Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 15, 2021

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with William Shatner goes to space, Foundation, No Time to Die and James Bond in general, What If...?, Eternals and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Star Trek: Lower Decks and the many versions of Star Trek, the many versions of Star Wars, the many versions of Doctor Who, the various DC Comics based TV shows, Ghostbusters Afterlife, The Harder They Fall, Squid Game, Y: The Last Man, season 11 of The Walking Dead, Halloween Kills, The Last Duel, Ron's Gone Wrong, Superman's son comes out as bisexual, a whole lot of horror and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• K.W. Colyard shares the most influential science fiction books of all time.
  
• Lisa Tuttle shares the best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror books.
  
• Leah Schnelbach shares the best science fiction and fantasy books coming out this October. 
• Tor.com shares all the new horror and genre-bending books coming out this October. 
• Jo Walton shares her September 2021 reading list. 
• Alex Brown shares ten SFF novellas and novelettes to enjoy. 
• Stacie Rook lists science fiction and fantasy novels with upcoming adaptations.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction novels featuring ancient alien artefacts. 
• Emily Hughes recommends horror novels for every mood and tolerance level. 
• James Han Mattson shares six literary horror novels.
  
• Brian Murphy shares ten spooky sword and sorcery stories for the Halloween season. 
• Greg Herren shares eleven masterpieces of gothic romance and romantic suspense.  
• Holly Kybett Smith shares five dark historical gothics to enjoy this fall. 
• Kate Belli takes a look at haunted locations in New York City and the authors inspired by them. 
  
• Molly Templeton talks about dark woods and other ominous landscapes in SFF.
  
• Caitlin Starling talks about body horror, ableism and miscarriage. 
• Gary Budden shares his top ten urban legends in literature.
  
• Priya Krishna talks about the popularity of pop culture inspired cookbooks.
• Sophia Vershbow notes that men will always share their unsolicited opinions about what women are reading, no matter what it is.
• Mark Billingham answers the question how much time to give a boring book.  
  
• Elayne Audrey Becker declares that Théoden has the best dialogue in Lord of the Rings.
  
• Zoraida Córdova offers a guide to the works of Rebecca Roanhorse.
  
• Locus remembers Lou Antonelli.
• Science fiction fan and conrunner Mary Kay Kare has died aged 69.
• Locus remembers Mary Kay Kare.
• Fantasy writer Robert Low has died aged 69.
• Canadian science fiction scholar and poet Douglas Barbour has died aged 81.
  

Comics and Art:

• James Whitbrook reports that Jon Kent, the son of Clark Kent and current Superman, will come out as bisexual in the next issue. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares reactions to the coming out of Jon Kent.
• James Hibberd reports that actor Dean Cain, who played Clark Kent in Superman: The Adventures of Lois and Clark, is annoyed that Jon Kent has come out as bisexual.  
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Far Sector by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell. 
• Rachel Cooke reviews Tunnels by Rutu Modan. 
• Alex Brown reviews Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle. 
• Charles Pulliam-Moore discusses the latest developments regarding the character of Jean Grey, who's now Marvel Girl again (and alive for now) in X-Men.
  
• Rob Bricken reports that Ben Reilly's latest turn as Spider-Man is doomed after only one issue.
  
• James Whitbrook recounts the comics history of Adam Warlock.
  
• Tom Shapira discusses how the horror comics of the 1950s dealt with the Holocaust. 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1950 crime graphic novel Mansion of Evil by Joseph Hilliard. 
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Tee Franklin, writer of Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour.
• James Bacon reports that Kurt Busiek has announced a whole bunch of new and returning comics from Image.
• Justin Carter reports that Saga by Brian K. Vaughaan and Fiona Staples will be returning next year after an extended hiatus.
• Justin Carter reports about the We Have Demons panel at New York Comic Con.
• Rich Johnston reports that the US comic book industry is also affected by the paper shortages affecting the entire publishing industry.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Matthew David Surridge calls The Spine of Night the most essential sword and sorcery film in years. 
• Phil Hoad calls The Show a dazzling Northhampton noir courtesy of Alan Moore.
  
