It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the various iterations of Star Trek, Lovecraft Country, Enola Holmes, Raised by Wolves, The Third Day, Save Yourselves, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Walking Dead and its spinoffs, Monsterland, the renewed delays of No Time to Die, Dune and many other movies and the impact on the cinema infustry and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Jess Nevins shares a history of early science fiction focussing on works by women writers.
- Emily Hughes recommends spooky horror reads for every tolerance level.
- Rachel Cordasco offers an overview of Polish science fiction in translation.
- Linda H. Codega pairs fantasy novels and tabletop games.
- Lonnie Busch wonders why escapist fiction is so disdained.
- Fernando Sdrigotti attempts to define magic realism.
- Frazer Lee declares that modern technology has only made horror stories scarier.
- Ryan Britt explains why there are no aliens in Dune.
- The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy share their appreciation for the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov.
- Dean Wesley Smith shares his appreciation for the works of Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore.
- Amy Tenbrink shares her appreciation for the works of Nnedi Okorafor.
- Mark Cole recounts the history of Tom Swift.
- Daniel Dern shares his thoughts on the rediscovered unpublished novel The Pursuit of Pankera by Robert A. Heinlein.
- David C. Downing reports about some rediscovered tapes of C.S. Lewis reading from Perelandra and This Hideous Strength.
- Holly Kybett Smith shares thirteen haunting poems to get you in the mood for Halloween.
- Sara Century shares nine terrific horror podcasts to check out.
- Richard Lea reports that various writers have called for dropping the charges against Zimbawen novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga for incitation of violence.
- Argentinian cartoonist Quino, who is best known for the comic strip Mafalda, has died aged 88.
Film and TV:
- Lucy Mangan declares that the latest adaptation of Aldous Huxley's dystopian classic Brave New World should rather be called Brave Nude World.
- Cath Clarke calls Two/One a bgeautiful tale of parallel worlds.
- Ignatiy Vishnevetsky calls The Wolf of Snow Hollow an inspired werewolf tale.
- Shannon Miller declares that the science fiction anthology series Soulmates quickly loses its spark.
- Andrew Tejada declares that gentrification is the true horror in Vampires vs. the Bronx.
- Leslie Felperin calls Spontaneous a high school horror movie that's also a commentary on teenaged life.
- Katie Rife declares that the horror movie Books of Blood manages to make even Clive Barker bland.
- Phil Hoad shares his thoughts on the horror movies The Lie and Black Box.
- Gwen Ihnat calls Next a high stake cyber terror thriller.
- Danette Chavez calls The Right Stuff a little too earthbound.
- Roxana Hadadi shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys.
- William Hughes shares his thoughts on "Best Friends", the latest episode of Archer.
- Noah Berlatsky declares that Star Wars is a space western.
- Leah Schnelbach offers a definitive ranking of all the superhero origin movies she could remember.
- Leslie Felperin calls Cats & Dogs: Paws Unite an unfunny sequel.
- Phil Hoad shares his thoughts on the documentary Growing Up with I Spit On Your Grave.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the 1956 science fiction movie Forbidden Planet.
- Katie Rife revisits the 1964 gothic horror movie The Masque of Red Death.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1964 horror movie Spider-Baby.
- Jessica Holmes revisits the 1965 Doctor Who serial "Galaxy Four".
- John Rabe revisits the 1980 time travel movie Somewhere in Time for its 40th anniversary.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1982 science fiction horror movie The Thing.
- Amber Troska revisits the 1986 steampunk anime Castle in the Sky.
- Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1988 anime classic Akira.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1992 vampire movie Innocent Blood.
- Tom Breihan revisits the 1996 alien invasion movie Independence Day.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1997 monster movie Anaconda.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 2012 horror movie The Cabin in the Woods.
- Katie Rife and A.A. Dowd talk about the current wave of highbrow horror movies and the backlash against them.
- David Barnett explains how the 1960s animated show The Flintstones paved the way for today's animated sitcoms aimed at adults.
- Cameron Scheetz interviews Gugu Mbatha-Raw, star of the Black Mirror episode "San Junipero", Belle and many others.
- Evangelia Galanis shares more about the decision of actress Ruby Rose to leave Batwoman after only one season.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin reports that Benedict Cumberbatch will appear as Doctor Strange in the third Marvel Spider-Man movie.
- CBS reports that actor Rick Moranis, best known for his appearances in Ghostbusters, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs and Streets on Fire, was punched during an unprovoked attack in New York City.
Comments on the many versions of Star Trek:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "No Small Parts", the latest episode of Star Trek Lower Decks.
- Ari David reports that the Star Trek Lower Decks episode "Crisis Point" contains some jabs against the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies.
- Carlos Miranda explains why the character of Cristóbal Rios in Star Trek: Picard is so important to him.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Day of Honor" and "Nemesis".
- Phil Pirello reports the Gene Roddenberry hated the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Family", which is generally popular among fans.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin reports that Kate Mulgrew will reprise her role as Captain Kathryn Janeaway in the animated series Star Trek Prodigy.
- Watch a clip from season 3 of Star Trek Discovery.
Comments on Lovecraft Country:
Comments on Enola Holmes:
- Hector DeJean shares his thoughts on Enola Holmes and discusses the character of Eudoria Holmes with several Sherlockians.
- Alasdair Stuart shares a spoilerish review of Enola Holmes.
- Arwa Mahdawi reports about the lawsuit the Arthur Conan Doyle estate filed against the producers of Enola Holmes for depicting Sherlock Holmes having emotions.
- Brianna Robinson shares eleven books and series to read after watching Enola Holmes.
Comments on Raised by Wolves:
Comments on Save Yourselves:
Comments on The Third Day:
Comments on The Haunting of Bly Manor:
Comments on The Walking Dead and its spin-offs:
- Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Walking Dead.
- Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on the first episode of the spin-off The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
- Matt Fowler shares his thoughts on the first episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
- Hannah J. Davies interviews Samantha Morton, who played a villainess in The Walking Dead.
Comments on Monsterland:
Comments on the renewed delay of the James Bond film No Time to Die and other movies and its impact on the ailing movie theatre audience:
- Benjamin Lee reports that No Time to Die, the upcoming 25th James Bond film, has been delayed again until spring 2021
- Jim Waterson and Julia Kollewe report about the impact the renewed delay of No Time to Die has on the already beleaguered British cinemas.
- Peter Bradshaw accuses the James Bond producers of being cowardly and killing off the British movie theatres.
- Ryan Gilbey wonders whether Hollywood and movie theatres will survive a year without blockbusters.
- Guy Lodge declares that Tenet, which did open in cinemas, not only failed to save movie theatres, it may just have killed them for good.
- Alia Waheed reports that impact of the shutting down of the Cineworld chain in the UK is also being felt in India, cause Bollywood relies on Cineworld for much of its overseas business.
- Catherine Shoard and Anthony Pulver interview several representatives of the British film and theatre industry about the risk posed by the lack of new movies.
- Tim Richards, head of the Vue cinema chain, declares that his company will survive, but that they need movies to show.
- Camestros Felapton declares that he still cannot imagine going to the cinema.
- Steven Morris reports that British independent cinemas are booming as theatre chains are closing.
- The Spy Command reports about the many delays and the tangled history of No Time to Die.
- Jeff Sneider reports that Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune has been delayed until October 2021.
- Molly Templeton reports that The Batman has been postponed until March 2022.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2020 ESFS Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Neukom Institute Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 British Fantasy Society's Short Story Competition have been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Rocky Wood Memorial Fund have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2020 Golden Joystick Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2020 National Book Awards have been announced.
- Poet Louise Glück wins the 2020 Nobel Prize for Literature.
- N.K. Jemisin and Jacqueline Woodson have been named 2020 MacArthur Fellows and received the so-called "genius grant".
- Corinne Segal reports that Arthur C. Clarke Award winner Namwali Serpall will donate the prize money to those protesting the murder of Breonna Taylor.
- Non-binary writer Akwaeke Emezi has declared that they will no longer submit their work to the Woman's Prize for Literature after being asked to provide proof of their legal gender.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Dean Wesley Smith challenges writers to dare to be bad.
- Charlie Jane Anders answers the thorny question when it is okay to write from another culture or experience.
- Paul DalGarno shares some tips for finding the balance between writing and your dayjob.
- Anna Lee Huber explains how ruins inspire her.
- Ross Showalter explains how writing fantasy allows him to show the full truth of disability.
- Jane Yolen explains how poems and short stories can grow into longer works.
- Candice Carty-Williams tells new writers to submit their books to contests, for even if they don't win, they will be seen.
- Erin Somers reports that Tor editor Beth Meacham will retire at the end of 2020.
- Aarian Marshall reports that libraries are increasingly moving to e-books.
- Mike Glyer shares an update on the state of Uncle Hugo's and Uncle Edgar's bookstores, which burned down during the riots in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Interviews:
Reviews:
- Kat Hooper reviews Pirates of the Time Stream by Steve White.
- Mal Rubius reviews Persephone Station by Stina Leicht.
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Loop by Ben Oliver.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Machinehood by S.B. Divya.
- Elizabeth Tabler reviews The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.
- Maya Gittelman reviews The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
- Rob Bedford reviews The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
- Tadiana Jones reviews The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix.
- Kate Elliott and Zoraida Córdova review Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine.
- Marion Deeds reviews The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow.
- M. John Harrison reviews The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again by M. John Harrison.
- Adam Roberts reviews Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
- Alex Preston reviews Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.
- Russell Letson reviews Selkie Summer by Ken MacLeod.
- Paul Weimer reviews Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty.
- Kristi Chadwick reviews Hollow Empire by Sam Hawke.
- Jemimah Brewster reviews Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings.
- Molly Templeton reviews A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire.
- Alex Brown reviews Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker a.k.a. Seanan McGuire.
- Sean Dowie reviews The Seventh Perfection by Daniel Polansky.
- Fantasy Faction reviews A Wizard's Sacrifice by A.M. Justice.
- Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo.
- Randy Money reviews The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss.
- Alex Cranz reviews The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.
- Paul Weimer reviews Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews As Distant Bells Toll by Aleksander Ziljak.
- Adriana Martinez Figueroa reviews Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz.
- Mark Yon reviews Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Ruby by Nina Allan.
- Randy Money reviews Dark Matter by Michelle Paver.
- Paula Guran reviews Three Kings, edited by George R.R. Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women, edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynne.
- Rachel Cooke reviews The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale.
Classics reviews:
- Steve J. Wright revisits the March 1940 issue of Unknown.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the April 1940 issue of Unknown.
- Pam Weintraub revisits the 1945 children's fantasy books Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren and The Moomins and the Great Flood by Tove Jansson.
- Alan Brown revisits the 1963 science fiction novel Space Viking by H. Beam Piper.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1964 science fiction novel Sunburst by Phyllis Gotlieb.
- David Levinson revisits the November 1965 issue of If - Worlds of Science Fiction.
- Paul Fraser revisits the December 1965 issue of New Worlds.
- Héctor Gonzáles revisits the 1973 children's fantasy Momo by Michael Ende.
- Paperback Warrior revisits the 1983 horror novel Spawn by Shaun Hutson.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1989 fantasy novel Delan the Mislaid by Laurie J. Marks.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1989 science fiction satire Cyberbooks by Ben Bova.
Con and event reports:
- The schedule for the virtual 2020 FIYAHCON has been announced.
- Josh Weiss offers a comprehensive guide to the virtual New York Comic Con.
- Inia Gwath shares her experiences at the virtual 2020 Oxonmoot conference.
- The virtual 2020 World Fantasy Convention has released its program as well as its latest progress report.
- Mike Glyer reports about some criticisms of the program for the 2020 World Fantasy convention.
- The Northern Kentucky Tribune shares the schedule for the virtual Kentucky Book Festival.
- Mike Glyer reports that Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, Finland, is bidding for the 2025 Eurocon.
- Mike Glyer reports that there will be no Transatlantic Fan Fund race in 2021.
Crowdfunding:
- The new edition of the River of Souls trilogy by Claire O'Dell is looking for funding.
- Anton Stout is looking for funding for his new urban fantasy collection Claw and Order.
- Rogues Gallery, a pulp-style adventure novel by Richard A. Knaak, is looking for funding
- Leif and Thorn, Vol. 3, a comic by Erin Ptah, is looking for funding.
Science and technology:
- Morgan McFall-Johnsen reports about SpaceX's latest spaceship Resilience.
- Marcia Dunn reports about NASA's new twenty-three million US-dollar titanium space toilet.
- Emre Kelly reports that SpaceX has launched another sixty Starlink satellites.
- Phil Plait reports that liquid water has been found under the surface of Mars.
- The 2020 Nobel Prize for Physics is awarded to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their research into black holes.
- Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna have won the 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their work on the gene editing tool CRISPR.
Free online fiction:
- "The Capes We Wear" by Avra Margariti in Daily Science Fiction.
- "Correction" by Hal Maclean in Daily Science Fiction.
- "The Apple" by Marlaina Cockcroft in Daily Science Fiction.
- "Callme and Mink" by Brenda Cooper in Clarkesworld.
- "Forty Acres and a Mule" by Stephanie Malie Morris in Lightspeed.
- "Juvenilia" by Lavie Tidhar in Uncanny Magazine.
- "The Drowned God's Heresy" by Lavie Tidhar in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Eyetooth" by Chris Willrich in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Dead Katherine" by Victoria Zelvin in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "A Few Words from the New Tenant of ____ House" by Rob Costello in The Dark.
- "The End of Everything" by Dale Bailey in Tor.com.
- "The Beginning" by Radha Zutshi Opubor in Omenana
- "Not Us" by David Tallerman in Nightmare Magazine.
- "The Ambient Intelligence" by Todd McAulty in Lightspeed.
- "Pandora's Box" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
- "The Terror of the Bayou" by Cora Buhlert
Trailers and videos:
