Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 21, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek in general, Doctor Who past, present and future, Star Wars: The Acolyte and Star Wars in general, Dark Matter, season 2 of House of the Dragon, season 4 of The Boys, season 2 of Interview with the Vampire, season 2 of The Lazarus Project, The Watchers, The Exorcism, Civil War, Inside Out 2, tributes to Donald Sutherland and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Philip Athans declares that all science fiction and fantasy is allegorical. 
• Sean McGowan lists six predictions that early science fiction authors got completely wrong. 
• Ratika Deshpande lists five SFF stories about losing memories and one's self.
  
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories about houses with minds of their own 
• James Wallace Harris shares his method to discover the science fiction stories he enjoys most. 
• Lucy Foley shares six works of folk horror to enjoy. 
• Alex Brown lists five underrated SFF mysteries.
  
• James Davis Nicoll lists five murder mysteries featuring SFF authors and fans
  
• Dennis Wilson Wise analyses SFF bestsellers in the US up to 1990 and finds that Piers Anthony is the bestselling SFF author of the era.
• Phil Nichols profiles John Wyndham.
  
• Dennis Wilson Wise shares his appreciation for the works of Charles Saunders. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the Man From U.N.C.L.E. tie-in novels. 
• Con runner and editor Priscilla Olson has died aged 73.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Robert Mammone reviews the noir comic The One Hand #4 by Ram V, Laurence Campbell and Lee Loughridge
• Robert Mammone reviews The Deviant #5 by James Tynion and Joshua Hixson  
• Rachel Cooke reviews George Sand: True Genius, True Woman by Séverine Vidal and Kim Consigny
  
• Ngozi Ukazu, writer and artist of the current Big Barda comic, explains what the character means to her.
• Tara Sim explains how the manga series Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow taught her about the importance of storytelling and love. 

 

Film and TV:

• Tim Marion shares his displeasure with X-Men '97 as someone who was a fan of the original X-Men animated series. 
• Saloni Gajjar calls Orphan Black: Echoes a sequel series that falls short of the original.
  
• Leslie Felperin calls Deadland a melancholy horror film with deep themes of racism, immigration and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Catherine Bray calls Something in the Water a tense survival thriller with a bizarre premise.
  
• Natalia Keogan calls Tiger Stripes a derivative and declawed horror film from Malaysia.  
• Cindy White calls the anime movie The Imaginary a warm-hearted celebration of the creative spirit
  
• Cath Clarke calls Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow a cosy animated eight-legged crime caper  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Reginald the Vampire.
  
• Ben Child speculates about the upcoming Hunt for Gollum film and wonders if actors Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen will be involved again.
• Robert Eggers, director of The Witch, The Northman, The Lighthouse and others, explains that he makes horror movies to exorcise his own fears. 
• Alex Wallace revisits the 1920 horror movie The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari  
• Alex Wallace revisits the 1926 animated fantasy film The Adventures of Prince Achmed 
  
• Nick Bythrow reports that the special effects in the 1927 dystopian film Metropolis still hold up 97 years later.
  
• Witney Seibold explains why the 1966 dystopian novel Make Room, Make Room by Harry Harrison was retitled Soylent Green for the 1973 film adaptation. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1982 science fiction noir film Blade Runner.
  
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1985 dystopian noir movie Brazil
• Ann Michelle Harris revisits the 1986 fantasy movie Labyrinth. 
• Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser revisit the 1987 Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Bablyon 5 episode "Survivors".
  
• Nathan Tavares revisits the 1997 Xena episode “Here She Comes… Miss Amphipolis” and finds it remarkably progressive in its portrayal of LGBTQ characters.  
• Jarrod Jones revisits the 1998 multiverse crime drama Run, Lola, Run.
  
• The film critics of The Guardian share their saddest movie deaths. 
• Readers of The Guardian share their saddest movie deaths. 
  
• Brian Grubb lists some shows on which he would love to see Jack Reacher appear.  
• Andrew Pulver reports that the world premiere of The Last Screenwriter, a movie allegedly entirely written by ChatGPT, in London, UK, has been cancelled, following a massive backlash.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on season 2 of Star Trek Discovery.
  
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1984 movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock for its fortieth anniversary.
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Star Trek Prodigy.
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on "The Legend of Ruby Sunday", the latest episode of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". 
  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". 
  
• Roslyn Sulcas profiles Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her appreciation for the character of Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who.
  
• James Whitbrook shares some background about the main recurring villains in the current series of Doctor Who. 
  
• James Hibbs and Morgan Jeffery report that Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies isn't troubled by the most recent season's not too great ratings, because the show is a hit with younger viewers.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars: The Acolyte and Star Wars in general: 

• Haley Zapal shares her thoughts on "Destiny", episode 3 of The Acolyte.
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Destiny". 
• Nathaniel Rook shares his thoughts on "Destiny". 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Day", episode 4 of The Acolyte. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Day". 
• Joshua M. Patton shares his thoughts on "Day", 
  
• Rachel Leishman is baffled that so many people seem to be shocked to see the Jedi portrayed quite negatively in The Acolyte. 
• Thomas Bacon points out that Star Wars has always altered what passes for canon.
  
• Brooks Barnes interviews Leslye Headland, showrunner of The Acolyte. 
• James Whitbrook discusses a cameo appearance by a familiar Star Wars character in The Acolyte.
  
• Justin Carter discusses the theme song for The Acolyte, "The Power of Two" by Victoria Monét. 
• FandomWire reports that far right fans trying to review-bomb The Acolyte are accidentally review-bombing a 2017 movie called Acolytes instead. 
  
• Winston Cho offers an update on Gina Carano's lawsuit again Disney after she was fired from The Mandalorian for continuing to share controversial polical opinions.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of House of the Dragon: 

• Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon. 
• Rebecca Nicholson shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon.   
• Tom Huddleston shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon. 
• Kayleigh Dray shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon.   
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon.    
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon.    
  
• Cheryl Eddy lists fifteen House of the Dragon characters to remember ahead of season 2. 
• Jennifer Maas and Jordan Moreau interview Ryn Condal, showrunner of House of the Dragon.
  
• Stuart Jeffries interviews Matt Smith who plays Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Phia Saban who plays Queen Heleana in House of the Dragon. 
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Steve Toussaint and Eve Best, who plays Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen in House of the Dragon. 
• Melody McCune shares her fifteen favourite looks from season 1 of House of the Dragon.
  
• Cheryl Eddy reports that the season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon got high ratings, but not as high as the season 1 premiere.
  

 

Comments on The Watchers:

•  Leah Schnelbach declares that The Watchers took two different intriguing premises and declined to do anything with either of them
• Alex Wallace calls The Watchers reasonably good, not outstanding
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Interview with the Vampire:

• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Interview with the Vampire. 
• Noetta Harjo shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Interview with the Vampire.  
• Sabine Graves shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Interview with the Vampire.   
• Gavia Baker Whitelaw interviews Carol Cutshall, costume designer for Interview with the Vampire.
  

 

Comments on season 4 of The Boys:

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the second episode of The Boys.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the second episode of The Boys. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the third episode of The Boys.
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the third episode of The Boys. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the fourth episode of The Boys. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the fourth episode of The Boys. 
  
• Cheryl Eddy reports that in spite of backlash from the far right, The Boys is more popular than ever.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of The Lazarus Project:

• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the first and second episode of season 2 of The Lazarus Project.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Lazarus Project.

 

Comments on Dark Matter: 

• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Dark Matter.
• Brian D. Bradley shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Dark Matter.
  

 

Comments on Civil War:

• C.T. Phipps declares that Civil War has nothing really to say about any divisions in America today.
• Xan Brooks interviews Jesse Plemons, star of Civil War, Breaking Bad, USS Callister and many others. 

 

Comments on The Exorcism:

•  Matt Schimkowitz calls The Exorcism a horror film possessed by too many ideas
• Stuart Heritage wonders why Russell Crowe keeps making movies about exorcists.  

 

Comments on Inside Out 2: 

• Arturo Serrano declares that Inside Out 2 offers more colors, more drama, same beats, same stakes
  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin calls Inside Out 2 is a worthy addition to its predecessor 
• Ryan Smith calls Inside Out 2 a near perfect return to form.
  
• Catherine Shoard shares a spoilerish reviews of Inside Out 2.
  
• Catherine Shoard interviews Amy Poehler who voices Joy in Inside Out 2.
• Rebecca Rubin reports that Inside Out 2 has had the biggest box office opening of 2024 so far.
  

 

Tributes to Donald Sutherland:

• Actor Donald Sutherland, star of The Dirty Dozen, Klute, Don't Look Now, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, The Great Train Robbery, The Hunger Games and many others, has died aged 88.
• Peter Bradshaw shares a tribute to Donald Sutherland.
• Mary Kate Carr remembers Donald Sutherland. 
• Cheryl Eddy remembers Donald Sutherland.
  
• Greg Whitmore shares photos from Donald Sutherland's lengthy career.
  

 

Awards:

•  The winners of the 2024 Robert E. Howard Awards have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2024 Manly Wade Wellman Award has been announced.  
• The winner of the 2024 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2024 Australian Fairy Tale Society Award have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2024 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize has been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Annecy International Festival of Animation have been announced.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Tim Waggoner shares some tips for keeping writing, even if you don't feel like it.
• D.V. Bishop explains how to keep an ongoing series fresh. 
• Isobel Shirlaw explains how she accidentally became a crime fiction writer.
  
• Charlie Jane Anders wishes there were more opportunities for writers to read their work. 
• Philip Athans explains how to reject rejections.
  
• Taylor Murray reports that the estate of the late Christopher Priest has donated two thousand books to a bookshop in Paisley, Scotland. 
• Paolo Zialcita reports that the beloved independent bookstore Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado, has been sold to the chain Barnes & Noble.
  

 

Interviews:

• Locus interviews Travis Baldree
• E.E. King and Andrea Goyan interview Elizabeth Bear in a two-part video.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Alison Littlewood. 
  
• Fabienne Schwizer interviews Rosalie M. Lin. 
• The Official Conan the Barbarian Podcast interviews John C. Hocking.
  
• Victoria Selman interviews J.M. Hewitt and Melanie Golding.  
• John B. Valeri interviews Riley Sager.
  

 

Reviews:

• S.E. Lindberg reviews Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones and The Doom of Odin by Scott Oden.
• Blue Book Balllon reviews The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard 
• Marlene Harris reviews Ghostdrift by Suzanne Palmer 
• Ian Mond reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 
• Adrienne Martini reviews Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Runes of Engagement by Tobias S. Buckell and Dave Klecha
  
• A Reader of Else reviews Starter Villain by John Scalzi.
• Marion Deeds reviews How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler 
• Marion Deeds reviews Upgrade by Blake Crouch
  
• Gayle Surrette reviews Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton 
• Warner Holme reviews Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney 
  
• Martin Cahill reviews Wicked Problems by Max Gladstone
  
• Fiona Denton reviews The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
  
• John Hertz reviews My Brother’s Keeper by Tim Powers
  
• Marlene Harris reviews We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed  
• Mark Yon reviews The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wasteland by Sarah Brooks.
  
• Camestros Felapton reviews Mammoths at the Gate by Nghi Vo  
  
• Lara Feigel reviews Private Rites by Julia Armfield 
• Aigner Loren Wilson reviews Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
  
• Wole Talabi reviews In the Shadow of the Fall by Tobi Ogundiran 
• C.T. Phipps reviews Song of Carcosa by Josh Reynolds
  
• Rob Bedford reviews Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Diavola by Jennifer Thorne  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Retown by Boris Bacic.
  
• Paula Guran reviews The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan  
• Eugen M. Bacon reviews Captive: New Short Fiction from Africa, edited by Helen Moffett and Rachel Zadok  
• Killian Fox reviews Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham  
• Adam Rutherford reviews The Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI by Neil Lawrence
  
• C.T. Phipps reviews A Look Behind the Derleth Mythos by John D. Haefele
     
  

Classics reviews:

• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 1819 vampire novel The Vampyre by John Polidori and its tangled publication history. 
• Bobby Derie revisits the 1931 horror story “The Mummy’s Jest” by Edward Podolsky
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1936 weird western story "The Dead Remember" by Robert E. Howard.
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1958 post-apocalyptic story “The Last of the Deliverers” by Poul Anderson
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1963 science fiction novel Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle 
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1967 horror story “A Toy for Juliette” by Robert Bloch
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1968 science fiction collection So Bright The Vision by Clifford D. Simak
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1969 gothic romance Dark of the Moon by Dan Ross.
  
• Victoria Silverwood revisits the 1969 science fiction mystery Deathstar Voyage by Ian Wallace, Gideon Marcus revisits the 1969 science fiction novel The Nets of Space by Emil Petaja and Jason Sacks revisits the 1969 science fiction novel The Day of the Dolphin by Robert Merle 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the July 1969 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1972 Earthsea fantasy novel The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
  
• Paul Weimer and Trish Matson revisits the 1974 feminist science fiction novel Walk to the End of the World by Suzy McKee Charnas. 
• Sam Reader revisits the 1978 horror story “Within the Walls of Tyre” by Michael Bishop 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1992 science fantasy novel Two-Bit Heroes by Doris Egan  
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1994 science fiction story “Mood Bender” by Jonathan Lethem
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1998 science fiction novella "Oceanic" by Greg Egan. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2001 near future science fiction novel The American Zone by L. Neil Smith   
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2004 urban fantasy novel Trash, Sex, Magic by Jennifer Stevenson
   
  

Crowdfunding:

• Beating Hearts & Battle-Axes, a romantic sword and sorcery anthology edited by Oliver Brackenbury, is looking for funding.
  
