Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for September 3, 2021

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with What If...? and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Star Trek: Lower Decks and the many versions of Star Trek, the various DC Comics based TV shows, the new Candyman, The Green Knight Reminiscence, a sequel to Enola Holmes, yet another take on Cinderella, season 11 of The Walking Dead, tributes to Erle Korshak and L. Neil Smith and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy lists all the new science fiction and fantasy books coming out in September.
  
• T.J. Klune lists five scene-stealing cats from science fiction and fantasy.
• James Davis Nicoll shares five wintery SFF stories to enjoy. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares classic science fiction novels about extremely long naps.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF books about preserving or destroying books. 
• Alix E. Harrow shares seven speculative stories about stories.
  
• Leah Schnelbach ranks 25 memorable SFF deaths. 
• L. Penelope shares five SFF books where gods walk the Earth.
  
• Rachel Brittain shares seven vampire books for fans of What We Do In the Shadows?
• Rose Szabo shares five off-beat gothic and horror recommendations.
• Kate Yoder talks about the Twilight romance that no one talks about, namely Bella falling in love with the Pacific Northwest.
• Uschi Gatward shares her favourite magical short stories.
  
• G.W. Thomas explains how the difference between so-called high fantasy and low fantasy came to be. 
• Marc Bruner shares his appreciation for the work of Jack Vance.
  
• Brian Murphy shares his appreciation for Cele Goldsmith-Lalli, editor of Amazing Stories and Fantastic Stories of Imagination in the 1960s, whose efforts helped to usher in the second sword and sorcery boom. 
• John Coulthart finds some unexpected parallels between H.P. Lovecraft and William S. Burroughs. 
• Stuart Kelly celebrates the 250th birthday of Sir Walter Scott by asking whether he was a national treasure or a sham bard. 
• Jason Guriel explains why he believes that William Gibson is a literary genius. 
• Molly Templeton shares some tips for getting through reading slumps.
  
• Austin Thompson shares the ten bestselling books in history, minus religious texts. 
• Science fiction author L. Neil Smith has died aged 75. 
• Locus remembers L. Neil Smith. 
• SFF writer Carol Carr has died aged 82.
  
• Erle Korshak, longtime science fiction fan, former Worldcon chair and one of the two last survivors of the first Worldcon in 1939, has died aged 98.
• Locus remembers Erle Korshak.
  

Comics and Art:

• Rob Bricken reports that Marvel has announced  eight new titles and wonders what this will mean for the Marvel Universe.
  
• Natalie Zutter revisits volumes 7 and 8 of Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra.
  
• Benjamin Marra shares Bill Sienkiewicz's Conan artwork from the 1980s.
  
• G.W. Thomas revisits the 1950 space opera comic Kenton of Star Patrol by John B. Michel. 
• John Coulthart revisits the 1978 comic RHB by François Rivière and Andreas, which recounts the life of H.P. Lovecraft's friend and literary executor Robert H. Barlow in comic form.
• John Coulthart shares his appreciation for the fantasy art of the Danish art noveau artist Jens Lund.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Tyler Dean calls What We Do in the Shadows the funniest show on television.
  
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Nest a riviting mix of ghost story, parable about a dysfunctional family and commentary on the rise of neoliberalism. 
• Leslie Felperin calls the robot movie Override an inane hodgepodge of sci-fi, political thriller and perhaps some kind of ill-considered satire.
• Alex McLevy calls When I'm a Moth a pretentious alternate history film. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Archer.
  
• Bill Desowitz looks ahead at season 2 of Love, Death + Robots. 
• Charlie Jane Anders shares everything she learned from working on season 1 of Y: The Last Man.
• Ben Child wonders whether Denis Villeneuve's Dune will succeed where previous attempts to adapt Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel have failed.
• Luke Buckmaster explores the weird and wild history of Australian superhero movies. 
• The writers of The Mary Sue share their favourite fantasy films.
  
• The AV Club lists ten SFF villains who must not be named.
  
• Hadley Freeman interviews legendary puppeteer Frank Oz, who portrayed Yoda, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear among many others.
  
• Danette Chavez interviews Jurnee Smollett, who played Letitia Lewis in Lovecraft Country. 
• E. Alex Jung interviews John Cho, star of the live action Cowboy Bebop and the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies. 
• Andreas Wiseman interviews Francesca Annis who played Lady Jessica in the 1984 adaptation of Dune.
  
• Jenelle Riley interviews Jamie Lee Curtis, star of Halloween and Halloween Kills. 
• Stephen Graham Jones explains the trope of the "final girl" in slasher films and where the character came from.  
• Austin Gilkeson rewatches the 2002 fantasy movie The Return of the King. 
• James Whitbrook explains how hyperspace works in the Star Wars universe.
  
• Stuart Heritage wonders whether the existence of yet another trailer for the Bond film No Time To Die means that it will actually come out this time around.
  
• Bill Desowitz explains how Mark Hamill's cameo appearance in season 2 of The Mandalorian came to be and how the digital deaging process works. 
• Germain Lussier reports that plenty of movies are having their release dates puhsed back because of covid.
  
• Sam Barsanti reports that a new Rocketeer film is coming to Disney Plus, starring David Oyelowo. 
• Princess Weeks reports why Lilly Wachowski won't be part of The Matrix: Resurrections.
  
• William Hughes shares Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins' views on the hybrid launch of Wonder Woman 1984 in theatres and on streaming.
• Elise Brisco reports that the cancelled TV show Manifest will be revived by Netflix for one final season. 
• Mike Fleming reports that Francis Ford Coppola is determined to make his planned science fiction film Megalopolis, even if he has to finance it himself.
  
• David Stanway reports that China is cracking down on online celebrity and fan culture.
  
• Jill Pantozzi notes that Elijah Wood had a cameo appearance in Back to the Future II in 1989.
• Actor Ed Asner, best known for his appearances in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, Up and many others, has died aged 91.
  

 

Comments on What If...? and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general (spoilers):

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What If...?
• Rachel Leishman shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What If...? 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What If...? 
• Sam Barsanti shares his thoughts on the latest episode of What If...? 
• Charles Pulliam-Moore shares his thoughts on the latest episode of What If...? 
  
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Laura Donney, Emmy-nominated screenwriter for WandaVision.
  
• Ryan Parker shares tributes to Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing T'Challa in Black Panther.
• The #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force comments on Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against Disney over Black Widow.
  

Comments on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: 

• Brian Davids interviews Simu Liu, star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
• Germain Lussier shares Marvel movies to rewatch before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek in general: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Mugato, Gumato", the latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Mugato, Gumato".
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Shattered" and "Lineage".
• Rob Wieland offers a look into the series bibles of several Star Trek shows.
• Heroes and Icons shares the story behind the pointed sideburns worn by the male members of the cast of the original Star Trek.
  
• Jessica Howard shares the plans for Star Trek's 55th anniversary celebrations.
• Sudiksha Kochi reports that actor Tim Russ, who played Tuvok in Star Trek Voyager, has helped NASA to detect asteroids for an upcoming mission.
  

Comments on the various DC Comics based movies and TV shows:

• Allison Shoemaker shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Legends of Tomorrow. 
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Supergirl. 
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Stargirl.
  
• Stephanie Harper interviews Javicia Leslie who plays Batwoman on the eponymous show.
  
• Joe Otterson reports that Bridget Regan has been cast as Poison Ivy in the Batwoman TV series.
  
• Joe George ranks the live action versions of Superman's supporting cast.
• Kadish Morris talks about the mental health issues that David Harewood, who plays the Martian Manhunter in Supergirl, had as a young man.
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Doom Patrol.
  

 

Comments on the new Candyman:

• Cassondra Feltus declares that the new Candyman blends the real and the surreal.
  
• Charles Bramesco and readers of the Guardian have a spoilerish discussion of the new Candyman.
  
• Brian Davids interviews Colman Domingo, one of the stars of the new Candyman. 
• Charles Pulliam-Moore reports that Nia DaCosta, director of the new Candyman and Captain Marvel 2, is still not making enough money to pay off her student loans.
• Rob Bricken reports that Candyman had a very good opening weekend.
  

 

Comments on The Green Knight:

• Abigail Nussbaum calls The Green Knight a powerful and disturbing subversion of the classic story.
• Mae Abdulbaki finds some unexpected parallels between The Green Knight and the Disney+ Marvel shows.
  

 

Comments on Reminiscence:

• Arturo Serrano declares that Reminiscence is about the sweet poison of nostalgia.
• Alasdair Stuart calls Reminiscence a mean street worth going down.  

 

Comments on the latest version of Cinderella:

• Peter Bradshaw calls the latest version of Cinderella a goofy musical take on the classic fairy tale.  
• Caroline Siede calls the latest version of Cinderella a fairy tale for the Mamma Mia! crowd.

 

Comments on a sequel to Enola Holmes: 

• Lauren Morris shares some information about the sequel to Enola Holmes.
• Hull Live reports that the Enola Holmes sequel will be shooting in Hull, UK. 
• Nancy Springer, author of the Enola Holmes books explains how she accidentally became a mystery writer and how Enola Holmes was created.
  

 

Comments on season 11 of The Walking Dead: 

• Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Walking Dead.
• Rob Bricken shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Walking Dead. 

 

Awards: 

• The finalists for the 2019 and 2020 Sidewise Awards have been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2021 Pegasus Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the juried 73rd Emmy Awards have been announced with lots of love for genre TV.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Catherine Jinks talks about crossgenre writing. 
• Nick Wood talks about writing with disabilities. 
• Robert Repino talks about consequences as an engine of storytelling. 
• British politician Alan Johnson explains how he became a fiction writer. 
  
• Erika Kanda shares her favourite book about writing science fiction and fantasy.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about the international growth of the e.book market. 
• Sian Bayley reports that according to managing director James Gaunt, sales at Barnes & Noble have risen.
  
• Shelley Hepworth reports that Salman Rushdie will forego print and traditional publishing and publish his next book on Substack.
  
• Claire North shares her love for libraries.
  

Interviews:

• Arley Sorg interviews Cat Rambo.
  
• Rogues in the House interviews Howard Andrew Jones. 
• Oliver Brackenbury interviews Howard Andrew Jones.
  
• Media Death Cult interviews Alastair Reynolds. 
• Andrea Johnson interviews Simon Jimenez. 
• Marion Deeds interviews Daryl Gregory.
  
• Scott Edelman interviews Michael R. Underwood.
• Cat Rambo interviews José Pablo Iriarte.
• Arley Sorg interviews Nina Allan.
  
• Rebecca Onion interviews Kim Stanley Robinson. 
• Paul Weimer interviews Robert V.S. Redick. 
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Marlon James.
  
• Book Marks interviews Alexandra Kleeman.
  
• Janna Miller interviews Hesper Leveret.
• Cora Buhlert interviews Oliver Brackenbury.
  

Reviews:

• Liz Bourke and Adrienne Martini review You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Foxhunt by Rem Wigmore.
  
• Bill Capossere and Jana Nyman review Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.
  
• Carolyn Cushman reviews Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison and Cast in Conflict by Michelle Sagara.
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Seven-Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders.
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Monkey Around by Jadie Jang.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark. 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark.
• Mark Yon reviews The Pariah by Anthony Ryan. 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Shipbuilder of Bellfairie by M. Rickert. 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman. 
• Bill Capossere reviews Fury of a Demon by Brian Naslund.
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell. 
• Sean Dowie reviews The Necessity of Stars by E. Catherine Tobler. 
• Maya Gittelman reviews In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu. 
• Molly Templeton reviews The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith.
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Appleseed by Matt Bell.  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Museum for Forgetting by Peter W. Sutton.
• Michelle Carpenter reviews The Other Me by Sarah Zachrich Jeng. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Gigantic by Ashley Stokes.
  
• Adri Joy reviews The Unravelling by Benjamin Rosenbaum.
  
• Em Nordling reviews Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.
• Paula Guran reviews Big, Dark Hole by Jeffrey Ford.
• Maya C. James reviews What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo.
  
• Lee Mandelo reviews My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones.
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix.
• Rich Horton reviews Whether Change, edited by Scott Gable and C. Dombrowski.
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Hole in the Moon and Other Tales by Margaret St. Clair.
  

 
Classics reviews:

• James Maliszewski revisits the 1923 horror story "The Lurking Fear" by H.P. Lovecraft.
• Player None revisits the 1930 horror story "The Whisperer in Darkness" by H.P. Lovecraft.
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1931 science fiction novel The Birth of a New Republic by Jack Williamson and Miles J. Breuer.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1954 gothic horror story "The Green Huntsman" by Dorothea Gibbons a.k.a. Stella Gibbons. 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1957 science fiction novel Sea Siege by Andre Norton.
  
• Lis Carey revisits the 1966 science fiction novel Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the September 1966 issue of Analog.
  
• Mark Yon revisits the September 1966 issues of New Worlds and SF Impulse. 
• David Levinson revisits the October 1966 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction.
  
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1973 children's fantasy novel The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs.
• Lis Carey revisits the 1973 time travel novel Deathbeast by David Gerrold. 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1975 children't fantasy novel The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1980 science fiction novel The Man Who Corrupted Earth by G.C. Edmondson.
• Alan Brown revisits the 1986 planetary romance Jewels of the Dragon by Allen L. Wold.
• Bobby Derie revisits the 1998 horror story "The Tale of Toad Loop" by Stanley C. Sargent.
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 2011 horror novel Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman.
  

Con and event reports:

• DisCon III, the 2021 Worldcon in Washington DC, shares its membership statistics. 
• Germain Lussier shares the highlights of the 2021 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• R. Talsorian Games report that they are pulling out of the 2021 GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana, because they are worried about covid. 
• Daniel Boal reports about "Toil and Toruble", an exhibition about the history of witchcraft in Scotland in Aberdeen, Scotland.
  
• Ashlyn Davis reports about Haunt O'Ween, a temporary Halloween theme park in Los Angeles, California.
• Philip Molnar reports that the San Diego Comic Con museum will open in San Diego, California, in November.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• XDM: X-treme Dungeon Mastery, a tabletop roleplaying supplement by Tracy and Curtis Hickman, illustrated by Howard Tayler, is looking for funding.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Michelle Starr reports that the Hubble telescope has captured a stunning image of a so-called Einstein Ring. 
• George Dvorsky reports that missions to Mars should not exceed four years due to the radiation risk.
  
• Georgina Torbet reports that NASA is testing a 3D printer that uses moon dust to print in space. 
• Louise Eccles interviews prospective ESA astronauts Dr. Emma King, Tessa Naran and Dr. Jackie Bell. 
  
• Rolf Halden discusses using wastewater analysis for epidemiological purposes.
• Kim Stanley Robinson shares a TED talk about climate change.
• Mark Piesing talks about Umberto Nobile's 1928 expedition to the North Pole aboard the airship Italia.
• Isis Davis-Marks reports that archaeologists have discovered the remarkably well preserved remains of a Roman priest in Pompeii, Italy.
• Nancy Marie Brown explains that our ideas about masculine Viking warriors were influenced by Victorian gender stereotypes and are likely wrong. 
  
• Carol J. Perry offers a tour of haunted hotels in Florida.

Free online fiction:

• "Yesterday's Wolf" by Ray Nayler in Clarkesworld. 
• "It's a Pleasure to Receive You" by Ziggy Schutz in Clarkesworld.
  
• "The Wonderful Stag or the Courtship of Red Elsie" by Kathleen Jennings in Tor.com. 
• "Judi" by Adam-Troy Castro in Lightspeed. 
• "Fanspell: Flowers in Spring (RobYung, NSFW)" by Anya Ow in Lightspeed.
• "Lemon" by Mara Regan in Luna Station Quarterly.
• "Shandy" by Gabrielle Emem Harry in Omenana.
• "Beauty Surge" by Laura Maylene Walter in Slate: Future Tense. 
• "Send in the Clowns" by Kali Napier in The Dark.
  
• "H.P Lovecraft Writes Olive Garden's Dinner Menu" by Sam Woods in McSweeney's Internet Tendency.
  
• "Dinners Like We Used to Have" by Kelly Sandoval in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Far From Home" by Jenna Hanchey in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Blood Blister" by Liam Hogan in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Heading West" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Moonfall.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Wheel of Time.
  
• Watch a trailer for James Bond: No Time To Die. 
• Watch a trailer for Squid Game.
  
• Watch a trailer for Between Waves.
• Watch a trailer for Malignant.
• Watch a trailer for Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched.
• Watch a clip from Martyr's Lane.
  

 

Odds and ends:

• Brenda Goh reports that China is limiting online playtimes for underage videogamers.