Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 25, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Andor and Star Wars in general, Star Trek in general, 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 7 of Black Mirror, season 2 of  The Last of Us, season 3 of The Wheel of Time,, Sinners, Doctor Who past, present and future, Fréwaka, Until Dawn, The Legend of Ochi, The Ugly Stepsister,, tributes to Damien Broderick and David Schleinkofer and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Heloise Wood talks about new trends in horror fiction.
• Olivia Waite talks about teatime in space, culture and colonialism in SFF
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction works about unlikely global superpowers 
• Jeff Somers shares thirteen books set in magical houses. 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories to tell around a fire.
  
• Alex Gonzales declares that extreme horror has its place, because the world is horrible. 
• Bobby Derie takes a look at the early work of C.L. Moore, before she made her professional pulp debut. 
• Andrew Rossi profiles science fiction and screenwriter George Clayton Johnson. 
• Paperback Warrior shares an overview over the work of crime fiction, science fiction and western pulp author Kendell Foster Crossen  
  
• Lila Shapiro reports that Neil Gaiman is sueing Caroline Wallner, who accused him of sexual assault, for 500000 US-dollars for allegedly breaking a non-disclosure agreement. 
• Vampire fiction author Nancy Kilpatrick has died aged 78.
  

 

Tributes to Damien Broderick:

• Australian science fiction writer, critic and scholar Damien Broderick has died aged 80.
• Rich Horton remembers Damien Broderick.
  

 

Tributes to David Schleinkofer: 

• Science fiction artist David Schleinkofer, best known for his Transformers and Battlestar Galactica artwork, has died aged 74. 
• John Freeman remembers David Schleinkofer.
  

Comics and Art:

• Steven Heller profiles Frank Frazetta.
• Bradley Powers interviews artist Yorgos Cotronis
  
• Katy McAfee reports that a propane gas leak caused the explosion of artist Sara Felix's house in Austin, Texas. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about Dan Brown messing up an Easter Egg hunt, 

 

 Film and TV:  

• Jenna Scherer calls Shatter Belt Black Mirror meets The Twilight Zone  
• Alex Lei declares that David Cronenberg goes back to his science fiction roots with The Shrouds 
• Cheryl Eddy calls the Vietnamese vampire movie Daydreamers a blood-soaked guilty pleasure
  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on The Day the Earth Blew Up
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surrealestate.
• Catherine Bray calls Goldbeak an animated tale strangely reminiscent of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
  
• Writers of the Guardian share their favourite movie Easter eggs. 
• Jacob Oller lists eleven live-action video game movies that were never going to work
• Rai Furniss-Greasley revisits the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien.
  
• Steve Vertlieb revisits the 1980 time travel romance Somewhere in Time.
  
• Paul F. Verhoeven revisits the 1984 science fiction film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension?
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996 Babylon 5 episode “Dust to Dust”  
• Emma Cole takes a look at the gothic horror films of the 1990s.
• Ben Beaumont-Thomas reports that the song "Steve’s Lava Chicken" from A Minecraft Movie, which is only 34 seconds long, became the shortest song ever to hit the UK Top 40.
  
• Andrew Pulver reports that Ben Affleck hated wearing the Batman suit, because it was very hot and uncomfortable.
• Catherine Shoard reports that the Actors Guild of Nigeria calls for better regulations after two actors died while filming.
• Catherine Shoard reports that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has called going to the cinema outmoded and claims that audiences want to watch movies at home right away. 
  
• Ryan Gilbey shares an obituary for Ted Kotcheff. 
  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Joe George declares that Daredevil: Born Again offers a much-needed corrective to relentless copaganda
• Ben Child shares some speculations about Fantastic Four: First Steps.
• Sydney Bucksbaum interviews Julia Garner who plays Shalla-Bal a.k.a. the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• David Brooke interviews artist Freddie E. Williams II and editor Brett Israel about the Turtles of Grayskull comic mini-series.
• Dad-at-Arms interviews artist Freddie E. Williams II and writer Tim Seeley about the Turtles of Grayskull comic mini-series.
  
• Dad-at-Arms and Adam McComb talk about the Masters of the Universe Golden Books from the 1980s.
  

