Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for December 11, 2020

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best science fiction and fantasy of the year, season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general, season 2 of The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general, season 2 of His Dark Materials, Raised by Wolves, The Midnight Sky, Songbird and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• James Davis Nicoll discusses the four basic types of lost worlds in science fiction.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five murder mysteries set in space. 
• A.K. Larkwood shares five books that blend science fiction and horror.
  
• Lavie Tidhar explains why he champions international speculative fiction. 
• Shweta Taneja reports about the state of science fiction in India.
  
• Colin Broadmoor discussesthe squandered promises of Cyberpunk. 
• Phoebe Wagner talks about speculative fiction as canonical literature. 
  
• Tor.com shares seven flying fantastic creatures that are not dragons. 
• Monique Roffey lists the top ten books about mermaids. 
• Les Egerton declares that the world needs more dark stories with hopeful endings and shares his favourite examples.  
  
• C.D. Covington discusses the linguistic aspects of the Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh.
• Michael Curtis shares his appreciation for the works of Leigh Brackett.
  
• Deuce Richardson remembers Karl Edward Wagner. 
• The Kind of Face You Hate also remembers Karl Edward Wagner. 
• Don Herron remembers Charles Saunders. 
• Maria Sachiko Cecire discusses the influence of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien on children's fantasy and fantasy in general not just via their fiction, but also via the English language undergaduate curriculum they devised at Oxford University.  
• Alison Flood shares some concerns about the group planning to purchase J.R.R. Tolkien's former home in Oxford, UK, and turn it into a Tolkien centre.
  
• Harriet Sherwood reports that the family of children's fantasy author Roald Dahl has apologised for his anti-semitism. 
• G.W. Thomas shares his favourite sword and sorcery comics of the 1970s. 
• C.S. Lewis scholar and literary executor Walter Hooper has died aged 89.
  
• Automata artist Keith Newstead has died of cancer aged 64.
  

 

Best of 2020:

• Library Journal shares their favourite science fiction and fantasy books of 2020.
• Library Journal also shares their favourite horror books of 2020.
• NPR shares their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2020.
  
• Audible shares their favourite science fiction and fantasy audiobooks of 2020.
• Alex Brown shares her favourite YA science fiction, fantasy and horror of 2020.
  
• Vanity Fair shares its fifteen best books of 2020 with lots of love for genre fiction.
  
• Liz Bourke shares the best SFF books of 2020 that she did not get around to reading yet.
• Literary Hub shares the best book covers of 2020.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the science fiction movie Archive.
  
• Ellen E. Jones calls the latest version of A Christmas Carol a clever multimedia reworking of the classic Dickens story. 
• Caroline Siede declares that Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! stinks.
• Ellen E. Jones calls Space Dogs: Return to Earth a confusingly weird animated adventure.
  
• Ellen E. Jones calls Stillwater an animated children's series with wholesome morals. 
• Mike McCahill shares his thoughts on the Indian horror movie Durgamati: The Myth.
  
• Julie Muncy shares some early reactions to Wonder Woman 1984. 
• Randall Colburn shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Moonbase 8. 
• Cath Clarke shares her thoughts on the AI documentary iHuman. 
• Monica Valentinelli shares her favourite magical creatures from the original 1998 Charmed. 
  
• Rich Pelley interviews Diane Lane, star of Streets on Fire.  
• Ryan Gilbey interviews Brandon Cronenberg, director of Possessor and Antiviral.
  
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1965 Doctor Who serial "The Daleks' Master Plan".
  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1995 science fiction thriller The Net. 
• Scott Tobias revisits the 2000 martial arts drama Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for its 20th anniversary.
  
• R.S. Benedict explains why horror alone escaped the commodification of geek culture. 
  
• Catherine Bray explains how to make a movie so bad that it's good. 
• Nellie Andreeva reports that NBC is planning a new female-led Zorro TV series produced by Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez.
  
• Andrew Pulver reports that director Christopher Nolan has expressed his anger that Warner Bros will be releasing its forthcoming movies simultaneously in cinemas and on streaming services.
  
