Television's Jane Austen adaptations dominate, but five other 18th-century writers deserve screen attention. Works like Eliza Haywood's Fantomina, Samuel Richardson's Pamela, and Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote contain contemporary themes of reinvention, consent, and fandom that resonate with modern audiences.
Anna Holmes, founder of Jezebel and contributing writer at The Atlantic, explores the cultural and personal significance of saying no in her new book, The Power of No. Drawing on experts from sociology to linguistics, Holmes examines how women and girls are socialized to be obliging and argues that refusal is essential for autonomy and self-preservation.
Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto VI, releasing November 19, faces preemptive backlash from right-wing commentators who claim the game promotes 'woke' ideology through its diverse cast and female protagonist Lucia Caminos. Despite limited concrete details about the game, online critics have manufactured outrage over scenes depicting gender equality and LGBTQ representation, continuing a pattern of culture war grievances that shifted from concerns about violence to anxieties about progressive values.