Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 9, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Andor and Star Wars in general, Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, news from the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of  The Last of Us, Sinners, Doctor Who past, present and future, Murderbot, season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale, Star Trek in general, Clown in a Cornfield, an uproar involving the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, Donald Trump's war on foreign films and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Natalie Zutter shares the best new science fiction and fantasy books for May.
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in May 2025 
  
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in May 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new horror, romantasy and genre crossover books arriving in May 2025   
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in May 2025
  
• Sam Leith discusses the current popularity of time loop, time travel and alternate reality novels in mainstream fiction.  
• Paulette Kennedy talks about the magic of cross-genre gothic fiction 
• Maxym M. Martineau shares five romantasies with brooding romantic heroes.
• Lorna Wallace shares five frightening books about fiction bleeding into reality 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction books about duplicating human beings
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories about saying to Hell with rules and regulations 
• Carlyn Greenwald talks about finding herself in queer-coded horror 
• Alex Brown shares five underrated books about black vampires
  
• Lara Elena Donnelly talks about alternate history.
  
• Ella Creamer wonders whether the world really needs more male novelists. 
• Spencer Kornhaber worries about the decline of western culture.
  
• Tobi Ogundiran shares his appreciation for the magazine Locus.
  

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews Conan the Barbarian #19 by Jim Zub and Doug Braithwaite 
• Adam Rutherford reviews Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson 
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Brad Hill who creates pop culture sculptures from Play-Doh.
  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the comprehensive bookshop.
  
• Science fiction artist George Barr died aged 88.
• Comic artist and writer Jake Katz has died aged 97.
  

 

 Film and TV: 

• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on I Saw the TV Glow. 
• Jim Vorel calls Watch the Skies a heartfelt nordic ode to Spielbergian science fiction.
  
• Lucy Mangan calls Families Like Ours a dull dystopian drama and wonders why it is such a hit in Denmark 
  
• Z.B. Steele calls season 1 of Attack on Titan not only a grimdark masterpiece, but also the finest written TV-show he has ever seen.
• James Whitbrook declares that Gundam GQuuuuuuX is clearly made by people who love the 1979 classic—but that love isn't getting in the way of the story it wants to tell.
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on The Eternaut.
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on Flow.
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on The Wild Robot.
  
• Catherine Bray calls It Feeds a neatly-realised, if somewhat familiar horror film. 
• Phil Hoad calls Ride the Snake a low-budget home-invasion horror film that offers a transgressive free-for-all
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surrealestate. 
• A.J. Landau shares six movies and one TV show featuring biological threats.
• Dan Persons shares his appreciation for Lady Eboshi, the antagonist of Hayao Miyasaki's anime classic Princess Monokoke. 
  
• Mona Chalabi discusses how she created the first animated hijab wearing character in a US cartoon.
  
• Joanna Margaret revisits the 1973 folk horror film The Wicker Man. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996  Babylon 5 episode “Messages from Earth”
• Connie Chang reports about "fix it" fanfics which fix traumatic endings and scenes in movies and TV shows. 
• Matt Stevens reports about the prop company History for Hire in Hollywood, California.
  
• Ben Blatt wonders whether New York offering tax credits to film and TV productions is a good use of taxpayers' money.
  

 

Comments on Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Leah Schnelbach calls Thunderbolts* an unexpectedly a poignant action film about depression
• Clarisse Loughrey calls Thunderbolts* the best Marvel movie in years 
• Lorinda Donovan shares a spoilerish review of Thunderbolts*
  
• Ben Child wonders whether Sentry appearing in Thunderbolts* isn't too deep a cut for mainstream audiences. 
• Justin Carter declares that Thunderbolts*' big death is both obvious and pointless.
  
• Germain Lussier discusses the Thunderbolts* post-credits scenes. 
• Justin Carter shares some background on the comics that inspired Thunderbolts*. 
• William Hughes explains Thunderbolts*' big twist's deep connections to its comic book roots
• Adam B. Vary interviews Jake Schreier, director of Thunderbolts*. 
• Tasha Robinson interviews Eric Pearson, one of the writers of Thunderbolts*. 
• Nicholas Ayala also interviews Eric Pearson.
• Ben Travis interviews Matt Shakman, director Fantastic Four: First Steps.
  
• Jacob Stolworthy reports that the title of Thunderbolts* has been changed in spoilerish way after a week in cinemas.
  
• Justin Carter reminds us that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was supposed to release this weekend instead of Thunderbolts*. 
• Caroline Siede declares that the Black Widow movie was too little, too late
• Pamela McClintock reports that Thunderbolts* had a good opening weekend. 
• Rebecca Rubin reports that Disney CEO Bob Iger is pleased that Thunderbolts* is doing well.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Taylor Gates interviews Sasheer Zamata about her role as Suzy in the Masters of the Universe live action film.
  
• James Eatock notes which of Trap Jaw's attachments was the least used in the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.
  

 

Comments on Andor and Star Wars in general: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the seventh episode of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the eighth episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the ninth episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the third three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the third three episodes of season 2 of Andor.  
• Phoebe Wagner shares her thoughts on episode 2 of season 2 of Andor.
  
• James Whitbrook notes that Andor lets Saw Gerrera be right again
• James Whitbrook declates that Andor walked a delicate line with its latest tragic death. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw praises the worldbuilding and design choices in the depiction of the planet Ghorman in Andor. 
• James Whitbrook praises how Andor uses references to the Ghorman massacre in the pre-Disney Star Wars novels. 
• Joshua M. Patton believes that the fact that Andor completely ignores the Force was a good decision.
• Tara Bennett interviews Andor’s executive producer Sanne Wohlenberg and Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma. 
• Dalton Ross interviews Tony Gilroy, showrunner of Andor.
  
• Maureen Lee Lenker interviews Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy and Genevieve O'Reilly.
  
• Sabina Graves interviews Varada Sethu who plays Cinta in Andor and Belinda Chandra in Doctor Who. 
• Jordan Moreau interviews Kyle Soller who plays Syril Karn in Andor.
  
