DUDES DONT READ. That’s the sorry tale we hear about publishing these days: how men’s demand for novels has declined, and so the supply of fiction that might appeal to them has dried up. But Esquire’s contributing literary editor, Jack Ben Edwards, is here to provide a counterargument, with a mix of contemporary and classic tales. These titles not only provide sweet relief from AI slop and turbocharged algorithms, they also masterfully explore masculinity in all its forms: tales of monstrous pride and unfulfilled desires, from the American Midwest to rural Ireland.

Stoner

By John Williams

$21.25 from The Nile

A love letter to literature and academia, the life of William Stoner is one of stoic perseverance. Plus, there’s a love affair so exhilarating that Coldplay would expose it on the jumbotron.

Tonyinterruptor

By Nicola Barker

$23.85 from The Nile

A jazz concert goes viral after being interrupted by a man, who asks: is this honest? What follows is a series of intergenerational and interdisciplinary debates exploring art, culture, community, and integrity, as funny as they are profound.

Frankenstein

By Mary Shelly

$15.75 from Booktopia

After you’ve watched Guillermo del Toro’s masterful (and faithful!) adaptation, read the original source material. A much-loved gothic classic.

Flesh

By David Szalay

$7 from Target

In spare but piercing prose, a Hungarian man emigrates to the UK to work for a billionaire stranger. An observant study of class, violence, unresolved trauma, and modern masculinity, as István’s life unspools.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

By Ray Bradbury

$20.39 from The Nile

…and it’s not just Elphaba. Bradbury wrote the ultimate dark fantasy novel for the spooky season, deftly blending horror, supernatural elements, and folktales with lyrical childhood nostalgia. A travelling carnival comes to Illinois, preying on the human fears of loneliness, aging, and mortality.

From Esquire UK