• Barry Hertz calls Night Raiders a chilling science fiction thriller. 
• James Whitbrook calls Muppets Haunted Mansion a perfect balancing act that comes close to the Muppet movies of the pre-Disney period. 
• Katie Rife calls Welcome to the Blumhouse an uneven quartet of horror films. 
• Katie Rife shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What We Do in the Shadows. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of La Brea. 
• Faefyx Collington talks about the roots and the rebirth of the SFF anthology series.
  
• Stuart Heritage wonders whether it's okay to find Willy Wonka sexy, when he's played by Timothée Chalamet.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1941 horror movie Man-Made Monster.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1958 horror film The Return of Dracula. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1961 horror film The Snake Woman. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1964 horror film Nightmare.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1971 horror film Lady Frankenstein.  
• Robert Repino revisits the 1982 science fiction horror film The Thing and wonders what makes it so freaking scary.
  
• Remco van Straten and Angeline B. Adams revisit the 1991 Robin Hood film that did not star Kevin Costner but Patrick Bergin.
  
• Caroline Siede revisits the 2001 time travel romantic comedy Kate and Leopold.
• Lisa Wemakor revisits the 2012 fantasy film Beasts of the Southern Wild.
• Ken Lizzi takes a look at film adaptations of sword and sorcery fiction.
• Danette Chavez interviews Ben Barnes, star of The Chronicles of Narnia, Shadow and Bone, The Punisher and Westworld.
  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Don Mancini, creator of Chucky. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Michael Emerson, star of Evil and Lost. 
• Mike Glyer shares Brianna Wu's comments about a planned Gamergate series.
  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore reports that the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees will begin a US-wide strike on Monday, if demands are not met, halting all film and TV productions in the US.
• Legendary Disney animator Ruthie Tompson has died aged 111.
  

 

Comments on Foundation: 

• Nick Wanserski shares his thought on "Barbarians at the Gate", the latest episode of Foundation. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "Barbarians at the Gate". 
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Barbarians at the Gate". 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "Barbarians at the Gate". 
• The Star's End podcast share their thoughts on "Barbarians at the Gate". 
  
• Andrew Liptak reports that Foundation has been renewed for season 2.
  

 

Comments on No Time to Die and James Bond in general (potential spoilers):

• Leonard Maltin enjoyed No Time to Die, but finds it too long.
  
• Germain Lussier shares a spoilerish review of No Time to Die. 
• Cameron Scheetz interviews Cary Joji Fukunaga, director of No Time to Die.
  
• Chris Nashawaty shares his appreciation for Daniel Craig's take on James Bond. 
• Alissa Wilkinson also shares her appreciation for Daniel Craig's take on James Bond.
  
• A.A. Dowd declares that Daniel Craig gave James Bond a soul, even when the movies lacked it. 
• Cameron Scheetz priases the performance of Ana de Armas in No Time to Die.
  
• Katie Rife, A.A. Dowd and Cameron Scheetz discuss all six eras of James Bond on screen.
  
• Julia Sirmons calls the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service the most unique and probably the best of the series.
• Cameron Scheetz and Sean Crowley take a look at James Bond's most iconic looks.
• Keith Roysdon takes a look at the many James Bond imitators of the 1960s and 1970s.
• Nadia Khomani reports that Daniel Craig has been going to gay bars for decades, because fights are less likely to break out there and they are a good place to meet women.
  

 

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

• Kaitlyn Booth shares her thoughts on the season 1 finale of What If...?
• Erik Davis interviews Chloé Zhao, director of Eternals. 
  
• Ben Child wonders why on Earth Angelina Jolie is in Marvel's Eternals.
• Brian Davids interviews Evangeline Lilly, who plays Hope Van Dyne in the Ant-Man movies.
• Watch a trailer for Hawkeye.
  

 

Comments on Ghostbusters: Afterlife:  

• Jesse Hassenger calls Ghostbusters: Afterlife a dispiriting nostalgia exercise.
• Germain Lussier enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, until it is derailed by gratuitous fan service. 
• Charles Bramesco calls Ghostbusters Afterlife a slimy, stinking corpse of a sequel.
  

 

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

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "First First Contact", the latest episode of Star Trek Lower Decks.
  
• Galactic Journey revisits the 1966 Star Trek episode "The Enemy Within".
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Natural Law" and "Homestead".
  
• Kurt Anthony King interviews Brent Spiner who played Commander Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation and also writes mysteries.
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner.
• Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard, remembers Cecil Dormand, the teacher who encouraged him to become an actor.
  

 

Comments on the many versions of Star Wars:

• Charles Pulliam-Moore ranks the lightsabres from Star Wars Visions. 
• James Whitbrook ranks the aliens hanging out in the Mos Eisley cantina in Star Wars. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1983 tie-in novel Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu by L. Neil Smith.

 

Comments on Doctor Who past and present:

• Sean Keaveny interviews Jodie Whittaker, who plays the Thirteenth Doctor.
• Watch a teaser for season 13 of Doctor Who.
  

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

• Jarrod Jones shares his 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.
  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore shares his thoughts on the animated Aquaman: King of Atlantis.
• Charles Pulliam-Moore interviews Victor Courtright and Marly Halpern-Graser, creators of Aquaman: King of Atlantis.
  

 

Comments on The Harder They Fall:

• Nadia Khomani declares that The Harder They Fall redefines the western.   
• Ellen E. Jones interviews Jeymes Samuel, director of The Harder They Fall.
  

  

Comments on Squid Game: 

• Zoe Williams declares that Squid Game owes its popularity to the anxieties of modern life. 
• Yomi Adegoke declares that Squid Game feeds the viewers' hunger for the hurts and humiliation of reality TV.
• Aja Romano discusses what Squid Game reveals about contemporary South Korea.
• Meredith Dietz talks about the differences between the captions and subtitles of Squid Game and why they matter.
• Viv Groskop also discusses Netflix's subtitling problem with regard to Squid Game and other popular non-English language programs.
• Rick Stevenson explains why the guards in Squid Game wear red and the players green.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Masters of the Universe in general:

• Rob Bricken reports that Masters of the Universe: Revelation will return in November and shares some tidbits about the plot.
  
• Rogues in the House discuss Masters of the Universe. 

 

Comments on The Last Duel:

• A.A. Dowd calls The Last Duel a star-studded period piece. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls The Last Duel a bloody and intelligent historical drama for adults. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Last Duel a medieval epic with gusto.
  
• Watch a video about the making of the titular duel in The Last Duel.
  

 

Comments on Y: The Last Man:

• Roxana Hadadi shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Y: The Last Man.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Y: The Last Man. 
  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore reports about the Y: The Last Man panel at New York Comic Con in New York City.
• Tasha Robinson interviews showrunner Eliza Clark and actor Elliot Fletcher, who plays Sam in Y: The Last Man.
  

 

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.
• Andrew Liptak reports that yet another Walking Dead spin-off series is in the works.
  

 

Comments on Halloween Kills: 

• Cheryl Eddy declares that watching Halloween Kills is like digging your fingers into an open wound.
• Katie Rife declares that Halloween Kills cannot help but shoot itself in the foot. 
• Cheryl Eddy interviews the cast of Halloween Kills. 
  

 

Comments on Ron's Gone Wrong:

• Peter Bradshaw calls Ron's Gone Wrong a charming and enjoyable. if derivative animated science fiction film.  
• Charles Bramesco calls Ron's Gone Wrong a glitchy and goofy film about friendship.

 

Awards: 

• The shortlist for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize has been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2021 Harvey Awards have been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2021 Forrest J Ackerman Award for Lifetime Achievement has been announced.
• Adri Joy and Joe Sherry discuss the 2021 Hugo finalists for Best Short Story.
  
• The Hugos There! Podcast has assembled a panel to discuss the 2021 Hugo finalists for Best Short Story. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Polish writer and Nobel Prize winner Wisława Szymborska shares some writing advice.
• Cat Luria explains why she got an MFA in writing. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about deadlines.
  