• Elijah Gonzales calls Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld a step back for this animated anthology series.
• Camestros Felapton wonders why we never see human-looking robots in the Star Wars universe.
• Maggie Plummer lists ten Star Wars characters who deserve more attention. 
• Becca Stalnaker lists four planets in the Star Wars universe that she'd love to visit.  
• Jamie Grierson reports that an NHS employee has won 30000 GBP of compensation after a co-worker compared her to Darth Vader. 
• Stuart Heritages points out that the real Darth Vader would slice hurtful colleagues in half – not take them to an employment tribunal

 

 Comments on Murderbot:  

• Cheryl Eddy interviews Chris and Paul Weitz, showrunners of Murderbot. 
• Matthew Razak also interviews Chris and Paul Weitz.
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Chris and Paul Weitz.
  

 

 Comments on season 2 of The Last of Us (spoilers):

• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “Day One”, the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on “Day One” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Graeme Virtue shares his thoughts “Day One”, the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts “Day One”, the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Isabela Merced who plays Dina in The Last of Us.
• Kate Aurthur also interviews Isabela Merced. 
• Zack Sharf reports that Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie in The Last of Us and is non-binary, has defended gendered acting categories in movie and TV awards. 
• Matthew Pearce also discusses Bella Ramsey's comments on gendered awards categories. 
• Inspired by The Last of Us, Molly Templeton notes that sometimes, it's okay to know where the story is going.
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “Lucky Day”, the fourth episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “Lucky Day”, the fourth episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on “Lucky Day”, the fourth episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Isobel Lewis shares her thoughts on “Lucky Day”, the fourth episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on “Lucky Day”, the fourth episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Lucky Day”, the fourth episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Mary Kate Carr declares that Doctor Who has gotten too clever for its own good 
• Sabrina Graves declares that the vibes Ncuti Gatwa brings to Doctor Who deserve to be celebrated
  
• Matthew Pearce reports that Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa will deliver the British jury verdicts at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest after playing the Doctor in a Eurovision themed episode of Doctor Who.
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1970 Doctor Who serial "The Ambassadors of Death".
  

 

Comments on Sinners:

• Andrew Lawrence explains that Sinners shows the importance of juke joints for black culture in the US. 
• Alex Brown shares books to read after watching Sinners.
  

 

Comments on season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale:

• Rebecca Nicholson calls The Handmaid’s Tale the most frustrating show on TV.
  
• Salamisha Tillet interviews Bruce Miller, showrunner of The Handmaid's Tale, as well as stars Elizabeth Moss and Yvonne Strahowski.
  

 

 Comments on Star Trek in general:

• James Whitbrook revisits the 1995 Star Trek Voyager episode "Faces".
  
• Avery Kaplan shares her appreciation for the character of T'Pol from Star Trek Enterprise.
  
• Avery Kaplan lists some characters from other Star Trek shows that appeared in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
  

 

Comments on Clown in a Cornfield: 

• Cheryl Eddy declares that Clown in a Cornfield lives up to that tremendous title 
  
• Jim Vorel declares that Clown in a Cornfield delivers on its title, but little else

 

Comments on Donald Trump's war on foreign films:

• The Guardian reports that Donald Trump has announces 100% tariffs on movies ‘produced in foreign lands in a bid to "save" Hollywood.
• Jesse Hassenger declares that  Trump’s attack on the film industry is a sign of xenophobic contempt
• Peter Bradshaw declares that Trump’s talk of film tariffs makes no sense, but is already doing damage – to Hollywood
• Andrew Pulver declares that  Trump’s movie tariffs are designed to destroy the international film industry
• Michael Savage and Edward Helmore report that various film industry officials warn that Trump’s foreign film tariffs could ‘wipe out’ the UK movie industry.
• Andrew Pulver shares reactions from the British film industry to Donald Trump's latest tariff plans.
  
• Steven Zeitchik wonders whether Donald Trump wants to save or screw Hollywood. 
• Andrew Pulver reports that Donald Trump has allegedly softened his stance on tariffs.
  
• Katie Kilkenny and Alex Weprin share Jon Voight's plan to "save" Hollywood.    
• Jesse Hassenger chronicles how Jon Voigt went from counterculture star and Oscar winning actor to rightwing Trump supporter.
   

 Awards:

• The finalists for the 2025 Locus Award have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2025 Rhysling Award have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Prix Imaginales have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Otherwise Award have been announced. 
• The nominations for the 2025 Tony Awards have been announced.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Nicole Jarvis explains how chronic pain made her a better writer.
• Mattea Kramer talks about crafting nested tales
  

 

Interviews:

• BBC Outlook interviews Nnedi Okorafor.
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Joe Abercrombie. 
• Lenny Picker interviews Antonia Hodgson. 
  
• Arley Sorg interviews Jane Espenson.
  
• Arley Sorg interviews David Barr Kirtley.
  

 

Reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky  
• Ian Mond reviews Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Naylor 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Rose/House by Arkady Martine 
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Land of the Living and the Dead by Shauna Lawless
  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Cold Silver for Souls by Tori Tecken 
• Z.B. Steele reviews Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastien de Castell 
• Sasha Bonkowsky reviews Notes From a Regicide by Isaac Fellman.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner 
  
• Ed Crocker reviews The Sins of Steel and Shadow by Steve Pannett 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Price of Faith by Rob J. Hayes
  
• Archita Mittra reviews Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan 
• Marion Deeds reviews Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin 
• Molly Templeton reviews The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson.
• Paul Weimer reviews Kitemaster by Jim C. Hines
• Mahvesh Murad reviews Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours 
• Rob Bedford reviews Overgrowth by Mira Grant.
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Deep Forest by Sofía Rhei 
• Crime Book Girl reviews The Cure by Eve Smith.
  
• Mark Yon reviews The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. 
• Alex Brown reviews One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Magic Can’t Save Us: Eighteen Tales of Likely Failure by Josh Denslow
  
• Paul Weimer reviews Humans: A Monstrous History by Surekha Davies.
   
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sam Reader revisits the 1911 horror story “The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1953 science fiction collection The Continent Makers by L. Sprague de Camp  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the June 1970 issue of Galaxy.
  
