It's time again for our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with a debate about fantasy maps, yet more WorldCon 75, the Handbook for Mortals controversy, the Game of Thrones season finale, The Shape of Water, The Defenders, James Cameron criticises Wonder Woman, Joss Whedon's troubled marriage, tributes to the late Tobe Hooper and Brian Aldiss 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:
- The participants of this month's Mind Meld discuss the connection between science fiction, technology and society.
- James Davis Nicoll shares twenty core SFF novels he has on his shelves, but hasn't yet read.
- Jeff Somers shares eight SFF books he suspects no one will ever completely understand.
- Gabrielle Bellot shares her appreciation for Ray Bradbury.
- T.W. O'Brien praises the women of three famous SFF writer couples.
- Hannah Priest discusses the origins of female werewolves in urban fantasy.
- Adam Morgan discusses the next generation of Chicago Afrofuturism.
- Yoon Ha Lee explains why he is not entirely comfortable with the #ownvoices tag.
- Marvel Comics remembers Jack Kirby on the event of his 100th birthday.
- Leigh Butler rewatches the 1994 movie Stargate.
- Steve Rose discusses the new film adaptation of Stephen King's It and the mistreatment of child actors in Hollywood in general.
- Meanwhile, Stephen King himself was pleasantly surprised by the film adaption of It.
- Actor Ed Skrein has quit the upcoming Hellboy movie over a whitewashing controversy.
- Whitney Kimball reports about John Melcer, a writer who falsely claimed Native American heritage and made up blurbs from dead writers to sell his book.
- The BBC reports that a harddrive containing several unfinished Terry Pratchett novels was crushed by a steamroller according to the late Terry Pratchett's instructions.
- Mark Yon shares a tribute to Brian Aldiss.
Discussion about geography and fantasy maps:
- Alex Acks explains why they don't like fantasy maps.
- Adrian Daub criticises fantasy maps for being too eurocentric.
- Paul Weimer offers a defence of fantasy maps.
- Camestros Felapton shares some additional links about fantasy maps.
- Robin Kirk criticizes the illogical infrastructure of Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and other classic epic fantasies.
Comments on The Shape of Water:
- Guy Lodge declares that director Guillermo del Toro is in peak form with The Shape of Water.
- David Rooney calls The Shape of Water pure enchantment.
- Marlow Stern calls The Shape of Water an enchanting fairy tale for the ages.
- Robbie Collin calls The Shape of Water timeless like a fairy tale.
- Jessica Kiang calls The Shape of Water sweet and scary movie magic.
- Alonso Duralde claims that The Shape of Water blends horror and delight.
- Xan Brooks declares that The Shape of Water mixes B-movie thrills with a ravishing romance.
- Ben Croll calls The Shape of Water a powerful vision of love.
Comments on James Cameron's criticism of Wonder Woman:
- Hadley Freeman profiles director James Cameron, wherein Cameron criticised Wonder Woman.
- Alex Abad-Santos reports how Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins responded to James Cameron's criticism of the movie.
- Vivian Kane shares Twitter responses to James Cameron's criticism of Wonder Woman.
- Teresa Jusino responds in detail to James Cameron's criticism of Wonder Woman.
- Jill Pantozzi also responds to James Cameron's criticism of Wonder Woman and explains what Cameron does not get about strong female characters.
The Handbook for Mortals controversy:
- Andy Lewis reports about the scandal surrounding the YA novel Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem who allegedly tried to buy herself a spot on the New York Times bestseller list.
- Christian Holub has more on the Handbook for Mortals controversy.
- Christian Holub also interviews YA literary agent Michael Bourret who explains how the New York Times bestseller list works and how the scam was pulled off.
- Vivian Kane reports on the Handbook for Mortals controversy and points out that Lani Sarem's books fraudulently pushed a YA novel by a black woman writers out of the top spot of the New York Times bestseller list.
- Isabella Biedenharn interviews John Popper of the band Blues Traveler who sheds some additional light on the activities of his former manager Handbook for Mortals author Lani Sarem.
Comments on the season finale of Game of Thrones:
- Alyssa Rosenberg calls the Game of Thrones season finale uneven.
- Tanis Fowler declares that the latest season of Game of Thrones felt rushed and that the finale was no exception.
- Stephanie Angel Wilson declares that the Game of Thrones season finale reversed everything she enjoyed and did not enjoy about the season.
- Joe Brosnan shares his thoughts on the Game of Thrones season finale.
- Ben Van Iten shares a recap of the Game of Thrones season finale.
- Sarah Hughes also shares a recap of the Game of Thrones season finale.
- Alex Shephard claims that the Game of Thrones TV show drew all the wrong lessons from George R.R. Martin's novels.
- The BBC asks several historians and royalty experts which Game of Thrones characters is most likely to inherit the Iron Throne.
Comments on The Defenders:
- Charles Pulliam Moore, Katharine Trendacosta and James Whitbrook shares six things they liked about The Defenders and four things they didn't.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore praises the use of colour in The Defenders.
- Renaldo Matadeen explains how the main villain in The Defenders fell flat in the end.
- Shirley Li interviews Elodie Yung who plays Elektra in The Defenders.
- Marykate Jasper reports that Netflix users are most likely to start with Jessica Jones of all the Marvel shows.
Discussion of director Joss Whedon's alleged infidelity:
- Joss Whedon's ex-wife Kai Cole talks about her troubled marriage and her former husband's infidelity.
- Kaila Hale-Sterne shares Twitter reactions to the allegations that director Joss Whedon cheated on his ex-wife .
- Kaila Hale-Sterne also explains why Joss Whedon's clipped response to the allegations of infidelity raised by his ex-wife Kai Cole is not helpful.
