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, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general, The Terror: Devil in Silver, Backrooms, Scary Movie 6, tributes to Marcia Lucas, Marjane Satrapi and Anthony Stewart Head and much
more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Natalie Zutter shares science fiction and fantasy books coming out in June 2026.
- Cheryl Eddy shares ninety new science fiction, fantasy and horror movies coming out in June 2026.
- Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in June 2026
- Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in June 2026
- Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in June 2026
- Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in June 2026
- Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in June 2026
- Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in June 2026 .
- James Davis Nicoll lists five terrible or useless mentors in scienc fiction and fantasy
- Isabel J. Kim shares five science fiction books about speculative human evolution
- Dave Hook wonders if the golden age of the SFF novella is over.
- Sam Reader shares seven deeply unsettling nautical horror and fantasy novels
- C.J. Leede shares five horror novels which subvert the portrayals of wolves as villains.
- Cynthia Gomez recommends four lesser-known Mexican gothic novels and historical horror mysteries
- Cristina LePort talks about writing about cryonics and other medical advances.
- Joel Miller notes that Philip K. Dick spent his entire careers asking two questions, "What is reality?” and “What is the authentic human being?”
- Dalya Alberge reports that a previously unpublished medieval translation by J.R.R. Tolkien has been found in Oxford, UK.
- K. Tempest Bradford remembers Lalana Dararutana a.k.a. Piper J. Drake
Comics and Art:
Tributes to Marjane Satrapi:
Film and TV:
- Catherine Bray calls Affection a twisty horror thriller.
- Jerome Stueart talks about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and uncovering past trauma
- Rhik Samadder calls The Alien Autopsy Scandal a fascinating tale of a bizarre DIY hoax that hits Spinal Tap levels of hilarity
- Amelia Emberwing interviews the cast of The Legend of Vox Machina.
- Vanessa Armstrong interviews Kate O'Flynn who plays Patricia in Widow's Bay.
- P. Djèlí Clark talks about the backlash against Christopher Nolan casting Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1942 animated movie Bambi.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1962 post-apocalyptic movie Panic in the Year Zero.
- Amber Dubin revisits the 1971 Night Gallery episodes "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" and "The Last Laurel"
- Eric Berger and Lee Hutchinson revisit the 1986 science fiction film Space Camp.
- Danette Chavez revisits the 1989 Quantum Leap episodes "Disco Inferno" and "Blind Faith".
- Isaiah Colbert revisits the 1990 anime Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “Meditations on the Abyss”
- Kali Wallace revisits the 2014 alternate universe movie Coherence.
- Gwylim Mumford expresses his annoyance at the tsunami of indie horror films that swamp everything.
- Michael Hogan discusses the strange resurgence of the British TV character Mr. Blobby.
- Leah Schnelbach ranks Martin Scorsese's acting roles.
- Drew Gillis reports that Martin Scorsese is the latest director to come out in favour of generative AI.
- Katie Kilkenny and Alex Weprin report that Amazon has launched an AI Creators Fund and has ordered three animated series created with AI, to much criticism.
- Monica Castillo notes that Obsession's inexpicable success makes the latest case for longer theatrical release windows
- Actor James Handy, best known for his appearances in Top Gun Maverick, Alias, NYPD Blue, Logan, The Rocketeer and Archnophobia, has bene murdered aged 81.
- Actress Kelly Curtis, best known for her roles in The Equaliser, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Sentinel, Trading Places, Magic Sticks and The Devil’s Daughter, has died aged 69.
Tributes to Anthony Stewart Head:
- Actor Anthony Stewart Head, best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jonathan Creek, Merlin and Ted Lasso, has died aged 72.
- Adam Whitehead remembers Anthony Stewart Head.
- Owen Myers remembers Anthony Stewart Head.
- Jesse Hassenger remembers Anthony Stewart Head.
- Cheryl Eddy remembers Anthony Stewart Head.
- Kayleigh Donaldsen remembers Anthony Stewart Head.
Tributes to Marcia Lucas:
Comments on the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:
- Kevin Fenix notes that Masters of the Universe was always more than just big muscles and "He-Man smash", though many self-proclaimed fans sadly missed this fact.
- B.J. Colangelo declares that Masters Of The Universe is so much more than a nostalgia play – and some people will miss the message entirely
- Colt Crane calls Masters of the Universe the He-Man movie he's been waiting for his entire life - heroic, bombastic, empowering, and extremely easy to love
- Cora Buhlert calls Masters of the Universe an incredibly joyful movie that will leave you elated after you leave the theatre.
- CastleMania Games calls Masters of the Universe the movie he has been waiting for since he was six years old.
- Molly Freeman calls Masters of the Universe the hopecore movie of the summer.
- Scott Mendelson declares that Masters of the Universe has got (the) Power, and it knows how to use it
- Victoria Luxford declares that Masters of the Universe boldly brings the beloved He-Man to life with a marvelous edge
- Scannain declares that Masters of the Universe balances the silliness and camp nature of the He-Man mythos well to tell a story about what it means to be a hero.
- Rendy Jones declares that Masters of the Universe revives He-Man with colourful chaos and surprising heart
- Zaki Hassan calls Masters of the Universe the rousing fantasy adventure fans deserve.
- Julian Lyle declares that Masters of the Universe works through the power of nostalgia and sincerity
- Kristen Lopez calls Masters of the Universe a rollicking 1980s-infused surprise
- Andrew J. Salazar calls Masters of the Universe a sincere and unapologetic ode to 1980s excess
- Phil Roberts calls Masters of the Universe an absolute blast and arguably the most faithful adaptation of the source material to date.
- Lyvie Scott notes that Masters Of The Universe reminds us of what He-Man has always been
- James Zahn calls Masters of the Universe a playful, powerful adventure straight from the toy box
- He-Mania.com calls Masters of the Universe a dream come true.
- Jeffrey Harris calls Masters of the Universe a dream come true for long-time fans.
- Luke Y. Thompson declares that Masters of the Universe has gotten the epic movie it deserves
- Jeremy Konrad calls Masters of the Universe the He-Man film fans have waited their whole lives for
- Serpentor's Lair declares that He-Man is the hero Gen X needs.
- Jonathan Sim calls Masters of the Universe a perfect summer blockbuster
- Brian MacNamara calls Masters of the Universe a blast from beginning to end.
- Hunter Bolding calls Masters of the Universe a Saturday morning cartoon come to life
- Pete Hammond calls Masters Of The Universe an amusing new take on Mattel’s nostalgic toys
- Eric Diaz calls Masters of the Universe a colourful retro adventure
- Leah Marilla Thomas calls Masters of the Universe a pretty delightful fantasy adventure to boot.
- Steven Silver calls Masters of the Universe much better than it had any right to be
- Clint Gage declares that Masters of the Universe appreciates the source material, silly names and all, and proves the best way to add to a 40-year-old franchise that’s about toys as much as anything else is to not take it too seriously.
- Joe Magidson declares that Masters of the Universe manages to bring He-Man to the big screen with a good dose of fun
- William Healy calls Masters of the Universe ridiculously good fun
- John Atkin calls Masters of the Universe is an absolute blast.
- Aaron Neuwirth calls Masters of the Universe a fun, familiar sort of fantasy adventure that delivers on He-Man's good name.
- Pixel Dan shares his spoilerish thoughts on Masters of the Universe.
- Rosie Knight reports about a visit to the set of Masters of the Universe.
- CBR interviews Travis Knight, director of the live action Masters of the Universe movie.
- Maggie Lovitt interviews Travis Knight.
- Mike Ryan interviews Travis Knight.
- Chelsea Gohd interviews Travis Knight.
- Nicholas Galitzine and Dolph Lundgren, who played He-Man in the 2026 and 1987 Masters of the Universe live action movie respectively, interview each other.
- Elena Rosemeyer interviews Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Adam/He-Man in the live action Masters of the Universe movie, and Camila Mendes who plays Teela, and provokes a laughing fit.
- Chris Schelb interviews Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes.
- CBR interviews Nicholas Galitzine.
- CBR interviews Camila Mendes.
- CastleMania Games interviews Sam C. Wilson who plays Trap-Jaw in Masters of the Universe.
- CastleMania Games interviews Kojo Attah who plays Tri-Klops in Masters of the Universe.
- Colt Crane interviews James Unsworth, the motion capture performer who played Beast-Man in the Masters of the Universe movie.
- Masters Cast interviews James Wilkinson who plays Mekaneck in Masters of the Universe.
- Mark Minton interviews Daniel Pemberton who composed the music for Masters of the Universe.
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the latest Masters of the Universe clip released.
- Jeffrey Harris points out that with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie generating buzz, it's time to make the season 3 of Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution.
- Rob London reports that Masters of the Universe has been given an IMAX release on short notice, as The Mandalorian and Grogu is pulled from IMAX theatres prematurely.
- Loving the 80s revisits the 1987 Masters of the Universe live action movie and wonders whether we judged it too harshly at the time.
- Listen to "Masters of the Universe" by The Darkness.
- Watch a clip from Masters of the Universe.
Comments on Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:
Comments on The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general:
Comments on The Terror: Devil in Silver:
Comments on Backrooms:
- Jacob Oller declares that the monsters of Backrooms have always been its weakness, even back when it was still a web series.
- Matthew Byrd feels the need to enlighten us about the lore behind Backrooms.
- Joshua Rivera declares that Backrooms uses the bluntest metaphors to capture a uniquely Gen Z fear
- Drew Gillis reports that Backrooms nearly matched The Mandalorian And Grogu's opening gross for inexplicable reasons.
- Andrew Pulver reports that Kane Parsons becomes youngest film-maker to open at No. 1 at the US box office with Backrooms
- Inspired by the inexplicable success of Backrooms and Obsession, Jesse Hassenger reports about the phenomenon of young YouTube filmmakers making unexpectedly successful movies.
- Germain Lussier claims that the success of Backrooms and Obsession might be a historic moment in film history, because apparently we can't lavish enough hyperbole on two low budget horror movies doing better than expected.
Comments on Scary Movie 6:
- Simon Abrams calls Scary Movie 6 the most embarrassing spoof since the first Scary Movie
- Jordan Bassett calls Scary Movie 6 horrifyingly unfunny.
- Jesse Hassenger calls Scary Movie 6 a spoof horror comedy that should have stayed in the 2000s
- Germain Lussier declares that Scary Movie 6 plays the hits, but mostly misses
Awards:
- The winners of the 2025 Nebula Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Locus Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2026 Arthur C. Clarke Award has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2026 Mythopoeic Awards have been announced.
- The longlist for the 2026 Sunburst Award has been announced.
- The winner of the 2026 Webster Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Seiun Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Prix Imaginales have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Gotham TV Awards have been announced.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Claire Fuller explains how to recreate the techniques of horror films in a novel
- Beau L'Amour talks about co-writing with his father, Louis L'Amour forty years after his death.
- Nick Mamatas explains how publishing actually works.
- Marlaina Cockcroft wonders if LGBTQ+ voices are being pushed out of children's literature.
- Danika Ellis declares that LGBTQ+ books and authors are at a breaking point due to increasing censorship and suppression.
Interviews:
Reviews:
- Marlene Harris reviews Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer
- Eddie Clark reviews And Side by Side They Wander by Molly Tanzer
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Your Behavior Will Be Monitored by Justin Feinstein
- Z.B. Steele reviews Disquiet Gods by Christopher Ruocchio
- Colleen Mondor reviews Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know by K.J. Parker
- Adrian Collins reviews Steel Gods by Richard Swan
- Maya C. James reviews To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
- Fiona Denton reviews The Sourdough Compendium by A.G. Slatter
- Angela Boord reviews Devouring Fortune by Oleander Craw
- Abigail Nussbaum reviews The Weathering by Artem Chapeye, translated by Daisy Gibbons
- Sarah Moss reviews My Only Boy by Rosa Rankin-Gee
- Alex Brown reviews The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed
- Matt Larkin reviews A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young
- Marion Deeds reviews Extremophile by Ian Green
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Eric Ballein reviews Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
- Rob Bedford reviews Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
- Jen Lucas reviews A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Way it Haunted Him by Laura R. Samotin
- Gabino Iglesias reviews You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Recollections by Christopher Priest
Classics reviews:
- Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth revisit the 1942 weird fiction story "Mimic" by Donald A. Wollheim.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1955 science fiction spy novel Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke
- Ian Mond revisits the 1961 kaiju novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga and Yoshie Hotta, translated by Jeffrey Angles
- Joel Miller revisits the 1962 science fiction novel Hothouse by Brian Aldiss.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the June 1971 issue of Analog.
- David Levinson revisits the July/August 1971 issue of If - Worlds of Science Fiction.
- Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1972 Earthsea fantasy novel The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1989 Alliance/Union science fiction novel Rimrunners by C J Cherryh
- Alexandra Pierce revisits the 1991 science fiction collection Wormwood by Terry Dowling
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2010 science fiction novel The Restoration Game by Ken MacLeod
Con and event reports:
- Site selection voting for the 2028 Worldcon has opened.
- The team behind the Nuremberg Worldcon bid for 2028 have withdrawn
- The chairs of the Brisbane in 2028 Worldcon bid, now the only remaining bid for 2028, issue a response to Nuremberg's withdrawal.
- Shadow Knows Network shares a video walkthorugh of the Motuniverse convention in Redondo Beach, California.
- SoCal Shaolin shares his experiences at Motuniverse.
- Nathan Heller and Annie Leibovitz share a look at the brand-new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California.
- Sarah Nash reports about the The Boys: Glory Hall interactive experience in Hollywood, California.
Science and technology:
- NBC News reports that a Blue Horizons New Glenn rocket has exploded during a test on the launch pad in Cape Canveral, Florida.
- Mark A. Garcia reports that NASA has given an update on the leak suffered by the International Space Station.
- Space Daily notes that the number of confirmed exoplanets has gone from zero to more than six thousand in 34 years.
- Dominic Patten reports that the state of Florida is sueing OpenAI
- Imran Rahman-Jones and Laura Cress report that publishers in the UK can opt out of Google's AI search results
- CBS News reports that scientists have found yeast in the guts on "Oetzi", a mummified frozen body found in the South Tyrolean Alps, and have used it to make sourdough bread.
Gaming:
- Stew Hotston reviews the video game Hades II by Supergiant Games
- Matt Larkin reviews the video game Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered
- Dean E.S. Richard reviews the video game Crimson Desert.
- C.T. Phipps reviews the video game Space Marine: Master Crafted Edition
- Leah Thomas calls the video game Katamari Damacy therapeutic and joyful.
- Keza MacDonald shares seven new video games revealed at an online Playstation event.
- Illustrator John Blanche, best known for his work on Warhammer 40000, has died aged 78.
Toys and collectibles:
- Toy Habits shares a look at the Hot Toys Masters of the Universe He-Man and Skeletor action figures on display at Hong Kong Comic Con.
- DorkLair reviews the Mondo Masters of the Universe 200X 1:12 Clawful action figure.
- DorkLair reviews the Cosmic Legions Dormoo Viis action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- Jason Koebler reports about a scandal involving stolen LEGO bricks that is rocking YouTube and the state of Utah.
Free online fiction:
- "Up the Line to Death" by Carrie Vaughn in Clarkesworld.
- "The Floating Republic" by Rebecca Campbell in Clarkesworld.
- "The City in White" by Diana Dima in The Deadlands.
- "Ghost in the Tank" by M.R. Robinson in Lightspeed.
- "The Best of Intentions" by Mari Ness in Lightspeed.
- "The Legend of the Serpent, the Truth About the Warrior, the Life of the Boy" by Dimitar Dakovski in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- “Golden Rule” by Monica Byrne in Future Tense Fiction.
- "The Sunflowers" by J.L. George in The Dark.
- "What Grows Back" by Aishatu Ado in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Trail Cam" by Benjamin Percy in Reactor.
Trailers and videos:
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