• The official Planet of the Apes roleplaying game is looking for funding.
  
• Adam-Troy Castro needs some help with medical expenses related to his cancer treatment.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• The 2024 Westercon in Salt Lake City, Utah, has published a progress report.
  
• Mike Glyer reports that the 2025 BayCon in Santa Clara, California, will also be the 2025 Westercon.
  
• Mark Roth-Whitworth talks about some cultural changes at conventions that he has observed.
  
• Ellen Datlow shares some photos of the latest Fantastic Fiction Reading at the KGB Bar in New York City, featuring Grady Hendrix and Bracken MacLeod.
• Scott H. Andrews shares some photos of the 2024 Rainforest Writers Retreat in Lake Quinault, Washington. 
• The BBC reports that a memorial monument dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien has been unveiled at Pembroke College in Oxford, UK, where Tolkien taught as a professor. 
• Sabina Graves shares a look at some horror themed attractions at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida.
  
• Gordon Jackson reports about a class action lawsuit against the Disney Parks over a new annual pass which did not in fact guarantee access to the park whenever the holder wanted.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Ian Sample reports that astronomers have detected the sudden awakening of a massive black hole in another galaxy.
  
• Jackson Ryan reports that a jammed door is impacting the mission of the XRISM space telescope.
• Anthony Cuthbertson reports that the discovery that a prolonged stay in space causes the kidneys of astronauts to shrink might endanger a proposed manned mission to Mars. 
• Jamie Carter reports that the existence of gravity waves has been confirmed for the first time during the recent solar eclipse.
  
• Dhruv Khullar wonders what impact nanomachines will have upon the world.
• Clare Watson reports that a new study suggests that gravity can exist without mass. 
• Abigail Nussbaum discusses misconceptions about artificial intelligence.
  
• Hannah Citchlow discusses whether traumatic memories can be inherited from one's ancestors. 
• Matthew Clark talks about the impact of lab-grown diamonds 
  
• Judith Tarr talks about the so-called Jersey Devil, the only state demon in the US.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Nerds of a feather discuss what makes a great RPG.
• James Whitbrook interviews Jeremy Crawford, principal rules designer for Dungeons & Dragons. 
• Keza MacDonald reports about some recent controversies in the video game sphere and notes that the toxic online misogyny of Gamergate is back, if it ever went away.
  
• Joseph Earl Thomas declares that Pokémon is all about reading. 
• Mike Druckner shares a satirical piece pointing out that people complaining about games having become "woke" now are just upset that they are no longer the main target audience for video games.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Lisa Fickenscher reports that adults have surpassed preschool children as the biggest toy buying demographic.  
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Beast-Man.
  
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Mattel Turtles of Grayskull Man-at-Arms.
  
• Sabina Graves shares a look at Mondo's upcoming X-Men'97 action figures. 
• Scott Neitlich explains why certain characters cannot be made as toys until they suddenly can like the Tonnika Sistsers from Star Wars. 
• Susan Smith-Richardson reviews the toy documentary Black Barbie.
  
• Cora Buhlert shares a Masters-of-the-Universe-piece Theatre toy photo story entitled "Puzzle". 
• Watch a trailer for Black Barbie.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Chasing the Adur Myth" by Dave Hangman in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Art the Owls Can't Swallow" by Spencer Nitkey in Apex Magazine. 
• "Hands Like Gold and Starlight" by K.S. Walker in Uncanny Magazine  
• "In the Hands of the Mountain God" by Deborah L. Davitt in Lightspeed. 
• "The Help Hotline" by Dominica Phetteplace in Lightspeed.
  
• "The Clockmaker" by Marc Joan in The Deadlands. 
• "The Barricade" by Joyce Ch’ng in Interzone Digital.
  
• "Labyrinth" by Beth Goder in The Dark.
• "Himalia" by Carrie Vaughn in Clarkesworld
• "Bodies" by Cat McMahan in Clarkesworld.
• "Koko’s Body" by Albert Nkereuwem in Omenana.
  
• "Billy Blue" by Ally Wilkes in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "Hollywood Ending" by Kistine Kathryn Rusch.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Watchmen. 
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Snowpiercer. 
• Watch a trailer for The Penguin.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Beast Within. 
• Watch a trailer for Fly Me To The Moon.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Front Room.
  
• Watch a trailer for Sunny.
• Watch a trailer for Smile 2.