Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 6, 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, 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, Doctor Who past, present and future, Star Trek in general, Murderbot, the series finale of The Handmaid's Tale, Dan Da Dan, Predator: Killer of Killers, The Life of Chuck, Dangerous Animals The Librarians: The Next Chapter, tributes to Barry B. Longyear and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares 57 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in June 
• Natalie Zutter shares science fiction and fantasy books coming out in June. 
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in June 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in June 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new horror, romantasy and genre hybrid books arriving in June 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new YA science fiction and fantasy books arriving in June 2025  
• Dorian Lysnkey discusses how science fiction literature predicted and portrayed the atom bomb 
• Molly Templeton discusses post-apocalyptic tales featuring theatre troops and plays. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five stories about what happens after you’ve defeated the Big Bad  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF works about contests and competitions 
• Kalla Harris shares five SFF books with serious Eat-the-Rich energy 
• Robert Bugsby shares eleven gothic short fiction collections set in fictional small towns. 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories for cat lovers  
• Tobias Carroll takes a look at recent SFF works featuring the Jersey Devil. 
• Larry Latham takes a look at European pulp fiction. 
• Chris Winkle explains why literary fiction is a genre. 
• The Guardian asks if we need more male novelists. 
• Ella Creamer reports about Russian propaganda fiction aimed at persuading young men to join the Russian forces. 
• Edwin L. Battistella explains what he learned from reading Harlan Ellison.  
• Lee Weinstein shares his appreciation for the works of Nelson S. Bond. 
• Ryan Adamczeski reports that J.K. Rowling has publicly admitted that she is planning to use the proceeds from the Harry Potter books, movies, TV-show and assorted mechandise to fund an anti-trans organisation.
• Indian astrophysicist, popular science and science fiction writer Jayant Narlikar has died aged 86

Tributes to Barry B. Longyear:

• Science fiction writer Barry B. Longyear died aged 83. 
• Locus remembers Barry B. Longyear. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Tom Guald shares a cartoon on combining literary classics. 
• Gavin Edwards shares an obituary for Peter David.

 

Film and TV:

• Jacob Oller calls Lost In Starlight an animated science fiction romance from South Korea. 
• Jordan Hoffman calls Fountain of Youth a weak tea adventure too violent for kids and too stupid for adults. 
• Leah Schnelbach calls Bring Her Back as much an endurance test as a film 
• Leslie Felperin calls Bogieville a trailer-park vampire thriller filled with prosthetic fangs 
• Jacob Oller calls The Ritual a conventional and not especially compelling exorcism thriller.. 
• Alex Wallace declares that of Disney live-action remakes were generally as good as Lilo and Stitch, they would still be making them 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surrealestate. 
• Kai Young lists ten cancelled science fiction shows that deserve a reboot. 
• Jason Sacks offers an overview over science fiction movies of the early 1960s. 
• Cheryl Eddy lists eight horror movies prominently featuring landline phones. 
• Jon O'Brien revisits the 1950 science fiction movie Rocketship X-M 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1955 science fiction horror film The Quatermass Xperiment 
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1995 ecological horror film Safe. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996 Babylon 5 episode “Sic Transit Vir” 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2004 science fiction movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2007 horror film Dead Silence.  
• Ann Lee interviews the cast and crew of the 1985 adventure film The Goonies.  
• Tiffany Kelly interviews the cast and crew of the 2014 supernatural TV series The Leftovers. 
• McKinley Franklin interviews Jenna Ortega, star of Wednesday. 
• Sabina Graves interviews Dean DeBlois, director of the live action How to Train Your Dragon 
• Dan Sarto interviews visual effects supervisor James MacLachlan who worked on the Black Mirror episode "USS Callister: Into Infinity".
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Nicole Northridge, production designer of Silo and Peaky Blinders. 
• Cheryl Eddy lists ten excellently weird science fiction and horror performances by David Dastmalchian 
• Melody McCune shares her appreciation for the character of  Egwene Al'Vere from The Wheel of Time.
• James Hibbs reports that a petition to renew The Wheel of Time, which has just been cancelled, has already gained 50000 signatures in a few days.
• Anthony Hayward shares an obituary of production designer Leslie Dilley. 
• Composer Alf Clausen, primarily known for his work on Tne Simpsons, has died aged 84. 
• Actress Valerie Mahaffey, best known for her roles in Northern Exposure, Dead to Me, Big Sky and many others, has died aged 71. 
• Actor James McEachin, best known for his roles in Perry Mason, Tenafly, Play Misty For Me, Matlock and many others, has died aged 94. 
• Actress Loretta Swit who appeared in many TV shows in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, has died aged 87.  
• Actress Ena Hartman, best known for her roles in Dan August, Terminal Island, Our Man Flint, Columbo, Star Trek and Airport, has died aged 93.  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Kenneth Lowe declares that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier struggles to say anything
• Ben Travis interviews Matt Shakman, director of The Fantastic Four: First Steps 
• Ben Travis interviews Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios. 
• Watch a trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. 

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Harry Mockridge reports that the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie is currently filming in and around Wells Cathedral in Wells, Somerset. 
• James Eatock reveals where Trap Jaw keeps his spare arm attachments in the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.

 

Comments on Andor and Star Wars in general: 

• Nerds of a Feather discusses how Andor reimagines Star Wars. 
• Phoebe Wagner shares her thoughts on episode 5 of season 2 of Andor. 
• James Whitbrook ranks Cassian Andor's aliases in Andor. 
• Germain Lussier takes a look at the many Easter eggs found in Luthen Rael's shop in Andor. 
• Ben Child wonders what an R-rated Star Wars movie would look like.
• Sam Bridger interviews Mark Hamill who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars universe. 
• Chris Agar interviews Rory McCann who will play Baylan Skoll in season 2 of Ahsoka.

 

 Comments on Murderbot:  

• Alex Brown shares their thoughts on “Escape Velocity”, the latest episode of Murderbot.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Escape Velocity”, the latest episode of Murderbot.
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on “Escape Velocity”, the latest episode of Murderbot.
• Gary Whitehouse shares his thoughts on the Murderbot series to date.

 

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

• Patricia Hernandez declares that season 2 of The Last of Us failed Ellie in favour of safe TV.
• Nick Romano interviews Young Mazino who plays Jesse in The Last of Us.

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future (spoilers): 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “The Reality War”, the final episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “The Reality War”, the final episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on “The Reality War”, the final episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on “The Reality War”, the final episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Isobel Lewis shares her thoughts on “The Reality War”, the final episode of series 15 of Doctor Who.  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “The Reality War”, the final episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune lists five jaw-dropping moments from "The Reality War". 
• Melody McCune shares her favourite quotes from "The Reality War".  
• James Whitbrook explains why he was not at all happy with "The Reality War". 
• Harry Taylor shares audience reactions to the series 15 finale of Doctor Who. 
• Readers of the Guardian share their reactions to the series 15 finale of Doctor Who.  
• Martin Belam wonders why Ncuti Gatwa left Doctor Who after only two series. 
• Melody McCune bids farewell to the Fifteenth Doctor, the most joyful of them all
• James Whitbrook declares that Doctor Who utterly wasted Belinda Chandra  
• Ananyaa Bhowmik ranks her seven favourite modern Doctor Who villains. 
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1970 Doctor Who serial "Inferno". 
• Watch a cover version of the Doctor Who theme by the Dugga Doo critter from "The Interstellar Song Contest". 
• Watch the Dugga Doo sing "There's always a twist at the end". 
• Watch a trailer for the Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea

 

Comments on season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale: 

• Saloni Gajjar declares that The Handmaid's Tale's otherwise satisfying final season was marred by Serena's ending 
• Cheryl Eddy notes that at least one character in The Handmaid's Tale got a truly happy ending.
• Jackie Strause interviews Madeline Brewer who plays Janine in The Handmaid's Tale. 

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Judith Tarr revisits the 1986 film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Avery Kaplan chronicles how Star Trek fans developed fanfiction as we know it. 

 

Comments on Predator: Killer of Killers:  

• Catherine Bray thinks that the animated anthology series Predator: Killer of Killers would work better in live action. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Dan Trachtenberg and Josh Wassung, directors of Predator: Killer of Killers.   

 

Comments on Dan Da Dan: 

• Isaiah Colbert interviews Abel Gongora, director of Dan Da Dan.  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Abby Trott, A.J. Beckles and Aleks Le, voice actors working on Dan Da Dan. 

 

Comments on The Librarians: The Next Chapter:

• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Librarians: The Next Chapter.
• Diana Keng interviews Dean Devlin, showrunner of The Librarians: The Next Chapter 
• Diana Keng interviews Olivia Morris who plays Lysa Pascal in The Librarians: The Next Chapter. 

 

Comments on The Life of Chuck: 

• Benjamin Lee calls The Life of Chuck a film of often effective parts that never really come together
• Natalia Keogan declares that The Life Of Chuck feels like the escapist fantasy of a rabid individualist.  
• William Earl interviews Mike Flanagan, director of The Life of Chuck. 

 

Comments on Dangerous Animals: 

• Jim Vorel calls Dangerous Animals the fusion of two intensely familiar subgenres–serial killer thriller and shark-starring B-movie–which results in a work that is somehow brimming with life and verve.  
• Peter Bradshaw calls Dangerous Animals a gonzo horror thriller  

  

 Awards:

• The finalists for the 2025 ESFS Awards have been announced.
• The winners and finalists of the 2025 Premio Vegetti have been announced.  
• The finalists for the 2025 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Australian Fairy Tale Society Award has been announced. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Katia Lief discusses how to make suspense work. 
• Lindy Ryan talks about infusing history into fiction
• Jason Sizemore explains how the collapse of Diamond Comics also affects the Apex Publishing Company.  
• Jason Sanford also weighs in on the troubles of Apex and how they affect his own books.  
• Jason Wilson reports about a network of far right publishers that includes the SFF publisher Ark Press. 
• Ella Creamer reports that the new online bookshop BookKind will donate 10% of the value of all purchases to charity.  
• Steve Morris reports that Salman Rushdie claims that AI won’t threaten authors until it can make people laugh 
• Charis McGowan interviews writers, artists and voice actors who lost their jobs to AI. 

 

Interviews:

• Arley Sorg interviews Elizabeth Bear. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Matthew Kressel. 
• Alex Beecher interviews Christopher Ruocchio.
• Locus interviews Akwaeke Emezi 
• Scott Edelman interviews Kemi Ashing-Giwa 
• Ed Crocker interviews Koji A Dae

 

Reviews: 

• Paul Weimer reviews The Folded Sky by Elizabeth Bear 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Lake of Darkness by Adam Roberts 
• Bill Capossere reviews Luminous by Silvia Park 
• Tobias Carroll reviews Metallic Realms by Lincoln Michel. 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune 
• Adrienne Martini reviews Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Damned by Genevieve Cogman 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
• Marion Deeds reviews Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame by Neon Yang 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Floating World by Axie Oh 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Grave Empire by Richard Swan  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Dagger in Vichy by Alastair Reynolds 
• Liz Bourke reviews Anji Kills A King by Evan Leikam  
• Marion Deeds reviews Notes From a Regicide by Isaac Fellman
• Mark Yon reviews The Frugal Wizard”s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson.  
• Marlene Harris reviews The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill 
• Marlene Harris reviews A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by J. Penner 
• Rich Horton reviews Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang 
• Daniel Dern reviews The Adventures of Mary Darling by Pat Murphy.  
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Spirit Moves by Carol J. Perry  
• Liz Bourke reviews Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill 
• Molly Templeton reviews The Incandescent by Emily Tesh. 
• John Mauro reviews Glass Girls by Danie Shokoohi 
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews Dengue Boy by Michel Nieva 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Afterlife Project by Tim Weed 
• Jen Lucas reviews Whistle by Linwood Barclay  
• Z.B. Steele reviews The Whisper that Replaced God by Timothy Wolff  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Dark Crescent by Lyndsey Croal 
• Matthew Keeley reviews Other Worlds by André Alexis. 

 

Classics reviews:

• Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth revisit the 1931 horror story “The Wonderful Tune” by Jessie Douglas Kerruish 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1939 fantasy mystery story “The Bronze Door” by Raymond Chandler 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1950 science fiction novel Wine of the Dreamers by John D. MacDonald 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1952 post-apocalyptic novel The Long Loud Silence by Wilson Tucker 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1954 science fiction story “Breakfast at Twilight” by Philip K. Dick 
• Hugo Girl! revisit the 1956 science fiction adventure novel Double Star by Robert A Heinlein. 
• Rachel Cordasco revisits the 1962 anthologies Soviet Science Fiction and More Soviet Science Fiction, edited by Isaac Asimov.  
• Sam Reader revisits the 1968 horror story “The Beautiful Stranger” by Shirley Jackson
• Gideon Marcus revisits the June 1970 issue of Analog.
• David Levinson revisits the July/August 1970 issue of If - Worlds of Science Fiction. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1975 science fiction novel Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1982 science fiction novel Port Eternity by C J Cherryh 
• Tasha Robinson revisits the 1992 science fiction novel Steel Beach by John Varley. 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1992 YA horror novel The Prom Queen by R.L. Stine. 
• Clara Cohen revisits the 2000 The Liveship Traders epic fantasy novel Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb. 
  
  

Crowdfunding:

• The store American Science & Surplus in Chicago, Illinois, needs some help to keep operating.

 

 Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer shares the results of the two consultative votes initiated by the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington. 
• Emily Davenport reports that the American Museum of Natural History is launching a new space show called "Encounters in the Milky Way" and narrated by Pedro Pascal 
• Caroline Davies reports that the Kingsway tunnels under London, which are believed to have inspired Ian Fleming, will be turned into a spy museum.
• Richard Luscombe reports that Joanna Miller, granddaughter of Walt Disney, has denounced an animatronic copy of her grandfather that is to be displayed at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 

 

Science and technology:

• Kenneth Chang reports that scientists have found a new dwarf planet very far from our sun.  
• Farhan M. Asrar explains how to keep astronauts healthy in deep space 
• Victor Tangerman reports that SpaceX's Starlink satellites are being destroyed for unknown reasons. 
• Katherine Latham discusses the peculiar smells of outer space. 
• Matt Fidler shares a collection of photos of the Milky Way. 
• Michelle Starr reports that the Milky Way might not crash into the Andromeda Galaxy after all 
• Dete Meserve wonders whether time travel tourism could be the next space tourism?
• Kat Lay reports that researchers in Australia have made a breakthrough in searching for a cure for HIV. 
• Bobby Allyn and Shannon Bond report that Meta plans to replace humans with AI to assess privacy and societal risks
• Vanessa Taylor reports that the Louisiana State Senate has passed legislation to fight weather-controlling ‘chemtrails’, even though those don't exist.   
   

Gaming: 

• Cheryl Eddy declares that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls looks awesome.
• Keith Stuart shares everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse New Eternia King Randor, Skelcon, Beast-Man and Roboto action figures. 
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Hurricane Hordak action figure. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at various Lego sets coming out in June.
• James Whitbrook shares a look ar some One Piece themed Lego sets. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at a Lego set of Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon. 
• Sabina Graves reports how the Labubu craze is leading to scalping and fights breaking out in stores to the point that the figures were pulled from store shelves in the UK.  
• Cora Buhlert shares a Masters of the Universe toy photo story called "Mekaneck's Revenge" 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Breaker of Mountains and Rivers" by Aliette de Bodard in Uncanny Magazine  
• "The Fishheart Ruby" by Sam Belleneuve in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "Emily of Emerald Starship" by Ng Yi-Sheng in Clarkesworld. 
• "If an Algorithm Can Cast a Shadow" by Claire Jia-Wen in Clarkesworld. 
• "The World Under" by Steve Rasnic Tem in The Dark. 
• "Slippernet" by Nisi Shawl in Reactor. 
• "The Shade Technician" by Harrison Cook in Future Tense Fiction
• "The Twenty-One Second God" by Peter Watts in Lightspeed.  
• "Eyes Grown Thick on the World" by Will McMahon in Lightspeed.  
• "Here I Go Again" by Lindz McLeod in Nightmare Magazine. 
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Frankenstein.
• Watch a trailer for season 5 of Stranger Things. 
• Watch the first six minutes of season 2 of Wednesday. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of the live action One Piece. 
• Watch a trailer for Alien: Earth. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Gen V. 
• Watch a trailer for M3GAN 2.0
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Squid Game. 
• Watch a trailer for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. 
• Watch a trailer for Black Phone 2. 
• Watch a trailer for We Were Liars. 
• Watch a trailer for The Life of Chuck. 
• Watch a trailer for Wicked for Good.