 Photographs by Balazs Gardi for The New Yorker; Arvida Byström for The New Yorker; Illustrations by Sun Bai; Karlotta Freier; Photo illustration by Paul Sahre | The year 2021 has had a suspended quality. The New Yorker stories that most resonated with readers, as measured by data that tracks what people have read on their way to becoming subscribers, seem to reflect our moment of in-betweenness. The complete list includes a slew of stories about democracy under threat, but there are also two articles about the possibility that aliens have visited Earth, an essay on marital loneliness, and a feature about the science of energy and how to get it. At times, readers simply looked to us for diversion. There are two essays by the humorist David Sedaris on the list. And people lapped up a lancing Profile of the “Succession” actor Jeremy Strong, who insists that the show isn’t a comedy. We’re all looking for a laugh. May we do it more often in 2022. —Michael Luo, editor of newyorker.com | 
