Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for February 19, 2021

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with a controversy about Baen's Bar, the many iterations of Star Trek, WandaVision and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Space Sweepers, Willy's Wonderland, Sator, Charisma Carpenter's abuse allegations against Joss Whedon, Shelley Duval's abuse allegations against Stanley Kubrick, the Perseverance rover and its arrival on Mars and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares the best recent science fiction and fantasy novels. 
• Larissa Irankunda shares some upcoming SFF books to enjoy.
  
• Natalie Zutter shares seven swoonworthy fantasy romances. 
• James Davis Nicoll lists five duellists from speculative fiction. 
• Tor.com shares twenty-three modern SFF twists on familiar stories.
  
• Sara Holland shares five books set in a fantastic America.
  
• Anna Elise Brinich talks about the Eureka moment in science fiction. 
• G.W. Thomas shares ten reasons to read and write sword and sorcery. 
• Simon Stephenson talks about their science fiction influences. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fictional tales about US presidents in trouble, either of their own or other's making.
• Sarah Gailey discusses the different types of relationship a person might have with their clone. 
  
• C.D. Covington talks about the linguistic aspects of C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.
  
• Gene Luen Yang finds some connections between Chinese folktales and American comic book heroes. 
• Susan Lewis talks about the joy of reading and writing outside your chosen genre.
  
• Colby Anderson profiles Jack Vance. 
• Deuce Richardson remembers western and fantasy author Gordon J. Shirreffs.
  
• Sam Roberts remembers the late James Gunn. 
• Australian science fiction author Yvonne Rousseau has died aged 75.
• Artist Rowena Morrill has died aged 76.
• Andrew Porter remembers Rowena Morrill.
  

 

Comments on the Baen's Bar controversy:

• Jason Sanford reports that Baen Books' private forum Baen's Bar has been used to advocate for far right violence.  
• In response to Jason Sanford, Baen publisher Toni Weisskopf has announced that Baen's Bar will be put on hiatus, while they are investigating. 
• Baen publisher Toni Weisskopf also posts a longer statement on the Baen website. 
• Cat Rambo weighs in on the Baen's Bar controversy and forum moderation in general.
  
• Camestros Felapton shares Baen author Larry Correia's reaction to the Baen's Bar controversy. 
• Baen author David Weber also weighs in on the Baen's Bar controversy. 
• Baen author Sarah Hoyt weighs in on the Baen's Bar controversy. 
• Baen author Eric Flint weights in on the Baen's Bar controversy. 
• Camestros Felapton responds to Eric Flint.
  
• Baen author Jason Cordova weighs in on the Baen's Bar controversy. 
• Leona Wisoker weighs in on the Baen's Bar controversy. 
• Simon McNeil weighs in on the Baen's Bar controversy.
  
• In response to the calls for violence at Baen's Bar, James Pyles worries that conservative writers and fans who do not advocate for mass murder will be tainted by association.
• James Pyles also has a follow-up post.
  
• Mike Glyer offers a round-up of reactions to the Baen's Bar controversy.  
• Mike Glyer offers a second round-up of reactions to the Baen's Bar controversy.
  

 

 Film and TV:

• Arturo Serrano declares that The Expanse asks whom the future is for.
  
• Leah Schnelbach calls The Stand half of a great TV series. 
• Paul Kincaid wonders about the timeline of Westworld. 
• Ani Bundel shares her thoughts on the latest episode of American Gods. 
• Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Snowpiercer.
• Danette Chavez shares her thoughts on season 2 of For All Mankind.
  
• Paul Levinson finds The Map of Tiny, Perfect Things not perfect, but close enough. 
• Leslie Felparin calls Archenemy a colourful parallel universe thriller. 
  
• Caroline Siede calls Blithe Spirit a star-studden Noel Coward adaptation that fails to enchant.
  
• Cath Clarke calls What Lies Below a dire science fiction horror film marred by wooden acting. 
• Ellen E. Jones calls the horror thriller The Sinners a crime against cinema. 
• Phuong Lee calls Butchers a worn out horror thriller with some good performances.
  
• Leah Schnelbach calls the streaming TV series 30 Coins a beautiful explosion of horror tropes.
  
• Leah Schnelbach argues that the John Wick movies are portal fantasies. 
• Jake Dee ranks the ten silliest science fiction movies of the 1950s. 
• Dana Pellebon revisits the 1954 science fiction movie Them!
  
• The Master Cylinder revisits the 1968 horror movie Witchfinder General. 
• Rick Burin revisits the 1985 fantasy movie Return to Oz. 
  
• Mike D'Angelo shares his thoughts on the 1998 adaptation of Toni Morrison's Beloved.
  
• Luke Walpole revisits the 2008 adventure fantasy movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and finds it better than its reputation.
• Olivia Rutigliano shares movies in which the villains allow themselves to be captured as part of the plan, many of which are superhero movies.
  
• Daniel Roberts discusses how Disney and Pixar films deal with death and the afterlife.
  
• Alex Brown shares a nostalgic SFF watchlist for stressed out Millennials. 
• Chancellor Agard interviews Javicia Leslie, star of Batwoman. 
• Sydney Bucksbaum interviews Robin Wright who played Buttercup in The Princess Bride.
  
• Alex Mistlin shares the reactions of Sylvester McCoy, who played the Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who, to his successor Jodie Whittaker.
  
• Steve Rose complains about nosy fans spoiling potential movie surprises, e.g. in the new Spider-Man movie.
• Molly Templeton reports that Zack Snyder threatens to make a historically accurate King Arthur movie.
• Steven Shinder reports that we may not see season 3 of The Mandalorian until 2022.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:

• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Thirty Days" and "Counterpoint".
  
• Tucker Archer shares the science behind the transparent aluminium in Star Trek.
  

 

Comments on WandaVision and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general (spoilers):

• Andrew Ellard shares his thoughts on "All New Halloween Spooktacular", the latest episode of WandaVision.
• Stephen Robinson shares his thoughts on "All New Halloween Spooktacular".
• Charles Pulliam-Moore shares his thoughts on "All New Halloween Spooktacular". 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares his thoughts on "All New Halloween Spooktacular".
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "All New Halloween Spooktacular". 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "All New Halloween Spooktacular". 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is troubled by the fact that WandaVision omits the Jewish and Romani background of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also discusses the way WandaVision copies the visual language and costume design of sitcoms.
  
• Victoria Zelvin takes issue with the fate of Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War.
  

 

Comments on Space Sweepers: 

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Space Sweepers the first good science fiction blockbuster of 2021. 
• James Davis-Nicoll thoroughly enjoyed Space Sweepers.
• Alasdair Stuart also thoroughly enjoyed Space Sweepers.
  

 

Comments on Willy's Wonderland:

• Leslie Felperin calls Willy's Wonderland a gory horror movie. 
• A.A. Dowd calls Willy's Wonderland an elevator pitch in search of a movie. 
• Leah Schnelbach declares that Willy's Wonderland never quite reaches its cult horror comedy aspirations. 

Comments on Sator:

• Anya Stanley calls Sator a chilling, slow-burn horror movie that's difficult to take.
• Leslie Felperin calls Sator a deeply creepy cabin in the woods horror movie.

 

Comments on the abuse allegations against Joss Whedon:

• Joan Summers reports that Joss Whedon was not allowed to be alone in a room with then 15-year-old actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Dawn Summers in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
• Louise Griffith interviews Buffy stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt and stunt double Sophia Crawford about Joss Whedon's unprofessional behaviour on set.
• Abbie Bray shares the reaction of actor Anthony Stewart Head, who played Ruper Giles in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, to the allegations against Joss Whedon.
• Patrick Gomez reports that David Boreanaz, who played Angel on Buffy and Angel, has also issued a statement in support of Charisma Carpenter.
  

 

Comments on the abuse allegations of Shelley Duvall against Stanley Kubrick:

• Seth Abramovitch interviews Shelley Duvall about Stanley Kubrick's problematic behaviour on the set of The Shining and her generally troubled life.
• Courtney Enlow also reports about the treatment of Shelley Duvall on the set of The Shining and asks why so many male directors are allowed to get away with mistreating actresses.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2020 Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards have been announced. 
  
• The winners of the 2020 Cybils have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2020 BSFA Awards has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2021 Compton Crook Award have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2021 Splatterpunk Awards has been announced.
  
• The shortlist for the 2021 Premio Vegetti has been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2021 Tähtivaeltaja Award has been announced.
• Connie Willis will receive the 2021 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award.
• The winner of the 2021 Cosmic Bradbury Writing Contest has been announced.
• The results of the 2020 Uncanny Magazine Favourite Fiction Reader Poll have been announced.
• The winners of the 2020 Will Rogers Medallion Awards have been announced.  
• The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2021 Writers Guild Awards have been announced with some love for genre film and TV.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Melinda Snodgrass explains why it is important that stories make the reader feel.
  
• Ellery Kane talks about her writing process. 
• Rio Youers explains how to transfer Hollywood style action and fight scenes to the page.
  
• Molly Odintz notes how many women started their writing careers while on maternity leave.
  
• Angus Fletcher explains why AIs will never write good novels.
• Jacqui Lipton talks about writing work for hire.
• Anna Kramer talks about the popular library app Libby and its issues with publishers.
  

Interviews:

• Runalong the Shelves interviews Aliette de Bodard.
  
• Scott Edelman interviews Mary Robinette Kowal. 
• Amal El-Mohtar interviews Annalee Newitz.
  
• Paul Weimer interviews Sylvain Neuvel.
• Tonia Ransom interviews Ellen Datlow.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Gavin G. Smith.
  
• Andrea Johnson interviews E. Lily Yu.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Yudhanjaya Wijeratne.
• Veronica Henry interviews David James Brock.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Francesca T. Barbini.
• Cora Buhlert interviews Seth Heasley. 
• Cora Buhlert interviews Bobby Derie.
  
• nerds of a feather interview the editor and contributors to the anthology Recognise Fascism.
  

Reviews: 

• Liz Bourke reviews Engines of Oblivion by Karen Osborne.
  
• Liz Bourke reviews Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard.
  
• Alex Brown reviews Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. 
• Steve J. Wright reviews Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. 
• The Hugo Book Club reviews Machinehood by S.B. Divya.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell. 
• Amy Goldschlager reviews The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix. 
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Beasts of Tabat by Cat Rambo.
  
• Amy Goldschlager reviews How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It by K.J. Parker.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne. 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke. 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu. 
• A.M. Justice reviews Oh, That Shotgun Sky by Sarah Chorn.
  
• Russell Letson reviews Lockdown Tales by Neal Asher.
  
• Ray Palen reviews Spin by Patricia Cornwell. 
• Lee Mandelo reviews The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey. 
• Tadiana Jones, Jana Nyman and Kelly Lasiter review The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey.
  
• Any Goldschlager reviews The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. 
• Chris Kluwe reviews The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack.
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Last Good Man by Thomas McMullen.
• Molly Templeton reviews The Memory Theatre by Karin Tidbeck. 
• Sandra Newman reviews Maxwell's Demon by Steven Hall.  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Later by Stephen King.
  
• Elsa Sjunneson reviews The Burning God by R.F. Kuang.
  
• Kat Hooper reviews Death Weavers by Brandon Mull.
  
• Mark Yon reviews Bone Chase by Weston Ochse. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Spec Ops Z by Gavin G. Smith. 
• Paul D. Filippo reviews The Best of Walter Jon Williams by Walter Jon Williams. 
• Marion Deeds reviews The Planetbreaker's Son by Nick Mamatas.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Made to Order: Robots and Revolution edited by Jonathan Strahan. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Beyond the Latch and Lever: Speculative Short Stories, edited by Susanna Skarland and Elle Blackwood. 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Africanfuturism: An Anthology, edited by Gary K. Wolfe. 
• Paperback Warrior reviews Hostesses in Hell and Other Stories by Russell Gray a.k.a. Bruno Fisher.
  
• Martin Edwards reviews Bowler Hats and Kinky Boots: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to The Avengers by Michael Richardson. 
  

Classics reviews:

• Fletcher Vredenburgh revisits the 1818 science fiction novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley.
  
