It's time again for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Wars: The Last Jedi (no spoilers as of yet), The Shape of Water, Star Trek, I Remember You, The Punisher, the uproar about changes to Patreon's fee structure 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:
- Paul Weimer shares his favourite books of 2017.
- Michael Patrick Hicks shares his favourite books of 2017.
- James Davis Nicoll shares twenty works of religious speculative fiction every true fan should have on their shelves.
- Richard Marpole shares the ten strangest races in fantasy fiction.
- Katie Rask takes a look at haunted rivers in fantasy fiction.
- Amber Troska revisits some childhood favourites.
- Jazmine Joyner shares her appreciation for Who Fears Death and The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1963 fantasy novel Sign of the Labrys by Margaret St. Clair.
- Brad Abraham shares his appreciation for It by Stephen King.
- T.W. O'Brien shares his appreciation for the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke.
- Kim Pruett dissects a 1966 interviews with/article by Philip K. Dick.
- Jess Zimmerman discusses what happens when bad men define what makes good art.
- Doris V. Sutherland weighs in on the controversy surrounding the short fiction review site Rocket Stack Rank.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of The Orville.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore praises the latest episode of The Gifted.
- Echo Ishii revisits the 1998 Canadian science fiction series First Wave.
- Paul Weimer shares his appreciation for The Prisoner on its 50th anniversary.
- William Meikle shares his appreciation for the 1972 British TV horror movie The Stone Tape by Nigel Kneale.
- Dick Fiddy reports how the lost British TV science fiction film Thwum from 1975 was recovered after more than forty years.
- James Davis Nicoll offers an overview of classic science fiction radio dramas.
- Amy Zimmerman is angry that J.K. Rowling still supports that casting of Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald even after the abuse allegations by Deep's ex-wife Amber Heard.
- Germain Lussier reports that Annihilation, the film adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's eponymous novel, will not be shown in theatres, but will only be available on streaming services due to an alleged lack of mass appeal.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore reports about some whitewashing problems with Annihilation.
- Josh Wigler explains why Game of Thrones won't return until 2019.
- James Whitbrook reports that Netflix is planning to reboot She-Ra, Princess of Power.
- Thuy Ong reports that Disney has acquired 20th Century Fox and its rights to the X-Men franchise and wonders what this will mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Matt Driscoll reports that a park in Tacoma, Washington, will be named after science fiction writer Frank Herbert who hailed from Tacoma.
- Writer, scholar and librarian Harold Billings died aged 86.
- French novelist and occasional science fiction writer Jean d'Ormesson has died aged 92.
Comments on Star Wars: The Last Jedi (mostly spoiler-free):
- Tim Adams shares early reactions to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
- Julie Muncy also shares early reactions to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
- Laura Prudom also shares some early reactions to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
- Germain Lussier declares that The Last Jedi takes Star Wars to a new level.
- Hugh Armitage calls The Last Jedi everything Star Wars should be and so much more.
- Peter Bradshaw calls The Last Jedi an explosive thrill-ride of galactic proportions.
- Robbie Collin calls The Last Jedi thrilling and genuinely startling.
- Ian Freer declares that The Last Jedi delivers all the required thrills and feels in surprising ways.
- Manohla Dargis declares that The Last Jedi embraces the mystery and magic of Star Wars.
- Scott Mendelsohn calls The Last Jedi the Dark Knight of the Star Wars saga.
- Craig Miller was extremely pleased with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
- Alan Jones declares that The Last Jedi does not disappoint.
- Tasha Robinson generally enjoyed The Last Jedi, but says that viewers will come away with questions.
- Brian Lowry declares that The Last Jedi ultimately falls short of sky-high hopes.
- Peter DeBruge was ultimately disappointed by The Last Jedi.
- Dean E.S. Richards and Joe Sherry offer some rampant speculation about The Last Jedi.
- Ada Jarvis explains what it's like to watch Star Wars for the very first time.
- Ada Jarvis also shares her take on The Force Awakens.
- Emily Asher Perrin talks about the long arc of the Rebellion in the Star Wars movies and related media.
- Vincent Pasquill shares a fan theory regarding Supreme Leader Snoke.
- S.I. Rosenbaum shares their appreciation for Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher, the actress who portrayed her.
- Casey Baseel interviews Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi.
- Damien Walter talks about the spiritual dimensions of the Star Wars saga.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore discusses his issues with Star Wars fandom.
- Dave Gonzalez offers an overview of Star Wars creatures new and old.
- Brandon Staley offers an overview of the new ships and vehicles introduced in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
- Adam Fitch reports that The Last Jedi does not include a post-credits scene, but that there is a tribute to the late Carrie Fisher after the credits.
- Germain Lussier revisits the movies that had the gall to open against a Star Wars movie.
Comments on Star Trek in any incarnation:
- Camestros Felapton shares their thoughts on the original series Star Trek episode "Patterns of Force".
- Following the announcement that Quentin Tarantino wants to make a Star Trek film, Alasdair Stuart shares a list of other directors who could make interesting Star Trek movies.
- James Whitbrook finds a new clue in the mystery surrounding the Klingon Voq in Star Trek Discovery.
Comments on The Shape of Water:
- Chris Klimek calls The Shape of Water an elegant fable of starfish-crossed lovers.
- Emily Asher-Perrin explains how The Shape of Water turns communication into a revolutionary act.
- Gary Westfahl has some issues with The Shape of Water.
- Germain Lussier reports that according to director/screenwriter Guillermo del Toro, there is no larger backstory to the Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water.
Comments on I Remember You:
- Andy Webster calls I Remember You a piercing horror film from Iceland.
- Frank Schreck calls I Remember You compellingly creepy.
