Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for August 17, 2018

It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the Fireside Fiction 2018 black speculative fiction report, yet more on the firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,  The Meg, The Calculating Stars, tributes to Michael Scott Rohan, WorldCon 76, WakandaCon, racism in the SCA as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, con reports, crowdfunding campaigns, science articles, free online fiction and much more. 

Speculative fiction in general:

• Eric Brown shares a round-up of the best recent science fiction books. 
• Ann Leckie shares some recent science fiction novels she enjoyed. 
• Maria Haskins shares thirteen recent science fiction, fantasy and horror short story collections. 
• Petra Mayer shares the one hundred greatest horror stories of all time.
• Michael Dirda takes a look at several non-fiction books about science fiction, fantasy and horror.
• Kelly Jensen shares five science fiction stories set on inhospitable planets.
• Sam Reader eight intriguing dark fantasy noir novels.
• Jeff Somers shares fourteen colour-coded science fiction and fantasy novels.
• Damien Walter talks about transrealisim, which he calls the first major literary movement of the 21st century. 
• Karl Schroeder talks about escaping the default future, when writing science fiction.
• James Davis Nicoll discusses six means of science fictional transportation he would not use. 
• Alice Rosso shares the top five ways to destroy New York City in science fiction.
• V.E. Schwab explains how she found her way to fantasy.
• Martin Cahill takes a look at the works of Brandon Sanderson that are not epic fantasy. 
• Anya Johanna DeNiro explains how the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells explore queer friendships.  
• Sam Kean declares that reading fiction might make doctors more empathetic. 
• Stardreamer finds some parallels between a supremely stupid article on why millennials won't eat mayonnaise and the sad puppy movement in science fiction.
• Alan Brown revisits the late 19th and early 20th century early science fictional adventures of Don Sturdy by Victor Appleton.
• Kim Huett digs up a 1947 Soviet article by Victor Bolkhovitinov and Vassilij Zakhartchenko criticising western science fiction.
• Cora Buhlert takes a look at East German and East European science fiction in the 1950s and 1960s. 
• Chris Beckett revisits Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
• Joe Kenney revisits Tiger by the Tail, a 1975 novel in the The Man From Planet X series by Hunter Adams a.k.a. James D. Lawrence.
• Sandy Ferber revisits the Northwest Smith stories by C.L. Moore.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the Ballantine Classic Library of Science Fiction series edited by Judy-Lynn Del Rey.
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1988 fantasy novel The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West by Mary Stanton.  
• Judith Tarr praises the hardworking horses of epic fantasy.
• Shawn Speakman shares the best fantasy novels of the 1980s to read.
• Cynthia Vinney remembers some science fiction and fantasy films and TV series from the 1990s that are unfairly forgotten. 
• Marty Kelley takes a look at rightwing complaints about too much diversity in superhero comics and points out that superhero comics have always been socially progressive.
• John DeVore shares his love for Batman.
• Colin Hickson reports that John Byrne may return to Marvel after a falling out in the year 2000. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits Zack Snyder's 2009 adaptation of Watchmen. 
• Kyoko M. shares her appreciation for the character of Mariah Stokes Dillard in Luke Cage.
• Lauren Rearick reports that actress Ruby Rose who has just been cast as Batwoman has left Twitter following harrassment. 
• Beth Elderkin reminds us that Ruby Rose is only the latest in a long line of celebrities who were hounded off social media by harrassment campaigns. 
• Lesley Goldberg reports that Ethan Peck has been cast as young Spock in Star Trek Discovery.

Comments on Fireside Fiction's 2017 black speculative fiction report:

• Fireside Fiction has release Cecily Kane's 2017 Black Speculative Fiction report.
• Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali explains how PodCastle managed to raise the number of black authors published. 
• Mikki Kendall looks back on three years of the Fireside Fiction black speculative fiction report.
• Camestros Felapton weighs in on the 2017 Black Speculative Fiction report. 

Tributes to Michael Scott Rohan:

• Science fiction and fantasy author Michael Scott Rohan died aged 67. 
• Locus remembers Michael Scott Rohan.
• Adam Whitehead remembers Michael Scott Rohan. 

Comments on the firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:

• Mike Fleming reports that Marvel Studios is pressuring Disney to rehire James Gunn to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
• Justin Kroll reports that James Gunn had a meeting with studio chairman Alan Horn, but that Disney still refuses to rehire him.
  

