Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 5, 2017

Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Guardians of the Galaxy, The Handmaid's Tale, American Gods, the many problems of Marvel Comics as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, awards news, a whole lot of con reports, crowdfunding projects, science articles and free online fiction. 

Speculative fiction in general:

• James Davis Nicoll shares twenty core military SFF books every fan should have on their bookshelves. 
• Robyn Bennis shares her favourite books featuring fleet actions.
• Bridget McKinney shares excellent recent SFF works by women.  
• K.B. Wagers talk about the rise of the unlikeable woman protagonist.
• Freda Warrington talks about escape and escapism. 
• Dawn Xiana Moon talks about how art can be both refuge and resistance. 
• Gillian Pollack talks about fairy tales.
• Oren Ashkenazi shares five stories afraid of their own premise. 
• Natalie Luhrs discusses failures of empathy in the SFF community. 
• Deirdre Coyle talks about men and their literature recommendations. 
• Jeff Somers ranks twelve different zombie apocalypses. 
• Sarah Gailey discusses the drinking problem of Hagrid from the Harry Potter sries.
• Meghan Ball shares ten things you probably did not know about Sir Terry Pratchett.
• Alexandra Alter profiles William B. Gibson.
• Alan Brown shares his appreciation for The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.
• Gautham Shenoy shares his appreciation for the story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison. 
• Vintage Geek Culture shares the top misconceptions people have about pulp era science fiction.
• Cat Rambo revists the Doc Savage story Land of Always Night by Kenneth Robeson a.k.a. Lester Dent.
• Emily Asher Perrin claims that maybe it's a good thing that Alejandro Jodorowsky's adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune was never made.
• Ben Child explains how Wonder Woman can save the DC Extended Universe. 
• Hope Nicholson takes a look at comic book heroines through the years.
• Mathew Stevens shares fifteen reasons Unbreakable is the best superhero movie of all time.
• The participants of this month's Mind Meld share their favourite graphic novels. 
• Michael Edward Taylor shares fifteen things Batman can do that no one else does.
• British comics artist Leo Braxendale has died. 
• Author and editor Grania Davis died aged 73.
• Writer Robert M. Pirsig, best remembered for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, has died aged 88. 

Comments on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2:

• Ben Child explains how Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, heralds Marvel's weird new world.
• Caryn Jones declares that Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, contains the same ingredients of the first film, but with less intoxicating results.
• Theresa Wickersham calls Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, extremely satisfying and visually stunning.
• Matt Singer declares that Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 is fun, but somewhat light on plot.
• Matt Singer interviews actress Karen Gillan who plays Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Comments on The Handmaid's Tale:

• Annalee Newitz calls The Handmaid's Tale the most horrific thing she's ever seen.
• Jessica Valenti calls The Handmaid's Tale timely and terrifying. 
• Rebecca Nicholson calls The Handmaid's Tale a timely adaption full of dystopian dread.
• Jessa Crispin explains why she considers drawing parallels between The Handmaid's Tale and the US under Trump problematic. 
• Christina Warren lists all the changes the adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale has made compared to the novel.
• Natalie Zutter declares that The Handmaid's Tale isn't just Offred's story anymore. 
• Jada Yuan profiles Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid's Tale.
• Kaitlin Reilly interviews Elisabeth Moss.
• Jason McHenry praises Alexis Bledel, who plays Oflgen in The Handmaid's Tale.
• Ethan Alter also takes a look at the plight of Ofglen, as portrayed by Alexis Bledel.
  

Comments on American Gods:

• Katharine Trendacosta declares that American Gods is so good that spoilers won't ruin it.
• Alex Brown calls American Gods a goddamn miracle. 
• Rebecca Nicholson calls American Gods gorgeous gore for supernatural worshippers.
• Caroline Framke calls American Gods one of the most beautiful and confusing shows on television. 
• Katharine Trendacosta views American Gods as an examination about the costs and issues of immigrating to the US.
• Meghan Ball and Kelly Anderson share their thoughts on "Bone Orchard", the first episode of American Gods.  
• Kristy Puchko discusses Orlando Jones' performance as Mr. Nancy/Ananzi in American Gods.
• Abraham Riesman interviews Neil Gaiman, creator of American Gods.
• Bridget McGovern lists every song mentioned in American Gods plus a few bonus tracks.
  

Discussion of the many problems with Marvel Comics:

• Brian Hibbs wonders what the hell is wrong with Marvel Comics anyway.
• Martin Wisse asks if Marvel Comics has a diversity problem. 
• Glen Weldon talks about Marvel Comics, diversity and a changing readership. 
• John Jackson Miller explains that Marvel Comics actually did not experience a sales slump, at least not much severe as it has been claimed. 
• Tom Bacon declares that Marvel has embraced politics in the age of Trump.
• James Whitbrook attempts to answer the question whether Captain America is a Nazi now.
• Aliza Weinberger declares that Marvel has taken the Nazi Captain America plot too far now.
• James Grebey says that Marvel's reactions to the Nazi Captain America controversy are a little tone-deaf.
• James Whitbrook reports how Marvel reassures fans that Captain America is still a hero even after the revelations of Secret Empire. 
• However, James Whitbrook also declares that Captain America is no longer a hero or even a supervillain, but a complete monster.
• The Skiffy and Fanty Show discusses the Marvel Comics Nazi controversy.
• Seth G. Macy interviews Nick Spencer, writer of the controversial Captain America issues.

Awards:

• The shortlist for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke Awards has been announced.
• The winners of the 2017 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2017 Edgar Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2017 Derringer Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2017 Agatha Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2017 FAAn Awards have been announced. 
• The nominees for the 2017 Eisner Awards have been announced. 
• The nominees for the 2017 Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2017 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards has been announced.
• The nominees for the 2017 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent Book Awards have been announced. 
• Mike Glyer reports that the Parsec Awards are leaving Dragon Con.

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Benjamin P. Hardy shares a ten minute routine to increase creativity and clarity.
• Elizabeth S. Craig declares that confidence is the key to eliminating writer's block.  
• Debra Purdy Kong talks about embracing failure. 
• John Scalzi talks about the brain eater and how some witers react when their career doesn't go like they think it should.
• Kali Amanda Browne talks about how to depict empathy in writing. 
• M.R. Carey talks about writing the impossible sequel.
• Mark Siegel explains how creating miniatures and models helps him with worldbuilding and writing.
• Amanda Abella shares tips for expanding your mailing list.
  

Interviews:

• A.C. Wise interviews Sarah Gailey. 
• Jeff VanderMeer and Cory Doctorow interview each other. 
• Flyover Fandom interviews Walter Jon Williams.
• Julia Rios interviews John Chu.
• Anne Charnock interviews Irenosen Okojie.
• Carl Slaughter interviews B. Morris Allen.
• Charon Dunn is interviewed by her cat, T.B. Kahuna.
  

Reviews:

• Lis Carey reviews Cosmic Powers, edited by John Joseph Adams.
• Liz Bourke reviews All Systems Red by Martha Wells.
• Martin Cahill also reviews All Systems Red by Martha Wells.
• Jana Nyman and Marion Deeds review The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis. 
• Jacob Falkovich reviews Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer. 
• Camestros Felapton also reviews Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer.
• Jeff VanderMeer reviews The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch. 
• Maria Haskins reviews Infomocracy by Malka Older. 
• John Bardinelli reviews Free Space by Sean Danker.
• Sam Reader reviews Netherspace byAndrew Lane and Nigel Foster.
• Bookworm Blues reviews A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. 
• Aaron Pound reviews Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey.
• Mark Chitty reviews The Hangman's Daughter by Gavin Smith.
• Paul di Filippo reviews Avengers of the Moon by Allen Steele.
• Kat Hooper and Bill Capossere review Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb. 
• Laura M. Hughes reviews Skullsworn by Brian Staveley. 
• Mark Yon reviews Blackwing by Ed McDonald. 
• Marion Deeds reviews Brimstone by Cherie Priest. 
• Corrina Lawson reviews Tremontaine, a collaborative novel by Ellen Kushner and others.
• Martin Cahill reviews City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett.
• Niall Alexander reviews The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey. 
• Joe Sherry reviews Greedy Pigs by Matt Wallace. 
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Savage Jungle by Hunter Shea.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson. 
• P.T. Phronk reviews Walkaway by Cory Doctorow.

Crowdfunding:

• The Waukegan Public Library in Waukegan, Illinois, is looking for funding to erect a statue in honour of Ray Bradbury, who was grew up in Waukegan.
• Brazilian fans Andressa Dreka, Mayara Texeira Dos Santos and Luis Alessio are looking for funding to attend Lazlar Lyricon 3, a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy con in Stoke on Trent, UK.
• The Skiffy and Fanty Show is running a charity fundraiser and promise to review Batman versus Superman: Dawn of Justice, if enough money is raised.
  

Con reports:

• Jer Lance responds to some rightwing criticisms of Penguincon in Southfield, Michigan. 
• Mark L.Blackman reports about an event in the New York Review of Science Fiction Readings series featuring the authors of Serial Box in Brooklyn, New York.
• Flyover Fandom reports about HUDCon in Lubbock, Texas.
• James Bacon talks about the background of the WorldCon bid for 2019 in Dublin, Ireland. 
• Doug Ellis explains why you should go to conventions.

Science and technology:

• The space probe Cassini has taken the closest ever photos of Saturn.
• Most habitable exo-planets may be totally covered in water. 
• Researchers have created a robot that can 3D-print a building in hours.
• Elon Musk's vision for an underground road system.
• In California, a patrolling security robot has been attacked by a drunken man. The robot alerted the police who arrested the man.
• Why did scientists and the US government become so estranged from each other? 
• The case for the politicization of science. 

Free online fiction: 

• "I Have Been Drowned in Rain" by Carrie Vaughn in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "The Black Clover Equation" by Zach Shephard in Flash Fiction Online.
• "Ghost Notes" by Shveta Thakrar in Mythic Delirium.  
• "James, In the Golden Sunlight of the Hereafter" by Adam-Troy Castro in Lightspeed.
• "The Three-Tongued Mummy" by E. Catherine Tobler in Apex Magazine. 
• "Sweetlings" by Lucy Taylor at Tor.com.

Odds and ends: 

• Watch a trailer for The Dark Tower.
• Watch a trailer for The Defenders.  
• Watch a trailer for Sense8.
• Watch a teaser for the new Twin Peaks. 
• Listen to a BBC audio adaptation of The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks, adapted by Paul Cornell.  
• Listen to the Star Wars/Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band tribute album Princess Leia's Stolen Death Star Plans.