- Noel Murray calls the Icelandic thriller movie I Remember You distinctive, but too reserved.
Comments on The Punisher:
- Nicole Sobon reports that The Punisher has been renewed for a second season.
- Dave Richards reviews the final three episodes of season 1 of The Punisher.
Awards:
- The nominees for the 2018 Golden Globes have been announced.
- Starburst Magazine has launched the Brave New Words Book Prize.
- The winners of the 2017 Kids' Comics Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2017 Game Awards have been announced.
- Ursula K. Le Guin talks about refusing literary prizes, including the Nebula Award.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Terri Windling talks about the making of a writer.
- Blake Powell talks about losing his love for writing and how he got it back.
- Steven Smith talks about the challenges of writing a first draft.
- Kameron Hurley talks about bitter midlisters and how to avoid becoming one.
- K.C. Alexander talks about stories that neither show nor tell.
- Abi Curtis talks about writing from the perspective of an animal.
- Marie Brennan explains how to fight in a Victorian dress and what the pitfalls are.
- William Meikle talks about writing in the voices of several classic authors for The Ghost Club.
- D.P. Woolliscroft explains how Donald Trump made him start writing.
- Nate Hoffelder shares the 36 best blogs on the business of writing.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about career sustainability for writers.
- Damien Walter calls for a bill of rights for creators.
Interviews:
- Shelf Awareness interviews Ursula K. Le Guin.
- Anne Charnock interviews Ren Warom.
- The Bloghole interviews Ian Watson.
- Samovar interviews Francesco Verso.
- Joel Cunningham interviews Cullen Bunn and Danny Luckert.
- Alicia Lutes interviews Alex Garland, director of the upcoming movie Annihilation.
- Patrick Mulkern interviews Steven Moffat, former showrunner of Doctor Who.
Reviews:
- Mark Yon reviews The Will to Battle by Ada Palmer.
- Niall Alexander reviews Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey.
- Rich Horton reviews Infinite Stars, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt.
- Catherine Turnbull reviews Places in the Darkness by Chris Brookmyre.
- Penny Reeve reviews A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Quillifer by Walter Jon Williams.
- Paul Weimer reviews Windhome by Kristin Landon.
- Kate Coe reviews Djinn City by Saad Z. Hossain.
- Shana DuBois reviews Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier.
- Adrienne Martini reviews The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear.
- Camestros Felapton reviews River of Teeth and Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey.
- Tadiana Jones reviews The Bear and the Serpent by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
- Fantasy Book Café reviews The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
- Martin Cahill reviews Hymn by Ken Scholes.
- Rob Bedford reviews Dragon Lords: False Idols by John Rollins.
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Nanoshock by K.C. Alexander.
- Marion Deeds reviews Autonomous by Annalee Newitz.
- Mark Chitty reviews Line War by Neal Asher.
- Michelle Dean reviews No Time to Spare by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- Rachel Swirsky reviews Six Months, Three Days, Five Others by Charlie Jane Anders.
- Paul di Filippo reviews Down and Out in Purgatory by Tim Powers.
- Ross Johnson reviews the Star Wars anthology Canto Bright.
Crowdfunding:
- Elementary school teacher Ms. Mebane from Birmingham, Alabama, is looking for funding to buy Kindle Fire tablets for her students from troubled backgrounds.
- Krypton Radio explains the recent changes to Patreon's fee structure.
- Alexander Kashev shares an open letter to Patreon.
- Patreon CEO Jack Conte apologises and promises that the planned changes will not be rolled out.
- Mike Glyer shares some reactions to the Patreon announcement.
Con reports:
- Francesco Verso reports about the 4th International Science Fiction Conference in Chengdu, China.
- Aida Bardales reports about the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico.
- Mike Glyer reports that the trademark infringement case brought by San Diego Comic-Con against Salt Lake City Comic Con has been decided in favour of San Diego.
- Rob Salkowitz also reports about the Comic-Con trademark case.
Science and technology:
- Ian Sample reports that astronomers are scanning the mysterious interstellar body Oumuamua for radio signals and other signs of alien technology.
- However, George Dvorsky reports that preliminary scans have shown that the Oumuamua is likely not an alien spaceship.
- Jonathan Amos reports that after its fly-by of Pluto, NASA's New Horizons probe is now headed for the small icy world of MU69 and its even smaller moon.
- Ethan Siegel explains how neutrinos could solve the three greatest open questions in physics.
- Jonathan Amos reports that robot swarms will map the ocean floor.
- Swapna Krishna reports that a robot has carried the olympic torch in South Korea.
Free online fiction:
- Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures, edited by Ed Finn and Joey Eschrich.
- "Which Super Little Dead Girl Are You? Take Our Quiz and Find Out!" by Nino Cipri in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Higher, My Gallows" by Alice Brook in GigaNotoSaurus.
- "Lump in Your Throat" by Robert Shearman in The Dark.
- "The Descent of Man and Everyone Else" by John Streamas at Akashic Books.
- "A Day to Remember" by Clelia Farris, translated by Rachel Cordasco in Samovar.
- "Dust" by Florin Purluca, translated by Klaudia Stan in Samovar.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for season 2 of Jessica Jones.
- Watch a trailer for Altered Carbon.
- Watch a trailer for "Twice Upon a Time", the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special.
- Watch a trailer for Annihilation.
- Watch a trailer for Alita: Battle Angel.
- Watch a trailer for Ready Player One.
- Watch a trailer for Bleeding Steel 2.
- Watch a trailer for Bright.
- Watch a trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
- Watch a trailer for The Maze Runner: The Death Cure.
- Watch a trailer for season 3 of The Magicians.
- Watch a trailer for Krypton.
- Watch a trailer for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
- Watch a making of video about the finale of Sense8.
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