Comments on The Meg: 

• Mike McCahill calls The Meg cliched nonsense, but a lot of fun.
• Ignatiy Vishnevetsky declares that The Meg should be a lot more fun than it is.
• Robbie Collin uses the Sharknado franchise and The Meg as examples how sharksploitation went mainstream.
• Germain Lussier gushes about what he considers the best moment in The Meg (spoilers).
• Will Lerner reports that the Jaws reference in The Meg are deliberate,
• Renaldo Matadeen asks if The Meg is the second best shark movie of all time.
• Renaldo Matadeen explains the ending of The Meg, in case anybody needs it explained. 
• Renaldo Matadeen explains how The Meg sets up a sequel.
• Hannah Collins wonders why The Meg got a PG13 rating.
• David Rapp takes a look at the 1997 thriller on which The Meg is based.
• Brooks Barnes reports that The Meg is a surprising box office hit.
  

Awards:

• The winners of the 2018 American Book Awards have been announced and include several genre titles.
• The nominees for the Edinburgh International Book Festival's First Book Award have been announced and include several genre titles.
• The nominees for the 2018 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards have been announced.
• The nominees for the 2018 Harvey Awards have been announced.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Joel Cunningham explains how the 2017 Hugo-nominated album Splendor & Misery by clipping inspired the new novel by 2018 Campbell Award finalist Rivers Solomon.
• Ruth Ann Nordin shares a common sense approach to the writing business. 
• Maggie Lynch analyses some survey to explain what makes readers buy books.
• M.J. Rose shares some advice for writing blurbs. 
• J.P. Mangalindan reports about the banning of fantasy authors J.A. Cipriano and Michael-Scott Earle from Amazon, both of whom claim to have done nothing wrong.
• J.W. Alden shares his experience at the Writers of the Future Contest and points out that the links between the contest and the Church of Scientology are closer than many believe.
• David Gerrold talks about writer cooperatives and Patreon.
  

Interviews:

• Francesca Myman interviews Martha Wells.
• Jonathan Thornton interviews Frances Hardinge. 
• The Qwillery interviews Anna Smith Spark. 
• The Qwillery intervies Sam Hawke.
• Michael Gruneir interviews Dale Lucas. 
• John Scalzi interviews himself. 
• Dave Richards interviews Shawn Crystal and Robbie Thompson.
• Jordan Crucchiola interviews Melanie Scrofano, star of Wynonna Earp.

Reviews:

• Jessica Juby reviews Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers.
• Liz Bourke reviews Temper by Nicky Drayden. 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal.
• Bookworm Blues reviews The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal.
• Mieneke van der Salm reviews Morning Star by Pierce Brown. 
• The Qwillery reviews Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio.
• Liz Bourke reviews Fire Dance by Ilana C. Myer.
• Erik Henriksen reviews Ball Lightning by Liu Cixin. 
• Corrina Lawson reviews Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames.
• Kat Hooper reviews Competence by Gail Carriger.
• Alex Brown reviews Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie.
• Rakib Ahmad Khan reviews The Armored Saint by Myke Cole.
• Geoff Matthews reviews The Penitent Assassin by Shawn Wickersheim.
• Thea James reviews City of Lies by Sam Hawke.
• Bob Pastorella reviews The Book of M by Peng Shepherd. 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Moons of Barsk by Lawrence M. Schoen. 
• Andrea Johnson reviews Nexhuman by Francesco Vero. 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The End of All Our Exploring by F. Brett Cox. 
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Behind the Door by Mary SanGiovanni.
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Gate Crashers by Patrick S. Tomlinson. 
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Rattus New Yorkus by Hunter Shea.
• Paul Michaels reviews Visions from the Void, edited by Jonathan Butcher. 
• The Qwillery reviews Gears of Faith by Gabrielle Harbowy.
• Mark Yon reviews Paperbacks From Hell by Grady Hendrix.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Heartwood: Non-binary Tales of Sylvan Fantasy, a comic anthology by non-binary comic creators, is looking for funding.
  

Con reports:

• Mike Glyer reports that there will be a far right protest as well as a leftwing counter protest taking place during WorldCon 76 outside the San José Convention Center and also shares some safety tips from the convention committee.  
• George R.R. Martin shares his schedule at WorldCon 76 in San José, California. 
• Spider Robinson reports about his trip to WorldCon 76 and shares some photos he took en route.
• Nine Worlds Geek Fest in London, UK, discusses the future of their convention.
• Mikki Kendall reports about WakandaCon in Chicago, Illinois, and shares several photos. 
• Devon Maloney reports about WakandaCon and shares several photos.
• Frank Catalano reports about this year's Clarion West workshop in Seattle, Washington. 
• Mark L. Blackman reports about the latest installment of the Fantastic Fiction Readings series in New York City, featuring Michael Swanwick and Jeffrey Ford. 
• Bill Ernoehazy reports about a major conflict inside the Society for Creative Anachronism. 
• Beauxarmes weighs in about confronting racism in the SCA in a two part post.
• Tor.com shares some photos from forty years of the British comic shop Forbidden Planet.
• Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon weighs in on the issue of several writers supposed to appear at the Edinburgh Book Festival having their visas refused. 
  

