Speculative Fiction Showcase

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for February 14, 2025

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek in general, Captain America: Brave New World and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of Severance, The Gorge, Heart Eyes, Paddington in Peru, the best SFF works of 2024, the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

Best of 2024:

Comments on the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman:

Comics and Art:

Film and TV:

Comments on Star Trek in general:

Comments on Captain American: Brave New World and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

Comments on The Gorge:

Comments on Heart Eyes:

Comments on Paddington in Peru:

Comments on season 2 of Severance:

Awards:

Writing, publishing and promotion:

Interviews:

Reviews:

Classics reviews:

Crowdfunding:

Con and event reports:

Science and technology:

Gaming:

Toys and collectibles:

Free online fiction:

Trailers and videos:

Monday, February 10, 2025

The Initiates by Ryan Hyatt

Release date: February 11th 2025

Subgenre: Science Fiction Horror

**About The Initiates:**

A cynical high school graduate must overcome otherworldly odds with a group of fellow misfits if they hope to survive an alien invasion at summer camp. The Outsiders meets Annihilation.

Myles Harper’s transition to adulthood couldn’t be more disturbing.

After celebrating his high school graduation, his stepfather tells him he needs to get a job. The cynical Los Angeles native, more concerned that climate change will affect his life than his lack of a career, grudgingly applies to Camp Friendly Forest, where he is hired to work as a counselor for the summer. Soon Myles has more responsibilities than he bargained for. Supervising a cabin of boys in the mountains means that he must prioritize the needs of others over himself.

Even worse, vicious cosmic canines, Kiaskis, have crash landed off the coast and quickly overrun Southern California. As the situation at camp deteriorates, Myles and a group of fellow misfits, his new friends, realize they must work together if they hope to survive a horrifying nightmare.

A science-fiction horror novel involving humanity’s first contact with a violent extraterrestrial race, exploring notions of youth, masculinity, and morality during a time of crisis.

Excerpt:

At 2:35 p.m., a mile-long alien ship appeared from a wormhole that materialized outside Earth’s atmosphere and discharged the massive freighter, which hurtled across the sky and crashed into the Pacific. Video footage taken from surfers congregating on a hill at a beach near Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, shows vestiges of a tsunami wiping out a portion of the Interstate 5 Freeway, displacing cars, trucks, and dragging onto shore piles of seaweed, fish, and trash. A jarring scene follows consisting of blaring horns, mobilizing troops, and soldiers arresting the blond trespassers in wet suits as fighter jets scramble through the clouds above toward the wrecked spaceship jutting out from the ocean.

Meanwhile, the real threat arrives. At first, the black heads protruding from the waves resemble otters and sea lions—marine life frequently spotted offshore. Then, the first of the four-legged creatures beaches. It’s the size of a grizzly bear, but leaner, with a horned cranium, a cluster of reddish eyes, and a devilish grin that reveals rows of jagged teeth. The beast shakes its dark fur dry, strides onto sand, and points its grotesque snout upward, sniffing the air. A Marine, who had been holding her position, machine gun trembling in hand, turns to flee. When she does, the monster leaps into the air, pounces on her, and tears her to pieces.

And just like that, America is at war with aliens.

More images follow. Drone footage shows wave after wave of hundreds, thousands of predators from outer space scrambling onto Southern California’s coast, terrorizing beach towns, devouring fleeing pedestrians and stranded motorists.

“Reminds me of those World War II docs they sometimes play at night,” José whispers, words barely escaping his lips.

“The Normandy invasion,” Myles agrees, eyes shifting from screen to screen. “But in this case, the ‘D’ in ‘D-Day’ stands for the destruction of our species.”

On one computer, in the corner of the Chill Room, a broadcaster with a pompadour displays a social media post made earlier in the day by Alice Walker. Known as ‘Lady Prophet’ among her followers, Alice is said to have predicted the 2026 Coastal Earthquake. After escaping government custody, the broadcaster explains, she has lived a life of anonymity, until an update appeared on her Bestagram profile hours before hostilities ensued with the aliens:

INVASION – 2:35 P.D.T. 6.28.36 – MIND YOUR ESCAPE

As Myles absorbs news of the catastrophe, the psychic’s message is like a neon sign flashing at his soul. Mind your escape. How? What does she mean?

“They’re in the neighborhood!” a dogwalker from Huntington Beach screams into a news camera. He splashes around in knee-deep water as a poodle, retriever, and terrier bark, yelp, and practically strangle themselves trying to pull free from his leash. Too late. In an explosion of blood and limbs, man and canines are overrun by the cosmic carnivores. One of the monsters rips the head off the dogwalker, tosses it up in the air with its teeth, and swallows the head whole. The beast turns toward the camera with its crimson gaze.

More screams, and the media crew goes offline.

Scientists already have a name. They call them Kiaskis because a burst of light in space coinciding with the arrival of the invaders suggests they originate from the Kiaski Nebula, near the Libra constellation.

“We have an idea where they come from,” says a professor from the University of California Irvine, near ground zero, during a phone interview. “Unfortunately, we have no idea why they are here.”

Commotion in the background, and he, too, goes offline.

“I know why they’re here!” Billy yells in an upbeat tone out of tune with the devastating circumstances. “It’s just like Psycho Therapy! They want to turn us into dog chow and make a zillion space pups!”

The proposition seems absurd, but the evidence is clear. From one disturbing image to the next, the Kiaskis’ appetite for human flesh seems endless. Even so, only Billy and his dopey friends dare to snicker in amusement at the prospect that the end of the world might mimic its most popular video game.

“This trip to camp is turning out to be less of a dream,” Tony whispers, “and more of a nightmare.”

“I want to go home!” cries a girl, turning toward Tiffany, who embraces her.

“Me, too!” cries a boy, collapsing into their arms. “This isn’t funny!”

The ray of light that passed, Myles thinks, the odd glow of electronic devices, too much is happening too fast. Jeanie sidesteps through the stunned crowd and manually turns off every monitor.

“Hey, we were watching that!” Billy protests.

“We have seen enough,” says the owner of Camp Friendly Forest. The rosiness has drained from her cheeks, and her light-hearted twang is no more. Her voice is somber and precise. “I realize many of you are scared. I am, too, but we are together. Safe. You will have an opportunity to speak with your parents. For now, I am going to ask that you refrain from watching the news. I will work with staff to arrange times for each of you to connect with your loved ones. In the meantime, the Chill Room is off limits. Free time until dinner. We could use a breath of fresh air.”

Kindle | Paperback

About Ryan Hyatt:

RYAN HYATT tells stories about your future. He is a former news reporter, current educator, and author of the Terrafide sci-fi series. He edits the satirical sci-fi news site, The La-La Lander, as well as Not Your Father's Bedtime Stories, kid’s lit he creates with his daughter, author Sage Hyatt. Find him at the beach and his stories across the internet. Connect with him @ucalthisreality.

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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for February 7, 2025

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek in general, The Fantastic Four: Firsat Steps and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, season 3 of Invincible, season 2 of Severance, Dog Man, Companion, Heart Eyes, The Monkey, the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman, tributes to David Lynch and John Erwin and much more.