It's
time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting
links
about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Clayface, Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general, Wicker, tributes to Sir Patrick Stewart, Walter Koenig, Eric Bauza, Elke Sommer and Matt Howarth and much
more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Cheryl Eddy shares ninety new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in November 2026.
- Stephanie Feldman shares five stories that display the best of what horror can do
- Lish McBride lists eleven frighteningly funny books and movies that blend humor and horror
- Nick Medina shares five horror novels set in cabins in the woods
- Matthew J. Cressler, Jack Lee Downey, Kathleen Holscher and Michael Pasquier talk about Catholic horror in the US.
- Isabel Cañas explains why Latin America is the perfect gothic setting
- Alix E Harrow, C.L. Clark and Tasha Suri discuss gender in medieval-inspired fantasy
- Richie Narvaez shares a brief history of occult detectives
- Molly Odintz shares her favourite horror and dark fantasy novels featuring dysfunctional families.
- James Davis Nicoll explains how science fiction planned to solve the energy crisis in the 1970s.
- Clara Cohen talks about language and anti-language in The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed.
- Alan Brown shares his appreciation for the YA science fiction series The Adventures of Dig Allen, Space Explorer by Joseph Greene
- Germain Lussier shares his appreciation with the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.
- Alexandra Schade talks about her experience living next door to YA horror writer R.L. Stine.
- Camestros Felapton discusses the far right's sudden obsession with gender-swapped Harry Potter fan-fiction.
- Samantha Cole reports that the fanfiction site Archive of Our Own will be down for several weeks, following a security breach.
- Samantha Cole also shares reactions by fanfiction writers and readers to the Archive of Our Own outage.
- Mike Glyer apologises for publishing an article by Jon Del Arroz
Comics and Art:
- Katsuo Miyagi reports that the daily webcomic Baneusagi to Kamepan by Fumiya Yomigishi has now run for 7350 consecuative days and has become the longest running daily webcomic in the world.
- Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the modern romantasy novel
- Comic writer and artist Matt Howarth has died aged 72.
- Michael Swanwick remembers Matt Howarth.
- Locus remembers Matt Howarth.
Film and TV:
- Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre TV premieres airing in November.
- Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre movies premiering in November.
- Monica Castillo declares that Wildwood doesn't shy away from death, which makes it all the better for young audiences
- Tyler Dean declares that the latest adaptation of Carrie demands your empathy
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw declares that Crystal Lake is the horror prequel that Camp Miasma warned us about
- Isaiah Colbert shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of Avatar: Seven Havens.
- Cath Clarke calls City of Masks a theatreland ghost story with a female phantom of the opera out for revenge
- Leah Schnelbach calls Hokum a perfect fun-but-deep Halloween horror film.
- Leslie Felperin calls Never After Dark an inventive Japanese horror film.
- Josh Pearce reviews the South Korean science fiction thriller Hope
- Isaiah Colbert calls the anime Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War an elegant, exhausting and fitting finale.
- Catherine Bray finds that the animated film Arnie and Barney suffers from ugly designs and a lacklustre script
- Peter Bradshaw calls Elon Musk’s AI Odyssey the dullest, most pointless riposte possible to Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey.
- Scott Heller interviews LeVar Burton, best known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Roots and also as the host of Reading Rainbow.
- Geraldo Amartey interviews Denis Villeneuve, director of the Dune movies.
- Mike Avila interviews Patrick McKay, showrunner of The Rings of Power.
- Brian Davids interviews Callina Liang, who plays Chun-Li in Street Fighter.
- Monica Castillo declares that Nicolas Cage was made for horror movies
- Writers of The Guardian share their scariest horror movies.
- Saloni Gajjar wonders what it takes to make original horror work on TV.
- Lorna Wallace celebrates the subtle horrors lurking in the background of your favourite scary movies
- Anne Billson ranks her favourite special effects from horror movies.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1960 horror movie The City of the Dead a.k.a. Horror Hotel.
- Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1971 horror movie The Devils.
- Tyler Dean revisits the 1984 horror comedy Ghostbusters.
- Paul Weimer revisits the 1985 fantasy movie Return to Oz.
- Matt Schimkowitz revisits the 1986 horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin revisits the 1988 horror film Child's Play.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1999 Babylon 5: Crusade episode “Visitors from Down the Street”
- Jacob Oller revisits the 2001 anime Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
- Kali Wallace revisits the 2006 dystopian film Children of Men.
- Rachel Powers shares her experience living in the house that was the setting of the 1982 horror movie Poltergeist.
- Deepa Parent reports that Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi has been given new prison sentence
- Anthony Hayward shares an obituary for Tom Skerritt.
- Peter Medak, director of The Krays and The Changeling, has died aged 88
- Film editor Hubert de la Bouillerie, who worked on Woodstock, And Justice for All, Rollerball, The Witches of Eastwick, two Police Academy movies, Tango and Cash and many others, has died aged 75.
Tributes to Sir Patrick Stewart:
- Sir Patrick Stewart, best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies, has died aged 86.
- Wil Wheaton who played Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Melinda M. Snodgrass, who wrote several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- William Hughes shares tributes from friends and co-stars to Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Germain Lussier shares tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart from friends, colleagues, directors and studios.
- Joe Otterson shares tributes to Sir Patrick Stewart from several Star Trek co-stars.
- Peter Bradshaw remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Aaron Couch remembers Sir Patrick Stewart,
- Adrian Horton and Benjamin Lee remember Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Justin Carter remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Greg Evans remembers Sir Patrick Stewart
- Will Harris remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Cheryl Eddy remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Cora Buhlert remembers Sir Patrick Stewart, Walter Koenig and Eric Bauza.
- File 770 remembers Sir Patrick Stewart.
- The AV-Club share their favourite performances by Sir Patrick Stewart.
- Josy Forsdike shares photos from Sir Patrick Stewart's long life and career.
Tributes to Walter Koenig:
Tributes to Eric Bauza:
- Voice actor Eric Bauza, who voiced most of the various Looney Tunes characters in modern cartoons featuring them, has died aged 46.
- Dennis Perkins remembers Eric Bauza as the voice acting heir to Mel Blanc
- Kimberly Nordyke remembers Eric Bauza.
- Justin Carter remembers Eric Bauza.
- Joel Nolfi shares tributes to Eric Bauza from co-stars.
Tributes to Elke Sommer:
Comments on the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:
Comments on Clayface, Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general:
- Jarrod Jones notes that Clayface opens the lid on a near-limitless horror franchise
- Justin Carter discusses a specific cameo in Clayface.
- Nick Romano interviews James Watkins, director of Clayface.
- C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on Lanterns.
- Justin Carter reports that Clayface sits at the top of the US box office, even though it didn't do all that well.
Comments on VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Firewall" and "Deadlock", the latest two episodes of VisionQuest.
- Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on "Firewall" and "Deadlock", the latest two episodes of VisionQuest.
- Sam Barsanti shares his thoughts on "Firewall" and "Deadlock", the latest two episodes of VisionQuest.
- Germain Lussier discusses some revelations about Tony Stark from Vision Quest.
Comments on Wicker:
- Alex Brown declares that Wicker is less scandalous than suggested, but full of heart
- Peter Bradshaw calls Wicker an intriguing folk horror romance.
- Ryan Gilbey interviews Olivia Colman and Alexander Skårsgard, stars of Wicker
- Chloe Mac Donnell shares reactions by actual basket weavers to Wicker.
- Monica Castillo discusses the grassroots promotional campaign for Wicker.
Awards:
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Josh Heath talks about work for hire.
- Adam Morgan reports about AI use at the so-called Big 5 publishers, against the will of employees and authors.
- Emma Loffhagen reports that the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas has caused a frenzy among fans.
Interviews:
- Locus interviews James Islington.
- Locus interviews Garth Nix.
- Locus interviews Tananarive Due.
- Locus interviews Paul Tremblay.
- Locus interviews Keith Rosson.
- Locus interviews Ellen Datlow.
- Aida Edemariam interviews Jeanette Winterson.
- Charlie Jane Anders interviews Ted Chiang.
- Scott Edelman interviews Thomas Ha.
- Elizabeth Tabler interviews qntm.
- Locus interviews K. Ancrum.
- Locus interviews Justine Norton-Kertson
- Locus interviews Dmitri Lincoln Mehlhorn
- Erik Grove interviews Michael Wehunt.