Science and technology:

• Jonathan Amos reports about NASA's Parker Solar Probe.
• Rafi Letzter reports that NASA's New Horizons probe has detected a vast glowing hydrogen wall on the edhe of the solar system.
• Ethan Siegel wonders whether attempts to send probes to explore extrasolar planets might be mistaken as a declaration of war by potential alien civilisations.
• George Dvorsky talks about the scientific possibilities of mini-moons.
• George Dvorsky reports that the Long Valley supervolcano in California still contains magma, though an eruption is unlikely in the foreseeable future.
  

Free online fiction:

• "No Flight Without the Shatter" by Brooke Bolander at Tor.com.
• "The Girl With The Frozen Heart" by Y.M. Pang in The Book Smugglers. 
• "Shattered Hand" by Marc Criley in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "The Atonement Path" by Alex Irvine in Lightspeed. 
• "Here's What I Know" by Dennis Danvers in Lightspeed. 
• "Youngblood" by Aidan Moher in A Dribble of Ink.
• "Five Tales of the Rose Palace" by Ephiny Gale in The Future Fire.
• "The Wyvern Rider and Those of the Land" by Jeremy A. TeGrotenhuis in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  

Odds and ends: 

• Watch a sneak peek of Ralph Breaks the Internet.
• Watch a video of Thor's roommate Daryl wishing Thor a happy birthday and revealing that he survived the end of Infinity War.
• Watch a trailer for Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.
  

The Apple-Tree Throne by Premee Mohamed

Release date: August 14, 2018

Subgenre: Ghost story

About The Apple-Tree Throne:

 

It is the turn of the century in an England that never was. Bright new aqua-plants are generating electricity for the streetlights; news can be easily had on the radio-viz; and in Gundisalvus' Land, the war is over and the soldiers are beginning to trickle home. Amongst these is Lt. Benjamin Braddock, survivor of the massacre that ended the war, and begrudgingly ready to return to a world that, well, doesn't seem to need him any more than it did in peacetime. His friends have homes and families to return to, while he's got nothing but his discharge papers and a couple of unwanted medals. Oh, and one new thing: the furious ghost of his commanding officer.

Fortunately, since the officer's family is so vehemently adamant that Braddock join their rich and carefree fold, he doesn't have much time to fret about being haunted. But the secrets of the war are about to catch up to them all.

 

Excerpt:

 

It's autumn, the time for ghost stories. Not the innocent skies and washed-out roads of spring; not the stifling heat of summer, nor less the dead of winter when sounds carry for miles. Autumn is when adventures begin, when the air is crisp and the paths are dry and the leaves whisper and the scent of smoke on the downs travels like a secret. It must be autumn, when everyone is held in abeyance between their home and their destination, when every trip is a journey.

I wake to tapping at the glass and spend a moment reckoning it: dash, dash, dash, dot. Dash, dash, dash, dot.

Two nines. Get out.

Shan't. I roll out of bed and see the Major-General, still quite dead, as dead as the last time I saw him, hovering above the sill. The new electric street-lights, soft and golden in the fog, illuminate the gaping wound in his throat. Meeting my gaze with a look of hatred, he reaches out once more and strikes the glass of the window. Nine, nine.

I pull the curtains shut, muffling his outrage till I can drop off again. Perhaps he is still angry about the funeral.

***

"Major-General Theodore Wickersley was a good man," I begin, but this statement is so contradictory to what is actually transpiring at his funeral that I trail off in embarrassment. In the silence, Wickersley's mother emits one loud sob, sending crows yelping from the fawn sea of oaks behind us. Surely for her sake, if nothing else, I must continue.

Before I lose my nerve I describe his rapid rise through the ranks, his fairness as a leader, his loyalty as a soldier. I praise his brilliant military mind — stuttering into silence as another of Wickersley's Irregulars gestures frantically at me to cut it out. I express my deep condolences to the Greater Republic of Britannia as well as his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. As I do so, several of my fellow soldiers simply leave, slipping past the rows of family with murmured excuses, as if a quiet slap to the face might be any less painful than a loud one.

I am the only one who has agreed to speak. It is over swiftly, and the spade-man walks bold as brass through the assembled mourners, who part Red Sea-fashion to avoid his dirty shovel. He nods briskly at me, as one professional to another, and begins to fill in the grave. Wickersley's mother handed me a pink rose when I met them at the gates, which I had meant to toss upon the coffin, but the work is proceeding so swiftly that I feel it would be an intrusion.

In minutes it is done, and he switches to another tool with a flat, oblong head to tamp down the fluffed-up black dirt. Finally, the sliced squares of sod are replaced. They will catch again, put down roots long before winter comes. Funny that cemeteries always end up on the best farmland. Or is it the other way around? All those bodies turning the thin soil rich and black over hundreds of years. That old story they tell to scare children, about what happens to those who eat hazelnuts from a cemetery.

 

Amazon | Kobo

 

About Premee Mohamed:

Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and spec fic writer based in Canada. Her short fiction has been published by Automata Review, Mythic Delirium, Pseudopod, Nightmare Magazine, and many others. Her debut novel, 'Beneath the Rising,' is slated for publication by Solaris Books in 2020.  

 

Website | Twitter| Curious Fictions

Klone's Stronghold by Joyce Reynolds-Ward

 Release date: June 25, 2018

Subgenre: Urban Fantasy

About Klone's Stronghold:

 

In a world of supernatural beings, not knowing what you are is dangerous.

After Reeni Dutta's ex-husband Karl attacks her at a music festival, she finds a refuge teaching cryptid construct children at Klone's Stronghold in northeastern Oregon's isolated Bucket Mountains. But things are not as they seem at the Stronghold, from the older proprietors of a nearby store and the Stronghold's leader Alexander Reed Klone, to Reeni herself. She discovers it's not just Karl who seeks to control who and what she is, but forces from her past that threaten her present. Can she learn the truth about herself and do what is needed in time to defend the Stronghold?

Excerpt:

 

“Gonna be a nice weekend for the Mudhole show!” Trina said from the front passenger seat, half-turning her head so that I saw her in profile. “Don’t you think so, Rocky?”

“Probably,” Rocky said absently, focusing on the two-lane country road winding its way through grassy farmlands and occasional oak patches. “Might get a little coastal fog in the morning, though. The Hangout’s close enough to the Coast Range for that. You did bring warm coverups, right, Reeni?”

“You’re never going to let me forget that raft trip, are you?” I bit back the sharp edge that threatened to creep into my voice. Rocky hadn’t known me before Karl, King of Glamping. “I know the coastal climate. Trina and I used to camp at Cape Lookout all the time. I just didn’t know about desert climate then.”

Before Karl. Before husbands. I studiously stared at the patch of bigleaf maple trees that sheltered a farmhouse as tension tightened my gut. It’s going to be all right, I told myself. You’re entitled to a life after Karl.

Trina slapped Rocky’s thigh. “That spare tent and sleeping bag we brought for Reeni were originally hers, goofball. Just because Karl didn’t camp doesn’t mean that Reeni hasn’t.”

Rocky laughed. “Being chivalrous meant I froze my butt. Just making sure. Sorry, Reeni.” He slowed the car. “Crud. Protestors. Better get down, Reeni.”

That tense sensation in my gut cinched down tighter. Another worry. The Mudhole band catered to halflings and supernaturals as much as they did full humans. It made for a fun show, but….

Not everyone was tolerant of tolerance.

“Can you see who it is?” I asked Trina.

She knew what I meant. “Yeah.” She leaned forward as Rocky slowed even more, following the line of cars turning onto the gravel drive leading to the Hangout. “Might be all right. Looks like it might be just the usual land use protestors.”

Now those were protestors I could handle. The Hangout wasn’t particularly popular with two of their conservative farm neighbors. As a result the number of shows like the Mudhole’s three-day festival were limited.

“Whew.” I settled back in my seat. Still, slender strands of tension threaded through my gut. I wasn’t going to dismiss that worry until we were complete inside the venue. Something’s wrong. I didn’t know what it was. Yet.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Trina cautioned as we drew closer. “There’s more than the usual protestors—oh crud.”

Right then I almost threw up. “What?”

“Anti-supernaturals.” She peered closer. “And they’re not all white—shit! Reeni, get down! Religious and I think I see your uncle!”

“Shit!” I lay flat on my side in the back seat, pulling the just-in-case blanket over me. “Anyone besides Jayanesh?” I asked, once I was certain I was covered. Dread cinched tighter on me. This weekend was supposed to be fun. Not a family intervention.

“Sheriff’s keeping them back,” Trina said. “But yeah. Pastor Ananda’s there.”

“My parents?” I choked back the sick bitter taste in my mouth.

“No—wait. Your father.”

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple iTunes | Scribd | 24symbols | Angus & Robertson

About Joyce Reynolds-Ward:

Joyce Reynolds-Ward is a speculative fiction writer who splits her time between Enterprise and Portland, Oregon. Her short stories have appeared in Children of a Different Sky, Steam. And Dragons, Tales from an Alien Campfire, River, How Beer Saved the World 1, Fantasy Scroll Magazine, and Trust and Treachery among others. Her books include Shadow Harvest, Alien Savvy, Netwalking Space, Pledges of Honor, Challenges of Honor, and Klone’s Stronghold. Joyce recently completed editing her first anthology, Pulling Up Stakes. Besides writing, Joyce enjoys reading, quilting, horses, skiing, and outdoor activities.

