With 'The Sparrow,' Mary Doria Russell imagines an alien world in intimate and fascinating detail—and then sends along some humans with deep questions about faith, God and the universe.

America's editors on some books that might catch our readers' fancy in these final weeks of summer.

A new movie treats the life of Robert Oppenheimer, the "father of the atomic bomb"—and someone whose exploits and commentaries received much treatment in 'America' over the years.

When we think of science fiction, lasers and aliens might come to mind first—but it is also a genre in which religious imagination plays a role.

Francis X. Talbot, S.J., was for many years America's literary editor, and later its editor in chief. He was also a saucy literary stylist who loved nothing more than a good argument.

From 1933: A longtime editor of America offers his thoughts on the agony of writing—as well as some of its joys and rewards.