• David Levinson revisits the 1970 Arthurian novel The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart, Jason Sacks revisits the 1970 science fiction mystery The Gaudy Shadows by John Brunner and Amber Dubin revisits the 1970 science fiction novels Gallagher's Glacier and Positive Charge by Walt and Leigh Richmond
• Brian Collins revisits the 1970 anthology The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, edited by Robert Silverberg
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1978 sword and sorcery novel Quest for the White Witch by Tanith Lee
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1981 science fiction novel Wave Without a Shore by C J Cherryh 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1994 YA horror trilogy The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith.
  
• Clara Cohen revisits the 1999 epic fantasy novel Mad Ship by Robin Hobb.
  
  

Comments on the Seattle Worldcon ChatGPT controversy:

• Mike Glyer shares a round-up of reactions to the Seattle Worldcon using ChatGPT to vet potential panelists. 
• Jason Sanford offers an overview of the Seattle Worldcon ChatGPT controversy
  
• Kathy Bond, chair of the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, apaologises for the use of ChatGPT to vet potential program participants.
• Kathy Bond and programming division head SunnyJim Morgan issue another apology for the use of ChatGPT to vet potential programming participatns and also share the prompt they used. 
• Cora Buhlert used the Seattle ChatGPT prompt with her name and shares the inaccurate results she got. 
• Locus shares a summary of the Seattle ChatGPT controversy.
  
• Cheryl Eddy shares a summary of the Seattle ChatGPT controvery. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares an updated summary of the Seattle ChatGPT controversy.
  
• Mike Glyer reports that the Seattle Worldcon has cancelled the first virtual Business Meeting town hall. 
• The Hugo administrator and WSFS division head of the 2025 Seattle Worldcon have resigned in protest over the use of ChatGPT to vet program participants. 

 

Crowdfunding:

• Comic artist Afua Richardson needs help with medical expenses.

 

 Con and event reports:

• Locus shares photos of the 2025 Rainforest Writers Village Retreats in Quinault, Washington.
• Lesley Gray Streeter reports about the A Million Lives Book Festival in Baltimore, Maryland, which turned out to be an unmitigated disaster.
•  Bill Koenig reports about Gatherall at Goldeneye, a James Bond event at Ian Fleming's former home in Jamaica.
• Raphael Boyd reports that the inhabitants of the village of Kempston Hardwick in Bedfordshire, UK, are worried about the impact that the planned Universal Studios theme park in their neighbourhood will have on them and also feel left out of the planning process. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Disney has announced that it is building a new Disneyland theme park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Passant Rabie reports that NASA’s Psyche mission has suffered a strange glitch on its way to the asteroid belt. 
• Victor Tangerman reports that the Trump government has announced massive cuts to NASA's budget, which will endanger its Artemis Moon program.
  
• Mark Kaufman recalls how controversial the so-called "deep field" observations of the Hubble space telescope as well as the telescope initially were. 
• Celeste Biever reports that AI is being used in the search of extraterrstrial life. 
• Cy Neff reports that an AI generated video of a murder victim from Arizona has appeared in court to address his killer.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Keith Stuart explains why independent videogame journalism is important.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Faker, Leech, Catra, Frosta, Buzz-Off and Invisible Skeletor.  
• Toy Habits reviews the Jada Toys Tony the Tiger action figure.
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Hot Toys Star Wars Jar Jar Binks action figure, 
• Justin Carter shares a look at some new Lego sets based on Spider-Man 2 and Batman Forever.
• James Whitbrook reports that even Pixar's desk lamp mascot is getting its own Lego set. 
• Germain Lussier reports about collecible mini-versions of Disney ride vehicles made by Tomica and sold at Disneyland Tokyo.
• For Eternia reports that Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz has stated that toy manufacturing will not return to the US, but that Donald Trump's tariffs will make toys more expensive for everybody.
  
• Cheryl Eddy reports about a record-breaking Pokemon card sold at auction.  
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Tale of How You Were Born" by Eleanor Elizabeth Fog in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Messengers of Despair" by Jordan Kurella in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "Shadows on the Pavement" by R. P. Sand in Lightspeed.  
• "Rthing It Up: An Oral History" by Gene Doucette in Lightspeed.  
• "Brainstem Disco, 2191" by Angela Liu in Clarkesworld.
• "I Remember a One-Sided Die" by Francis Bass in Apex Magazine.
• "There Be Monsters" by Suzan Palumbo in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Squid Teeth" by Sarah Langan in Reactor. 
• "Blunt Teeth" by Margaret Ronald in The Dark.
• "Beak" by Ian Muneshwar in Nightmare Magazine.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Foundation. 
• Watch a trailer for The Old Guard 2.
• Watch a trailer for How To Train Your Dragon
  
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Squid Game.
• Watch a trailer for The Long Walk.
  
• Watch a trailer for Together.
  
• Watch a trailer for Revival. 
• Watch a trailer for The Conjuring: Last Rites.

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 2, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Andor and Star Wars in general, Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, news from the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of  The Last of Us, Sinners, Doctor Who past, present and future, Murderbot, Until Dawn, The Legend of Ochi, Predator Badlands, an uproar involving the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy lists 63 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in May  
• Liberty Hardy lists twelve new SFF books coming out in May.
  
• Farah Mendlesohn talks about science fiction which adresses the rise of fascism. 
• James Davis Nicoll lists five extremely grumpy speculative novels 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five stories set in fantastic SFF cities
  
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror stories about terrifying trees  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF novels featuring tunnels
  
• Axie Oh shares five SFF books that feel like Studio Ghibli films
  
• Cora Buhlert shares her appreciation for the Elric of Melniboné sword and sorcery series by Michael Moorcock. 
• Marc Burrows shares a guide to the works of Terry Pratchett. 
• Margaret Hetherman profiles Edythe Eyde a.k.a. Tigrina, speculative poet and pioneering lesbian publisher. 
• Bobby Derie shares H.P. Lovecraft's thoughts about Ernest Hemingway.
  
• Brandon O'Brien shares some tips for learning to appreciate poetry. 
• R.L. Thornton notes that Jimi Hendrix was a science fiction fan. 
• Catherine Shoard reports that actor Pedro Pascal has criticised J.K. Rowling for her transphobic views in very strong words. 
  
• German-Ukrainian writer Alexandra Fröhlich has been murdered on her houseboat in Hamburg, Germany, aged 58.
  

