Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 27, 2023

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the 2023 Hugo winners and the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China, Star Trek Lower Decks and Star Trek in general, Star Wars in general, Loki and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, season 2 of Our Flag Means Death, Gen V,  The Fall of the House of Usher, Five Nights at Freddy's, tributes to Richard Roundtree, a whole lot of horror and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Charlie Jane Anders recommends five recent SFF novels.
  
• Rebecca Bailey reports that the number of female science fiction writers is skyrocketing in China. 
• Owen D. Pomery shares his favourite science fiction crews.
  
• James Wallace Harris explains what he is looking for in a science fiction robot story. 
• Zaria Gorvett talks about the changing portrayal of aliens in science fiction. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction stories that offer high tech solutions to the problems of marriage.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five Hollow Earth stories. 
• Moid Moidelhoff attempts to define weird fiction. 
• Ethan Sabatella shares what he loves about H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. 
• Tobias Carroll shares five SFF books that explore the drawbacks of a super-powered life.
  
• Cole Rush wonders if hot air balloons are the ultimate fantasy vehicle.
• Paul Vidich wonders how fiction should talk about war. 
• Crime Reads hosts a roundtable discussion on indigenous horror. 
• Amy Gentry shares sixteen spooky novellas by women and nonbinary authors
  
• Delilah S. Dawson shares five horror books featuring murderous women. 
• Holly Kybett Smith shares thirteen haunting poems for Halloween.
  
• Elizabeth Hand explains why Shirley Jackson's horror stories and novels still resonate with us today. 
• Maria Fabrá reports that according to Spanish criminology professor Vicente Garrido and criminal lawyer Virgilio Latorre, nineteenth century gothic fiction foreshadowed modern concepts of medical psychopathy and the characteristics of serial killers.
  
• G.W. Thomas profiles pulp SFF writer Willard E. Hawkins
• Molly Templeton talks about managing reading expectations. 
• Birdie Pearson-Jones reports that singer Taylor Swift is suspected of being Elly Conway, the pseudonymous author of the meta spy novel Argylle.  

 

Comics and Art:

• Brad Hawley reviews Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu. 
• Robert Mammone reviews by Creepshow Vol. 2 by Michael Walsh, Dan Watters, Guillem March and Abigail Larson
  
• BOLO Books reviews Murder on the Orient Express The Graphic Novel by Agatha Christie, adapted and illustrated by Bob Al-Greene
• James Whitbrook offers a look at Archie Comics new Darkling series by Sarah Kuhn and fCarola Borelli
• Michael Cavna reports that the Flash Gordon comic strip is returning after twenty years.
  
• Filmdeg Miniatures interviews Games Workshop artist John Blanche.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on series 1 of Bodies.
  
• Leslie Felperin calls Back Home a very creepy haunted house movie from Hong Kong and praises the performance of Bai Ling, 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Doctor Jekyll a gender-flipped horror film that's less intriguing than it sounds
  
• Cath Clarke calls How to Save the Immortal a spectacularly rubbish animated film.  
• Peter Bradshaw calls  Suitable Flesh an eye-rolling erotic body-swap horror thriller loosely based on an H.P. Lovecraft story,
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the found footage horror film House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor.
• Adrian Collins shares his thoughts on the Warhammer 40 000 animated series Pariah: Nexus
• Luke Buckmaster calls Scarygirl a tedious animated film with a half-baked environmental message. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Doom Patrol.
  
• Noetta Harjo shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead.
  
• W.M. Akers and Henry Giardina revisit the 1953 horror film House of Wax.
  
• Witney Seibold revisits the 1962 Twilight Zone episode "Nothing in the Dark".
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1963 horror film The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock and wonders about its inspirations. 
• Leah Schnelbach revisits the 1990 horror movie The Exorcist III.
  
• Germain Lussier revisits the 1994 horror film Wes Craven's New Nightmare. 
• Dan Persons revisits the 2016 dark fantasy film A Monster Calls.
  
• J.R. Forasteros shares five horror movies that explore possession from a non-Christian perspective.
  
• Laurent Bouzereau interviews Stephen Spielberg, director of E.T. the Extraterrestrial, the Indiana Jones movies, Jaws and many others.
• Libby Torres interviews John Carpenter, director of The Thing, They Live, Halloween, The Fog and many others. 
• Adam B. Vary interviews Robert Kirkman, creator of Invincible and The Walking Dead.
  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Don Mancini, creator of Chucky.
  
• David Opie interviews Jacob Anderson who plays Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview With the Vampire.
  
• Linda Codega interviews Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, creators of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. 
• Elsa Keslassy interviews Shawn Levy, producer of Stranger Things and Deadpool 3.
  
• Tara Conlan interviews producer Barbara Broccoli about the future of James Bond on screen.
  
