It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the various iterations of Star Trek, season 5 of Outlander, season 3 of Westworld, The Plot Against America, Denis Villeneuve's upcoming take on Dune, the latest convention cancellations due to the corona virus and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Mark Yon lists several big SFF books and series to read while self-isolating.
- Liz Bourke shares even more SFF books to read in difficult times.
- Jo Walton recommends books that grab you.
- Jon Skovron explains why some people like to read epic fantasy in difficult times.
- Gideon Marcus takes a look at some up and coming woman SFF authors of the 1960s.
- Elisa Shoenberger shares seven thrilling SFF murder mysteries.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five stories about vast beings from the depths of space.
- Corey J. White shares five cyberpunk books about the here and now.
- Camilla Bruce shares eight novels to make you question reality.
- Cora Buhlert takes us on a tour of the pulp science fiction shared solar system.
- Camestros Felapton and Timothy T. Cat visit the many fictional versions of Mars.
- Adri Joy visits the Hundred Isles from The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker.
- Shaun Duke takes a trip to the forest moon of Endor.
- Steve J. Wright visits the great academic and educational institutions of SFF.
- Andrea Stewart takes a look at romance in SFF.
- S.L. Huang, V.E. Schwab, Yoon Ha Lee, Suzanne Walker and Setsu Utsumé talk about swords and edged weapons in fantasy and real life.
- Tor.com takes a look at the ten best birds in fantasy.
- Alan Brown talks about the many incarnations of Flash Gordon.
- Aidan Moher explains how Japanese RPGs inspired a generation of western fantasy writers.
- Lara Terrasi profiles Cora Buhlert.
- Andrew Liptak profiles Hugo finalists Katherine Arden and Alix E. Harrow.
- Wendy Hanamura reports that some suspicious borrowing activity at the Internet Archive's controversial "National Emergency Library" turned out to be someone compiling an annotated bibliography of all of Isaac Asimov's works.
- Caitlin Rosberg and Oliver Sava discuss that the US comics industry is in danger and how to save it.
- George Gene Gustines reports that comic creators have started an initiative to benefit comic stores.
- Rosie Knight reports that DC Comics will distribute new comics directly to comic stores, circumventing the shutdown distributor Diamond.
- Leigh Edmonds remembers Mervyn Binns.
- Science fiction scholar Paul K. Alkon has died aged 84.
Film and TV:
- Marion Deeds declares that the TV adaptation of The City and The City is dumbed down from China Miéville's eponymous novel.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Sea Fever an atmospheric monster movie that deserves to be a hit.
- Mike D'Angelo calls Ghost Town Anthology a haunting movie that creeps up on you.
- Toussaint Egan calls Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045 a tepid animated techno spy thriller
- Cath Clarke calls Astronaut an amiable space adventure.
- Benjamin Lee calls The Willoughbys an imaginative animated adventure.
- Christopher East shares his thoughts on the SFF TV series Lodge 49.
- Katie Rife shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What We Do in the Shadows.
- Liz Shannon Miller shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Dispatches from Elsewhere.
- Tyler Dean calls the 2015 TV series Penny Dreadful a misundertood gothic masterpiece.
- Alasdair Stuart explains what freelancers can learn from The Witcher and The Mandalorian.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw recommends nine claustrophobic horror movies to watch while self-isolating.
- Rae Nieves takes a look at lucid dreaming as portrayed in film.
- Rachelle Hampton interviews Hilary Davidson about the Bill and Ted test for historical movies and TV shows.
- Ben Child wonders whether the world really needs a Hunger Games prequel movie.
- Will Thorne reports that season 3 of The Mandalorian is already in the works.
- Jessica Holmes revisits the 1965 Doctor Who serial "The Crusade".
- Erica Frank revisits the 1965 science fiction thriller The Satan Bug.
- Catherine Bray revisits the 1995 James Bond movie Golden Eye, her favourite film age 12.
- Geoff Manaugh chronicles how local tax laws and incentives determine where movies set in the US are shot.
- Mark Sweeney reports that Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Walt Disney, criticises the Disney corporation for paying high bonuses and dividends, while firing workers.
- Allen Daviau, the cinematographer of E.T. - The Extraterrestrial among others, has died of the corona virus age 77.
- Animator Gene Deitch has died aged 95.
