It's
time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting
links
about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general, Stranger Things - Tales from '85, Hokum, Widow's Bay, Touch Me, tributes to Gerry Conway and Roger Sweet and much
more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Cheryl Eddy lists 79 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in May
- Alex Brown shares their most anticipated young adult SFF for May and June 2026.
- Lish McBride discusses what happens when you finally read the book everyone has been talking about and it turns out, there's often a very good reason behind all the hype
- Molly Templeton notes that many recent SFF novels, films and TV shows share a common theme of loneliness.
- Lorna Wallace shares five twisty, reality-bending SFF books
- James Davis Nicoll wonders if science fiction is better off without torchships
- Angelic Frey talks about music in science fiction.
- Summer Hanford finds some unexpected parallels between the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb and modern romantasy novels.
- Camestros Felapton points out there is plenty of moral ambiguity in J.R.R. Tolkien's work.
- Idara Crespi talks about nineteenth century Italian gothic writer Fracesco Mastriani and why he is almost completely unknown in the English speaking world.
- Chris Klimek celebrates the 100th anniversary of Amazing Stories.
- Editor, con runner and SFF writer John H- Guidry has died aged 81.
Comics and Art:
- Isaiah Colbert reviews Eniale & Dewiela by Kamone Shirahama.
- Marcus Helminiak shares his favourite Neal Adams covers that aren't Batman.
- L. Wayne Hicks interviews William Bernhardt, author of The Superman Wars.
- Joel Harley reports how reading comics helped him stop doomscrolling on his phone.
- Simon Spark reports about Tom Radford from Hull, UK, who has 63 Marvel Comics characters tattooed on his body.
Tributes to Gerry Conway:
Film and TV:
- Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre TV premieres airing in May
- Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre films coming out in May
- Elijah Gonzales declares that the dark magical girl series Madoka Magica is the successor to Sailor Moon, not a subversion
- Isaiah Colbert declares that Witch Hat Atelier elevated its source material to dizzying new heights and is one of the best animes you'll see all year.
- Justin Carter declares that the anime Daemons of the Shadow Realm may be your new Shonen favourite
- Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Mother Mary might just be the experience you’re waiting for
- Cath Clarke calls Phantoms of July interlocking tales that hop across time in a funny-quirky fable with a point
- Colleen McMillan shares her thoughts on the anime Gnosia: A Deadly Paranoia Game in Space
- Rai Furniss-Greasley shares his thought on the horror series Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
- Kayleigh Donaldsen declares that Animal Farm movies have a long history of missing the point
- Jacob Oller calls the animated film Swapped a tired tale about walking a mile in someone else's fur (or feathers).
- Phil Hoad calls Brute 1976 a throwback slasher that summons up the spirit of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
- Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Testaments.
- Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the season finale of Invincible.
- Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys.
- Isaiah Colbert declares that The Legend of Korra didn’t ruin the legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but enhanced it
- Rachel Hulshult declares that Paramount’s new movie-focussed Star Trek strategy will go down as a historic fumble.
- Jake Pitre talks about the many evolutions of the cinematic mummy.
- Leah Thomas recommends four anime series for fans of hard science fiction
- James Grebey shares ten gimmick-driven shark movies trying to outswim Jaws
- John Hopewell interviews Dan Stevens, star of The Terror: Devil in Silver,
- Jessica Holmes revisits the 1971 Doctor Who serial "Colony in Space"
- Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal.
- Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1986 fantasy film Highlander.
- Zack Handlen revisits the 1989 Quantum Leap episodes “Play It Again, Seymour” and "Honeymoon Express"
- Isaiah Colbert revisits the 1995 anime Macross Plus
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “In the Kingdom of the Blind”
- Kofi Outlaw shares five charts that explain complicated and convoluted science fiction films.
- Paul Poisuo shares his least favourite episodes of The Twilight Zone.
- Paul Poisuo asks why there are so few movie or TV adaptations of Harlan Ellison's work
- Justin Carter reports that the The Boys spin-off Gen V has been cancelled.
- Monica Castillo reports that shareholders have approved the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, but the fight to block the merger continues in the courts and the court of public opinion.
- Jack Dunn reports that actress Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose in Wicked and Wicked for Good, was denied boarding a plane due to being a wheelchair user.
Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:
- Black Nerd Comedy talks about the footage from the live action Masters of the Universe movie that was shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Ryan Gajewski talks about the footage from the live action Masters of the Universe movie that was shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Cora Buhlert shares her thought on the footage from the live action latest Masters of the Universe movie.
- Allison Troy takes a look at the Masters of the Universe character Goat Man.
- James Eatock shares his appreciation for the Masters of the Universe artwork of Fred Carillo.
- James Eatock notes how Filmation cleverly got around censorship requirements and suggested He-Man punching Clawful in the episode "Dree-Elle's Return".
- Watch a TV spot for the Masters of the Universe live action movie.
- Watch a featurette about the heroes of the Masters of the Universe live action movie.
- Watch a featurette about the villains of the Masters of the Universe live action movie.
Tributes to Roger Sweet:
Comments on season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:
- Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “The Hateful Darkness”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
- Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “The Hateful Darkness”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
- Meaghan Darwish interviews Michael Gandolfini who plays Daniel Blake in Daredevil: Born Again.
- Germain Lussier reports that the second season of Daredevil: Born Again has about half the audience of season one.
- Inspired by Spider-Noir, Jonathan Wells wonders why hardboiled detectives are currently experiencing a resurgence.
- Josh Horowitz interviews Yahya Abdul Mateen II, who plays Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
- Ben Child notes that it appears as if Marvel is going to abandon the Multiverse saga and wonders what the point of all those movies and TV shows was and why he even bothered watching them,
- Watch a trailer for Spider-Noir.
Comments on Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord and Star Wars in general:
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord
- James Whitbrook explains how the latest episode of Maul: Shadow Lord blended practical and visual effects.
- James Whitbrook reports that The Acolyte continues to do well on streaming even two years after its unceremonious cancellation.
- Germain Lussier reports that The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently on tracking for the lowest Star Wars opening in years
Comments on Stranger Things: Tales from '85:
- Cheryl Eddy declares that when fans demanded more Stranger Things, Stranger Things: Tales from '85 isn’t what they meant
- Abbey White interviews Eric Robles, showrunner of Stranger Things: Tales from '85.
- Cheryl Eddy reports that the animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales From '85 has been renewed for a second season.
Comments on Widow's Bay:
- Saloni Gajjar calls Widow's Bay a wild, genre-mashing ride
- Cheryl Eddy declares that Widow’s Bay proves that Apple TV can do horror comedy just as well as science fiction.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Widow’s Bay is perfect for fans of horror and sitcoms — but its depths run deep
- Lucy Mangan calls Widow’s Bay an intoxicating horror comedy and an absolute blast
- Ryan Gilbey interviews Matthew Rhys, star of Perry Mason, The Americans and Widow's Bay.
Comments on Hokum:
- Peter Bradshaw calls Hokum an enjoyably eerie rural horror film.
- Matthew Jackson calls Hokum an impish, haunting delight
- Cheryl Eddy declares that Hokum punctuates its tale of grief with unsettling frights
- Leah Schnelbach declares that Hokum is much more than a haunted hotel movie
- Vanessa Armstrong interviews Damian McCarthy and Adam Scott, writer/director and star of Hokum.
Comments on Touch Me:
Awards:
- The finalists for the 2026 Sir Julius Vogel Awards habe been announced.
- The finalists for the 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Astra Book Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Zsoldos Péter Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2026 Prix Imaginales for Young Adult Fiction have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Tolkien Society Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2025 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2025 Reuben Divisional Award have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Peabody Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Webby Awards have been announced.
- Nicholas Whyte explains where to find the 2026 Hugo Award finalists.
- Ann Michelle Harris takes a look at the 2026 Anime of the Year finalists.
- Michael Capobianco shares a brief history of the Nebula Awards,
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Janes Espenson explains what prose writers can learn from script writers
- James Cleary explains what stage acting taught him about writing and storytelling
- Amin Ahmad shares a lesson on writing monstrous characters
- Maddie Day talks about cozies, touring wineries and turning book research into fun
- Keith Roysdon explains how some writers are finding a new path to publishing
- Rosie Peters-McDonald reports that a new study by HarperCollins has found that the “relentless” focus on measuring literacy progress in schools has “pushed reading for pleasure to the margins”.
- Dwight Garner wonders where all the book reviewers have gone.
- The Authors Guild shares a statement and new model contract clauses regarding the use of consumer AI systems in publishing:
- Hillel Italie reports that book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs, with Sold by Patricia McCormick topping the list of the most banned books.
- Jill Repogle reports that the city of Huntington Beach, California, has been ordered to pay one million USD in legal fees for censoring library books
- Camestros Felapton shares some graphs about the development of book prices.
- Jason Sanford announces that Must Read Magazines, the publisher of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov’s Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, has announced that they are switching to a new printing company due to print quality issues.
- Locus reports that the publishers Bloomsbury is laying off several employees.
Interviews:
- Elizabeth Tabler interviews P. Djeli Clark.
- Paul Weimer interviews R.J. Barker
- Matthew Byrd interviews Veronica Roth.
- Scott Edelman interviews Farah Mendlesohn.
- Martin Cahill interviews L.D. Lewis.
- Alex Puncekar interviews Dan Coxon.
- Runalong the Shelves interviews Steve Toase.
- Against the Grain interviews Jordan S. Carroll.
- Rhonda Reinhart interviews David Aronovitz.
Reviews:
- Mark Yon reviews Mars One by Charlotte Robinson.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman
- Stew Hotston reviews Anti-State by Allen Stroud
- Sasha Bonkowsky reviews First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston.
- Beejay Silcox reviews Homebound by Portia Elan
- Liz Bourke reviews Green & Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons
- Mak Yon reviews The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
- Jen Lucas reviews The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague by M.K. Hill
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Fate of Thieves by Tori Tecken
- Ed Crocker reviews Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker
- Maya C. James reviews The Dead Withheld by L.D. Lewis
- James Davis Nicoll reviews A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo
- Marlene Harris revisits A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo
- Bill Capossere reviews The Demon King by Peter V. Brett
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Last Jager by S. Naomi Scott
- Doreen Sheridan reviews Monster In The Moonlight by Annelise Ryan
- Jen Lucas reviews Thornby Manor by Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes
- Mahvesh Murad reviews The Fountain by Casey Scieszka
- Niall Harrison reviews The Body Builders by Albertine Clarke
- Rob Bedford reviews The Hive by Ronald Malfi.
- Dave Hook reviews Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Seasons of Glass and Iron - Stories by Amal El-Mohtar
- Lesa Holstine reviews Something to Look Forward to by Fannie Flagg
- Ed Crocker reviews I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy
- Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton and Ada Palmer
- David Ferguson reviews Irish Conflict in Comics in the 20th Century by James Bacon.
Classics reviews:
- Alan Brown revisits the 1954 science fiction novel Trouble on Titan by Alan E. Nourse
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1955 science fiction novel A Mirror For Observers by Edgar Pangborn
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1962 lost world novel Journey Into Limbo by Scott Michel
- Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1971 issue of Analog.
- Alissa Burger revisits the 1986 YA horror novel Weekend by Christopher Pike.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1988 Culture space opera The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1988 fantasy novel Dragon Sword And Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara, translated by Cathy Hirano
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2002 Dread Empire’s Fall space opera The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams
- Tom Joyce revisits the 2014 epic fantasy novel Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
- Marlene Harris revisits the 2015 science fiction romance On a Rogue Planet by Anna Hackett
Con and event reports:
- Alice Strangman reports about the 2026 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts in Orlando, Florida.
- Kate Macdonald of Peachtree Press shares her experiences of staffing a book stall at Iridescence, the 2026 Eastercon in Birmingham, UK.
- David Green talks about a panel on neurodivergent creatives at Iridescence.
- Locus shares a photo of the latest edition of the Brooklyn Books and Booze reading series.
- Emily Davenport-Salcedo reports about the 2026 BookCon in New York City.
- Germain Lussier declares that the Lost Boys Broadway musical by Patrick Wilson is everything he wanted and more
- Matthew Richards reports that a statue of former Monty Python member Terry Jones as his character the Naked Organist has been unveiled in his birthplace Clwyn Bay, UK.
- Germain Lussier is not happy about the changes made to the Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities shop at the Star Wars: Galaxy'd Edge attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Science and technology:
- Hannah Devlin reports that NASA’s Curiosity rover has found organic molecules on Mars and that scientists are debating whether this constitutes life or not.
- Monisha Ravisetti reports that NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is finally complete
- Adam Kovac reports that former NASA astronauts have launched a new group to promote US constitutional values
- Chelsea Gohd reports about Spudnik the space potato.
- Kaye Dee reports about the Soviet Salyut-1 space station, humanity's first space station in orbit.
- Leonard David asks if the Moon could ever be blockaded
- Daisy Pearce discusses how comets fuelled fear and superstition before scientists understood what they were.
- Justin McCurry reports that humanoid robots will become baggage handlers at Tokyo Airport in Japan.
- Elizabeth Gibney wonders how realistic warnings that AI could end humanity are.
Gaming:
- Justin Carter calls the video game Saros a colourfully aggressive descent into roguelike madness
- C.T. Phipps reviews the video game Metro: Exodus.
- Eddie Clark reviews the video game Opus: Prism Peak
- James Whitbrook looks ahead at the Final Fantasy XIV expansion Evercold.
- Keith Stuart declares that the video games Pragmata, Saros and Vampire Crawler are perfect examples of what he considers "good gameplay".
- Keza MacDonald explains how the Bafta Games Awards showed her again that honouring art over commerce is a win for all
- James Whitbrook reports that Wizards of the Coast is making a brand new trading card game called Mood Swings.
- GoNintendo reports that former Nintendo employees have confirmed that Nintendo holds onto finished games until they find the right release date
- Frederic Pouchot reports that more than a million people from across Europe have backed a citizens' petition called "Stop Destroying Videogames" to force game publishers to not abandon games and shut down servers.
- Gideon Marcus shares his thoughts on the 1971 Vietnam War themed wargame Grunt.
Toys and collectibles:
- DorkLair reviews the Savage Crucible Elric of Melniboné action figure
- D Amazing reviews the Savage Crucible Elric of Melniboné action figure
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles He-Man action figure.
- Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Battle-Cat action figure.
- Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Skeletor action figure.
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Skeletor action figure.
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Trap-Jaw action figure.
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Tri-Klops action figure.
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Man-at-Arms action figure.
- Jurassic Rod reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Fisto and Ram-Man two-pack.
- Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Fisto and Ram-Man two-pack.
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mondo 1:6 scale He-Man 2.0 action figure.
- James Whitbrook shares a look at the animatronic Ultimate Grogu doll from Hasbro.
- James Whitbrook shares a look at some new Hasbro Star Wars Black Series action figures.
- Justin Carter takes a look at some upcoming Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man and Hulk action figures.
- James Whitbrook shares a look at a Fantastic Four Herbie LEGO set.
- James Whitbrook reports that LEGO will make three sets based on user ideas.
- io9 list their favourite Star Wars collectibles for Star Wars day.
- Justin Carter takes a look at a life-size Alien Halloween decoration
- James Whitbrook shares his favourite toys revealed in April 2026.
- James Whitbrook takes a look at new LEGO sets coming out in May 2026
- Germain Lussier shares a look at the geekiest holiday ornaments coming out from Hallmark this year
- Rylee Kirk reports that a man in California has been arrested and charged for buying up thousands of US-dollars worth of LEGO sets, replacing the contents with uncooked pasta and then returned them for refunds.
Free online fiction:
- "I Spin Records Into Gold" by Daria Lavelle in Reactor.
- "Song, Skin, Sea" by Tamara Vardomskaya in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "The Sparrow Tree" by Alma Alexander in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "No Act Without Purpose" by Joal Glover in Swords and Sorcery Magazine
- "Time Management" by P.A. Cornell in Lightspeed.
- "Empathetic Psychosis" by Justin C. Key in Lightspeed.
- "The Forgetting Code" by Malena Salazar Maciá in Clarkesworld.
- "What Does It Mean to Be Immortal?" by Ai Jiang in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Wendigo" by Michael Kelly in The Dark.
Trailers and videos:
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