It's the first weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web of 2018, this week again with the best books of 2017 and a look ahead at books coming out in 2018, a whole lot about Star Wars: The Last Jedi (spoilers mostly marked, but reader beware), a bit about Star Trek, Black Mirror and particularly the episode "USS Callister", the return of The X-Files, Hard Sun, Blake's 7 at 40 and Frankenstein at 200, an uproar involving WorldCon 76 as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, con reports, crowdfunding campaigns, science articles, free online fiction and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Andrew Liptak shares the best science fiction, fantasy and horror novels of 2017.
- The Book Smugglers share their favourite books of 2017.
- Abigail Nussbaum shares her favourite books of 2017.
- Jodie from Lady Business shares her favourite books of 2017.
- The bloggers of the Barnes & Noble Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog share their favourite SFF books of 2017.
- Juliet Kemp shares the books that got her through 2017.
- Camestros Felapton shares their favourite SFF book covers of 2017.
- Meanwhile, For Winter Nights looks ahead at science fiction books coming out in the first few months of 2018.
- Heidi Heilig also looks ahead at the science fiction and fantasy novels coming out in 2018.
- Tor.com takes a look ahead and science fiction and fantasy novels (and some other books) coming out in 2018.
- Tor.com also shares the SFF movies and TV shows to look forward to in 2018.
- Kendra James shares ten science fiction novels Star Wars fans will enjoy.
- Tor.com takes a look at ice and snow planets in science fiction and fantasy.
- Tor.com shares ten SFF medical thrillers.
- Abbey White traces the role of spice in science fiction.
- Ada Palmer talks about exploring social science and history in her science fiction.
- Marie Lu shares five books about fighting for broken worlds.
- Graveyard Sisters talk about black feminism in Octavia Butler's Kindred.
- Lolly Bowean reports about a Chicago initiative to make short science fiction, fantasy and horror movies focussed on black characters.
- Michael Moreci shares his appreciation for Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson.
- Judith Tarr talks about the mythical dimensions of Odin's horse Sleipnir from Norse mythology.
- Paul Levinson talks about snow days and libraries.
- Olga Polomoshnova recounts the real life romance of J.R.R. and Edith Tolkien and how it informed his fiction.
- Alan Brown revisits Larry Niven's 1970 classic Ringworld.
- Cat Rambo revisits the Doc Savage adventure The Czar of Fear.
- Keith DeCandido revisits the 1999 superhero film Mystery Men and the 2003 comic adaptation League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
- Bob Mayer shares his thoughts about Blade Runner 2049.
- Katherine Cross talks about the excesses of toxic fandom from Szechuan sauce riots to swatting deaths.
- Graeme McMillan chronicles the many scandals and disasters that plagued Marvel Comics in 2017.
- Kaitlyn Tiffany talks about Marvel's new Create Your Own platform and the extreme restrictions applied to those using it.
- Scottish comic artist Jim Baikie has died aged 77.
Comments on Star Wars: The Last Jedi:
- Heather Rose Jones shares her spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Michael J. Martinez shares his spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- John Cross talks about The Last Jedi and the problem with legacy.
- Kate Willaert compares fan reactions to The Last Jedi to fan reactions to The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and finds them remarkably similar.
- James Moore has some choice words for all the people who complain that political correctness has ruined Star Wars and The Last Jedi.
- Sonny Bunch has some tips for fixing the terrible discussions about The Last Jedi.
- Toby Moses discusses the political dimensions of The Last Jedi.
- Melissa Hillman declares why The Last Jedi is incredibly subversive.
- Carli Velocci declares that The Last Jedi proves once and for all that the Jedi Order was never the force for good it was portrayed as.
- Zac Bertschy shares his appreciation for the way Luke Skywalker is portrayed in The Last Jedi.
- Emily Asher-Perrin points out that Luke Skywalker isn't supposed to be nice.
- Cora Buhlert talks about Michael Burnham, Poe Dameron and the decline of the maverick hero.
- Thuy Ong declares that The Last Jedi stresses the importance of responsibility.
- Marcelo Gleiser declares that The Last Jedi stresses the importance of failure.
- Murphy Moroney shares his appreciation for the caretakers of Ahch-To in The Last Jedi.
- Rachel Becker discusses the scientific background of the milk scene in The Last Jedi.
- Angela Watercutter interviews Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi.
- Pamela McClintock reports that The Force Awakens, Rogue One and The Last Jedi have collectively grossed more than four billion US-dollars, exceeding the price Disney paid for Lucasfilm.
- Watch a LEGO reenactment of the throne room scene from The Last Jedi (spoilers obviously).
Comments on Star Trek:
- Camestros Felapton revisits the original series episode "Mirror, Mirror".
- Standback points out that in Star Trek Discovery, victory is often bought by pain and suffering.
- Daniel Holloway and Joe Otterson revisit the cast and crew of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for the show's twenty-fifth anniversary.
- Alex Ritman reports that Sir Patrick Stewart might reprise the role of Captain Jean Luc Picard, if the proposed Quentin Tarantino directed Star Trek film becomes reality.
- Andrew Liszewski shares some Star Trek: The Next Generation custom LEGO figures.
- Wil Wheaton, who played Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, is not pleased with the way his character is portrayed in the custom LEGO set.
Comments on the Black Mirror episode "USS Callister":
- Beth Elderkin shares her spoilerish thoughts on the "USS Callister" episode of Black Mirror.
- Beth Elderkin also discusses the Star Trek references in "USS Callister".
- Jordan Hoffman wonders whether "USS Callister" reinforces negative stereotypes about Star Trek fans.
- Zack Handlen declares that "USS Callister" is not really about Star Trek, but instead tackles a particular kind of toxic nerd masculinity.
- Natalie Zutter says that "USS Callister" uses Star Trek tropes to criticise male nerd fantasies.
- Jackie Strause interviews Toby Haynes, director of "USS Callister".
- Jackie Krause also interviews Cristin Milioti, one of the stars of "USS Callister".
- Rebecca Nicholson calls the entire season 4 of Black Mirror darker than ever.
- Lanre Bakare shares his spoilerish thoughts on season 4 of Black Mirror.
Comments on the season premiere of The X-Files:
- Jill Pantozzi shares her thoughts on the season premiere of The X-Files.
- Zack Handlen declares that the season premiere of The X-Files was not as bad as it might have been.
- James Whitbrook reports that showrunner Chris Carter doesn't believe there is a future for The X-Files without Gillian Anderson.
- James Hibberd interviews Chris Carter, showrunner of The X-Files.
Comments on Hard Sun:
- Tripwire interviews Neil Cross, creator of Luther and the BBC's new science fiction thriller Hard Sun.
- Tripwire also interviews Nikki Amuka-Bird, one of the stars of Hard Sun.
- Tripwire also interviews Agyness Deyn, one of the stars of Hard Sun.
- Tripwire also interviews Jim Sturgess, one of the stars of Hard Sun.
- Tripwire also interviews Hard Sun's scientific adviser Brian Cox.
- Stuart Jeffreys interviews Agyness Deyn and Jim Sturgess, the stars of Hard Sun.
Frankenstein at 200:
- On the event of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Lucy Todd traces the history of the work in print and on screen.
- Patricia MacCormack calls Frankenstein the perfect metaphor for the anthropocene era.
- Don Marsh and Corinna Treitel discuss Frankenstein and its impact.
Blake's 7 at 40:
- Martin Belam remembers the BBC science fiction series Blake's 7 on the event of its 40th anniversary.
- Patrick Mulkern also remembers Blake's 7 and celebrates its anniversary by sharing rare behind the scenes photos from the Radio Times archive.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2017 Parsec Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2017 Cybils Awards have been announced.
- Voting is open for the 2017 Stabby Awards.
- Nominations for the 2018 Munsey Awards are open.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Callum Sharp shares ten tips for better writing in 2018.
- Lauren Langford explains how she fell in love with writing.
- Enrique Fiallo explains how to find your voice and become a better writer.
- Barry Davret shares the three goals that keep him writing every day.
- Chuck Wendig asks writers to write with intentionality.
- Christopher E. Grillo asks writers to have fun with words and how to write better ones.
- Shadi Tirza shares some writing lessons from Luke Skywalker.
- Stephanie Villegas talks about mental health in fiction and why it matters.
- M.L. Humphrey shares some writing and marketing advice.
Interviews:
Reviews:
- Paul di Filippo reviews The Will to Battle by Ada Palmer.
- Liz Bourke reviews Emergence by C.J. Cherryh.
- Liz Bourke reviews Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher and The Private Life of Jane Maxwell by Jenn Gott.
- Liz Bourke reviews The Infernal Battalion by Django Wexler.
- Carolyn Cushman reviews To Guard Against the Dark by Julie E. Czerneda.
- Ross Johnson reviews Black Star Renegades by Michael Moreci.
- Nicole Hill reviews Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire.
- Sam Reader reviews The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley.
- Rachel Swirsky reviews The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- John Langan reviews Pretty Marys All in a Row by Gwendolyn Kiste.
- Brit Mandelo reviews The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.
- Jamie Bernthal reviews The Seven Deaths of Emily Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.
- Farid Ul-Haq reviews Kill Creek by Scott Thomas.
Con reports:
- The Geekiary offers a round-up of conventions they attended in 2017.
- Mike Chomko offers the preliminary program and schedule for PulpFest 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Mike Glyer reports that writer Jon Del Arroz has been preemptively banned from attending WorldCon 76 in San Jose, California, because he threatened to disrupt the convention.
- Camestros Felapton also discusses the banning of Jon Del Arroz from WorldCon 76.
- WorldCon 76 also issued an official statement regarding Jon Del Arroz.
- Benjamin Leatherman reports that Phoenix Comicon in Phoenix, Arizona, will henceforth be known as Phoenix Comic Fest.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore reports that an opera by Toshi Reagon based on Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower is about to debut in New York City.
- Jeremy D. Goodwin also reports about Toshi Reagon's opera version of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower.
Crowdfunding:
Science and technology:
- Vijini Mallawaarachchi talks about bioinformatics and why it has become a buzzword in today's science world.
- Pallab Ghosh reports how new scanning techniques have revealed hidden writing on mummy cases.
- The BBC reports that psychedelic toasters fool image recognition technology.
- Fergus Walsh reports that Italian scientists have developed the first bionic hand with a sense of touch.
Free online fiction:
- "The Streets of Babel" by Adam-Troy Castro in Lightspeed.
- "Auburn" by Joanna Ruocco in Lightspeed.
- "Contingency Plans for the Apocalypse" by S.B. Divya in Lightspeed.
- "Fifteen Minutes by Alex Shvartsman in Nature.
- "Museum Piece" by J.D. Popham in Compelling Science Fiction.
- "Her Brother and His Sister" by Bill Kte'pi in The Dark.
- "In Her Bones" by Lindiwe Rooney in The Dark.
- "She Still Loves the Dragon" by Elizabeth Bear in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Crazy Canyon" by Lindsay Buroker.
- "Inexplicably Disquieting" by Scott Marmorstein.
Odds and ends:
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