- Teresa Jusino reports that the Jodd Whedon fansite Whedonesque has shut down following the infidelity allegations.
- Vivian Kane of The Mary Sue defends the site's extensive reporting about the allegations of Joss Whedon's infidelity.
Tributes to Tobe Hooper:
Awards:
- The winners of the 2017 Silver Falchion Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2017 Premio Vegetti has been announced amidst controversy.
- The fianlists for the Premio Urania Short have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2017 Joan Aiken Future Classics Prize has been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2017 Inky Awards has been announced.
- The nominees for the 2017 Pegasus Awards have been announced.
- Alex Acks offers a summary of recent changes to the Hugo Award rules.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Ayodeji Awosika explains how to stop feeling like a wannabe and turn pro in your writing career.
- Ayodeji Awosika also shares the undisputed secret to becoming a great writer.
- Nicole Bianchi shares some writing tips from William Faulkner.
- Robin Storey explains why readers and writers love novellas.
- Beth Cato shares some tips for creating an author brand.
- Meanwhile, Damien Walter explains why he avoids any kind of personal branding.
Interviews:
- Mhaire Stritter, Werner Fuchs and Corinna Fuchs interview George R.R. Martin (The interview begins after 45 seconds).
- Lisa Spangenberg interviews Spencer Ellsworth.
- Joel Cornah interviews Elizabeth Bear.
- Brian Merchant interviews William Gibson.
- Kristy Anne Cox interviews Jaymee Goh.
- David Gullen interviews Anna Jackson.
Reviews:
- Ceridwen Christensen reviews Arabella and the Battle of Venus by David D. Levine.
- Alpaca Reads reviews River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey.
- Ardi Alspach reviews An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock.
- Liz Bourke also reviews An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock.
- Rich Rosell reviews Binary/System by Eric Brown.
- Joe Sherry reviews The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin.
- Marion Deeds reviews The Chimes by Anna Smaill.
- Meghan Ball reviews A Song for Quiet by Cassandra Khaw.
- Tadiana Jones reviews The Summoned Mage by Melissa McShane.
- Robert Holbach reviews The Salarian Desert Game by J.A. McLachlan.
- Aaron Pound reviews Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Real Town Murders by Adam Roberts.
- Sam Reader reviews Reincarnation Blues by Anna Smith Spark.
- Nicole Hill reviews Ruin of Angels by Max Gladstone.
- Corrina Lawson reviews The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark.
- Tim Scheidler reviews Wytchfire by Michael Meyerhofer.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Money Back Guarantee by Hunter Shea.
- Corrina Lawson reviews Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo.
Crowdfunding:
Con reports:
- Campbell Award nominee Kelly Robson shares her experiences at WorldCon 75 in Helsinki, Finland, as well as some photos.
- Donna Maree Hanson shares her experience at WorldCon 75 as the delegate of the GUFF fan fund as well as many photos in a multi-part post.
- Ian Moore shares a three part write-up of his experiences at WorldCon 75 with many photos.
- Ian Sales shares his experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Marzie of Marzie's Reads shares her experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Hugo nominated fan artist Vesa Lehtimäki shares their experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Sarah Groenewegen shares her experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Caroline Mersey shares her experiences at Nine World Geekfest in London and WorldCon 75 in Helsinki.
- Nalo Hopkinson shares her experiences at WorldCon 75 and at the Edinburgh Book Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Stephanie Saulter shares her experiences at WorldCon 75.
- David Lamb shares a multi-part report about WorldCon 75, including detailed notes on several panels.
- Theodore Logan reports about his experiences visiting WorldCon 75 with his family and also shares some photos.
- Greg Hullender shares his experiences at WorldCon 75 as well as several photos.
- Nick Tyler shares his experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Selenay shares her experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Val Nolan shares his experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Paul St. John Mackintosh reports about a panel on horror and the World Fantasy Award at WorldCon 75.
- Scott Edelmann shares a lovely anecdote from WorldCon 75.
- Mark Newman reports about Walter Day who presented a Guinness World Records certificate to the World Science Fiction Society at WorldCon 75.
- Timothy the Talking Cat shares his not entirely serious report about his experiences at WorldCon 75.
- Paul Weimer reports about his experiences visiting Lexicon in Taupo, New Zealand, and Continuum in Melbourne, Australia, as the delegate of the Down Under Fan Fund.
- Delilah S. Dawson shares some safety advice for women attending Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Greg Euston of Dragon Con responds to Delilah S. Dawson's safety concerns.
- Joshua Jelks shares five reasons to attend Dragon Con.
- Sarah Smellie reports about a scandal involving Avalon Expo in St. John's, Canada.
- Chuck Rothman reports about Albacon in Albany, New York.
Science and technology:
- How the Johnston Space Center and the other NASA sites in Houston, Texas, is riding out Hurricane Harvey.
- The Cassini probe beams back some photos of the storm on Saturn's north pole before it plunges into the planet's atmosphere.
- The data gathered by the Cassini probe also suggests that Saturn's rings are younger than expected.
- Drones will soon be delivering medical supplies in Tanzania.
Free online fiction:
- "Gallows Girl" by Mel Kassel in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Across Pack Ice, A Fire" by Marissa Lingen in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Shift" by Nalo Hopkinson in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Party Discipline" by Cory Doctorow at Tor.com.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for DC's superhero TV shows.
- Watch a trailer for Inhumans.
- Watch a trailer for season 4 of Black Mirror.
- Watch a video of Etta Candy reminiscing about her time with Diana Prince a.k.a. Wonder Woman.
- Watch a "sweded" trailer for Thor: Ragnarok.
- Watch a trailer for Downsizing.
- Watch a clip from Death Note.
- Neil Mosspark is giving away copies of his science fiction novel The Dark.
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