 

Comments on Andor and Star Wars in general: 

• Justin Carter shares early reactions to season 2 of Andor.
• Jack Seale calls season 2 of Andor as thrilling as ever (and funnier too)
• Sabina Graves declares that season 2 of Andor proves Star Wars stories remain essential and timely
• Garrett Martin declares that Andor soars with a confident second season
• Chris M. Barkley shares his appreciation for season 1 of Andor and his anticipation for season 2. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the first episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the second episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the third episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the first three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the first three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Gita Jackson notes that even though Star Wars has always been political, watching Andor is no substitute for actual resistance. 
• James Whitbrook discusses the importance of the wedding dance scene in episode 3 of season 2 of Andor. 
• James Hibberd interviews Tiny Gilroy, showrunner of Andor.
  
• Walter Marsh interviews Genevieve O'Reilly who plays Mon Mothma in Andor, Rogue One and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. 
• Sabina Graves interviews Genevieve O'Reilly and Tony Gilroy, showrunner of Andor.
  
• Tara Bennett interviews John Gilroy, executive producer and series editor of Andor.
  
• Anthony Lund reports that Lucasfilm has finally acknowledged the 2012 animated series Star Wars: Detours, which has never been shown, even though there are 39 completed episodes. 
• Watch a trailer for Volume 3 of Star Wars Visions.
  

 

 Comments on season 3 of The Wheel of Time:  

• Melody McCune interviews Davina Lamont and Sharon Gilham, hair and make-up and costume designer on The Wheel of Time.
• Melody McCune interviews Robert Strange who plays an Eelfinn in The Wheel of Time.

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Avery Kaplan takes a look at the cat-like Caitians in various Star Trek episodes.
• Ben Weiss reports about a case where a woman's job application was rejected, because she mentioned being a Star Trek fan in the job interview.  
• Watch a mash-up of Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Spongebob Squarepants.
  

 

 Comments on season 2 of The Last of Us (spoilers):

• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Graeme Virtue shares his thoughts “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Katcy Stephan interviews Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman, creators and showrunners of The Last of Us.
  
• Tim Lewis interviews Bella Ramsey who plays Ellie in The Last of Us.
• James Hibberd also interviews Bella Ramsey.
• Nick Romano explains how a certain shocking scene in the latest episode of The Last of Us came to be. 
• Stuart Heritage calls a certain shocking death in the latest episode of The Last of Us a masterpiece.
• Watch a behind the scenes documentary about "Through the Valley, the latest episode of The Last of Us.
  

 

Comments on Black Mirror:

• Ann Michelle Harris declares that season 7 of Black Mirror offers strong acting and innovative stories explore our difficult relationship with technology
  
• Keith Stuart notes how the Black Mirror episode "Plaything" was inspired by Charlie Brooker's time as a games journalist for the magazine PCZone in the 1990s.

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Grant Watson shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Isobel Lewis shares her thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her favourite Easter eggs in "Lux".
  
• Hannah Al-Othman reports that showrunner Russell T. Davies responds to complaints that Doctor Who has become "too woke".
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1970 Doctor Who serial "Ambassadors of Death".
  

 

Comments on Sinners:

• Leah Schnellbach calls Sinners an instant horror classic and modern masterpiece
• Wendy Ide calls Sinners a phenomenal-looking, blues-infused supernatural tale 
• Andrew Lawrence calls Sinners a horror film about the highs and lows of the Black experience  
• Justin Carter declares that in Sinners, honesty leads to freedom  
• C.T. Phipps calls Sinners incredibly good on every conceivable level with something meaningful to say. 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Sinners combines genres to come up with something wholly original and fascinatingly complex
  
• Nick Romano talks about the post-credits scene of Sinners.
• Sabina Graves reports that Sinners had a very good opening weekend for an original movie and that director Ryan Coogler has thanked the audience. 
  
• Raquel Harris reports that various actors and directors have criticised Variety for downplaying Sinners' good opening weekend. 
• Craig D. Lindsey notes that the media downplaying Sinners' good opening weekend by noting that it still hasn't made back its budget shows how movies by black filmmakers are treated differently.
  

 

Comments on The Legend of Ochi:

• Jesse Hassenger calls The Legend of Ochi a 1980s throwback family fantasy movie. 
  
• Andy Crump declares that The Legend of Ochi‘s rich design props up its divided narrative
• Lyvie Scott interviews William Defoe, one of the stars of  The Legend of Ochi 

 

 Comments on The Ugly Stepsister:

• Peter Bradshaw calls The Ugly Stepsister an ingenious body-horror take on Cinderella 
• Jacob Oller calls The Ugly Stepsister an impressively nasty body horror film. 
  
• Matt Schimkowitz interviews Emilie Blichfeldt, director of The Ugly Stepsister.

 

Comments on Fréwaka: 

• Jim Vorel declares that the mystical Irish folk horror film Fréwaka weaves an unnerving spell.
• Cheryl Eddy calls Fréwaka, a dread-infused folk-horror narrative that’s one of the first Irish-language horror films. 
  

 

Comments on Until Dawn: 

• Benjamin Lee calls Until Dawn an efficient, if unscary horror video game adaptation.  
• Jacob Oller calls Until Dawn aa parade of endless empty horror clichés
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Until Dawn cleverly adapts a videogame, but then outplays its welcome
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 BSFA Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Sir Julius Vogel Awards have been announced.  
• The recipient of the 2025 Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2025 Colorado Book Awards have been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2024 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize have been announced
• The 2025 Filk Hall of Fame Inductees have been announced.
  
• Voting for the 2025 Hugo Awards is now open. 
• File 770 lists the contents of the 2025 Hugo voter packet.
  
• Nicholas Whyte takes a look at withdrawals and disqualifications from the Hugo ballot. 
• Brooks Barnes reports about new Oscar rules, including about the use of AI. 
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Art Bell talks about building suspense in nonfiction narratives 
• The SFWA alerts writers to problematic clauses in the contracts of Asimov's, Analog, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. 
• Melina Spanoudi reports that the British MPs argue that the proposed AI text and data-mining exemption to British copyright law lacks effective an ‘opt-out’
• Ella Creamer reports that UK publishers and authors propose a collective licence to make sure writer get paid when their books are used to train AI.
  
• BBC Witness History discusses the origin of World Book Day.
  
• Susan Wise Bauer reports that her longtime US-based printer dumped her small press Well-Trained Mind Press, because Penguin Random House is moving its printing operations from China to the US in response to the Trump government's tariffs.

 

Interviews:

• Marissa Van Uden interviews Ai Jiang.
• Christina Orlando interviews Erin Morgenstern. 
• Alex Puncekar interviews Nat Cassidy.
  

 

Reviews:

• Runalong the Shelves reviews Rabbit In The Moon by Fiona Moore
  
• Adrienne Martini reviews When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
  
• Clara Cohen reviews If Stars are Lit by Sara K. Ellis  
• Natalie Zutter reviews The Sea Eternal by Emery Robin
  
• Camestros Felapton reviews Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead 
• Adam Roberts reviews Luminous by Silvia Park  
• Chris Kluwe reviews Luminous by Silvia Park  
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi 
• Leah Ning reviews One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews The Exile by Ryan Cahill
  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J. Penner 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Summoned to the Wilds by A.K. Caggiano 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde
• Bill Capossere reviews The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence 
• Leah Ning reviews A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang.
• Rob Bedford reviews The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig.
  
• Paul Weimer reviews The Estate by Sarah Jost
  
• Z.B. Steele reviews The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
• Liz Bourke reviews Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin 
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
• Colleen Mondor reviews Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill
  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Paul Weimer reviews Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay.
  
• Fiona Denton reviews Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Dance With Me by Livia J. Elliot
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Don’t Sleep With the Dead by Nghi Vo
• Rob Bedford reviews When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh 
• Maya Gittelman reviews Hungerstone by Kat Dunn.
  
• Camestros Felapton reviews The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy by D.J. Butler.
   
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sam Reader revisits the 1895 weird horror story “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers
• Brian Collins revisits the 1932 horror novella “Wolves of Darkness” by Jack Williamson
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1936 Conan sword and sorcery novella "Red Nails by Robert E. Howard. 
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1950 science fiction story “The Listening Child” by Margaret St. Clair 
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1951 science fiction story “Brightness Falls from the Air” by Margaret St. Clair
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1966 science fiction novel The Doomsday Planet by Harl Vincent.
• Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1970 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction,
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1978 weird fiction collection Half in Shadow by Mary Elizabeth Counselman 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1992 near future science fiction novel Correspondence by Sue Thomas
  
  

 Con and event reports:

• James Bacon calls for solidarity with the comittee and volunteers of the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, and the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California, in the face of the actions of the Trump government.
• S.J. Groenewegen shares their experiences at Reconnect, the 2025 Eastercon in Belfast, UK. 
• Octothorpe share their experiences at Reconnect.
  
• Mike Glyer reports that the sites for the 2026 and 2027 Eastercons have been selected. 
• Justin Carter shares a round-up of news from the 2025 Star Wars Celebration in Chiba City, Japan.
  
• Decca Muldowney reports about the rise of fantasy balls, where fans of romantasy books can dance and interact with actors portraying characters from the novels.  
• Andrew Kersey reports about a panel discussion on the subject " Octavia E. Butler’s Seeds of Change" at the Huntington Library and Museum in San Marino, California.
• Sinèad Campbell reports about a new wave of literary events and live readings in the UK. 
• Watch a video about a discussion of religion in SFF at the Chicago Public Library in Chicago, Illinois, featuring N.K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, Nghi Vo and Matthew Kirby
• John Freeman reports about the “Building Bigger Worlds” exhibition in London, UK, featuring the science fiction art of John R. Mullaney 
• Scott Roxborough shares the full line-up of the Annecy International Animation Festival in Annecy, France.
  
• Sabina Graves discusses the line-up of the Annecy International Animation Festival in Annecy, France.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• The Adventures of Lion Man, a comic by John Jennings and Damian Duffy, Bill Campbell, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu and David Brame, which stars the first black superhero, is looking for funding.

 

Science and technology:

• Robin McKee reports that samples taken from the asteroid Bennu suggest that life may have arrived on Earth via an asteroid strike. 
  
• Miles Klee reports that even Katy Perry's fans are not impressed by her twelve minute spaceflight.
• Ian Sample reports that scientists claim to have found a colour no one has seen before. 
• Michelle Valles and Génesis Miranda Miramontes report that robot-operated convenience stores have opened in Glendale, California.    
• Dr. Lourdes Bobbio talks about innovations in metallurgy for science fiction
  
• John Anthony Disotto reports that OpenAI is annoyed that ChatGPT users are costing them money by thanking the AI large language models.
  
• Isaac Schultz reports how a fake scientific term created by a scanning error has been adopted by AI. 
• Julia Jacobo reports that geoscientists have discovered a magma cap at Yellowstone National Park that is likely playing a critical role in preventing a massive eruption in one of the largest active volcanic systems in the world.
  
• Lucas Reilly shares photos of the world's largest beaver dam in Alberta, Canada.
  
• Kaye Dee reports about the Apollo 13 emergency in 1970.
  
• Maureen Cavanagh reports that the ashes of space travel pioneer Willy Ley were found in a basement in Manhattan and about the decision what to do with them. 
• CaLea Johnson lists the ten US states most likely to survive an alien invasion.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Haley Zapal reviews Assassin's Creed Shadows
  
• Ynes Sarah Filleul reports about the popularity of so-called Ojisan trading card games featuring ordinary middle-aged men in Japan.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Two Mattel designers explain how they created the Masters of the Universe Origins Necro-Conda action figure.
• Justin Carter shares a look at some upcoming Hasbro Star Wars Black Series and Vintage Collection action figures.  
• Watch "Horde Invasion", a stop motion animated short film featuring Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection action figures.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Two Great Thinkers Discuss the Post-Apocalyptic Condition" by David McGillveray in Interzone.
  
• "Shield of the Glasslaw" by Isobel Mackenzie in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Island with the Animals" by Stephanie Malia Morris in Uncanny Magazine 
  
• "The Other River" by Jon Lasser in Lightspeed. 
  
• "TALK: “The Siren Song of the Otherworld Goggles” by Dominica Phetteplace in Lightspeed. 
  
• "Praise Song for the God of Restless Hands" by Phoenix Alexander in The Dark. 
• "Nian: A New Year Story" by Leeyee Lim in Strange Horizons.
  
• "In My Country" by Thomas Ha in Clarkesworld.
  
• "As It Comes" by Derek Alan Jones in Apex Magazine.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Wednesday. 
• Watch a trailer for volume 4 of Love, Death + Robots.
  
• Watch a trailer for Predator: Badlands.
• Watch a trailer for Fountain of Youth.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Toxic Avenger.
• Watch another trailer for The Toxic Avenger.
• Watch a trailer for HIM. 
• Watch a trailer for the new I Know What You Did Last Summer.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 8 of Rick and Morty.