• Mark Sweeney reports that cinemas are reopening in the UK, but that they are still under threat by streaming services. 

 

Comments on season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general:

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "The Sanctuary", the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery.
• Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "The Sanctuary".
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "The Sanctuary".
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "The Sanctuary".
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "The Sanctuary".
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "The Killing Game, Part II" and "Vis-a-Vis". 
  
• Phil Yu interviews Rosalind Chao who played Keiko O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• Alvaro Zinos-Amaro revisits the Star Trek Deep Space Nine tie-in novel The Long Mirage by David George III.
• Watch a video calculating the size of the Enterprise D.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general: 

• Paul MacInnes shares his thoughts on "The Tragedy", the latest episode of The Mandalorian.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on "The Tragedy".
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares his thoughts on "The Tragedy".
• Katie Rife shares her thoughts on "The Tragedy".
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "The Tragedy".
• James Malizewski remembers the late David Prowse.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of His Dark Materials: 

• Myles McNutt shares his thoughts on the latest episode of His Dark Materials. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of His Dark Materials.
  

 

Comments on Raised by Wolves: 

• Lucy Mangan calls Raised by Wolves staid and stale science fiction by Ridley Scott.
• Stuart Heritage interviews Ridley Scott, director Raised by Wolves. 

Comments on The Midnight Sky:

• Jesse Hassenger calls The Midnight Sky a strangely moving science fiction drama.  
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Midnight Sky a bland cosmic yarn. 
• Watch a trailer for The Midnight Sky.  

 

Comments on Songbird: 

• Benjamin Lee calls the pandemic thriller Songbird a technical triumph.
• Ignatiy Vishnevetsky declares that Songbird sucks.
  
• Nicholas Barber discusses the making of the pandemic thriller Songbird. 
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2020 Mythopoeic Awards have been announced.
  
• The 2021 SFPA Grand Master has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2020 A. Bertram Chandler Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2020 VanderMeer Creative Spotlight Awards have been announced.
  
• The finalists of the 2020 Dream Foundry Contest have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2021 Prometheus Award Hall of Fame have been announced.
• The inaugural Mike Resnick Memorial Award for Short Fiction will be given out in 2021.
• The 2020 Bad Sex Award has been cancelled.
• Spectology interviews the 2021 Hugo administrator Will Frank.
• Adri Joy shares a guide to nominating for the Hugo Awards.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Lauren Sapala talks about intuitive writing. 
• Andrea Hull explains how routine and ritual can help with your writing.
• Anna Catalano shares her NaNoWriMo experience.
• Michelle Sagara talks about her writing process.
  
• Andrew Liptak reports that a group of writers has launched the Climate Fiction Writers League.
• Gideon Marcus explains why selling your book in physical bookstores is important.
• Samatha Ladwig explains why she bought a bookshop. 
• Alison Flood reports that the libraries in Walsall, UK, have still not reopened and that the local council is wondering out loud whether libraries are even necessary.
  
• Andrew Albanese reports that Amazon Publishing is in talks to offer e-books to libraries. 
• Mike Glyer reports about the latest status of the policy with Audible.
  
• Keystroke Medium offers a behind the scenes look at DAW Books.
• Daniel Greene interviews Mary Robinette Kowal and Alan Dean Foster about Disney's failure to pay royalties due to Alan Dean Foster.
  

Interviews:

• Paul Weimer interviews Tim Pratt.
• Mihir Wanchoo interviews Anna Stephens.
  
• Glitchy Pancakes interviews Liz Gorinsky.
• Scott Edelman interviews Alison Wilgus.
  

Reviews: 

• Mike Glyer reviews Fleet Elements by Walter Jon Williams. 
• Nick Borelli reviews Nophek Gloss by Essa Hansen.
  
• Kat Hooper reviews How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge by K. Eason. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Shadows of Short Days by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson.
• Bobby Derie reviews The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin. 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller. 
• Lee Mandelo reviews The Blade Between by Sam J. Miller. 
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman.
  