Comics and Art:

• Scott Edelman interviews comic author and food writer Jarrett Melendez
• In spite of the failure of the eponymous movie, Francis Ford Coppola has announced a Megalopolis graphic novel. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about microdosing Jane Austen at the office.
• Science fiction artist and animator Bert Tanner has died aged 90.
  

 

 Film and TV: 

• Leah Schnelbach declares that The Shrouds isn't so much a movie as a sustained howl of grief. 
• Aaron Jones shares his thoughts on season 3 of The Wheel of Time. 
• Leah Thomas calls Dan Da Dan messy, absurd, dangerous... and filled with hope.
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surrealestate. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the horror film Rosario.
• Jacob Oller calls the new version of The Rose Of Versailles a florid, condensed look at revolution
• Ann Michelle Harris shares her thoughts on the anime Solo Leveling
  
• Phil Hoad calls Boonie Bears: Future Reborn a Chinese animated eco-fable that feels like Mad Max on mushrooms 
• Cheryl Eddy calls  I Know Catherine, The Log Lady an sffectionate portrait of Twin Peaks icon Catherine E. Coulson
• Luke Holland explains how he would save several struggling film and TV franchises. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Madeline Brewer, best known for her appearances in The Handmaid's Tale and You.
  
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Zahn McClarnon, best known for his roles in Dark Winds, Reservation Dogs, Fargo and Westworld.
• Benjamin Lee interviews Craig Perry, producer of the Final Destination films.
  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Kazuya Tsurumaki, director of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Eli Craig, director of Clown in a Cornfield 
• Jim Vorel interviews Eli Craig. 
  
• Don Kaye revisits the 1955 science fiction movie Conquest of Space.  
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 sword and sorcery film Beastmaster.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996 Babylon 5 episode “Exogenesis” 
• Jim Vorel revisits the 2005 science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
  
• Paul Hirons wonders about the popularity of reboots.
• A.J. Weiler discusses how the portrayal of climate change in movies has evolved over the decades. 
  
• Readers of the Guardian share their memories of video stores. 
• David Smith reports that fewer movies and TV shows are being produced in Hollywood, California, than in the past. 
• Special effects artist Bruce Logan, who worked on Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Tron, has died aged 74.
  

 

Comments on Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Germain Lussier declares that Thunderbolts* is Marvel back to doing what Marvel does best
• Radheyan Simonpillai calls Thunderbolts* a hit and miss mess and praises the performance of Florence Pugh. 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Florence Pugh anchors Thunderbolts* with a refreshing lack of superpowers 
• Jarrod Jones declares that Thunderbolts* zeroes in on the human beneath the hero
  
• Peter Debruge calls Thunderbolts* a film that balances self-deprecating comedy with mental health concerns, relying on deep knowledge of obscure characters
  
• Ernesto Valenzuela interviews Jake Schreier, director of Thunderbolts*.
• Brian Davids interviews Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes, and Wyatt Russell who plays John Walker in the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe. 
• Aaron Jones shares his thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again.
• Hector DeJean shares his thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again.
• Catherine Shoard shares actor Jeremy Renner's - best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinemattic and TV Universe - account of his snow plough accident. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Jeremy Renner turned down season 2 of Hawkeye, because Marvel and Disney only offered him half the money he was paid for season 1.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Destro is my Spirit Animal shares a summary of the mythology of Masters of the Universe,
• Todd Luck reviews the Turtles of Grayskull comic mini-series by Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams II.  
• The Battle for Eternia Podcast takes a look at some early Masters of the Universe concept art by Mark Taylor.
• James Eatock recounts how Snoopy and a Smurf snuck into a storyboard for an episode of the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.
• For Eternia reports about some unexpected character Easter eggs spotted in an aerial shot of the sets of the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie.
  

 

Comments on Andor and Star Wars in general:

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls season 2 of Andor a thrilling conclusion to the greatest Star Wars spin-off 
• Camestros Felapton declares that season 2 of Andor is really good.
  
• Phoebe Wagner shares her thoughts on the first episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on “Kassa”, the fourth episode of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the fifth episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the sixth episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the second three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the second three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the second three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw notes that Cassian Andor's greatest weapon are actually his people skills.
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw notes that the undecumented migrant labour subplot in season 2 of Andor hits unexpectedly close to home. 
• James Whitbrook discusses how Andor handles the recasting of Bail Organa.
  
• Brian Hiatt interviews Tony Gilroy, showrunner of Andor. 
• James Hibberd interviews Tony Gilroy. 
• Tara Bennett interviews John Gilroy, executive producer and editor of Andor.
  
• Rafa Sales Ross interviews Beau Willimon, writer of Andor and executive producer of Severance.
• Todd Gilchrist interviews Ian McDiarmid, who plays Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars movies.
• Liam Gaughan revisits the 2005 Star Wars movie Revenge of the Sith for its twentieth anniversary.
• Todd Gilchrist shares George Lucas' explanation for Yoda's unique speech patterns.
  

 

 Comments on Murderbot:  

• Alex Godfrey interviews Alexander Skarsgård who will play Murderbot in the upcoming TV series.
  
• Nikita Sawant interviews Akshay Khanna who plays Rhatti in the upcoming Murderbot TV series.
• Watch an Inside Look video about Murderbot.

 

 Comments on season 2 of The Last of Us (spoilers):

• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Graeme Virtue shares his thoughts “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts “The Path” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Saloni Gajjar declares that revealing Abby's motivations early on was the right move for The Last Of Us

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Isobel Lewis shares her thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “The Well,”, the third episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Martin Belam wonders if Doctor Who is doomed.
• James Whitbrook revisits the 2005 Doctor Who episode "Dalek".
  

 

Comments on Sinners:

• Ann Michelle Harris calls Sinners a powerful example of layered storytelling that blends horror, history, and magical realism with meaningful social commentary.
  
• Angelique Jackson interviews Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners.
  
• Brian Davids interviews Wunmi Mosaku who plays Annie in Sinners. 
• Chris Willman interviews real life blues musician Buddy Guy who plays the old Sammie in Sinners.
  
• Leah Schnelbach discusses the use of Irish music in Sinners.
  
• Pamela McClintock reports that Sinners continues to do well at the box office.

 

Comments on The Legend of Ochi:

• Ignatiy Vishnevetsky declares that The Legend Of Ochi aspires to awe and looks good enough that it almost gets there
• Cheryl Eddy calls The Legend of Ochi a poignant fantasy tale featuring jaw-dropping puppets 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that The Legend of Ochi is not what it appears to be
  
• Rory Doherty declares that The Legend Of Ochi saps the magic from the coming-of-age fantasy movie
  

 

 Comments on Predator: Badlands:

• Ben Child wonders whether Predator: Badlands can finally prove that a shared universe with Alien was a good idea. 
• Matt Donato interviews Dan Trachtenberg, director of Prey and Predator: Badlands.
  

 

Comments on Until Dawn: 

• Jacob Oller declares that Until Dawn changes its gimmick, its plot and its wendigos
  
• Brian Davids interviews David F. Sandberg, director of Until Dawn and Shazam!

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 LA Times Book Prize have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards has been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2025 Tolkien Society Awards have been announced.
  
• The shortlist for the 2025 Future Prize has been announced.
• The finalists for the 2025 Splatterpunk Awards have been announced.  
• The winners of the 2025 BAFTA TV Craft Awards have been announced.
  
• Chris M. Barkley shares an update of hiw lawsuit against 2023 Hugo administrator Dave McCarty over several Hugo trophies that never reached their recipients. 
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Jenna Satterthwaite talks about when inspiration strikes. 
• Kate Elliott discusses the doubts that assail many writers and artists.
  
• Georgina Clarke talks about incorporating research into writing 
  
• Lindsey Byrd explains how important real places are for her fantasy writing.  
• Tim Susman explains how to write a comic script 
• Lucy Knight reports that the BBC has created mystery writing classes taught by an AI replica of Agatha Christie.
  
• Scott Montgomery celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of classic crime fiction reprint publisher Stark House Press. 
• Denise Beck-Clark explains how she almost fell for a common scam targeting writers.
• Ella Creamer reports that the small press Conduit Books wants to focus on books by male writers, a demographic they consider underrepresented.
  
• Benjamin Mullin reports that Ziff Davis, publisher of  PCMag, Mashable and many others is sueing OpenAI for copyright infringement.
• Ella Creamer reports that according to a recent survey, many parents don't enjoy reading to their children.
  

 

Interviews:

• The HWA interviews Josh Rountree.
• Z.B. Steele interviews C.M. Caplan
  
• Brandon O'Brien interviews Holly Lyn Walrath
  

 

Reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  
• Camestros Felapton reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 
• Jenny Hamilton reviews Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway 
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Down in the Sea of Angels by Khan Wong
• Niall Harrison reviews A Thousand Blues by Cheon Seon-ran 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Voyage of the Heisenberg by Tom Easton 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews When The Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Dark Diamond by Neal Asher 
• Jennifer Stevenson reviews One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Atacama by Jendia Gammon
  
• Caleb Klaces reviews Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori 
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Underwood Tapes by Amanda DeWitt
• Abigail Nussbaum reviews The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison 
• Liz Bourke reviews Emberclaw by L.R. Lam
  
• Molly Templeton reviews Idolfire by Grace Curtis.
  
• Bill Capossere reviews The Antidote by Karen Russell  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews By Blood by Salt by J.L. Odom   
  
• Mary Picken reviews The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn
  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews A Claiming of Souls by R.A. Sandpiper
• Liz Bourke reviews The Incandescent by Emily Tesh  
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Incandescent by Emily Tesh  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews All Better Now by Neal Shusterman 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Descent to Azakmar by Michael R. Fletcher
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Ghosts of Blaubart Mansion by Ivy Grimes
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias  
• Z.B. Steele reviews House of Chains by Steven Erikson
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman 
• Marion Deeds reviews One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed 
• Tobias Caroll reviews Exit Zero by Marie-Helene Bertino
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid.
   
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sam Weller revisits the 1950 science fiction collection The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1957 horror story “The Muted Horn” by Dorothy Salisbury Davis  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1970 issue of Analog.
  
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the May 1970 issue of Vision of Tomorrow.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1979 science fiction novel The Wall of Years by Andrew M. Stephenson 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1986 cyberpunk novel Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams  
  
• Alex Brown revisits the 1995 fantasy novel City of Bones by Martha Wells. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 2000 time travel novel 1632 by Eric Flint
  
  

 Con and event reports:

• Alasdair Stuart shares his experiences at the 2025 Luxcon in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
• Sue Burke shares her experiences at the 2024 Windycon in Oak Brook, Illinois.
• Kathy Bond, chair of the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, explains why they used ChatGPT to vet potential program participants.
  
• Mike Glyer shares some negative reactions to the admission that the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, used ChatGPT to vet potential program participants. 
• Paul Weimer shares an open letter in response to Seattle using ChatGPT to vet potential program participants. 
• Jake Casella Brookins also shares an open letter in response to the Seattle Worldcon using ChatGPT to vet potential program participants. 
• David Gerard shares his thoughts on the Seattle Worldcon using ChatGPT to vet potential program participants.
  
• The 2025 StokerCon at Stamford, Connecticut, have announced that they will be exclusing the publisher Cemetery Dance for their continued failure to pay authors.  
• Mikołaj Kowalewski has won the 2024 Transatlatic Fan Fund.
  
• Sabina Graves looks ahead at the 2025 Star Wars Nite at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
  
• Ella Creamer and Mark Brown report about a campaign to keep William Wordsworth's house open to the public. 
  

 

Science and technology:

• Gideon Marcus reports about China's first satellite launch in 1970.
• Sara Hashemi reports that Google is training an AI model to understand and possibly communicate with dolphins.
  
• Philip Ball wonders whether scientists will ever be able to create life in a lab.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Justin Carter interviews Masumi Tsunoda and Tongayi Chirisa. two voice actor who worked on Assassin's Creed Shadows.
• Justin Carter reports that Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering are mostly unaffected by the Trump government's tariffs.
• Dustin Bailey discusses the problems of videogame preservation. 
• Colin Armstrong talks about the urban legend about an arcade game called Polybius, which allegedly had strange psychological effects on those who played it.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tattoo and Worm action figures,
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Star Wars Star Tours StarSpeeder 3000 vehicle.
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at new Lego sets coming out in May.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Shadow Jack" by C.L. Hellisen in GigaNotoSaurus.
• "Adventures on the Omega Train at Night" by A. T. Greenblatt in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "An Even Greater Cold to Come" by Rich Larson in Clarkesworld.
• "Human Resources" by Adrian Tchaikovsky in Reactor.
  
• "To Kill a Language" by Rukman Ragas in Apex Magazine.
  
• "Unbury" by Kirsty Logan in Uncanny Magazine 
• "Old Brooklyn Magic" by Ian Li in Nightmare Magazine.
• " Zephyr" by Sofia Rhei, translated by: Marian Womack in Samovar. 
• "To Helen" by Bella Han, translated by: Bella Han, in Samovar. 
• "High Marks" by Frank Vatel in Punk Noir Magazine.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Lost in Starlight.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Dan Da Dan.
• Watch a trailer for season 1 of Alien Earth. 
• Watch a trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen
  
• Watch a trailer for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
  

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 25, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Andor and Star Wars in general, Star Trek in general, the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, news from the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 7 of Black Mirror, season 2 of  The Last of Us, season 3 of The Wheel of Time,, Sinners, Doctor Who past, present and future, Fréwaka, Until Dawn, The Legend of Ochi, The Ugly Stepsister,, tributes to Damien Broderick and David Schleinkofer and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Heloise Wood talks about new trends in horror fiction.
• Olivia Waite talks about teatime in space, culture and colonialism in SFF
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction works about unlikely global superpowers 
• Jeff Somers shares thirteen books set in magical houses. 
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories to tell around a fire.
  
• Alex Gonzales declares that extreme horror has its place, because the world is horrible. 
• Bobby Derie takes a look at the early work of C.L. Moore, before she made her professional pulp debut. 
• Andrew Rossi profiles science fiction and screenwriter George Clayton Johnson. 
• Paperback Warrior shares an overview over the work of crime fiction, science fiction and western pulp author Kendell Foster Crossen  
  
• Lila Shapiro reports that Neil Gaiman is sueing Caroline Wallner, who accused him of sexual assault, for 500000 US-dollars for allegedly breaking a non-disclosure agreement. 
• Vampire fiction author Nancy Kilpatrick has died aged 78.
  

 

Tributes to Damien Broderick:

• Australian science fiction writer, critic and scholar Damien Broderick has died aged 80.
• Rich Horton remembers Damien Broderick.
  

 

Tributes to David Schleinkofer: 

• Science fiction artist David Schleinkofer, best known for his Transformers and Battlestar Galactica artwork, has died aged 74. 
• John Freeman remembers David Schleinkofer.
  

Comics and Art:

• Steven Heller profiles Frank Frazetta.
• Bradley Powers interviews artist Yorgos Cotronis
  
• Katy McAfee reports that a propane gas leak caused the explosion of artist Sara Felix's house in Austin, Texas. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about Dan Brown messing up an Easter Egg hunt, 

 

 Film and TV:  

• Jenna Scherer calls Shatter Belt Black Mirror meets The Twilight Zone  
• Alex Lei declares that David Cronenberg goes back to his science fiction roots with The Shrouds 
• Cheryl Eddy calls the Vietnamese vampire movie Daydreamers a blood-soaked guilty pleasure
  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on The Day the Earth Blew Up
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Surrealestate.
• Catherine Bray calls Goldbeak an animated tale strangely reminiscent of Jonathan Livingston Seagull
  
• Writers of the Guardian share their favourite movie Easter eggs. 
• Jacob Oller lists eleven live-action video game movies that were never going to work
• Rai Furniss-Greasley revisits the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien.
  
• Steve Vertlieb revisits the 1980 time travel romance Somewhere in Time.
  
• Paul F. Verhoeven revisits the 1984 science fiction film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension?
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996 Babylon 5 episode “Dust to Dust”  
• Emma Cole takes a look at the gothic horror films of the 1990s.
• Ben Beaumont-Thomas reports that the song "Steve’s Lava Chicken" from A Minecraft Movie, which is only 34 seconds long, became the shortest song ever to hit the UK Top 40.
  
• Andrew Pulver reports that Ben Affleck hated wearing the Batman suit, because it was very hot and uncomfortable.
• Catherine Shoard reports that the Actors Guild of Nigeria calls for better regulations after two actors died while filming.
• Catherine Shoard reports that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has called going to the cinema outmoded and claims that audiences want to watch movies at home right away. 
  
• Ryan Gilbey shares an obituary for Ted Kotcheff. 
  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Joe George declares that Daredevil: Born Again offers a much-needed corrective to relentless copaganda
• Ben Child shares some speculations about Fantastic Four: First Steps.
• Sydney Bucksbaum interviews Julia Garner who plays Shalla-Bal a.k.a. the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• David Brooke interviews artist Freddie E. Williams II and editor Brett Israel about the Turtles of Grayskull comic mini-series.
• Dad-at-Arms interviews artist Freddie E. Williams II and writer Tim Seeley about the Turtles of Grayskull comic mini-series.
  
• Dad-at-Arms and Adam McComb talk about the Masters of the Universe Golden Books from the 1980s.
  

 

Comments on Andor and Star Wars in general: 

• Justin Carter shares early reactions to season 2 of Andor.
• Jack Seale calls season 2 of Andor as thrilling as ever (and funnier too)
• Sabina Graves declares that season 2 of Andor proves Star Wars stories remain essential and timely
• Garrett Martin declares that Andor soars with a confident second season
• Chris M. Barkley shares his appreciation for season 1 of Andor and his anticipation for season 2. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the first episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the second episode of season 2 of Andor. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the third episode of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the first three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the first three episodes of season 2 of Andor. 
  
• Gita Jackson notes that even though Star Wars has always been political, watching Andor is no substitute for actual resistance. 
• James Whitbrook discusses the importance of the wedding dance scene in episode 3 of season 2 of Andor. 
• James Hibberd interviews Tiny Gilroy, showrunner of Andor.
  
