In today’s roundup of literary headlines, we have an update from Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt about selling AI-generated books, a response from Lupita Nyong’o to racist criticism of her role as Helen of Troy, the end of the “Colbert Bump,” and more.
Barnes & Noble CEO Assures Customers That They Do Not Sell AI-Generated Books
Before we get into today’s round-up of literary news, an update. Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt received criticism earlier this week for saying that he has “no problem” selling AI-generated books. Now, he’s put out a statement clarifying the bookseller’s stance on selling AI-written books, saying that they do not “endorse or intentionally sell AI-generated books. We take active measures to exclude all AI-generated books from our online offerings and never knowingly order any for in-store stock.” He does add that they would sell AI-generated books if there is “clear demand,” they were labeled as AI-generated, and they were put out by “reputable publishers.” He also compared not stocking AI-generated books with book banning, which made me roll my eyes. Book banning is a real issue, and it has nothing to do with not stocking AI-generated books.
I think many companies are learning the hard way that negative perception of AI is rising, and closely associating themselves with it can drive customers away—or at least result in a lot of angry criticism online. That’s doubly true when it comes to readers, who care deeply about human creativity.
Lupita Nyong’o Responds to Racism About Her Casting as Helen of Troy
In a recent interview with Elle, Lupita Nyong’o discussed her role as Helen of Troy in the upcoming Christopher Nolan take on The Odyssey. This comes on the heels of Matt Walsh and Elon Musk criticizing the casting on X.
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I hesitate to even quote this racist ragebait, but I can’t summarize it without sounding like I’m exaggerating: Walsh posted, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’ But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave ‘the most beautiful woman’ role to a white woman. Nolan is technically talented but a coward. Too afraid to do anything that even slightly challenges the spirit of the age.” Elon Musk replied, “True.”
In the Elle interview, Nyong’o said, “Our cast is representative of the world. I’m not spending my time thinking of a defense. The criticism will exist whether I engage with it or not.” She also talked about her exploration of the role beyond just being the “face that launched a thousand ships,” saying, “You can’t perform beauty. I want to know who a character is. What is beyond beauty? What is beyond looks?”
Obviously, this racism isn’t worth engaging with… and yet I can’t help but point out that if you Google image search “most beautiful woman in the world,” the person whose face shows up the most often in the top results is Lupita Nyong’o, and she was also named “Most Beautiful Woman” by People magazine.
Publishers Say Goodbye to the “Colbert Bump”
Stephen Colbert just had his last The Late Show episode, and the book industry is losing “one of pop culture’s greatest literary boosters.” On The Late Show and The Colbert Report before it, Colbert interviewed more than 100 authors, and publishers quickly recognized that this was one of the biggest drivers of sales, capable of turning a relatively unknown title into a bestseller. This influence was dubbed the “Colbert Bump.”
Julia Prosser, VP and director of publicity at Simon & Schuster, said, “The loss of The Late Show is a loss for books. Stephen is a reader and champion of writers! That was clear from the range of authors he spoke with and, most recently, from hosting his own book club. We will miss his intellect, humor, and cultural influence.”
As for what’s next for Colbert, it’s suitably literary: he’s currently co-writing a Lord of the Rings movie with his son.
Queer Horror Books Hitting Shelves for Pride Month 2026
Pride Month is just around the corner, so it comes as no surprise that there are so many new queer horror books dropping in June. If you’re looking for more queer horror stories to add to your TBR for Pride Month and beyond, here are four LGBTQ horror novels you have to get your hands on. And lucky you! The first book comes out right at the start of June. Sign up for All Access to read the full list!