Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for February 26, 2016

Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with lots of award nominations, including the Nebula and Bram Stoker award shortlist, several literary deaths, the Sherrilyn Kenyon vs. Cassandra Clare lawsuit, a nasty case of convention harassment, articles about Stan Lee, comments about Deadpool and the revived X-Files as well as Game of Thrones characters invading suburbia. 

Speculative fiction in general:

• The participants of the SF Signal Mind Meld talk about which SFF books, movies or TV shows are on their "to watch" list.
• Laura Anne Gilman talks about the fantasy books her teenaged self loved.
• Seanan McGuire talks about how everything comes with its own set of trigger warnings, even if they aren't labelled as such.  
• Ilona Andrews offers a brief analysis of the alpha jerk trope in romantic fiction.
• Katherine Jaye explains that romance isn't all sexy douchecanoes. 
• Juliet E. McKenna talks about the continuing erasure of women writing science fiction and fantasy.
• Indrapramit Das talks about writing global science fiction. 
• Annalee Flower Horne shares the geek's guide to disability.
• Mary Robinette Kowal shares some thoughts on how to add diversity. 
• William Henry Morris shares 27 ways of looking at genre. 
• Michael R. Underwood shares seven stories about stories.
• Grady Hendrix explains why Beloved by Toni Morrison is the best horror novel the genre never claimed. 
• Helen Carroll explains why science fiction technology isn't just fictitious.  
• Peter Clines talks about super-people and super-heroes.
• Abraham Riesman profiles Stan Lee.
• Damien Walter wonders whether Stan Lee is the greatest storyteller of our time.
• Alex Abad-Santos explains why history will have trouble remembering Stan Lee as a good guy.
• Shiri Sondheimer explains her issues with the love triangle that has been set up in Agent Carter.
• Charlie Jane Anders explains how Agent Carter created one of the most fascinating villains on television.
  
• Ryan Britt explains that the very problems of Blade Runner made it a better movie.
• Ryan Britt also declares that the Oscars forgot to nominate The Force Awakens for best picture.
• Michael Oberschneider wonders whether Star Wars caused ADHD.
• Sean Miller claims that E.T. was gay.
  

Deaths:

• American writer Harper Lee has died aged 89. 
• Italian novelist and linguist Umberto Eco has died aged 84. 
• British cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, who worked on three of the Indiana Jones movies among many others, has died aged 103.

Comments on the Sherrilyn Kenyon versus Cassandra Clare lawsuit:

• Laura Miller offers an extensive report about the Sherrilyn Kenyon versus Cassandra Clare lawsuit and the background. 
• Carolyn Cox also reports on the Kenyon versus Clare lawsuit. 
• Read the full text of the complaint filed by Sherrilyn Kenyon against Cassandra Clare at Courtney Milan's site.
• Inspired by the Kenyon versus Clare lawsuit, Susanna Shore asks who owns ideas anyway.

Comments on the revived X-Files:

• Alasdair Stewart explains how the worldview of the revived X-Files has changed.
• Ethan Alter explains how Kolchak: The Night Stalker inspired The X-Files.
• Winston Cook-Wilson explains why The X-Files should end.
• Matt Kamen reports that X-Files creator Chris Carter has said that the new series won't be the last.
• Matt Zoller Seitz defends the X-Files revival.
• Greg Cwik remembers the X-Files spin-off Millennium.

Comments on Deadpool:

• Paul MacInnes points out that the success of Deadpool accelerates the inevitable total geek culture domination.
• Kevin Lincoln wonders whether Deadpool has changed the impact of the R-rating.
• Nick Mamatas shares his thoughts on Deadpool.
• Lela E. Buis shares her thoughts on Deadpool. 

Awards:

• The nominees for the 2015 Nebula Awards have been announced.
• The nominees for the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2015 Kitchies has been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2015 Ditmar Awards have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2016 Norma K. Hemming Award has been announced. 
• The 14th annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are open for voting.
• Joel Cunningham shares his thoughts on the 2015 Nebula nominees.
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2015 Nebula nominees.
• Lauren Sarner explains why the 2015 Nebula Awards are kicking the Oscars' arse. 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Kaye M. offers an inspirational post about creativity and creating.
• Andrea Phillips talks about throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.
• Debra Purdy Kong wonders whether ambition and creativity decline with age.
• Elizabeth Bear talks about the toxic pressure to which some writer subject themselves.  
• Elizabeth Bear also talks about burnout, creativity and the tyranny of production schedules. 
• William Meikle looks back on 25 years as a writer.
• Recent Items shares nine tips on how to write a J.G. Ballard style science fiction novel.
• Joe Nassise offers a free video class on story structure.
• Jason LaPier talks about dealing with the vastness of space in science fiction.
• Leah Dearborn talks about worldbuilding.
• Michael Lachman talks about using short stories for marketing purposes. 
• Chuck Wendig repeats the oft-heard battle call "Pay the writer".
• David Neth shares some tips for putting an audiobook together. 
• Lee the puppet (as operated by Mary Robinette Kowal) answers writing and publishing questions.

Interviews:

• Mahvesh Murad interviews Margaret Atwood. 
• Adrian Ling interviews Pierce Brown.
• The Odyssey Writing Workshop interviews N.K. Jemisin.
• The Qwillery interviews Jacey Bedford.
• Eric Christensen interviews Emma Newman. 
• Liz Bourke interviews Karen Miller. 
• Carl Slaughter interviews Steven Campbell.  
• Carl Slaughter also interviews Bishop O'Connell. 
• Carl Slaughter also interviews Marsheila Rockwell.
• Brandon Courcy interviews Tammi Labrecque.
• Kristin Centorcelli interviews Matt Hill. 
• Kristin Centorcelli also interviews Glen Hirshberg.

Reviews:

• John Seavey reviews All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders.
• The Bookbeard reviews The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.
• The Bibliosanctum reviews Morning Star by Pierce Brown.
• Karen Rought reviews Calamity by Brandon Sanderson.
• Ethan Robinson reviews The Weave by Nancy Jane Moore.
• Paul di Filippo reviews The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray.
• Laird Barron reviews Skein and Bone by V.H. Leslie.
• Russell Letson reviews Gypsy by Carter Scholz.
• Joe Sherry reviews Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia. 
• nerds of a feather reviews The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again by A.C. Wise.
• Shira Glassman reviews Fierce Family, an anthology edited by Bart R. Leib.
• Heather Wixon reviews the movie The Witch.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Skyboat Media is looking for funding to produce an audio drama of Harlan Ellison's original screenplay for the Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever".
• The Museum of Science Fiction is looking for funding for its futuristic mini science fair Escape Velocity.
• Disabled fan Dominick Evans needs help to finance some necessary equipment to ensure his mobility. 
• The family of the late science fiction writer Bud Webster needs some help to pay his medical bills.
• Buy some rare books to support author Peter S. Beagle. 

Con reports:

• Steve Davidson shares his experiences at Boskone in Boston, Massachusetts. Part 2 is here.
• David Doering reports about "Life, the Universe and Everything" in Provo, Utah.
• Drew Gerken also shares his experiences at "Life, the Universe and Everything".
• Max Florschutz also talks about "Life, the Universe and Everything".
• Rampant Coyote also discusses "Life, the Universe and Everything".
• Harrison Drake reports about the Empower Comic Con in Topeka, Kansas.
• Mark Oshiro reports about his bad experiences at ConQuesT 46 in Kansas City, where he was supposed to be the Guest of Honour. He also offers an update a few days later.
• Jesi Pershing, who was a member of the ConQuesT committee, responds to Mark Oshiro.
• In support of Mark Oshiro, E.P. Beaumont shares her own bad experience at ConQuesT in 2013.
• M.C. Hana responds to Mark Oshiro.
• Rachel Caine shares some tips for convention panelists in response to Mark Oshiro's experiences.
• K. Tempest Bradford responds to Mark Oshiro and Rachel Caine.
• Jim Hines weighs in about the importance of having an anti-harrassment policy and enforcing it, if necessary.
  

Science and technology:

• NASA's laser-powered engine could get a spaceship from Earth to Mars in 72 hours (if it works).
• What does a black hole actually look like? 
• Boston Dynamics has created a robot that can survive an attack, get up and walk to safety. 
• So why do we feel so bad when the robot falls down?

Free online fiction:

• "Liminal Grid" by Jaymee Goh in Strange Horizons.
• "Sacrifice" by J.F. Dubeau at SF Signal.
• "Women at Exhibition" by E. Lily Yu in Uncanny Magazine.
• "On the Occasion of My Retirement" by Nick Mamatas in Apex Magazine. 
• "Recalled to Service" by Alter S. Reiss at Tor.com.
• "And to the Republic" by Rachel Kolar in Crossed Genres.
• "Green Apocalypse" by Max Florschutz.
• Chapter 5 of "Homage", part 92 of The Descendants by Landon Porter. 

Odds and ends: 

• Play Californium, a game based on the works of Philip K. Dick.
• Watch a skit of Melisandre from Game of Thrones upsetting a baby shower.
• Watch a skit of Jon Snow from Game of Thrones upsetting a New York dinner party.
• Watch a trailer for Daredevil.
• Watch a trailer for Pete's Dragon.
• Watch a clip from Allegiant.