Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for September 13, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with an uproar at GenCon, season 2 of House of the Dragon, the cancellation of The Acolyte and Star Wars in general, Masters of the Universe in general, Star Trek in general, Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Transformers One, season 2 of The Rings of Power, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, Speak No Evil, The Front Room, the debate about AI generated writing and art, tributes to John Cassaday, James Earl Jones and Kenneth Cope and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in September 2024
  
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in September 2024
• Reactor shares all the new horror, romantasy and SFF crossover books arriving in September 2024
  
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in September 2024
  
• Daniel Perez Castrillón reports about the state of science fiction, fantasy and horror in Spain.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares three helpful SFF-related rules of thumb 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five classic science fiction books about rival nation states in space.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares morally and ethically dubious science fiction solutions to the problem of astronaut mass. 
• Ratika Deshpande shares six SFF stories featuring lovers united or separated by the cosmos 
  
• Rjurik Davidson talks about time travel and identity. 
• Molly Templeton talks about climate fiction.
  
• Markus Brauer explains why we need superheroes.
  
• Rachel Harrison explains why vampires are back in fashion. 
• Logan Ashley Kisner talks about gender and horror 
  
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror books built around female friendships
  
• Gail Lukasic shares four gothic and neo-gothic novels about mothers  
• Jonathan Thornton shares his appreciation for the works of Alasdair Gray. 
• Kiersten White talks about reimagining and reconsidering that character of Lucy Westenra in Dracula by Bram Stoker.
  
• Camestros Felapton reports that the Rite Gud podcast, known mainly for getting involved in various feuds in the speculative fiction field and for harassing SFF writers and fans, is closing down.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Blue Book Balloon reviews Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze by Tom Mandrake, DJ Ben Ha Meen and Mellow Brown 
• Stephanie Kola-Ogunbule reviews Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1 by Hiromu Arakawa 
• Rachel Cooke reviews Final Cut by Charles Burns
  
• Tom Gauld shares the cartoon "The Masked Librarian Strikes Again".
  

 

Tributes to John Cassaday:

• Comic artist John Cassaday, best known for his work on Planetary, Astonishing X-Men, Gen13, Captain America and many others, has died aged 52. 
• Rich Johnston remembers John Cassaday. 
• Gordon Jackson shares tributes to John Cassaday.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Trish Matson shares her thoughts on Batman: Caped Crusader.
• Arley Sorg and Josh Pearce discuss Alien: Romulus 
  
• Phil Hoad calls The Vourdalak a deviously fun horror film. 
• Jacob Oller calls My Old Ass a sappy and snappy time travel film.
  
• Katie Rife calls the horror film The Substance a bloody, feminist catharsis in action 
• Leslie Felperin calls Subservience a predictable science fiction thriller. 
• Matthew Jackson calls Booger a squirmy, funny body horror film.
• Natalia Keogan declares that monstrous motherhood has never been more mundane than in Nightbitch.
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Snowpiercer. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Ark.
  
• Avery Kaplan shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Futurama.
  
• Catherine Bray shares her thoughts on the Chinese animated film Boonie Bears: Time Twist and wonders why the Boonie Bears series is so successful. 
  
• Mikey O'Connell interviews horror director Mike Flanagan. 
• Jim Vejvoda interviews Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, director and writer of Joker: Folie à Deux.
  
• Zoe Williams interviews James McAvoy, star of the X-Men movies, His Dark Materials, Speak No Evil and many others.
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Jennifer Kent, writer and director of The Babadook. 
• Sophie Aldred, who played Ace in Doctor Who, recounts how the show continues to influence her life thirty-five years later.
  
• Avery Kaplan remembers Lucille Ball as the patron saint of Star Trek. 
• Ann Michelle Harris shares a guide to anime for beginners.
• Don Kaye shares thriteen great SFF films made for one million US-dollars or less. 
  
• Michael Boyle reports that Scream fandom is still divided almost a year after actress Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7 over Pro-Palestinian comments on social media. 
• Diane Darcy revisits the 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
  
• Jon O'Brien revisits the 1984 science fiction film The Brother from Another Planet 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode "Chrysalis". 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1995 cyberpunk anime Ghost in the Shell
  
• Debopriyaa Dutta revisits the 1997 science fiction series Stargate SG-1
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2008 horror film Lake Mungo.
  
• Lynette Rice reports that production of season 3 of Good  Omens has been halted due to the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman. 
• Max Goldbart reports that Neil Gaiman has offered to step back from Good Omens. 
• Actor and race car driver Chad McQueen, best known for his role as Dutch in the Karate Kid movies, has died aged 63.
  
• British actor, writer and film producer Robert Sidaway, who appeared in Doctor Who, The Avengers and Out of the Unknown among many others, has died aged 82. 

  

Comments on season 2 of House of the Dragon: 

• Isaiah Colbert shares House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal's response to George R.R. Martin criticising some changes made to his story.
• Mary Kate Carr reports that the relationship between George R.R. Martin and HBO has been souring for a while now.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general: 

• Ben Child claims that the proposed Masters of the Universe live action movie will only work as a forward-thinking, culturally adept satire, proving that he has no clue what Masters of the Universe is about. 
• Cora Buhlert responds to Ben Child. 
• Lee Freitag reports about rumours that Jared Leto may be cast as Skeletor in the proposed Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• For Eternia interviews Tim Sheridan, writer of the Masters of the Universe Revolution prequel comic as well as the voice of King Miro.
  
• James Eatock discusses Faker's sole appearance in the Filmation He-Man cartoon.
  

 

 Comments on the cancellation of The Acolyte and Star Wars in general:

• Alex Welch declares that the cancellation of The Acolyte proves that Lucasfilm is becoming way too cautious in its handling of Star Wars. 
• Lyvie Scott declares that Lucasfilm's cowardice and caving in to toxic fans is catching up with the company and harming the Star Wars brand.
  
• Lyvie Scott declares that The Acolyte isn't ruining Star Wars, toxic fans are.
  
• Jake Kleinman declares that the cancellation of The Acolyte and a lack of Star Wars TV series announced for after sping 2025 means that Star Wars on TV might well be dead.
  
• James Whitbrook reports how the comic Star Wars: Kelnacca by Cavan Scott, Marika Cresta, Ariana Maher and Jim Campbell will flesh out the backstory of a supporting character in The Acolyte.
• Todd Gilchrist interviews Ewan McGregor, who played Obi Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy and the epoynmous series.
  
• Gordon Jackson interviews Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, writers of Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
• Gordon Jackson interviews Bobby Moynihan, Gaten Matarazzo, Tony Revolori and Marsai Martin, voice actors in Lego Star Wars: Rebuilt the Galaxy.
  
• Gordon Jackson reports that film producer Kevin Francis, a friend of the late Peter Cushing, has sued Disney and Lucasfilm for digitally resurrecting Cushing in Rogue One. 
  

 

Comments on Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general: 

• Nick Romano interviews Jac Schaeffer, showrunner of WandaVision and Agatha All Along, and Brad Winterbaum, head of Marvel Studios TV division. 
• Nick Romano reports that every episode of Agatha All Along will address the changing portrayal of witches in popular culture.
• Avery Kaplan shares her appreciation for the character of Agatha Harkness.
  

 

Comments on Transformers One:  

• Germain Lussier calls Transformers One the best Transformers movie in a generation
  
• Leigh Monson declares that Transformers One is no more, and no less, than meets the eye

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:

• Chris M. Barkley shares his favourite episodes of the original Star Trek.
  
• James Whitbrook shares his appreciation for the late James Darren's performance as holographic lounge singer Vic Fontaine in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
  

 

Comments on The Rings of Power: 

• Matt Schimkowitz shares his thoughts on "Hall of Stone", the latest episode of The Rings of Power. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Hall of Stone"
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "Hall of Stone" 
• Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on "Eldest", the previous episode of The Rings of Power.
• Melody McCune interviews Ema Horvath who plays Eärien in The Rings of Power.
  
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw declares that The Rings of Power has an accent problem that reeks of classism and stereotypes. 
• James Hibberd reports about the woes facing the producers of The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon. 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that The Rings of Power is still planning on five seasons in spite of falling viewer numbers.
  

 

Comments on Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice:

• Arturo Serrano declares that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not so much beating an undead horse, but more like apathetically poking it with a stick
  
• Jesse Hassenger calls Beetlejuice Beetlejuice an anarchic culmination of Tim Burton's late period
  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that against all odds, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice shows how to make sequels fun
• Nick Romano interviews  Corey Baker, choreographer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
  
• J. Kim Murphy reports that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had the second best opening weekend for a movie released in September ever.
  

 

Comments on Wynonna Earp: Vengeance: 

• Anna Govert calls Wynonna Earp: Vengeance a fun, messy return to purgatory 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on Wynonna Earp: Vengeance. 
• Melody McCune interviews Melanie Scrofano and Tim Rozon, stars of Wynonna Earp: Vengeance. 
• Melody McCune interviews Dom Provost-Chalkley and Katherine Barrell, two more stars of Wynonna Earp: Vengeance.
  
• Alex Faccibene shares five science fiction westerns fans of Wynonna Earp: Vengeance will enjoy.
  

 

Comments on Speak No Evil: 

• Alex Welch calls Speak No Evil an entertaining, unnecessary horror remake
• Hannah Rose declares that never has a cringey horror movie been as much fun as Speak No Evil.  
• Jacob Oller calls Speak No Evil a caricature of an americanized horror remake
  

 

Comments on The Front Room: 

• Elijah Gonzales calls The Front Room a sloppy, scare-free horror grab bag 
• Lorinda Donovan shares her thoughts on The Front Room.
  

 

Tributes to James Earl Jones:

• Actor James Earl Jones, best known for voicing Darth Vader in multiple Star Wars movies, playing Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian and voicing Mufasa in The Lion King, has died aged 93.
• Lenny Henry and Don Warrington share their tributes to James Earl Jones.
  
• Peter Bradshaw remembers James Earl Jones.
  
• James Whitbrook remembers James Earl Jones.
• Erik Pedersen remembers James Earl Jones. 
• Steve Vertlieb remembers James Earl Jones. 
• Diana Keng remembers James Earl Jones.
  
• Denise Petski shares tributes to James Earl Jones from co-stars and directors. 
• Alfie Peckham shares tributes by readers of the Guardian to James Earl Jones. 
• The AV-Club share their eight favourite performances by James Earl Jones.
  
• Greg Whitmore shares photos from James Earl Jones' lengthy career.
  

 

Tributes to Kenneth Cope: 

• British actor Kenneth Cope, star of Coronation Street, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Bill and many others, has died aged 93. 
• Tom Ambrose and Amelia Hill remembers Kenneth Cope. 
• Michael Coveney shares an obituary for Kenneth Cope.
  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2024 Ditmar Awards have been announced.
• Ella Creamer reports that the Canadian Scotiabank Giller Prize has dropped the name Scotiabank, but not the sponsor, in response to the usual complaints by Pro-Palestinian protestors about Scotiabank doing business with Israel.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Sharon Bowring explains how she transformed her hometown into a fictional world.
  
• Karen Salyer McElmurray talks about the search for the perfect writing space.
  

 

Comments on the debate about AI generated writing and art: 

• Meghan Herbst reports about the uproar caused when the NaNoWriMo organisation called criticisms of AI generated writing ableist and classist.
• Sarah Gailey shares her thoughts on the NaNoWriMon uproar. 
  
• Su Lin Blodgett reports that AU Large Language Models produce racist output when prompted in African American English
  

 

Interviews:

• Nancie Clare interviews Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 
  
• Locus interviews Catherynne M. Valente.
• Rebecca Onion interviews Emily St. John Mandel. 
  
• Emma Brockes interviews Rumaan Alam.
  
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Matt Dinniman.
• Scott Edelman interviews William J. Donahue.
• Marissa van Uden interviews Eugen Bacon and Clare E. Rhoden 
  

 

Reviews:

• Alex Brown reviews Countess by Suzan Palumbo.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Passions in Death by J.D. Robb 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Key Lime Sky by Al Hess  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Vigilance by Allen Stroud
  
• Paul Weimer reviews The Cost of Power: Return by Joyce Reynolds-Ward 
  
• Adrian Collins reviews How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
  
• Fiona Denton reviews The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry 
• Fiona Denton reviews The Land of the Living and the Dead by Shauna Lawless
  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews The Girl in the Bog by Keith Donohue 
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang 
• Kat Hooper reviews Fledgling by Molly Harper
• Paul Weimer reviews The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills 
  
• Sean Dowie reviews Archangels of Funk by Andrea Hairston 
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews Daydreamer by Rob Cameron
  
• Bill Capossere reviews Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell 
• Rob Bedford reviews So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison. 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Council of Athyzia by D.H. Hoskins 
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Banner 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Asunder by Kerstin Hall 
  
• Liz Bourke reviews The Price of Redemption by Shawn Carpenter 
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud
• Matthew Keeley reviews Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker. 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
  
• Runalong te Shelves reviews Remnant by Conrad Williams
• Gabino Iglesias reviews How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie 
  
• Sasha Bonkowsky reviews Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle.
• Jen Lucas reviews Broken Ghosts by J.D. Oswald
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Something Kindred by Ciera Burch
  
• John Mauro reviews The Threshing Floor by Steph Nelson
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Grackle by A.C. Wise
  
• John Mauro reviews Tales of Abeth by Mark Lawrence 
• Warner Holme reviews This Island Earth: Features from the Drive-In by Dale Bailey 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Bound In Blood, edited by Johnny Mains
  
• Alex Brown reviews Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction, edited by Sonia Sulaiman. 
     
  

Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1934 comedic fantasy novel The Glorious Pool by Thorne Smith
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1955 Simon Ark occult detective story "Village of the Dead" by Edward D. Hoch.  
  
• Sam Reader revisits the 1962 gothic horror story “My Dear Emily” by Joanna Russ
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1964 science fiction story “The Transcendent Tigers” by R. A. Lafferty 
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1969 science fiction anthology Orbit 5, edited by Damon Knight. 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1975 post-apocalyptic novel No Night Without Stars by Andre Norton
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the Augst/September 1979 issue of Destinies. 
• Daniel Haeusser revisits the 1980 horror novel The Nest by Gregory A. Douglas
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1991 horror story “Angels in Love” by Kathe Koja 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1994 YA horror novel The Initiation and the 1995 YA horror novel Student Body by Diane Hoh.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2004 science fiction novel Moonbound by Robin Sloan
  
• V.E. Schwab revisits the 2004 historical fantasy novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
   
  

Crowdfunding:

• The Incident at Serebro Academy, a steampunk fantasy novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, is looking for funding.
• Suzanne Palmer needs help with home repairs.

 

 Con and event reports:

• E.D.E. Bell shares her side of an uproar involving the writers symposium at GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana, which led with Chris and E.D.E. Bell being dismissed from organising the writers symposium.. 
• Eric Scott de Bie shares his side of the story as a member of the GenCon team
  
• Gideon Marcus reports about the 1969 Worldcon in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Gray Connor reports about the horror musical The Brain That Wouldn’t Die! by Carla Margolis, which is playing in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
• Beki Pineda reports about the science fiction musical The Android's New Soul by Dana Cain, Mark Putt and Jeff LaGreca, which is currently playing in Denver, Colorado. 
• Ellen Datlow shares photos of the latest Fantastic Fiction reading at the KGB Bar in New York City. 

 

Science and technology:

• Marcia Dunn reports that Boeing's Starliner capsule has left the International Space Station and is returning to Earth without any astronauts on board.
• Jackie Wattles reports about SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission to explore the Van Allen belt. 
• Chris Impey discusses the radiation risk associated with the Polaris Dawn mission.
  
• Issam Ahmed reports about the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.
  
• Benj Edwards reports that the FBI has uncovered an elaborate music streaming scam involving AI-generated music being sstreamed by fake AI-generated accounts. 
• Susan Stokes-Chapman talks about the 18th century Hellfire Club and other secret societies.
  
• Beth Castrodale shares her experiences with the supernatural
  
• Judith Tarr points out that some alleged cryptids are just plain hoaxes.
  

 

Gaming: 

• The Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog lists indie games eligible for the 2025 Hugo Awards.
• Keza MacDonald discusses the spectacular failure of the big budget video game Concord. 
• Kyle Barr declares that Warhammer 40000 Space Marine 2 is too busy making you feel heroic to show the farce at Warhammer 40000’s heart 
  
• C.T, Phipps reviews Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Joe DelFranco reviews Catan: Console Edition - Cities and Knights 
  
• Will McDermott talks about playtesting narrative content in board games 
• James Whitbrook reports that Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks believes that the integration of AI into Dungeons and Dragons is inevitable. 
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Still a Big Kid reviews the Jada Toys Ultra Street Fighter 2 M. Bison action figure.
  
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the life-sized NECA Baby Beetlejuice doll.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "I Am One of Bluebeard’s Dead Wives" by Bella D. Bonne in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "The Hunger in the Dark" by Matthew X. Gomez in Swords and Sorcery Magazine
  
• "Sundown in Duffield" by Steve Rasnic Tem in The Dark.
• "Cursed Moon Queers" by Natalia Theodoridou in Uncanny Magazine 
  
• "How to Remember Perfectly" by Eric Schwitzgebel in Clarkesworld.
• "Broken" by Laura Williams McCaffrey in Clarkesworld.
• "And Someone Has To Do It" by Koji A. Dae in Apex Magazine.
  
• "We the People Excluding I" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu in Lightspeed.
  
• "GaaS" by Meg Ellison in Lightspeed. 
• "The Green Wall Plot" by Nick Mamatas in Interzone Digital.
• "Second Cryogenesis" by Pauline Barmby in Wyldblood.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Leviathan. 
• Watch a trailer for The Wild Robot. 
• Watch a trailer for Venom: The Last Dance. 
• Watch a trailer for Twilight of the Gods
• Watch a trailer for Salem's Lot. 
  
• Watch a trailer for Wolf Man.
• Watch a trailer for It's What's Inside. 
• Watch a trailer for Timestalker.
  
• Watch a trailer for Things Will Be Different 
• Watch a trailer for Presence.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Franchise.