Reviews:
- Adrienne Martini reviews As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers
- Niall Harrison reviews Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
- Kat Hooper reviews Testimony of Mute Things by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Tom Joyce reviews Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis
- Jen Lucas reviews A Lady’s Guide To Vampire Hunting by Michelle Maxstoke
- Colleen Mondor reviews Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst
- Martin Cahill reviews Tempest by Victoria Aveyard
- Helen Rhee reviews A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young, translated by Sophie Bowman.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Shadow Before the Dawn by Alma Alexander
- Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Light From the Nether by Molly Dowd Sullivan
- Kathryn VanArendonk reviews A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas.
- Stuart Cripps-Schnoor reviews Covenant of Steel by Anthony Ryan
- Paul Weimer reviews Forged for Prophecy by Andrew Knighton
- Colleen Mondor reviews Black Point by Jacqueline West
- Gabino Iglesias reviews Driven by Mason Coile
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Dead But Dreaming Of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay
- Fiona Denton reviews The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
- Martin Cahill reviews The Calamities by Chuck Wendig
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce
- Gabino Iglesias reviews Pictures of You by Josh Malerman
- Krystle Matar reviews Crone by Keith Rosson
- Jared Shurin reviews The Rouse by China Miéville
- Kevin Tipple reviews Truth to Power by S.A. Cosby
- Grimdark Magazine reviews The Iron Code, edited by Ian Whates
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Book of the Dead, edited by Jonathan Strahan
- Maya C. James reviews Vaster Than Empires, edited by Jonathan Strahan
- Joanne Anderton reviews Nostalgic Futures: The Reactionary Fantasies of Speculative Fiction Fandoms by Max Dosser
Classics reviews:
- Kat Hooper revisits the 1964 Warlock planetary romance novel Ordeal in Otherwhere by Andre Norton
- George Pritchard revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology Orbit 9, edited by Damon Knight.
- Yoon Ha Lee revisits the 1975 historical YA fantasy novel The Wolf King by Ann Turnbull.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1976 science fiction collection A Song for Lya by George R R Martin
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1993 horror novel A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny.
- James Latimer revisits the 2001 fantasy novel The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2008 science ficiton novel Anathem by Neal Stephenson
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2010 science fiction collection The Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories by Walter Jon Williams
- Alex Brown revisits the 2013 Ile-Rien fantasy novel The Ships of Air by Martha Wells.
- Kat Hooper revisits the 2013 Haunted Guest House paranormal mystery Chance of a Ghost by E.J. Copperman
- Kat Hooper revisits the 2013 Haunted Guest House paranormal mystery An Open Spook by E.J. Copperman
Con and event reports:
- Ellen Datlow shares a photo of the latest Fantastic Fiction Reading at the KGB Bar in New York City, featuring Suzanne Palmer and Kailee Pedersen
- Locus shares a photo of the latest Brooklyn Books & Booze reading event in Brooklyn, New York.
- Scott H. Andrews shares a photo of the Hexagon XVIII writing retreat in Crozet, Virgina.
Crowdfunding:
Science and technology:
Toys and collectibles:
Free online fiction:
- "Congratulations on your Magic Sword™" by John Wiswell in Lightspeed.
- "The Raspberry Manifesto of Professor Warana" by Adam-Troy Castro in Lightspeed.
- "No Requiem Will Be Sung for the White Dahlia Movement" by Claire Jia-Wen in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Aspect of the Moth" by Jonathan Olfert in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Five Bottles in Memory of the Winemaker Petronius Finch" by Louis Inglis Hall in Clarkesworld.
- "Roams the Planet of Our Grief" by Natalia Theodoridou in Clarkesworld.
- "The Rice Paper Bleed" by Tia Tashiro in Clarkesworld.
- "The Night of the Grandmothers" by Malena Salazar Maciá in The Dark.
- "Falling" by Steve Rasnic Tem in The Dark.
- "Three Prayers for Entry" by Andrew Rodgers in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "Hope is what carries a man through" by Joel Glover in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "An Eye for Property" by Tania Fordwalker in Reactor.
- "An Unavoidable Consequence of ..." by Kurt Fawver in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Critical Functions" by Troy L. Wiggins in Future Tense Fiction.
Trailers and videos:
