Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 23, 2026

 

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, Wildwood, Wicker, Klara and the Sun, season 2 of Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Crystal Lake, The Devils at fifty-five, the search for the next James Bond, tributes to Tom Skerritt and Ryu Murakami and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Emily C. Hughes shares her favourite recent horror novels. 
• Molly Odintz shares horror novels coming out this fall. 
• Alex Brown shares must read short speculative fiction for September 2026 
• Annalee Newitz explains why pronouns matter in science fiction 
• James Davis Nicoll shares four SFF books unjustly doomed by circumstances beyond their creators' control. 
• Olivia Blake shares her favourite Halloween themed novels. 
• Kevin Johnson shares his favourite holiday horror reading 
• Katherine Daniel shares five horror stories with settings just as creepy as their characters 
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror books told from the monster’s POV
• Dawn Kurtagich talks about wellness culture and horror fiction  
• Natalie Kikic explains how Croatian folklore inspired her gothic novel The Haunting of Lavender House 
• Nghi Vo shares her appreciation for The Adventures of Sindbad by Krúdy Gyula 
• Japanese horror and cult author Ryu Murakami has died aged 74. 
• Isaiah Colbert remembers Ryu Murakami. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Maxwell Pishny ranks the DC Comics Absolute series. 
• Ashley Land discusses what he thinks is the most important Batman comic.  

  

Film and TV:

• Justin Carter claims that Dune is the blockbuster the 2020s didn’t know they could have 
• Luke Buckmaster calls Gnomes a pulpy horror-comedy 
• Phil Hoad calls Vampire Carnival a horror romance with good looks but not much to chew on 
• Phil Hoad declares that the Indonesian movie Ghost in the Cell uses horror for social commentary as it skewers corruption and hypocrisy with likable silliness and raucous energy  
• Dante Luiz declares that the adaptation of My Sad Dead is a perfect introduction to Mariana Enriquez’s oeuvre
• Cath Clarke calls Ghosts: The Possession of Button House a spooky spin-off that unleashes new levels of giddiness.
• Kayleigh Donaldson calls Yaga a steamy and enjoyable supernatural thriller whose ambition exceeds its grasp 
• Ann Michelle Harris calls Kaiju Girl Caramelise a cynical, thoughtful, funny twist on the usual coming-of-age rom-com anime  
• Leslie Felperin calls Children of the Wicker Man a documentary about how the folk-horror classic haunted the family that made it 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that the documentary Boorman and the Devil explains how the legendary horror flop The Exorcist II: Heretic came to be  
• Ben Child notes that yet another proposed Star Wars movie has been put on hold and that Lucasfilm will have to make a movie eventually. 
• Devan Suber claims that movies have finally figured out survival horror
• Olivia Rutigliano shares her favourite folk horror movies. 
• Matthew Byrd and Leah Schnelbach share their fifteen favourite horror movies set in seaside towns 
• Cheryl Eddy lists fourteen upcoming adaptations of fantasy novels. 
• Leah Thomas shares spooky anime for Halloween. 
• Leah Thomas shares anime for fans of Philip K. Dick
• Matthew Byrd shares director James Gunn's favourite body horror films. 
• Kelly Robinson revisits the 1929 animated short film "The Skeleton Dance". 
• Ann Michelle Harris revisits the 1963 horror film The Birds. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1971 dystopian crime movie A Clockwork Orange 
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1981 horror film Fear No Evil. 
• Haley Zapal revisits the 1986 horror movie Poltergeist 2. 
• Alex Wallace revisits the 1987 animated film  The Brave Little Toaster  
• Haley Zapal revisits the 1988 horror film Child's Play. 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice. 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1996 horror movie Scream. 
• Judith Tarr shares her appreciation for the character of Salem in the 1996 TV series Sabrina the Teenage Witch 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1999 Babylon 5: Crusade episode “Racing the Night” 
• Rachel Sigee revisits the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest.  
• Chris McFeely talks about the Lovecraftian monster known as the Dweller in the Depths from Transformers lore 
• Actor Michael Gray, best known for playing Billy Batson in the 1974 superhero TV-show Shazam!, has died aged 75.
• Actress Leslie Parrish, best known for her roles in Star Trek, Batman, The Manchurian Candidate and The Giant Spider Invasion, has died aged 90.  

 

Tributes to Tom Skerritt:

• Actor Tom Skerritt, best known for his roles in Alien, Picket Fences, Contact, Top Gun, MASH and many others, has died aged 93.
• Benjamin Lee remembers Tom Skerritt. 
• Jen Lennon remembers Tom Skerritt. 

 

Comments on the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:

• David Canfield interviews Travis Knight, director of Masters of the Universe, Wildwood and Bumblebee. 
• Matthew Rudoy and Tatiana Hullender report that Travis Knight has said that he would love to make a Masters of the Universe sequel, but that the decision is out of his hands. 
• Digital Charcuterie muses if we will ever get to see the third season of Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution. 
• Watch "Mini He-Man?", the latest episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  
• Watch "Attack on Castle Grayskull, Part 1", the latest episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  

 

Comments on Clayface, Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general:

• Jesse Hassenger declares that Clayface brings a Universal Monster sensibility back to the DC Universe 
• Jen Lennon declares that Clayface takes the revenge body to a whole new level 
• Leah Schnelbach declares that Clayface writes checks its body horror can’t quite cash 
• Benjamin Lee calls Clayface very gory but not very good  
• Jarrod Jones declares that Clayface's Gotham City reflects DC's focus on telling good stories in spaces created solely for them.
• Alex Brown shares their favourite scenes from Lanterns. 
• Ben Child muses whether a Zack Snyder DC Universe might not have been such a bad thing, after all

 

 Comments on VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Reboot" and "Malware", the latest two episodes of VisionQuest.  
• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on "Reboot" and "Malware", the latest two episodes of VisionQuest.  
• Sam Barsanti shares his thoughts on "Reboot" and "Malware", the latest two episodes of VisionQuest.
• Matt Webb Mitovich interviews Terry Matalas, showrunner of VisionQuest.   
• Matthew Byrd discusses how the showrunners and actress kept the importance and identity of the character "Butcherbird" in VisionQuest secret. 

