Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for March 28, 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 in general, Star Trek in general, Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Masters of the Universe in general, season 3 of The Wheel of Time, season 2 of Severance, season 3 of Yellowjackets, Mickey-17, The Electric State, Death of a Unicorn, Doctor Who past, present and future, the live action Snow White, Studio Ghibli versus AI, tributes to L.J. Smith and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Arthur Liu and Feng Zhang share the Chinese Science Fiction Database 2024 recommended reading list  
• Nicholas Binge argues that science fiction and horror are two sides of the same coin. 
• Brian Collins discusses how horror went from a short fiction to a novel genre.
  
• Rebecca Joines Schinsky talks about the current state of romantasy.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories about underground resistance movements  
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories about translation and the power of languages
  
• James Davis Nicoll lists five fictional investigators with special abilities.
• Lorna Wallace lists five stories exploring the pitfalls of time travel  
• Johanna Van Veen explains why bogs are a great setting for gothic fiction.
• Kelly Jensen lists the most popular literary genre in every US state.
  
• Clara Cohen shares her appreciation for the Tufa novels by Alex Bledsoe 
  
• Brian Tucker profiles Richard Shaver.
• Michael Capobianco profiles Jerry Pournelle.
  
• Rachel Cordasco takes a look at several stories by Czech SFF writer Josef Nesvadba, which were translated in English in the 1960s.
  
• The Times of Israel reports that the extensive collection of science fiction books owned by Israeli hostage Nadav Popplewell, who was killed by Hamas, will be auctioned off the benefit the families of other Israeli hostages. 
  

 

Tributes to L.J. Smith: 

• YA SFF and horror author L.J. Smith has died aged 66.
• Jeré Longman remembers L.J. Smith.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Rachel Cooke reviews There’s No Time Like the Present by Paul B. Rainey 
• James Davis Nicoll talks about Superman and the question of race 
  
• John Freeman shares the story of comic creator R.E. Burke who was detained by ICE at the US Canadian border and held in a detention facility for nineteen days.  
• Frank Landymore reports that NASA has deleted two comics about women astronauts from its website in response to the Trump government's war on diversity.
  
• Abby Zimmardi reports that the Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation has won a bid to acquire the bankrupt comic distributor Diamond.
  

 

Film and TV:  

• Phil Hoard calls Time Travel is Dangerous a likable mockumentary that is Back to the Future meets Bargain Hunt 
• Leslie Felperin calls Sew Torn an alternate reality thriller. 
• Ann Michelle Harris calls the anime Sakamoto Days a likeable action comedy with lots of found family and redeemed villain vibes  
• Jesse Hassenger calls The Woman in the Yard a shadowy and unnerving horror film.
  
• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on Companion
• In Search of the Classic Mystery shares their thoughts on Paradise. 
• J.B. Kish shares his thoughts on the French horror film MadS.
• Leah Schnelbach calls Paddington in Peru a delightful celebration of immigrants (and marmalade)  
• Cheryl Eddy lists everything to remember about The Handmaid's Tale before season 6.
  
• Zing Tsjeng interviews Bella Ramsey, best known for playing Ellie in The Last of Us.
• Chris Broughton interviews Renny Harlin, director of the 1999 shark movie Deep Blue Sea, and star Samuel L. Jackson. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Steven LaMorte, director of Screamboat.
  
• Lee Weinstein revisits the 1940 science fiction serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe and discusses the sun symbolism found therein.
• Brian Collins revisits the 1970 historical fantasy film Fellini Satyricon, Jason Sacks revisits the 1970 science fiction film Skullduggery, Amber Dubin revisits the 1970 animated children's film Horton Hears a Who and George Pritchard reviews the 1970 surrealist fantasy film Necropolis 
  
• Ryan Britt revisits the 1975 science fiction TV show The Bionic Woman. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien. 
• Megan Garside reports that the ambiguous ending of the 1982 science fiction horror film The Thing had finally been decoded 43 years later.
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1985 dinosaur movie Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1995 Babylon 5 episode “Convictions”
• Hannah Gearan revisits the 2014 science fiction movie Interstellar and notes that it features the most accurate depiction of a black hole according to astronomers.
  
• Keith Roysdon shares a brief history of 1970s disaster movies.  
• Pat Cassels looks back on the heyday of movie-related horror hotlines. 
  
• Mark Fisher shares the coolest, craziest, scariest takes on the Loch Ness monster ever 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her ten favourite horror and science fiction roles by Kevin Bacon.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong shares three things she learned about season 2 of The Last of Us at a press conference with the cast and crew.
  
• Ben Child wonders whether the proposed new adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers will completely ditch the satire of Paul Verhoeven's 1997 adaptation. 
• Camestros Felapton discusses the different between rag tag crew and regular crews in science fiction TV series.
  
• Olivia Rutigliano and John Buffalo Mailer pair James Bond actors with Martinis.  
• Andrew Pulver reports that Amazon has hired Harry Potter producer David Heyman and Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal to oversee the James Bond franchise.
• Stuart Heritage reports that in spite of critically acclaimed shows, very few people are watching Apple+ TV.
  
• Todd Spangler reports that Disney shareholders overwhelming rejected a proposal that Disney cease to participate an LGBTQ equality rating program.  
• Lynette Rice reports that Warner Bros is continuing its war on cartoons by tearing down Building 131 on the Warner Bros backlot, where the Looney Tunes cartoons were once made to make room for more HBO shows,
  

 

Comments on Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “With Interest” and “Excessive Force”, the latest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on  “With Interest” and “Excessive Force”, the latest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Justin Carter shares his thoughts on “With Interest” and “Excessive Force”, the latest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again.  
• Gavia Baker-Whitellaw discusses how Daredevil: Born Again tackles the problematic real world legacy of the Punisher.
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Benjamin Lee reports that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will reprise their roles as Professor Xavier and Magneto in Avengers: Doomsday.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1985 animated movie The Secret of the Sword, which introduced She-Ra: Princess of Power to the world. 
• Jeffrey Harris worries that the upcoming live action Masters of the Universe film will repeat the mistake of the 1987 live action Masters of the Universe film by setting much of the action on Earth rather than Eternia.
  
• Peri Nemiroff interviews Camila Mendes who will play Teela in the upcoming live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• For Eternia reports that Artie Wilkinson-Hunt has been cast as nine-year-old Prince Adam in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
  
• James Eatock explains Shadow Weaver's origin as Light Spinner and where it was first mentioned.
• Allison Troy takes a look at the obscure She-Ra villain Vultak.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars in general: 

• Matt Schimkowitz shares his thoughts about the documentary Halcyon Daze about the defunct  Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.hotel in Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
• James Whitbrook explains why General Grievous coughs in Revenge of the Sith, but not in the Clone Wars cartoon. 
• Actor Clive Revill who voices Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back has died aged 94.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Andor.
  

 

Comments on season 3 of The Wheel of Time:  

• Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Wheel of Time.
  
• Melody McCune shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Wheel of Time.
• Sylas K. Barrett notes that The Wheel of Time invites us to ask what is the deal with the Aiel  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Rafe Judkins, showrunner of The Wheel of Time.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Madeleine Madden who Egwene in The Wheel of Time.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Shohreh Aghdashloo who plays Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan in The Wheel of Time.  
  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Jenna Busch interviews Wil Wheaton, best known for playing Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• Avery Kaplan explains how the race of cat people known as the Kzinti became part of the Star Trek universe.
  

 

 Comments on Mickey-17: 

• Camestros Felapton calls Mickey 17 a fun, weird, camp movie which is also a surprisingly solid science fiction film.
• Josh Pearce and Arley Sorg discuss Mickey 17

 

Comments on The Electric State:

• Joe George notes that even though it's not a Marvel movie, the failure of The Electric State illustrates why the Marvel movies were so successful and what the root of Marvel's current problem is.
  
• Nicole Sperling reports that the failure of The Electric State has elicited little more than a shrug from Netflix, demonstrating how different they are from traditional film studios.

 

Comments on Death of a Unicorn:

• Sabina Graves calls Death of a Unicorn a gloriously gory class commentary.
  
• Jacob Oller calls Death Of A Unicorn a boneheaded yet enjoyable creature feature
• Inspired by Death of a Unicorn, James Geabey recounts how Dungeons & Dragons set the rules for killer unicorns 
• Sabina Graves interviews Alex Scharfman, director of Death of a Unicorn.
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• James Whitbrook rememebers the moment he fell in love with Doctor Who.
• Watch a trailer for the next season of Doctor Who. 
  

 

 Comments on season 3 of Yellowjackets:

• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Yellowjackets.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Yellowjackets.
• Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Yellowjackets. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Severance: 

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Severance.
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Severance. 
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Severance.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Severance. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Severance.  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on season 2 of Severance.
  
• Diana Keng lists three questions left unanswered by season 2 of Severance. 
• Cheryl Eddy and Germain Lussier share twenty questions they have after season 2 of Severance 
  
• Leah Blaine talks about Severance and the overlooked women of STEM 
• Angelina Mazza finds unexpected parallels between Severance and Miraculous Ladybug
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Dan Erickson, showrunner of Severance. 
  
• Ethan Shanfeld reports that Severance has been renewed for season 3.
• Germain Lussier speculates about season 3 of Severance.
  

 

Comments on the live action Snow White:

• Wendy Ide calls Snow White a toe-curlingly terrible live-action remake 
• Kimberly Pierce shares her thoughts on the live action Snow White.
  
• Caroline Siede discusses the warped politics of the live action Snow White  
  
• Adrian Horton explains how the live action Snow White became the year's most cursed movie. 
• Andrew Pulver reports that in spite of the many controversies, the live action Snow White is more successful with Republican than Democrat voters in the US.
  
• Scott Neitlich notes that the fact that there is no toyline to tie in with the live action Snow White movie and no promotion in the Disney Parks suggests that Disney has expected the movie to fail for a long time.
• Sabina Graves also wonders why merchandise related to the live action Snow White is so hard to find.
  

 

Comments on Studio Ghibli versus AI:

• Jacob Oller reports that Studio Ghibli has to deal with having their iconic style copies by generative AI programs. 
• Isaiah Colbert declares that ChatGPT’s Studio Ghibli AI art trend is an insult to life itself  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Atsushi Okui, vice president of Studio Ghibli. 
  

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2024 Crawford Award has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2024 Ursa Major Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Lord Ruthven Assembly Awards have been announced.
• The winner of the 2025 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award has been announced. 
  
• The shortlist for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award has been announced.  
• The winner of the 2025 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize has been announced. 
• The nominations for the 2025 Bafta TV Awards have been announced,
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Ron Currie talks about writing through dark times.
  
• The UK Society of Authors shares advice what authors can do, if their books were illegally used by Meta to train their AI large language model. 
• The US Authors Guild also shares advice what authors can do, if their books were illegally used by Meta to train their AI large language model. 
• Richard Osman responds to Meta illegally using millions of pirated books to train their AI large language model.
  
• Victoria Strauss reports that several authors have complaint about the publisher Clear Fork Press.
• Lanre Bakare reports that publishing in the UK is now less accessible for black authors than in 2020.
• Angelique Chrisafis reports that French booksellers and writers are concerned about the publisher and distributor Hachette Livre and its conservative Catholic owner.
• Ella Creamer reports that a US federal judge has blocked a book ban law in Iowa.
  
• Ed Nawotka reports that Canadian booksellers have joined forces to ask Prime Minister Mark Carney exempt books from the 25% counter-tariffs scheduled to take effect on April 2 on goods imported from the U.S.
• Silvia Moreno-Garcia explains how the trade war between the US and Canada could impact the book business.
  
• The Guardian reports that the US has closed Canadian access to a library straddling the border between Vermont and Quebec and requires Canadian patrons to go through a border crossing supposedly to combat drug trafficking. 
  
• Philip Oltermann reports that French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal has been sentenced to five years in prison in Algeria.

 

Interviews:

• Mobeen Azhar interviews Nnedi Okorafor.
• Beyond Solitaire interviews Ada Palmer.
  
• Brandon O'Brien interviews David C. Kopaska-Merkel 
• Fiona Denton interviews Maithree Wijesekara

 

Reviews:

• Mark Yon reviews Future's Edge by Gareth K. Powell.
• Lesa Holstine reviews When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
  
• Marlene Harris reviews When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Flowers of Vashnoi by Lois McMaster Bujold
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews By A Silver Thread by Rachel Aaron 
• Jenny Hamilton reviews Rose/House by Arkady Martine.
  
• Haley Zapal reviews Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison 
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey
• Marlene Harris reviews The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Echoes of the Imperium by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater 
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews A Palace Near The Wind by Ai Jiang 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Sorceress in Exile by D.H. Hoskins
• Marion Deeds reviews The Salt-Black Tree by Lilith Saintcrow 
  
• SFF Book Reviews reviews The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau
  
• Kat Hooper reviews Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove 
• Alex Brown reviews But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo. 
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter
  
• Fiona Sturges reviews The Voyage Home by Pat Barker 
• Mahvesh Murad reviews The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
  
• John Mauro reviews The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
• James Davis Nicoll reviews One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed 
• Warner Holme reviews The Corset and the Jellyfish by Nick Bantock 
• Arley Sorg reviews Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity, edited by Lee Mandelo
    
  

Classics reviews:

• Sam Reader revisits the 1922 horror story “Seaton’s Aunt” by Walter de la Mare
  
• B.D. McClay revisits the 1933 Northwest Smith sword and planet adventure "Shambleau" by C.L. Moore.
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1934 science fiction story “Famine on Mars” by Frank K. Kelly.
• Brian Collins revisits the 1957 science fiction story “Prime Difference” by Alan E. Nourse
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1965 nuclear war novel Commander‑1 by Peter George 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1968 space opera novel World of the Starwolves by Edmond Hamilton
  
• Fiona Moore revisits the April 1970 issue of New Worlds. 
• Alex Brown revisits the 2014 fantasy collection Stories of the Raksura by Martha Wells.
   
  

 Crowdfunding:

• Comic writer Mike W. Barr needs help with medical expenses.

 

Con and event reports:

• Frank Catalano weighs in on potential risks facing international attendants of the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, at the US border.
  
• MSSV reports about the 2025 Knutepunkt Nordic LARP convention in Oslo, Norway.
• Dale Mazzola reports that the Marcon SFF convention in Columbus, Ohio, is ending. 
• The Wild West Steampunk Convention in Tuscon, Arizona, had to be shut down after several attendants reported health issues.
  
• Robert Lang reports about an exhibition of Syd Mead's science fictional artwork in New York City. 
• Evan Jacoby reports that the Altadena Library in Altadena, California, has reopend after the devastating wildfires with a reading from LeVar Burton, best known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Reading Rainbow and Roots. 
• John Scalzi shares a photo from an author event he did with Mary Robinette Kowal in Columbus, Ohio.
  
• Sabina Graves looks back at the Snow White’s Scary Adventures ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which used to be remarkably terrifying for a Snow White ride.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Mike Wall reports that a pod of dolphins welcome the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule upon its return from the International Space Station.
• Richard Luscombe reports that NASA has dropped plans to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the Moon in response to the Trump governments anti-diversity initiatives.
  
• Ryan Johnston shares the morning routine of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams during her unexpected nine months stay aboard the International Space Station. 
• Jennifer Ross-Nazzal talks about the fallout of astronaut John W, Young smuggling a sandwich aboard the Gemini III capsule in 1966.
• Lonnie Shekhtman reports that NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected the largest organic molecules found on Mars
  
• Sarah Kuta reports that recent research suggests that ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were perfumed with sweet-smelling fragrances such as rose and beeswax

 

Gaming: 

• MSSV reports about the science fiction LARP Odysseus.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1982 tabletop roleplaying game Privateers and Gentlemen 
• Luke Kemp reviews the video game Atomfall. 
• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Hollow Knight Voidheart Edition by Team Cherry  
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Germain Lussier shares a look at some Hasbro Black Series Star Wars Celebration exclusive figures.  
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Bilbo's 111th birthday Lord of the Rings themed Lego set.
• Abe Apfel shares photos of the Wall from Game of Thrones recreated in Lego by Anuradha Pehrson

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Red, Scuttle When the Ships Come Down" by Wen-yi Lee in Uncanny Magazine  
• "Instructions for Good Boys on the Interplanetary Expedition" by Rachael K. Jones in Lightspeed.  
• "The Lexicon of Lethe" by Sunwoo Jeong in Lightspeed. 
  
• "Funerary Habits of Low Entropy Entities" by Damián Neri in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Sound of the Star" by Ren Zeyu, translated by Jay Zhang in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Scythe and Other Simple Mechanisms by T.E.Z. Moore in The Deadlands. 
• "Machine Hearts" by Jeff Dingler in Strange Horizons.
  
• "The Quiet Sisters" by Matthew Castleman in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
  
• "Familiar Things" by Gio Clairval in The Dark.
• "Waiting to Happen" by Leah Cypess in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Touch This Cancer, It Probably Won’t Bite" by Josh Pearce in Nightmare Magazine.
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Final Destination: Bloodlines.
  
• Watch a trailer for Steamboat.
• Watch a trailer for The Ritual.