It's
time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting
links
about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with the 2026 Booker Prize winner, the best books of 2026, Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Godzilla Minus Zero, Victorian Psycho, The Body, The Rings of Power, Ebenezer, the firing of New York Times romance columnist Olivia Waite, the future of the DC Cinematic Universe, the search for the next James Bond and much
more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Amal El-Mohtar offers an overview of new SFF books.
- Lisa Tuttle shares a round-up of recent science fiction, fantasy and horror books.
- Natalie Zutter lists romantasy novels coming out in November and December 2026.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five out of print science fiction collections from the 1960s and 1970s.
- Sam Reader shares seven shady and shadowy fantasy noirs
- Alex Brown shares five underrated books set in weird small towns
- James Davis Nicoll explains why taverns remain SFF’s most venerable cliché
- Lorna Wallace shares five smashing stories about kaiju (that aren’t Godzilla)
- Caitlin Starling shares her favourite vampire books and films.
- Asa West declares that it’s not fair that The Terminator is still so relevant and discusses the inescapable necropolitics of AI
- Read Receipts notes that dystopia is back
- Ella Creamer wonders if M. John Harrison’s Booker win means that science fiction is finally accepted by a ‘snobby’ literary establishment
- Jo Walton shares her reading list for October 2026.
- Judith Tarr finds that the Joe Grey Mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy are not your usual cat cozies and occasionally veer into fantasy.
- T.M. Brown reports about the hacking and continued outage of the Archive of Our Own and what it means to the fanfiction community.
- Chris M. Barkley has joined the news team at Amazing Stories.
- Tolkien scholar and former Hugo administrator David Bratman has died aged 69.
Best of 2026:
Comments on the New York Times firing romance columnist Olivia Waite:
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reports that the New York Times has terminated their contract with romance reviewer Olivia Waite over reposting a BlueSky post criticising the New York Times' coverage of sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump.
- Zachary Fletcher interviews Olivia Waite over her firing as the New York Times romance columnist.
Comics and Art:
Film and TV:
- Luke Buckmaster calls Allen a good-natured if relentlessly unsubtle family film that relies on a cute alien with no personality
- Simon Abrams declares that Indian filmmakers tried to turn Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend into a superhero movie that will also appeal to western audiences.
- Jacob Oller calls Steps and animated fairy tale that undermines the classic in all the expected ways before turning into a pumpkin.
- Arturo Serrano calls Resurrection not so much a film you watch as one you let happen to you
- Ann Michelle Harris reviews the anime Though I Am an Inept Villainess
- Germain Lussier explains why Disney probably couldn’t make a Ben Solo movie even if they wanted to
- Emmet Asher-Perrin wonders why so many character in children's cartoons have jobs and careers now.
- Maureen Ryan wonders how to handle the new Harry Potter TV-show in the light of J.K. Rowling's transphobia.
- Ryan Gilbey interviews Billie Piper who played Rose in Doctor Who and could possibly be the next Doctor.
- Anna Cafolla interviews Jacqueline West, costume designer for the Dune movies.
- Matthew Byrd and Leah Schnelbach how Ken Russell’s 1971 horror thriller The Devils went from suppressed masterpiece to unlikely hit
- Kali Wallace revisits the 1985 dystopian film Brazil.
- Tyler Dean revisits the 1985 fantasy film Ladyhawke.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1999 Babylon 5 Crusade episode “The Path of Sorrows”
- Zack Budryk revisits the 2006 dark fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth and finds it an ever-more-prescient look at fighting fascism.
- Emine Sinmaz reports that actor and comedian Russell Brand has been sentenced to more than ten years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
- The British Fantasy Society remembers Sir Patrick Stewart
- Former child actor Donnie Dunagan, who was the original voice of Bambi and also appeared in Son of Frankenstein and others, has died aged 92.
- Actress Irma P. Hall, best known for her roles in The Ladykillers, Hap and Leonard, Collateral and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, has died aged 91.
- Stacy Keach, star of Mike Hammer, Fat City, The New Centurions and many others, has died aged 85.
Comments on the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:
Comments on VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Forever", the finale of VisionQuest.
- Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on "Forever", the finale of VisionQuest.
- Sam Barsanti shares his thoughts on "Forever", the finale of VisionQuest.
- Jesse Schedeen shares his thoughts on "Forever", the finale of VisionQuest.
- The AV-Club share their thoughts on "Forever", the finale of VisionQuest.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on VisionQuest.
- Nick Romano discusses the post-credits scenes of the final episode of VisionQuest.
- Matthew Byrd discusses the post-credits scenes of the final episode of VisionQuest.
- Jen Lennon wonders what the post-credits scenes of the final episode of VisionQuest mean for Avengers: Doomsday.
- Saloni Gajjar declares that VisionQuest’s identity crisis is also the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s
- Jeffrey Vega interviews Nicholas Cage, star of Spider-Noir.
