Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 8, 2018

It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Handmaid's Tale, Cloak and Dagger, the new Fahrenheit 451, Hereditary, Upgrade, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, BookExpo America, Ursula K. Le Guin's last short story 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:

• Carol Cooper looks at the future of science fiction and at current debates within the genre in her report about the Nebula Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• Catherynne M. Valente shares ten essential offbeat science fiction novels. 
• Ross Johnson shares nine diverse space operas for pride month.
• Fonda Lee makes the case for YA science fiction.
• Peng Shepherd shares five books about magical apocalypses.
• Cat Rambo talks about ordinary futures in science fiction and how small developments can have great repercussions.
• Kelly McCullough offers a defence of escapism. 
• Meghan Ball ranks the Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. 
• Paige Vest and Ross Newberry discuss mental illness as portrayed in the Stormlight Archives series by Brandon Sanderson.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits Pocket Books' Timescape imprint, edited by David Hartwell. 
• Joe Kenney revisits Leigh Brackett's 1944 science fiction novel Shadow Over Mars a.k.a. The Nemesis From Terra. 
• Alan Brown revisits Zenna Henderson's 1966 science fiction collection The People: No Different Flesh.
• T.W. O'Brien revisits Richard K. Morgan's 2002 science fiction novel Altered Carbon. 
• Ana Grilo revisits the 2003 YA fantasy The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud.
• Rebecca Markel reports about the Arthur C. Clarke collection at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
• Tessa Necessary reports that the pioneering superhero The Phantom has defeated homophobic hooligans with a pride flag in a recent comic. 
• Juliet E. McKenna asks what SFF fandom can do regarding the systemic bias of Wikipedia against women, writers of colour and LGBTQ writers. 
• Clare McBride reports about problematic tendencies in fanfiction communities and the rise of the ship war.
• Bilge Ebiri looks at the savage passions of the horror movies produced by Hammer Films. 
• Charles Bramesco calls the movie Upgrade a gory science fiction thriller.
• Anthony Ha interviews Leigh Whannell, director of Upgrade.
• Germain Lussier declares that the science fiction movie Hotel Artemis almost managed to live up to its excellent characters and setting.
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the season 3 premiere of Humans.
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Crossing. 
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on Deadpool 2. 
• Sarah Gailey revisits the 1998 disaster movie Armageddon. 
• Brian Ashcraft reports that the upcoming anime show New Life+: Young Again in Another World has been cancelled following bigotted tweets by its creator.
• Actor Wil Wheaton, best known for playing Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, talks about living with chronic depression and generalised anxiety.  
• The Guardian reports that actor Benedict Cumberbatch, best known for playing Sherlock and Doctor Strange, has saved a delivery driver from a mugging.  
• Longtime science fiction fan and convention organiser June Moffat has died aged 92.  
• Video game pioneer Ted Debney has died aged 81. 
• Prolific SFF actor William Phipps has died aged 96. 
• Actor Jerry Maren, last surviving Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz, has died aged 98.
• Georg von Tiesenhausen, developer of the lunar rover, has died aged 104 

Comments on Cloak and Dagger:

• Charlie Ridgely declares that Cloak and Dagger defies expectations and raises the bar for Marvel's TV shows.
• Alex Levy feels that Cloak and Dagger takes too long to get going.
• Meagan Damore explain how Cloak and Dagger got their powers.
• Meagan Damore also explains how Cloak and Dagger is connected to Marvel's Agent Carter show. 
• Meagan Damore also explains how Roxxon Oil became the biggest threat in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Thanos. 
• Kieran Shiach reports that Marvel has released a new Cloak and Dagger comic to tie in with the TV show.
  

Comments on Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars in general: 

• Emily Asher-Perrin declares that Solo: A Star Wars Story makes sense of Han Solo's entire character arc. 
• Julie Muncy explains how the train heist scene in Solo: A Star Wars Story was created. 
• Germain Lussier takes a look at the collection of artifacts owned by the character Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story and finds several Easter eggs. 
• Anthony D'Alessandro reports that Solo: A Star Wars Story has taken a nosedive at the box office in its second week. 
• Mike Fugere explains why Solo's box office woes are actually good for Star Wars.
• Tor.com shares five ideas for a Lando Calrissian movie that can't possibly go wrong. 
• Sarah Myles calls the character of Leia Organa Star Wars' greatest legacy and its most heartbreaking tragedy.
• Bobby Finger reports that actress Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, has wiped her Instagram account following intense harrassment by people who dislike The Last Jedi.
• Charles Pulliam-Moore declares that celebrities and people in positions of power should help to shut down toxic fan behaviour like the harrassment of Kelly Marie Tran.
• Renaldo Matadeen reports that Mark Hamill has defended Kelly Marie Tran against harrassment.
• Justin Carter reports that Star Wars fans have rallied to the support of Kelly Marie Tran.
  

Comments on season 2 of The Handmaid's Tale:

• Alison Shoemaker shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Handmaid's Tale.
• Danette Chavez, Gwen Ihnat and Laura Adamczyk discuss the latest episode of The Handmaid's Tale.  
• Jill Pantozzi shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Handmaid's Tale.  
• Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Handmaid's Tale. 
• Rebecca Reid explains why she has stopped watching The Handmaid's Tale.
  

Comments on the new adaptation of Fahrenheit 451: 

• Mark Yon shares his thoughts on the latest TV adaptation to Ray Bradbury's classic dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451.
• Katie Naum points out that the latest adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 fails to address the inherent racism of the novel in spite of a black lead actor.

Comments on Hereditary:

• Clarisse Loughrey calls Hereditary the most terrifying horror film in years. 
• A.A. Dowd calls Hereditary the most traumatically terrifying horror movie in ages.
• Alissa Wilkinson calls Hereditary the terrifying arthouse horror film of the year.
• Peter Bradshaw calls Hereditary a brilliant fear machine and particularly praises Toni Collette's performance.  
• Danielle Burgos calls Hereditary unlike anything seen before. 
• Meg Downey calls Hereditary a horror classic in the making. 
• Joshua Rothkopf calls Hereditary The Exorcist for a new generation.
  

Comments on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom:

• Germain Lussier declares that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom lacks the majesty the franchise is known for. 
• Meg Downey declares that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom tries and fails to update the franchise. 
• Molly Freeman calls Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom a fun ride and a thrilling new chapter in the franchise.  
• Owen Gleiberman calls Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom a passable ride.
• Dan Callahan feels that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has been drained of suspense.
• Mark Halton asks if the Jurassic Park franchise makes scientific sense.
  

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2018 John W. Campbell Memorial Award have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2018 Manly Wade Wellman Award has been announced.
• The winner of the 2018 Best Translated Book Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2018 Lambda Literary Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Bisexual Book Awards have been announced. 
• The 2018 Saturn Awards Organisation Special Honorees have been announced.
• Camestros Felapton wonders whether the Hugos or the Dragon Awards are more open to small press and indie published works.
• Read Rebecca Roanhorse's Nebula Awards acceptance speech. 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Bryan Hutchinson asks if you are ready to be a remarkable writer. 
• Lauren Sapala shares some advice for writers to overcome fear of failure.
• Ayodeji Awosika shares some tips for writing consistently and showing up every single day, even if you don't feel like it. 
• Kameron Hurley talks about patience, goal setting, deadlines and recharging.
• Miriam Quick reports that researchers have once again managed to condense all stories ever told down to six basic plots.
• Robyn Bennis shares a debut author's guide to social anxiety.
• Warren Hammond explains why he took the indie route with his latest project.
  

Interviews:

• Caroline M. Yoachim interviews A. Merc Rustad.
• The Qwillery interviews Callie Bates. 
• The Qwillery interviews Cameron Johnston. 
• The Qwillery interviews Peng Shepherd. 
• Dave Richards interviews Nnedi Okorafor. 
• Ross Johnson interviews J.H. Williams and Wendy Wright Williams.
• Shira Glassman interviews Kaia Sonderby.

Reviews:

• Ana Grilo reviews Artificial Condition by Martha Wells. 
• Tadiana Jones reviews Artificial Condition by Martha Wells.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente. 
• The Fantasy Café reviews Before Mars by Emma Newman.
• Melanie Sanderson reviews Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews.
• Paul Weimer reviews Fire Dance by Ilana C. Myer. 
• Houman Barekat reviews I Still Dream by James Smythe.
• Ardi Alspach reviews Vicious by V.E. Schwab.
• Ceridwen Christensen reviews The Testament of Loki by Joanne M. Harris.
• The Real Book Spy reviews The Book of M by Peng Shepherd.  
• Caroline Cushman reviews Brief Cases by Jim Butcher.
• Marion Deeds reviews Tricks For Free by Seanan McGuire.
• Jana Nyman reviews Buried Heart by Kate Elliott. 
• Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer reviews The Hills Have Spies by Mercedes Lackey.
• The Fantasy Café reviews Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Henchman of Zenda by K.J. Charles and A Point of Honour by Dorothy J. Heydt.
• Liz Bourke reviews Though Hell Should Bar the Way by David Drake. 
• Liz Bourke reviews World War V: A People's History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal.
• Russell Letson reviews The Soldier by Neal Asher. 
• Adam Morgan reviews MEM by Bethany C. Morrow.
• Tadiana Jones reviews LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff.
• Jana Nyman reviews 84K by Claire North. 
• Shellie Horst reviews The Synapse Sequence by Daniel Godfrey. 
• JJ from File 770 reviews The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts. 
• Mark Yon reviews My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.

Crowdfunding:

• Copper Canyon Press is looking for funding to publish Ursula K. Le Guin's final poetry collection. 
• The Boston Teen Author Festival 2018 in Boston, Massaschusetts, is looking for funding. 
• Horror writer and podcaster Brian Keene suffered first and second degree burns in an accident and needs help to cover his medical expenses.
• The two cats of the late editor Gardner Dozois are looking for a new home after their human died.
• Bookstore cat Bartleby in San Diego is also looking for a new home after her old home closed.
  

Con reports:

• Justira of Lady Business offers summaries of several panels at WisCon in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Jason Gilbert explains why he will no longer be attending ConCarolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
• Natalie Zutter reports about a panel on LGBTQ+ authors on gender and identity in SFF at BookExpo America in New York City.
• Thea James reports about BookExpo America and BookCon in New York City and shares a list of the most highly anticipated SFF books. 
• Bobbi Duras reports about BookExpo America.
• The BBC reports about an exhibition of original artwork by J.R.R. Tolkien at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, UK.
• Carl Kozlowski reports about the exhibition "Dreaming the Universe: The Intersection of Science, Fiction & Southern California" in Passadena, California.
• Mark L. Blackman reports about a tribute event for Thomas M. Disch, hosted Henry Wessells, in Brooklyn, New York. 
• John King Tarpinian reports about a science fiction themed city birthday parade in Passadena, California, and shares some photos.
• John Hertz announces a discussion about "classics of science fiction" at Westercon 71 in Denver, Colorado.

Science and technology:

• Zaria Gorvett explains how humans bond with robots. 
• Jane Wakefield reports about a psychopathic AI nicknamed Norman.
• David Shukman reports that NASA's New Horizons space probe has found methane ice dunes on Pluto.
• Ethan Siegel worries that humanity might be losing our first chance to explore Sedna and launch a mission to an Oort Cloud object.
• Ryan F. Mandelbaum explains what dark matter is and why none has been found so far.
  

Free online fiction:

• "Firelight" by Ursula K. Le Guin in The Paris Review (preview only).
• "The Velvet Castle of the Night" by Claire Eliza Bartlett in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Meat and Salt and Sparks" by Rich Larson at Tor.com.
• "If We Die Unjustified" by A. Merc Rustad in Uncanny Magazine.
• "I Sing Against the Silent Sun" by A. Merc Rustad and Ada Hoffman in Lightspeed.
• "What Gentle Women Dare" by Kelly Robson in Uncanny Magazine. 
• "Safe Surrender" by Meg Elison in Slate. 
• "Cold Draft" by John Derderian in Compelling Science Fiction.
• "Mother Jones and the Nasty Eclipse" by Cherie Priest in Apex Magazine. 
• "The Carpenter and the Beast of Teeth" by Micah Dean Hicks in Lightspeed.
• "Don't Play the Blues" by Bruce Golden in Compelling Science Fiction.

Odds and ends:

• Watch a trailer for Mortal Engines. 
• Watch a trailer for Bumblebee. 
• Watch a trailer for Fifth Passenger.
• Watch a trailer for A-X-L.
• Watch a trailer for How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. 
• Watch a trailer for Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet.
• Watch a trailer for The Lego Movie 2.
• Read a transcript of the "Cockygate" trademark court case, courtesy of Courtney Milan.