It's the final weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web of 2017, this week again with the best books of 2017, a whole lot about Star Wars: The Last Jedi (spoilers mostly marked, but reader beware), a little bit about Star Trek, the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Bright, Downsizing as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, con reports, crowdfunding campaigns, science articles, free online fiction and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Lauren Beukes, Kim Stanley Robinson, Ken Liu, Hannu Rajaniemi, Alastair Reynolds and Aliette de Bodard talk about the future of science fiction.
- Fantasy Literature share their favourite SFF books of 2017.
- Den of Geek shares their favourite books of 2017, including several SFF works.
- Starburst Magazine shares their favourite books of 2017.
- Kay Taylor Rea explains why reading romance can help through difficult times and shares her favourite romances of 2017.
- Rachel Raczka reports that LGBT relationships are becoming mainstream in young adult fiction now.
- Tuesday Smillie talks about radical imagination and The Left Hand of Darkness.
- Bence Pintér offers an overview of science fiction in Hungary in 2017.
- Joel Cunningham shares eleven wintery horror villains that make Krampus look harmless.
- Judith Tarr attempts to answer the question how centaurs eat.
- Tom Hunter remembers Arthur C. Clarke for Clarke's 100th birthday.
- Jen Zink revisits The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper.
- Julia Rampen explains why Studio Ghibli should adapt Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
- Cassam Looch wonders why so many people love Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when the movie isn't very good.
- Narayan Liu wonders whether Avengers: Infinity War can really offer audiences something new.
- Christopher Nuttall shares his appreciation for the original Battlestar Galactica.
- Cassam Looch profiles Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror.
- Chloe M. Clark shares her thoughts on season 2 of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
- Astronaut Bruce McCandless has died aged 80.
- French illustrator Annie Goetzinger died aged 66 and German comic artist Lona Rietschel died aged 84.
- Warner Bros animator Bob Givens died aged 99.
- Actress Heather Menzies-Urich, who played one of the Trapp daughters in The Sound of Music and whose genre roles include Logan's Run and Piranha, has died aged 68.
- British actor Alfie Curtis, best known to genre fans for his brief appearance in the cantina scene in Star Wars, has died aged 87.
- Marcus Errico reports that Alfie Curtis is fondly remembered by his Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill.
- Film and TV composer Dominic Frontiere who worked on various genre shows including The Outer Limits, The Flying Nun and The Immortal died aged 86.
Comments on Star Wars: The Last Jedi:
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books share their spoiler-free thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Cheryl Morgan shares her spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Adam Roberts shares his spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Paul Weimer shares his spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Jim C. Hines shares his spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Jennifer Estep shares her spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- The G. shares his spoilerish thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- Timothy the Talking Cat shares his not entirely serious thoughts on The Last Jedi.
- The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy calls The Last Jedi the most intellectual Star Wars movie yet.
- Dan Hassler-Forest declares that The Last Jedi saves Star Wars from itself.
- Dani Di Placido declares that The Force Awakens sets up The Last Jedi for disappointment.
- James Cooray Smith calls the backlash against The Last Jedi both irrational and bizarrely familiar.
- Narayan Liu explains that those who complain about The Last Jedi may simply not be the target audience.
- Duncan Bowles offers a defence of The Last Jedi.
- Jill Pantozzi reports that The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has responded to fan questions regarding the unexpectedly polarising movie.
- T.R. Napper was not pleased with The Last Jedi and declares that he is done with the franchise.
- Molly Templeton explains why the Canto Bight sequence is vital to The Last Jedi.
- Tracy King calls The Last Jedi the first properly feminist Star Wars.
- Anna Menta reports that the audience for The Last Jedi is younger and more female than for previous Star Wars movies.
- Anna Menta reports that the Wookiepedia page for the character of Rose Tico has been vandalised with racist comments.
- Renaldo Matadeen reports that the official Star Wars Facebook page has been enlisted to defend Rose Tico against irate fans.
Comments on "Twice Upon a Time", the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special:
- Sam Wollaston shares his thoughts on the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special.
- Camestros Felapton shares their thoughts about the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special.
- Emily Asher Perrin shares her thoughts on the 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special.
- Emily Asher Perrin also detects the hidden pattern behind the Doctor's regenerations.
- Ian Cardona shares his first impressions of the Thirteenth Doctor.
- Tim Lewis profiles Jodie Whittaker, the actress who will be playing the Thirteenth Doctor.
- Beth Elderkin shares a very sweet letter Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi wrote to a young fan.
- Meanwhile, James Cooray Smith remembers the first ever Doctor Who Christmas episode, "The Feast of Steven", which was first broadcast in 1965.
