It's
time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting
links
about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with the best SFF of 2025, the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general, The Bluff, season 2 of Paradise, season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Scream 7, the battle for Warner Bros, a scandal at the BAFTA Awards, tributes to Robert Carradine and much
more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Sam Reader shares seven SFF collections to enjoy.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction stories about investigating enigmatic artifacts
- Francis Spufford discusses the current popularity of fantasy.
- Marie Lu shares her favourite urban fantasy books.
- P.S. Livingstone answers questions about romance and spice in SFF.
- Markelle Grabo recommends five fantasy books featuring class difference romances
- Lorna Wallace shares five horror stories set during medieval times
- Lindy Ryan explains how women are rewriting the "Final Girl" script and reveling in fictional villainy
- Fred Bradford profiles Ray Bradbury.
- John Shirley looks back on his writing career and his troubled life.
- Tom Pinnock looks back on Michael Moorcock's music career.
Best of 2025:
Comics and Art:
Film and TV:
- Petrana Radulovic lists all the SFF TV shows premiering in March.
- Petrana Radulovic lists all the SFF movies premiering in March.
- C.T. Phipps declares that season 2 of Fallout was something of a disappointment.
- Leslie Felperin calls God of Frogs a self-aware horror film set across four time periods which sees a woman impregnated by a human-sized pond-beast resulting in multigenerational havoc
- Phil Hoad calls the anime All You Need Is Kill considerably inferior to Edge of Tomorrow
- Phil Hoad calls Else a pandemic-style horror film which has bad guys literally crawling out of the woodwork
- Leah Thomas shares her appreciation for the anime Ya Boy Kongming!
- Brian Davids interviews Tony Gilroy, creator of Andor.
- Destiny Jackson interviews Ryan Coogler, writer and director of Sinners, as well as stars Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo
- Phil Hoad interviews French animator Florence Miailhe
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares an overview of season 4 of Babylon 5.
- Alex Hiveley revisits the 1929 science fiction film Woman in the Moon.
- Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 animated fantasy film The Flight of Dragons.
- Martin Edwards revisits the 1988 horror film The Lair of the White Worm
- Kali Wallace revisits the 2013 science fiction horror film Under the Skin.
- Germain Lussier shares early reactions to Project Hail Mary.
- Benjamin Svetkey explains why James Van Der Beek was broke at the time of his death.
- Max Gao reports that Grey's Anatomy paid tribute to its late star Eric Dane.
- A study of the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at the University of California in Los Angeles has found out that young people would like to see more compassionate and supportive portrayals of masculinity.
- Max Goldbart reports that the UK actors union Equity has called for a boycott of the BBC charter renewal survey over AI concerns.
Tributes to Robert Carradine:
Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:
- Colt Crane reports that Rob David, who co-created and produced Masters of the Universe Revelation and Revolution as well as the CGI animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series and who also wrote the DC Masters of the Universe comics, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Animation at Mattel
- James Eatock takes a look at the Masters of the Universe comics by DC Comics from the early 1980s and explains how they shaped the lore of Masters of the Universe.
- Jukka Issakainen and Daniel Benedict explain how He-Man turns back into Prince Adam.
- Watch the Masters of the Universe trailer recreated with action figures.
Comments on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "The Life of the Stars”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "The Life of the Stars”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Ko’Zeine”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
- James Whitbrook discusses a gay love triangle developing in Starfleet Academy.
- James Whitbrook finds some unexpected parallels between Starfleet Academy and Grey's Anatomy.
- Meredith Jacobs interviews George Hawkins who plays Darem in Starfleet Academy.
- Rich Pelley interviews George Takei, best known for playing Sulu in Star Trek.
- James Whitbrook reports that the mugs seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are making a comeback.
Comments on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:
- Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on "The Morrow", the latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
- Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on "The Morrow" , the latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
- Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on "The Morrow", the latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
- Camestros Felapton enjoyed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Aaron Jones declares that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers something fresh and different in the familiar grimdark world.
- Stuart Heritage declares that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has saved the Game of Thrones universe
- Caroline Siede discusses how A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms upends a universe about hereditary power
- Cheryl Eddy explains how the Targaryens of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms connect to House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.
- Christopher Lockett explains that Game of Thrones was not as big a departure from HBO's other offerings as many assumed.
- James Whitbrook reports that A Knight of the Seven Kingdom left the question whether Dunk was truly knighted or not deliberately vague.
- Cheryl Eddy reports about a change made to the ending of season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compared to the novella it's based upon and what this means for a potential season 2.
- Nick Romano interviews Ira Parker, showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
- Jordan Moreau interviews Ira Parker.
- Brian Davids interviews Sam Spruell who plays Maekar Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
- Rick Porter reports that the season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms had the highest ratings for the entire series to date.
- Joe Otterson explains that A Knight of the Seven Kingdom is a ratings success and gets higher ratings than the critically acclaimed medical drama The Pitt.
Comments on The Bluff:
Comments on season 2 of Paradise:
- Brian Tallerico declares that Paradise struggles to find direction in season 2
- Cheryl Eddy declares that season 2 of Paradise brings even more tension and thrills
- Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Paradise.
- Inspired by Paradise, Fallout and Silo, Duncan Barrett discusses the popularity of TV shows set in or around nuclear bunkers.
Comments on season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters:
Comments on Scream 7:
- Benjamin Lee calls Scream 7 a nostalgic slasher sequel
- Natalia Keogan calls Scream 7 the flimsiest film in the franchise.
- Rebecca Rubin and Brent Lang report about the troubled production history of Scream 7.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin explains what to expect from Scream 7.
- William Hughes reports that Scream 7 is already sporting the franchise's all-time lowest review scores
- Jack Dunn reports that a handful of Pro-Palestine protesters showed up at the premiere of Scream 7, calling for a boycott.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that the character of Gale Weathers from the Scream movies is better than the average final girl
Comments on the battle for Warner Bros:
Awards:
- The final ballot for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards has been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2025 Australian Romance Readers Awards has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2026 Prix Bob Morane has been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Phoenix and Rebel Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 Annie Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 VES Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2026 NAACP Image Awards have been announced.
- The longlist for the 2026 International Booker Prize has been announced.
Comments on the scandal at the BAFTA Awards ceremony:
- Andrew Pulver reports about a massive scandal at the 2026 BAFTA Awards ceremony, when a Tourette Syndrome in the audience shouted racial slurs as a verbal tic linked to his disease.
- Alex Ritman reports about the 2026 BAFTA Award controversy and shares an apology by the organisers.
- K.J. Yossman and Ellisa Shafer report that John Davidson, disability activist with Tourette Syndrome, has apologised for yelling slurs during the ceremony.
- Clayton Davis interviews John Davidson about the BAFTA Awards incident.
- Catherine Shoard critiicises the BBC for editing out political remarks before broadcasting the BAFTA Awards ceremony, but not the racial slurs.
- Stuart Heritage declares that they should just broadcast the BAFTA Award ceremony live.
- Michael Savage and Andrew Pulver report that the BBC has apologised for airing the BAFTA Award ceremony with the racial slurs included, claiming the producers did not hear them.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Ian McGuire talks about the thrills and the utter despair involved in writing fiction
- Stewart Hotston explains why "show don't tell" is mostly bullshit advice.
- Lincoln Michel explains what not reading does to your writing.
- Ellie Alexander talks about drafting and creativity in the AI era
- Jennifer K. Breedlove talks about ordinary heroes who take whatever resources and skills they have to step up and solve the crime.
- Rebecca Philipson talks about naming characters.
- Taylor Adams talks about writing about claustrophobia
- Rebecca Philipson explains how autobiographical bits appeared in her serial killer novel.
- Brenda W. Clough shares a guide to author readings.
- Charlie Jane Anders speaks out about losing her job as an SFF book reviewer at the Washington Post.
Interviews:
Reviews:
- Christine D. Baker reviews Ignore All Previous Instructions by Ada Hoffmann
- Kevin Tipple reviews Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb
- Paul Weimer reviews The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu.
- Alex Brown reviews System Collapse by Martha Wells.
- Alexandra Pierce reviews Transmentation | Transgression by Darkly Lem
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Essence by Dave Hutchinson
- Bill Capossere reviews The Rainseekers by Matthew Kressel
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart
- Marlene Harris reviews Perun’s Hammer by Ian Heller
- Sasha Bonkowsky reviews Godfall by Van Jensen
- Sasha Bonkowsky reviews After the Fall by Edward Ashton.
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann
- Martin Cahill reviews Queen Demon by Martha Wells
- Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
- Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Brides In the Dark by Jacob Steven Mohr
- Niall Harrison reviews The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver by Rafael Torrubia
- Fiona Denton reviews The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
- Rob Bedford reviews The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
- Chris Kluwe reviews Reliquary by Hannah Whitten
- James Tivendale reviews No Life Forsaken by Steven Erikson
- Liz Bourke reviews Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
- A.K. Blakemore reviews Nonesuch by Francis Spufford
- Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
Classics reviews:
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1925 lost world novel The Treasure Vault of Atlantis by Olof W. Anderson
- Adafruit Industries revisits the 1967 science fantasy novel Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny and chronicles how a proposed film adaptation in the 1970s was used as a cover to extract the American hostages from Iran in 1979.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1970 dystopian novel Dance the Eagle to Sleep by Marge Piercy
- Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology Science Against Man, edited by Anthony Cheetham
- Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction, edited by John Baxter
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1999 disaster novel The Rift by Walter Jon Williams
Con and event reports:
- Mike Glyer reports that after a year's break, Penguincon will return to Southfield, Michigan.
- The lineup for the 2026 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in New York City has been announced
- Erik Piepenburg reports about a musical adaptation of the vampire movie The Lost Boys, which is currently playing in New York City, and a new stage adaptation of Dracula, starring Cynthia Erivo, which is currently playing in London, UK.
- Youmana Khatib reports about a wake for the The Washington Post’s books section held in Washington DC.
- Priya Sridhar shares tips for recovering from volunteer burnout.
Crowdfunding:
Science and technology:
- Michael Banks reports that more than 250 quantum scientists have signed a “manifesto” opposing the use of quantum research for military purposes.
- Becky Ferreira reports that the lost Soviet Moon lander Luna 7 may have been found
- Kaye Dee reports about the Apollo 14 Moon mission in 1971.
- Judith Tarr talks about sentience, sapience and animal intelligence
- Skyler Ware reports about a detachable robotic hand.
- Ross Andersen reports that someone bet a lot of money on the confirmation of the existence of aliens.
- The Guardian reports that the US AI company Anthropic has accused three Chinese rivals of mass data theft
- Holly Philips reports that a blue glow in the sky initially mistaken for a UFO has been traced to the so-called "Flying Banana", a special train which inspects train tracks.
- Paul Arnold reports that new research shows that the Tyrannosaurus Rex walked on tiptoes.
- Shelley Puhak talks about the historical hearsay behind Elizabeth Bathory's notoriety and how believable the accusations against her are.
Toys and collectibles:
- The DorkLair reviews the Mythic Legions Attlus the Conqueror II action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- The DorkLair reviews the Mythic Legions Bodvar the Bear action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- ToyBro reviews the Mythic Legions Bodvar the Bear action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- D Amazing reviews the Mythic Legions Bodvar the Bear action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- D Amazing reviews the Mythic Legions Neve action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- Glasseater reviews the Mythic Legions Neve action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- Glasseater reviews the Mythic Legions Scapular the Cryptbreaker 2 action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- Glasseater reviews the Mythic Legions Yoshanai Kari action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
- Toy Habits reviews Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse New Etheria Despara action figure.
- Toy Habits reviews the Operation Monster Force Sleepwalker Aerial Assault Trooper action figure.
- Toy Habits reviews the Super 7 Thundercats Ultimates Snarf action figure.
- Germain Lussier takes a look at action figures from The Mandalorian and Grogu that are coming out and shares what else he would like to see.
- James Whitbrook shares a look at some Knight of the Seven Kingdoms themed Funko Pops.
- Jeremy White shares an inside look at LEGO's new Smart Bricks.
- James Whitbrook declares that LEGO's Smart Bricks sound awful.
- Germain Lussier explains how the Project Hail Mary LEGO set came to be.
- Sarah Whitten discusses the connection between popular movie franchises and toys.
Free online fiction:
- "Deathcap" by Lara Elena Donnelly in Reactor.
- "Tomb of the Bull King" by Dariel R. A. Quiogue in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "The Emperor Wants Results" by Gabriel Moseley in Night Shades.
- "Piglet Delivers" by Maria Haskins in Apex Magazine.
- "Within the Pink Paisley Walls" by Kelsea Yu in The Dark.
- "Warren’s Tentacle" by Susan Palwick in Lightspeed.
- "A Handbook to Spirit-Hunting" by Modupeoluwa Shelle in Lightspeed.
- "To Atone for Evil" by Megan Chee in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "What Might Come of Today" by Leah Ning in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and birds that fly above the earth across the expanse of sky" by P.H. Lee in The Sunday Morning Transport
- "Painstaking" by Rich Larson in Clarkesworld.
- "Mushaboom" by Jeremy Morris in The Deadlands.
Trailers and videos:
