Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 24, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Star Wars in general, Star Trek: Section 31 and Star Trek in general, season 7 of Outlander, season 2 of Silo, season 5 of Harley Quinn, Castlevania: Nocturne,, season 2 of Severance, Wolf Man, Presence, Grafted, tributes to Howard Andrew Jones and David Lynch and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cristina Orlando shares thirty SFF books to look forward to in 2025 
• Molly Odintz shares twenty-five horror novels to look out for in 2025
  
• Aaron Jones talks about the eternal appeal of vampires. 
• James Davis Nicoll lists four vastly underrated superpowers 
• James Davis Nicoll lists five  SFF books about very real gods causing very real trouble
  
• Ratika Deshpande shares five hopeful SFF stories about believing in humanity
• Brian Collins talks about science fiction, depression and the end of WWII.
  
• Lorna Wallace shares five post-apocalyptic novels set on a nearly empty Earth
  
• Laura Buchwald talks about the rules of the spirit world. 
• Jenny Elder Moke talks about genre mash-ups.
  
• Bridget McGovern shares her love for audiobooks. 
• Veronica Chambers notes that Octavia Butler's books seem eerily prescient.  
• Sabina Graves reports that Octavia Butler's grav in Altadena, California, thankfully survived the Los Angeles wildfires.
  
• Ben Quinn reports that the UK Ministry of Defence has enlisted science fiction writers to prepare for dystopian futures
  
• The New York Times shares an obituary for Karen Wynn Fonstad, who created the Atlas of Middle Earth. 
• SFF author and editor Laurel Amberdine has died aged 54.
  

 

Tributes to Howard Andrew Jones:

• Sword and sorcery author and editor Howard Andrew Jones has died aged 56.
• Bob Byrne remembers Howard Andrew Jones. 
• Vanessa Armstrong remembers Howard Andrew Jones.
  

 

 Comics and Art:

• Crossexamining Crime reviews issue 4 of Tails of Mystery: The Amulet of Thar’ishdom  by Asa Wheatley and Kat Willott
  
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits issue 123 of The Flash, where the Barry Allen and Jay Garrick incarnations of The Flash first meet. 
• Isaiah Colbert interviews several letterers who letter translated manga. 
• James Eatock points out that the character of Whiplash had some very odd colouring in the British Masters of the Universe comics.
  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about time management for writers.
• Cartoonist and writer Jules Feiffer has died aged 95.
  
  

Film and TV:

• Keith R.A. DeCandido calls Venom: The Last Dance way more fun than it has any right to be 
• Sabina Graves declares that Companion puts a fun but disconcerting science fiction spin on the manic pixie dream girl
  
• Leslie Felperin calls Blackwater Lane a flimsy haunted house stalker thriller 
• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on season 1 of The Rig.
  
• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on Creature Commandos.
• Cassie Holguin shares her thoughts on season 2 of Squid Game.
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Mayfair Witches. 
• Leigh Monson calls The Colors Within a musical slice-of-life anime
  
• Chris Broughton interviews Michael E. Briant, director of Blake's 7, and Sally Knyvette who played Jenna Stannis.
  
• Michael Hogan interviews Keeley Hawes, star of Ashes to Ashes, Spooks, Bodyguard and many others.  
  
• Don Kaye revisits the 1964 science fiction anthology series The Outer Limits.
  
• Bill Koenig revisits the 1965 spy comedy Get Smart for its sixtieth anniversary  
• Leah Konen revisits the 1979 horror film The Shining.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1995 Babylon 5 episode “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum” 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 2003 horror movie The Gathering.
  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2004 time travel movie Primer.
  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 2004 monster movie Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid  
• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 2012 superhero movie The Dark Knight Rises and wonders about Bane and his mask. 
• Julia Armfield revisits the 2013 horror movie Oculus.
  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2018 Swedish horror film Black Circle.
  
• Brad Curren shares ten little known Indiana Jones adventures. 
• Caroline Siede shares a guide to the action films Michelle Yeoh made in Hong Kong.
  
• Ralph Jones investigates whether it's true that Netflix tells writers to deliberately dumb down TV shows to make it easier to casually watch them in the background while doing something else.  
• Andrew Pulver reports about a controversy involving the use of AI voice simulation and generative imaging technology in the movie The Brutalist and Emilia Perez.
  

 

Tributes to David Lynch:

• Chris Morris shares an obituary for David Lynch.
  
• Stuart Heritage shares his appreciation for David Lynch's 1990 surreal crime drama Twin Peaks. 
• Steve Rose interviews several cast and crewmembers of the original Twin Peaks about working with David Lynch. 
  
• Brittany Allen shares a tribute to David Lynch. 
• Barbara Allen declares that David Lynch deserves all the tributes.
  
• Phil Hoad ranks all of David Lynch's movies and TV shows.
  
• Adrian Horton shares her favourite quotes by David Lynch.
• Catherine Shoard shares tribute to David Lynch from fellow directors and actors. 
• Readers of the Guardian share tributes to David Lynch.
  
• Leah Schnelbach discusses two upcoming documentaries about David Lynch.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Star Wars in general:

• Justin Carter reports that a scene featuring actress Yasmine Al Massri as Jod Na Nawood's Jedi mentor was cut from Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
  
• Felix Marlowe reports about the record-breaking budget of Andor.
  

 

Comments on season 7 of Outlander: 

• Hunter Ingram shares his thoughts on the season 7 finale of Outlander.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season 7 finale of Outlander. 
• Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on the season 7 finale of Outlander. 
  

 

Comments on Star Trek: Section 31 and Star Trek in general:

• James Whitbrook calls Star Trek: Section 31 a mediocre action movie and an even worse Star Trek movie
  
• James Whitbrook lists everything to remember before Star Trek: Section 31 
• James Whitbrook and Cheryl Eddy interview the cast and crew of Star Trek: Section 31.
  
• James Whitbrook praises the way Star Trek: Deep Space Nine handled Section 31 and the reality of espionage.
• Avery Kaplan shares sevenh essential episodes of Star Trek Discovery featuring Emperor Philippa Georgiou.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares an overview of season 5 of Star Trek: Lower Decks. 
  

 

Comments on Castlevania Nocturne:  

• Isaiah Colbert calls season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne bloody brilliant  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Samuel Deats and Adam Deats, director of Castlevania Nocturne. 
  
• Isaiah Cobert interviews Castlevania: Nocturne writers Testament and Zodwa Nyoni, and executive producer Clive Bradley
• Justin Carter wonders why Castlevania is struggling to thrive like it should
  

 

Comments on Silo:

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of Silo.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of Silo.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the season 2 finale of Silo. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on season 2 of Silo.
  

 

Comments on season 5 of Harley Quinn:

• Rendy Jones calls season 5 of Harley Quinn rushed but emotionally satisfying.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on episode 2 of season 2 of Harley Quinn.
  

 

Comments on Wolf-Man:

• Lorinda Donovan shares a spoilerish review of Wolf Man.
  
• Jacob Oller finds thematic parallels between the original 1941 The Wolf Man and the latest Wolf Man movie.
  
• Brian Davids interviews Leigh Whannell, director of Wolf Man.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Severance: 

• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Severance.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Severance. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Severance. 
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Dan Erickson, showrunner of Severance. 
• Elijah Gonzales interviews Dan Erickson, showrunner of Severance. 
  

 

Comments on Presence: 

• Jesse Hassenger calls Presence a clever ghost story.
• Peter Bradshaw calls Presence an intelligent horror film full of uncanny, sudden-chill moments 
• Jamie Arena calls Presence a charmingly flipped traditional ghost story.
  
• Ben Alderson-Day explains how the horror film Presence taps into the feeling of being watched. 

 

Comments on Grafted:

• Phil Hoad calls Grafted a low budget body horror film from New Zealand. 
• Jim Vorel calls Grafted a bloody body horror film.  
• Cheryl Eddy declares that Grafted‘s take on body horror squishes The Substance into Mean Girls 
  

 

Awards:

• The preliminary ballot for the 2024 Bram Stoker Awards has been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Audie Awards have been announced.
  
• The longlist for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award has been announced.
• The nominations for the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards have been announced. 
• The nominations for the 2025 Academy Awards have been announced. 
• The nominations for the 2025 Golden Rasberries have been announced.
  
• Ben Child wonders whether the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will finally recognise SFF films this year, when announcing the Oscar nominations.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Erin Cotter explains how to write historical fiction.
  
• Keith Roysdon investigates the practice of journalists to use the term "occult hand".
  
• Christine Hauser reports that Fables, am app which offers AI generated summaries of books, has served up offensive and racist remarks.
  
• Ella Creamer reports that British children's laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce has said that British children are facing a happiness recession and has stressed the importance of reading.
  

 

Interviews:

• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Marjorie Liu.
  
• Arfie Ghedi interviews Nnedi Okorafor.
• Tasha Robinson interviews Brandon Sanderson.
  
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Lorraine Wilson. 
• Runalong the Shelves interviews J.L. Worrad.
  
• Scott Edelman interviews Eric Choi.  
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Ed McDonald.
  

 

Reviews:

• Kevin Tipple reviews Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb
• Nedine Moonsamy reviews Breath of Oblivion by Maurice Broaddus
  
• Paul Weimer reviews Saturation Point by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews Hammajang Luck by Makano Yamamoto
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks 
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Escher Man by T.R. Napper 
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Disavowed by John E. Stith 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Unbound by Michael R. Miller 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka
  
• Alex Brown reviews Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire 
• James Tvendale reviews Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Voyage Home by Pat Barker
• Marlene Harris reviews Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor 
• Alex Brown reviews Rest in Peaches by a different Alex Brown
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Mother by B. L. Blanchard  
• Bill Capossere reviews Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear 
• Will McClelland reviews Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Strandling by James Brogden 
• Paperback Warrior reviews The Woodkin by Alexander James. 
• Gwen Moffat reviews The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong   
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Model Home by Rivers Solomon 
  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Sharpshooter Terror by Brian G. Berry.
  
• Yagnishsing Dawoor reviews Dealing with the Dead by Alain Mabanckou, translated by Helen Stevenson
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Bury Me Cold & More Last Words by Jacob Steven Mohr 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Depth Charge, edited by Hank Davis and Jamie Ibson
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1954 YA science fiction novel Undersea Quest by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson
  
• Alan Brown revisits the 1962 YA science fiction novel Podkayne of Mars by Robert A. Heinlein 
  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the 1970 post-apocalyptic novel The Long Loud Silence by Wilson Tucker, George Pritchard revisits the 1970 sleaze science fiction novel Sex and the High Command by John Boyd, Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1970 science fiction adventure novel Beachhead Planet by Robert Moore William and Jason Sacks revisits the 1970 science fiction propaganda novel Taurus Four by Rena Vale
• Gideon Marcus revisits the February 1970 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 
• Fiona Moore revisits the February 1970 issue of New Worlds.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1977 Atlan sword and sorcery novel Some Summer Lands by Jane Gaskell 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1984 post-apocalyptic novel Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells  
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1995 YA horror novels Overdue by Richie Tankersley Cusick and The Body by Carol Ellis.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2006 near future dystopian thriller Empire by Orson Scott Card.
   
  

Con and event reports:

• Jason Gonzalez reports about Chattacon in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and interviews "Orange" Mike Lowrey.
• Henry W. Osier reports that the 2025 Costume Con in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been cancelled. 
• Leah Thomas reports about a performance of Attack on Titan: The Musical in New York City.
  
• Todd Martens reports about the latest overhaul of the Haunted Mansion attraction in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 
  

 

Science and technology:

• SciTech Daily reports that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has discovered mysterious little red dots which might be early black holes.
  
• Dean Takahashi reports that Colossal BioSciences has raised $200 million US-dollar to bring back extinct species like the woolly mammoth or the dodo.
• Corinne Purtill reports that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has escaped the Los Angeles wildfires, but many of their employees have lost their homes. 
• Isaac Schultz reports that AI-generated junk papers are becoming a huge problem for Google Scholar. 
• Matt Broomfield discusses the history behind medieval torture museums and notes that many of the devices on display are not actually medieval.
  

 

Gaming: 

•  Tom Regan wonders whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows can save Ubisoft?
• Keza MacDonald reviews Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at Aetherdrift, the next Magic: The Gathering expansion
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Nacelle Biker Mice From Mars action figures.
• Cat Eldridge reviews the Folkmanis The Fiddler puppet 
• Adam McCombs takes a look at the New Adventures of He-Man Slushhead action figure. 
• James Whitbrook reports that Lego is planning sets based on the classic manga and anime series One Piece.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Late Autumn on the Pilgrim’s High Road" By Samuel Jensen in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "The Garden Must Thrive" by Anaea Lay in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Your Personalized Guide to the Museum of the Lost and Found" by AnaMaria Curtis in Uncanny Magazine
  
• "The Exquisite Pull of Relentless Desire" by Will McMahon in Lightspeed. 
• "I Eat the Sky for Us" by Vijayalaxmi Samal in Lightspeed. 
  
• "Jackie and Xīng Forever" by Will Magness in Apex Magazine. 
• "Alpha’s Gambit" by Mazi Nwonwu in Omenana.
  
• "What I Saw Before the War" by Alaya Dawn Johnson in Reactor.
  
• "Coffin Dancing" by Chris Kuriata in The Dark.
• "Beyond Everything" by Wang Yanzhong, translated by Stella Jiayue Zhu in Clarkesworld.
  
• "Karabasan" by Leyla Hamedi in Nightmare Magazine.
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Mickey 17.
• Watch a trailer for Opus. 
• Watch a trailer for The Age of Disclosure.