It's time again for our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek Discovery, Blade Runner 2049, Thor: Ragnarok, two awards for Margaret Atwood, lots of articles about horror 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:
- James Davis Nicoll shares twenty alternate histories every SFF fan should have on their shelves.
- Jeff Somers shares the thirteen unluckiest characters in science fiction and fantasy.
- Jeff Noon shares the top ten imaginary drugs in fiction.
- Karen Lord shares five books about the human and the divine.
- Nicole Hill shares five YA fantasy tropes she cannot get enough of.
- Liz Bourke discusses the rise of LGBTQ speculative fiction.
- Shaun Duke talks about space opera and domesticity.
- Shaun Duke also shares what he learned from three years of reading mainly speculative fiction by women.
- Cat Rambo presents an SFWA roundtable discussion on the Fireside Fiction black speculative fiction report.
- Nerds of a Feather talks about Eurocentrism and worldbuilding in fantasy.
- Junot Díaz talks about global dystopias.
- Erin Roberts explains how to tell if you're living in a dystopia and why it matters.
- Peter Ross shares his appreciation for George Orwell and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
- Jane Dykema discusses The Husband Stitch by Carmen Maria Machado and the practice it is named after.
- Ross Johnson revisits Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
- Lorelei Marcus revisits the 1962 novel A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
- Jo Walton revisits The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett.
- Victoria Lucas shares her appreciation for science fiction writer Lee Chaytor a.k.a. Elizabeth Chater.
- Gabrielle Bellot shares her appreciation for the works of Octavia E. Butler.
- Victor LaValle shares his appreciation for the works of Richard Matheson.
- The participants of the latest Mind Meld share their favourite books about ghosts and witches.
- Cullen Bunn shares five books about folk horror.
- Emily Temple shares a list of scary literary fiction for people who hate horror.
- Jonathan Barry talks about his love of gothic horror and the Hell Fire Club.
- Lee Foster talks about horror and disability.
- Jonathan Barkan explains how horror can help in times of tragedy.
- Grady Hendrix attempts to answer the question how many of Stephen King's novels are actually set in Maine.
- Mark Olsen profiles Guillermo del Toro.
- Elizabeth Rayne shares ten movies about tentacled monsters for Lovecraft fans.
- Brian Greene revisits Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1932 horror movie Vampyr.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Good Manners the most interesting werewolf movie of the year.
- Erin Lindsey shares six epic narrative lessons from The Empire Strikes Back.
- Emily Asher-Perrin shares five things that Obi-Wan Kenobi could have told Luke rather than outright lies.
- Shaun Duke discusses generation ships and the 2009 movie Pandorum.
- Vance Kotrla compares the 1956 and the 1978 versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
- BloomsMag reports that seventeen minutes of lost footage of 2001 - A Space Odyssey have been found.
- Mark Jenkins calls the movie Professor Marston and the Wonder Women strangely subdued.
- Angel Wilson shares her thoughts on the season 3 premiere of Mr. Robot.
- David Annandale shares his appreciation for the television show Hannibal.
- Jodie and KJ of Lady Business share their thoughts on season 1 of The Good Place.
- Kevin Melrose explains the timeline of the X-Men spin-off TV show The Gifted.
- Charles Pulliam Moore declares that there will probably never be a right time for a Punisher series.
- Geoff Miller calls for comics to stop telling stories about established superheroes becoming Nazis.
- Chris Arrant reports that comic book sales have risen by 6% and that 37% of comic buyers are women.
- An original Asterix illustration has been sold for 1.4 million Euro at an auction in Paris.
- Isa Hackett, TV producer and daughter of Philip K. Dick, has accused the head of Amazon Studios of sexual harrassment.
- Natalie Luhrs discusses another case of serial harrassment in the SFF community.
- Actor Roy Dotrice, who played multiple genre roles, has died aged 94.
- Italian film director Umberto Lenzi, who directed several horror movies, has died aged 86.
Comments on Star Trek Discovery:
- Bridget McKinney shares her thoughts on the two-part pilot as well as the third and fourth episode of Star Trek Discovery.
- Andrew Lowry shares his thoughts on the fourth and fifth episode of Star Trek Discovery.
- Ethan Siegel calls Star Trek Discovery scientific nonsense.
- Zach Handlen calls episode 5 of Star Trek Discovery not terrible.
- Angel Wilson is happy about the introduction of a gay couple in episode 5 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Keith DeCandido shares his thoughts on episode 5 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on episode 5 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Camestros Felapton also discusses the Alice in Wonderland references in Star Trek Discovery.
- Helen O'Hara declares, based on the pilot, that Star Trek Discovery is what the world needs right now.
- Katharine Trendacosta declares that Star Trek Discovery has lost its soul with the latest episode.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw wonders whether Star Trek Discovery has gone too far with the animal cruelty in episode 5.
- Cora Buhlert discusses yet more of her issues with Star Trek Discovery.
- Abigail Nussbaum is cautiously optimistic about Star Trek Discovery, but really dislikes The Orville.
- James Wallace Harris explains why he is dissatisfied with Star Trek Discovery and the CBS All Access streaming service where the show is available.
- Marissa Martinelli shares a potentially spoilerish fan theory regarding a certain character in Star Trek Discovery.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also discusses the potentially spoilerish fan theory regarding Star Trek Discovery actor Javid Iqbal.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also reports how actor Wilson Cruz, who plays Dr. Culber in Star Trek Discovery, responded to comments by homophobic fans.
- Emily Asher-Perrin takes a closer look at the character of Harry Mudd who appeared in various incarnations of Star Trek from the original series to Star Trek Discovery.
- James Hibberd interviews Jason Isaacs who plays Captain Gabriel Lorca in Star Trek Discovery.
Comments about Blade Runner 2049:
- Devon Maloney points out that the politics of Blade Runner 2049 aren't that futuristic.
- Ryan J. Downey discusses the woman problem of Blade Runner 2049.
- Sara Lynn Michener points out that Blade Runner 2049 may not pass the Bechdel test, but that this may be the point for a movie set in a dystopian future.
- Trish Marston calls Blade Runner 2049 disturbing and enthralling.
- Bill Capossere calls Blade Runner 2049 visually stunning.
- Rick Williamson calls Blade Runner 2049 one of the best films of the year and one of the best noir films ever.
- James Wallace Harris calls Blade Runner 2049 a heartless sequel.
- David Fear wonders whether Blade Runner 2049 has become the victim of peak dystopia fatigue.
- Adam Wagner shares his thoughts on Blade Runner 2049.
- M.G. Siegler shares his thoughts on Blade Runner 2049.
- Adam Frank attempts to answer the question whether Rick Deckard is a replicant or not.
- Justin T. Westbrook wonders whatever happened to Rick Deckard's dog in Blade Runner 2049.
- Evan Narcisse explains the secret behind Blade Runner 2049's most surprising special effect.
Comments about Thor: Ragnarok:
- Germain Lussier calls Thor: Ragnarok probably the funniest superhero movie ever.
- Alonso Duralde calls Thor: Ragnarok breathlessly action-packed and funny.
- Brian Truitt calls Thor: Ragnarok a fun Marvel romp that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Awards:
- Margaret Atwood has been awarded the 2017 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
- Margaret Atwood has also been awarded the Franz Kafka Prize.
- The winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction has been announced.
- The winners of the 2017 Sunburst Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2017 Geffen Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2017 Prix d'Uchronie have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2017 Parsec Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2017 BookNest Fantasy Awards have been announced.
- Kevin Hogan introduces the Smithee Awards.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Writing Routines shares eight lessons from Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro about the writing process.
- Mason Cross talks about writing a novel in 500 word chunks.
- Abdulghaniy Otukogbe explains how he writes.
- Andrea Carter talks about going from part-time to full-time writer.
- Mareth Griffith talks about time management for writers.
- Steven Smith explains how visual art inspires his writing.
- Elizabeth Bear shares five worldbuilding tips.
- Jacey Bedford talks about the importance of peer to peer critique groups.
- Barry Davret shares ten unusual but critical edit checks to do before publishing.
Interviews:
- Carl Slaughter interviews Alma Alexander.
- The Qwillery interviews Mareth Griffith.
- The Qwillery also interviews Glynn Stewart.
- Lawrence M. Schoen interviews Vivian Shaw.
- Veronica Scott interviews Nalini Singh.
- Veronica Scott interviews Linda Mooney and R.E. Butler.
- Nicole Hill interviews Joseph Fink.
- Seth Ferranti interviews Dr. Reynaldo Anderson.
- Albert Ching interviews Daniel Kibblesmith.
- Nix Whittaker interviews Sharon Hannaford.
- Brigid Alverson interviews S. Nagano and A. Honda.
- Meagan Damore interviews Juliana Harkavy, the actress who plays Black Canary in Arrow.
Reviews:
- Kat Hooper and Jana Nyman review Provenance by Ann Leckie.
- Camestros Felapton also reviews Provenance by Ann Leckie.
- Deborah J. Ross reviews The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews.
- Liz Bourke reviews Blood Enemies by Susan R. Matthews.
- Shana DuBois reviews The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan.
- Shana DuBois reviews The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander.
- Katy Waldman reviews La Belle Sauvage, Volume 1 of The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman.
- Joel Cunningham also reviews La Belle Sauvage, Volume 1 of The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman.
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh.
- Bridget McKinney reviews Where the Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction & Fantasy, edited by Lucas K. Law and Derwin Mak.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear.
- Rob Bedford reviews A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne.
- Paul Weimer reviews At the Table of Wolves by Kay Kenyon.
- Sam Reader reviews Blackwing by Ed McDonald.
- Kate Coe reviews Court of Twillight by Mareth Griffith.
- Camestros Felapton reviews City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- Rob Bedford reviews The Core by Peter V. Brett.
- Bence Pintér reviews Autonomous by Annalee Newitz.
- Gary K. Wolfe also reviews Autonomous by Annalee Newitz.
- Rachel Swirsky reviews An Excess Male by Maggie Chen King.
- Jason Heller reviews Iraq +100, edited by Hassan Blasim.
- Mark Yon reviews Austral by Paul McAuley.
- Sandy Ferber reviews The Small Hand by Susan Hill.
- Jana Nyman reviews Boneyard by Seanan McGuire.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Halloween Carnival, Volume 3, edited by Brian James Freeman.
Crowdfunding:
- Wonders and Visions: A Visual History of Science Fiction by Adam Roberts and Graham Sleight is looking for funding.
- M.C.A. Hogarth is looking for funding to produce print editions of her science fiction romances Thief of Songs and Cantor for Pearls.
- Joe Quesada, comic artist and creative head of Marvel Comics, is looking for help to recover artworks that were stolen from his house.
Con reports:
- James Bacon reports about Octocon 2017 in Dublin, Ireland, and also shares some photos.
- Peter Tieryas talks about attending Donburacon in Shizuoka, Japan, where he received a Seiun Award.
- Jim Walker reports about the 2017 Eurocon in Dortmund, Germany.
- Brian Lee Durfee reports that Prison Con in Utah, the first ever SFF convention inside a prison, was a big success.
- Jamie Sugah reports about the Voltron: Legendary Defender panel at New York Comic Con.
- T.S. Paul shares some photos of the 2017 NINC conference in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Mark L. Blackman reports about the latest edition of the Fantastic Fiction Reading series in New York City, featuring James Patrick Kelly and Jennifer Marie Brissett.
Science and technology:
- The Saturn moon Titan experiences seasonal methane rainstorms.
- NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory provides insights in how CO² moves around the atmosphere.
- Scientists have found the perfect spot to build an underground colony on the Moon.
- Scientists have measured the furthest part of the Milky Way yet.
- Scientists have discovered five black hole pairs at the centres of distant galaxies.
- Asking the right questions about artificial intelligence.
- Model Alex Sorina Moss is about to change the future of space medicine.
- Ancient virusses are buried in human DNA.
- French scientists believe that the cause of dyslexia may be the arrangement of light receptor cells in the eyes.
- David D. Levine talks about experiencing zero gravity while researching Arabella of Mars.
Free online fiction:
- "Crossing the Midday Gate" by Aliette de Bodard in Lightspeed.
- "The Future of Hunger in the Age of Programmable Matter" by Sam J. Miller at Tor.com.
- "Pan Humanism: Hope and Pragmatics" by Jess Barber and Sara Saab in Clarkesworld.
- "Control Negro" by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson in Guernica Magazine.
- "What the Highway Prefers" by Cassandra Khaw in Lackington's.
- "So Sings the Siren" by Annie Neugebauer in Apex Magazine.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for Black Panther.
- Watch a trailer for The Punisher.
- Watch a trailer for season 2 of Stranger Things.
- Watch a trailer for The New Mutants.
- Watch a trailer for Bright.
- Watch a trailer for The Alienist.
- Angela Watercutter shares the best memes and tweets about the Porgs from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
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