• Bill Capossere, Marion Deeds and Tadiana Jones review Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
  
• Jana Nyman reviews Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack.
• Jana Nyman reviews Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack. 
• Tadiana Jones and Skye Walker review How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen. 
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Awakening by Nora Roberts.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews King of the Rising by Kacen Callender. 
• Katharine Coldiron reviews Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston. 
• Mihir Wanchoo reviews The Stone Knife by Anna Stephens.
  
• Cathrin Hagey reviews Blood State by Raluca Balasa.
• Rob Bedford reviews The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Wall by Gautam Bhatia. 
• Fantasy Book Critic reviews The Preserve by Ariel S. Winter.  
• Colleen Mondor reviews White Fox by Sara Faring. 
• Bill Capossere reviews Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger. 
• Carrie O'Grady reviews Xstabeth by David Keenan.
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Witch Bottle by Tom Fletcher.  
  
• Alasdair Stuart reviews Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims. 
• Paul di Filippo reviews The Book of Lamps and Banners by Elizabeth Hand. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Judgement Call by Simon Bestwick and Along the Long Road by Penny Jones. 
• For Winter Nights reviews The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross.
  
• Kat Hooper and Rachael McKenzie review An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. 
• Mark Yon reviews We, Robots: Artificial Intelligence in 100 Stories, edited by Simon Ings.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Volume 1, edited by Jonathan Strahan. 
• Anne Matthews reviews Love, Kurt: The Vonnegut Love Letters, 1941–1945, edited by Edith Vonnegut.
• Bill Capossere reviews Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present by Chris Gosden
• Bill Ward reviews Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword and Sorcery by Brian Murphy. 

Classics reviews:

• Steve J. Wright revisits the November 1940 issue of Unknown. 
• Steve J. Wright revisits the December 1940 issue of Unknown.
  
• James Malizewski revisits the 1946 Gormenghast fantasy novel Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake.
• Adventures Fantastic revisits the 1948 planetary romance novelette "The Beast Jewel of Mars" by Leigh Brackett.
  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1948 pirate novel Scarface by Andre Norton. 
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1953 science fiction story "The Statue" by Mari Wolf.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1960 science fiction novel Corpus Earthling by Louis Charbonneau.
  
• Alasdair Stuart revisits the 1964 science fiction novel I Want the Stars by Tom Purdom.
• Benjamin Ervin revisits the 1965 science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert.
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1965 planetary romance Warriors of Mars and its two sequels by Edward P. Bradbury a.k.a. Michael Moorcock, the 1965 science fiction anthology The Best of New Worlds, edited by Michael Moorcock, the 1965 Elric sword and sorcery novel Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock and the 1965 science fiction novels The Fireclown and The Sundered Worlds, both by Michael Moorcock. 
• Margarita Mospanova revisits the 1965 science fiction novella Lyubimov or The Makepeace Experiment by Abram Tertz a.k.a. Andrei Sinyavsky, translated by Manya Harari.
• Noah Berlatsky revisits the 1971 science fiction novel The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K- Le Guin.
  
• Terhali's Particular Satisfaction reviews the 1973 Dorian Hawkmoon science fantasy novel Count Brass by Michael Moorcock.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1976 science fiction thriller The Multiple Man by Ben Bova.
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1977 science fiction novel Involution Ocean by Bruce Sterling.
  
• Andrew Nette revisits the 1978 supernatural noir novel Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg and its posthumously published sequel Angel's Inferno. 
• Sean Guynes revisits the 1979 essay collection The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin.
• Emily Tesh revisits the 1981 fantasy novel The Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones.
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1989 Vorkosigan novel Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold.
• Joelle Renstrom revisits the 1992 time travel novel The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.
  

Con and event reports:

• Morgan Hazelwood shares some panel reports from CoNZealand, the virtual 2020 Worldcon. 
• Arley Sorg shares a report about the virtual 2020 World Fantasy Convention.
• Carl Collins shares photos of various science fiction conventions in California.
• Follow the virtual NY Ghost Story Festival live on YouTube. 
• Warnings to the Curious, an online Christmas ghost story festival, will take place from December 16 to 20.
  
• Mike Glyer reports about the latest developments in the harassment allegations against Sam Flegal and Pete Mohrbacher of One Fantastic Workshop.
• The Society for Creative Anachronism announces that all in-person activities in North America have been suspended due to the ongoing corona pandemic.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Mermaids Monthly, a magazine about mermaids, is looking for funding. 
• David Barnett asks why comics are increasingly being financed via Kickstarter.

 

Science and technology:

• Ashley Strickland reports about the Jupiter and Saturn conjunction in December.
• Mike Pomranz reports that astronauts have grown and harvested radishes aboard the International Space Station. 
• Jeff Foust explains why we should use the close flyby of the asteroid Apophis past Earth in 2029 to launch a mission to explore the asteroid.
  
• Kaye Dee reports about the latest satellite launches in 1965. 
• Tim McMillan shares some recently declassified documents of the Pentagon's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. 
• Aaron Reich reports that according to Haim Esheed, former Israeli chief of space security, aliens have made contact with the US and Israel, but will not accept humanity as members of the Galactic Federation.
  
• Cade Metz reports about police drones equipped with artificial intelligence. 
• Reuters reports about the Mayflower Autonomous Ship, an AI controlled autonomous research vessel.
  
• Andrea James reports that a fifteen kilometre long stretch of ice age rock art has been found in Colombia.
  
• Dan Goodin reports that an environmental clean-up crew has found a rusty but intact Enigma cipher machine in the Baltic Sea.
  
• Ferris Jabr talks about the social life of forests.
  
• The Atascadero News reports that yet another mystery obelisk has appeared in California. 
• The Guardian reports that the California mystery monolith has been destroyed by Christian vandals and replaced with a cross.
• Olivia Baron reports that yet another mystery monolith has appeared on a mall parking lot in Blackburn, UK.
  
• Rebecca Worby explains that the mystery monolith is not the only mystery object to have been found in the Utah desert. 
• Brad Meltzer and Keith Farrell report about the Georgia Guidestones, another mysterious monument with unknown origins.
  
• Nina Metz remembers when Chicago used to be a hub of videogame production.
• Maya Corrigan shares the surprisingly dark history of gingerbread.
• Legendary test pilot Chuck Yaeger, the first person to break the sound barrier, has died aged 97.
  

Free online fiction:

• "The Last Days of Old Night" by Michael Swanwick in Clarkesworld. 
• "Your Mind is the Superfund Site" by Andrew Dana Hudson and C.Y. Ballard in Lightspeed. 
• "The Disintegration Loops" by Ray Nayler in Asimov's.
  
• "Body, Remember" by Nicasio Andres Reed in Fireside Fiction. 
• "The Book of Drowned Sisters" by Caspian Gray in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "Camouflage Baby" by Ebuka Prince Okoroafor in The Dark. 
• "The Dragon and the Silver Bell" by S.H. Paulus in Fantasy Faction. 
• "Scientific Romances" by Richard Marpole in Fantasy Faction. 
• "Ah Been Buked" by Maurice Broaddus in Lightspeed.
  
• "Old Age Wrestles Thor Again" by Marissa Kristine Lingen in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "The Rock" by Charles Walbridge in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Necronomiromcom" by Liam Hogan in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Best Scientist Ever" by Omar Velasco in Daily Science Fiction.
  

Trailers and videos: 

• Watch a trailer for Wonder Woman 1984.
  
• Watch a trailer for We Can Be Heroes. 
• Watch a trailer for Monsters of Man.
• Watch a trailer for Alien Worlds.
• Watch a trailer for Space Sweepers.
• Watch a trailer for Greenland.
• Watch a trailer for Fate: The Winx Saga.
  

Odd and Ends:

• See the astronomy beadwork of Margaret Nazon.