Evan Lee Salim
Welcome to Today in Books, our daily briefing on the pulse of the literary world. Today, we navigate the convergence of high-stakes Hollywood adaptation, a sobering report on global intellectual freedom, and the enduring debate over the canon of English literature.
1. Dragons Take Flight: The Empyrean Series Finds Its Home at Amazon
The literary phenomenon that defined the mid-2020s is officially heading to the small screen. Amazon Prime Video has greenlit a television series adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s The Empyrean series, beginning with the global bestseller Fourth Wing.
The Creative Powerhouse
The production has secured a formidable team. Oscar-winner Michael B. Jordan is attached as a producer through his Outlier Society banner. His involvement brings significant prestige to the project, particularly following the critical success of his recent directorial and acting work. Joining him as executive producers are Lisa Joy, co-creator of HBO’s Westworld, and showrunner Meredith Averill, known for her sharp narrative sensibilities on Netflix’s Wednesday. Crucially, author Rebecca Yarros is deeply involved in the production, ensuring that the adaptation remains faithful to the intricate world-building that captured millions of readers.
Chronology of Development
The path to production has been anything but linear. The development phase began in October 2023, a mere five months after Fourth Wing hit bookshelves and immediately ignited a firestorm of reader enthusiasm. Despite the initial fervor, the project faced a long period of stagnation, remaining in development limbo from late 2023 until September 2025. With the recent greenlight, industry analysts suggest that Amazon is positioning this as a tentpole franchise, hoping to capture the "fantasy-epic" audience currently dominated by properties like House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power.
2. A Chilling Global Trend: The Rise in Incarcerated Writers
While the entertainment industry celebrates the triumph of fantasy, the literary community faces a much darker reality. PEN America’s latest "Freedom to Write Index" has unveiled a staggering and deeply concerning trend regarding the safety and liberty of writers worldwide.
Supporting Data: The 68% Surge
Since the inception of the Freedom to Write Index in 2019, the global landscape for writers has deteriorated rapidly. PEN America reports a 68% increase in the number of writers behind bars. As of 2025, 401 writers are currently incarcerated across 44 countries.
The geographical distribution of these detentions highlights systemic crackdowns on dissent:
- China: Continues to lead the global tally, with 119 writers currently in custody.
- Conflict Zones: Nations currently embroiled in active armed conflict—specifically Iran, Russia, and the Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territory—account for a significant portion of the remaining total.
- New Additions: For the first time, Togo, Mozambique, and the United States have been added to the Index, signaling a dangerous expansion of state-sponsored suppression of speech.
The Inclusion of the United States
Perhaps most striking is the inclusion of the United States in the Index. PEN America points to the case of British opinion writer and columnist Sami Hamdi, whose detention has sparked intense debate regarding the alleged weaponization of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target journalists and political commentators. This shift suggests that the decline of press freedom is no longer confined to authoritarian regimes, but is a growing concern within Western democracies as well.
3. The Canon Revisited: The Guardian and the 100 Best Novels
In a move that has invited both celebration and fierce debate, The Guardian has begun the rollout of its list of the "100 Best Novels Published in English."
Methodology and Execution
Rather than dropping a static list that invites immediate, singular critique, The Guardian is releasing the rankings in batches of 20. This slow-burn approach is designed to foster ongoing community engagement. The methodology behind the list is equally rigorous; it was compiled through the collaboration of 172 distinguished authors, academics, and literary critics. Each participant was tasked with ranking their top ten novels of all time.
The early rankings (100–81) have already provided a diverse snapshot of literary history, incorporating a mix of classic staples, translated works, and a wider representation of authors of color than traditional, older canons might have provided.
Implications for the Literary Landscape
By opening the floor to public voting, The Guardian is effectively democratizing the canon. Readers can submit their own top-three picks via an interactive form, forcing a dialogue between the "expert" opinion of the panel and the collective memory of the reading public.
This leads to the inevitable question: what truly defines a "classic"? The conversation frequently circles back to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. As one of the most studied and scrutinized novels in the English language, its placement will serve as a bellwether for the list’s overall philosophy. Will it rank in the top 20, or will it be eclipsed by more contemporary or diverse voices? The suspense surrounding these reveals underscores the enduring power of the novel as a cultural anchor.
4. Official Responses and Industry Outlook
The intersection of these three stories—the commercialization of literature, the persecution of authors, and the canonization of works—presents a complex view of the book world in 2026.
The Role of Corporate Media
The adaptation of The Empyrean by Amazon Prime highlights the increasing reliance of streaming platforms on established "booktok" and "bookstagram" successes. By turning to proven intellectual property (IP), studios mitigate the risk of failure. However, critics argue that this trend prioritizes profit-driven narratives over the cultivation of original screenplays.
The Call to Action
Conversely, the data from PEN America serves as an urgent reminder of the precarious nature of the written word. Advocacy groups are calling for international legislative pressure to protect journalists and writers, arguing that the rise in incarcerations is a direct threat to global democratic norms. PEN America’s report suggests that the "weaponization of bureaucracy"—using laws ostensibly meant for immigration or national security to silence critics—is the newest, most effective tool in the censor’s arsenal.
Cultural Preservation
Finally, the debate surrounding the "best novels" is more than an intellectual exercise; it is an act of cultural preservation. As we look back on the history of English literature, we are also deciding which stories will be carried forward into the next century. Whether it is the populist appeal of The Great Gatsby or the emerging voices of the 21st century, the act of ranking these works invites us to reflect on our values.
As we look toward the future, the literary world remains a theater of competing interests. We see the power of stories to unite us through massive adaptations, the necessity of defending the individuals who write them, and the perpetual, healthy struggle of determining which books deserve to sit on the shelf of history.
This report is part of our daily coverage at Today in Books. Sign up for our newsletter for continuous updates on the headlines shaping our reading lives.
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Ammar Sabilarrohman