 

Comments on Wildwood: 

• Jen Lennon calls Wildwood a technical wonder, with an ambitious and moving story.  
• Frank Scheck calls Wildwood an ambitious stop-motion epic that is both a technical and emotional triumph  
• Monica Castillo declares that Laika tops itself with the stop-motion fantasy epic Wildwood 
• Andrew Osmond declares that Wildwood takes stop-motion animation to a new level. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Wildwood a pleasingly old fashioned stop-motion magic-forest odyssey
• Tara Bennett shares a look behind the scenes of Wildwood. 

 

Comments on Wicker:  

• Monica Castillo calls Wicker an odd affecting fairy tale.  
• Rebecca Aizin interviews Alexander Skarsgård who plays the Wicker Man in Wicker. 
• Lily Ford recounts how Wicker became the horniest, most tender film of the year 
• Rachel Handlen explains what would actually happen, if you tried to have sex with a wicker man.
• Watch a trailer for Wicker. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Cyberpunk Edgerunners:

• Isaiah Colbert declares that season 2 of Cyberpunk Edgerunners can’t quite outrun the long shadow cast by season 1.
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Bartosz Sztybor, showrunner of Cyberpunk Edgerunners. 

  

Comments on Klara and the Sun: 

• Jesse Hassenger declares that Klara and the Sun isn't as cutesy as it seems at first, nor does it ever transcend that cuteness.  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Klara and the Sun isn’t up to any task, least of all friendship 
• Xan Brooks interviews Taika Waititi, director of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, What We Do In The Shadows, Jojo Rabbit, Klara and the Sun and many others.  

 

Comments on Crystal Lake:  

• Matthew Byrd discusses how Crystal Lake gaves Jason Voorhees a controversial origin story. 
• Jarrod Jones finds that Crystal Lake dulls Friday The 13th’s jagged edges 
• Daniel Kurland interviews Brad Caleb Kane, showrunner of Crystal Lake. 
• Rebecca Nicholson interviews Linda Cardellini, who plays Pamela Voorhees in Crystal Lake and Laura Barton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• Glenn Garner interviews Jonathan Tison who plays Jason Voorhees in Crystal Lake. 

 

Comments on The Devils at 55: 

• Isaiah Colbert calls the 1971 horror film The Devils a towering monument of pure filmmaking 
• Leah Schnelbach revisits the 1971 horror movie The Devils. 

 

Comments on the search for the next James Bond: 

• Adrian Horton reports that the screentests for the next James Bond are expected to take place this week. 
• Stuart Heritage explains what the James Bond auditions might look like. 
• Alasdair Stuart talks about the search for the next James Bond as well as Slow Horses.  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2026 Bookseller/Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year have been announced
• The winners of the 2026 Arthur C. Clarke Awards (not the British literary award) have been announced.
• The Self-Published Science Fiction Competition has announced that they will no longer allow AI generated covers.  

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Lindsay Merbaum discusses the parallels between writing and practicing witchcraft.  
• Rebekah Faubion discusses how romance influences her horror and crime writing.
• The Guardian reports that the Canadian publisher Boréal have ended their relationship with novelist Thélyson Orélien over his alleged use of AI  
• Haroon Siddique and George Francis Lee report that all books by Irish writer Sally Rooney will be withdrawn from sale in the UK due to Rooney's support for Palestine Action, which is classified as a terror group in the UK 
• Emma Loffhagen reports that Sally Rooney's novels are selling out in UK bookstores prior to being withdrawn from sale in the UK over Rooney's support for Palestine Action, which is classified as a terror group in the UK 

 

Interviews:

• Krystle Matar interviews Alix E. Harrow.
• Emma Loffhagen interviews Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs

 

Reviews:   

• Gayle Surrette reviews Fury in Death by J.D. Robb 
• Beejay Silcox reviews Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger 
• Sasha Bonkowsky reviews Scion by James Islington.  
• Alex Wallace reviews The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Chris Kempshall 
• Alexis Ong reviews A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School by Kuzhali Manickavel 
• Paul Weimer reviews Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots  
• Alex Brown reviews The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City by Susanna Clarke 
• Paul Weimer reviews Cello's Gate by Maurice Africh 
• Natalie Zutter reviews Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske.
• Adrian Collins reviews Voice of Command by Richard Swan 
• Z.B. Steele reviews Requiem of Dice by Timothy Wolff 
• Camestros Felapton reviews Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
• Grimdark Magazine reviews An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• John Valeri reviews The Ghost and the Dead Librarian by Cleo Coyle  
• Alex Brown reviews The Unhaunting by Micaiah Johnson 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Accumulation by Aimee Pokwatka 
• Melissa A Watkins reviews Where We Go at Night by Ikwo Ntekim 
• Isaiah Colbert reviews I Am the Night: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series by Daniel Dockery.

 

Classics reviews:

• Brian Collins revisits the 1943 horror story “Greenface” by James H. Schmitz 
• Fiona Moore revisits the 1971 literary fantasy novel Grendel by John Gardner, George Pritchard revisits the 1971 YA fantasy novel The Wild Hunt of Hagworthy by Penelope Lively, David Levinson revisits the 1971 science ficiton novel The Coins of Murph by Leo P. Kelley and the 1971 historical fantasy novel The Master of Miracle by Sulamith Ish-Kishor
• Gideon Marcus revisits the November 1971 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1989 science fiction story “Family” by Joyce Carol Oates  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mark R. Kelly shares his experiences at the 2026 World Fantasy Convention in Oakland, California. 
• Isaiah Colbert shares the program for the 2026 ICON Festival of Comic & Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California.

 

Science and technology:

• Justin McCurry reports that Japan has launched a historic mission to collect rocks from Mars’s moon Phobos
• Richard Luscombe reports that mysterious ‘black triangles’ have been spotted over a sensitive site in the western US.
• Olivia Rutigliano reports that the mystery of who was buried in a Roman sarcophagus found on the premises of Westminster Abbey in 1820 has finally been solved. 

 

Gaming: 

• C.T. Phipps reviews the video game A Plague’s Tale: Requiem 
• Nicole Carpenter reports that Electronic Arts is closing down the legendary video game studio BioWare and that hundreds of employees will be laid off.  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Jay Glatfelter reviews the DC Premium Batman: Hush Rooftop Bat-Signal Diorama set from Mattel Creations 
• Cybertron Sanity reviews the Hasbro Transformers Legacy Gears action figure. 
• Cybertron Sanity reviews the Hasbro Transformers Age of the Primes Venin action figure. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the Exorcist Regan MacNeil 1/6 scale figure by Sideshow

 

Free online fiction: 

• "A True and Faithful Chronicle of the Anglo-Saxon Voyage to the Moon in the Year of Our Lord 1261" by Jordon Jones in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Islands in the Styx" by James Morrow in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Sonatina of Sorcery" by J. VanZile in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Date" by Ian McDonald in Reactor.
• "Matters of the Heart" by Eric Schaller in The Dark. 
• "Shambling Groaning Brain-Dead Endocannibal on Exeter Street" by Ferdison Cayetano in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "The Job" by Elizabeth Bear in Clarkesworld. 
• "How Does One Person Kill a Mountain?" by Shi Heiyao, translated by Andy Dudak in Clarkesworld.
• "Ice Like Honey" by Rob Cameron in Lightspeed.  
• "All the Shapes We Have Ever Been" by Kehkashan Khalid in Lightspeed.  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 3 of The Rings of Power. 
• Watch a trailer for Slayground. 
• Watch a trailer for Above the Below. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 16, 2026

 

 

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, season 4 of Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Star Trek in general,  VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general, Ray Gunn, Digger, Avatar: Seven Havens, Carrie, Street Fighter, Other Mommy, Crystal Lake, Transformers: The Movie at forty, tributes to Eva Marie and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in October 2026
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in October 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in October 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in October 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in October 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in October 2026 
• Lisa Tuttle shares a round-up of her favourite recent science fiction, fantasy and horror books. 
• Wole Talabi shares five stories of first contact in African science fiction. 
• Sarah Clegg discusses the surprisingly long history of romantic fantasy. 
• Adrian Collins lists five lone wolf characters from dark fantasy.
• Fiona Denton lists eight dark YA fantasies that might work for grimdark fans 
• Alex Brown shares five underrated SFF books with monsters in the woods 
• Sam Reader shares six haunting books about sinister houses 
• Kali Wallace shares scary audiobooks for the spooky season  
• Bitter Karella shares five works of folk horror not for the faint-hearted  
• Dr. Philip Chase wonders if Beowulf is grimdark. 
• James Davis Nicoll wonders whether to distinguish between “best” and “favourite” books 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for September 2026. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about picking titles for British cosy crime novels.
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the extreme reader’s hyper-optimised day 

  

Film and TV:

• Rai Furniss-Greasley shares his thoughts on the animated series Golden Axe.  
• Leah Schnelbach praises the humanity and humor of Widow’s Bay  
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Face of Horror a future cult classic that offers playful spin on Hammer horror 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Forgotten Island an over-controlled animated adventure that never takes a breath or a moment to let its characters come to life 
• Catherine Bray calls Hallowarrior an apocalyptic Home Alone-style survival horror film.  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on Verity. 
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on the anime Madoka Magica: Walpurgisnacht Rising 
• Cheryl Eddy calls Posthumous a supernatural tale that taps into old-school technology for its tale of modern grief.  
• Jarrod Jones calls V/H/S/Mixtape a dull roar 
• Ben Child declares that making a new Skywalker trilogy for Star Wars would be a waste of time 
• Judith Tarr shares her appreciation for the character Luna in the anime Sailor Moon.   
• Animation Obsessive profiles Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit.  
• Matthew Byrd and Leah Schnelbach list eight horror movie versions of Greek myths 
• Paul Burke shares his favourite spy shows and movies of the 1960s. 
• Don Kaye rewatches the 1963 science fiction anthology series The Outer Limits. 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1971 musical espionage comedy When My Sweetheart Gets Loud.
• Amber Dubin revisits the first three episodes of season 2 of Night Gallery, which debuted in September 1971. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1973 dystopian movie Soylent Green. 
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1986 fantasy movie Babes in Toyland 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1987 vampire movie The Lost Boys. 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1987 fantasy movie The Witches of Eastwick  
• Haley Zapal revisits the 1987 horror movie The Gate.  
• Haley Zapal revisits the 1988 horror film Killer Klowns from Outer Space
• Rachel Meghan revisits the 1992 horror comedy Army of Darkness. 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1996 teen horror film The Craft. 
• Dean E.S. Richard revisits the 1997 science fiction horror movie Event Horizon. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1999 Babylon 5 Crusade episode “The Needs of Earth” 
• Charles Carrall revisits the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2021 science fiction film Neptune Frost. 
• Actor Michael Forest, who appeared in many B-movies as well as Star Trek and The Twilight Zone has died aged 97. 