Comments on the various iterations of Star Trek:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on season 3 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Tor.com reports that LeVar Burton may appear as Geordi LaForge in season 2 of Star Trek Picard.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisitis the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Cold Fire" and "Maneuvers"
Comments on season 5 of Outlander:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Outlander.
- Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Outlander.
Comments on season 3 of Westworld:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "Decoherence", the latest episode of Westworld.
- Paul MacInnes shares his thoughts on "Decoherence".
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "Decoherence".
- Dean E.S. Richard shares his thoughts on "Decoherence".
- Andrew Liptak reports that Westworld has already been renewed for a fourth season.
Comments on Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of Dune:
- Zack Sharf reports that Brian Herbert, son of Dune author Frank Herbert, says his father would be very pleased with Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of Dune.
- Zack Sharf also reports that David Lynch, who adapted Dune in 1984, has no interest in watching Denis Villeneuve's version due to being unhappy with his own.
Comments on The Plot Against America:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of The Plot Against America.
- Noel Murray shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of The Plot Against America.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2019 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.
- The longlist for the 2020 Nommo Awards has been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Tolkien Society Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2019 Lesfic Bard Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2020 Best Translated Book Award have been announced.
- Chris Arrant reports that the 2020 Eisner Awards will still be awarded, even if San Diego Comic Con has been cancelled due to the corona virus.
- Secret Panda explains where to find the 1945 Retro Hugo finalists .
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Sian Cain shares the ten most enjoyable and inspiring books about how to write.
- Janice Hardy says that it is okay not to be productive right now.
- David Moloney explains why true stories don't always make for good fiction.
- Max Florschutz discusses the "gamification" of SFF and how writers can avoid it.
- /r/Fantasy holds a panel on small presses.
- Mike Glyer reports that indie author John Van Stry has won his lawsuit against the pirate site e-book bike.
- Lesa Holstine shares five promotion tips for authors during the corona pandemic.
- The Maurice Sendak Emergency Relief Fund offers grants for writers and artists of children's picture books affected by the corona virus.
- Sari Feldman wonders what will happen to public libaries after the corona virus pandemic.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch weighs in on the current crisis of the publishing industry.
Interviews:
- Stacy Hollister interviews Michael Moorcock.
- Andrea Johnson interviews S.L. Huang.
- N.K. Jemisin interviews K.M. Szpara.
- Anjuli Smith interviews Tim Pratt.
- Paul Weimer interviews Tim Lebbon.
- Petra Mayer interviews Tom Gauld.
- The Qwillery interviews Corry L. Lee.
- Andrew Liptak interviews Jonathan Burton.
Reviews:
- Kirkus reviews Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott.
- Kat Hooper reviews Stars Beyond by S.K. Dunstall.
- Tadiana Jones reviews The Last Emperox by John Scalzi.
- Publishers Weekly reviews The Last Emperox by John Scalzi.
- Publishers Weekly reviews The Aleph Extraction by Dan Moren.
- Tobias Carroll reviews Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Catfish Lullaby by A.C. Wise.
- Steve J. Wright reviews Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
- Publishers Weekly reviews Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
- Ysabeau S. Wilce reviews The Broken Heavens by Kameron Hurley.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Time of Daughters by Sherwood Smith.
- Rebecca Fisher reviews Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino.
- Russell Letson reviews What the Wind Brings by Matthew Hughes.
- Kat Hooper reviews A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne.
- Bill Capossere reviews Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- Rob Bedford reviews Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- Camestros Felapton reviews Middlegame by Seanan McGuire.
- Marion Deeds reviews Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Fair's Point by Melissa Scott.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews War of the Maps by Paul McAuley.
- Paul Weimer reviews A Broken Queen and The Cerulean Queen by Sarah Kozloff.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Cerulean Queen by Sarah Kozloff.
- Alex Brown reviews Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky.
- Fantasy Faction reviews Spark City by Robert J. Power.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire.
- Fantasy Faction reviews Kalanon's Rising by Darian Smith.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews NVK by Temple Drake.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee.
- Adri Joy reviews The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher.
- Alex Brown reviews You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Devil's Creek by Todd Keisling.
- Gary K. Wolfe and Adrienne Martini review Prosper's Demon by K.J. Parker.
- Nerds of a feather review Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
- Sandra Mangan reviews I Am Dust by Louise Beech.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews I Am Dust by Louise Beech.