Comments on the future of the DC Cinematic Universe:
- Rebecca Rubin reports that James Gunn and Peter Safran will step down as heads of DC Studios, following the aquisition of Warner Bros by Skydance Media, and will be replaced by Jeremy Latcham.
- Borys Kit and Aaron Crouch share some background about how James Gunn and Peter Safran were abruptly let go, after previously being assured that their jobs were secure.
- Germain Lussier shares some behind the scenes details about James Gunn's and Peter Safran's abrupt exit from DC Studios.
- Jordan Moreau shares James Gunn's comments after he and Peter Safran were outsted from DC Studios.
- Rebecca Rubin and Joe Otterson report that James Gunn and Peter Safran were likely fired because the films and TV shows made during their tenure supposedly did not connect with audience.
- Owen Gleiberman explains why he believes that James Gunn and Peter Safran’s short-lived DC era was less than super.
- Sam Barsanti wonders if James Gunn is simply too powerful for Skydance
- Pop Culture News reports that Jeremy Latham, the new head of DC Studios, wants to take superhero movies in a more Christian direction.
- Matthew Byrd lists every DC movie and TV show that could be affected by James Gunn’s exit
- Virgina Glaze reports that Lanterns will likely not be renewed for a second season in spite excellent reviews and high viewing numbers.
- Jarrod Jones reports that according to Christopher Cantwell, one of the writers of Lanterns, the show hasn't been cancelled.
- Demet Koc reports that Man of Tomorrow might undergo reshoots and edits not approved by James Gunn and that characters might be cut from the final film.
- Armando Tincoco reports that James Gunn had denied rumours that Skydance is unhappy with an rough cut of Man of Tomorrow and is pushing for reshoots and re-edits.
- Germain Lussier declares that the real losers in James Gunn's and Peter Safran's exit from the DC Cinematic Universe are the fans.
- Umberto Gonzales and Drew Taylor wonder if Skydance can rebuild trust after yet another DC reboot.
Comments on Victorian Psycho:
Comments on Godzilla Minus Zero:
- Steve Vertlieb shares his thoughts on Godzilla Minus Zero.
- James Grebey declares that Godzilla Minus Zero does something no kaiju sequel has ever done before
- Hoai-Tran Bui interviews Takashi Yamazaki, director of Godzilla Minus Zero, and stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe.
- Jeff Ewing interviews the crew of Godzilla Minus Zero.
- Tara Bennett interviews the special effects team behind Godzilla Minus Zero.
- Justin Carter reports that Godzilla Minus Zero sits at the top of the global box office and has already eclipsed the 2023 movie Godzilla Minus One.
Comments on The Rings of Power:
- Cheryl Eddy declares that The Rings of Power delivers its most propulsive season yet
- Graeme Virtue declares that the season 3 revamp of The Rings of Power is too little too late.
- Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on the season 3 premiere of The Rings of Power.
- Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on episodes 2 and 3 of The Rings of Power.
- Matt Schimkowitz shares his thoughts on the season 3 premiere of The Rings of Power.
- Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the season 3 premiere of The Rings of Power.
- Cheryl Eddy interviews Cynthia Addai-Robinson who plays Queen Regent Míriel in The Rings of Power.
- Kelli Boyle interviews Ismael Cruz Córdova who plays Arondir in The Rings of Power.
- Payton Turkeltaub interviews Jamie Dorman who will play Aragorn in Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum
Comments on Ebenezer:
- Peter Bradshaw declares that with Ebenezer Johnny Depp tries to exorcise the ghosts of his own past
- Jesse Hassenger declares that Johnny Depp ruins Ebenezer
- Matt Goldberg declares that Johnny Depp's comeback in Ebenezer isn’t just a case of un-cancellation, but rather a refusal to admit that audiences grew weary of his shtick.
- Germain Lussier shares five Christmas Carol adaptations absolutely worth your time
Comments on The Body:
Comments on the search for the next James Bond:
- Sian Cain reports that Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult have also auditioned to play the next James Bond.
- Andrew Pulver reports that Robert Pattinson reportedly leads the James Bond contenders
- Germain Lussier also reports that Robert Pattinson is the frontrunner in the James Bond casting speculations.
- Jarrod Jones also reports that Robert Pattinson's prospects as James Bond are reportedly looking pretty good
- Andrew Pulver discusses how the new James Bond will be announced – and what can go wrong
Awards:
- M. John Harrison has become the first science fiction author to win the Booker Prize for The End of Everything.
- Camestros Felapton wonders how science fictional the Booker Prize is.
- The winner of the 2026 Andrew Pyper Prize for Genre Fiction has been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Splatterpunk Awards have been announced.
- The 2026 Goodreads Choice Awards are open for voting in the categories science fiction, fantasy, horror, romantasy and YA SFF..
- Rebecca Liu shares her experiences being a Booker Prize judge.
- Jarvis Crocker shares his experiences being a Booker Prize judge.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Tom Rowley explains what happens behind the scenes the minute a book wins the Booker Prize.
- Sophie McBain discusses the impact generative AI had on writing and publishing.
- Olivia Rutigliano reports that the public library system in Queens, New York, has suffered a ransomware attack.
- Vjosa Isai reports that a new law in Alberta, Canada, requires public libraries to restrict access to books with graphic depictions of sexuality.
Interviews:
Reviews:
- Mark Yon reviews As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers.
- Saif Shaikh reviews Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Frankenstein Rex by Adam Roberts
- Adam Roberts reviews The Fist of Memory by Wole Talabi
- Justine Jordan reviews The End of Everything by M. John Harrison.
- Stew Hotston reviews The Quantum Dawn by Derek Künsken
- Alexandra Pierce reviews Null Entity by Seth Haddon
- Melissa A. Watkins reviews Chimera Skin by Johnny Compton
- Jen Lucas reviews Alfa by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated by Larissa Kyzer
- Vanessa Armstrong reviews Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
- Paul Weimer reviews The Shadow Before the Dawn by Alma Alexander.
- Brittany Barry reviews The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow by Caitríona Moran
- Molly Templeton reviews Wickhills by Premee Mohamed.
- Tobias Carroll reviews Mazywood by Tananarive Due.
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews Eden by Kylo Kirby
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo
- Alex Wallace reviews The Bloodright Trilogy by Emily Skrutskie
- Christopher Keen reviews The Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas
- Jenny Hamilton reviews The Enigmatic Madam Ingram by Meihan Boey
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Not Quite a Witch by Anna Stockings
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Weaver’s Veil by Jessi St. John
- Marion Deeds reviews The Porcelain Sisters by Daryl Gregory
- Saif Shaikh reviews Saint by Rob J. Hayes
- James Davis Nicoll reviews That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall
- Ian Mond reviews Wrecks by Matt Hill
- Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Rooted by Leopoldo Goȗt
- Rob Bedford reviews Pinfathers by Christina Henry.
- Sandra Newman reviews Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
- Robin Marx reviews Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones
- Colleen Mondor reviews We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannah
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Challenging The Tides - An Anthology of Hope, edited by Susan Oke and Shellie Horst
Classics reviews:
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1962 alternate history novel The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick
- Kate Macdonald revisits the 1962 science fiction novel Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1962 satirical science fiction novel Journey Beyond Tomorrow by Robert Sheckley
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1964 dystopian science fiction novel Greybeard by Brian W. Aldiss
- Fiona Moore revisits the November 1971 issue of Fantastic.
- George Pritchard revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology Infinity 2, edited by Robert Hoskins.
- Kat Hooper revisits the 1976 science fantasy fix-up Perilous Dreams by Andre Norton
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1982 science fiction fix-up A Greater Infinity by Michael McCollum
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1984 horror novel Cast a Cold Eye by Alan Ryan
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2001 Gene Wars science fiction novel Hammerfall by C.J. Cherryh
- Alan Brown revisits the 2003 Jak Jinnaka space opera In the Hall of the Martian King by John Barnes
- Kat Hooper revisits the 2014 Haunted Guesthouse mystery Inspector Specter by E.J. Copperman
Con and event reports:
Science and technology:
- Kenneth Chang reports that NASA is looking for future astronauts.
- Ben Guarino reports that Voyager 1 is now almost one light day away from Earth.
- Amy Fleming intervial Baland Jalal, a neuroscientist who specialises in researching sleep paralysis
- Severin Carrell reports that a bronze leg found in a Scottish bog sheds new light on the Roman occupation of Britain.
Toys and collectibles:
- Pixel Dan reviews the Mondo Masters of the Universe 200X Clawful action figure.
- Prime vs. Prime reviews the Hasbro Transformers Studio Series Jazz based on his appearance in the 2007 live action movie.
- Germain Lussier reports that there will be LEGO sets based on Interstellar and The Fifth Element.
- Cora Buhlert shares a toy photo story called "Explainer".
Free online fiction:
- "The Unbalancers" by B. Pladek in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Bringing the Stone God Home" by R.K. Duncan in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "The Illuminators" by Rab Foster in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "Repentance in Blue" by Phoenix Alexander in Lightspeed.
- "The Tongue That Makes the Mountain Sing" by Nibedita Sen in Lightspeed.
- "Trimmed From The Night" by Raahem Alvi in Clarkesworld.
- "The Exchange Service" by R.T. Ester in Clarkesworld.
- "Moscow State of Mind" by Louis Evans in The Sunday Morning Transport.
- "Welcome Home" by Andrew Kozma in Strange Horizons.
- "The Next Closest Thing" by Guan Un in Reactor.
- "The Grinning Woman" by Michael Kelly in The Dark.
- "Pools" by A.J.C. London in Amazing Stories.
- "Pricks" by Laura Garrison in Nightmare Magazine.
Trailers and videos:
No comments:
Post a Comment