Website | Blog | Author Central

Harriet Walsh Omnibus One by Simon Haynes

Release date: August 5, 2018

Subgenre: Science Fiction Mystery, Space Opera

About Harriet Walsh Omnibus One:

 

For the first time, get all three Harriet Walsh novels in one volume!

All the Harriet Walsh novels are set in the distant future, where the galaxy has been colonised and human-like robots are commonplace. They're good clean fun, written with wry humor.

PEACE FORCE

Would you work for a deranged robot? Harriet Walsh does!
Harriet's weapon won't fire without the right paperwork, the patrol car is driving her up the wall, and her crime-fighting computer doesn't even have solitaire. Welcome to the Peace Force!

ALPHA MINOR

The Peace Force has a new recruit, and she's driving everyone crazy.

From disobeying orders to handling unauthorised cases, nothing is off-limits. Worse, Harriet Walsh is forced to team up with the newbie, because the recruit's shady past has just caught up with her. Meanwhile, a dignitary wants to complain about rogue officers working out of the station. She insists on meeting the station's commanding officer ... and they don't have one.

All up, it's another typical day in the Peace Force!

SIERRA BRAVO

Planet Dismolle is supposed to be a peaceful haven. So what's with all the gunfire?

A criminal gang has moved into Chirless, Dismolle's second major city. Elderly residents are fed up with the loud music, noisy cars and late night parties, not to mention hold-ups, muggings and the occasional gunfight. Chirless has no Peace Force, so Harriet Walsh of the Dismolle City branch has to help out. That puts her up against a gang of hardened criminals with only her training pistol and a few old allies to lend a hand.

And these allies aren't just old, they're positively ancient!

 

Excerpt:

 

They took the lift to the roof, where they emerged into the afternoon sunshine. The deep space fighter was sitting on its landing pad, towering over them like a sleek, grey-painted shark. Alice ran ahead to the ship, where she opened a hatch in the belly and pulled down the access ladder.
"Oh great," puffed Birch. "Just what I needed, more exercise."
"Are you sure you want to come?" asked Harriet. "Alice and I can handle this."
"What, miss out on my first Peace Force case for twenty years?" Birch grinned at her. "Just try and stop me." Even so, he looked apprehensive as they walked into the deep shadows under the ship.
Harriet waited for him to climb the ladder, then followed. They emerged in a small airlock filled with lockers and storage cupboards, and they followed Alice up a set of stairs to the cockpit, where she took the pilot's chair while Harriet and Birch settled in the two passenger seats at the rear.
"Is she all right flying this thing?" murmured Birch, as he did up his harness.
Harriet shrugged. "She's been flying all over the city recently, and Rover's smart enough not to hit anything."
"Oh, so that's the noise that's been keeping me awake at nights. I thought it was thunder."
"If she could afford the fuel she'd be buzzing cities on other planets."
"In that case, I'll organise a whip-around. It'd be worth if for a good night's sleep."
"I can hear you both, you know," Alice called from the pilot's seat. "Now strap in, we're ready to go. And Harriet, if you don't start calling this ship Arnie, you're not coming aboard ever again."
Alice flicked the starters and the engines burst into life with a shattering roar. Harriet eyed Birch's harness. "I'd pull that a bit tighter if I were you."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Really."
He was still complying when the ship launched itself into the air, leaving the Peace Force building - and their stomachs - far below.
"Take it easy Alice!" called Harriet.
"I'm not flying. It's Arnie."
"I thought my name was Rover?" said the ship's computer, in an even male tone.
"Yeah, not any more," said Alice. "Arnie is way cooler."
"User dictionary updated."
"Can you take us to the Dismolle spaceport? We need fuel."
"So do I," said the ship, and Harriet clung to her seat as they turned sharply and tore across the city. The engines bellowed like a pair of angry dragons, and she cringed as she imagined the noise complaints Bernie would be fielding.
"Can't we fly any higher?" she shouted.
"Negative," said Arnie calmly. "Climbing wastes fuel, and there is none to spare."
"Do we have enough to get there?"
"Checking now."
"What do you mean, checking now? Why didn't you check before?"
"I didn't know our destination prior to lift-off."
Harriet closed her eyes. Some mission this would turn out to be, if they ended up sitting in a field waiting for a fuel truck. Then, before she could say anything, Alice spoke into a mic.
"This is your captain speaking," she said, her voice loud through the cabin speakers. "After our fuel stop at the Dismolle spaceport we'll be heading directly for Chirless. Estimated time of arrival is ..." Alice checked a display. "... about ten minutes."
"That can't be right," said Harriet. "Last time I took a sub-orbital flight to Chirless it was forty minutes, at least."
"Who said anything about sub-orbital?" Alice grinned over her shoulder. "We're going to skim the ground at full power."
Harriet just hoped they avoided any settlements between Dismolle and Chirless, because full power in this particular ship was enough to tear the surface off the landscape and leave giant furrows in its wake. Some company was apparently planning to build an underground transport loop between the two cities. Well, if they waited a bit, they could just follow in Arnie's brand new tracks, adding a roof. They'd have their tunnel finished in no time.

 

Amazon.com | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | Google Play

 

About Simon Haynes:

Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock series, the Hal Junior series, and the upcoming Harriet Walsh series, as well as several dozen short stories. He is also the programmer and designer behind Spacejock Software, and is responsible for popular programs like yWriter and yBook.

 

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Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for August 10, 2018

It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the return of Jean-Luc Picard, yet more on the firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,  The Darkest Minds, The Meg, Christopher Robin, a new Batwoman, the 2018 Dragon Awards as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, con reports, crowdfunding campaigns, science articles, free online fiction and much more. 

Speculative fiction in general:

• Julia Rutledge announces a project to review 20th century science fiction and fantasy novels by women writers.  
• James Davis Nicoll offers part 1 of an overview of women science fiction and fantasy authors of the 1980s. 
• Tracy Banghart shares five feminist SFF takes on the classics.
• Casey Stepaniuk shares fifty must-read LGBT fantasy books. 
• Paul Gravett shares ten graphic novels everybody should read. 
• Sara Raasch shares five books about unconventional pirates.
• Claire O'Dell shares some of her and her character Jane Watson's favourite science fiction and fantasy novels. 
• Alex Johnson takes a look at the library aboard the ISS and finds plenty of science fiction titles. 
• Fireside Fiction has release Cecily Kane's 2017 Black Speculative Fiction report.
• Camestros Felapton weighs in on the 2017 Black Speculative Fiction report. 
• Aliette de Bodard talks about artificial intelligences as other and as family. 
• Damien Walter tackles the science fiction versus SciFi versus SF debate. 
• Mikaella Clements explains how fanfiction went mainstream.
• Tom Jacobs reports that science fiction and fantasy readers make good romantic partners. 
• Angela Elizabeth profiles Isobelle Carmody.
• Rowan Williams explains why J.R.R. Tolkien still matters. 
• Scott Bradfield remembers Theodore Sturgeon on his 100th birthday. 
• Jeff Somers shares ten Harlan Ellison short stories that changed science fiction.
• Victoria Lucas revisits John Dickson Carr's 1937 supernatural mystery The Burning Court. 
• Judith Tarr revisits Andre Norton's 1956 science fiction novel The Crossroads of Time.
• Rosemary Benton revisits Daniel F. Galouye's 1963 science fiction novel Lords of the Psychon.
• Gideon Marcus revisits Marvel Comics 1963 output.  
• Doris V. Sutherland revisits the 1962 comic book Journey Into Mystery No. 83, the first appearance of the Mighty Thor. 
• Camestros Felapton explains how to ansible. 
• Ruth Joffre talks about night time logic and dream worlds in the works of David Lynch and Kelly Link.  
• Patrick Lum takes a look at the moody art behind the anime classic Ghost in the Shell. 
• Ace Ratcliff wonders why so many science fiction films feature stairs that are impossible for many disabled people to access.  
• Alasdair Stuart shares three recent time loop episodes of SFF TV series that are instant classics.
• Cheryl Eddy declares that horror icon Barbara Frampton elevates Dead Night beyond just another horror film. 
• Meg Downey calls the horror film Slender Man a cluttered, if charming campfire story.
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the animated series Final Space. 
• Doris V. Sutherland remembers German British animator Lotte Reiniger.
• John DiLillo declares that Amazon's planned Lord of the Rings TV series completely misses the point of J.R.R. Tolkien's work. 
• Brian Cronin reveals that John Wayne's voice made an uncredited cameo in Star Wars.
• James Whitbrook reports that actress Ruby Rose has been cast as Kate Kane a.k.a. Batwoman in an upcoming TV series. 
• Todd MacFarlane, co-creator of Venom, shares his thoughts about the character's look in the upcoming movie. 
• Julie Muncy reports that foreign distributors refuse to pick up Sorry To Bother You due to the prejudice that films with a largely black cast don't selll overseas. 
• Peter Beaumont and Amanda Holpuch explain why women worldwide dress as character from The Handmaid's Tale at protests.
• Cecilia D'Anastasio reports about a witchhunt against game developers who are thought to be feminsits in South Korea.  
• Jamie Grierson reports that far right protesters have ransacked the leftwing bookshop Bookmarks in Central London.
• John F. Trent reports that nasty remarks about rightwing comic creator Jon Del Arroz were hidden in the lettering of the Centipede comic and provides plenty of examples.
• Doug Grindstaff, sound designer for the original Star Trek and many other TV shows, has died aged 87.
• Actor Robert Dix, who was in Forbidden Planet and several westerns and horror films, has died aged 83.
• Eric Bartsch reports that the death of Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the 1979 Superman movie, was ruled suicide.
  

Comments on the return of Jean-Luc Picard and other Star Trek news:

• Lesley Goldberg reports that Sir Patrick Stewart will reprise his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series for the CBS All Access subscription service. 
• Joe Otterson reports that Hugo, Nebula and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon will be one of the producers of the new Star Trek series featuring Jean-Luc Picard. 
• Ryan Britt wonders whether the new Star Trek series featuring Jean-Luc Picard should be set on a starship. 
• Ryan Britt also shares the best Jean-Luc Picard quotes for parents.
• Steven Padnick is excited that the announced series featuring Jean-Luc Picard will move Star Trek forward rather than backwards for the first time in fifteen years.
• Anthony Pascale reports that the Klingons will be redesigned again for Star Trek Discovery.
• Nellie Andreeva and Dominic Patten interview the CBS All Access bosses about the future of Star Trek, the Twilight Zone and other projects.

Comments on the firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 

• Shortlist reports that Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, has threatened to quit over the firing of James Gunn.
• Borys Kit reports that James Gunn is in high demand from other studios after Disney fired him.
• Ian Cardona reports that Marvel is planning to use James Gunn's script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after all.
  

Comments on The Darkest Minds:

• Gary Westfahl feels that The Darkest Minds is way too similar to other recent films based on unlikely YA dystopias and recommends to avoid it. 
• Mike McCahill declares that The Darkest Minds contains some powerful dystopian imagery that is unfortunately smothered underneath YA tropes.
• Renaldo Matadeen explains how The Darkest Minds sets up a sequel.
  

Comments on Christopher Robin: 

• Emily Asher Perrin shares her feelings about Christopher Robin.
• Germain Lussier calls Christopher Robin incredibly dreary for a movie that should be a happy trip down Memory Lane.
• Tatiana Siegel reports that Christopher Robin will not be released in China, because Chinese opposition groups have adopted Winnie the Pooh as a symbol.

Comments on The Meg:

• Germain Lussier declares that the giant shark movie The Meg knows that it's dumb and that's why it's great. 
• Alexandra August declares that The Meg manages to snatch fun from the jaws of absurdity.
  

Awards:

• The winners of the 2018 Deutscher Science Fiction Preis have been announced.
• The winner of the 2018 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award has been announced.
• The finalists for the 2018 Dragon Awards have been announced and voting is open. 
• The finalists for the 2018 WSFA Small Press Award have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2018 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards have been announced.
  
• The longlist for the 2018 Inky Awards has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2018 ENnie Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2018 Diana Jones Award has been announced.
• Michael Dooley reports about some problems with the Eisner Awards.
• The RWA addresses concerns about supposedly biassed judging during the RITA Awards.  
• The WSFS has released the 2018 Hugo Awards Study Committee report.
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the establishment of a new oscar for popular movies and that the announcements of some of the technical categories will no longer be broadcast live.  
• Germain Lussier does not think that the establishment of an Oscar for popular movies is a good idea.
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2018 Dragon Award nominees.
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the 2018 Dragon Award nominees.
• Mike Glyer analyses the number of Goodreads reviews of the 2018 Dragon Award nominees.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Damien Walter points out that big science fiction ideas are boring without emotional impact.
• Rebecca Roanhorse talks about learning Navajo and writing Trail of Lightning.
• Kameron Hurley explains why it's normal and often crucial for writers to have day jobs. 
• Tiffany Meurat shares two reasons day jobs are good for writers.
• Don Lee wonders what the point of writing is, if you believe you're not going to succeed anyway. 
• Lauren Sapala explains how self-publishing changed her life. 
• Claire Kirch reports about complaints against literary agent Danielle Smith.   
• Alison Flood reports about the harrassment several authors received after the e-book piracy website OceanPDF was taken down following complaints by authors and publishers. 
• S.A. Soule shares some tips for creating awesome book titles.
• Rocking Book Covers shares twelve book cover design mistakes.
  

