Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for November 28, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best SFF of 2025, Star Trek in general, Star Wars in general, Masters of the Universe in general, the final season of Stranger Things, Wicked for Good,  It: Welcome to Derry and Stephen King adaptations in general, Sinners, Pluribus, Zootopia 2, Donald Trump inexplicably demanding more Rush Hour films and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Tobias Carroll shares indie and small press speculative fiction coming out in November and December 2025.
• Alex Brown shares must read short speculative fiction from October 2025  
• Clifford Stumme attempts to define the eight eras of fantasy literature. 
• Sam Reader shares six dark, chilly reads to liven up late fall 
• James Davis Nicoll explains why Saturn and its many moon are the perfect space opera setting. 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories about the power of song 
• Niall Ferguson worries that if humans stop reading, barbairans will be living among us again. 
• Imani Perry and Tananarive Due share their appreciation for the works of Octavia E. Butler. 
• Olivia Rutigliano reminds us that Sherlock Holmes was a scientist as well as a detective  
• Genre journalist and blogger Sue Granquist has died aged 59. 
• Canadian science fiction writer Jean-Louis Trudel has died aged 58. 

 

Best of 2025:

• Charlie Jane Anders shares her ten favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2025. 
• Book Riot share their favourite science fiction books of 2025
• Book Riot share their favourite fantasy books of 2025 
• Book Riot share their favourite horror books of 2025 
• Book Riot share their favourite comics of 2025 
• Io9 share the pop culture they’re thankful for for getting them through 2025

 

Comics and Art:

• Paul Cornell, Stuart Moore and Chris Ryall discuss how they discovered their love for Marvel Comics 
• Sophie Austin reports about attempts to repeal a local comic book ban dating from 1949 in Sacramento, Califonia. 
• Olivia Rutigliano shares her favourite Far Side cartoons about detectives  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about a librarians versus booksellers tug-of-war contest.

 

Film and TV: 

• Petrana Radulovic shares all the SFF movies coming out in December. 
• Petrana Radulovic shares all the TV shows coming out in December.  
• Stuart Heritage shares his favourite TV series prophecies for how AI will end us all. 
• Angelo Delos Trinos lists the most controversial SFF movies of all time. 
• Su Fang Tham praises how showrunners Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz handle the inner monologue of Murderbot.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido declares that Captain America: Brave New World is not perfect, but deserved better than its lukewarm reception  
• Isaiah Colbert declares that the successes of Frankenstein and Nosferatu are the antidote to Hollywood’s franchise obsession 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Luc Besson’s romantic reimagining of Dracula ridiculous but watchable  
• Leslie Felperin declares that Primitive War features Green Berets versus dinosaurs in a cheerfully cheesy Vietnam war gorefest 
• Haley Zapal calls Keeper a slow-burning, dizzying and surreal descent into folk horror madness 
• Phil Hoad calls Troll 2 a mayhem-filled mockbuster 
• Tim Grierson calls Eternity a slight comedy that takes its love triangle into the afterlife 
• Catherine Bray calls The Creeps a reference-heavy and stupid funny mashup of Gremlins and American Pie 
• Shrai Popat reports about the documentary The Age of Disclosure, which claims that aliens really exist and that there is proof. 
• Dana Schwartz, Devan Coggan and Kevin Jacobsen rank their favourite Doctor Who speeches.  
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1970 Timeslip serial "The Time of the Ice Box".  
• Tam Phan revisits the 1970 science fiction spy thriller Hauser's Memory and Joe Reid revisits the 1970 crime movie They Call Me Mr Tibbs 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1970 UFO mockumentary The Delegation. 
• Isaiah Colbert revisits the 1985 anime Angel's Egg. 
• David Smith revisits the 1995 animated film Toy Story. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Bablyon 5 episode “Conflicts of Interest”
• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest.
• Isaiah Colbert revisits the 2006 South Korean kaiju movie The Host. 
• Sophie Evans revisits the 2008 science fiction show Fringe. 
• Caroline Siede revisits the 2012 dystopian film The Hunger Games.  
• Chris Broughton interviews John Carpenter, director of the 1974 science fiction comedy Dark Star and many others, as well as Brian Narelle who played Lieutenant Doolittle 
• Rich Pelley interviews Richard O'Brien, creator of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 
• Louise Griffin and Morgan Jeffery interview Russell T. Davies, showrunner of Doctor Who. 
• Jake Coyle interviews Brendan Fraser, star of the Mummy movies. 
• Justin Carter interviews the creators of The Mighty Nein.  
• Michael Hogan interviews several actors who committed memorable on screen killings.  
• Ben Child wonders whether the villain of the first two Avatar movies will switch sides in the upcoming third one. 
• Dave Roskin explains why so many modern Hollywood movies suffer from a lack of colour, inconsistent lighting and generally dark, murky visuals. 
• Steve Vertlieb remember Ray Harryhausen. 
• Indian actor Dharmendra, star of many Bollywood movies, has died aged 89.  
• British actress Jill Freud, who was the inspiration for Lucy Pevensie in the Narnia novels, has died aged 98.  
  
  

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Colt Crane interviews Tiffany Smith, who voiced Andra in Masters of the Universe Revelation und Revolution and who also wrote the Andra comic one-shot. 
• James Eatock reveals that Ram-Man was originally supposed to be of regular height in the Filmation He-Man cartoon.
• James Eatock explains some discrepancies between the broadcast version of a Filmation He-Man episode and an early VHS release.  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:  

• James Whitbrook reports that Christina Chong who plays La’an Noonien Singh in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and who also appeared in an episode of Doctor Who has an idea for a crossover between the two franchises. 

 

Comments on Star Wars in general: 

• Adam Chitwood interviews Leslye Headland, creator and showrunner of The Acolyte. 
• James Whitbook explains the history of the Stark Hyperspace War, which occurs a few years before The Phantom Menace. 

 

Comments on the final season of Stranger Things:

• Carly Thomas shares ten things to remember about Stranger Things before watching the final season.  
• Jack Seale declares that the final season of Stranger Things will have you standing on a chair, yelling with joy 
• Sabine Graves shares her thoughts on the first two episodes of the final season of Stranger Things.  
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the first two episodes of the final season of Stranger Things. 
• Saloni Gajjar also complains about the bloated runtimes of the episodes of the final season of Stranger Things.  
• Sabina Graves shares ten things she liked about the season 5 premiere of Stranger Things and four things she didn’t  
• Katie Campione interviews Ross and Matt Duffer, creators of Stranger Things.
• Samira Ahmed interviews Ross and Matt Duffer, creators of Stranger Things. 
• Dessi Gomez interviews Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown who pay Will Byers and Eleven in Stranger Things.  
• Tom Huddleston shares a Stranger Things quiz. 
• Rachel Hall reports that Netflix has crashed within minutes of releasing season 5 of Stranger Things  

 

Comments on It: Welcome to Derry and Stephen King adaptations in general: 

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.   
• Cheryl Eddy discusses a terrifying box which appeared in a recent episode of It: Welcome to Derry. 
• Meghan O'Keefe interviews Jason Fuchs, showrunner of It: Welcome to Derry.

 

Comments on Wicked For Good: 

• Ann Michelle Harris calls Wicked: For Good a grim change from the tone of the first film which ultimately leaves audiences with a sense of hopefulness 
• Molly Tmepleton calls Wicked: For Good a less magical return to Oz 
• Caroline Siede declares that splitting Wicked into two movies reinforces the fact that the second half of the stage musical was always weaker. 
• Pete Hammond declares that Wicked For Good flies even higher than part one. 
• Sabina Graves shares ten burning questions she still has after Wicked: For Good.  
• James Whitbrook explains the background for the frequent mentions of clock ticks in Wicked for Good. 
• Destiny Jackson interviews Dana Fox, screenwriter of Wicked and Wicked for Good. 
• Erin Vanderhoof reports that conservatives are upset that Wicked and Wicked For Good are supposedly a perversion of the original The Wizard of Oz film and the Frank L. Baum books. 
• Jesse Hassenger revisits the original 1939 fantasy musical The Wizard of Oz and tries to explain its enduring appeal. 
• Anthony D'Alessandro reports that Wicked For Good's opening weekend is projected to exceed that of part 1.
• Pamela McClintock reports that Wicked for Good had the best ever box office opening for a Broadway adaptation and the third best ever for a musical. 

 

Comments on Sinners:  

• Marcus Errico interviews Delroy Lindo who plays Delta Slim in Sinners.  
• Ryan Fleming interviews Wunmi Mosaku, who plays Annie in Sinners, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter.

 

Comments on Pluribus: 

• Noel Murray shares his thoughts on episode 4 of Pluribus. 
• Cheryl Eddy discusses a particular cameo in Pluribus. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw discusses how Pluribus handles Carol's career as a writer of romantasy novels and her reluctance to come out as gay.
• Matthew Byrd explains how Pluribus reimagines 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers for a generation with nothing left to sell out
• Nellie Andreeva reports that Pluribus has sets a record for the biggest Apple TV series launch 

 

Comments on Zootopia 2: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Zootopia 2 a just-about-passable family comedy sequel that might as well be AI generated  
• Caroline Siede calls Zootopia 2 a stagnant sequel with one stellar subplot 
• Germain Lussier declares that Zootopia 2 was never going to natch Zootopia and that’s okay  
• Inspired by Zootopia 2, Matt Goldberg explains why conspiracy theorists are such popular characters for movies and TV shows. 

 

Comments on Donald Trump inexplicably demanding more Rush Hour movies:  

• Peter Bradshaw reports that Donald Trump would love to see a fourth Rush Hour movie made for reasons best known to himself. 
• Adrian Horton reports that a fourth Rush Hour movie is actually in the works at Paramount after Trump demanded one. 
• Jim Vorel declares that we are apparently just letting Donald Trump greenlight major motion pictures now
• Stuart Heritage wonders which franchise Donald Trump might resurrect next after Rush Hour. 

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards for Science Fiction have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards for Fantasy have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards for Romantasy have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards for Horror have been announced.  
• The winners of the 2025 British Audio Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year has been announced.  
• The winners of the 2025 Frank R. Paul Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards have been announced.

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Lynn Tavernier explains how asking questions can help writers craft inventive thrillers 
• Sarah Mughal Rana explains how her collection of dagger has influenced her fantasy writing. 
• Victoria Strauss reports about issues with the publisher Mango Publishing/Blushing Books/Bottlecap Press
• John Scalzi warns of fake author service and book club e-mails. 
• Hetan Shah reports that the British Library in London, UK, is in a severe crisis. 
• Winston Cho shares an update about the lawsuit of several authors against OpenAI. 

 

Interviews:

• Locus interviews Eden Royce. 
• Maya Gittelman interviews Joey Batey.
• Michael M. Jones interviews Jessie Sylva. 

 

Reviews: 

• Paul di Filippo reviews The Albino’s Secret by Michael Moorcock and Mark Hodder
• Ed Crocker reviews This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne 
• C.T. Phipps reviews Murder in Retrograde by Greg Hickey 
• Stew Hotston reviews Alien: Cult by Gavin G. Smith 
• Alasdair Stuart reviews Project Hanuman by Stewart Hotston.  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Slow Gods by Claire North 
• Alex Brown reviews Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce 
• Marlene Harris reviews Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz 
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Formidable Miss Cassidy by Meihan Boey 
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Nanny’s Handbook for Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes by Amy Rose Bennett 
• Paul Weimer reviews We Who Hunt Alexanders by Jason Sanford  
• Niall Harrison reviews It’s Not A Cult by Joey Batey  
• Jen Lucas reviews It’s Not A Cult by Joey Batey 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The First Thousand Trees by Premee Mohamed 
• Robin Agnew reviews The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
• Liz Bourke reviews The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso  
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge 
• Rob Bedford reviews Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop. 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Door on the Sea by Caskey Russell 
• Liz Bourke reviews House of Dusk by Deva Fagan 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Dust of the Darkness by Deck Matthews  
• Z.B. Steele reviews A Graveyard for Heroes by Michael Michel. 
• Ian Mond reviews King Sorrow by Joe Hill 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes 
• Niall Harrison reviews Archipelago of the Sun by Yoko Tawada, translated by Margaret Mitsutani. 
• Niall Harrison reviews Sea Now by Eva Meijer
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Essential Patricia A. McKillip by Patricia A. McKillip 
• Catriona Ward reviews Bog People: A Working-Class Anthology of Folk Horror, edited by Hollie Starling  
• Marlene Harris reviews How a Game Lives by Jacob Geller 
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• Brian Collins revisits the 1852 ghost story “The Old Nurse’s Story” by Elizabeth Gaskell 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1957 science fiction novel  The Deep Range by Arthur C. Clarke
• Brian Collins revisits the 1970 science fiction novella “The Region Between” by Harlan Ellison
• Gideon Marcus revisits the December 1970 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1975 horror novel Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1979 dystopian novel Benefits by Zoë Fairbairns 
• Esmay Rosalyne revisits the 2013 erotic fantasy novel Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat 
   
   

Con and event reports:

• The BBC reports that the TARDIS will appear at Stonehenge for a special Doctor Who Day event.
• Lanre Bakare reports about the exhibition "Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends" at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, UK. 
• Mercedes Milligan reports about the exhibition "Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends" at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, UK.  
• Ian Youngs reports that the Prince and Princess of Wales have met Paddington Bear at the Royal Variety Performance in London, UK. 

 

Science and technology:

• Ellyn LaPointe reports about attempts to save NASA's Swift space telescope which is about to lose orbit and burn up upon reentry. 
• Keith Cooper reports about NASA's proposed Roman Space Telescope. 
• Thomas Germain explains how certain words or phrases cause social media algorithms to bury certain posts or videos. 
• Kristina Armitage discusses what happens at the boundary between sleeping and waking. 
• Harry Sekulich reports that a court in Paris, France, has blocked the auction of the earliest-known calculator
• Scarlett Harris traces the origins of the witch hat. 
   

Gaming: 

• Aaron Jones reviews the video game Ghost of Yotei 
• C.T. Phipps reviews the tabletop roleplaying game The World Below 
• Newt Albiston talks about textbased roleplaying.
• Keza MacDonald declares that the X-Box 360 refined video games in 2005.  
• Ana Diaz reports that Pokémon fans are redefining the art of card collecting 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Adam McComb reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Retro-Punching He-Man and Skeletor two-pack.
• Toy Habits reviews the Masters of the Universe Origins Sketchbook Collection Mark Taylor He-Man action figure. 
• James Whitbrook reviews the Lego Star Trek Enterprise-D set. 
• Germain Lussier reports that the Hasbro Haslab Tron: Heroes of the Grid set failed quite spectacularly. 
• James Whitbrook shares his favourite nerdy gifts for 2025. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Little Thief and the Martyr’s Head" by J.A. Prentice in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "The Unmasking Of Fioha Dubhan" by Samuel Chapman in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Dull’s Knife" by Liam Q. D. Hall in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Destruction of All That is Good and Holy, Otherwise Known as Green Beans" by Erin Ulm in The Deadlands.
• "Twilight Tide" by Samir Sirk Morató in The Dark.
• "The Cold Burning Light of Her" by Sam W. Pisciotta in Lightspeed.  
• "Operation: Grapevine" by Joel W. D. Buxton in Lightspeed.  
• "The Fire Burns Anyway" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa in Clarkesworld. 
• "Ratlines" by Brent Baldwin in Clarkesworld. 
• "Before, After, and the Space Between" by Kel Coleman in Apex Magazine.
• "Subsidence" by E. G. Condé in Future Tense Fiction.
• "Anémona" by Ana Hurtado in Uncanny Magazine

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Goat.
  
  
  
  

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for November 21, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best SFF books of 2025, Star Trek in general, Masters of the Universe in general, season 4 of The Witcher, the final season of Stranger Things, Wicked for Good, the latest version of Frankenstein, the new The Running Man, It: Welcome to Derry and Stephen King adaptations in general, Keeper, Pluribus and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Emily C. Hughes shares her favourite horror books coming out in November. 
• Sam Reader shares six SFF book featuring terrifying dragons. 
• Gilly Macmillan shares nine novels featuring secret societies.  
• Lev Grossman shares his appreciation for the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories of Fritz Leiber, whom he calls "the American Tolkien". 
• Dave Hook shares his thoughts about the short fiction of J..G. Ballard. 
• Brian Campbell reports about the emergence of Canadian comic and science fiction fandom after WWII. 
• Orlando Reade discusses his interaction with writers of erotic Harry Potter fanfiction. 
• Fu Ting reports that the Chinese government is cracking down on the popular Danmei gay romances, leaving the genre's many fans, usually young women, depressed.
• Matthew Petti reports that science fiction author Vernor Vinge was put under surveillance by the FBI for alleged socialist tendencies. 
• Canadian science fiction fan Kenneth Morton Smookler has died aged 96.

 

Best of 2025:

• She Reads share their favourite science fiction novels of 2025
• She Reads share their favourite fantasy novels of 2025
• She Reads share their favourite romantasy novels of 2025.
• She Reads share their favourite horror novels of 2025.

 

Comics and Art:

• Brad Hawley reviews Tokyo Babylon by CLAMP  
• Adam Rutherford reviews The Once and Future Riot by Joe Sacco  
• Germain Lussier reports that a near perfect copy of  Superman #1 from 1939 just sold for over nine million dollars, making it the most expensive comic book of all time.  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about two pigeons missing out on the Booker prize

 

Film and TV: 

• Camestros Felapton calls Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein a compelling and visually appealing film with some great performances. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido declares that Kraven the Hunter answers the question, "What is Kraven without Spider-Man?"
• Justin Carter declares that The Mighty Nein still brings the fun of Critical Role to animation  
• Justin Carter declares that the animated series Dispatch is better at superheroic redemption than romance  
• Ann Michelle Harris calls 7th Time Loop a compact time loop/romance/action/adventure anime. 
• Saloni Gajjar declares that Mayfair Witches and Talamasca: The Secret Order pale in comparison to Interview With the Vampire. 
• Ben Child wonders whether Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die won't be yet another ponderous parable about robot souls, digital enlightenment or the hubris of man
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Ice Tower a death-wish fairytale about obsession and idolisation. 
• Catherine Bray calls Bone Lake a smart and witty horror film about a romantic weekend break going gruesomely wrong 
• Isaiah Colbert calls The Wailing a South Korean horror masterpiece you can’t brace yourself for  
• Marion Deeds shares her thoughts on Weapons. 
• Leslie Felperin calls A Desert a horror film where high art meets trailer trash 
• Jim Vorel calls Man Finds Tape a wildly inventive horror film. 
• Benjamin Lee calls The Carpenter’s Son a dull biblical horror film.
• Arturo Serrano declares that taking a nap is preferable to watching the animated film In Your Dreams. 
• Mari Ness discusses the portrayal of disability in The Wheel of Time TV-show. 
• Stephen King shares his ten favourite movies.  
• Lorna Wallace lists five SFF movies with incredibly memorable dialogue-free scenes 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1924 Soviet science fiction film Aelita. 
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1970 horror film House of Dark Shadows.  
• Craig D. Lindsey revisits the 1978 fantasy musical The Wiz. 
• Leah Schnelbach revisits the 1985 anime cult classic Angel’s Egg 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Lines of Communication” 
• Victoria Davis interviews Don Bluth, animator and director of The Secret of NIMH, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Land Before Time, Anastasia and many others. 
• Scott Roxborough interviews  Ronald Víctor García, director of photography for Twin Peaks, about the show's unique look. 
• Michael Cragg interviews Russell Tovey, star of Being Human and The War Between the Earth and the Sea. 
• Ben Travis interviews Andrew Stanton, director of Toy Story 5. 
• Justin Carter reports that Henry Gilroy, writer and producer of Star Wars: Rebels, believes that turning the character of Sabine Wren into a Jedi in Ahsoka was a bad idea. 
• Camestros Felapton takes a look at the science fiction movies of Harry Piel during the silent and early sound era. 
• Animation Obsessive talks about their quest to locate the lost 1983 Mexican animated science fiction movie Roy from Space. 
• Catherine Shoard reports that actor Dick Van Dyke was tapped to play James Bond in the 1960s, but turned down the part. 
• James Whitbrook reports that director Rian Johnson has ruled out a Muppets/Knives Out crossover.  
• James Whitbrook reports that the disintegrated Doctor Who deal between Disney and the BBC Is leaving the spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea in limbo in the US. 
• Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai, best known for his roles in Ran, High and Low, Sanjuro, The Sword of Doom, Kagemusha and many others, has died aged 92. 
  
  

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Mark Cassidy reports that early reactions to the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film are positive.
• Mr. H. Reviews also reports that test screening reactions to the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film were very positive, but that the movie itself appears to be rather light-hearted and comedic.  
• Mega Jay Retro interviews someone who attended one of the test screenings of the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
• He-Mania interviews Leah Smith, camera operator trainee who worked on the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Colt Crane reports that the Masters of the Universe comic mini-series "The Sword of Flaws" will become an ongoing series from Dark Horse comics.  
• He-Mania is confused by some blatant errors and misspellings in the Masters of the Universe mini-comic "The Sting of Sting-Or". 

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:  

• James Whitbrook discusses the history and workings of the Klingon Empire in Star Trek. 
• Witney Seibold notes that Bjo Trimble, the Star Trek fan who initiated the letter writing campaign that saved the original Star Trek from cancellation, was an extra in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  
• James Whitbrook interviews Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, writers of the comic Star Trek: The Last Starship, as well as IDW editor Heather Antos 
• Justin Kroll reports that a new Star Trek movie is in the works from directors/writers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
• Olav Rokne wonders what the takeover of Star Trek's owners Paramount by Skydance Media and its far right CEO David Ellison will mean for the future of the traditionally leftwing and progressive Star Trek.  

 

Comments on season 4 of The Witcher:  

• Aaron Jones calls season 4 of The Witcher a surprisingly streamlined, action-packed adventure that left him wanting more.  
• Vanessa Armstrong shares showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich's explanation for some of the deaths in season 4 of The Witcher. 

 

Comments on the final season of Stranger Things:

• Tyler Dean shares everything you need to know about the final season of Stranger Things.
• Rebecca Nicholson interviews the creators and cast of Stranger Things.  

 

Comments on the new The Running Man:  

• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that the new The Running Man never quite gets up to speed
• Lauren Huff interviews Stephen King about the big ending change in The Running Man 
• Jacob Oller notes that it's pretty damn ironic that Paramount, now owned by the far right Skydance Media, is behind The Running Man 

 

Comments on It: Welcome to Derry and Stephen King adaptations in general: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.  
• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.  
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Chris Chalk who plays Dick Hallorann in It: Welcome to Derry. 

 

Comments on Wicked For Good: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Wicked For Good a zingily scored conclusion to the hit origin story 
• Jesse Hassenger calls Wicked: For Good a whole movie's worth of second-act problems 
• Germain Lussier declares that Wicked: For Good never quite flies  
• Zoe Williams interviews Jon M Chu, director of Wicked and Wicked for Good. 
• Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird interviews Marissa Bode who plays Nessarose in Wicked and Wicked For Good. 
• Adrian Horton reports that actress Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda in Wicked and Wicked for Good, contracted covid during the press tour for Wicked for Good. 

 

Comments on Keeper:

•  Jacob Oller calls Keeper a dull and forgettable ghost story 
• Leah Schnelbach declares that in spite of  strong visuals and some cool ideas, Keeper never quite comes together.

 

Comments on Pluribus: 

• Noel Murray shares his thoughts on episode 3 of Pluribus. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on episode 3 of Pluribus.  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the first two episodes of Pluribus. 
• BBC Front Row interviews Vince Gilligan, creator of Pluribus, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. 
• Read an excerpt from Winds of Wyncaro, the fictional romantasy novel written by the protagonist of Pluribus. 

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2026 Damon Knight Grand Master Award has been announced.
• The longlist for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 National Book Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Game Awards have been announced. 
• Mike Glyer reports that 2023 Best Fan Writer Hugo winner has moved to dismiss his lawsuit against former Hugo administrator Dave McCarty for not delivering his trophy, because he has been promised to finally receive his trophy by the remaining Chengdu comittee.  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Javier Grillo–Marxuach talks about writing memorable characters. 
• Mike Maden talks about writing memorable villains.
• Scott Edelman explains why he pulled a story he sold to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for inacceptable contract terms of the new owners Must Read Magazines. 
• Victoria Strauss reports about a new impersonation scam targeting authors. 
• Kelly Burke also reports about a new scam targeting authors. 
• Brendan O'Connor reports that the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York, where writers can rent a desk for a fee, is running out of space. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five reasons to leave the house and go explore a used bookstore
• Alex Call reports that sales of science fiction and fantasy have reached an all-time high in 2025, but that this is mainly due to the runaway success of romantasy.
• Tim Ford reports that the Canadian speculative fiction magazine On Spec is shutting down after 35 years. 
• Dead Girl Reads talks about the problem that reviewers may no longer share their honest opinion, lest the supply of free books and ARCs dries up. 
• Emma Loffhagen reports that more than half of British novelists fear that their work will be replaced by AI according to a recent study. 
• Deborah Cole and Philip Oltermann report that GEMA, the German music licencing agency, won a lawsuit against ChatGPT for using song lyrics for training their Large Language Model without authorisation. 

 

Interviews:

• Scott Edelman interviews Alaya Dawn Johnson.
• UC Davis interviews Jordan S. Carroll. 
• Paul Weimer interviews Stewart Hotston. 

 

Reviews: 

• Mark Yon reviews Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree. 
• Marlene Harris reviews Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree 
• Lesa Holstine reviews Constituent Service by John Scalzi 
• Wendy N. Wagner reviews Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei 
• Z.B. Steele reviews Kingdoms of Death by Christopher Ruocchio 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu 
• Marlene Harris reviews Testimony of Mute Things by Lois McMaster Bujold  
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Study in Sirens by Suzannah Rowntree 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Daughters of Nicnevin by Shona Kinsella 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Yomigaeri Tunnel by Kelly Murashige 
• C.T. Phipps reviews The Long Way Down by Craig Schaefer  
• Rob Bedford reviews The Strength of the Few by James Islington 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Blackfire Blade by James Logan 
• Fiona Denton reviews The Lost Reliquary by Lyndsay Ely  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson 
• Aida Edemariam reviews The Wax Child by Olga Ravn  
• Marion Deeds reviews Cinder House by Freya Marske
• Maya Gittelman reviews Cinder House by Freya Marske 
• Alex Brown reviews Tall Is Her Body by Robert de la Chevotière
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Alpha by K.D. Marchesi
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay 
• Rich Horton reviews A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Ed Crocker reviews The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes 
• Alex Brown reviews The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Year’s Top Tales of Space and Time 5, edited by Allan Kaster
• Ruthanna Emrys reviews The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The In Death Cookbook by Theresa Carle-Sanders  
   

 Classics reviews:

• Postcards from a Dying World revisits the 1948 science fiction story "Mars is Heaven" by Ray Bradbury  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the infamous 1958 science fiction story "The Queen Bee" by Randall Garrett and finds it's still as terrible as ever. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1969 dystopian novel A Sweet Sweet Summer by Jane Gaskell 
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1970 science fiction novel The Stone God Awakens by Philip Jose Farmer, Cora Buhlert revisits the 1970 sword and sorcery novel Swords of the Barbarians by Kenneth Bulmer anbd Winona Menezes revisits the 1970 science fiction novel Year of the Cloud by Ted Thomas and Kate Wilhelm
• Amber Dubin revisits the 1970 science fiction novels The Communipaths by Suzette Haden Elgin and The Noblest Experiment in the Galaxy by Louis Trimble, Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1970 science fiction novel The Snow-White Soliloquies by Sheila MacLeod and Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1970 science fiction novel Chronocules by D. G. Compton
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1970 science fiction anthology Quark/1, edited by Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn Hacker 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1981 horror novel The Third Grave by David Case 
• Young People Read Old SFF revisit the 1981 proto-cyberpunk novella True Names by Vernor Vinge 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1996 YA horror novel Homecoming Queen by John Hall and the 1997 YA horror novel Who Killed the Homecoming Queen? by R.L. Stine
• Lesa Holstine revisits the 2012 science fiction novella An Election by John Scalzi
   

Con and event reports:

• Alison Scott, John Coxon and Emily Tesh report about the 2025 Novacon in Buxton, UK 
• Mike Glyer discusses what happens when the Wolrd Science Fiction Society cannot address all proposals during the alotted time for the business meeting. 
• Chris M. Barkley shares his experiences at the Books By the Banks Cincinnati Regional Book Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
• The program for the 10th Annual City Tech Science Fiction Symposium on Image and SF has been announced.
• Ellen Datlow shares some photos of the latest Fantastic Fiction Reading, featuring Lara Elena Donnelly and Sam J. Miller, at the KGB Bar in New York City.  
• Claire Moses reports about Paddington: The Musical, which is coming to the stage in London, UK.

 

Science and technology:

• The Guardian shares NASA's photos of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas  
• Kate Blackwood explains how we could detect life in the clouds of other worlds.
• Daniel Whiteson and Andy Warner wonder what it would mean if aliens don't actually do science as we understand it. 
• Kristina Nienhaus reports that our solar system is moving faster than expected 
• Skander Garroum notes that solarpunk is already happening in Africa. 
• Casey Michael Henry wonders why so nuch new technology feels inspired by dystopian science fiction movies. 
• H. Lee Justine talks about the toxicity of social media, particularly when young children are involved by their influencer parents without their consent.  
   

Gaming: 

• Adam Serwer explains why Elon Musk needs Dungeons & Dragons to be racist.
• Germain Lussier reviews the video game Hades 2.  
• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Death Stranding: Director's Cut by Kojima Productions  
• Justin Carter bids goodbye to Halo Infinite, which has received its final update. 
• Keza MacDonald reports how the use of AI in the video game ArcRaiders caused an uproar. 
• Video game designer Rebecca Heineman has died aged 62. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse New Eternia Mantenna action figure. 
• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse New Eternia Mosquitor action figure.  
• Toy Habits reviews the Super 7 Thundercats Ultimates Lion-O action figure reissue. 
• Toy Habits reviews the Super 7 Thundercats Ultimates Reptilian Guard action figure.  
• Toy Habits reviews the Loyal Subjects Rainbow Brite doll with Twink. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the Hot Toys Predator: Badlands Dek and Thia figure.
• Mega Jay Retro interviews Brian Flynn, head of Super 7.  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Regarding the Childhood of Morrigan, Who Was Chosen to Open the Way" by Benjamin Rosenbaum in Reactor. 
• "How to Build a Homecoming Queen: A Guide by a Bad Asian Girl" by Tina S. Zhu in Lightspeed. 
• "Visible Damage" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman in Lightspeed.  
• "The Millay Illusion" by Sarah Pinsker in Uncanny Magazine 
• "Dull’s Knife" by Liam Q. D. Hall in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "Trees at Night" by Ramiro Sanchiz, translated by Sue Burke in Clarkesworld. 
• "Prerequisites for the Creation of a Possible Predicted World" by Chisom Umeh in Clarkesworld. 
• "We Used to Wake to Song" by Leah Ning in Apex Magazine. 
• "Tragedia dell’Arte" by T.J. Cimfel in The Dark.
• "Bleed for Me, Bro" by Sharang Biswas in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Hamaka, Leave Me Alone" by Testimony Odey in The Deadlands.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Project Hail Mary. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
• Watch a trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping 
• Watch a trailer for Varanasi to the World. 
• Watch a trailer for Hoppers. 
• Watch a trailer for the new Wuthering Heights.
• Watch a trailer for Return to Silent Hill.
  
  
  

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for November 14, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best SFF books of 2025, Star Trek in general, Masters of the Universe in general, Predator: Badlands, the latest version of Frankenstein, the new The Running Man, It: Welcome to Derry and Stephen King adaptations in general, Bat-Fam, luribus, tributes to Lee Tamahori and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares her favourite recent science fiction, fantasy and horror books. 
• Lacy Baugher Milas shares her favourite fantasy books coming out in November 2025. 
• Natalie Zutter lists romantasy books coming out in November and December 2025. 
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in November 2025
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in November 2025 
• Alex Brown shares their most anticipated new young adult SFF books arriving in November and December 2025  
• James Davis Nicoll discusses five ways SFF writers handle unlikeable protagonists. 
• Lorna Wallace shares five stories set in terrifying science fiction prisons 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories about the power of fire 
• Michael Knost explains how the western genre influenced science fiction and fantasy. 
• Cristin Williams lists five historical events that feel like plots from a fantasy book 
• J.H. Markert discusses the fascination with twins and doppelgangers in thrillers and horror novels.  
• Elizabeth Broadbent shares five southern gothic books about generational trauma 
• Meagan Church talks about hysteria, hauntings and why every story is a ghost story 
• Wen-yi Lee talks about the symbolism of cannibalism in literature. 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for October 2025. 
• Lewis Black shares his appreciation for the works of Kurt Vonnegut. 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that both the publisher Penguin Random House and George R.R. Martin's spokeswoman Raya Golden have denied the use of AI art in an illustrated edition of the novel A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin. 
• Jonny Diamond reports that Joyce Carol Oates roasted Elon Musk on Twitter for his lack of normal human interests, which infuriated Musk. 
• Physicist and longtime science fiction fan Roger Hill died aged 84. 
• British Ukrainian writer Marina Lewycka has died aged 79. 
• SFF writer Celeste Rita Baker has died aged 67. 

 

Best of 2025:

• Kirkus shares their favourite science fiction and fantasy books of 2025.
• Kirkus shares their favourite dystopian books of 2025. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon on writing a masterpiece

 

Film and TV: 

• Ann Michelle Harris declares that season 4 of The Witcher is no longer must see television, but it is still entertaining as a standard fantasy.  
• Isaiah Colbert calls the anime anthology series Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 a joyously unhinged look into the young mind of manga’s wildest auteur  
• Jesse Hassenger calls Keeper an effectively eerie horror film.  
• Mark Walsh discusses the use of mobile phones in A House of Dynamite. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Alpha a tonally inept and disjointed body horror film. 
• Peter Bradshaw remarks that Christmas Karma has as much Yuletide spirit as a dead rat in the eggnog 
• Jacob Oller calls The Carpenter's Son is bland Biblical horror 
• Jacob Oller calls In Your Dreams a forgettable, unimaginative animated film that bobbles its themes and keeps its aspirations small. 
• Geoffrey Macnab reports about a new wave of Ukrainian horror films inspired by the war with Russia. 
• Olav Rokne muses why so many pop culture franchises have problems with showing what happens after the final battle. 
• Jay Snow shares his appreciation for the character of Alex Danvers in Supergirl. 
• Camestros Felapton revisits the 1956 science fiction film Forbidden Planet. 
• Fiona Moore revisits the 1970 horror film The Horror of Frankenstein
• Rai Furniss-Greasley revisits the 1982 science fiction horror film The Thing.
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1990 science fiction film Total Recall. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Racing Mars” 
• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 2012 superhero movie The Amazing Spider-Man.  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2013 Wizard of Oz prequel Oz the Great and Powerful 
• Terri White interviews Sigourney Weaver, star of Alien, Aliens, Galaxy Quest, Ghostbusters, Avatar and many others.
• Huw Fullerton interviews Russell T. Davies, showrunner of Doctor Who and the upcoming spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea. 
• Adrian Horton interviews Alex Winter, co-star of the Bill and Ted movies. 
• Anna Govert interviews the cast of The Mighty Nein 
• Trevor Hogg interviews Chris MacLean, visual effects supervisor for Foundation. 
• Lacy Baugher Milas interviews Nicholas Denton, one of the stars of Talamasca: The Secret Order 
• Matthew Acton reports that the writers tasked with writing a new James Bond movie for Amazon are having problems figuring out how to resurrect James Bond after he died in No Time to Die. 
• Zack Sharf reports that actress Florence Pugh suffered a six month bout of depression after her appearance in the horror film Midsommar. 
• Tony Maglio reports that Disney is planning to allow user-generated AI content on their Disney+ platform, even though no one asked for this. 
• Anthony Hayward shares an obituary for Pauline Collins. 
• Actress Sally Kirkland died aged 84. 

 

Tributes to Lee Tamahori: 

• Lee Tamahori, director of Once Were Warriors, Mullholland Falls, Along Came a Spider and the James Bond movie Die Another Day, has died aged 75
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Lee Tamahori. 

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Colt Crane interviews Danielle Gelehrter about the Masters of the Universe character Crimson Countess whom she created. 
• James Eatock takes a look at the differences between storyboards and finished animation in the Filmation He-Man and She-Ra cartoons.

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:  

• Paul Weimer shares his thoughts on the audio drama Star Trek Khan. 
• Ben Child wonders where the Star Trek movies will go now that the so-called Kelvin continuity is history.
• Camestros Felapton looks back on Star Trek: Enterprise as a whole and particularly the much disliked finale episode. 

 

Comments on the Predator: Badlands and Predator in general:

• Jesse Hassenger declares that the Predator series softens its claws as it enters the fun Predator Badlands 
• Leah Schnelbach declares that Predator: Badlands gives us a new type of Predator story 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that like their prey, the Predator movies have evolved in order to survive
• Matt Schimkowitz notes that Predator: Badlands is once again set in the same universe of Alien and pits the Predator against the villainous Weyland-Yutani Corporation.  
• Ben Child shares a spoilerish review of Predator: Badlands. 
• Germain Lussier discusses the ending of Predator: Badlands.
• Justin Carter wonders what Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator trilogy is about.   
• Germain Lussier interviews Dan Trachtenberg, director of Predator: Badlands and Predator: Prey. 
• Adam B. Vary interviews Dan Trachtenberg. 
• Adam B. Vary interviews Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi who plays Predator in Predator: Badlands. 
• Rebecca Rubin reports that both Predator Badlands and the Thomas Pynchon adaptation One Battle After Another are doing well at the box office. 

 

Comments on the new The Running Man:  

• Peter Bradshaw calls the new The Running Man a fun update of the 1987 original.
• Jarrod Jones calls the new The Running Man a crackling yet conflicted update 
• Germain Lussier declares that the new The Running Man is a fun, fast-paced ride with an unfortunate stumble 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that  the new The Running Man is more faithful to the book than the 1987 version, but it still feels caught between action thrills and attempts at commentary. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Edgar Wright, director of the new The Running Man. 
• Germain Lussier lists six other Stephen King movies he'd love to see remade. 

 

Comments on the latest version of Frankenstein: 

• Haley Zapal declares that Guillermo Del Toro masterfully crafts a visually stunning, moving adaptation of Frankenstein, full of body horror, epic vistas, and heavy-handed themes. 
• Drew Gillis declares that Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein not only displays del Toro's sympathy with so-called "monsters", but also a not entirely negative take on parent/child relationships. 
• Matthew Jackson declares that the scariest scene in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein isn't about the creature 
• Ellise Shafer interviews English professor Julie Carson about how closely Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein sticks to the original novel by Mary Shelley.   
• Neve Gordon-Farleigh and Henry Godfrey-Evans profile chocolatier Sarah Hardy who has created edible props for Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein.

 

Comments on It: Welcome to Derry and Stephen King adaptations in general: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.  
• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on the latest episode of It: Welcome to Derry.  

 

Comments on Bat-Fam: 

• Sabina Graves shares eight things she liked and two things she didn't about Bat-Fam. 
• Sabina Graves interviews Mike Roth, showrunner of Bat-Fam.   

 

Comments on Pluribus: 

• Cheryl Eddy calls Pluribus a standout science fiction series. 
• Lacy Baugher Milas calls Pluribus a weird and wonderful ambitious science fiction series. 
• Vanessa Armstrong explains episode 1 of Pluribus.
• Noel Murray shares his thoughts on episode 1 of Pluribus. 
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on episode 1 of Pluribus.  
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on episode 2 of Pluribus.  
• Germain Lussier notes that Pluribus includes cameos by the stars of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.  
• Etan Shanfeld interviews Vince Gilligan and Rhea Seehorn, creator and star of Pluribus. 
• Lucy Buglass interviews Vince Gilligan, showrunner of Pluribus. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Rhea Seahorn who plays Carol in Pluribus. 
• Inspired by Pluribus, Cheryl Eddy lists eleven freaky science fiction hive minds from movies and TV  

 

Awards:

• The nominees for the opening round of the 2025 Goodsreads Choice Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Prix Utopiales have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Christy Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2025 Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Booker Prize has been announced. 
• The 2025 National Toy Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• David Baldacci talks about the challenge of starting a new series. 
• Ian Chorão explains what the human desire to be scared can teach writers
• Cheryl Isaacs talks about cliffhanger endings and keeping readers invested until the last page
• P.J. Tracy talks about creating believably warped characters in crime fiction 
• Joe Stech explains how he puts an anthology together. 

 

Interviews:

• BBC Woman's Hour interviews Margaret Atwood. 
• 60 Minutes interviews Margaret Atwood. 
• Locus interviews Joe Hill.
• Authors on the Air interviews Sylvia Mercedes.  
• Tom Hunter interviews Stewart Hotston. 
• BBC Take Four Books interviews Katherine Rundell. 
• C.T. Phipps interviews Eric Malikyte. 

 

Reviews: 

• Ian Mond reviews A Rebel’s History of Mars by Nadia Afifi
• Marlene Harris reviews Haze by Katharine Kerr 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Project Hanuman by Stewart Hotston 
• Chris Kluwe reviews Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World by Cullen Bunn 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Pirate’s Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews To Clutch a Razor by Veronica Roth 
• Marlene Harris reviews Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce 
• Rich Horton reviews Saint Death's Herald by C. S. E. Cooney 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T. L. Huchu  
• Liz Bourke reviews The Adventure of the Demonic Ox by Lois McMaster Bujold 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Testimony of Mute Things by Lois McMaster Bujold 
• Clara Cohen reviews The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton 
• Marion Deeds reviews What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson  
• Marlene Harris reviews Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop
• Z.B. Steele reviews The Strength of the Few by James Islington 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Hazelthorn by C. G. Drews  
• Alison Flood reviews King Sorrow by Joe Hill  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Publication Day Ice by Jacek Dukaj 
• Mahvesh Murad reviews The Merge by Grace Walker 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Echoes by Evie Wyld
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater 
• Ian Mond reviews Spread Me by Sarah Gailey
• Tobias Carroll reviews The Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs. 
• Grab This Book reviews Darker Days by Thomas Olde Heuvelt  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke. 
• Maya C. James reviews Better Dreams, Fallen Seeds, and Other Handfuls of Hope by Ken Scholes 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The House of Illusionists: and Other Stories by Vanessa Fogg 
• Russell Letson reviews Not What I Intended by Nancy Kress 
• Robert Mammone reviews Samhain Sorceries, edited by D.M. Ritzlin
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025, edited by Nnedi Okorafor and John Joseph Adams 
• Ellen E. Jones reviews Future Boy by Michael J. Fox 
   

 Classics reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1913 Barsoom planetary romance The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• Gideon Marcus revisits the December 1970 issue of Galaxy. 
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the December 1970 issue of Fantastic. 
• Dave Hook revisits the 1980 SFF collection The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories by Gene Wolfe. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1981 science fiction novel Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1990 science fiction novel The World at the End of Time by Frederik Pohl 
• Cadwell Turnbull revisits the 1998 religious science fiction novel Children of God by Maria Doria Russell.
   

Con and event reports:

• Locus reports about the 2025 Galaxycon in Chengdu, China.
• Runalong the Shelves shares his experiences at the 2025 World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, UK. 
• Locus reports that the 2026 StokerCon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has announced their guests of honour. 
• The 2028 Worldcon bid for Brisbane, Australia, shares an update. 
• ToyMirth shares a video tour of the 2025 LegionsCon in Whippany, New Jersey.
• Big Dub also shares a video tour of the 2025 LegionsCon. 
• Sarah Wood Gonzalez reports that Game of Thrones inspired medieval weddings are increasingly popular among people who have likely never watched Game of Thrones. 

 

Science and technology:

• Riko Seibo reports that the Chinese space station Tiangong hosts dual crews after a space debris impact delays the return of Shenzhou-20.  
• Katia Riddle reports that the staff of NASA's Goddard Space Center has said that they are constantly being attacked by the US government. 
• Robin Wordsworth muses whether the future of spaceflight should be human, robotic or both. 
• Matthew Williams points out that self-replicating probes could be operating right now in the solar system and explains how we could look for them 
• Victor Tangermann reports that the mysterious interstallar object 3I/ATLAS may have exploded 
• Tudor Tarita reports that scientists have built a working laser entirely from renewable biomaterials  
• Alison Green lists some times when AI got things very, very wrong. 
• BBC Witness History profiles Michael Hart, the so-called father of e-books and co-creator of Project Gutenberg. 
• James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA, died aged 97
   

Gaming: 

• Matt Larkin reviews the Chinese video game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe 200X Cartoon Collection He-Man, Stratos, Tri-Klops and Beast-Man action figures. 
• Pixel Dan reviews the Formo Toys Warriors of the Galaxy Huk, Magnon and Baltard action figures. 
• Four Horseman Studios announce the Mythic Legions "Dawn of Discovery" wave. 
• Dorklair shares an overview of the Four Horseman Studios Mythic Legions "Dawns of Discovery" wave   
• Dorklair reviews the Four Horseman Studios Figura Obscura Gods of Ancient Egypt Thoth action figure. 
• Sabina Graves shares a look at the KPop Demon Hunters three-pack from Mattel Creations. 
• James Whitbrook shares a list of Lego Star Trek sets he hopes for after the Enterprise-D.
• Milton Griep reports that collectibles manufacturer Funko is suffering from declining profits and is not sure if they will survive the next year. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Crow’s Second Tale" by Marissa Lingen in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Loaf in the Woods" by David Marino in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Belle of the Ball" by Stephen Graham Jones in Reactor  
• "Elegy for Zephyr One" by Gene Doucette in Lightspeed.  
• "Beneath the Umdlebe Tree; or, A Vegetable Love Story" by Modupeoluwa Shelle in Lightspeed. 
• "The Last Minute Before the Rooster Crows" by Malena Salazar Maciá in The Deadlands. 
• "The Case of the Missing Lake" by Colby Devitt in Imagine 2200. 
• "FAQ on My Vagina Dentata" by Jarune Uwujaren in Apex Magazine.
• "The Window at My Mother’s Back, the Door in My Belly" by A. W. Prihandita in The Dark. 
• "An Ancient and Terrible Appetite" by Matthew X. Gomez in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "Primordium" by Erica Ruppert in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "The Apologists" by Tade Thompson in Clarkesworld.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Fallout. 
• Watch a trailer for the new The Running Man.
• Watch a trailer for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die 
• Watch a trailer for Wicked for Good. 
• Watch a teaser for Toy Story 5. 
• Watch a trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.