Einaudi Publishes David Foster Wallace's "Contro il fatalismo" in Stile libero Series

Einaudi has released "Contro il fatalismo" by David Foster Wallace in its Stile libero series. The book centers on the distinction between two nearly identical statements: "the battle happened" and "the battle had to happen." The publication is framed by the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, when the Persian fleet of Xerxes gathered at Phalerum while Greek ships waited around the island, with Athens largely evacuated and the Acropolis burned. The piece, written by Riccardo Fedriga and Anita Romanello, notes that the Greeks won the next day, but those awaiting the battle could not know the outcome. The gap between retrospective certainty and prospective uncertainty is where Wallace's argument enters. The article was published on Doppiozero on Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 03:10.