• Julie Poole explains why she quit social media.
  
• Mark Lawrence chronicles his problems trying to persuade Amazon KDP that he is the author of Red Queen's War and Book of the Ancestor. 
• The Safety Detectives expose an Amazon fake review scam.
  
• Elizabeth A. Harris reports about the supply chain issues in the publishing industry. 

Interviews:

• Emily VanDerWerff interviews Becky Chambers.
• Leo McBride interviews Diane Morrison. 
• Mary Woodbury interviews Premee Mohamed. 
• Paul Weimer interviews Monica Byrne.
  
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Lorraine Wilson. 
• The HWA interviews Owl Goingback. 
• The HWA interviews Isabel Cañas.
• Cat Luria interviews Jeannine Clark.
• Phoebe Barton interviews Zebib K.A.
• Locus interviews Tade Thompson.
  

Reviews:

• Greg Mele reviews The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 
• Paul Weimer reviews When the Goddess Wakes by Howard Andrew Jones. 
• Brian Murphy reviews The Eye of Sounnu by Schuyler Hernstrom.
  
• Idil Bostan reviews Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena.
  
• Marion Deeds reviews The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde. 
• Alex Brown reviews The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta. 
  
• For Winter Nights reviews Wish You Weren't Here by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch. 
• Joe Sherry reviews When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. 
• Leah Schnelbach reviews The Keep by Jennifer Egan. 
  
• Kat Hooper reviews Paper and Blood by Kevin Hearne. 
• Rob Bedford reviews A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow. 
• Marion Deeds reviews And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed. 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed. 
• Bill Capossere and Rachael McKenzie review Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura, translated by Phillip Gabriel.
• LaShawn M. Wanak reviews Destroyer of Light by Jennifer Marie Brissett. 
  
• Maya C. James reviews Half-Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian. 
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Switch by A.S. King. 
• Arturo Serrano reviews Civilizations by Laurent Binet.
  
• Lara Feigel reviews Burntcoat by Sarah Hall. 
• Tobias Carroll reviews The Body Scout by Lincoln Michel. 
• Jacob Aron reviews The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield. 
  
• Becky LeJeune reviews The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke. 
• Damp Pebbles reviews The Coven by Lizzie Fry.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Watchers by A.M. Shine. 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Pearl by Josh Malerman.
  
• Mark Yon reviews The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings by Dan Jones.
• Punk Noir Magazine reviews Fallout From Our Asphalt Hell by Gabriel Hart. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Unexpected Place to Fall From, Unexpected Places to Land by Malcolm Devlin.
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Rock Eaters: Stories by Brenda Peynado. 
• Nathaniel Webb reviews issue 6 of Tales from the Magician's Skull. 
• Alvaro Zinos-Amaro reviews Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985 by Andrew Nette and Iain McIntyre.

 
Classics reviews:

• G.W. Thomas revisits the 1914 supernatural war story "The Phantom Bowmen" by Arthur Machen.
  
• Bobby Derie revisits the 1930 fantasy poetry collection Shadow of Wings by Susan Myra Gregory. 
• Nathaniel Webb revisits the 1932 Conan sword and sorcery story "The God in the Bowl" by Robert E. Howard. 
• M. Porcius revisits the March 1935 issue of Weird Tales.
  
• Matthew Pungitore revisits the 1941 horror story "The Werewolf's Howl" by Clifford Ball. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1943 space opera novel Empire of Jegga by David V. Reed a.k.a. David Levine.
  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1951 medieval fantasy novel Huon of the Horn by Andre Norton.
  
• Matthew Rettino revisits the 1951 horror story "The Hungry House" by Robert Bloch. 
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1954 generation ship story "A Star in Life" by Arthur Sellings. 
  
• James Maliszewski revisits the 1961 time travel novel Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson. 
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1966 science fiction novel The Gate of Time by Philip José Farmer and Jason Sacks revisits the 1966 science fiction novel Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin.
  
