Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 19, 2026

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, Widow's Bay, Disclosure Day, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Lestat, I Am Frankelda, The Death of Robin Hood, Leviticus, season 2 of Sugar, Toy Story 5 and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares her favourite recent science fiction, fantasy and horror novels.  
• Alex Brown shares must-read speculative short fiction published in May 2026. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five very different science fictional takes on space habitats 
• James Davis Nicoll takes  a look at science fiction story that offers solutions to traffic problems  
• Lish McBride shares her favourite whimsical LGBTQ+ SFF. 
• Aly Noel shares recommendations for children's and YA fantasy series.  
• Lindsey Kent shares five great novels that read like bad trips, fever dreams or reality warps  
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror stories that offer a twist on the final girl formula 
• Matthew Cheney takes a look at the early horror works of Clive Barker and Joel Lane.  
• SFF writer Jane Yolen has died aged 87. 

   

Comics and Art:

• Stew Hotston reviews Absolute Martian Manhunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez. 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Alva in the Dark by Aksel Studsgarth 
• Locus interviews comic artist and illustrator Dante Luiz. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about a hypothetical FIFA Prize for Literature.  

  

Film and TV:

• Germain Lussier shares early reactions to Supergirl.  
• Monica Castillo calls Rose of Nevada an immersive science fiction mystery with an otherworldly style.
• Leslie Felperin calls The Toymaker's Key an eclectic if overwrought steampunk animated film.  
• Isaiah Colbert calls the animated series Among Us a delightful mix of comedy and horror 
• Cath Clarke calls Thirst a trashy 1980s style body horror film.  
• Alex Brown shares their thought on "Starry Night", the latest episode of The Terror: Devil in Silver.  
• Ben Child calls the planned Hunt for Gollum a movie we don't need. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Ryan Condal, showrunner for House of the Dragon. 
• Jake Pitre looks back at 1990s movies that were concerned with the Internet and virtual reality.  
• Leah Thomas shares five anime for fans of John Carpenter 
• Phil Hoad revisits the 1985 anime Angel's Egg.  
• Isaiah Colbert revisits the 1986 anime Project A-Ko 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1994 animated film The Lion King.  
• Kayleigh Donaldsen revisits the 1996 animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder” 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2019 science fiction film Cosmos.  
• Sam Barsanti wonders whether it's time to let Doctor Who die. 
• Former child actress and voice actress Daveigh Chase, best known for her roles in The Ring, Big Love and Donnie Darko and for voicing Lilo in Lilo and Stitch and Chihiro in the English version of Spirited Away, has died aged 35. 

 

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

• Cora Buhlert, Juan Sanmiguel and Vicky Jakobowski discuss Masters of the Universe. 
• Ann Michelle Harris calls Masters of the Universe a lighthearted nostalgic adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously 
• A,J, from He-Mania calls Masters of the Universe his favourite film of all time. 
• Alex Wiggan talks about the positive impact of Masters of the Universe and how the movie is bringing joy to audiences. 
• Rachel Leishman interviews Travis Knight, director of Masters of the Universe. 
• He-Mania interviews Sam C. Wilson who plays Trap-Jaw in Masters of the Universe.  
• Colt Crane interviews Jon Xue Zhang who plays Ram-Man in Masters of the Universe.  
• Simon Bland interviews Dolph Lundgren and Robert Duncan McNeil who played He-Man and Kevin Corrigan in the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie.  
• Colt Crane interviews Tim Sheridan, writer of Masters of the Universe: Wings of Fate.  
• Alex Wiggan reviews Masters of the Universe: The Wings of Fate #1, by Tim Sheridan and Will Sliney 
• Todd Luck reviews Masters of the Universe: The Wings of Fate #1, by Tim Sheridan and Will Sliney 
• Captain Video explains why He-Man meant everything to 1980s kids.  
• Alex Wiggan explains why Masters of the Universe still matters decades later. 
• Alex Wiggan laments that Masters of the Universe was called a flop before the movie was even out. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her experiences going to see Masters of the Universe in Hamburg, Germany.  
• James Eatock shares a proposal for a never produced animated Masters of the Universe movie from 1983.  
• Watch "He-Man's Secret Power", the first episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  

Comments on Widow's Bay:  

• The AV Club share their thoughts on season 1 of Widow's Bay.  
• Leanne Butkovic shares her thoughts on season 1 of Widow's Bay.  
• Josef Ardalian discusses the surprising popularity of Widow's Bay.  
• Caroline Siede declares that Widow’s Bay reclaims the spinster 
• Christina Radish interviews Katie Dippold, showrunner of Widow's Bay 
• Emily Zemler interviews Hiro Murai, director of Widow's Bay. 
• Destiny Jackson interviews Kingston Rumi Southwick, who plays Evan in Widow's Bay. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares eight questions and demands for season 2 of Widow's Bay.  
• Matthew Byrd shares recommendations for what to watch after Widow’s Bay 
• Molly Templeton reports that Widow's Bay has been renewed for season 2. 

 

Comments on Disclosure Day: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Disclosure Day should have remained undisclosed
• Mike McCahill declares that Disclosure Day appears terribly hazy, if not outright befuddled, on crucial plot points. 
• Leah Schnelbach notes that Disclosure Day puts religion and aliens in a blender, with mixed results 
• Arturo Serrano notes that Disclosure Day is not about the power of whistleblowing, but about the power of movies
• Rory Doherty declares that Disclosure Day is Steven Spielberg's riskiest finale yet 
• Xan Brooks wonders why movies are suddenly into conspiracy theories again. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Sugar:

• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on season 2 of Sugar.  
• Jack Seale calls Sugar a luxurious labyrinth of noir 

 

 Comments on Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Lestat:

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Vampire Lestat. 
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Vampire Lestat. 

 

Comments on I Am Frankelda: 

• Monica Castillo calls I Am Frankelda a pure animated delight 
• Isaiah Colbert calls I Am Frankelda a stop-motion fever dream you’ll never want to wake up from 

 

 Comments on The Death of Robin Hood: 

• Jacob Oller declares that The Death of Robin Hood reckons with myth but stays on the surface. 
• Caroline Siede revisits the 1938 The Adventures Of Robin Hood and finds that it still holds up. .

 

Comments on Leviticus:

• Monica Castillo calls Leviticus a harrowing horror film from Australia.   
• Reuben Baron calls for queer horror fans to watch Leviticus.   

 

Comments on Toy Story 5: 

• Peter Bradshaw declares that Toy Story 5 shows that the inexplicably popular Pixar franchise is played out. 
• Jesse Hassenger finds that the emotional core and big laughs remain in Toy Story 5, even if the plotting gets overbusy
• Germain Lussier claims that Toy Story 5 does Pixar’s signature franchise proud

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2026 Lambda Literary Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 TCA Awards have been announced. 
• With regard to the surprising Clarke Award nomination for Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, Camestros Felapton notes that the increased scrutiny that comes with a major award nomination isn't always good for a work. 

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Ruthanna Emrys talks about finding inspiration beyond books.
• Holly Beretto profiles the Murder by the Book mystery bookstore in Houston, Texas. 

 

Interviews:

• Fiona Denton interviews Sarah Hinkley.  
• Deborah Kalb interviews Claudia Gray. 
• Esmay Rosalyne interviews Adrian M. Gibson. 
• Esmay Rosalyne interviews Z.B. Steele. 
• Harold Schechter and Lauren Oliver interview each other.   
• Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee interview David Goodman. 
• Locus interviews Sheree Reneé Thomas. 
• Locus interviews Nivia Evans.

 

Reviews:   

• Paul Di Filippo reviews Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Moon Over Brendle by Jeff Noon 
• Mark Yon reviews The Captain's Daughter by Peter F. Hamilton.  
• Alex Brown reviews Bromantasy by Máire Roche
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews Villain by Natalie Zina Walshots 
• Paul Weimer reviews This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm  
• Camestros Felapton reviews There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman  
• Melissa A.Watkins reviews Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb 
• Niall Harrison reviews Homebound by Portia Elan 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst 
• Arturo Serrano reviews The Nightland Express by J. M. Lee 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu   
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews City of Stone by K. T. Holder 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler
• Liz Bourke reviews The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn  
• Vanessa Fogg reviews The Language of Liars by S.L. Huang 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews A Murder Most Fungal by Adrian M. Gibson 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Mystery of the Bitten Peach by Cecilia Tan 
• Clara Cohen reviews Rainmaker, Rainmaker by Kevin B. Hillstrom 
• Alex Puncekar reviews A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Until We Drown by Ava Morwood  
• Rob Bedford reviews Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian.  
• Z.B. Steele reviews The Ash Remains by C. William Phillips 
• Hache Pueyo reviews The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa. 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed  
• Sasha Bonkowsky reviews The Franchise by Thomas Elrod. 
• Mahvesh Murad reviews Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim 
• Tobias Carroll reviews The Dorians by Nick Cutter.  
• Niall Harrison reviews Glyph by Ali Smith 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Wretch by Eric LaRocca 
• Tobias Carroll reviews Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Decomposition Book by Sara van Os 
• Steven Poole reviews The Uses of Utopia by Joad Raymond Wren 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Ada Palmer and Jo Walton 

 

Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1957 science fiction collection Tales From the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1961 satirical science fiction novel The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison   
• John Boston revisits the July 1971 issue of Amazing.  
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology New Writings in S-F 19, edited by John Carnell 
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1971 science fiction novel The Bite of Monsters by Dennis O’Neil, George Pritchard revisits the 1971 satirical science fiction novel Little Dog's Day by Jack Trevor Story and the 1971 horror novel Hell House by Richard Matheson and David Levinson revisits the 1971 science fiction novel Son of Man by Robert Silverberg
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction collection Abyss: Two Novellas by Kate Wilhelm and the 1971 YA time travel novel The Old Powder Line by Richard Parker and Winona Menezes revisits the 1971 planetary romance Exiles of the Stars by Andre Norton
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1992 YA horror novels The Waitress by Sinclair Smith and The Knife by R.L. Stine.  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2014 Stardrifter space opera Street Candles by David Collins-Rivera 

 

Con and event reports:

• Isobel Lewis reports about the touring queer Doctor Who show Gallifrey Cabaret. 
• Charlotte Higgins reports about the literary festival Book Arsenal in Kyiv, Ukraine. 
• Steven Morris reports about the exhibition "Cracking Exhibition Gromit: 50 Years of Aardman in Bristol" in Bristol, UK. 

 

Crowdfunding:

• Strange Horizons are running their 2027 fundraiser 

 

Science and technology:

• Gayoung Lee wonders what it would mean if dark matter doesnt actually exist. 
• Olivia Rutigliano notes that AI-generated actresses and companions are just the latest iteration of the quest to create the perfect woman. 

 

Gaming: 

• Tom Regan reviews the video game The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan takes a look at more figures from the Mattel Masters of the Universe Core line. 
• Germain Lussier shares a look at the Hot Toys Aliens Ellen Ripley and Alien Warrior action figures.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird LEGO set. 
• Adam Bankhurst reports that the first officially licensed Studio Ghibli store in the US will open in Los Angeles, California. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "I Cut Off a Monster’s Arm. AITA?" by Marie Brennan in Lightspeed.  
• "The Overview Initiative" by David Marino in Lightspeed.   
• "Huntress of the High Trails" by Robert Rhodes in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 
• "Fletcher’s Flights" by Jonathan Olfert in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "A Candle for Her Tireless Dead" by Louis Inglis Hall in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  
• "The Tithe of Ulfthern" by Patrick Kanouse in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "The Potential Side Effects of Roleplay Stimulation Therapy" by Claire Jia-Wen in Clarkesworld. 
• "Magpie Rhymes" by R.K. Duncan in The Dark. 
• "Patterns of Dentition in Transgender Adults" by Izzy Wasserstein in Nightnare Magazine. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.  
• Watch a trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. 
• Watch a trailer for Hot Spot. 
• Watch a trailer for The Last House. 
• Watch a trailer for Gatto.  
• Watch a trailer for Hexed.  
• Watch a trailer for Shrek 5.  

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 12, 2026

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Widow's Bay, Disclosure Day, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Lestat and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Readers of the Guardian share their one hundred favourite novels of all time. 
• Alex Brown shares five queer YA books for pride month 
• S.D. Coverly shares five SFF novels about murder on campus 
• Cynthia Pelayo lists five dark and speculative adaptations of Peter Pan 
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror books featuring older protagonists 
• N.K. Jemisin shares the text of her SFWA Grand Master speech. 
• Kelly Robinson lists eight overlooked characters from Lewis Carroll’s Alice books 
• Literary scholar Alan Gribben who removed some slurs from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has died aged 84.  

   

Comics and Art:

• Ann Michelle Harris reviews Absolute Wonder Woman Volumes 1 and 2 by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Mattia De Iulis and Jordie Bellaire,  
• Alex Jennings takes a look at the Absolute Universe by DC Comics.  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon on book lies. 
• Comics scholar John A. Lent has died aged 89.  

  

Film and TV:

• Haley Zapal calls The Mandalorian and Grogu basically just a no-stakes, super-long episode of The Mandalorian
• Cath Clarke calls Signal One a high-concept, low-risk first contact film. 
• Josh Pearce reviews Exit 8 
• James Grebey declares that the new Scary Movie ends a horror era so dumb even Scary Movie figured it out
• Amelia Emberwing interviews the cast of The Legend of Vox Machina. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Chinaza Uche who plays Coffee in The Terror: Devil in Silver.  
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1988 fantasy film The Adventures of Baron Münchausen:
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “Darkness Ascending” 
• Eleanor Margolis revisits the 1999 found footage horror film The Blair Witch Project.  
• Radha Vatsal revisits the 2015 post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road.
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2017 horror film The Endless.  

 

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

• Branyan Towe calls Masters of the Universe endlessly fun, with a surprising amount of heart. 
• Jack Bottomly calls Masters of the Universe a colourful, hopeful, blast from start to finish which seriously has the power. 
• Erik Kain calls Masters Of The Universe a surprisingly great He-Man movie
• Amy Koto calls Masters of the Universe an entertaining watched filled with nostalgia. 
• Jason Colavito talks about the experience of watching Masters of the Universe with his nine-year-old son.  
• Dave McRae declares that Masters of the Universe is great.  
• Liam Gaughan calls Masters of the Universe an unabashedly geeky, good-natured fantasy romp 
• Considering Stories calls Masters of the Universe a fun two hours long meditation on the failures of inflexible fathers and the hopes for heroes to rise despite their shaky origins
• Keith Carlington notes that Masters of the Universe is built upon a genuine affection for the source material. 
• Ali Rizvi declares that Masters of the Universe gets it (mostly) right 
• CastleMania Games shares a spoilerish review of Masters of the Universe.  
• Brian Particelli interviews Nicholas Galitzine and Dolph Lundgren who plays He-Man in the 2026 and 1987 Masters of the Universe movie respectively.  
• Hayley Campbell interviews Sir Idris Elba who plays Duncan a.k.a. Man-at-Arms in Masters of the Universe.  
• Peri Nemiroff interviews Alison Brie who plays Evil-Lyn in Masters of the Universe.  
• He-Mania interviews Kojo Attah who plays Tri-Klops in Masters of the Universe. 
• He-Mania.com interviews James Wilkinson who plays Mekaneck in Masters of the Universe. 
• Matt Minton interviews Daniel Pemberton who composed the score for Masters of the Universe. 
• Hannah Hart notes that the inexplicable backlash against Masters of the Universe and The Mandalorian and Grogu says more about cinemagoers and the sorry state of film criticism than about those movies.  
• Listen to the Masters of the Universe soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton and others. 

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

• Ellery Weil discusses where Spider-Noir fails to live up to its genre — and where it succeeds 
• Rosy Cordero interviews Spider-Noir co-showrunner, writer and executive producer Oren Uziel and actors Lamorne Morris, Jack Huston and Karen Rodriguez.

 

Comments on the future of Doctor Who:  

• Nadia Khomani reports that the 2026 Doctor Who Christmas Special has been cancelled and that the BBC has parted ways with Russell T. Davies and is looking for a new showrunner and production company.   
• Martin Belam wonders whether Doctor Who will survive the exit of Russell T. Davies.  
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1971 Doctor Who serial "The Daemons".  

 

Comments on Widow's Bay:  

• Stuart Heritage explains why everyone should be watching Widow’s Bay 
• Erik Adams insists that everybody should watch Widow's Bay.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Widow's Bay.  
• Emma Fraser interviews Matthew Rhys, star of Widow's Bay.   

 

Comments on Disclosure Day: 

• Pete Hammond calls Disclosure Day a masterful 1970s style thriller. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Disclosure Day a conspiracy spectacular.  
• Nicholas Barber calls Disclosure Day a flimsy alien drama that feels like a drab X-Files episode. 
• Monica Castillo declares that Steven Spielberg phones it in with Disclosure Day 
• Germain Lussier calls Disclosure Day an unforgettable Steven Spielberg science fiction spectacle  
• Aaron Jones shares his thoughts on Disclosure Day.  

 

Comments on Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Lestat:

• Saloni Gajjar declares that the already great Interview With The Vampire enters its vibrant Vampire Lestat era
• Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on "Detroit", the first episode of The Vampire Lestat.  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Sam Reid who plays Lestat and Jarda Klapek in The Vampire Lestat
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw interviews Daniel Hart, who composed the score for Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Lestat.  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2026 Theodore A. Sturgeon Memorial Award have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Ignyte Awards have been announced.  
• The shortlist for the 2026 Future Worlds Prize has been announced. 
• The semifinalists for the 2026 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition have been announced. 
• The recipients for the 2026 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Tony Awards have been announced.  

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Brook Wilensky-Lanford talks about finding the perfect title. 
• Locus reports that Subterranean Books will close in late 2027.  
• Hillel Italie shares a guide to bookstores owned by authors. 

 

Interviews:

• Locus interviews Isabel J. Kim. 
• Joel Miller intervies Guy Gavriel Kay.  
• Ed Crocker interviews C.J. Leede. 

 

Reviews:   

• Daniel Dern reviews Radiant Star by Ann Leckie.  
• Adrienne Martini reviews The Best of All Possible Planets by Alex Shvartsman  
• Sasha Bonkowsky reviews The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen.
• Marlene Harris reviews Cash and Gravity by Perrin Pring 
• Mark Yon reviews The Traveller by Joseph Eckert.  
• Marlene Harris reviews Valet by J.P. Lacrampe 
• Cory Doctorow reviews Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer.  
• Michael Faber reviews The End of Everything by M. John Harrison 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty  
• Marlene Harris reviews Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous by Autumn K. England 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Charms, Charts, and Conspiracies by David Green
• Paul Weimer reviews The Final Chronicle of Yeneh by Jo Miles
• Alex Wallace reviews The Palace of Eros by Caro de Robertis 
• Bill Capossere reviews Mortedant’s Peril by R.J. Barker  
• Marlene Harris reviews Heaven’s Graveyard by Grace Curtis 
• Stuart Cripps-Schnoor reviews Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence  
• Summer Hanford reviews Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Rising Gale by Z.B. Steele  
• Christopher Keene reviews Iron Prince by Bryce O’Connor and Luke Chmilenko 
• C.T. Phipps reviews Anarch by Dan Abnett 
• Niall Harrison reviews What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed 
• Rob Bedford reviews It Came From Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo. 
• Ian Mond reviews Department of the Vanishing by Johanna Bell 
• Molly Templeton reviews An Impossibility of Crows by Kirsten Kaschock. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Dead First by Johnny Compton  
• Arley Sorg reviews My Dear You by Rachel Khong 

 

Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1964 weird fiction anthology Worlds of Weird, edited by Leo Margulies
• Alan Brown revisits the 1967 TV adaptation Star Trek and its 1968 sequel Star Trek 2 by James Blish. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the July 1971 issue of Galaxy.  
• George Pritchard revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology Universe 1, edited by Terry Carr. 
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1972 science fiction novel The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Kat Hooper revisits the 2005 Pip and Flinx space opera Running from the Deity by Alan Dean Foster 

 

Con and event reports:

• Meredith G. White recounts how Phoenix Fan Fusion in Phoenix, Arizona, grew from small comic con to pop culture giant

 

Science and technology:

• Brendan Byrne reports that NASA has appointed four astronauts for the Artemis III mission 
• Andy Tomaswick reports that space telescopes are now overwhelmed by satellite trails 
• Space Daily reports that in 1977 a radio telescope in Delaware, Ohio, picked up an extremely strong and clear radio signal from the diection of Sagittarius, which has never been heard again.  
• Douglas Fox reports that Earth’s stratosphere is a mysterious superhighway for microbes 
• Thomas Ling explains why cats love sitting on laptops. 
• Caitlin Mullen talks about the legend of the Jersey Devil. 

 

Gaming: 

• Matthew Castle calls 007 First Light a triumphant James Bond game made by obsessive fans
• Matthew Castle interviews Patrick Gibson who portrays James Bond in 007 Frst Light. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• ToyBro reviews the Harbinger Studios Savage Crucible Elric of Melniboné action figure. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Immigrant Girl from the End of the World" by Hannah Yang in Uncanny Magazine 
• "A Princess of the East" by Matthew Ilseman in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Beach House with Its Back to the Sea" by Íde Hennessy in The Dark. 
• "No Agency Without Identity! Stay In Character Always!" by James Patrick Kelly in Reactor.  
• "The Devil in the Details" by Rev. Joe Kelly in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. 
• "Ice, Rock, Empathy" by Damián Neri in Clarkesworld. 
• "A Life Measured in Seconds" by Anne Wilkins in Clarkesworld. 
• "My Suicides" by Debbie Urbanski in Apex Magazine.  
• "Memeostasis" by Benjamin Rosenbaum in Lightspeed. 
• "An Oral History of the Schooner Key Invasion" by Alex Irvine in Lightspeed.  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Enola Holmes 3.  
• Watch a trailer for The Dog Stars.
• Watch a trailer for Walking Dead: Dead City. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 5, 2026

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general, The Terror: Devil in Silver, Backrooms, Scary Movie 6, tributes to Marcia Lucas, Marjane Satrapi and Anthony Stewart Head and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Natalie Zutter shares science fiction and fantasy books coming out in June 2026.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares ninety new science fiction, fantasy and horror movies coming out in June 2026.  
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in June 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in June 2026  
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in June 2026  
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in June 2026  
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in June 2026  
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in June 2026 .
• James Davis Nicoll lists five terrible or useless mentors in scienc fiction and fantasy 
• Isabel J. Kim shares five science fiction books about speculative human evolution   
• Dave Hook wonders if the golden age of the SFF novella is over. 
• Sam Reader shares seven deeply unsettling nautical horror and fantasy novels 
• C.J. Leede shares five horror novels which subvert the portrayals of wolves as villains.  
• Cynthia Gomez recommends four lesser-known Mexican gothic novels and historical horror mysteries 
• Cristina LePort talks about writing about cryonics and other medical advances.   
• Joel Miller notes that Philip K. Dick spent his entire careers asking two questions, "What is reality?” and “What is the authentic human being?”
• Dalya Alberge reports that a previously unpublished medieval translation by J.R.R. Tolkien has been found in Oxford, UK.  
• K. Tempest Bradford remembers Lalana Dararutana a.k.a. Piper J. Drake 

   

Comics and Art:

• Stuart Heritage interviews several illustrators of children's books. 
• Publishers Weekly reports that Dark Horse Comics voluntarily recognises a staff union.  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about literary towns.  

 

Tributes to Marjane Satrapi:

• French-Iranian comic writer and artist Marjane Satrapi has died aged 56.  
• Mana Neyestani remembers Marjane Satrapi.  
• Dina Nayeri remembers Marjane Satrapi.  
• Drew Gillis remembers Marjane Satrapi  

  

Film and TV:

• Catherine Bray calls Affection a twisty horror thriller.  
• Jerome Stueart talks about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and uncovering past trauma 
• Rhik Samadder calls The Alien Autopsy Scandal a fascinating tale of a bizarre DIY hoax that hits Spinal Tap levels of hilarity 
• Amelia Emberwing interviews the cast of The Legend of Vox Machina. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Kate O'Flynn who plays Patricia in Widow's Bay. 
• P. Djèlí Clark talks about the backlash against Christopher Nolan casting Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in The Odyssey.  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1942 animated movie Bambi.  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1962 post-apocalyptic movie Panic in the Year Zero.  
• Amber Dubin revisits the 1971 Night Gallery episodes "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" and "The Last Laurel" 
• Eric Berger and Lee Hutchinson revisit the 1986 science fiction film Space Camp.  
• Danette Chavez revisits the 1989 Quantum Leap episodes "Disco Inferno" and "Blind Faith". 
• Isaiah Colbert revisits the 1990 anime Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “Meditations on the Abyss” 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2014 alternate universe movie Coherence.  
• Gwylim Mumford expresses his annoyance at the tsunami of indie horror films that swamp everything.  
• Michael Hogan discusses the strange resurgence of the British TV character Mr. Blobby.  
• Leah Schnelbach ranks Martin Scorsese's acting roles.  
• Drew Gillis reports that Martin Scorsese is the latest director to come out in favour of generative AI. 
• Katie Kilkenny and Alex Weprin report that Amazon has launched an AI Creators Fund and has ordered three animated series created with AI, to much criticism. 
• Monica Castillo notes that Obsession's inexpicable success makes the latest case for longer theatrical release windows 
• Actor James Handy, best known for his appearances in Top Gun Maverick, Alias, NYPD Blue, Logan, The Rocketeer and Archnophobia, has bene murdered aged 81.  
• Actress Kelly Curtis, best known for her roles in The Equaliser, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Sentinel, Trading Places, Magic Sticks and The Devil’s Daughter, has died aged 69. 

 

Tributes to Anthony Stewart Head:

• Actor Anthony Stewart Head, best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jonathan Creek, Merlin and Ted Lasso, has died aged 72.  
• Adam Whitehead remembers Anthony Stewart Head. 
• Owen Myers remembers Anthony Stewart Head. 
• Jesse Hassenger remembers Anthony Stewart Head.  
• Cheryl Eddy remembers Anthony Stewart Head. 
• Kayleigh Donaldsen remembers Anthony Stewart Head. 

 

Tributes to Marcia Lucas: 

• Matt Zoller Seitz remembers Marcia Lucas,  
• Sian Cain remembers Marcia Lucas.  
• William Hughes remembers Marcia Lucas. 
• Justin Carter remembers Marcia Lucas.  
• Dais Johnston remembers Marcia Lucas.  

 

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

• Kevin Fenix notes that Masters of the Universe was always more than just big muscles and "He-Man smash", though many self-proclaimed fans sadly missed this fact. 
• B.J. Colangelo declares that Masters Of The Universe is so much more than a nostalgia play – and some people will miss the message entirely
• Colt Crane calls Masters of the Universe the He-Man movie he's been waiting for his entire life - heroic, bombastic, empowering, and extremely easy to love 
• Cora Buhlert calls Masters of the Universe an incredibly joyful movie that will leave you elated after you leave the theatre. 
• CastleMania Games calls Masters of the Universe the movie he has been waiting for since he was six years old. 
• Molly Freeman calls Masters of the Universe the hopecore movie of the summer.  
• Scott Mendelson declares that Masters of the Universe has got (the) Power, and it knows how to use it 
• Victoria Luxford declares that Masters of the Universe boldly brings the beloved He-Man to life with a marvelous edge 
• Scannain declares that Masters of the Universe balances the silliness and camp nature of the He-Man mythos well to tell a story about what it means to be a hero. 
• Rendy Jones declares that Masters of the Universe revives He-Man with colourful chaos and surprising heart 
• Zaki Hassan calls Masters of the Universe the rousing fantasy adventure fans deserve. 
• Julian Lyle declares that Masters of the Universe works through the power of nostalgia and sincerity 
• Kristen Lopez calls Masters of the Universe a rollicking 1980s-infused surprise 
• Andrew J. Salazar calls Masters of the Universe a sincere and unapologetic ode to 1980s excess 
• Phil Roberts calls Masters of the Universe an absolute blast and arguably the most faithful adaptation of the source material to date. 
• Lyvie Scott notes that Masters Of The Universe reminds us of what He-Man has always been
• James Zahn calls Masters of the Universe a playful, powerful adventure straight from the toy box 
• He-Mania.com calls Masters of the Universe a dream come true. 
• Jeffrey Harris calls Masters of the Universe a dream come true for long-time fans.  
• Luke Y. Thompson declares that Masters of the Universe has gotten the epic movie it deserves
• Jeremy Konrad calls Masters of the Universe the He-Man film fans have waited their whole lives for 
• Serpentor's Lair declares that He-Man is the hero Gen X needs.  
• Jonathan Sim calls Masters of the Universe a perfect summer blockbuster 
• Brian MacNamara calls Masters of the Universe a blast from beginning to end. 
• Hunter Bolding calls Masters of the Universe a Saturday morning cartoon come to life 
• Pete Hammond calls Masters Of The Universe an amusing new take on Mattel’s nostalgic toys
• Eric Diaz calls Masters of the Universe a colourful retro adventure 
• Leah Marilla Thomas calls Masters of the Universe a pretty delightful fantasy adventure to boot.  
• Steven Silver calls Masters of the Universe much better than it had any right to be
• Clint Gage declares that Masters of the Universe appreciates the source material, silly names and all, and proves the best way to add to a 40-year-old franchise that’s about toys as much as anything else is to not take it too seriously.  
• Joe Magidson declares that Masters of the Universe manages to bring He-Man to the big screen with a good dose of fun 
• William Healy calls Masters of the Universe ridiculously good fun 
• John Atkin calls Masters of the Universe is an absolute blast. 
• Aaron Neuwirth calls Masters of the Universe a fun, familiar sort of fantasy adventure that delivers on He-Man's good name. 
• Pixel Dan shares his spoilerish thoughts on Masters of the Universe.  
• Rosie Knight reports about a visit to the set of Masters of the Universe.  
• CBR interviews Travis Knight, director of the live action Masters of the Universe movie.  
• Maggie Lovitt interviews Travis Knight. 
• Mike Ryan interviews Travis Knight.  
• Chelsea Gohd interviews Travis Knight.  
• Nicholas Galitzine and Dolph Lundgren, who played He-Man in the 2026 and 1987 Masters of the Universe live action movie respectively, interview each other. 
• Elena Rosemeyer interviews Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Adam/He-Man in the live action Masters of the Universe movie, and Camila Mendes who plays Teela, and provokes a laughing fit.  
• Chris Schelb interviews Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes.  
• CBR interviews Nicholas Galitzine. 
• CBR interviews Camila Mendes.  
• CastleMania Games interviews Sam C. Wilson who plays Trap-Jaw in Masters of the Universe.  
• CastleMania Games interviews Kojo Attah who plays Tri-Klops in Masters of the Universe.  
• Colt Crane interviews James Unsworth, the motion capture performer who played Beast-Man in the Masters of the Universe movie.  
• Masters Cast interviews James Wilkinson who plays Mekaneck in Masters of the Universe.  
• Mark Minton interviews Daniel Pemberton who composed the music for Masters of the Universe.  
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the latest Masters of the Universe clip released.  
• Jeffrey Harris points out that with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie generating buzz, it's time to make the season 3 of Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution. 
• Rob London reports that Masters of the Universe has been given an IMAX release on short notice, as The Mandalorian and Grogu is pulled from IMAX theatres prematurely.  
• Loving the 80s revisits the 1987 Masters of the Universe live action movie and wonders whether we judged it too harshly at the time.  
• Listen to "Masters of the Universe" by The Darkness.  
• Watch a clip from Masters of the Universe. 

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

• James Hogan interviews David Hine, creator of Spider-Noir.
• Ben Child declares that how Marvel handles Doctor Doom will determine the future of the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe.  

 

Comments on The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general: 

• Lou Thomas calls The Mandalorian And Grogu review: a strong and forceful Star Wars spin-off 
• Chris M. Barkley shares his thoughts on The Mandalorian and Grogu. 
• William Bibbiani shares ten classic movies that influenced The Mandalorian and Grogu.   
• Saif Sheikh shares his thoughts on Maul: Shadow Lord 

 

Comments on The Terror: Devil in Silver: 

• Alex Brown shares their thoughts on "Vermillion", the latest episode of The Terror: Devil in Silver.  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Aasif Mandvi who plays Dr. Anand in The Terror: Devil in Silver.  

 

Comments on Backrooms:

• Jacob Oller declares that the monsters of Backrooms have always been its weakness, even back when it was still a web series. 
• Matthew Byrd feels the need to enlighten us about the lore behind Backrooms. 
• Joshua Rivera declares that Backrooms uses the bluntest metaphors to capture a uniquely Gen Z fear 
• Drew Gillis reports that Backrooms nearly matched The Mandalorian And Grogu's opening gross for inexplicable reasons. 
• Andrew Pulver reports that Kane Parsons becomes youngest film-maker to open at No. 1 at the US box office with Backrooms 
• Inspired by the inexplicable success of Backrooms and Obsession, Jesse Hassenger reports about the phenomenon of young YouTube filmmakers making unexpectedly successful movies. 
• Germain Lussier claims that the success of Backrooms and Obsession might be a historic moment in film history, because apparently we can't lavish enough hyperbole on two low budget horror movies doing better than expected. 

 

Comments on Scary Movie 6: 

• Simon Abrams calls Scary Movie 6 the most embarrassing spoof since the first Scary Movie 
• Jordan Bassett calls Scary Movie 6 horrifyingly unfunny.  
• Jesse Hassenger calls Scary Movie 6 a spoof horror comedy that should have stayed in the 2000s
• Germain Lussier declares that Scary Movie 6 plays the hits, but mostly misses 

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 Nebula Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Locus Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2026 Arthur C. Clarke Award has been announced.  
• The finalists for the 2026 Mythopoeic Awards have been announced. 
• The longlist for the 2026 Sunburst Award has been announced.  
• The winner of the 2026 Webster Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Seiun Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Prix Imaginales have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Gotham TV Awards have been announced. 

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Claire Fuller explains how to recreate the techniques of horror films in a novel 
• Beau L'Amour talks about co-writing with his father, Louis L'Amour forty years after his death. 
• Nick Mamatas explains how publishing actually works.  
• Marlaina Cockcroft wonders if LGBTQ+ voices are being pushed out of children's literature. 
• Danika Ellis declares that LGBTQ+ books and authors are at a breaking point due to increasing censorship and suppression.

 

Interviews:

• Smart Btiches, Trashy Books interviews Martha Wells.  
• Arley Sorg interviews Naomi Kritzer.  
• Arley Sorg interviews Isabel J. Kim.  
• Locus interviews Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Reviews:   

• Marlene Harris reviews Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer
• Eddie Clark reviews And Side by Side They Wander by Molly Tanzer   
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Your Behavior Will Be Monitored by Justin Feinstein 
• Z.B. Steele reviews Disquiet Gods by Christopher Ruocchio 
• Colleen Mondor reviews Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know by K.J. Parker  
• Adrian Collins reviews Steel Gods by Richard Swan
• Maya C. James reviews To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
• Fiona Denton reviews The Sourdough Compendium by A.G. Slatter 
• Angela Boord reviews Devouring Fortune by Oleander Craw 
• Abigail Nussbaum reviews The Weathering by Artem Chapeye, translated by Daisy Gib­bons 
• Sarah Moss reviews My Only Boy by Rosa Rankin-Gee 
• Alex Brown reviews The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed 
• Matt Larkin reviews A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young
• Marion Deeds reviews Extremophile by Ian Green 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated by Mary Robinette Kowal
• Eric Ballein reviews Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman  
• Rob Bedford reviews Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman   
• Jen Lucas reviews A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Way it Haunted Him by Laura R. Samotin 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Recollections by Christopher Priest  

 

Classics reviews:

• Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth revisit the 1942 weird fiction story "Mimic" by Donald A. Wollheim.  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1955 science fiction spy novel Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke  
• Ian Mond revisits the 1961 kaiju novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga and Yoshie Hotta, translated by Jeffrey Angles 
• Joel Miller revisits the 1962 science fiction novel Hothouse by Brian Aldiss. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the June 1971 issue of Analog.  
• David Levinson revisits the July/August 1971 issue of If - Worlds of Science Fiction. 
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1972 Earthsea fantasy novel The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1989 Alliance/Union science fiction novel Rimrunners by C J Cherryh  
• Alexandra Pierce revisits the 1991 science fiction collection Wormwood by Terry Dowling 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2010 science fiction novel The Restoration Game by Ken MacLeod 

 

Con and event reports:

• Site selection voting for the 2028 Worldcon has opened.  
• The team behind the Nuremberg Worldcon bid for 2028 have withdrawn 
• The chairs of the Brisbane in 2028 Worldcon bid, now the only remaining bid for 2028, issue a response to Nuremberg's withdrawal.  
• Shadow Knows Network shares a video walkthorugh of the Motuniverse convention in Redondo Beach, California. 
• SoCal Shaolin shares his experiences at Motuniverse.  
• Nathan Heller and Annie Leibovitz share a look at the brand-new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California. 
• Sarah Nash reports about the The Boys: Glory Hall interactive experience in Hollywood, California.  

 

Science and technology:

• NBC News reports that a Blue Horizons New Glenn rocket has exploded during a test on the launch pad in Cape Canveral, Florida.
• Mark A. Garcia reports that NASA has given an update on the leak suffered by the International Space Station.  
• Space Daily notes that the number of confirmed exoplanets has gone from zero to more than six thousand in 34 years.  
• Dominic Patten reports that the state of Florida is sueing OpenAI 
• Imran Rahman-Jones and Laura Cress report that publishers in the UK can opt out of Google's AI search results
• CBS News reports that scientists have found yeast in the guts on "Oetzi", a mummified frozen body found in the South Tyrolean Alps, and have used it to make sourdough bread.  

 

Gaming: 

• Stew Hotston reviews the video game Hades II by Supergiant Games 
• Matt Larkin reviews the video game Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered
• Dean E.S. Richard reviews the video game Crimson Desert.  
• C.T. Phipps reviews the video game Space Marine: Master Crafted Edition 
• Leah Thomas calls the video game Katamari Damacy therapeutic and joyful. 
• Keza MacDonald shares seven new video games revealed at an online Playstation event. 
• Illustrator John Blanche, best known for his work on Warhammer 40000, has died aged 78.   

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Toy Habits shares a look at the Hot Toys Masters of the Universe He-Man and Skeletor action figures on display at Hong Kong Comic Con.  
• DorkLair reviews the Mondo Masters of the Universe 200X 1:12 Clawful action figure.  
• DorkLair reviews the Cosmic Legions Dormoo Viis action figure from Four Horsemen Studios. 
• Jason Koebler reports about a scandal involving stolen LEGO bricks that is rocking YouTube and the state of Utah. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Up the Line to Death" by Carrie Vaughn in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Floating Republic" by Rebecca Campbell in Clarkesworld. 
• "The City in White" by Diana Dima in The Deadlands. 
• "Ghost in the Tank" by M.R. Robinson in Lightspeed.   
• "The Best of Intentions" by Mari Ness in Lightspeed.   
• "The Legend of the Serpent, the Truth About the Warrior, the Life of the Boy" by Dimitar Dakovski in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• “Golden Rule” by Monica Byrne in Future Tense Fiction. 
• "The Sunflowers" by J.L. George in The Dark.  
• "What Grows Back" by Aishatu Ado in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Trail Cam" by Benjamin Percy in Reactor.  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Supergirl.  
• Watch a clip from Supergirl. 
• Watch a trailer for Enola Holmes 3.  
• Watch a trailer for Coyote vs. Acme. 
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Silo.  
• Watch a trailer for The End of Oak Street.