THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 12.21.25 Issue features Sarah A. Topol on the dark side of fertility industry; Wyatt Williams on the writer Denis Johnson and his novella “Train Dreams”; Sam Kriss on A.I. writing; and more.

They Answered an Ad for Surrogates, and Found Themselves in a Nightmare

Eve was one of dozens of Thai women who traveled 4,000 miles — only to be trapped by the dark side of the global fertility industry.

How ‘Affordability’ Became a New Magic Word for Politicians

A rallying cry for Democrats taps into frustration over the inaccessibility of a modestly nice American existence — even for those with a decent income. By Nitsuh Abebe

The Lives They Lived

Remembering some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year.