Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 15, 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, The Punisher: One Last Kill 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, Star Trek in general, the Good Omens finale, The Terror: Devil in Silver, Widow's Bay, Obsession, the final season of The Boys, tributes to Koji Suzuki and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares her favourite recent science fiction, fantasy and horror books. 
• Natalie Zutter takes a look at new romantasy novels coming out in May and June 2026. 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for April 2026. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares two plot-friendly approaches to Generation Ships 
• Sam Reader shares seven uniquely memorable SFF books with multiple narrators 
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror stories about unstoppable, inescapable forces  
• Sam Beckbessinger shares a brief history of the female werewolf
• Judith Tarr talks about the universe appeal of talking animals.  
• SFF fan, filker and fibre artist Margret Rosenberg has died aged 72. 
• Japanese horror author Koji Suzuki has died aged 68. 
• Justin Carter remembers Koji Suzuki. 

   

Comics and Art:

• Isaiah Colbert reviews Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness by Bartosz Sztybor and Asano 
• James Whitbrook looks ahead at Marvel’s new Midnight Universe 
• Samantha Baskind profiles Jack Kirby. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about Chaucer’s first unboxing video 
• Movie poster artist Tony Stella has died aged 45. 

 

Film and TV:

• Jacob Oller calls Decorado a cartoon for the depressed and unemployed that evokes sweetness and existential absurdity alike.
• Isaiah Colbert calls season 2 of Devil May Cry both an objectively unfaithful video game adaptation and a pitch-perfect parody of Capcom's beloved hack-and-slash series. 
• Leslie Felperin calls Ciao UFO a Hong Kong tear-jerker that is less ET than a time-hopping chronicle of housing estate kids 
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Electric Kiss a belle époque seance comedy struggles to summon real magic 
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Testaments. 
• Nick Romano interviews Chris Mundy, showrunner of Lanterns.  
• Justin Carter interviews Bryan Cogman, one of the writers of Game of Thrones.  
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Emile Hirsch, star of Speed Racer. 
• Janica L. Newman revisits the 1971 fairytale movie The Frog Prince, Fiona Moore revisits the 1971 horror comedy The Abominable Doctor Phibes, George Pritchard revisits the 1971 avantgarde fantasy film Pink Narcissus and the 1971 horror movie Simon, King of the Witches and Cora Buhlert revisits the 1971 spy thriller cum melodrama And Jimmy Went to the Rainbow.    
• Dan Gentle revisits the 1979 time travel movie Time After Time 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1980 science fiction horror movie Altered States 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1983 sword and sandal film Hercules.  
• Tobias Carroll revisits the 1993 near future noir series Wild Palms.  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “Phoenix Rising”
• Martin Edwards revisits the 2012 dystopian movie The Hunger Games.  
• Jessica M. Goldstein asks if movies really are getting darker. 

 

 Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Christopher Rudolph and Samantha Stutsman share everything viewers need to know about the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Jukka Issakainen analyses the Masters of the Universe trailers to figure out where Prince Adam works on Earth.
• Colt Crane reviews Masters of the Universe #5 by Tim Seeley and Reilly Brown. 
• Watch a featurette about how Eternia was brought to life in the upcoming live action Masters of the Universe movie.  
• Watch a featurette about the Sword of Power in the upcoming live action Masters of the Universe movie.  

 Comments on The Punisher: One Last Kill and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that The Punisher: One Last Kill is a baffling, purge-like foray into… nothing much 
• Jarrod Jones declares that The Punisher: One Last Kill trades continuity for bloodshed and the promise of carnage yet to come. 
• Germain Lussier calls The Punisher: One Last Kill solid, but a little confusing  
• Nick Romano interview Oren Uziel, co-showrunner of Spider-Noir. 
• Josh Horowitz interviews Ebon Moss-Bachrach who played The Thing in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
• Cheryl Eddy reports that the WandaVision spin-off VisionQuest will air in October 2026. 

 

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

• James Dillon talks about queer villainy in Maul — Shadow Lord 
• Molly Edwards interviews Jon Favreau, director of The Mandalorian and Grogu. 
• Perri Nemiroff interviews director Jon Favreau as well as Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, stars of The Mandalorian and Grogu.  
• Dan Gentle interviews Anthony Daniels who played C-3PO is various Star Wars movies. 
• Katie Canpione reports that season 2 of Ahsoka is coming in early 2027. 
• Alex Wallace reviews the Star Wars tie-in novel Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson. 
• Watch a clip from The Mandalorian and Grogu. 

 

Comments on Mortal Kombat II: 

• Jacob Oller shares a spoilerish review of Mortal Kombat II. 
• Brian Davids interviews Jeremy Slater, writer of Mortal Kombat II.  
• Pamela McClintock reports that Mortal Kombat II lost out at the box office to The Devil Wears Prada 2 of all things. 

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Jennifer Ludden talks about the real world influence on Star Trek's U.S.S. Enterprise 
• Marco Vito Oddo lists  five  science fiction characters that would cross over perfectly into Star Trek
• Don Kaye explains what Gene Roddenberry did between the end of the original Star Trek in 1969 and Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.   

 

Comments on the Good Omens finale: 

• Cheryl Eddy notes that season 3 of Good Omens feels rushed, since it has been condensed to a 90 minute movie following the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman. 
• Jack Seale declares that the Good Omens finale has a heavenly cast, but a script from flaming TV hell  

 

Comments on the final season of The Boys:  

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys. 
• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys.  
• Justin Carter notes that The Boys also became an unlikely Supernatural reunion. 

 

Comments on Widow's Bay: 

• Matthew Byrd talks about Widow’s Bay, Jaws, and the terror of municipal monsters 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Kate O'Flynn who plays Patricia in Widow's Bay.   

 

Comments on The Terror: Devil in Silver: 

• Alex Brown shares their thoughts on "Disturbed", the latest episode of The Terror: Devil in Silver.  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Chris Cantwell and Karyn Kusama, co-showrunner and director of The Terror: Devil in Silver.   

 

Comments on Obsession: 

• Monica Castillo calls Obsession a blistering horror film. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Curry Barker, director of Obsession. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, stars of Obsession.  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2026 Kurd Laßwitz Preis have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 BSFS Annual Poetry Contest have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 British Book Awards have been announced.  
• The winners of the 2026 Bafta TV Awards have been announced.

 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• The Authors Guild shares their AI best practices for authors 
• Micah Nathan talks about realising that the students in his writing workshop used AI and how he responded to this.
• Emma Loffhagen reports that UK Children's Poet Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce has called for children’s reading to be treated as a right. 

 

Interviews:

• Jeremy Comeaux interviews Lois McMaster Bujold  
• Mat Kaplan interviews Becky Chambers. 
• Locus interviews Emily Tesh. 
• Ed Crocker interviews R.J. Barker. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Paul McAuley. 
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Barry Nugent.
• Roseanna Pendlebury interviews Jordan Kurella. 
• Grimdark Magazine interviews Heba Al-Wasity.
• Alan Bailey and Cat Rambo interview Beatrice Winifred Iker 

 

Reviews:   

• Marlene Harris reviews Platform Decay by Martha Wells  
• Molly Templeton reviews The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey.
• Stew Hotston reviews The Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed  
• Alex Brown reviews The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu 
• Rob Bedford reviews All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan.   
• Mark Yon reviews Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth.  
• Maya C. James reviews The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao
• Sally Berrow reviews Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang 
• Aly Noel reviews Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Moonfall by Ed Crocker 
• Rich Horton reviews Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Christopher Keene reviews Dogs of War by Adrian Tchaikovsky 
• Jenny Hamilton reviews Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan 
• Eddie Clark reviews Mortedant's Peril by R. J. Barker  
• Jeff Ayers reviews Double Shadow by Andrew Ludington  
• Marlene Harris reviews For Better or Murder by Simon R. Green 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Dead First by Johnny Compton 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Vampyre Client by Jeri Westerson
• Jim McLeod reviews Femme Feral by Sam Beckbessinger 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Poet Empress by Shen Tao 
• Arley Sorg reviews The Quarter Queen by Kayla Hardy 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Girl With A Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean 
• Fiona Denton reviews Trollheim: A Tale of Sýstir by Georgia Summers 
• Marlene Harris reviews Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler 
• BOLO Books reviews Incarnate by Alma Katsu.
• Tobias Carroll reviews The Spoil by Maile Chapman
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews She is Here by Nicola Griffith  

 

Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1953 YA science fiction novel The Mysterious Planet by Lester del Rey
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1956 cozy catastrophe novel The Death of Grass by John Christopher 
• Fiona Moore revisits the June 1971 issue of Fantastic.
• Alan Brown revisits the 1976 science fiction anthology Galactic Empires, Volume One, edited by Brian Aldiss 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1988 occult novel Unquenchable Fire by Rachel Pollack 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1993 YA horror novel The Roommate by Diane Ho and the 1997 YA horror novel The Runaway by R.L. Stine. 
• Dave Hook revisits the 2000 anthology Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, edited by Sheree Renée Thomas 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2002 science fiction novel Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick 

 

Con and event reports:

• Cora Buhlert shares her experiences at Iridescence, the 2026 Eastercon in Birmingham, UK. 
• Cora Buhlert shares more of her experiences at Iridescence.  
• Kelcey Bauer and Patrick White report about the 2026 Norwescon in Seattle, Washington.
• Lauren Collins reports about the exhibtion “Flops?!" at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, France. 

 

Science and technology:

• Mike Hall reports that SpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket finally has a debut launch date 
• Raphael Rashid reports that a humanoid robot has been inducted as a Buddhist monk in South Korea. 
• Frank Landymore reports that a hacker has been able to hijack a lawnmower robot and attempted to run over a man. 

 

Gaming: 

• Keith Stuart wonders if 007 First Light could be the best Bond game since GoldenEye.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Cora Buhlert reviews the Masters of the Universe Chronicles He-Man, Man-at-Arms and Battle Cat action figures from Mattel
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Core line He-Man, Teela, Mekaneck, Skeletor, Beast-Man and Skel-Knight action figures as as the Core line Battle Cat and Roton vehicles.  
• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Core Battle Cat action figure.  
• James Whitbrook takes a look at the Lego Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith set. 
• Amaris Encinas also reports about the Lego Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith set, which will apparently be the biggest Lego set ever..

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Slayer of Dreams" by Auston Habershaw in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  
• "Through the Corpse Door" by R.I. Sutton in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Vault of Barazan Troth" by Ben Sperduto in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "A Magic Kingdom" by Bruce McAllister in Nightmare Magazine.   
• "The Aerialist" by Yoon Ha Lee in Lightspeed.   
• "The Star Where We Meet" by Sam W. Pisciotta in Lightspeed.   
• "This Is Not My Timeline" by J.R. Dawson in Reactor.  
• "The Scent of Memory" by Zhao Haihong, translated by S. Qiouyi Lu in Clarkesworld.
• "Aly" by Grace Chan in Clarkesworld. 
• "Obedient Son" by Kelsea Yu in The Dark.
• "The Dog" by Phoenix Mendoza in The Deadlands.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 3 of My Adventures With Superman.  
• Watch a trailer for Wildwood.  
• Watch a trailer for The Uncertainty Principle.
• Watch a trailer for Minions and Monsters. 
• Watch a trailer for The Magic Faraway Tree.  
• Watch a trailer for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.  

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.