• Walter Marsh interviews Genevieve O'Reilly who plays Mon Mothma in Andor, Rogue One and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. 
• Sabina Graves interviews Genevieve O'Reilly and Tony Gilroy, showrunner of Andor.
  
• Tara Bennett interviews John Gilroy, executive producer and series editor of Andor.
  
• Anthony Lund reports that Lucasfilm has finally acknowledged the 2012 animated series Star Wars: Detours, which has never been shown, even though there are 39 completed episodes. 
• Watch a trailer for Volume 3 of Star Wars Visions.
  

 

 Comments on season 3 of The Wheel of Time:  

• Melody McCune interviews Davina Lamont and Sharon Gilham, hair and make-up and costume designer on The Wheel of Time.
• Melody McCune interviews Robert Strange who plays an Eelfinn in The Wheel of Time.

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Avery Kaplan takes a look at the cat-like Caitians in various Star Trek episodes.
• Ben Weiss reports about a case where a woman's job application was rejected, because she mentioned being a Star Trek fan in the job interview.  
• Watch a mash-up of Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Spongebob Squarepants.
  

 

 Comments on season 2 of The Last of Us (spoilers):

• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.
• Graeme Virtue shares his thoughts “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts “Through The Valley” , the latest episode of The Last of Us.   
• Katcy Stephan interviews Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman, creators and showrunners of The Last of Us.
  
• Tim Lewis interviews Bella Ramsey who plays Ellie in The Last of Us.
• James Hibberd also interviews Bella Ramsey.
• Nick Romano explains how a certain shocking scene in the latest episode of The Last of Us came to be. 
• Stuart Heritage calls a certain shocking death in the latest episode of The Last of Us a masterpiece.
• Watch a behind the scenes documentary about "Through the Valley, the latest episode of The Last of Us.
  

 

Comments on Black Mirror:

• Ann Michelle Harris declares that season 7 of Black Mirror offers strong acting and innovative stories explore our difficult relationship with technology
  
• Keith Stuart notes how the Black Mirror episode "Plaything" was inspired by Charlie Brooker's time as a games journalist for the magazine PCZone in the 1990s.

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Grant Watson shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Isobel Lewis shares her thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Lux”, the second episode of series 15 of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her favourite Easter eggs in "Lux".
  
• Hannah Al-Othman reports that showrunner Russell T. Davies responds to complaints that Doctor Who has become "too woke".
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1970 Doctor Who serial "Ambassadors of Death".
  

 

Comments on Sinners:

• Leah Schnellbach calls Sinners an instant horror classic and modern masterpiece
• Wendy Ide calls Sinners a phenomenal-looking, blues-infused supernatural tale 
• Andrew Lawrence calls Sinners a horror film about the highs and lows of the Black experience  
• Justin Carter declares that in Sinners, honesty leads to freedom  
• C.T. Phipps calls Sinners incredibly good on every conceivable level with something meaningful to say. 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Sinners combines genres to come up with something wholly original and fascinatingly complex
  
• Nick Romano talks about the post-credits scene of Sinners.
• Sabina Graves reports that Sinners had a very good opening weekend for an original movie and that director Ryan Coogler has thanked the audience. 
  
• Raquel Harris reports that various actors and directors have criticised Variety for downplaying Sinners' good opening weekend. 
• Craig D. Lindsey notes that the media downplaying Sinners' good opening weekend by noting that it still hasn't made back its budget shows how movies by black filmmakers are treated differently.
  

 

Comments on The Legend of Ochi:

• Jesse Hassenger calls The Legend of Ochi a 1980s throwback family fantasy movie. 
  
• Andy Crump declares that The Legend of Ochi‘s rich design props up its divided narrative
• Lyvie Scott interviews William Defoe, one of the stars of  The Legend of Ochi 

 

 Comments on The Ugly Stepsister:

• Peter Bradshaw calls The Ugly Stepsister an ingenious body-horror take on Cinderella 
• Jacob Oller calls The Ugly Stepsister an impressively nasty body horror film. 
  
• Matt Schimkowitz interviews Emilie Blichfeldt, director of The Ugly Stepsister.

 

Comments on Fréwaka: 

• Jim Vorel declares that the mystical Irish folk horror film Fréwaka weaves an unnerving spell.
• Cheryl Eddy calls Fréwaka, a dread-infused folk-horror narrative that’s one of the first Irish-language horror films. 
  

 

Comments on Until Dawn: 

• Benjamin Lee calls Until Dawn an efficient, if unscary horror video game adaptation.  
• Jacob Oller calls Until Dawn aa parade of endless empty horror clichés
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Until Dawn cleverly adapts a videogame, but then outplays its welcome
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 BSFA Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Sir Julius Vogel Awards have been announced.  
• The recipient of the 2025 Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2025 Colorado Book Awards have been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2024 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize have been announced
• The 2025 Filk Hall of Fame Inductees have been announced.
  
• Voting for the 2025 Hugo Awards is now open. 
• File 770 lists the contents of the 2025 Hugo voter packet.
  
• Nicholas Whyte takes a look at withdrawals and disqualifications from the Hugo ballot. 
• Brooks Barnes reports about new Oscar rules, including about the use of AI. 
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Art Bell talks about building suspense in nonfiction narratives 
• The SFWA alerts writers to problematic clauses in the contracts of Asimov's, Analog, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. 
• Melina Spanoudi reports that the British MPs argue that the proposed AI text and data-mining exemption to British copyright law lacks effective an ‘opt-out’
• Ella Creamer reports that UK publishers and authors propose a collective licence to make sure writer get paid when their books are used to train AI.
  
• BBC Witness History discusses the origin of World Book Day.
  
• Susan Wise Bauer reports that her longtime US-based printer dumped her small press Well-Trained Mind Press, because Penguin Random House is moving its printing operations from China to the US in response to the Trump government's tariffs.

 

Interviews:

• Marissa Van Uden interviews Ai Jiang.
• Christina Orlando interviews Erin Morgenstern. 
• Alex Puncekar interviews Nat Cassidy.
  

