Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 8, 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, season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general, Mortal Kombat II, Hokum, The Terror: Devil in Silver and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in May 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in May 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in May 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in May 2026   
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in May 2026   
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in May 2026     
• Matt Harry shares his eight favourite dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels 
• Alex Brown shares five books about deep space horrors 
• James Davis Nicoll lists the first books he bought from several SFF publishers. 
• Angela Boord explains why novellas are an underrated artform. 
• Z.B. Steele shares his appreciation for the works of Joe Abercrombie. 
• John Hertz shares a tribute to Larry Niven for the latter's 88th birthday. 
• Locus remembers Eluki Bes Shahar a.k.a. Rosemary Edghill a.k.a. James Mallory.
• Spy fiction and horror author and editor Michael P. Spradlin has died aged 65. 
• Horror author Thomas Tessier has died aged 78. 

   

Comics and Art:

• Paul Burke reviews Unemployed Killers Support Group by Rio 
• Alex Dueben interviews Charles Ardai. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the launch of the new publishing imprint.

 

Film and TV:

• Germain Lussier shares the 25 SFF movies he is most excited about this summer. 
• Rachel Kessler talks about the deep humanity of Project Hail Mary
• Elijah Gonzales declares that the latest version of Lord Of The Flies finds fresh terror in a familiar story 
• Benjamin Lee compares Swapped to an off-brand Pixar 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Testaments. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Widow's Bay. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys. 
• Chris Tryhorn wonders how faithful Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey will be 
• Rich Pelley interviews Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies and Magneto in the X-Men movies.  
• Ryan Gilbey interviews Guillermo Del Torro, director of Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, Frankenstein, Crimson Peak, Pacific Rim and many others.  
• Marlow Stern interviews Melissa Barrera, star of Scream 5 and Scream  6 who was fired from Scream 7 after pro-Palestinian comments.  
• Fred Topel interviews Amanda Jones, composer of Murderbot.  
• Matthew Byrd shares his fifteen favourite X-Files monsters of the week
• Animation Obsessive revisits the 1926 animated film The Adventures of Prince Ahmed by Lotte Reiniger. 
• Amber Dubin revisits the 1971 Night Gallery episodes "Pamela's Voice", "Lone Survivor" and "The Doll". 
• Cheryl Eddy rewatches season 1 of the 1989 horror anthology series Tales from the Crypt.  
• Matthew Davey revisits the other 1991 Robin Hood film.  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “A Tragedy of Telepaths” 
• Ben Child revisits the 2001 science fiction film Donnie Darko. 
• Leah Thomas revisits the 2002 anime Princess Tutu. 
• Ryan Britt revisits the 2006 Doctor Who episode "School Reunion".
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2006 anime Paprika. 
• Isaiah Colbert reviits the 2009 anime Redline. 
• Owen Myers reports that the indigenous actress Q’orianka Kilcher has sued James Cameron for supposedly borrowing her facial features for a character in Avatar without permission or compensation.  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Mark Ellis interviews Travis Knight, director of the live action Masters of the Universe movie, as well as Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Adam/He-Man, and Camila Mendes, who plays Teela. 
• Bryson Edward Howe interviews Sam C. Wilson who plays Trap-Jaw in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Gerrad Hall interviews Richard Sale, costumer designer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Adam McCombs takes a look at the Castle Grayskull design from the Masters of the Universe live action movie and compares it to the original design by Mark Taylor.  
• James Eatock reports that Jay Scheimer, wife of Lou Scheimer, occasionally voiced Queen Marlena in the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, when her regular voice actress Linda Gary was otherwise occupied.  
• Watch a TV spot for the Masters of the Universe live action movie.  
• Watch another TV spot for the Masters of the Universe live action movie.   
• Watch a featurette about the Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Watch another featurette about the Masters of the Universe live action movie. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “The Southern Cross”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “The Southern Cross”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on “The Southern Cross”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Caroline Siede declares that in season two, Daredevil: Born Again reclaimed its identity 
• Zack Budryk talks about Daredevil: Born Again and the fascism of state gangsters
• Nick Ronano interviews Dario Scardapane, showrunner of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Matthew Byrd reports that season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again will adapt the 2006 Daredevil story “The Devil in Cell-Block D” by Ed Brubaker and Matt Lark. 

 

Comments on Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin talks about the sheer, unbridled joy of Star Wars 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the season one finale of Maul: Shadow Lord. 
• Emmet Asher Perrin declares that the first season of Maul: Shadow Lord was worth every second 
• James Whitbrook declares that Maul: Shadow Lord used Darth Vader damn near perfectly 
• James Whitbrook explains how Darth Vader killed Rook Kast in Maul: Shadow Lord. 
• Germain Lussier shares Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni's view on Darth Vader. 
• Ben Child declares that Star Wars has to deliver a proper movie with The Mandalorian and Grogu – otherwise the franchise is dead 
• James Whitbrook thinks that maybe the Mandalorian should die in The Mandalorian and Grogu.  
• Paul Anthony Jones shares seven things in Star Wars inspired by real history 
• Aimee Hart interviews Beth Revis, Alexander Freed and John Jackson Miller about their Star Wars tie-in novels. 
• Sébastien Bérard talks about being a competitive lightsaber fighter. 
• Watch a clip from The Mandalorian and Grogu. 

 

Comments on Mortal Kombat II: 

• Justin Carter declares that he hopes Mortal Kombat II knows what it’s doing  
• Germain Lussier declares that Mortal Kombat II is a lot of mindless action, which is all it needs to be 
• Benjamin Lee calls Mortal Kombat II a junky game-to-movie sequel that offers more of the same 
• Jacob Oller declares that the dreck of the 1990s is alive in Mortal Kombat II 
• Aaron Couch interviews Karl Urban, star of Mortal Kombat II and The Boys. 
• Germain Lussier talks about the ending of Mortal Kombat II.  

 

Comments on Hokum: 

• Monica Castillo declares that Hokum director Damian McCarthy has defined a horror style all his own
• Kim Newman shares his thoughts on Hokum. 

 

Comments on The Terror: Devil in Silver: 

• Saloni Gajjar calls The Terror: Devil in Silver a horror series that struggles to bring its various ideas together. 
• Alex Brown declares that The Terror: Devil in Silver nails its premiere 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Victor La Valle and Christopher Cantwell, showrunners of The Terror: Devil in Silver, as well as director Karyn Kusama  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2025 Asimov’s and Analog Readers’ Awards have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2026 Tony Awards have been announced with lots of love for SFF plays. 
• Pete Hammond reports that the Oscars have implemented several rule changes, including banning AI from the acting and screenwriting categories. 
• Voting for the 2026 Hugo Awards is now open and the Hugo voter packet is available for download. 

 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Charlie Jane Anders asks writers to let their characters teach us about their world
• Several writers talk about throwaway comments that changed their lives.  
• Tim Sullivan explains how he went from screenwriter to novelist. 
• Patricia Cornwell talks about writing a memoir as a lifelong novelist 
• Simon Elegant talks about the difference between being a reporter and writing crime fiction. 
• Vincent Yu explains how being a mediocre scientist made him a better novelist
• L.M. Kemp talks about some of the stranger research she did for her latest novel. 
• Nathalie op de Beeck reports about an uproar caused by US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Mac Barnett claiming at 94.7 percent of children's books are crud.
• Rachel Meghan talks about the impact of AI on book reviewers. 
• Alexandra Alter reports that five publishers and Scott Turow sue Meta and Mark Zuckerberg for copyright infringement over unauthorised use of books for AI training.  
• Nathalie op de Beeck reports that book bans in the US increasingly target non-fiction books. 

 

Interviews:

• Arley Sorg interviews Martha Wells. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Ray Nayler. 
• Paul Weimer interviews Jeremy Szal. 
• Ellis Cochrane interviews Matt Dinniman.

 

Reviews:   

• Marlene Harris reviews Darksight Dare by Lois McMaster Bujold
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Darksight Dare by Lois McMaster Bujold 
• Marlene Harris reviews I Choose the Bear by Shiloh Walker 
• Liz Bourke reviews Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis  
• Christine D. Baker reviews Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky. 
• Alexandra Pierce reviews City of Others by Jared Poon 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Slow Gods by Claire North 
• Mark Yon reviews Mortedant's Peril by R.J. Barker.  
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews The Night Ship by Alex Woodroe 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews ShadowBane by Cal Logan
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo  
• Sam Leith reviews Solace House by Will Maclean
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity 
• Ian Mond reviews The Hospital at the End of The World by Justin C. Key 
• Paul Levinson reviews On the Calculation of Volume: Multiplication by Silvej Balle, translated by Barbara Haveland.   
• Stuart Cripps-Schnoor reviews The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman
• Jim McLeod reviews Sarafina by Philip Fracassi  
• Ann Michelle Harris reviews I, Medusa by Ayana Gray, 
• Ed Crocker reviews Trad Wife by Sarah Langan 
• Alex Brown reviews On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield 
• Marlene Harris reviews Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker 
• Marion Deeds reviews Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
• Krystle Matar reviews Tapeworm by A.P. Thayer
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey 
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews Black Hole Heart by K.A. Teryna 
• Wole Talabi reviews Mojorhythm by Sheree Renée Thomas
• Ali Karim reviews  Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks 

 

Classics reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews the prehistoric novel 1955 The Inheritors by William Golding
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology New Writing in S-F 18, edited by John Carnell 
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1971 science fiction anthology Quark 3, edited by Samuel Delaney and Marilyn Hacker 
• Joe Sherry revisits the 1991 epic fantasy novel The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1994 Company Wars space opera Tripoint  by C.J. Cherryh 
• Alex Dueben revisits the 1996 contemporary fantasy novel The Wood Wife by Terri Windling. 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene revisits the 2013 Alex Verus urban fantasy novel Chosen by Benedict Jacka 
• Hache Pueyo revisits the 2013 dystopian novel Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia.

 

Con and event reports:

• Daniel Dern reports about the 2026 Boskone convention in Boston, Massachusetts.  
• Lance Oszko shares the program for the 2026 Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival in Baltimore, Maryland. 
• Arushi Jacob and Marc Malkin report that the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California, has unveiled its inaugural exhibitions and will open to the public in September. 
• Germain Lussier reports about the "Star Wars in Motion" exhibition at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. 
• Sarah Lyall reports that Queen Camilla has presented the New York Public Library in New York City with a replica of Roo, the baby kangaroo from the Winnie the Pooh novels by A.A. Milne, to be reunited with the rest of the original Winnie the Pooh characters, who are on display at the New York Public Library. 
• Vittoria Elliott and Zeyi Yang report that the Chinese Government got RightsCon, the world's biggest Digital Rights conference in Zambia, cancelled due to a row over Taiwanese participation. 

 

Crowdfunding:

• The Tide Realm Corsairs fantasy pirate action figures by Corsair Creations are looking for funding.  
• The horror anthology Side Hustle: Horror Stories for Late Capitalism, edited by Michael Phillips Jr, is looking for funding. 
• Dean Wesley Smith is looking for funding for five science fiction collections. 

 

Science and technology:

• Frank Landymore reports that NASA administrator Jared Isaacman has called for making Pluto a planet again.
• Leonard David reports that the California based start-up ExplorationLabs plans to protect the Earth from dangerous asteroids. 
• Eric Berger reports that Virgin Galactic has unveiled a new ship, but that the company is running out of money, since they cannot find a way to make space tourism profitable. 
• Adrian Villellas reports that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile could mark the beginning of a new era in astronomy
• Eric Lusito shares photos of Soviet science institutes and installations.
• Dr. Rose Hernandez talks about polymer survival at the limits of matter 

 

Gaming: 

• Tom Regan reviews the video game Mixtape. 
• Keith Stuart shares his eight favourite medical video games. 
• Justin Carter shares a look at some upcoming Magic the Gathering sets.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Trap-Jaw action figure. 
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Movie He-Man, Spikor and Beast-Man action figures. 
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Fright Fighter vehicle. 
• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Core Combat Ready Roboto action figure. 
• James Whitbrook notes that the new Hot Toys Star Wars Ahsoka Tano action figure is weird for all the wrong reasons 
• Justin Carter shares a look at The Mandalorian and Grogu “Hutt Palace Sentry Droid Showdown” LEGO set.  
• Luke Burbank reports about PEZ dispenser collectors.
• Brian Sozzi interviews Ynon Kreiz, CEO of Mattel. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "One Last Light to Guide Me Home" by Avery Parks in Apex Magazine. 
• "Forty-Seven Vacant Floors of Ur" by T.K. Rex in Imagine 2200. 
• "The Profitable Sentience of Household Goods" by Louis Inglis Hall in Clarkesworld.
• "Conquerors" by Nick Wolven in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Winter Trials" by Rae Maybee in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "In This Corner Of the World" by A. E. Weisgerber in The Deadlands. 
• "Hollow Cast" by Sarah Grey in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Sarah’s Laugh" by Melissa A Watkins in Lightspeed.   
• "The Knacker Man" by Scott Dalrymple in Ligthtspeed.  
• "Chicken Finger" by N.M. Whitley in The Dark.
• "This Fleshy Side of the Bone" by John Langan in Reactor. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for The Odyssey. 
• Watch a trailer for Obsession 
• Watch a trailer for Evil Dead Burn. 
• Watch a trailer for The Boroughs. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 1, 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, season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general, Stranger Things - Tales from '85, Hokum, Widow's Bay, Touch Me, tributes to Gerry Conway and Roger Sweet and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy lists 79 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in May 
• Alex Brown shares their most anticipated young adult SFF for May and June 2026. 
• Lish McBride discusses what happens when you finally read the book everyone has been talking about and it turns out, there's often a very good reason behind all the hype 
• Molly Templeton notes that many recent SFF novels, films and TV shows share a common theme of loneliness. 
• Lorna Wallace shares five twisty, reality-bending SFF books  
• James Davis Nicoll wonders if science fiction is better off without torchships 
• Angelic Frey talks about music in science fiction. 
• Summer Hanford finds some unexpected parallels between the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb and modern romantasy novels.  
• Camestros Felapton points out there is plenty of moral ambiguity in J.R.R. Tolkien's work. 
• Idara Crespi talks about nineteenth century Italian gothic writer Fracesco Mastriani and why he is almost completely unknown in the English speaking world.  
• Chris Klimek celebrates the 100th anniversary of Amazing Stories. 
• Editor, con runner and SFF writer John H- Guidry has died aged 81. 

   

Comics and Art:

• Isaiah Colbert reviews Eniale & Dewiela by Kamone Shirahama.
• Marcus Helminiak shares his favourite Neal Adams covers that aren't Batman.
• L. Wayne Hicks interviews William Bernhardt, author of The Superman Wars. 
• Joel Harley reports how reading comics helped him stop doomscrolling on his phone. 
• Simon Spark reports about Tom Radford from Hull, UK, who has 63 Marvel Comics characters tattooed on his body. 

 

Tributes to Gerry Conway:

• Comic writer Gerry Conway, who co-created The Punisher, Ms. Marvel, Ben Reilly, Firestorm, the Jason Todd Robin, Werewolf by Night, Killer Croc, Power Girl and who wrote the death of Gwen Stacy, has died aged 73 
• Christopher Chiu-Tabet remembers Gerry Conway. 
• Chryl Eddy remembers Gerry Conway. 

 

Film and TV:

• Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre TV premieres airing in May 
• Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre films coming out in May  
• Elijah Gonzales declares that the dark magical girl series Madoka Magica is the successor to Sailor Moon, not a subversion 
• Isaiah Colbert declares that Witch Hat Atelier elevated its source material to dizzying new heights and is one of the best animes you'll see all year.   
• Justin Carter declares that the anime Daemons of the Shadow Realm may be your new Shonen favourite 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Mother Mary might just be the experience you’re waiting for 
• Cath Clarke calls Phantoms of July interlocking tales that hop across time in a funny-quirky fable with a point  
• Colleen McMillan shares her thoughts on the anime Gnosia: A Deadly Paranoia Game in Space  
• Rai Furniss-Greasley shares his thought on the horror series Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
• Kayleigh Donaldsen declares that Animal Farm movies have a long history of missing the point 
• Jacob Oller calls the animated film Swapped a tired tale about walking a mile in someone else's fur (or feathers).
• Phil Hoad calls Brute 1976 a throwback slasher that summons up the spirit of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Testaments. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the season finale of Invincible. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys. 
• Isaiah Colbert declares that The Legend of Korra didn’t ruin the legacy of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but enhanced it  
• Rachel Hulshult declares that Paramount’s new movie-focussed Star Trek strategy will go down as a historic fumble.
• Jake Pitre talks about the many evolutions of the cinematic mummy. 
• Leah Thomas recommends four anime series for fans of hard science fiction 
• James Grebey shares ten gimmick-driven shark movies trying to outswim Jaws 
• John Hopewell interviews Dan Stevens, star of The Terror: Devil in Silver, 
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1971 Doctor Who serial "Colony in Space" 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal. 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1986 fantasy film Highlander. 
• Zack Handlen revisits the 1989 Quantum Leap episodes “Play It Again, Seymour” and "Honeymoon Express"
• Isaiah Colbert revisits the 1995 anime Macross Plus 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “In the Kingdom of the Blind” 
• Kofi Outlaw shares five charts that explain complicated and convoluted science fiction films. 
• Paul Poisuo shares his least favourite episodes of The Twilight Zone. 
• Paul Poisuo asks why there are so few movie or TV adaptations of Harlan Ellison's work
• Justin Carter reports that the The Boys spin-off Gen V has been cancelled. 
• Monica Castillo reports that shareholders have approved the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, but the fight to block the merger continues in the courts and the court of public opinion. 
• Jack Dunn reports that actress Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose in Wicked and Wicked for Good, was denied boarding a plane due to being a wheelchair user.  
• Steve Maslow, a sound mixer who worked on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Speed among many others, has died aged 81.
   

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Black Nerd Comedy talks about the footage from the live action Masters of the Universe movie that was shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• Ryan Gajewski talks about the footage from the live action Masters of the Universe movie that was shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.  
• Cora Buhlert shares her thought on the footage from the live action latest Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Allison Troy takes a look at the Masters of the Universe character Goat Man. 
• James Eatock shares his appreciation for the Masters of the Universe artwork of Fred Carillo.
• James Eatock notes how Filmation cleverly got around censorship requirements and suggested He-Man punching Clawful in the episode "Dree-Elle's Return". 
• Watch a TV spot for the Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Watch a featurette about the heroes of the Masters of the Universe live action movie.  
• Watch a featurette about the villains of the Masters of the Universe live action movie.    

 

Tributes to Roger Sweet:  

• Roger Sweet, co-creator of He-Man, has died aged 91. 
• Sopan Deb shares an obituary for Roger Sweet. 
• Jack Dunn remembers Roger Sweet
• Tim Lammers remembers Roger Sweet. 
• Mattel remembers Roger Sweet by sharing some of his designs. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Noir and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “The Hateful Darkness”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “The Hateful Darkness”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Meaghan Darwish interviews Michael Gandolfini who plays Daniel Blake in Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Germain Lussier reports that the second season of Daredevil: Born Again has about half the audience of season one.  
• Inspired by Spider-Noir, Jonathan Wells wonders why hardboiled detectives are currently experiencing a resurgence. 
• Josh Horowitz interviews Yahya Abdul Mateen II, who plays Simon Williams in Wonder Man.  
• Ben Child notes that it appears as if Marvel is going to abandon the Multiverse saga and wonders what the point of all those movies and TV shows was and why he even bothered watching them,
• Watch a trailer for Spider-Noir. 

 

Comments on Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord and Star Wars in general: 

• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord
• James Whitbrook explains how the latest episode of Maul: Shadow Lord blended practical and visual effects. 
• James Whitbrook reports that The Acolyte continues to do well on streaming even two years after its unceremonious cancellation.
• Germain Lussier reports that The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently on tracking for the lowest Star Wars opening in years   

 

Comments on Stranger Things: Tales from '85: 

• Cheryl Eddy declares that when fans demanded more Stranger Things, Stranger Things: Tales from '85 isn’t what they meant 
• Abbey White interviews Eric Robles, showrunner of Stranger Things: Tales from '85. 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that the animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales From '85 has been renewed for a second season.  

 

Comments on Widow's Bay:

• Saloni Gajjar calls Widow's Bay a wild, genre-mashing ride
• Cheryl Eddy declares that Widow’s Bay proves that Apple TV can do horror comedy just as well as science fiction.  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Widow’s Bay is perfect for fans of horror and sitcoms — but its depths run deep 
• Lucy Mangan calls Widow’s Bay an intoxicating horror comedy and an absolute blast 
• Ryan Gilbey interviews Matthew Rhys, star of Perry Mason, The Americans and Widow's Bay. 

 

Comments on Hokum: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Hokum an enjoyably eerie rural horror film.
• Matthew Jackson calls Hokum an impish, haunting delight  
• Cheryl Eddy declares that Hokum punctuates its tale of grief with unsettling frights  
• Leah Schnelbach declares that Hokum is much more than a haunted hotel movie
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Damian McCarthy and Adam Scott, writer/director and star of Hokum.   

 

Comments on Touch Me: 

• Catherine Bray calls Touch Me a psychosexual horror film that’s like live-action hentai 
• Josh Pearce shares his thoughts on the bisexual alien horror comedy Touch Me.  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2026 Sir Julius Vogel Awards habe been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Astra Book Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Zsoldos Péter Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Prix Imaginales for Young Adult Fiction have been announced.
• The winners of the 2026 Tolkien Society Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize has been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Reuben Divisional Award have been announced.   
• The winners of the 2026 Peabody Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Webby Awards have been announced. 
• Nicholas Whyte explains where to find the 2026 Hugo Award finalists. 
• Ann Michelle Harris takes a look at the 2026 Anime of the Year finalists. 
• Michael Capobianco shares a brief history of the Nebula Awards, 

 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Janes Espenson explains what prose writers can learn from script writers  
• James Cleary explains what stage acting taught him about writing and storytelling 
• Amin Ahmad shares a lesson on writing monstrous characters 
• Maddie Day talks about cozies, touring wineries and turning book research into fun 
• Keith Roysdon explains how some writers are finding a new path to publishing 
• Rosie Peters-McDonald reports that a new study by HarperCollins has found that the “relentless” focus on measuring literacy progress in schools has “pushed reading for pleasure to the margins”.  
• Dwight Garner wonders where all the book reviewers have gone. 
• The Authors Guild shares a statement and new model contract clauses regarding the use of consumer AI systems in publishing:  
• Hillel Italie reports that book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs, with Sold by Patricia McCormick topping the list of the most banned books.
• Jill Repogle reports that the city of Huntington Beach, California, has been ordered to pay one million USD in legal fees for censoring library books
• Camestros Felapton shares some graphs about the development of book prices.  
• Jason Sanford announces that Must Read Magazines, the publisher of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov’s Science Fiction and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, has announced that they are switching to a new printing company due to print quality issues. 
• Locus reports that the publishers Bloomsbury is laying off several employees.

 

Interviews:

• Elizabeth Tabler interviews P. Djeli Clark. 
• Paul Weimer interviews R.J. Barker
• Matthew Byrd interviews Veronica Roth. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Farah Mendlesohn. 
• Martin Cahill interviews L.D. Lewis. 
• Alex Puncekar interviews Dan Coxon. 
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Steve Toase. 
• Against the Grain interviews Jordan S. Carroll. 
• Rhonda Reinhart interviews David Aronovitz. 

 

Reviews: 

• Mark Yon reviews Mars One by Charlotte Robinson. 
• Colleen Mondor reviews Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman 
• Stew Hotston reviews Anti-State by Allen Stroud 
• Sasha Bonkowsky reviews First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston.
• Beejay Silcox reviews Homebound by Portia Elan 
• Liz Bourke reviews Green & Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons
• Mak Yon reviews The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague by M.K. Hill  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Fate of Thieves by Tori Tecken 
• Ed Crocker reviews Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker 
• Maya C. James reviews The Dead Withheld by L.D. Lewis
• James Davis Nicoll reviews A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo  
• Marlene Harris revisits A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Demon King by Peter V. Brett 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Last Jager by S. Naomi Scott
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Monster In The Moonlight by Annelise Ryan  
• Jen Lucas reviews Thornby Manor by Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes 
• Mahvesh Murad reviews The Fountain by Casey Scieszka 
• Niall Harrison reviews The Body Builders by Albertine Clarke 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Hive by Ronald Malfi. 
• Dave Hook reviews Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Seasons of Glass and Iron - Stories by Amal El-Mohtar  
• Lesa Holstine reviews Something to Look Forward to by Fannie Flagg 
• Ed Crocker reviews I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton and Ada Palmer 
• David Ferguson reviews Irish Conflict in Comics in the 20th Century by James Bacon.

 

Classics reviews:

• Alan Brown revisits the 1954 science fiction novel Trouble on Titan by Alan E. Nourse 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1955 science fiction novel A Mirror For Observers by Edgar Pangborn 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1962 lost world novel Journey Into Limbo by Scott Michel 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1971 issue of Analog. 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1986 YA horror novel Weekend by Christopher Pike. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1988 Culture space opera The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1988 fantasy novel Dragon Sword And Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara, translated by Cathy Hirano 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2002 Dread Empire’s Fall space opera The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams  
• Tom Joyce revisits the 2014 epic fantasy novel Half a King by Joe Abercrombie 
• Marlene Harris revisits the 2015 science fiction romance On a Rogue Planet by Anna Hackett  

 

Con and event reports:

• Alice Strangman reports about the 2026 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts in Orlando, Florida. 
• Kate Macdonald of Peachtree Press shares her experiences of staffing a book stall at Iridescence, the 2026 Eastercon in Birmingham, UK.
• David Green talks about a panel on neurodivergent creatives at Iridescence. 
• Locus shares a photo of the latest edition of the Brooklyn Books and Booze reading series.  
• Emily Davenport-Salcedo reports about the 2026 BookCon in New York City. 
• Germain Lussier declares that the Lost Boys Broadway musical by Patrick Wilson is everything he wanted and more
• Matthew Richards reports that a statue of former Monty Python member Terry Jones as his character the Naked Organist has been unveiled in his birthplace Clwyn Bay, UK. 
• Germain Lussier is not happy about the changes made to the Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities shop at the Star Wars: Galaxy'd Edge attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 

 

Science and technology:

• Hannah Devlin reports that NASA’s Curiosity rover has found organic molecules on Mars and that scientists are debating whether this constitutes life or not. 
• Monisha Ravisetti reports that NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is finally complete  
• Adam Kovac reports that former NASA astronauts have launched a new group to promote US constitutional values
• Chelsea Gohd reports about Spudnik the space potato. 
• Kaye Dee reports about the Soviet Salyut-1 space station, humanity's first space station in orbit. 
• Leonard David asks if the Moon could ever be blockaded  
• Daisy Pearce discusses how comets fuelled fear and superstition before scientists understood what they were. 
• Justin McCurry reports that humanoid robots will become baggage handlers at Tokyo Airport in Japan.  
• Elizabeth Gibney wonders how realistic warnings that AI could end humanity are. 

 

Gaming: 

• Justin Carter calls the video game Saros a colourfully aggressive descent into roguelike madness   
• C.T. Phipps reviews the video game Metro: Exodus. 
• Eddie Clark reviews the video game Opus: Prism Peak  
• James Whitbrook looks ahead at the Final Fantasy XIV expansion Evercold. 
• Keith Stuart declares that the video games Pragmata, Saros and Vampire Crawler are perfect examples of what he considers "good gameplay".
• Keza MacDonald explains how the Bafta Games Awards showed her again that honouring art over commerce is a win for all 
• James Whitbrook reports that Wizards of the Coast is making a brand new trading card game called Mood Swings. 
• GoNintendo reports that former Nintendo employees have confirmed that Nintendo holds onto finished games until they find the right release date
• Frederic Pouchot reports that more than a million people from across Europe have backed a citizens' petition called "Stop Destroying Videogames" to force game publishers to not abandon games and shut down servers. 
• Gideon Marcus shares his thoughts on the 1971 Vietnam War themed wargame Grunt. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• DorkLair reviews the Savage Crucible Elric of Melniboné action figure 
• D Amazing reviews the Savage Crucible Elric of Melniboné action figure  
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles He-Man action figure.   
• Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Battle-Cat action figure.  
• Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Skeletor action figure. 
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Skeletor action figure.  
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Trap-Jaw action figure.   
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Tri-Klops action figure.    
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Man-at-Arms action figure.   
• Jurassic Rod reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Fisto and Ram-Man two-pack. 
• Geek Illustrator Dad reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Fisto and Ram-Man two-pack.  
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mondo 1:6 scale He-Man 2.0 action figure. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the animatronic Ultimate Grogu doll from Hasbro. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at some new Hasbro Star Wars Black Series action figures. 
• Justin Carter takes a look at some upcoming Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man and Hulk action figures. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at a Fantastic Four Herbie LEGO set. 
• James Whitbrook reports that LEGO will make three sets based on user ideas.  
• io9 list their favourite Star Wars collectibles for Star Wars day. 
• Justin Carter takes a look at a life-size Alien Halloween decoration 
• James Whitbrook shares his favourite toys revealed in April 2026. 
• James Whitbrook takes a look at new LEGO sets coming out in May 2026 
• Germain Lussier shares a look at the geekiest holiday ornaments coming out from Hallmark this year 
• Rylee Kirk reports that a man in California has been arrested and charged for buying up thousands of US-dollars worth of LEGO sets, replacing the contents with uncooked pasta and then returned them for refunds.

 

Free online fiction: 

• "I Spin Records Into Gold" by Daria Lavelle in Reactor.
• "Song, Skin, Sea" by Tamara Vardomskaya in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Sparrow Tree" by Alma Alexander in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "No Act Without Purpose" by Joal Glover in Swords and Sorcery Magazine 
• "Time Management" by P.A. Cornell in Lightspeed.  
• "Empathetic Psychosis" by Justin C. Key in Lightspeed. 
• "The Forgetting Code" by Malena Salazar Maciá in Clarkesworld. 
• "What Does It Mean to Be Immortal?" by Ai Jiang in Uncanny Magazine. 
• "Wendigo" by Michael Kelly in The Dark.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of House of the Dragon. 
• Watch a trailer for the latest incarnation of Resident Evil. 
• Watch a trailer for One Night Only. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 25, 2026

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the 2026 Hugo Awrad finalists, the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general, Stranger Things - Tales from '85 and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Alex Brown shares must read short speculative fiction for March 2026 
• Stewart Hotston talks about who gets to matter in stories and about problematic tropes in fiction.
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fictional solutions to finding your one true love 
•  Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Shao-Jie Jhou note that pop culture shapes science more than we like to admit
• James Davis Nicoll talks about the science behind torchships, science fiction's favorite hypothetical spacecraft 
• Sam Reader shares eight SFF books about haunted broadcasts 
• Christopher Keene shares a brief history of the LitRPG genre. 
• Christopher Lockett shares his appreciation for the work of M.R. Carey. 
• Sean Guynes shares his appreciation for the works of Thomas Burnett Swann. 
• Alyssa Hall talks about reading Tolkien in the time of climate change 
• Chris Harris reports that a man claiming he was Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files urban fantasy series by Jim Butcher tried to break into a house in Fairfield, California, and was arrested. 
• British science fiction author Ian Watson has died aged 82. 

   

Comics and Art:

• Amelia Mevers reviews Otherworld Barbara by Moto Hagio
• Will McClelland interviews SFF artist Micaela Alcaino 

 

Film and TV:

• Leah Thomas calls the live action One Piece a truly brilliant, joyful live-action adaptation that gets the details right 
• Arturo Serrano calls the anime Scarlet a gender-flipped retelling of Hamlet that sends the princess of Denmark to an endless limbo 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Exit 8 a disquieting psychological mystery 
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die 
• Jacob Oller calls the latest take on Animal Farm and absurd and creatively bankrupt adaptation. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Invincible. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of For All Mankind. 
• Rich Pelley interviews Adam Scott, star of Severance. 
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Katie Dippold and Hiro Murai, creator and director of Widow's Bay.  
• Isaiah Colbert declares that Fullmetal Alchemist is the greatest anime of all time  
• Don Kaye revisits the 1956 kaiju movie Godzilla, King of the Monsters!  
• Fiona Moore revisits the 1971 folk horror movie Blood on Satan's Claw and George Pritchard revisits the 1971 folk horror movie The Virgin Witch. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “Day of the Dead”  
• Lorna Wallace shares seven SFF films featuring cinemas being destroyed
• Eric Vilas-Boaz explains why Disney fired 1000 employees last week 
• Justin Carter reports that the new Street Fighter movie knows exactly what it is and embraces the inherent silliness of the concept,
• Jennifer Maas reports that a Phantom live action TV series is in the works. 
• Justin Carter reports that the current era of Star Trek ends with auctioning off props and costumes. 
• Actor Patrick Muldoon, best known for his roles in Starship Troopers, Melrose Place, Days of Our Lives, Dirty Hands and others, has died aged 57 

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Tai Gooden talks about the footage from the live action Masters of the Universe movie that was shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• Matthew Aguilar interviews Travis Knight, director of the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie, 
• Rob London interviews Travis Knight as well as actors Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba and Alison Brie, who play Adam/He-Man, Teela, Duncan/Man-at-Arms and Evil-Lyn in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Digital Charcuterie explain why he is optimistic about the live action Masters of the Universe movie.  
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the latest Masters of the Universe trailer and other recent articles and interviews about the movie.  
• He-Mania.com reports that Mattel is promoting the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie via drone billboards along freeways in Southern California leading to the Desert Destival in Coachella, California. 
• Watch another trailer for Masters of the Universe.  

  

Comments on season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “Requiem”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “Requiem”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Brian VanHooker interviews Michael Uwandi, a member of the visual development team at Marvel Studios who was just laid off during the latest Disney lay-offs.

 

Comments on Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars in general: 

• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Star Wars: Maul: Shadow Lord
• Germain Lussier reports about a visit to the set of The Mandalorian and Grogu 
• Jimmy Kimmel interviews Jon Favreau, director of The Mandalorian and Grogu. 
• Liz Declan lists three Jedi who survived Order 66 that Star Wars still needs to do more with
• Matthew Byrd shares some background on the infamous "Somehow, Palpatine returned" line from The Rise of Skywalker. 

 

Comments on Stranger Things: Tales from '85: 

• Jack Seale declares that the animated Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 has everything that made the original series so lovable 
• Rafael Motomayor declares that Stranger Things: Tales From '85 tries—and fails—to appeal to both longtime fans and young newbies.  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2026 Hugo Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Aurora Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Writers and Illustrators of the Future Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards have been announced. 
• The recipient of the 2026 International Costumers’ Guild Lifetime Achievement Award has been announced. 
• Shane Hickey reports about multiple problems with the Plaza Prizes. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2026 Hugo finalists. 

 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Michael Cowan talks about crafting suspense and great danger through a character’s restraint, hesitation or silence – or through action/spectacle
• Ande Pliego talks about the marvelous libraries that inspired her new novel 
• Camestros Felapton investigates rumours that Baen Books is in trouble. 

 

Interviews:

• Tasha Robinson interviews Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck a.k.a. James S.A. Corey. 
• Mark Yon interviews Jeremy Szal.  
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Jeremy Szal. 
• Martin Cahill interviews Amal El-Mohtar. 
• Gabrielle Harbowy interviews S.L. Huang. 
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews John Twelve Hawks.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Heather Child.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Dan Coxon. 
• Circulating Ideas interviews Lynne M. Thomas and Katy Rawdon  

 

Reviews: 

• Bill Capossere reviews The Faith of Beasts by James S. A. Corey 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Language of Liars by S. L. Huang  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto 
• Jim McLeod reviews Crawlspace by Adam Christopher 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Voidverse by Damien Ober 
• Marlene Harris reviews Death Meets Cute by J. Penner
• Marlene Harris reviews Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe  
• Joe Sherry reviews Silver and Lead by Seanan McGuire  
• Martin Cahill reviews The Swan’s Daughter: A Possibly Doomed Love Story by Roshani Chokshi 
• Niall Harrison reviews City Like Water by Dorothy Tse, translated by Natascha Bruce 
• Alex Brown reviews Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis 
• Marion Deeds reviews Black Rose by Arlo Z. Graves 
• Robin Marx reviews Conan: Cult of the Obsidian Moon by James Lovegrove 
• Alex Brown reviews The Gravewood by Kelly Andrew  
• Z.B. Steele reviews Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell 
• Adrienne Martini reviews Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K.J. Parker 
• Marlene Harris reviews Lightning Runes by Harry Turtledove 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Of Song and Shadow by G. R. Matthews  
• Marion Deeds reviews A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson 
• Alexis Ong reviews Humboldt Cut by Allison Mick. 
• Alex Wallace reviews Look Out for the Little Guy by Rob Kutner 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Demon King by Peter V. Brett.  
• Gabino Iglesias reviews The Bone Queen by Will Shindler 
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews The Witch by Marie N’Diaye, translated by Jordan Stump  
• Krystle Matar reviews On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield 
• Hache Pueyo reviews Walking Practice by Dolki Min  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Dark Duets by Penny Jones and Teika Marija Smits 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Rabbit Test and Other Stories by Samantha Mills  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Come Sing For The Harrowing: Stories by Dan Coxon 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Witchcraft - Folk & Horror Stories, edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane 
• Adam Sisman reviews The Illuminated Man: Life, Death and the Worlds of J.G. Ballard by Christopher Priest and Nina Allan 

 

Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1930 lost world novel Subterrania by Harl Vincent 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1954 hard science fiction novel Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement 
• Camestros Felapton revisits the 1967 dystopian story “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison. 
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 horror anthology New Writings in Horror and Supernatural #1, edited by David Sutton.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1973 science fiction collection The Queen of Air and Darkness and Other Stories by Poul Anderson  
• Caroline Bicks revisits the 1982 horror novel Pet Sematary ny Stephen King. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1990 Culture space opera novel Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer reports that the feminist science fiction convention WisCon will return in 2026 as a pure online event.

 

Science and technology:

• Gayoung Lee reports that NASA plans to start a fire on the Moon in a first-of-its-kind experiment  
• Lisa Lock reports that NASA is shutting off instrument on Voyager 1 to keep the spacecraft operating 
• Ada Palmer and Bruce Schneier worry about how generative AI might impact human speech.
• Chris Stokel-Walker reports that scientists invented a fake disease and that AI told people it was real

 

Gaming: 

• Keza MacDonald declares that including online games in social media bans is unworkable, unnecessary and would harm young people

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Jay Glatfelter reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Core movie He-Man, Teela and Beast-Man action figures. 
• Kenzo's Creations reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles movie He-Man, Man-at-Arms and Tri-Klops action figures. 
• DorkLair reviews the Infinite Legions Phanost action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.
• Adam Power reviews the Cosmic Legions Anthophilees action figure from Four Horsemen Studios.   
• Geek Dad Live wonders whether novelty popcorn buckets are killing action figure collecting. 
• Pixel Dan shares a look at the Masters of the Universe novelty popcorn buckets and other merchandise shown off at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
• Germain Lussier takes a look at the Hasbro Marvel Legends Daredevil: Born Again Daredevil and Jessica Jones two-pack 
• Justin Carter takes a look at some Spider-Man: Brand New Day LEGO sets. 
• James Whitbrook takes a look at the first ever LEGO Shrek set. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Six-Gun Vixen and the Machinist of Doom Valley [Part 2]" by Ashok K. Banker in Lightspeed. 
• "Update on Rules for the Spatiotemporal Use of Campus Spaces" by Andrea Kriz in Lightspeed.  
• "Welcome to Heroism" by John Wiswell in Uncanny Magazine  
• "What lies in the dark" by Ali Ortiz in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "Dromedary Mary" by Phoenix Alexander in The Dark.
• "D0G" by Tania Fordwalker in Clarkesworld.
• "The Starling" by Dana Jaye Cadman in Mystery Tribune. 
• "We Are All in the Same Boat" by Avi Burton in Nightmare Magazine.  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Coyote vs. Acme. 
• Watch a trailer for Practical Magic 2.
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of The Legend of Vox Machina. 
• Watch a trailer for The Vampire Lestat. 
• Watch a trailer for Clayface. 
• Watch a trailer for Star City. 
• Watch a trailer for Hokum. 
• Watch a trailer for Hungry. 
• Watch a teaser for Evil Dead Burn.