Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 11, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the 2025 Hugo Award finalists, Star Wars in general, Star Trek in general, Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, news from the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale, season 7 of Black Mirror, season 2 of  The Last of Us, season 3 of The Wheel of Time, season 3 of Yellowjackets, The Bondsman, Doctor Who past, present and future, A Mincraft Movie, tributes to Val Kilmer, Kerry Greenwood and Robert McGinnis and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in April 2025 
  
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in April 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new horror, romantasy and SFF crossover books arriving in April 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in April 2025 
  
• Ruthanna Emrys discusses how science fiction can help us prepare for the future? 
• Krystle Matar notes that it's possible to enjoy both grimdark and cozy fantasy.
  
• Grady Hendrix explains how he came to love horror.
• Christopher Lockett talks about the relative weird and horror as privilege.
  
• Brandon O'Brian talks about speculative poetry and the politics of place 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF and adjacent works featuring revenge and vendettas. 
• Cynthia Pelayo shares five SFF books set in Chicago.
  
• C.J. Dotson shares her favourite SFF novels with decaying settings. 
  
• Yiğit Turhan shares his favourite haunted house novels. 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for March 2025.
  
• Keith Roysdon remembers the heyday of the men's adventure magazines in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.   
• Lucy Knight reports that Thomas Pynchon has announced Shadow Ticket, his first novel in more than a decade

 

Tributes to Kerry Greenwood:

• Australian mystery writer Kerry Greenwood, best known for her Phryne Fisher historical mystery series, has died aged 70 
• Dee Jefferson remembers Kerry Greenwood. 
• Locus remembers Kerry Greenwood and notes that she wrote SFF as well.

 

Comics and Art:

• Jenny Kleeman reports about comic artist Rebecca Burke's ordeal when detained by ICE at the US Canadian border. 
• Rachel Cooke reviews the graphic novel version of Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy, illustrated by Paul Karasik, Lorenzo Mattotti and David Mazzucchelli
  
• Brian Cronin revisits the 1950 horror comic Weird Fantasy for its 75th anniversary. 
• Jim Milliot reports that there is a bidding war over the sale of the bankrupt Diamond Comic Distributors.
  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about modern folk horror for the British Isles

 

Tributes to Robert McGinnis:

• Prolific cover and movie poster illustrator Robert E. McGinnis has died aged 99.
• J. Kingston Pierce remembers Robert McGinnis. 
• Justin Carter remembers Robert McGinnis.

 

 Film and TV:  

• Phil Hoad calls A Knight’s War an atmospheric fantasy film. 
• Matt Schomkowitz declares that Redux Redux makes the multiverse worth visiting again and again  
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Return a raw and urgent adaptation of the Odyssey.
  
• Jarrod Jones calls Hell Of A Summer a horror comedy stuck in purgatory 
• Leslie Felperin declares that Rebirth: Home Sweet Home turns a family holiday in Thailand into a hellish apocalypse. 
• Isaiah Colbert calls the Chinese animated show To Be Hero X promising and visually stunning
  
• Rafael Motomayor declares that the animated series Gremlins: The Wild Batch deepens the franchise's lore 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surealestate. 
• Tenacity Plys analyses the paintings and artworks seen in Severance.
• Christopher Stevens shares his thoughts on the documentary Science Fiction In The Atomic Age and seems oddly upset by LGBTQ people in The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.
• Aaron Jones notes that the success of Game of Thrones has led to an oversaturation of fantasy TV shows and movies, many of which aren't all that good or don't respect the source material. 
• A.J. Weiler notes that the genre of YA dystopian films is declining badly just as the world is getting more dystopian
  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Shinichirō Watanabe, creator of Lazarus and Cowboy Bebop  
• Anthony Breznican interviews Alexander Skarsgård, star of Murderbot. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1981 Soviet animated science fiction film The Mystery of the Third Planet 
• Paul Hirons revisits the 1990 surreal crime drama Twin Peaks.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1995 Babylon 5 episode “Passing Through Gethsemane” 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1995 fantasy film Babe. 
• Catherine Shoard shares former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan's thoughts about the future of the character.
  
• Ben Child wonders whether Elio will be Pixar's weirdest movie yet. 
• Olivia Rutigliano talks about the quest for the perfect Dracula adaptation.
• Michael Paulsen recounts the history of cartoon character Betty Boop. 
• Avery Kaplan shares her appreciation for the character of Vaggie From Hazbin Hotel.
  
• Jenny Valentish reports about the making of the Australian fan film Jurassic Park: Castlemaine Redux
• Caroline Reid and Christian Sylt report that the live action Snow White generated more carbondioxide emissions than the latest Fast and Furious film and that the live action Snow White and The Little Mermaid generated more carbondioxisde emission than mid-sized British airports.
  
• The Guardian reports that screenwriter and director Paul Schrader has been accused of sexually assaulting his personal assistant. 
• Catherine Shoard reports that China restricts theatrical releases of US movies even further in response to the ridiculous tariffs imposed by the Trump government on Chinese imports.

 

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

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “Isle of Joy”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on  “Isle of Joy”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Justin Carter shares his thoughts on “Isle of Joy”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.  
• Justin Carter revisits the 2015 Daredevil series for its tenth anniversary.
  
• Matt Donelly shares some news about Fantastic Four: First Steps from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• Christian Holub interviews The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and director Matt Shakman  
  
• Sabina Graves shares some news about Thunderbolts* from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada,
  
• Diana Lodderhouse shares director Nia DaCosta's comments about her less than ideal experience in helming The Marvels. 
• Zack Sharf explains that a payment dispute was the reason that Carrie Coon did not return as Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Endgame.
• Mike Fleming Jr. interviews Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and Sinners. 
• Zack Sharf interviews Ryan Coogler.
  
• Mark Yon reviews Ant-Man: The Art of the Movie by Jacob Johnston

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione share some information about the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• Eric Goldman shares some information about the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• For Eternia analyses some drone footage of what appear to be the sets of the Masters of the Universe live action movie.
  
• Manuela Hainz interviews Nicholas Galitzine who plays Prince Adam/He-Man in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• For Eternia reports that Jared Leto, who has been cast as Skeletor in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie, has stated that Masters of the Universe was his favourite cartoon as a kid.
  
• For Eternia interviews Tiffany Smith who voices Andra in Masters of the Universe Revelation and Revolution and also wrote a one-shot comic about the character. 
• James Eatock fids some visual parallels between Teela in the Filmation Masters of the Universe cartoon and Princess Aura from Filmation's Flash Gordon cartoon.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars in general: 

• Ben Travis interviews Tony Gilroy, showrunner of Andor.
• James Whitbrook reports that the original 1977 theatrical cut of Star Wars will be publicly screened at the British Film Institute for the first time in decades 
  

 

Comments on season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale:

• Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on the season 6 premiere of The Handmaid's Tale.
  
• Whitney Friedlander declares that the final season of The Handmaid's Tale is sadly as topical as its first.

 

 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.
• Melody McCune interviews Marcus Rutherford who plays Perrin Aybara in The Wheel of Time.
  
• Melody McCune interviews Isabella Bucceri who plays Faile Bashere in The Wheel of Time. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Priyanka Bose and Taylor Napier, who play Alanna Mosvani and Maksim in The Wheel of Time. 
• Melody McCune interviews Taylor Napier.
• Melody McCune interviews Priyanka Bose.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• James Whitbrook revisits the 1995 Star Trek Voyager episode "State of Flux".
  
• Avery Kaplan takes a look at Jeffrey Combs various guest appearances in different Star Trek series.

 

 Comments on season 2 of The Last of Us: 

• Saloni Gajjar calls season 2 of The Last Of Us an emotional wrecking ball 
• Elijah Gonzales declares that The Last of Us’ powerful second season makes loss feel like the end of the world 
• Ben Travers calls season 2 of  The Last of Us s a thrilling, twisted evolution
• Germain Lussier declares that season 2 of The Last of Us is going to rock our world
  
• James Hibberd interviews Craig Mazin, co-creator of The Last of Us.
• Nick Romano interviews Isabella Merced who plays Dina in The Last of Us.
  
• Molly Templeton reports that The Last of Us has already been renewed for season 3.
  

 

Comments on Black Mirror:

• Jack Seale calls season 7 of Black Mirror the warmest, most human season ever 
• Jenna Scherer declares that Black Mirror falls more vital than ever in season 7. 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that season 7 of  Black Mirror comes with a knife-twist of emotion
• Gabriel Tate interviews Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror.
• Max Goldbart interviews Charlie Brooker. 
• Mickey O'Connell interviews Charlie Brooker. 
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2017 Black Mirror episode "USS Callister". 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that you can now play Thronglets, the fictional videogame from the Black Mirror episode "Plaything". 
  
• Lorna Wallace recommends five must-read short fiction collections for fans of Black Mirror
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Joseph Stanichar declares that Doctor Who’s new season makes exciting promises and wonders whether it can keep them?
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “The Robot Revolution”, the first episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “The Robot Revolution”, the first episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• James Whitbrook interviews Russell T. Davies, showrunner of Doctor Who.
  

 

Comments on The Bondsman:

• Diana Keng shares episode by episode reviews of The Bondsman.
  
• William Earl interviews Erik Oleson and Kevin Bacon, showrunner and star of The Bondsman. 
• Diana Keng interviews Kathrine Barnes who plays Cheryl Dawson in The Bondsman.

 

 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. 
• Lacy Baugher Milas declares that the character of Shauna Shipman has always been Yellowjackets’ dark heart 
  

 

Comments on A Minecraft Movie: 

• Jordan Hoffman calls A Minecraft Movie a surprisingly well-crafted adaptation
  
• Jacob Oller reports that A Minecraft Movie hides its best, weirdest joke in a mid-credit scene 
• Germain Lussier reports that young viewers of A Minecraft Movie are being noisy and disruptive and are filming their reaction to the movie for TikTok. 
• Ethan Gudge reports that some British theatres have issued warnings following disruptive audience reactions during screenings of A Minecraft Movie.  
• Dan Milmo, Andrew Pulver and Mimi Ibrahim report that several theatres have threatened to evict unruly audience members from A Minecraft Movie.
• Sabina Graves reports that people have no started bringing live chickens to theaters during showings of A Minecraft Movie.
  
• Pamela McClintock reports that A Minecraft Movie is doing very well at the box office.
• Andrew Pulver reports that A Minecraft Movie has broken records and become the highest opening video game movie of all time
• Jesse Hassenger discusses the unexpected success of A Minecraft Movie with young audiences, even though the film is not very good, and whether adults who are not the target audience should criticise it at all.
  

 

Tributes to Val Kilmer:

• Will Forte remembers Val Kilmer with whom he co-starred in MacGruber.
  
• Matthew Jackson remembers Val Kilmer and particularly his turn as Doc Holliday in Tombstone.
• Kimberly Pierce remembers Val Kilmer. 
  
• Readers of The Guardian remember Val Kilmer.

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2025 Hugo Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Pulp Factory Awards have been announced. 
• The recipients of the 2025 Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Compton Crook Award has been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2025 Romantic Novel of the Year Awards has been announced.
  
• The winner of the US National Space Society`s 2025 Arthur C. Clarke Memorial Award had been announced.   
• The winners of the 2025 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Awards have been announced, 
  
• The winner of the 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award has been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2025 International Booker Prize has been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Olivier Awards have been announced.
  
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2025 Hugo finalists. 
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the 2025 Hugo finalists.
  
• Octothorpe share their thoughts on the 2025 Hugo finalists. 
• SFF Book Reviews shares their thoughts on the 2025 Hugo finalists.
  
• Mike Glyer shares Adrian Tchaikovsky's reasons for withdrawing his novel Alien Clay from the BSFA Awards.
  
• Camestros Felapton reports about right-wing attempts to slate the Locus Awards. 
• Katcy Stephan reports that the Oscars have finally added a category for Best Stunt Design.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Catherine Tavares explains how disability changed her writing habits. 
• Zoe Calstrom talks about writing more interesting characters. 
• Omar Hussein explains how he created a fictional serial killer.
  
• Richard Curtis explains what a shopping option is.
  
• Annie Allison reports that the U.S. Copyright Office has issued a highly anticipated report on the copyrightability of AI-generated works
  
• Ella Creamer reports that several copyright lawsuits brought by authors, publishers and newspapers against AI companies have been combined into one.
• Jeremy Szal shares some statements on AI use. 
• The American Booksellers Association explains how tariffs imposed by the Trump government affect publishing and bookselling.
  
• Sophia Stewart reports that the American Library Association has issued a report of the most challenged library books of 2024 
• Ella Creamer reports that the majority of book banning attempts at US libraries don't come from parents, but from organised far right groups. 
• Jennifer Schuessler reports that several US states are blocking the Trump government's attempts to dismantle the  Institute of Museum and Library Services

 

Interviews:

• Kelly Jennings interviews Martha Wells.
  
• Sandra Ruttan interviews Samatha Shannon.
• Locus interviews Daryl Gregory.
  
• The Guardian interviews Anthony Horowitz
• Ollie Barder interviews Peter Watts.
  
• Anthony Cummins interviews Oisín Fagan
• The Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog interviews David Thomas Moore 
  

 

Reviews:

• Paul Weimer reviews Doomflower by Jendia Gammon
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi  
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Black Orb by Ewhan Kim, translated by Sean Lin Halbert
• Paul Weimer reviews Transmentation | Transience by Darkly Lem   
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff 
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
  
• Paul Weimer reviews Point of Hearts by Melissa Scott 
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang 
  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Runelight by J.A. Andrews   
• C.T. Phipps reviews The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison
• Fiona Denton reviews Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
• Paul Weimer reviews Of Ash and Salt by Daniel McGee  
• Alex Brown reviews Don’t Sleep With the Dead by Nghi Vo
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Damned If You Do by Alex Brown 
• Colleen Mondor reviews I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews rekt by Alex Hernandez 
• Niall Harrison reviews The Mune by Sue Dawes. 
• John Mauro reviews The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Tales Nocturnal by Tim Foley 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Astrophobia: An Anthology of Space Horror, edited by Vesper Doom

 

Classics reviews:

• Sam Reader revisits the 1883 ghost story “Clara Militch” by Ivan Turgenev 
  
• Farah Mendlesohn revisits the 1961 science fiction novel Catseye by Andre Norton. 
• Mayri Cooper revisits the 1961 science fiction collection Pilgrimage: The Book of the People by Zenna Henderson. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1970 issue of Galaxy.
  
• John Boston revisits the May 1970 issue of Amazing. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1970 science fiction anthology Infinity One, edited by Robert Hoskins
  
• Tim Scheidler and Sandy Ferber revisit the 1975 science fantasy novel The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the October-December 1979 issue of Destinies,
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1990 Book Of Justice horror adventure novel Death Force by Jack Arnett
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2007 urban fantasy novel Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 2014 Eli Monpress fantasy novel Spirit's End by Rachel Aaron.
   
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer shares the program for Reconnect, the 2025 Eastercon in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 
• Nicholas Whyte shares his experiences at the 2025 China Science Fiction Convention in Beijing, China.
• Josh Justice shares photos from the 2025 Astronomicon in Ypsilanti, Michigan. 
  
• Sarah Spaceman shares her less than ideal experiences at Wild Wild West Con in Tuscon, Arizona.
  
• Germain Lussier shares his fifteen favourite things he saw at the 2025 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Germain Lussier reports that Universal is planning to build a new theme park in Bedford, England.
  
• Sabina Graves shares the latest news from various US-based theme parks.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Leonard David reports that Vanguard 1 is the oldest satellite still in orbit and that there are plans to retrieve it. 
• Brett Tingley shares photos of the new Eagle moon rover.
  
• Cade Metz is reporting about attempts to design humanoid robots to work around the home.
• Larry Neumeister reports that an AI avatar attempted to argue a case before a New York City court, but that the judges were not having it. 
• Degen Pener reports that the extinction of dire wolves has been reversed via genetic engineering.  
• Michael Le Page clarifies that the three wolf cubs born are not dire wolves but gray wolves genetically engineered to resemble dire wolves. 
• Kaycee Sloan reports how the so-called Lazarus lizards came to live in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  
• Janet Manley reports that many children are obsessed by the Titanic.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Meredith Placko reports that Trump's ridiculous tariffs will drive up the prices for Steve Jackson Games tabletop games.
• Justin Carter reports that Dungeons & Dragons deisnger Chris Perkins will retire from Wizards of the Coast 
• Sabina Graves wonders what became of her Animal Crossing villagers after years of not playing the game.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Cat Eldridge reviews the Funko Pop! Man-Thing
• James Whitbrook reviews the Lego Lord of the Rings Shire set?
  
• Pixel Dan discusses the upcoming 1:6 scale Masters of the Universe 200X action figure line from Mondo. 
• Sabina Graves reports about the recent craze for Labubu collectible keychain creatures. 
• Watch "Horde Invasion", a stop motion video featuring Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection action figures.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Labbatu Takes Command of the Flagship Heaven Dwells Within" by Arkady Martine in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Two Great Thinkers Discuss the Post-Apocalyptic Condition" by David McGillveray in Interzone Digital.
• "Does Harlen Lattner Dream of Infected Sheep?, Part II" by Sarah Langan in Lightspeed.
• "The Price of Miracles" by Nigel Faustino in Lightspeed. 
  
• "Beyond the Firelight" by Matthew Ilseman in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "A Girl Goes on a Date Alone at Night" by Cynthia Gómez in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Finding Love Within the Waves" by Anne Wilkins in The Dark.
• "Shadows Below Seaway Trains" by Ai Jiang in Apex Magazine.
• "The Seed" by Sheri Singerling in Clarkesworld.
• "Aegiopolis Testudo" by Gordon Li in Clarkesworld.

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Murderbot.
  
• Watch a trailer for Tron: Ares. 
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Love, Death + Robots. 
• Watch a trailer for Predator: Killer of Killers
• Watch a trailer for The Rose of Versailles.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Phoenician Scheme.
• Watch a trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
• Watch a trailer for The Librarians: The Next Chapter.
  
• Watch a trailer for Vulcanizadora. 
  
• Watch a trailer for Elio
• Watch a trailer for Like Tears in the Rain.