 

Reviews:

• Runalong the Shelves reviews Rabbit In The Moon by Fiona Moore
  
• Adrienne Martini reviews When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
  
• Clara Cohen reviews If Stars are Lit by Sara K. Ellis  
• Natalie Zutter reviews The Sea Eternal by Emery Robin
  
• Camestros Felapton reviews Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead 
• Adam Roberts reviews Luminous by Silvia Park  
• Chris Kluwe reviews Luminous by Silvia Park  
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi 
• Leah Ning reviews One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews The Exile by Ryan Cahill
  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J. Penner 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Summoned to the Wilds by A.K. Caggiano 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde
• Bill Capossere reviews The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence 
• Leah Ning reviews A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang.
• Rob Bedford reviews The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig.
  
• Paul Weimer reviews The Estate by Sarah Jost
  
• Z.B. Steele reviews The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
• Liz Bourke reviews Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin 
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
• Colleen Mondor reviews Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill
  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Paul Weimer reviews Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay.
  
• Fiona Denton reviews Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Dance With Me by Livia J. Elliot
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Don’t Sleep With the Dead by Nghi Vo
• Rob Bedford reviews When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh 
• Maya Gittelman reviews Hungerstone by Kat Dunn.
  
• Camestros Felapton reviews The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy by D.J. Butler.
   
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sam Reader revisits the 1895 weird horror story “The Repairer of Reputations” by Robert W. Chambers
• Brian Collins revisits the 1932 horror novella “Wolves of Darkness” by Jack Williamson
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1936 Conan sword and sorcery novella "Red Nails by Robert E. Howard. 
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1950 science fiction story “The Listening Child” by Margaret St. Clair 
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1951 science fiction story “Brightness Falls from the Air” by Margaret St. Clair
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1966 science fiction novel The Doomsday Planet by Harl Vincent.
• Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1970 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction,
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1978 weird fiction collection Half in Shadow by Mary Elizabeth Counselman 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1992 near future science fiction novel Correspondence by Sue Thomas
  
  

 Con and event reports:

• James Bacon calls for solidarity with the comittee and volunteers of the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, and the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California, in the face of the actions of the Trump government.
• S.J. Groenewegen shares their experiences at Reconnect, the 2025 Eastercon in Belfast, UK. 
• Octothorpe share their experiences at Reconnect.
  
• Mike Glyer reports that the sites for the 2026 and 2027 Eastercons have been selected. 
• Justin Carter shares a round-up of news from the 2025 Star Wars Celebration in Chiba City, Japan.
  
• Decca Muldowney reports about the rise of fantasy balls, where fans of romantasy books can dance and interact with actors portraying characters from the novels.  
• Andrew Kersey reports about a panel discussion on the subject " Octavia E. Butler’s Seeds of Change" at the Huntington Library and Museum in San Marino, California.
• Sinèad Campbell reports about a new wave of literary events and live readings in the UK. 
• Watch a video about a discussion of religion in SFF at the Chicago Public Library in Chicago, Illinois, featuring N.K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, Nghi Vo and Matthew Kirby
• John Freeman reports about the “Building Bigger Worlds” exhibition in London, UK, featuring the science fiction art of John R. Mullaney 
• Scott Roxborough shares the full line-up of the Annecy International Animation Festival in Annecy, France.
  
• Sabina Graves discusses the line-up of the Annecy International Animation Festival in Annecy, France.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• The Adventures of Lion Man, a comic by John Jennings and Damian Duffy, Bill Campbell, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu and David Brame, which stars the first black superhero, is looking for funding.

 

Science and technology:

• Robin McKee reports that samples taken from the asteroid Bennu suggest that life may have arrived on Earth via an asteroid strike. 
  
• Miles Klee reports that even Katy Perry's fans are not impressed by her twelve minute spaceflight.
• Ian Sample reports that scientists claim to have found a colour no one has seen before. 
• Michelle Valles and Génesis Miranda Miramontes report that robot-operated convenience stores have opened in Glendale, California.    
• Dr. Lourdes Bobbio talks about innovations in metallurgy for science fiction
  
• John Anthony Disotto reports that OpenAI is annoyed that ChatGPT users are costing them money by thanking the AI large language models.
  
• Isaac Schultz reports how a fake scientific term created by a scanning error has been adopted by AI. 
• Julia Jacobo reports that geoscientists have discovered a magma cap at Yellowstone National Park that is likely playing a critical role in preventing a massive eruption in one of the largest active volcanic systems in the world.
  
• Lucas Reilly shares photos of the world's largest beaver dam in Alberta, Canada.
  
• Kaye Dee reports about the Apollo 13 emergency in 1970.
  
• Maureen Cavanagh reports that the ashes of space travel pioneer Willy Ley were found in a basement in Manhattan and about the decision what to do with them. 
• CaLea Johnson lists the ten US states most likely to survive an alien invasion.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Haley Zapal reviews Assassin's Creed Shadows
  
• Ynes Sarah Filleul reports about the popularity of so-called Ojisan trading card games featuring ordinary middle-aged men in Japan.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Two Mattel designers explain how they created the Masters of the Universe Origins Necro-Conda action figure.
• Justin Carter shares a look at some upcoming Hasbro Star Wars Black Series and Vintage Collection action figures.  
• Watch "Horde Invasion", a stop motion animated short film featuring Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection action figures.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Two Great Thinkers Discuss the Post-Apocalyptic Condition" by David McGillveray in Interzone.
  
• "Shield of the Glasslaw" by Isobel Mackenzie in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Island with the Animals" by Stephanie Malia Morris in Uncanny Magazine 
  
• "The Other River" by Jon Lasser in Lightspeed. 
  
• "TALK: “The Siren Song of the Otherworld Goggles” by Dominica Phetteplace in Lightspeed. 
  
• "Praise Song for the God of Restless Hands" by Phoenix Alexander in The Dark. 
• "Nian: A New Year Story" by Leeyee Lim in Strange Horizons.
  
• "In My Country" by Thomas Ha in Clarkesworld.
  
• "As It Comes" by Derek Alan Jones in Apex Magazine.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Wednesday. 
• Watch a trailer for volume 4 of Love, Death + Robots.
  
• Watch a trailer for Predator: Badlands.
• Watch a trailer for Fountain of Youth.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Toxic Avenger.
• Watch another trailer for The Toxic Avenger.
• Watch a trailer for HIM. 
• Watch a trailer for the new I Know What You Did Last Summer.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 8 of Rick and Morty.