Interviews:

• Anime UK News interviews Rachel Aaron. 
• R.J. Ledesma interviews Neil Gaiman.
• My Life, My Books, My Escape interviews Adrian Tchaikovsky.
• Alexander C. Kaufman interviews Kim Stanley Robinson.
• Caroline M. Yoachim interviews Anya Ow. 
• The Qwillery interviews Lauren C. Teffeau. 
• The Qwillery interviews V.M. Escalada.  
• The Qwillery interviews Jay Schiffman.
• Chris Bumbray interviews Donnie Yen, star of Big Brother and Rogue One, and learns why Star Wars movies don't do well in China. 
  

Reviews:

• Liz Bourke reviews Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells. 
• Ceridwen Christensen reviews Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee. 
• Jana Nyman reviews Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie.
• Nicole Hill reviews Temper by Nicky Drayden.
• Rob Bedford reviews Planetside by Michael Mammay. 
• Russell Letson reviews One Way by S.J. Morden. 
• Ross Johnson reviews Ball Lightning by Liu Cixin.
• Ian Mond reviews Tide of Stone by Kaaron Warren. 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Cobbler's Boy by Elizabeth Bear and Katherine Addison and The Ninety-Ninth Bride by Catherine Faris King. 
• Carolyn Cushman reviews The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso.
• Choire Sicha reviews Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. 
• Paul Weimer reviews A Demon in Silver by R.S. Ford.
• Leah Schnelbach reviews The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss. 
• Katharine Coldiron reviews The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp. 
• Jana Nyman reviews King of Assassins by R.J. Barker.
• Bill Capossere reviews Mystic Dragon by Jason Denzel. 
• Shellie Horst reviews Dogs of War by Adrian Tchaikovsky. 
• Tobias Carroll reviews Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace. 
• Matthew Keeley reviews Compulsory Games by Robert Aickman. 
• Randy Money reviews Banquet for the Damned by Adam Nevill.
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Creature by Hunter Shea.
• Brit Mandelo reviews An Informal History of the Hugos by Jo Walton.
• Bill Capossere reviews An Informal History of the Hugos by Jo Walton.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Diane Morrison is looking for funding to publish a print edition of her weird western collection Once Upon a Time in the Wyrd West. 
• Finnish illustrator Heikala is looking for funding for their art book The Art of Heikala.
  

Con reports:

• Locus reports about Readercon 29 in Quincy, Massachusetts, and shares some photos.
• Daniel Dern shares some photos of  Readercon 29.
• Locus also reports about the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle, Washington, and shares some photos. 
• David Williams reports about the first ever WakandaCon in Chicago, Illinois, and shares some photos.
• Julie Muncy reports that a mock court martial for the character of Poe Dameron from The Last Jedi was held at San Diego Comic Con in San Diego, California. There is also a video.
• Susan Macdonald reports that fantasy author Mercedes Lackey was hospitalised due to an accidental poisoning at GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana, but made a full recovery.  
• Stephen Brissaud reports about an altercation with security staff he had at GenCon.
• Sara Felix talks about a WorldCon 77 outreach event at Dublin Comic Con in Dublin, Ireland.
• WorldCon 77 has also posted its code of conduct.
• Trae Dorn reports that a rightwing group called the Honey Badger Brigade lost a lawsuit against the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo in Calgary, Alberta, for throwing them out and against the pop culture website The Mary Sue for reporting about the case.
• Sian Cain reports that several authors from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe supposed to appear at the Edinburgh Book Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, have been refused visa after intrusive application processes.
  

Science and technology:

• Reuben Jackson lists six science fiction prophecies that are already here. 
• Ethan Siegel reports that the brightest galaxy in the universe is surprisingly young and small. 
• NASA remembers Mary G. Ross, Native American engineer and mathematician.
• Rose Pastore explains how Carnegie Hall lost its famous acoustics after a remodelling in 1986.
  

Free online fiction:

• "The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat" by Brooke Bolander in Uncanny Magazine.
• "The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon, California and the Unknown" by Brit B. Hvide in Uncanny Magazine. 
• "For Southern Girls When the Zodiac Ain't Near Enough" by Eden Royce in Apex Magazine.
• "Old No-Eyes" by Christopher Mahon in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "A Legacy of Shadows" by Christopher M. Chevasco in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Scavenge, Rustic Hounds!" by Manuel Gonzales in Lightspeed. 
• "Angels" by Bruce McAllister in Lightspeed.
• "Convention Programming in the Age of Necromancy" by Cora Buhlert.
  

Odds and ends: 

• Watch Jimmy Fallon interviewing new Batwoman Ruby Rose.
• Watch a trailer for Slaughterhouse Rulez.
• Watch a not entirely serious recruitment clip for Donald Trump's new space force, courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel.