Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for December 26, 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 (and worst) SFF of 2025, an uproar about the Nebula Awards, holiday movies, Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of Fallout, Avatar: Fire and Ash,  the final season of Stranger Things, the new Anaconda, The War Between the Land and the Sea and Doctor Who in general, Pluribus, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, tributes to Rob Reiner and Michele Singer as well as Vince Zampella, Jane Austen at 250 and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Reactor shares 22 wintery SFF books. 
• Alex Brown shares must read speculative short fiction for November 2025 
• Beth Cato talks about the fantastical food of fantasy fiction 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares seven SFF stories featuring beloved toys that may or may not be alive. 
• Ella Risbridger explains why romance fiction is booming, even though it is still dismissed by many critics. 
• Claudia Efemi reports that the bestselling books of 2025 in the UK are dominated by crime novels, thrillers, fantasy and romance. 
• Dana Goldstein reports that teenagers in the US rarely read full books anymore, not even in English class. 
• Richard Luscombe reports that a previously unpublished 1938 horror radio play called The Strangers by Tennessee Williams has been published for the first time after 87 years.  
• Emma Loffhagen reports that children's book writer David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher Harper Collins UK, following alleged sexual harassment of female employees of Harper Collins UK.
• Paul Glynn and Ian Youngs report that David Walliams has denied all inappropriate behaviour.

 

Jane Austen at 250:

• Sarah Lyall explains how Jane Austen fans are celebrating the writer's 250th birthday.
• Morgan Leigh Davis also reports about Jane Austen's 250th birthday and why her work still resonates today. 
• Heidi Lux celebrates Jane Austen's 250th birthday by sharing a deleted sex scene from Price and Prejudice. 

 

Best (and worst) of 2025:

• Readers of Reactor share their favourite SFF works of 2025. 
• Mark Yon shares his favourite fantasy books of 2025. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite speculative mysteries and thrillers of 2025.  
• Ginger Nuts of Horror share their favourite YA horror books of 2025. 
• A.C. Wise shares her favourite SFF short fiction of 2025. 
• A.C. Wise shares her favourite SFF media of 2025. 
• io9 share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror movies of 2025. 
• io9 share their favourite movie moments of 2025.  
• Aidan Moher shares his ten favourite games of 2025. 
• The Guardian shares the twelve worst films of 2025

 

Comics and Art:

• Alex Segura interviews Ed Brubaker, writer of Criminal. 
• Nick Kolakowski shares his thoughts on the French comic series The Killer by Matz (the pen name of Alexis Nolent) and Luc Jacamon  
• James Whitbrook reports that Archie Comics will get another reboot.
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon on the last-minute Christmas rush at the bookshop 

 

Film and TV: 

• Andrew Lawrence discusses how Sinners became the most culturally important film of 2025 
• Isaiah Colbert calls My Hero Academia a superhero epic that never lost its way and also elevated the genre to new heights.  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on season 2 of the animated series The Legend of Lara Croft 
• Autumn Wright declares that Star Wars: The Force Awakens launched the opening salvo of the fan-service culture war 
• Chris Garcia shares his thoughts on The Ugly Chickens.
• Isaiah Colbert declares that anime novies faced a defining, precarious theatrical crossroads in 2025  
• James Whitbrook shares a brief history of the Klingon-Federation conflict in Star Trek.  
• Germain Lussier talks about a Star Wars gag in Wake Up, Dead Man. 
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1970 crime comedy The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and the 1970 holiday musical Scrooge 
• Caroline Siede revisits the 2000 wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon  
• Steve Rose revisits the 2001 gothic horror film The Devil’s Backbone  
• Variety interviews Mads Mikkelsen, star of Rogue One, Hannibal, Casino Royale, Dust Bunny and many others. 
• Justin Carter interviews Taliesen Jaffe who voices Mollymauk in The Mighty Nein. 
• Joe Anderton reports that Sigourney Weaver has called for releasing a director's cut of the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest with cut scenes featuring the late Alan Rickman restored. 
• Ben Child wonders what on Earth Marvel was thinking to show different versions of the trailer for Avengers Doomsday before selected screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash.
• GMA News Online reports that Lucasfilm has won a bid to throw out a UK lawsuit over the resurrection of actor Peter Cushing in Star Wars: Rogue One.
• Swedish actress May Britt, star of  Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair, War and Peace, Haunted, The Young Lions, The Hunters and The Blue Angel as well as former wife of Sammy Davis Jr., has died aged 91.
• Actor James Ransone, best known for his roles in It, Black Phone, Nobody 2 and The Wire, has died aged 46 

 

Tributes to Rob Reiner and Michele Singer:

• Martin Scorsese shares a tribute to the late Rob Reiner and Michele Singer. 
• Jamie Graham recounts the experience of watching Stand By Me together with Rob Reiner.
• Todd S. Purdum remembers Rob Reiner. 
• Andrew Pulver shares more information on the deaths of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer. 
• Nancy Dillon reports that Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia before allegedly murdering his parents. 

 

 Discussion of Holiday Movies:

• Bridget McGovern shares elevan oddball holiday classics to celebrate the Season
• Cheryl Eddy shares eight holiday horror movies to enjoy. 
• Grimdark Magazine calls the new Silent Night, Deadly Night an absolute banger. 
• Leah Schnelbach revisits the 1965 animated holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Cora Buhlert reviews the Masters of the Universe: Andra one-shot comic by Tiffany Smith and Adriana Melo.
• James Eatock recounts how Beast-Man turned from genuine threat to Skeletor's bumbling henchman over the course of the Filmation He-Man cartoon.  
• The Spirit of Grayskull podcast share Masters of the Universe holiday memories. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Fallout:

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Fallout. 
• Keza MacDonald compares the Fallout TV-series to the video game series it is based upon. 

 

Comments on the final season of Stranger Things: 

• Tyler Dean shares his favourite moments from five season of Stranger Things.
• Eric Zalben interviews Frank Darabont, director of the first few seasons of The Walking Dead, The Green Mile, The Mist and an episode of season 5 of Stranger Things. 
• Nick Romano interviews Jamie Campbell Bower who plays Vecna a.k.a. Henry a.k.a. One in Stranger Things. 
• Cheryl Eddy discusses the cultural impact of Stranger Things. 

 

Comments on Pluribus: 

• Noel Murray shares his thoughts on episode 8 of Pluribus. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on episode 8 of Pluribus. 

 

Comments on the new Anaconda.:

• Jesse Hassenger calls the new Anaconda a charming and unusual meta-comedy remake  
• Matt Schimkowitz declares that the Anaconda "remake" has the right amount of bite  
• Germain Lussier declares that the new Anaconda slithers on that line of so bad, it’s good  

  

Comments on Avatar: Fire and Ash: 

• Arturo Serrano declares that Avatar: Fire and Ash remains faithful to its tried and true formula: visually breathtaking, narratively uninspired 
• James Grebey declares that Avatar: Fire And Ash works best when it gets hot and bothered 
• Justin Carter shares a spoilerish review of Avatar: Fire and Ash. 
• Ben Child shares a spoilerish review of Avatar: Fire and Ash. 
• Matt Schimkowitzh shares a spoilerish review of Avatar: Fire and Ash.  
• Germain Lussier shares all the burning questions he has after Avatar: Fire and Ash   
• Germain Lussier interviews James Cameron, director of Avatar: Fire and Ash, and many others. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang, who play Varang and Miles Quaritch in Avatar: Fire and Ash. 
• Nancy Tartaglione reports that Avatar: Fire and Ash is off to a good start at the box office, particularly outside the US.

 

Comments on The War Between the Land and the Sea and Doctor Who in general:

• James Whitbrook declares that what little potential The War Between the Land and the Sea had is dead and buried and has only sunk further into the depths the longer the show went on. 
• James Whitbrook revisits the 2005 Doctor Who Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion". 
• Daniel Bibby reports that actress Alex Kingston who played River Song in Doctor Who has written a choose-your-own-adventure type interactive novel featuring her character.  

 

 Comments on The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants:

• Mike McCahill calls The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants review – swashbuckling, snicker-inducing silliness  
• Tara Bennett declares that The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants has lost more than its pants and can't find anything original to say.  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 1970 Galactic Stars have been announced. 
• SFWA shares a press release explaining the organisation's stance on AI-aided and generated writing for the Nebula Awards.
• Mike Glyer reports that SFWA changed its stance on AI-aided and generated works in the Nebula Awards following a massive backlash and now bans such works altogether instead of requiring disclosure of AI usage. 
• Jason Sanford shares his thoughts on the Nebula Award rule changes and their quick retraction. 
• Justin Carter reports about the Nebula Awards uproar. 
• Mike Glyer shares an apology issued by the SFWA board for the Nebula rule changes regarding AI-generated and AI-aided work. 
• Harrison Ford will receive the 2026 SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• J.D. Mathes explains how writing workshops can help formerly incarcerated people begin to heal 
• Lincoln Michel shares his thoughts on publishing a novel in 2025. 
• Matilda Battersby reports that authors are inundated with scammy spam e-mails offering overpriced promotion. 
• John Van Stry discusses the truly terrible contract terms offered by Shadow Light Press.  
• Sam Spratford reports that Ablaze Publishing has acquired the graphic novel publisher NBM Publishing  
• Ed Nawotka reports that authors have filed yet another lawsuit against various AI companies.
• Juanita Hurtado Huérfano profiles Becky Barker, who operates the mobile romance bookstore Rescued by Romance in Colorado.
• Lauren Almeida reports that the US hedge fund Elliott, owner of bookstore chains Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, is planning to list them on the stock market. 

 

Interviews:

• Z.B. Steele interviews Michael Michel.

 

Reviews: 

• Adrienne Martini reviews Angel Maker by Elizabeth Bear 
• The Unofficial Hugo Book Club reviews Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey. 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Starter Villain by John Scalzi
• Adam Roberts reviews The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews There Is No Antimemetics Division by QNTM 
• Ian Mond reviews Simultaneous by Eric Heisserer 
• Andrew Liptak reviews The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. 
• Fiona Denton reviews Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Ring the Bells by C.K. McDonnell 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Sheltering Flame by Ruthanna Emrys and Walking A Wounded Land by Andrew Knighton 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Blackfire Blade by James Logan. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold by P. Djèlí Clark 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The King Must Die by Kemi Ashing-Giwa 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Supernatural Crimes Unit: NYPD: The Thin Blue Ley-Line by Keith R. A. DeCandido 
• Kate Jackson reviews Miss Darcy Investigates: A Crime Through Time by Amelia Blackwell  
• Archita Mittra reviews Daedalus is Dead by Seamus Sullivan 
• Colleen Mondor reviews If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry  
• Maya C. James reviews Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Visions of Grace by Alison Littlewood 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura, translated by Yuki Tejima 
• Abergale Shep reviews Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei. 
• Stuart Kelley reviews Ice by Jacek Dukaj 
• Niall Harrison reviews The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Itch by Gemma Amor  
• C.T. Phipps reviews Eldritch Prisoners, editen by David Hambling
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Big Book of Cyberpunk Volume 2, edited by Jared Shurin 
• Steven Poole reviews Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World by John Blair 
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1967 dystopian novel A Torrent of Faces by James Blish and Norman L. Knight 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the January 1971 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1975 fantasy collection The Compleat Enchanter by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt 
• Aditya Chakrabortty revisits the 2006 dystopian novel Kingdom Come by J.G. Ballard.

 

Con and event reports:

• Ehud Maimon reports about the 2025 ICon in Tel Aviv, Israel. 
• Octothorpe report about the 2025 SMOFCon in Stockholm, Sweden. 
• Pete Hammond reports about the“Frankenstein: Crafting a Tale Eternal” exhibition in Los Angeles, California, and that it is moving to London, UK.  
• Fan Chen reports that Japanese content and cosplay has been banned from the Comicup convention in Hangzhou, China. 
• Maia Snow reports that British children's book author David Walliams has been dropped from the programming of the Waterstones Children's Book Festival in Dundee, Scotland, following sexual harassment allegations. 
• Emma Loffhagen also reports that David Walliams has been dropped from the programming of the Waterstones Children's Book Festival in Dundee, Scotland  
• Amy Goldschlager shares a photo of the latest Brooklyn Books & Booze event in Brooklyn, New York. 
• Ben Dowsett reports about the immersive science fiction experience Interstellar Arc in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

 

Science and technology:

• Robert Lea reports that the James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a runaway supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy.
• Jonathan O’Callaghan reports that the James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a stretched out planet that is shaped like a lemon. 
• Pasant Rabie reports that a Starlink satellite is tumbling toward Earth after a strange anomaly in orbit 
• Stephen Clark reports that a safety panel says that NASA should have taken the Boeing Starliner incident more seriously  
• Maggie Aderin-Pocock talks about the commercialisation of space and why national laws are not adequate to deal with it. 
• Levi Christiansen interviews David Rankin, operations manager at the Catalina Sky Survey in Catalina, Arizona, where he observes and tracks potentially dangerous asteroids. 
• Taro Kaneko report that several drivers in the UK have been falsely accused of stealing fuel and sometimes banned from gas stations due to faulty licence plate recognition software.  
   

Gaming: 

• Vince Zampella, co-creator of the Call of Duty video game series, has died aged 55
• Keza MacDonald and Keith Stuart remember Vince Zampella. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Cora Buhlert reviews the Figura Obscura Mouse King action figure from Four Horsemen Studios 
• Tyler Roberts reports that Playmates Toys have lost the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle licence after 38 years. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Adventures on the Omega Train at Night" by A. T. Greenblatt in The Sunday Morning Transport. 
• "The Space Between Us" by P.A. Cornell in Lightspeed.  
• "Memories of the MindMine" by David Marino in Lightspeed.  
• "Curse of the Bone God" by L.D. Whitney in Cliffhanger Magazine. 
• "Last Words" by Steven French in Antipodean SF.
• "Guard Duty at Pink House" by D. A. Raymond in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "Measurements Expressed as Units of Separation" by M. L. Krishnan in The Dark. 
• "The Hole" by Ferenc Samsa in Clarkesworld. 
• "Between Here and Everywhere" by Robert Reed in Clarkesworld. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a teaser for Avengers: Doomsday. 
• Watch a trailer for Tinsel Town.
• Watch a trailer for The Odyssey.
• Adrian Collins shares five YouTube channels where awesome people make awesome things.