- Watch the Twelfth Doctor regenerate into the Thirteenth.
Comments on Star Trek:
- Anika Dane shares her appreciation for the characters of Vice Admiral Katrina Cornwell and Captain Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek Discovery.
- Camestros Felapton revisits the original Star Trek episode "The Alternative Factor".
Comments on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle:
- David Edelstein calls Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle good, clean fun.
- K.K. Bracken shares her thoughts about Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
- Natalie Zutter finds some parallels between Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and the 1991 fantasy novel User Unfriendly by Vivian Vande Velde.
Comments on Bright:
- Matthew Sardo declares that Bright tries to do something interesting, but mostly fails.
- Steve Rose calls Bright rich in potential, but requiring some fine-tuning.
- Chris Klimek calls Bright unremarkable.
- Kevin Melrose calls the racial politics of Bright confusing, weird and a little disturbing.
- Halle Kiefer shares Chance the Rapper's views on the handling of race in Bright.
- Karen Han calls Bright a steaming pile of orc shit.
- Steve Vernon explains why Bright sucks.
- Brandon Staley reports that many critics have called Bright the worst movie of the year.
- Jacob Hill reports that Netflix has ordered a sequel to Bright.
Comments on Downsizing:
- Andrew Lapin calls Downsizing a tone-deaf satire.
- Katie Walsh calls Downsizing a twee take on existential crisis.
- David Sims calls Downsizing a movie with big ambitions but little pay-off.
- Gary Westfahl is quite pleased with Downsizing.
- Karen Han wonders whether people would really become richer, if they shrunk themselves, which is the basic premise of Downsizing.
- Ray Suarez interviews Hong Chau, one of the stars of Downsizing.
- Pamela McClintock reports that Downsizing is a rare box office flop for director Alexander Payne and the third flop in a row for star Matt Damon.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Reedsy shares 200 short story ideas and tips for coming up with your own.
- Maya Spikes shares three ways your writing can change the world.
- Nicholas Cole explains how he built a personal brand that turned him into a full time writer.
- Elizabeth Kracht shares six editing tips to make your story stronger.
- Camestros Felapton discusses the weird world of pay to play awards.
- Foz Meadows offers a blow by blow account of the New York Literary Magazine pay to play award drama.
Interviews:
- Anthony Breznican interviews Stephen King.
- Bence Pintér interviews Dave Hutchinson.
- Christian A. Coleman interviews Louise Erdrich.
- Kyle Buchanan interviews Ridley Scott, director of many science fiction movies.
Reviews:
- Liz Bourke reviews The Will to Battle by Ada Palmer.
- Liz Bourke reviews A Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey.
- Liz Bourke also reviews Grave by Michelle Sagara and Dreamhearth by M.C.A. Hogarth.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews World's End by Joan D. Vinge.
- Paul Weimer reviews Girl Reporter by Tansy Rayner Roberts.
- Kate Sherrod reviews The Red Men by Matthew de Abaitua.
- Rambling Mad reviews City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older.
- Rob Bedford reviews Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey.
- Stuart Starosta reviews All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor.
- Jennie K. reviews The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.
- Jonathan Strahan reviews Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson.
- Carolyn Cushman reviews Murder, Magic and What We Wore by Kelly Jones.
- Mary Fan reviews Water Into Wine by Joyce Chng.
- Sam Reader reviews Kill All Angels by Robert Brockway.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews The Terminal by Amber Fallon.
Con reports:
- Marcin Klak reports about Smofcon 35 in Boston, Massachusetts, and shares some photos.
- Marcin Klak also reports about Falkon in Lublin, Poland, and shares some photos.
- Tara Lynne reports about attending the Star Wars: Galactic Nights event at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, and shares some photos.
Crowdfunding:
Science and technology:
- Elisabetta Provoledo profiles Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno.
- NPR traces the history behind NORAD's famous Santa tracker.
- Scientists have discovered a drug that can repair cavities and regrow teeth.
- Geoff Brumfiel reports that 71-year-old truck driver John Coster-Mullen has reverse engineered a nuclear bomb.
Free online fiction:
- "Block Party" by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller at Baen.com.
- "Waiting Out the End of the World in Patty's Place Café" by Naomi Kritzer in Clarkesworld.
- "You Will Never Know What Opens" by Mari Ness in Lightspeed.
- "A Rabbit Egg for Flora" by Caroline M. Yoachim in Fireside Fiction.
- "Blood Wedding" by Robert Reed in Lightspeed.
- "Trette's Bones" by Grace Seybold in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Forever Night" by Dana Beehr in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Behind Her, Trailing Like Butterfly Wings" by Daniela Tomova in Apex Magazine.
Odds and ends:
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