Ayn Rand Institute finds dilemma in radical author’s evolving legacy
Once peripheral, Rand has veered close to the mainstream, garnering unprecedented influence thanks to US politicians
Book written in DNA code
Scientists who encoded the book say it could soon be cheaper to store information in DNA than in conventional digital devices
The reason I won’t be buying Fifty Shades of Grey loungewear
Zoe Williams: What do EL James' trilogy, Cosmopolitan and cosmetic surgery have in common? They seem to be about sex, when really they are about shopping
Harry Harrison obituary
Popular author of science fiction with a serious purpose and a subversive wit
Zimbabwe journalist found dead
South African police investigate author's death
Paul Ryan’s faith in Ayn Rand is a political problem for Romney
Giles Fraser: Mitt Romney's running mate may be Catholic but his admiration for an author hostile to Jesus's teachings risks losing him votes
Pass notes No 3,227: Rocky
No, not the boxer. It's a character in a new novel, who is suspiciously similar to Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president
Harry Potter pilgrims find their own magic in Chicago
No more films, no more books – but thousands of Hogwarts devotees flocked to the third LeakyCon fan convention
Religious censorship crushes creativity. So is it ever right to ban art?
Jeet Thayil: India's tendency for self-censorship is saddening. But even the most liberal minds sometimes see the need for holding back
Financial crisis-themed reading as Europe takes a holiday
Barry Eichengreen: No need for Europeans to waste a day at the beach – take a book and learn the lessons of the Great Depression
France revels in sordid tales of barely disguised Sarkozy depicted in bestseller
Allegorical novel written by insider becomes bestseller as publishers sate appetite for Primary Colours-style books
Gore Vidal – 1925-2012
Gore Vidal: In this Observer essay from 1998, the celebrated writer, who died last week, discusses the origins of the Cold War
From the Ruins of Empire by Pankaj Mishra – review
An engaging study explores Asia's intellectual response to western imperialism, writes Ben Shephard
Occupation Diaries by Raja Shehadeh – review
Anger co-exists with a sense of beauty in a valuable journal of West Bank life, says Jonathan Heawood
A hundred years of Virgilio Piñera, l’enfant terrible of Cuban literature
Mario López-Goicoechea: The founder of Cuban modernism, reviled both by Cuban critics and Castro, gets the centenary tribute he deserves