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the November 1966 issue of Worlds of Tomorrow.
  
• D.M. Ritzlin revisits the winter 1966/67 issue of the Magazine of Horror. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1978 science fiction novel Godsfire by Cynthia Felice. 
• Under Their Black Wings revisits the 1981 dark fantasy novel Khai of Ancient Khem by Brian Lumley.
  
• Bobby Derie revisits the 1984 Zotique fantasy story "Hode of the High Place" by Jessica Amanda Salmonson. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1984 science fiction anthology Supermen, edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh. 
• Randy Money revisits the 1985 horror collection A Nest of Nightmares by Lisa Tuttle.
  
• Bitter Tea and Mystery revisits the 1986 horror story "The Black Pumpkin" by Dean R. Koontz.
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 2001 horror novel The Association by Bentley Little.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Miskatonic Missives: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft is looking for funding for a new edition of selected Lovecraft letters with commentary and references material.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Calvin Reid reports about New York City Comic Con in New York City.
  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore reports about the 4400 reboot panel at New York Comic Con in New York City. 
• Justin Carter reports about the Critical Role panel at New York Comic Con.
  
• Scott Lynch shares the best cosplay photos from New York Comic Con in New York City. 
• Jill Pantozzi shares the best cosplay photos from New York Comic Con. 
• Cora Buhlert reports about the virtual 2021 Octocon. 
• Locus reports about the virtual 2021 Odyssey Writing Workshop.
  
• The Society for Creative Anachronism announces its covid policies.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Richard Luscombe reports that Blue Origins New Shephard capsule has completed another flight with William Shatner, best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, as one of the passengers.
• Mike Glyer also reports about William Shatner's trip to space aboard the Blue Origin New Shephard capsule.
• Robert Margetta reports that NASA's Webb space telescope has reached French Guiana, from where it will be launched into space by an Ariane 5 rocket.
  

Free online fiction:

• "The Backwards Princess of Unusual Parentage" by Allison Mulder in Luna Station Quarterly.
  
• "Love Unflinching, at Low to Zero G" by M.L. Clark in Clarkesworld.
• "Legend of the Giant" by Fei Dao, translated by Ken Liu in Clarkesworld. 
• "Song So Pure and Cruel" by March McCarron in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Burning Girl" by Carrie Vaughn in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Ash-Girl and the Salmon Prince, Part I" by P.H. Lee and Rachel Swirsky in Lightspeed. 
• "Tidings" by Rich Larson in Lightspeed.
  
• "Security Breach at Sugar Pine Suites" by Pamela Rentz in Apex Magazine. 
• "Sand" by Jasmin Kirkbride in Tor.com
  
• "Wait for Night" by Stephen Graham Jones at Tor.com. 
• "Every Night and All" by Sonya Taaffe in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "The Third Option" by Jen Thorpe in Omenana.  
  
• "There's Nothing Left Without the Smoke" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu in The Dark. 
• "Heirlooms" by Zebib K.A. in Fantasy Magazine.
  
• "Surat Dari Hantu" by Lisabelle Tay in Strange Horizons. 
• "The Palm Reader on Haight Street" by Patrick Whitehurst in Punk Noir Magazine.
  
• "The After Party" by Max Christopher in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Fragments" by Anthony Rivera in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Request Letter from Orpheus to Pluto" by Nathan Andrew Huffne in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Solution to the Fermi Paradox" by Brian McNett in Daily Science Fiction.
• "What Fluffy Knew" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 6 of The Expanse. 
• Watch a trailer for season 6 of Outlander.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Spine of Night.
• Watch a trailer for The Black Phone. 
  
• Watch a trailer for Blade Runner: Black Lotus. 
• Watch a clip from The Wheel of Time. 
• Watch a clip from Needle in a Timestack.
  
• Watch the title sequence of The Legend of Vox Machina.
• Watch a trailer for the latest version of Scream.
• Watch a clip from I Know What You Did Last Summer.
• Watch a trailer for Robin Robin.