• Richard Newby recounts how Universal fumbled its planned Dark Universe shared cinematic universe, which was supposed to bring all of Universal's horror series and characters together.
  
• James Whitbrook reports that the BBC wants to continue animating the missing Doctor Who stories. 
• Zack Sharf reports that Daniel Radcliffe and his former stunt double David Holmes, who was paralysed during an accident on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, haved teamed up for a documentary about David Holmes' life. 
• Jaden Thompson reports that according to a new study, teenagers and young adults want to see less sex in films and TV shows.
  
• Ted Johnson shares an update about Florida governor Ron DeSantis' war against the Walt Disney Company.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars in general (spoilers): 

• Steve J. Wright shares his issues with Ahsoka.
• The G revisits Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. 
• Vance Kotrla revisits Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones. 
• Haley Zapal revisits Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
  

 

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

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "The Inner Fight", the latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "The Inner Fight". 
• Avery Kaplan shares her thoughts on "The Inner Fight".  
• Avery Kaplan also explains the ending of "The Inner Fight".   
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on season 1 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
  
• Galactic Journey revisits the 1968 Star Trek episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Enterprise episode "Babel One". 
• James Whitbrook reports that Patrick Stewart wasn't very happy with his performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
  

 

Comments on Loki and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on "1893", the latest episode of Loki. 
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on "1893". 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "1893". 
• Saloni Gajjar declares that Tom Hiddleston is the best actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has more than its share of excellent actors and/or big name stars.
  
• Ben Child takes a look at the never produced Spider-Man Sinister Six film.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Our Flag Means Death:

• Jenna Scherer shares her thoughts on "Mermen", the season 2 finale of Our Flag Means Death.
• Saloni Gajjar interviews David Jenkins, showrunner of Our Flag Means Death. 
• Linda Codega also interviews David Jenkins.
  

 

Comments on Gen V: 

• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on "Jumanji", the latest episode of Gen V. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "Jumanji". 
• Melody McCune shares her appreciation for the character of Emma Meyer in Gen V.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong reports that Gen V has been renewed for a second season.
  

 

Comments on The Fall of the House of Usher: 

• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on The Fall of the House of Usher.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Laurin Kelsey, production designer for The Fall of the House of Usher.
  

 

Comments on Five Nights at Freddy's: 

• Benjamin Lee calls Five Nights at Freddy's a competently made yet maddeningly dull and instantly forgettable horror film.
• Andrew J. Salazar declares that Five Nights at Freddy's lacks all horror.
  
• William Hughes shares everything you need to know before watching Five Nights At Freddy's
  
• Sabina Graves interviews Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy's. 
  

 

Tributes to Richard Roundtree:

• Actor Richard Roundtree, star of Shaft, Roots, City Heat, Q - The Winged Serpent, Earthquake and many others, has died aged 81.
• Steve Rose recounts how Richard Roundtree and his black action hero Shaft changed culture forever.
  
• Steve Aldous remembers Richard Roundtree. 
  
• Abené Clayton shares tributes to Richard Roundtree. 
• The Guardian shares photos from Richard Roundtree's long career.

 

Comments on the SAG-AFTRA strike:

• Justin Carter reports that after one hundred days, SAG-AFTRA is still fully committed to the strike.
• SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher weighs in on one hundred days of strike and the studios' continued refusal to negotiate. 
• Linda Codega reports that the SAG-AFTRA strike continues in the face of various networks and streaming services threatening to cancel TV shows.
  
• Justin Carter reports that SAG-AFTRA and the studios will resume negotiations this week. 
• Gene Maddaus reports that the studios are preparing a new offer to SAG-AFTRA.
  
• Justin Carter also reports that SAG-AFTRA has issued guidelines regarding acceptable Halloween costumes for members. 
• Ethan Shanfeld reports that former SAG-AFTRA president Melissa Gilbert has slammed the Halloween costume guidelines as silly bullshit.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2023 Hugo Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2023 Ignyte Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2023 Deutscher Science Fiction Preis have been announced. 
  
• The winners of the 2023 Salam Award have been announced.
• The winner of the 2023 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction has been announced. 
  
• The winner of the 2023 Forry Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2023 SFPA Poetry Contest have been announced.
  
• The nominees for the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award have been announced.
• The longlist for the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2023 Psychedelic Film and Music Festival Awards have been announced.
  
• Salman Rushdie has received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. 
• Penguin Random House sponsors the Freedom of Expression Prize for teenagers.
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2023 Hugo winners.
  
• Chris M. Barkley shares his Hugo acceptance speech for Best Fan Writer. 
• Ursula Vernon a.k.a. T. Kingfisher shares her Hugo acceptance speech for Best Novel. 
• Uncanny Magazine share their acceptance speeches for Best Semiprozine.
• There is a petition to create aNebula Award for Flash Fiction.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Lincoln Michel shares some tips for evoking the eerie in fiction.
• Cass Morris shares worldbuilding tips for NaNoWriMo.
  
• Ella Creamer reports that Salman Rushdie has said that writers should be allowed to write about characters and events outside their experience, otherwise the novel is dead. 
• Lincoln Michel talks about bad criticisms and variations on the death of the author.
  
• SFWA shares some tips for establishing and using a pen name. 
• Alex Shvartsman explains why anonymous submissions are a bad idea.
  
• Victoria Strauss explains why Writer Beware does not recommend or endorse agents or publishers. 
• The Publishing Rodeo Podcast explains why some books just don't sell.
  
• Kalyeena Makortoff reports that the publishers Bloomsbury reports record profits for the first half of 2023 due to the ongoing fantasy boom and the popularity of Sarah J. Maas, Samantha Shannon and Harry Potter.
  
• Chris Vognar profiles the mystery bookshop Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas. 
• Matthew Weaver reports about a plagiarism scandal involving British Labour politician Rachel Reeves.
  
• Fiona Morgan reports that more than one hundred books have been removed from school libraries in Boyle County, Kentucky, in response to a new anti-LGBTQ law. 
• Jess Clark also reports about the book banning in Boyle County, Kentucky. 
• Linda Codega reports that children's book publisher Scholastic has reversed the decision requiring schools to opt in to offering diverse books, i.e. books by and featuring people of colour and LGBTQ+ people, for Scholastic's school book fairs.
  

 

Interviews:

• Rosanna Greenstreet interviews Neil Gaiman. 
• Benjamin VanHoose interviews Veronica Roth.
  
• Fabienne Schwizer interviews Mariely Lares. 
• Gordon B. White interviews Keith Rosson. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Michael Marano. 
  
• Fabienne Schwizer interviews Matthew Harffy.
  

 

Reviews:

• Marlene Harris reviews Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
  
• Mihir Wanchoo reviews Lord Of A Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones 
• Liam's Lyceum reviews The City of Marble and Blood by Howard Andrew Jones. 
• Molly Templeton reviews Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix. 
  
• James Reasoner reviews Black Starlight by John C. Hocking. 
• Mark Yon reviews These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs.
  
• Liz Bourke reviews A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard 
• Chris Kluwe reviews Generation Ship by Michael Mammay  
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Generation Ship by Michael Mammay  
• Tar Vol On reviews Generation Ship by Michael Mammay 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar 
• Ian Mond reviews The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar
• Paul Weimer reviews War of the Maps by Paul McAuley 
• Martin Cahill reviews The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab 
• John Mauro reviews No Safe Haven by James Lloyd Dulin
  
• Fabienne Schwizer reviews Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
• P.H. Low reviews A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews A Power Unbound by Freya Marske  
• James Vella-Bardon reviews The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding
  
• Mark Yon reviews An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka. 
• Natalie Zutter reviews Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  
• Gabino Iglesias reviews The Legend of Charlie Fish by Josh Rountree 
  
• Judith Tarr reviews The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey.
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Rook by William Ritter
  
• Tar Vol On reviews Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Twisted Branches by Rachel Knightley 
• Rob Bedford reviews Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
  
• Tar Vol On reviews Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
• Fantasy Book Critic reviews The September House by Carissa Orlando   
• Paperback Warrior reviews The Switch House by Tim Meyer. 
• Charles Bonkowsky reviews The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey 
• Natasha Pulley reviews Palace of Shadows by Ray Celestin 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews Midnight at the Houdini by Delilah S. Dawson 
  
• Randy Money reviews Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Later by Stephen King. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Unquiet by E. Saxey
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
• Cassie Schulz reviews I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea
• Doreen Sheridan reviews A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Sealed With A Hiss by Eule Grey 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Captain Marvel - Source Code by Gilly Segal 
  
• Jen Lucas reviews Darkness Beckons, edited by Mark Morris 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Bark and Bone - Wilding Worlds 1: Forest, edited by Siobhan Logan and Darragh Logan-Davies
• Marlene Harris reviews The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023, edited by R.F. Kuang and John Joseph Adams
• Alex Wallace reviews  Space Craze: America’s Enduring Fascination with Real and Imagined Space Flight by Margaret A. Weitekamp.
• Alvaro Zinos-Amaro reviews The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies by Ryan Britt
   
  

Classics reviews:

• Daniel Dern revisits the 1942 fantasy collection The Amazing Adventures of The Flying Yorkshireman a.k.a. Sam Small Flies Again by Eric Knight.
• Sam Reader revisits the 1943 horror story "The Crowd" by Ray Bradbury.
  
• Matthew Ilseman revisits the 1943 horror novels Malperthuis and The Cuty of Unspeakable Fear by Jean Ray. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1954 horror story "Brenda" by Margaret St. Clair.
  
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1954 post-apocalyptic story "The Music Master of Babylon" by Edgar Pangborn and the 1958 post-apocalyptic story "Road to Nightfall" by Robert Silverberg.
  
• Mark Yon revisits the October and November 1968 issues of New Worlds.
  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the November 1968 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1974 time travel novel Ice and Iron by Wilson Tucker. 
• Jordan Smith revisits the 1976 Bran Mak Morn sword and sorcery novel Legion of Shadows by Karl Edward Wagner. 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1981 horror novel Pin by Andrew Neiderman.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1981 space opera novel Second Game by Charles V. De Vet and Katherine MacLean 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1988 horror novel The Drive-In by Joe R. Lansdale.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1997 horror novel Halloween: The Scream Factory by Kelly O'Rourke. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1998 science fiction horror story "Jedella Ghost" by Tanith Lee.
  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin revisits the 2005 Discworld fantasy novel Thud! by Terry Pratchett.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

•  The Street Humans action figure line is looking for funding.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• A Chinese fan shares a video of their adventures at the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China.
  
• Mike Glyer reports about the results of the first main WSFS Business Meeting at the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China.
• Mike Glyer shares more results of the 2023 WSFS Business Meeting. 
• Watch videos of the Thursday, Friday and Saturday WSFS Buisness Meeting at the 2023 Worldcon.
  
• Mike Glyer reports that the 2025 Worldcon will take place in Seattle, Washington. 
• Tammy Coxen declares that it is time to uncouple NASFIC from the WSGS and Worldcon and create a North American or US national convention.
  
• Ella Creamer reports about the Black British Book Festival in London, UK. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch explains why she rarely attends book festivals.
  
• Kelly Burke reports about an interview with Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker at SXSW Sydney in Sydney, Australia.
• Sabina Graves shares various immersive Halloween experiences in the Los Angeles, California, area. 
• The BBC reports that the closed down Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford, UK, where J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and the other so-called Inklings used to meet regularly, has been purchased by the Ellison Institute of Technology and will be restored and reopened. 

 

Science and technology:

• Passant Rabie reports that NASA is having trouble opening the asteroid sample containers from the Osiris Rex mission. 
• Passant Rabie reports that a coolant leak has ended the spacewalk of two cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station.
  
• Ashley Strickland reports that an eight-billion-year-old radio signal from space has reached Earth. 
• Kaye Dee reports about the Apollo-7 mission in 1968.
  
• Stephen Buranyi reports about plastic eating bacteria that could revolutonise waste disposal. 
• Ted Chiang and Eric Heisserer respond to Marc Andreessen's Techno-Optimist manifesto.
  
• Cara Ocobock and Sarah Lacy point out that the theory that men evolved to hunt and women evolved to gather is just plain wrong.
• Emma Smith wonders whether our attention spans are really getting shorter. 
• C-SPAN interviews Brother Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican observatory.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Justin Carter declares that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 hits all the right cinematic notes
  
• Germain Lussier ranks the Spider suits from Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Alan Wake Remastered by Remedy Entertainment
  
• Linda Codega reports about a planned crossover between Marvel Comics and Magic the Gathering.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection He-Man and Beast-Man. 
• Toy Habits reviews the Mondo Masters of the Universe Trap Jaw. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the life-sized PureArts Crown of Gondor replica

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery" by Lavie Tidhar in Tor.com.
  
• "Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont" by P.A. Cornell in Fantasy Magazine.
  
• "Sleep Well, My Prince" by Lyndsey Croal in Luna Station Quarterly.
• "Four Words Written on My Skin" by Jenn Reese in Uncanny Magazine.
  
• "Domestic Magic (Or Things My Wife and I Found Hidden In Our House)" by Kirsty Logan in The Dark.
• "Excerpts from a Scientist’s Notebook: Ancestral Memory in Europan Pseudocephalopods" by David DeGraff in Lightspeed.
  
• "What You Are and the Wolf" by Jae Steinbacher in Lightspeed.  
• "In the Forest of Talking Animals" by Makena Onjerika in The Deadlands.
  
• "Through Dreams She Moves" by Tonya Liburd in Apex Magazine.
  
• "We Will Witness" by Martin Cahill in The Sunday Morning Transport.
  
• "Timothy: An Oral History" by Michael Swanwick in Clarkesworld.
  
• "Rafi" by Amal Singh in Clarkesworld.
• "Unnatural Disaster" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  
• Issue 3 of Witch House Amateur Magazine of Cosmic Horror is now available.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special.
  
• Watch a trailer for Leave the World Behind. 
• Watch a trailer for Lisa Frankenstein.
  
• Watch a trailer for Ommyoji.
  
• Watch a video of Doctor Who showrunners Russell T. Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall discussing the show and geeking out together.