The best the Bay Area has to offer, from the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture.

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A book cover featuring an snarling werewolf.

This Terrifying Horror Novel Proves: Nothing Is Old if You Make it New

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An illustration of a small human figure standing on the edge of deep dark void outlined in glowing orange.

AI Eavesdrops on Your Sleep in The Nightmarish ‘Dream Hotel’

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A young girl with blonde braids and a yellow anorak stands next to a cave with a small, cute magical, creature on her shoulder.

‘The Legend of Ochi’ Is a Scrappy, Whimsical and Retro-Coded Treat

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An illustration of a bird flying out of water with a backdrop of a sun.

‘Hope Dies Last’ Visits Visionaries Fighting Climate Change

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Two men wearing bullet proof vests rush through a door holding up large rifles. They are both dusty.

As a Sequel, ‘The Accountant 2’ Punches Up the Numbers

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two silhouettes with organic materials in white on black

In Zeina Barakeh’s Animations, Women Wear the Scars of Warfare

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An artist and a coffee shop barista look into the distance in a film still.

Oakland Is the Heartbeat of LaTajh Simmons-Weaver’s Cinematic Universe

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A man in a flight suit glances up nervously. He is in a futuristic looking space ship.

The Return of ‘Andor’ Is Timed Perfectly for 2025’s Political Landscape

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A yellow book cover featuring an illustration of a man wearing glasses with his arms raised in despair, full of knots.

‘We All Got Something’ Is a Heartfelt Tribute to Grace — and SF’s Zine Community

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A book cover featuring a photograph of an older woman wearing a wool sweater, sitting at an office desk with her arms folded, an impervious look on her face.

Joan Didion’s Therapy Session Notes Released as a Revealing New Book

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