Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Harry Potter at twenty, Octavia E. Butler at seventy, feminist science fiction as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, awards news, con reports, crowdfunding campaigns, science articles and free online fiction.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Joel Cunningham shares his favourite science fiction and fantasy books of 2017 so far.
- James Davis Nicoll shares twenty problematic speculative fiction works that every true fan should have read.
- Amy Diegelman shares science fiction short story collections by authors of colour.
- Saffron Alexander explains why the space racist trope is bad for women of colour.
- Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad talks about the Muslim tradition of science fiction and speculative fiction.
- Vanessa Thorpe discusses the current popularity of feminist dystopian science fiction.
- The Guardian also discusses feminist science fiction.
- Laurie Penny declares that the future of science fiction is feminist.
- Jason Hough shares five examples of creative FTL in science fiction.
- Fran Wilde hosts a roundtable about engineering in science fiction and fantasy.
- Ceridwen Christensen shares fifteen essential pirate fantasy novels.
- Danny Sichel proposes the new subgenre of municipal fantasy.
- Nicole Hill shares eight books in which the gods are having a very bad day.
- The participants of the Mind Meld share books that make old monsters new again.
- Michael Livingston revisits the 2003 movie Timeline and is considerably less than impressed.
- Grady Hendrix shares his appreciation for the 1985 novel Invasion USA by Jason Frost.
- Jesse Hudson revisits the 1953 novel Bring the Jubilee by Ward Moore.
- Charles Bramesco explains why Stephen King remains so enduringly popular and why his works keep getting adapted.
- Germain Lussier shares some early reactions to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
- Germain Lussier also shares some concept art from Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
- Mandy Chew shares her twenty favourite science fiction films of the past twenty years.
- Megan Vick explains why the 2003 version of Battlestar Galactica remains relevant in the Trump era.
- Echo Ishii remembers the 1994 TV series TekWar.
- James Whitbrook shares his love for the Cybermen from Doctor Who.
- Alex Cranz reports that the cancelled streaming video series Sense8 will get a two-hour wrap-up film.
- Hope Nicholson and Karen K. Burrows explain how Wonder Woman and other female comics characters are bisexual in the comics and straight on screen.
- Alasdair Stuart shares his appreciation for Kelly Sue DeConnick's run on Captain Marvel.
- Cecilia D'Anastasio profiles the women writers and artists who worked on Dungeons & Dragons in its early years.
- Mike Glyer reports that the Los Angeles City Council has approved the building of the George Lucas Art Museum.
- Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, has died aged 91.
Comments on Spider-Man: Homecoming:
- Kristy Puchko calls Spider-Man: Homecoming one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to date.
- Tasha Robinson calls Spider-Man: Homecoming a celebration of smallness with personal stakes.
- Germain Lussier shares some early reactions to Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- Germain Lussier also shares some info about the next Spider-Man movie and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general.
Harry Potter at twenty:
- Sarah Begley explains why Harry Potter matters twenty years later.
- Alyssa Rosenberg grapples with Harry Potter for the series' twentieth anniversary.
- Joel Cunningham and Melissa Albert share twenty essential things from Harry Potter in alphabetical order.
- John Scalzi shares his appreciation for Harry Potter.
- David Busis explains why adults should read Harry Potter.
- Nick Reilly reports that Piers Morgan insisted on celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Harry Potter by insulting J.K. Rowling.
Tributes to Octavia E. Butler on her 70th birthday:
- Jessica Pryde recounts how she finally overcame her fear and started reading Octavia E. Butler.
- Priya Sridhar explains how as a woman of colour Octavia E. Butler became a double Smurfette in the SFF world.
- Christian Coleman discusses the works of Octavia E. Butler within the context of her views on religion.
- Cassandra Neace shares her appreciation for the short fiction of Octavia E. Butler.
- Deya Bhattacharya reviews Luminiscent Threads, a collection of letter to Octavia E. Butler edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2017 Locus Awards have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2017 Utopiales Awards has been announced.
- The winners of the 2017 Saturn Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2017 James White Award has been announced.
- The winner of the 2017 Australian Fairy Tale Society Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 15th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards have been announced.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Bob Mayer talks about original ideas and why they are the heart of your story.
- Kali Amanda Browne talks about writing what scares you.
- Jon Berkowitz shares James Patterson's secrets for writing an unputdownable story.
- Thomas Watson discusses his worldbuilding process.
- Martin Cavannagh explains what irony is and how to use it.
- Hank Garner explains why he abandoned the program Scrivener.
- Brian J.W. Lee shares ten tips for dealing with bad reviews.
Interviews:
- Christian A. Coleman interviews Yoon Ha Lee.
- Ardi Alspach interviews Theodora Goss.
- Michael J. Seidlinger interviews Jeff VanderMeer.
- Gary Delkin interviews Ken MacLeod.
- Katherine Mangu-Ward interviews Cory Doctorow.
- Dag Rambraut interviews Kristen Simmons.
- The Irish Times interviews Carlos Maleno.
- Samovar interviews Annie Sheng.
- Bloomin' Brilliant Books interviews Su Bristow.
- Gavin Edwards interviews Francis Spufford.
- Brigid Alverson interviews Gengoroh Tagame.
- Brigid Alverson also interviews Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle.
Reviews:
- Jeff LaSala reviews Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- Carrie Sessarego reviews The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente and Annie Wu.
- Sam Reader reviews The Kill Society by Richard Kadrey.
- Ardi Alspach reviews Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory.
- Ardi Alspach reviews Dr. Potter's Medicine Show by Eric Scott Fischl.
- Sam Reader reviews The Queen of Swords by R.S. Belcher.
- Aidan Moher reviews The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams.
- Bill Capossere and Kat Hooper review The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams.
- Fantasy Book Café reviews The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard.
- Mark Granger reviews The Waking Land by Callie Bates.
- Quill & Quire reviews Walkaway by Cory Doctorow.
- Jason Heller reviews Amatka by Karin Tidbeck.
- Brit Mandelo also reviews Amatka by Karin Tidbeck.
- Jeff Somers also reviews Amatka by Karin Tidbeck.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Abode by Morgan Sylvia.
- Black Guys Do Read reviews Revolver by Michael Patrick Hicks.
- The Skiffy and Fanty Show reviews The Rogue Retrieval by Dan Koboldt.
- Alexandra Pierce reviews Necessity by Jo Walton.
- Aaron Pound reviews The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher.
Crowdfunding:
- The Speculative Literature Foundation is looking for funding for its Diverse Worlds and Diverse Writers grants.
- The Clarion Workshop is holding its annual write-a-thon to raise money to support the workshop.
- Several writers have united to raise money for the residents affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
Con reports:
- Fandom Rover reports about U-Con, the 2017 Eurocon in Dortmund, Germany, and shares some photos.
- Tomas Cronholm also reports about U-Con and shares some photos.
- Stephanie Lai reports about a panel on Asian character in SFF at Continuum 2017 in Melbourne, Australia.
- Stephanie Lai also talks about insensitive remarks guests of colour have had to endure at Continuum and what to do about that.
- Mark L. Blackman reports about the latest edition of the Fantastic Fiction Readings series in New York City featuring Catherynn M. Valente and Sunny Moraine.
- Alexa Grave reports about the 2017 In Your Write Mind workshop at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Science and technology:
- The potential dangers of beaming messages into space.
- Who is guilty when a brain-controlled computer kills?
- A Dutch company is developing a bus that runs on formic acid.
- Volvo's self-driving cars have problems recognising kangaroos.
Free online fiction:
- "Yellow" by Nuala O'Connor in The Irish Times.
- "Substitutes" by Ben Hoffman in Lightspeed.
- "Love Engine Optimization" by Matthew Kressel in Lightspeed.
- "Of Letters They Are Made" by Jonathan Edelstein in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Sundown" by Tobias Buckell in Apex Magazine.
- "Useless Things" by Maureen McHugh in Apex Magazine.
Odds and ends:
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