Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for December 5, 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, 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, Pluribus, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Zootopia 2, an uproar about Amazon Prime Video adding AI-generated dubs to anime series, tributes to Tom Stoppard and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares thirty-one new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in December  
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in December 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in December 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in December 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in December 2025  
• Lorna Wallace shares five SFF stories that start with characters waking up with amnesia 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF short stories told through articles and reviews 
• Bethany Jacobs shares her appreciation for the work of Iain M. Banks.
• Camestros Felapton shares his appreciation for the Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw science fiction mysteries by Isaac Asimov. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares things he wishes he had known when starting a book collection 
• Molly Templeton wonders what keeps people reading. 

 

Best of 2025:

• Matt Donato shares his twenty favourite horror movies of 2025.
• James Smart shares his favourite graphic novels of 2025. 
• io9 share their favourite SFF characters of 2025. 
• Vote in the Reactor Best of the Year Readers' Poll. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Rich Johnston reports that comic writer Tim Seeley has been receiving death threats over his depiction of Illyana Rasputin a.k.a. Magik a.k.a. Darkchild in  X-Men Age Of Revelation 
• Paul Morton takes a look at the work of golden age comic artist and writer Fletcher Hanks. 

 

Film and TV: 

• Ajay Aravind ranks their ten favourite science fiction movies of the last hundred years.  
• Rai Furniss-Greasley declares that the latest iteration of the Frankenstein story, as percolated through Guillermo del Toro’s darkly wonderful mind, is not a ‘monster movie’ and that’s a good thing.  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido calls Thunderbolts* an absolute delight — while also dealing with some serious themes  
• Natalia Keogan calls 100 Nights Of Hero an entrancing feminist fairy tale 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Eternity tries to break the mold, but only bends it slightly 
• Dan Persons calls Common Side Effects a surprisingly great animated science fiction series 
• Adrian Collins declares that Kill Lupercal showcases how good Warhammer 40000 can look on screen.  
• Ramon Antonio Vargas reports about the upcoming documentary Anne Rice: An All Saints’ Day Celebration  
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw discusses the recent popularity of horror movies focussing on old women.
• Ben Child wonders why Marvel won't let Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine retire in peace? 
• Oli Welsh lists six things that David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune did better than Denis Villeneuve's recent adaptation. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1950 science fiction film Rocketship X-M. 
• Josh Weiss revisits the 1971 Night Gallery episode "Professor Peabody's Last Lecture."
• Elijah Gonzales revisits the 1985 anime Angel's Egg  
• Asa West revisits the 1988 fantasy movie The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey.
• Simon Bland revisits the 1990 fantasy film Gremlins 2: The New Batch 
• Collier Jennings revisits the 1995 military science fiction TV show Space: Above and Beyond 
• Geoffrey Bunting revisits the 1995 horror film Castle Freak.  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Rumors, Bargains, and Lies”
• Musicians Huey Lewis and Chris Hayes remember how their song "The Power of Love" ended up on the Back tp the Future soundtrack. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Sigourney Weaver, who played Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 about the fate of her on screen son Oscar from Ghostbusters 2.
• Sabina Graves interviews Bryan Fuller, creator of Hannibal, Pushing Daisies and Dust Bunny
• Rich Pelley interviews Tom Felton who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. 
• Callum Parke shares an update about a lawsuit over Lucasfilm digitally resurrecting Peter Cushing for Rogue One.  

 

Tributes to Tom Stoppard:

• Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard has died aged 88. 
• Locus remembers Tom Stoppard 
• Eric Grode points out that the late Tom Stoppard worked as a script doctor on the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies among others. 
• Olivia Rutigliano also takes a look at Tom Stoppard's uncredited rewrites of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. 
• Joe Wright remembers Tom Stoppard. 

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Hannah Gearan and Tatiana Hullender interview Nicholas Galitzine who plays Prince Adam/He-Man in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
• Colt Crane reviews Masters of the Universe #2: The Sword of Flaws Part 1 by Tim Seeley and Freddie Willims II. 
• Mike Eakins reviews Masters of the Universe #2: The Sword of Flaws Part 2 by Tim Seeley and Freddie Willims II.
• Mike Eakins reviews the Masters of the Universe Andra one-shot by Tiffany Smith and Adriana Melo. 

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:  

• Camestros Felapton revisits the 1966 Star Trek episode "Miri".
• James Whitbrook shares how William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek, feels about the prime directive. 
• Laurie Ulster explains why the practice of the actors having table reads of the scripts stopped on Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

 

Comments on the final season of Stranger Things:

• Eric Deggans shares his thoughts on the first four episodes of the final season of Stranger Things.
• Nick Romano interviews Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Stranger Things. 
• Josh Wigler interviews Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Vecna in Stranger Things. 
• Mikey O'Connell interviews Cara Buono who plays Karen Wheeler in Stranger Things. 
• Adrian Horton reports that season 5 of Stranger Things has broken a Netflix viewership record. 
• Sabina Graves reports that in spited of breaking some Netflix records, season 5 of Stranger Things has not had as many views of Squid Game.  

 

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.  
• William Hughes 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.   
• Eric Vespe discusses the glut of Stephen King adaptations in 2025.

 

Comments on Wicked For Good: 

• Jason P. Frank wonders about a knit cardigan Elphaba is wearing during a romantic scene in Wicked for Good.
• Molly Templeton also wonders about Elphaba's cardigan. 
• Soraya Nadia McDonald interview Paul Tazewell, costume designer for Wicked and Wicked for Good. 
• Chelsea Sanchez also interviews Paul Tazewell. 

 

Comments on Pluribus: 

• Noel Murray shares his thoughts on episode 5 of Pluribus. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on episode 5 of Pluribus. 
• Kelly Connolly interviews Rhea Seehorn who plays Carol in Pluribus.

 

Comments on Five Nights at Freddy's 2:

• Tyler Taing calls Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 a cynical horror sequel that runs on cheap fan service 
•  Jacob Oller calls Five Nights At Freddy's 2 an inane, sprawling sequel 

 

Comments on Zootopia 2: 

• Arturo Serrano declares that Zootopia 2 shows us a more complex side of its society, a deeper manifestation of the disguised prejudices that were already evident in the first movie.  
• Rebecca Rubin reports that Zootopia 2 is sitting at the top of the US box office and broke several opening weekend records.

 

Comments on Amazon Prime Video adding AI generated dubs to anime series:

• James Whitbrook reports that Amazon Prime Video rolled out AI-generated dubs for some anime series to much backlash. 
• Matthew Byrd reports that the studios which produced the anime in question claim that Amazon Prime Video never asked their permission before adding the AI dubs. 
• James Whitbrook reports that Amazon Prime Video has quietly rolled back their AI anime dubs after a massive backlash 
• Frank Landymore also reports that Amazon Prime Video has quietly pulled the disastrous anime AI dubs after a public outcry

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2025 Rotsler Award has been announced.
• The 2026 Worldcon in Los Angeles, California, has announced that they will hand out a special Hugo Award for Poetry again. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Tod Goldberg explains how to create a fictional crime scene out of familiar places

 

Interviews:

• Lisa Allardice and various famous and not so famous readers of The Guardian interview Margaret Atwood. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Naomi Kritzer.
• Locus interviews Dave Hutchinson. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Simon Stålenhag 
• C.T. Phipps interviews Matthew Dawkins. 
• Arley Sorg interviews  Ed Finn and Joey Eschrich

 

Reviews: 

• Marlene Harris reviews 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence 
• Mark Yon reviews Whalesong by Miles Cameron. 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson 
• Paul Weimer reviews Bloodtide by Sophie Burnham  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews I Bring The Fire by C. Gockel 
• Niall Harrison reviews The Wolf of Whindale by Jacob Kerr 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Mirror Marked by Vida Cruz-Borja 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Reign and Ruin by J.D. Evans 
• James David Nicoll reviews The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews What Stalks The Deep by T. Kingfisher 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Rainforest by Michelle Paver
• Colleen Mondor reviews Saving Thornwood by David Surface and Julia Rust
• Rob Bedford reviews The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry.
• Gabino Iglesias reviews The Map of Lost Places, edited by Sheree Renée Thomas and Lesley Conner 
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews Sinister Societies: Six Novellas of Secrets and Horrors, edited by Linda Hartley 
• Alex Puncekar reviews issue 5 to 7 of New Edge Sword and Sorcery  
• Ruthanna Emrys reviews Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age by Ada Palmer. 
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1945 SFF collection The Opener of the Way by Robert Bloch 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the December 1970 issue of Analog. 
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1970 non-fiction book Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. 
• David Levinson revisits the January/February 1971 issue of If - Worlds of Science Fiction, 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1979 humorous fantasy novel The Incredible Umbrella by Marvin Kaye 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1984 Chanur science fiction novel Chanur’s Venture by C.J. Cherryh
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1992 YA horror novel Fatal Secrets by Richie Tankersley Cusick
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1992 science fiction novel Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams 
• Clara Cohen revisits the 2012 The Rain Wild Chronicles epic fantasy novel City of Dragons by Robin Hobb. 
• Esmay Rosalyne revisits the 2014 fantasy romance Prince’s Gambit by C.S. Pacat
  
  

Con and event reports:

• Chris M. Barkley reports about Starbase Indy in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
• Chris M. Barkley shares more of his adventures at Starbase Indy in Indianapolis, Indiana.  
• Mike Glyer reports that a team from Nuremberg, Germany, is bidding for the 2028 Worldcon. 
• Daniel Cooper calls The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Live, which is currently playing in London, UK, an enjoyable mess 
• Mike Glyer reports that the 2026 Worldcon in Los Angeles, California, has added SFF writer, editor and poet Terese Mason Pierre as a special guest. 
• Dean Simons reports that the 2026 Angoulême International Comics Festival has been cancelled over a funding dispute. 
• France 24 reports explains why the 2026 Angoulême International Comics Festival has been cancelled 
• The 2026 Trans Atlantic Fan Fund is looking for candidates to sent to MetropolCon, the 2026 Eurocon in Berlin. 
• Mike Glyer reports that Micheal Kabunga, the chair of the 2028 Worldcon bid for Kigali, Rwanda, has been refused a visum to attend SMOFCon in Stockholm, Sweden. 
• Germain Lussier reports that a statue of Robocop has been set up in Detroit, Michigan. 

 

Science and technology:

• Nell Greenfieldboyce reports that the Mars rover Perseverance has detected lightning on Mars.
• Chris Simms reports that the asteroid Bennu carries all the ingredients for life as we know it 
• Eric Berger reports that a launch pad in Baikonur, Kasakhstan, was severely damaged during a launch of a Soyuz spacecraft.  
• Tereza Pultarova reports that German, French and Italian astronauts will be joining NASA's planned Artemis mission to the Moon. 
   

Gaming: 

• Matt Larkin reviews the video game Lords of the Fallen by Hexworks.
• Keith Stuart interviews Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games and lead writer on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• io9 share their favourite nerdy holiday gifts. 
• Rob Keyes shares a look at the LEGO Icons Stranger Things: The Creel House set. 
• Colt Crane corrects some inaccurate reports about the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie tie-in toylines. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Short History of a Long-Forgotten, Ill-Fated Telenovela" by Dante Luiz in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "A Reckoning of Queens" by Dave Ring in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "You Always Told Her You’d Give Her the World" by Aimee Ogden in Lightspeed.  
• "Reality Check" by Nancy Kress in Lightspeed.  
• "Most Likely To . . . (Class of 1997)" by A.C. Wise in The Dark. 
• "Tomorrow. Today." by R.T. Ester in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Horrible Conceit of Death and Night" by J.A. Prentice in Apex Magazine.
• "All That Means or Mourns" by Ruthanna Emrys in Reactor. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch "Destination Daleks", a Doctor Who short starring the Fifth Doctor and Tegan Jovanka. 
• Watch a trailer for The War Between the Land and the Sea 
• Watch a trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 Lost in New Jersey.| 
• Watch a trailer for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. 
• Watch a trailer for The Magic Faraway Tree. 
• Watch a trailer for Mother Mary. 
• Watch a trailer for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.  
• Watch a trailer for The Eagle Obsession.