Abominations: Selected Essays from a Career of Courting Self-Destruction – An Iconoclastic Collection Challenging Censorship and Defending Free Speech

A collection of thirty-five essays curated from Lionel Shriver's columns, features, op-eds, and speeches published in outlets including the Spectator, the Guardian, the New York Times, Harper's Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, along with some unpublished pieces. Shriver addresses a wide range of topics including religion, politics, illness, mortality, family, tennis, gender, immigration, consumerism, health care, and taxes. She examines language restrictions and limitations on speech and literature, exploring how these affect artistic expression and intellectual freedom. Many essays reflect views that have provoked significant backlash and threats of cancellation. The collection includes personal reflections on her novels and the experience of becoming a successful writer. Shriver updates and expands her thinking in revisiting older pieces and rejected essays. Throughout, she takes contrarian positions on contemporary orthodoxies and cultural conformity, offering perspectives that may challenge readers across the political spectrum.