Gabriel García Márquez Novel Spurs Rebels in Iran

Giant of Latin American literature's oeuvre is complete

(NEWSER) - The world has probably already seen the complete work of Gabriel García Márquez, the Guardian reports. Friend and fellow author Plinion Apuleyo Mendoza said last year that the creator of magical realism was working on a new novel, but his agent recently quashed that rumor. "I don't think that García Márquez will write anything else," Carmen Balcells said. More»

(NEWSER) - Two years after announcing that he had given up writing, Gabriel García Márquez is at work on a new novel, says a close friend. Fellow writer Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza confirmed rumors that the Nobel Prize-winning 82-year-old is working on a love story, the Guardian reports. More»

Stephen King, Christopher Hitchens make the cut

(NEWSER) - If you need a book recommendation for holiday reading, look no further than the New York Times ' list of the 10 best books of the year. Five are fiction and five non-fiction:

• 11/22/63 by Stephen King: A time portal sends an English teacher back to 1958 to try and stop Lee Harvey Oswald. King reflects "on questions of memory, fate, and free will as he richly evokes midcentury America."
• Swamplandia! By Karen Russell: "Exuberantly inventive language" marks this story of "a heroine who is wise beyond her years" as she tries to preserve her family's way of life. Also, an alligator theme park is involved.

But much uncertainty remains on whether novel will see the light of day

(NEWSER) - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo kicked off a trilogy of international bestsellers—and though author Stieg Larsson died in 2004, rumors of another novel’s existence are gaining traction. Plot details have emerged, but the book’s fate remains murky as Larsson’s family and his former girlfriend battle over his estate, the Los Angeles Times reports. The unpublished novel tells the story of heroine Lisbeth Salander’s estranged twin, Camilla, who appeared only briefly in The Girl Who Played With Fire, said Larsson’s friend Kurdo Baksi. More»

Tehran formally detains opposition leaders, wives

(NEWSER) - Iran is cracking down on its opposition today, jailing prominent leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, reports the AP. The pair and their wives were arrested and taken to Tehran's Heshmatiyeh jail, according to reformist website Kaleme.com. The two have been under house arrest for two weeks for encouraging public protests in the wake of the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings. A semi-official news agency denied that the leaders had been jailed. More»