- The Middle Shelf reviews All City by Alex DiFrancesco.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Do the Trains Run on Time? by Paul Starkey.
- Logan Noble reviews Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles, editec by Ellen Datlow.
- Ian Mond reviews McSweeney’s 58: 2040 A.D., edited by Claire Boyle.
Classics reviews:
- Jack Carr revisits the 1924 horror thriller "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 planetary romance novella "The Jewel of Bas" by Leigh Brackett.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 science fiction horror novella "Killdozer!" by Theodore Sturgeon.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 science fiction novelette "When the Bough Breaks" by Lewis Padgett a.k.a. Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 Foundation novelette "The Big and the Little" by Isaac Asimov
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 science fiction novelette "City" by Clifford D. Simak.
- Adventures Fantastic revisits the 1944 science fiction novelette "The Children's Hour" by Lawrence O'Donnell a.k.a. Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore.
- Adventures Fantastic revisits the 1944 science fiction novelette "Arena" by Fredric Brown.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 science fiction short story "And the Gods Laughed" by Fredric Brown.
- James Wallace Harris revisits the 1949 science fiction novel What Mad Universe by Fredric Brown.
- Paul Fraser revisits the September 1955 issue of the UK version of Argosy
- Sam Jordison revisits the 1961 children's fantasy The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1965 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1971 anthology New Writings in SF 7, edited by John Carnell.
- Ben Passmore revisits the 1972 science fiction novella The Word for World is Forrest by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1973 science fiction novel Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.
- Joe Kenney revisits The Devil to Pay, a 1977 novel in The Man from Planet X science fiction adventure series by Hunter Adams a.k.a. James D. Lawrence.
- Nisi Shawl revisits the 1979 time travel novel Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.
- C.D. Covington revisits the 1984 science fiction novel Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin.
- Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1989 Discworld novel Pyramids by Terry Pratchett.
- Deborah Williams revisits the 1993 dystopian novel Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
Crowdfunding:
- Volumes Bookcafé in Chicago, Illinois, needs some help to deal with the corona crisis.
- Megan Rose Dickey reports that Patreon has laid off thirteen percent of its workforce.
Con and event reports:
- Mike Glyer reports that the 2020 San Diego Comic Con in San Diego, California, has been cancelled because of the corona virus.
- Readercon in Boston, Massachussetts, has also been cancelled due to the corona virus.
- Mike Glyer reports that the 2020 Clarion writing workshop has been cancelled due to the corona virus.
- Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia, is still going forward for now.
- The winner of the 2020 Going Under Fan Fund has been announced.
- Take a virtual tour of the Ray Bradbury Center at the Indiana University - Purdue University Indiana in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Science and technology:
- Ashley Strickland reports that astronomers have observed a star orbiting the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy.
- Jonathan Amos reports about ESA's Cheops space telescope.
- James Davis Nicoll talks about Leinster objects and the search for intelligent life in the universe.
- Jeff Hecht talks about the origin of interstellar objects.
- Paul Rincon reports about the interstellar comet 2l/Borisov and its unusual composition.
- Anna Nemtsova reports that a group of so-called "Stalkers" inspired by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky's post-apocalyptic novel Roadside Picnic may be responsible for the wildfires raging in the Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine.
- Lauren Summer reports that deep sea humboldt squid communicate via backlight patterns on their bodies.
Free online fiction:
- "Cloth Mother" by Sarah Pauling in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "Who Goes Against a Waste of Waters" by Eleanna Castroianni in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Lonely Children Lost at Sea" by Wendy Nikel in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "An Explorer's Cartography of Already Settled Lands" by Fran Wilde at Tor.com.
- "A System for Investigating Recapitulation and Evolutionary Novelty" by Kyle E. Miller in Clarkesworld.
- "An Attempt at Exhausting My Deck" by Kij Johnson.
- "A Moonlit Savagery" by Millie Ho in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Voice of Their Generation" by Andrew Dana Hudson in Lightspeed.
- "Neversleeps" by Fred Van Lente in Lightspeed.
- "Some Sketches of Country Life" by Peter Gutierrez in The Dark.
- "The Scottish Play" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for Legends of Tomorrow.
- Watch a trailer for Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian.
- Watch ten current and former Doctors offer an inspiring message to NHS workers.
- Listen to Meredith Quill's complete awesome mix, including those songs that didn't make it into the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
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