on Me by Veronica Raimo review – a wryly comic coming-of-age
This novel about a young woman growing up in a dysfunctional family in Rome is a gleeful dance between truth and fiction
Witness by Jamel Brinkley review – downbeat tales of New York
Gentrification is a recurring theme in the Brooklyn writer’s second short-story collection
Code of Conduct by Chris Bryant review – a manifesto for a better politics
The chair of the standards committee tackles bullying, corruption and constitutional reform
Cheri by Jo Ann Beard review – an author too good to miss
The US essayist is a rare talent. In this slim volume she imagines a woman’s dying days with shocking clarity
Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories by Cho Nam-joo review – mischief and glee along with trials of Korean women
Cho’s collection, rich in local flavour, reflects on her feminist novel that rocked South Korean society, and generational changes for her countrywomen
The Well of Saint Nobody by Neil Jordan review – the film-maker’s new novel is full of marvels
This tale of a once successful concert pianist who finds love and rejuvenation before mystical forces intervene is a reminder of Jordan’s gifts as a writer
The best recent crime and thriller writing – review roundup
A surprise post-prom birth, a woman’s struggle to find her missing sister and the gaslighting of a would-be mother are among this month’s mysteries
Caret by Adam Mars-Jones review – God is in the detail
The latest instalment in the novelist’s series based around his idiosyncratic character John Cromer is a marvel of care and attention to language
In brief: 42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams; Alchemy; Mercury Pictures Presents – review
A fascinating glimpse into the mind of the humorist and sci-fi writer; a rip-roaring historical thriller; and a subversive novel set in golden-age Hollywood