• Michael Kellermeyer revisits the 1895 ghost story "Lost Hearts" by M.R. James.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1919 Lost World novel The Glyphs by Roy Norton. 
• Steve J. Wright revisits the October 1941 issue of Unknown Worlds. 
• Steve J. Wright revisits the December 1941 issue of Unknown Worlds.
  
• David Haden revisits the 1949 science fiction collection John Carstairs - Space Detective by Frank Belknap Long.
• Mark R. Kelly revisits the 1955 science fiction novel The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov. 
• Paul Fraser revisits the 1959 fantasy story "The Shoreline at Sunset" by Ray Bradbury. 
• Paul Fraser revisits the 1959 science fiction story "The Dreamsman" by Gordon R. Dickson. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the March 1966 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
  
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the March 1966 issue of Fantastic Worlds of Imagination. 
• Jake Jackson revisits the 1971 science fantasy novel Blackmark by Gil Kane. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1974 planetary romance novel The Ginger Star by Leigh Brackett.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1976 science fiction novel Starmother by Sydney J. Van Scyoc. 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1978 planetary romance Yurth Burden by Andre Norton.
  
• James Malizewski revisits the 1983 post-apocalyptic novel The Unforsaken Hiero by Sterling E. Lanier.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2012 Xenowealth space opera novel The Apocalypse Ocean by Tobias S. Buckell.
  

Con and event reports:

• Camestros Felapton offers a brief history of Worldcon and fandom.
• The 2021 World Fantasy Convention in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has announced that Brandon O'Brien will be one of their special guests.
• Symphony Space offers a virtual celebration of Octavia E. Butler.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Issue #5 of the RPG zine Meanderings is looking for funding. 
• The tabletop RPG Stealing the Throne is looking for funding.
  
• Fantasy writer Alma Alexander has lost her husband and needs some help with medical and funeral expenses.  

 

Science and technology:

• Marcia Dunn reports about NASA rover Perseverance's mission to Mars. 
• Stephen Clark reports that the rover Perseverance has safely landed on Mars.
  
• Isaac Schultz reports that astronomers may have found a whole group of black holes.
  
• Morgan Winsor reports that Stonehenge may be a stone circle from Wales rebuilt in Somerset. 
• Sarah Cascone reports about an archeological dispute involving the famous Nebra sky disc. 
• Accociated Press reports that archeologists have unearthed the world's woldest brewery in Egypt.
  
• Alison Flood reports about the 1750 confessional autobiography of the executed highwayman Thomas Munn which includes a surprisingly frank account of gay sex.

Free online fiction:

• "'Remember The Washington,' They Said as They Fed the Ugoxli" by Jeff Reynolds in Clarkesworld. 
• "We'll Always Have Two Versions of Pteros" by Dominica Phetteplace in Clarkesworld. 
• "Whistle Posts of Forgotten Railroads" by Jason Sanford in Fireside Magazine. 
• "First: A Martian Hunts for the Red Planet’s Past—and His Own" by John Rogers in Wired.
  
• "The Harvest-Bringers" by Natasha Grodzinski in Luna Station Quarterly. 
• "Onboarding Practices for the Ravaging Horde" by E.B. Brandon in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "Young Love" by Katie Robles in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Cataclysm Conjugated" by James C. Cato in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "The Sea Became a Diamond Sheet" by William Squirrell in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Me Two" by Keith Brooke and Eric Brown in Lightspeed. 
• "Small and Bright" by Autumn Brown in Lightspeed.
  
• "A Whistle on the Drum" by Mir Plemmons in Anathema Magazine. 
• "The Ace of Knives" by Tonya Liburd in Apex Magazine. 
• "Of Course You Screamed" by Sharang Biswas in Fantasy Magazine.
  
• "One Last Broken Thing" by Aimee Ogden in The Dark.
• "Hairy Legs and All" by Stephen Graham Jones in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "Fit to Print" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  
• "Trigger Snowflake and the Election" by Ingvar in File 770.
  

Trailers and videos: 

• Watch a trailer for Cruella.
  
• Watch a trailer for the so-called Snyder cut of Justice League. 
• Watch a trailer for Mortal Combat.
  
• Watch a clip from For All Mankind.