 

Tributes to Eva Marie Saint:

• Eva Marie Saint, star of North by Northwest, On the Waterfront, Raintree Country, Superman Returns and many others, has died aged 102.
• Anne Billson ranks her favourites of Eva Marie Saint's movies. 
• Greg Whitmore shares photos from Eva Marie Saint's long life and career. 

 

Comments on the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:

• The Witch interviews Travis Knight, director of Masters of the Universe.  
• Digital Charcuterie points out that Masters of the Universe is still in the top ten streaming charts after eight weeks, even though most streaming movies fall out of the charts very quickly. 
• Watch "Side Scroll of Doom", the latest episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  

Comments on season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek at 60 and Star Trek in general:     

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.   
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “Tomorrow’s Enterprise”, the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.    

 

Comments on Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general:

• Arturo Serrano calls Lanterns the type of science fiction that considers the inner space of the human mind as vast and fascinating as outer space.  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Dirt and Stars”, the season 1 finale of Lanterns. 
• Dennis Perkins shares his thoughts on "Dirt and Stars”, the season 1 finale of Lanterns. 

 

Comments on Transformers: The Movie at forty: 

• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1986 animated science fiction film Transformers: The Movie and the new short film Optimus Prime: Awakening. 
• Chris McFeely revisits Transformers: The Movie. 
• Empire Wreckers explains why the Decepticons in Transformers are such memorable and occasionally sympathetic villains.  
• Germain Lussier reports that Michael Bay will return for another Transformers live action movie.  

 

 Comments on VisionQuest and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general: 

• William Hughes calls VisionQuest a worthy successor to WandaVision 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on the first two episodes of VisionQuest.  
• Sam Barsanti shares his thoughts on the first two episodes of VisionQuest.  
• Lily Brown interviews James Spader who plays Ultron in VisionQuest. 
• Tom Power interviews James Spader who plays Ultron in VisionQuest. 
• Germain Lussier declares that Avengers Endgame: Encore  is so much more than a Doomsday advertisement  
• Watch a trailer for VisionQuest.

 

Comments on Ray Gunn: 

• Germain Lussier calls Ray Gunn a fun science fiction detective story and little more  
• Siddhant Adlakha declares that Ray Gunn gives Zootopia a run for its money in the weird metaphor department 
• Germain Lussier interviews Brad Bird, director of Ray Gunn. 

 

Comments on the latest adaptation of Carrie:  

• Lucy Mangan declares that the glorious return of Carrie couldn’t come at a better time
• Saloni Gajjar calls Carrie a darker, riskier adaptation that takes a few too many detours 
• Saloni Gajjar calls Carrie's finale a bloody mess in more ways than one 
• Matthew Byrd lists the biggest changes the latest Carrie series makes to the novel.   

 

Comments on Digger:

• Sian Cain declares that Digger may have flopped spectacularly, but that it is a misunderstood masterpiece
• Germain Lussier wants to talk about Digger.  
• Andrew Pulver reports that Digger is set to lose 245 million USD at the box office.  

  

Comments on Avatar: Seven Havens: 

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Avatar: Seven Havens a triumphant return for the animated Last Airbender franchise 
• Joshua Rivera calls Avatar: Seven Havens a splendid sequel series.  
• Isaiah Colbert declares that the series premiere of Avatar: Seven Havens is a little rocky, but it’s got potential  
• Matthew Byrd discusses the controversy surrounding the portrayal of the character of Korra in Avatar: Seven Havens. 
• Isaiah Colbert notes that Avatar: Seven Havens finally lets the characters of Korra and Asami kiss, though in an unusual way.  

 

Comments on Street Fighter:  

• Jen Lennon declares that Street Fighter is exactly what you hoped and feared it would be  
• Jacob Oller calls Street Fighter a punishing, fetishistic mess—and that's when it's at its best. 
• Radheyan Simonpillai calls Street Fighter a largely incoherent mess 
• Anthony d'Alessandro reports that Street Fighter had a lower opening than expected, mostly driven by long-time fans.  

 

Comments on Crystal Lake:  

• Cheryl Eddy declares that Crystal Lake rewrites Friday the 13th lore with gory, campy glee 
• Saloni Gajjar calls Crystal Lake grisly, but overlong.  
• Glenn Garner interviews Brad Caleb Kane, creator of Crystal Lake.

 

Comments on Other Mommy: 

• Benjamin Lee calls Other Mommy a demonic double horror film that isn’t nightmarish enough 
• Natalie Zutter declares that Other Mommy possesses the imagination but not the daring 
• Justin Carter calls Other Mommy a bad movie already making big bucks 

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2026 British Fantasy Awards have been announced.
• The winner of the 2026 Aldiss Award has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Endeavour Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Harvey Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2026 Golden Joystick Awards has been announced. 

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Mike Glyer reports that there are once again issues with the contracts of Must-Read Magazines, this time regarding cover art.
• Jason Sanford declares that Must Read Magazines must change or they will destroy Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine 
• Mike Glyer reports that it appears that Must Read Magazine has caved in regarding cover art, following blowback from artists.  
• Adam Morgan reports that book publishers are quietly using more and more AI and that their staff is revolting. 
• Emma Loffhagen reports that thriller writer Lee Child is supporting a scheme to send half a million books to British prisons. 

 

Interviews:

• Tad Williams and George R.R. Martin interview each other. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Martha Wells. 
• S.E. Berrow interviews T. Kingfisher. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Yoon Ha Lee. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Wole Talabi. 
• Cora Buhlert interviews Fiona Moore.
• Sophie McBain interviews Audrey Niffenegger. 
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Peter Orullian. 
• Will McClelland interviews Francesco Dimitri and Sophia McDougall 

 

Reviews:   

• Camestros Felapton reviews The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey
• Kevin Tipple reviews Fury in Death by J.D. Robb 
• Charlie Jane Anders reviews Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger 
• Eddie Clark reviews The Only Way Out Is Up by Django Wexler  
• Alex Wallace reviews They Called Her Rebel by Jacob Dallas-Main  
• Robert Guffey reviews The Silver Revolver by John Shirley. 
• Vick Weisfeld reviews Shifta by Miles Joyner  
• Lesa Holstine reviews  The Winter Solstice Gift by Jenn McKinlay
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Any More Questions for the Corpse? by J.J. Unthank 
• Will McClelland reviews Pan by Francesco Dimitri
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews The Thrice Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Ashes of the Past by D.W. Ross 
• Saif Shaikh reviews The Worth of Scars by Gabriel Farrell 
• Fiona Denton reviews The Exorcism of Faeries by J.L. Vampa 
• Stew Hotston reviews The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Fallen Faithful by R.A. Sandpiper 
• Alex Brown reviews The Sunken, the Adored by Donyae Coles. 
• Tobias Carroll reviews In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts by Gwendolyn Kiste 
• S.E. Berrow reviews Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson  
• Mahvesh Murad reviews Witch Daughter by Tanaz Bhathena 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove 
• Ed Crocker reviews Incarnate by Alma Katsu 
• Krystle Matar reviews The Slantwise Histories by Alix E. Harrow
• Jenny Hamilton reviews The Tongue I Dream In by Sheree Renée Thomas 
• Arley Sorg reviews Lo que nos siguió a casa; Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latiné Horror, edited by Cynthia Pelayo

 

Classics reviews:

• Alan Brown revisits the 1953 science fiction novel More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1971 sword and sorcery anthology Warlocks and Warriors, edited by L. Sprague De Camp 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1971 sword and sorcery anthology Warlocks and Warriors, edited by Douglas Hill  
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology Protostars, edited by David Gerrold. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the October 1971 issue of Analog 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the November 1971 issue of Galaxy
• John Boston revisits the November 1971 issue of Amazing.  
• David Levinson revisits the November-December 1971 issue of IF - Worlds of Science Fiction.
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 experimental novel Les Guérillères, by Monique Wittig, translated by David Le Vay and the 1971 science fiction novel Gray Matters by William Hjortsberg, S.J. Groenewegen revisits the 1971 science fiction novels The Molecule Men and The Monster of Loch Ness by Fred Hoyle and Geoffrey Hoyle and Jason Sacks revisits the 1971 science fiction novel The Double Man by Eando Binder

 

Crowdfunding:

• E. Catherine Tobler, editor in chief of The Deadlands, needs help with medical expenses. 
• The documentary Tezuka! God of Manga is looking for funding. 

 

Con and event reports:

• Daniel Dern reports about the 2026 Readercon in Burlington, Massachusetts. 
• Mike Glyer reports that Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions of New Zealand have distanced themselves from a proposed CoNZealand 2 Worldcon bid for Wellington, New Zealand.
• Jen Lennon shares her favourite cosplay from the 2026 New York Comic Con in New York City. 
• Ellen Datlow shares photos of the latest edition of the Fantastic Fiction reading at the KGB Bar in New York City, featuring Carrie Edmund Laben and John Langan 

 

Science and technology:

• Robert Lea reports that Mercury is shrinking faster previously thought 
• Madeleine Rubin reports that food delivery robots are increasingly being attacked. 
• The Guardian reports that hackers have launched an unprecendented cyberattack on refrigeration units in French supermarkets. 
• Mathematician Mary Tsingou Menzel has died aged 98. 
• NASA software engineer Margaret Hamilton, who wrote the software for the Apollo missions, has died aged 90.

 

Gaming: 

• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Wolverine by Insomniac Games  
• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Tacoma by Fullbright 
• Keza MacDonald discusses what the 350 GBP Grand Theft Auto collector’s box says about the escalating cost of gaming 
• Gideon Marcus shares his thoughts on the SPI tabletop wargame Korea, which came out in 1971.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Prime versus Prime reviews the Hasbro Transformers Icons Megatron transforming action figure.   
• Dork Lair reviews the Figura Obscura Medusa action figure from Four Horsemen Studios. 
• Toy Habits reports that Mattel claims that with the re-release of the vintage Masters of the Universe toyline in the Masters of the Universe Origins line is now complete, except that several figures from the vintage line are still missing.
• Pixel Dan responds to Mattel's announcement that the vintage Masters of the Universe toyline has now been completely re-released in Masters of the Universe Origins.  
• He-Mania reports that Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz is leaving the company after eight years to join Skydance Media. 
• Germain Lussier shares a look at the Hasbro Street Fighter Blanka action figure.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at some upcoming LEGO Batman sets.  
• Justin Carter shares a look at the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday Doctor Doom and Steve Rogers action figures from Hot Toys.   
• Germain Lussier shares a look at LEGO sets coming out in October.  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Master/Slave Couple Seeking Physicist to Feed to a Black Hole" by Arden Powell in Lightspeed. 
• "Uncanny Jack" by Susan Palwick in Lightspeed.  
• "The Mari Lwyd" by Fiona Moore in Clarkesworld.
• "A Vintage Kind of Death" by Alex T. Singer in Clarkesworld.
• "The Three Paths You Take Upon the Death of Your Beloved Sister" by Emma Osborne in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "The Heart of the Undying" by Asser Mälkki in Swords and Sorcery Magazine,
• "Tomas the Castaway" by Michael Swanwick in Reactor.  
• "The Monster Hunter’s Bargain" by Genoveva Dimova in Reactor. 
• "The Re-Rememberings of Bee Bishop" by AriDy Nox in Imagine 2200 
• "The Taker" by Mari Ness in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "Tarantula" by Seán Padraic Birnie in The Dark. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero. 
• Watch a trailer for Blade Runner 2099. 
• Watch a trailer for Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2.  
• Watch a trailer for Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. 
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Yellowjackets. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for September 18, 2026

 

 

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, season 4 of Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Star Trek in general,  Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general, Coyote vs. Acme, Practical Magic 2, Parasomnia, Chronovisor, an uproar inside the HWA, tributes to Tim Curry, Peter Cullen and Dolly Parton, the 2026 Worldcon and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares 144 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in September 
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in September 2026
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in September 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in September 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in September 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in September 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in September 2026 
• Natalie Zutter shares romantasy novels coming out in September and October 2026. 
• Alex Brown lists their most anticipated young adult SFF for September and October 2026. 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for August 2026. 
• Justin Young shares his five favourite time travel books of all time. 
• Lorna Wallace shares five science fiction stories set in sandy places. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories featuring dubious schemes and terrible ideas  
• Nicole Field talks about polyamory in young adult speculative fiction 
• Sam Reader shares eight versions of fairy tales that tell a different story 
• Matthew Byrd talks about the rise of LitRPG. 
• Rebecca Stafford talks about the entrancing moral quandaries of dark academia
• Molly Templeton talks about finding your recipe for literary comfort food 
• BBC Witness History profiles Octavia Butler. 
• Stuart Cripps-Schnoor shares a guide to the Warhammer books. 
• David Gerrold talks about the issues and ethics of still buying Harry Potter merchandise, visiting theme parks and watching the new show in 2026.  
• Sylas K. Barrett discusses the surprising similarities between the Wheel of Time character Perrin Aybara and the X-Men character Wolverine.  
• Emma Loffhagen reports that classicist Emily Wilson will retranslate The Odyssey from scratch 
• Locus remembers David Kopaska Merkel. 
• Groundbreaking feminist writer and campaigner Gloria Steinem has died aged 92 
• Pulp and comic writer Will Murray has died aged 73. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Audris Candra explains what the graphic novel Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo says about the realities of queer experience in the Global South
• The Phantom talks about eighty years of Phantom publishing history in Australia. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about methods for encouraging a reluctant young reader 

  

Film and TV:

• Josh Pearce reviews Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
• Steve Vertlieb reviews The End of Oak Street 
• Germain Lussier declares that season 3 of Silo goes out with a bang  
• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on The Vampire Lestat. 
• Philip Oltermann calls Jupiter a French thriller about nuclear war fears. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Scherzetto a dithering Neapolitan ghost story
• Joshua Rivera declares that The Dog Stars is just as tired of post-apocalyptic stories as we are
• Steve Erickson calls Buddy refreshingly original filmmaking that delivers as many laughs as scares
• Leslie Felperin calls Hungry a horror film about a rampaging hippo that forgets that hippos are vegetarian.  
• Leah Schnelbach declares that the documentary Boorman and the Devil will make you want to create art and it might make you reassess The Exorcist II. 
• Simran Hans interviews Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark in Game of Thrones.  
• Rich Pelley interviews Alex Winter who played Bill in the Bill and Ted movies.  
• Miles Klee interviews Richard Kelly, director of Donnie Darko.  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Na Hong-jin, director of Hope and The Wailing.   
• Kiaran Fisher reports that H.G. Wells intensely disliked the 1927 science fiction movie Metropolis. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1931 horror movie Frankenstein. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1932 horror film  Island of Lost Souls
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1971 horror film Let's Scare Jessica to Death 
• Darren Richman revisits the 1976 The Muppets Show for its fiftieth anniversary. 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 sword and sorcery movie Conan the Barbarian. 
• Dan Larsen revisits the 1986 animated superhero series Defenders of the Earth. 
• Camestros Felapton revisits the 1987 satirical science fiction film RoboCop. 
• Leah Thomas revisits the 1998 anime Serial Experiments Lain 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1999 Babylon 5 TV movie A Call to Arms 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 2002 anime The Cat Returns 
• Fawzia Khan revisits the 2015 science fiction mini-series Childhood's End. 
• James Hibbs shares Mark Gatiss' ideas on how Doctor Who should handle the Billie Piper cliffhanger. 
• Niall Gray lists five great superhero movie sidekicks that deserved their own movies 
• Anna Billson ranks her favourite giants in movies. 
• Maya Phillips discusses the latest horror trend of movies about inescapable places.  
• Jamie Grierson and Steven Morris report that according to Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park, Gromit was almost a cat. 

 

Tributes to Peter Cullen, Tim Curry and Dolly Parton:

• Frank Welker, who voiced Megatron in Transformers among many others, shares a tribute to his friend and co-star Peter Cullen who voiced Optimus Prime. 
• Tyler Dean lists his ten favourite Tim Curry roles. 
• Mya Copeland reports that Tim Curry's cause of death has been revealed. 
• Olivia Rutigliano shares a guide to the crime movies of Dolly Parton. 

 

Comments on the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:

• The Masters Cast wonders if Masters of the Universe will get a sequel. 
• He-Mania reports that the 4K release of the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie will include several deleted scenes.  
• He-Mania reports that the voice cast of the video game Masters of the of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction has been unveiled.  
• Watch "Man-at-Arms and Trap Jaw Are Trapped", the latest episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  
• Watch "Beware Ram-Man!", the latest episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  

Comments on season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek at 60 and Star Trek in general:  

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on “Off-Hour”, the previous episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.    
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass…”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.   
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass…”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.    
• Alyse Wax shares her thoughts on “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass…”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.    
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on “Orders of Magnitude”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.     
• Joshua M. Patton interviews Rhys Darby who plays Trelane in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 
• Ryan Britt interviews John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who are supposed to write the next Star Trek movie. 
• Arturo Serrano celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of Star Trek.  
• Mark Yon celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of Star Trek. 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1986 Star Trek movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
• Lynnette Rice reports that the cast of the medical drama The Pitt has done a live reading of the script for the 1966 pilot episode of Star Trek to benefit the Writers Guild Foundation. 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that Star Trek fans are planning to gather at the Science Museum in London, UK, for an attempted Guinness World Record in Vulcan salutes. 

 

Comments on Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general:

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "OutKast”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Dennis Perkins shares his thoughts on "OutKast”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on "OutKast”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "The Weenie”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Joshua Rivera asks whose show Lanterns is anyway 
• Nick Romano interviews the actor who plays the Manhunter in Lanterns.  
• Ronda Racha Penrice interviews Vanessa Baden Kelly, writer of "OutKast"  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Stephanie Economou, composer of Lanterns.
• Cheryl Eddy reports that Lanterns is getting more popular with each new episode  
• Zack Sharf interviews Gal Gadot who played Wonder Woman in the previous iteration of the DC Cinematic Universe.   

 

Comments on Coyote vs. Acme: 

• Arturo Serrano calls Coyote vs. Acme the little movie that could
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Coyote vs. Acme has a lot to say and only so many signs
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Coyote Vs. Acme won its case, but still loses to the legacy of Looney Tunes 
• Alan Siegel shares an oral history of Coyote vs. Acme. 
• Olivia Rutigliano recounts the struggle Coyote vs. Acme faced to reach movie theaters.

 

 Comments on Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general: 

• Nellie Andreeva reports that Spider-Noir has been cancelled after a single season.
• Nellie Andreeva shares the reaction of Nicholas Cage who played Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir to the series' cancellation. 
• Rebecca Rubin reports that Chloe Zhao, director of Eternals, defends comic book and superhero movies.  
• Watch a trailer for Avengers: Endgame Encore. 

 

Comments on Practical Magic 2:  

• Adrian Horton calls Practical Magic 2 an odd sequel that still casts a spell 
• Katie Edwards wonders whether Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s seeming agelessness is the real trick of Practical Magic 2. 
• Liz Parker lists twenty witchy books to read if you love Practical Magic 

 

Comments on Parasomnia:

• Phil Hoad calls Parasomnia a horror film that suffers from an overly complex plot
• Cheryl Eddy calls Parasomnia convoluted, but oddly compelling.

  

Comments on Chronovisor: 

• Jacob Oller declares that Chronovisor turns a research rabbit hole into must-see cinema
• Leah Schnelbach calls Chronovisor a film about libraries, time travel and the joy of research:   

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2026 Dragon Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2026 Eugie Foster Memorial Award has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2026 Mike Resnick Memorial Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Emmy Awards have been announced with lots of love for Widow's Bay, Pluribus and Spider-Noir.  
• The longlist for the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction has been announced.
• The Queensland Writers Center shares an open letter to the Australian speculative fiction writing community regarding the Aurealis Awards.
• Mike Glyer reports that Baen Books has established the David A. Drake Memorial Award. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2026 Hugo Award winners. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2026 Dragon Award winners.  

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Linwood Barclay talks about writing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations
• Angela Boord asks if trope marketing is ruining literature.
• Sean Delone discusses the collapse of the non-fiction book market. 
• Lois McMaster Bujold talks about printer errors happening to her and other books. 
• Katy Hershberger reports about widespread problems as author begin to receive their Anthropic AI settlement payments. 
• Lee Hae-rin reports about the popularity of literary collectibles in South Korea. 

 

Comments on controversies inside the HWA:

• Mike Glyer reports that the Horror Writers Association has dissolved its executive director position amid a series of controversies 
• Michael Patrick Hicks discusses what he describes as the HWA's neverending August 2026 shitshow. 

 

Interviews:

• Nathan Alderman interviews Alix E. Harrow. 
• Avery Kaplan interviews Charlie Jane Anders. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Cadwell Turnbull.
• Arley Sorg interviews Peter Watts.   
• Scott Edelman interviews Alex Jablokov. 

 

Reviews:   

• Lesa Holstine reviews Fury in Death by J.D. Robb 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Best of All Possible Planets by Alex Shvartsman  
• Grimdark Magazine reviews An Empire in the Clouds by Ai Jiang 
• Marlene Harris reviews Engines of Reason by Adrian Tchaikovsky 
• Abigail Nussbaum reviews The Felicity Complex by August Clarke 
• Paul Du Filippo reviews Testament of Leaves by Carolyn Ives Gilman 
• Marion Deeds reviews Smoke Season by Carrie-Edmund Laben 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Slow Burn by Amal Singh 
• Beejay Silcox reviews Under Story by Chloe Benjamin   
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The End of Everything by M. John Harrison  
• Ian Mond reviews Valet by J.P. Lacrampe 
• Marlene Harris reviews Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher 
• Tom Joyce reviews Ironbound by Andrew Givler 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig
• Grimdark Magazine reviews The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Black Doe by Cleland Smith 
• Colleen Mondor reviews Henry Tudor Must Die by Jillian Laine 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews One Last Prayer by Mosha Winter 
• Paul Weimer reviews A Dubious Clamor by Marissa Lingen   
• Bill Capossere reviews Portrait of a Witch Undone by K.S. Shay 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst 
• Jen Lucas reviews Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The League of Dangerous Young Ladies by J.A. Morgenstein 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Spiritualists by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
• Marlene Harris reviews The Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth DeLozier 
• Stew Hotston reviews Make Me A Monster by Kalynn Bayron  
• Ed Crocker reviews Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison 
• Alex Brown reviews Find My Way Down to You by Julian Winters 
• Aaron Jones reviews Valhalla Burning by Michael Pogach 
• Saif Shaikh reviews Upon the Forge of Battle by Anthony Ryan
• Eddie Clark reviews The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan  
• Krystle Matar reviews Dreamland by Olivie Blake 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Somnium by Eden Apelbaum 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews No More Levels by Benjamin Barreth  
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Odessa by Gabrielle Sher 
• Alex Brown reviews The Saw Mouth by Cale Plett 
• Alex Brown reviews That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Filth Eaters by Ito Romo
• Clara Cohen reviews Spread Me by Sarah Gailey  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Bad Things Happen Here by Mark Morris 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Sweetside Motel by E. L. Chen  
• Hache Pueyo reviews City Like Water by Dorothy Tse. 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Book of Bots by James Patrick Kelly 
• Arley Sorg reviews Africanfuturism Short Stories, edited by Chinelo Onwualu. 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Lovecraft’s Brood, edited by Ellen Datlow 

 

Classics reviews:

• Alan Brown revisits the 1897 science fiction novel The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells 
• Mark Yon revisits the 1967 science fiction novel Hawksbill Station by Robert Silverberg. 
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1968 science fiction anthology Farewell, Fantastic Venus!, edited by Brian W. Aldiss and Harry Harrison. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the September 1971 issue of Analog. 
• Fiona Moore revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology New Worlds Quarterly #2, edited by Michael Moorcock. 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1995 YA horror novel Switched by R.L. Stine. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2004 science fiction collection The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh by C J Cherryh  
• Kat Hooper revisits the 2007 Pip and Flinx space opera Patrimony by Alan Dean Foster 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 2009 Pip and Flinx space opera Flinx Transcendent by Alan Dean Foster
• Polly Stewart and Abby Dunn revisit the 2012 ghost novel I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdadottir 

 

Crowdfunding:

• New Edge Sword and Sorcery are looking for funding for their 2026 novellas. 
• Lightspeed and Nightmare Magazine are looking for funding. 
• Seasons Gone Bye, a narrative urban fantasy podcast set in 1990s Seattle, is looking for funding.  

 

Comments on LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon:

• Sydney Gaw reports about LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California. 
• Sarah Gulde and Isabel Shechter report about LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California. 
• Pickled Okra shares his experiences at LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon, in a multi-part post. 
• Francis Hamit shares his experiences at LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon, as someone who is disabled.
• Francis Hamit reports about the panel "Catching a Criminal: Forensics for SF/Mystery Writers" at LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California. 
• File 770 shares photos of LACon V. 
• Richard Man shares photos from LACon V. 
• Mike Glyer shares a photo of past, present and future Worldcon chairs taken at LACon V. 

 

Other con and event reports:

• Kendall Murry reports about Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia, from the POV of a black fan. 
• Hinse Mutter reports about the 2026 Dutch Fantasticon in n Nieuw-Vennep, the Netherlands 
• Lavie Tidhar reports about RichmondCon in Richmond-upon-Thames, UK.
• Arley Sorg reports about the 2026 Gen Con Writers Symposium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Jimmy Diaz shares his terrible experiences trying to pick up his badge at the 2026 Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. 
• Adam Christopher Smith reports about the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China. 

 

Science and technology:

• Felix Tamsut reports that the Bavarian company Isar Aerospace has successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit. 
• Stephen Clark reports that ESA will run the Envision Venus probe alone after the US pulled out unexpectedly. 
• Madeline Martin profiles Matthew Hopkins, the seventeenth century Witchfinder General, and his deadly witch hunts.
• Tom Tapp reports that the Trump government has shown off the uniform designs for its newly created Space Force, which turn out to be inspired by the 1997satirical military science fiction movie Starship Troopers.  

 

Gaming: 

• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Tunic by Isometricorp Games 
• Daniella Lucas reports that mail thieves in the UK are targetting mail order sales of Pokemon cards. 
• Keith Stuart is frustrated that mainstream journalism focusses too much on the expected blockbuster release of Grand Theft Auto VI and ignores what else the gaming world has to offer. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan discusses where the Masters of the Universe Origins toyline from Mattel will go in 2027. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at an upcoming Wallace and Gromit Lego set 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at a  Lego PlayStation set.
• Nostalgia Rewind explains that Tonka's GoBots toyline actually predates Hasbro's Transformers, though it is viewed as a Transformers copy today. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Eldest Bird of Paradise" by Denzel Xavier Scott in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Seneschal of Shattered Tor" by Abhijeet Sathe in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Red Veil" by Daniel Roop in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Red Riding Wolf" by Suzan Palumbo in The Sunday Morning Transport.  
• "Water-Eaters" by Beth Goder in Clarkesworld. 
• "To Walk This Distant Shore with You" by A.D. Sui in Clarkesworld.
• "Where the Wild Things Grow" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu in Future Tense Fiction. 
• "Audit of the Collapse and Convalescence of Minds" by Renan Bernardo in Reactor.  
• "Long Goodbyes" by Anya Ow in Lightspeed. 
• "The Chrysalis of Moth One" by V.M. Ayala in Lightspeed.  
• "Ticky-Tacky" by Kristi DeMeester in The Dark.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero. 
• Watch a trailer for Avatar: Seven Havens. 
• Watch a trailer for Wildwood. 
• Watch a trailer for Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom 
• Watch a trailer for Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 
• Watch a trailer for Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu 
• Watch a clip from Optimus Prime: Awakening.  
• Watch a trailer for Street Fighter. 
• Watch a trailer for Clayface. 
• Watch a trailer for City of Blood. 
• Watch a trailer for Sunrise of the Reaping.  
• Watch a trailer for Ghosts: The Possession of Button House 
• Watch a trailer for Whalefall.  
• Watch a trailer for Below. 
• Watch a trailer for the latest adaptation of Carrie.  
• Watch a trailer for American Horror Story 13.