Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 2, 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, Thunderbolts* 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 2 of  The Last of Us, Sinners, Doctor Who past, present and future, Murderbot, Until Dawn, The Legend of Ochi, Predator Badlands, an uproar involving the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy lists 63 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in May  
• Liberty Hardy lists twelve new SFF books coming out in May.
  
• Farah Mendlesohn talks about science fiction which adresses the rise of fascism. 
• James Davis Nicoll lists five extremely grumpy speculative novels 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five stories set in fantastic SFF cities
  
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror stories about terrifying trees  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF novels featuring tunnels
  
• Axie Oh shares five SFF books that feel like Studio Ghibli films
  
• Cora Buhlert shares her appreciation for the Elric of Melniboné sword and sorcery series by Michael Moorcock. 
• Marc Burrows shares a guide to the works of Terry Pratchett. 
• Margaret Hetherman profiles Edythe Eyde a.k.a. Tigrina, speculative poet and pioneering lesbian publisher. 
• Bobby Derie shares H.P. Lovecraft's thoughts about Ernest Hemingway.
  
• Brandon O'Brien shares some tips for learning to appreciate poetry. 
• R.L. Thornton notes that Jimi Hendrix was a science fiction fan. 
• Catherine Shoard reports that actor Pedro Pascal has criticised J.K. Rowling for her transphobic views in very strong words. 
  
• German-Ukrainian writer Alexandra Fröhlich has been murdered on her houseboat in Hamburg, Germany, aged 58.
  

Comics and Art:

• Scott Edelman interviews comic author and food writer Jarrett Melendez
• In spite of the failure of the eponymous movie, Francis Ford Coppola has announced a Megalopolis graphic novel. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about microdosing Jane Austen at the office.
• Science fiction artist and animator Bert Tanner has died aged 90.
  

 

 Film and TV: 

• Leah Schnelbach declares that The Shrouds isn't so much a movie as a sustained howl of grief. 
• Aaron Jones shares his thoughts on season 3 of The Wheel of Time. 
• Leah Thomas calls Dan Da Dan messy, absurd, dangerous... and filled with hope.
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surrealestate. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the horror film Rosario.
• Jacob Oller calls the new version of The Rose Of Versailles a florid, condensed look at revolution
• Ann Michelle Harris shares her thoughts on the anime Solo Leveling
  
• Phil Hoad calls Boonie Bears: Future Reborn a Chinese animated eco-fable that feels like Mad Max on mushrooms 
• Cheryl Eddy calls  I Know Catherine, The Log Lady an sffectionate portrait of Twin Peaks icon Catherine E. Coulson
• Luke Holland explains how he would save several struggling film and TV franchises. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Madeline Brewer, best known for her appearances in The Handmaid's Tale and You.
  
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Zahn McClarnon, best known for his roles in Dark Winds, Reservation Dogs, Fargo and Westworld.
• Benjamin Lee interviews Craig Perry, producer of the Final Destination films.
  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Kazuya Tsurumaki, director of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Eli Craig, director of Clown in a Cornfield 
• Jim Vorel interviews Eli Craig. 
  
• Don Kaye revisits the 1955 science fiction movie Conquest of Space.  
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 sword and sorcery film Beastmaster.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996 Babylon 5 episode “Exogenesis” 
• Jim Vorel revisits the 2005 science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
  
• Paul Hirons wonders about the popularity of reboots.
• A.J. Weiler discusses how the portrayal of climate change in movies has evolved over the decades. 
  
• Readers of the Guardian share their memories of video stores. 
• David Smith reports that fewer movies and TV shows are being produced in Hollywood, California, than in the past. 
• Special effects artist Bruce Logan, who worked on Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Tron, has died aged 74.
  

 

Comments on Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Germain Lussier declares that Thunderbolts* is Marvel back to doing what Marvel does best
• Radheyan Simonpillai calls Thunderbolts* a hit and miss mess and praises the performance of Florence Pugh. 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Florence Pugh anchors Thunderbolts* with a refreshing lack of superpowers 
• Jarrod Jones declares that Thunderbolts* zeroes in on the human beneath the hero
  
• Peter Debruge calls Thunderbolts* a film that balances self-deprecating comedy with mental health concerns, relying on deep knowledge of obscure characters
  
• Ernesto Valenzuela interviews Jake Schreier, director of Thunderbolts*.
• Brian Davids interviews Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes, and Wyatt Russell who plays John Walker in the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe. 
• Aaron Jones shares his thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again.
• Hector DeJean shares his thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again.
• Catherine Shoard shares actor Jeremy Renner's - best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinemattic and TV Universe - account of his snow plough accident. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Jeremy Renner turned down season 2 of Hawkeye, because Marvel and Disney only offered him half the money he was paid for season 1.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Destro is my Spirit Animal shares a summary of the mythology of Masters of the Universe,
• Todd Luck reviews the Turtles of Grayskull comic mini-series by Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams II.  
• The Battle for Eternia Podcast takes a look at some early Masters of the Universe concept art by Mark Taylor.
• James Eatock recounts how Snoopy and a Smurf snuck into a storyboard for an episode of the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.
• For Eternia reports about some unexpected character Easter eggs spotted in an aerial shot of the sets of the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie.
  

 

Comments on Andor and Star Wars in general:

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls season 2 of Andor a thrilling conclusion to the greatest Star Wars spin-off 
• Camestros Felapton declares that season 2 of Andor is really good.
  
• Phoebe Wagner shares her thoughts on the first episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on “Kassa”, the fourth episode of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the fifth episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the sixth episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the second three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the second three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the second three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw notes that Cassian Andor's greatest weapon are actually his people skills.
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw notes that the undecumented migrant labour subplot in season 2 of Andor hits unexpectedly close to home. 
• James Whitbrook discusses how Andor handles the recasting of Bail Organa.
  
• Brian Hiatt interviews Tony Gilroy, showrunner of Andor. 
• James Hibberd interviews Tony Gilroy. 
• Tara Bennett interviews John Gilroy, executive producer and editor of Andor.
  
• Rafa Sales Ross interviews Beau Willimon, writer of Andor and executive producer of Severance.
• Todd Gilchrist interviews Ian McDiarmid, who plays Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars movies.
• Liam Gaughan revisits the 2005 Star Wars movie Revenge of the Sith for its twentieth anniversary.
• Todd Gilchrist shares George Lucas' explanation for Yoda's unique speech patterns.
  

 

 Comments on Murderbot:  

• Alex Godfrey interviews Alexander Skarsgård who will play Murderbot in the upcoming TV series.
  
• Nikita Sawant interviews Akshay Khanna who plays Rhatti in the upcoming Murderbot TV series.
• Watch an Inside Look video about Murderbot.

 

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

• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Graeme Virtue shares his thoughts “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Saloni Gajjar declares that revealing Abby's motivations early on was the right move for The Last Of Us

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Isobel Lewis shares her thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Martin Belam wonders if Doctor Who is doomed.
• James Whitbrook revisits the 2005 Doctor Who episode "Dalek".
  

 

Comments on Sinners:

• Ann Michelle Harris calls Sinners a powerful example of layered storytelling that blends horror, history, and magical realism with meaningful social commentary.
  
• Angelique Jackson interviews Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners.
  
• Brian Davids interviews Wunmi Mosaku who plays Annie in Sinners. 
• Chris Willman interviews real life blues musician Buddy Guy who plays the old Sammie in Sinners.
  
• Leah Schnelbach discusses the use of Irish music in Sinners.
  
• Pamela McClintock reports that Sinners continues to do well at the box office.

 

Comments on The Legend of Ochi:

• Ignatiy Vishnevetsky declares that The Legend Of Ochi aspires to awe and looks good enough that it almost gets there
• Cheryl Eddy calls The Legend of Ochi a poignant fantasy tale featuring jaw-dropping puppets 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that The Legend of Ochi is not what it appears to be
  
• Rory Doherty declares that The Legend Of Ochi saps the magic from the coming-of-age fantasy movie
  

 

 Comments on Predator: Badlands:

• Ben Child wonders whether Predator: Badlands can finally prove that a shared universe with Alien was a good idea. 
• Matt Donato interviews Dan Trachtenberg, director of Prey and Predator: Badlands.
  

 

Comments on Until Dawn: 

• Jacob Oller declares that Until Dawn changes its gimmick, its plot and its wendigos
  
• Brian Davids interviews David F. Sandberg, director of Until Dawn and Shazam!

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 LA Times Book Prize have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards has been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2025 Tolkien Society Awards have been announced.
  
• The shortlist for the 2025 Future Prize has been announced.
• The finalists for the 2025 Splatterpunk Awards have been announced.  
• The winners of the 2025 BAFTA TV Craft Awards have been announced.
  
• Chris M. Barkley shares an update of hiw lawsuit against 2023 Hugo administrator Dave McCarty over several Hugo trophies that never reached their recipients. 
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Jenna Satterthwaite talks about when inspiration strikes. 
• Kate Elliott discusses the doubts that assail many writers and artists.
  
• Georgina Clarke talks about incorporating research into writing 
  
• Lindsey Byrd explains how important real places are for her fantasy writing.  
• Tim Susman explains how to write a comic script 
• Lucy Knight reports that the BBC has created mystery writing classes taught by an AI replica of Agatha Christie.
  
• Scott Montgomery celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of classic crime fiction reprint publisher Stark House Press. 
• Denise Beck-Clark explains how she almost fell for a common scam targeting writers.
• Ella Creamer reports that the small press Conduit Books wants to focus on books by male writers, a demographic they consider underrepresented.
  
• Benjamin Mullin reports that Ziff Davis, publisher of  PCMag, Mashable and many others is sueing OpenAI for copyright infringement.
• Ella Creamer reports that according to a recent survey, many parents don't enjoy reading to their children.
  

 

Interviews:

• The HWA interviews Josh Rountree.
• Z.B. Steele interviews C.M. Caplan
  
• Brandon O'Brien interviews Holly Lyn Walrath
  

 

Reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  
• Camestros Felapton reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 
• Jenny Hamilton reviews Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway 
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Down in the Sea of Angels by Khan Wong
• Niall Harrison reviews A Thousand Blues by Cheon Seon-ran 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Voyage of the Heisenberg by Tom Easton 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews When The Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Dark Diamond by Neal Asher 
• Jennifer Stevenson reviews One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Atacama by Jendia Gammon
  
• Caleb Klaces reviews Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori 
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Underwood Tapes by Amanda DeWitt
• Abigail Nussbaum reviews The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison 
• Liz Bourke reviews Emberclaw by L.R. Lam
  
• Molly Templeton reviews Idolfire by Grace Curtis.
  
• Bill Capossere reviews The Antidote by Karen Russell  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews By Blood by Salt by J.L. Odom   
  
• Mary Picken reviews The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn
  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews A Claiming of Souls by R.A. Sandpiper
• Liz Bourke reviews The Incandescent by Emily Tesh  
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Incandescent by Emily Tesh  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews All Better Now by Neal Shusterman 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Descent to Azakmar by Michael R. Fletcher
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Ghosts of Blaubart Mansion by Ivy Grimes
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias  
• Z.B. Steele reviews House of Chains by Steven Erikson
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman 
• Marion Deeds reviews One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed 
• Tobias Caroll reviews Exit Zero by Marie-Helene Bertino
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid.
   
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sam Weller revisits the 1950 science fiction collection The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1957 horror story “The Muted Horn” by Dorothy Salisbury Davis  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1970 issue of Analog.
  
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the May 1970 issue of Vision of Tomorrow.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1979 science fiction novel The Wall of Years by Andrew M. Stephenson 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1986 cyberpunk novel Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams  
  
• Alex Brown revisits the 1995 fantasy novel City of Bones by Martha Wells. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 2000 time travel novel 1632 by Eric Flint
  
  

 Con and event reports:

• Alasdair Stuart shares his experiences at the 2025 Luxcon in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
• Sue Burke shares her experiences at the 2024 Windycon in Oak Brook, Illinois.
• Kathy Bond, chair of the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, explains why they used ChatGPT to vet potential program participants.
  
• Mike Glyer shares some negative reactions to the admission that the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, used ChatGPT to vet potential program participants. 
• Paul Weimer shares an open letter in response to Seattle using ChatGPT to vet potential program participants. 
• Jake Casella Brookins also shares an open letter in response to the Seattle Worldcon using ChatGPT to vet potential program participants. 
• David Gerard shares his thoughts on the Seattle Worldcon using ChatGPT to vet potential program participants.
  
• The 2025 StokerCon at Stamford, Connecticut, have announced that they will be exclusing the publisher Cemetery Dance for their continued failure to pay authors.  
• Mikołaj Kowalewski has won the 2024 Transatlatic Fan Fund.
  
• Sabina Graves looks ahead at the 2025 Star Wars Nite at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
  
• Ella Creamer and Mark Brown report about a campaign to keep William Wordsworth's house open to the public. 
  

 

Science and technology:

• Gideon Marcus reports about China's first satellite launch in 1970.
• Sara Hashemi reports that Google is training an AI model to understand and possibly communicate with dolphins.
  
• Philip Ball wonders whether scientists will ever be able to create life in a lab.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Justin Carter interviews Masumi Tsunoda and Tongayi Chirisa. two voice actor who worked on Assassin's Creed Shadows.
• Justin Carter reports that Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering are mostly unaffected by the Trump government's tariffs.
• Dustin Bailey discusses the problems of videogame preservation. 
• Colin Armstrong talks about the urban legend about an arcade game called Polybius, which allegedly had strange psychological effects on those who played it.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tattoo and Worm action figures,
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Star Wars Star Tours StarSpeeder 3000 vehicle.
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at new Lego sets coming out in May.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Shadow Jack" by C.L. Hellisen in GigaNotoSaurus.
• "Adventures on the Omega Train at Night" by A. T. Greenblatt in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "An Even Greater Cold to Come" by Rich Larson in Clarkesworld.
• "Human Resources" by Adrian Tchaikovsky in Reactor.
  
• "To Kill a Language" by Rukman Ragas in Apex Magazine.
  
• "Unbury" by Kirsty Logan in Uncanny Magazine 
• "Old Brooklyn Magic" by Ian Li in Nightmare Magazine.
• " Zephyr" by Sofia Rhei, translated by: Marian Womack in Samovar. 
• "To Helen" by Bella Han, translated by: Bella Han, in Samovar. 
• "High Marks" by Frank Vatel in Punk Noir Magazine.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Lost in Starlight.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Dan Da Dan.
• Watch a trailer for season 1 of Alien Earth. 
• Watch a trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen
  
• Watch a trailer for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t