Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for July 27, 2018

It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the firing of James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,  Castle Rock, Preacher, the latest from San Diego Comic Con, yet another uproar involving WorldCon 76 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:

• James Davis Nicoll wonders about science fiction's fixation with single gender planets. 
• James Davis Nicoll also discusses how science keeps ruining star sytems popular with science fiction writers.
• Becky Chambers discusses three ingredients for space travel. 
• Rick Liebling links the aesthetics of current science fiction with the brutalism revival. 
• Joel Cunningham shares four SFF books with awesome autistic protagonists. 
• Will McIntosh shares five SFF novels that would make Oscar worthy films, should someone adapt them. 
• Nick Setchfield shares four SFF books he loves.
• Kayla Randall profiles R.F. Kuang. 
• Rob Beschizza profiles Wendy Pini of Elfquest fame. 
• Ceridwen Christensen revisits The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle on the event of its 50th anniversary. 
• Tadiana Jones revisits Jane Yolen's 1975 novella The Transfigured Heart.
• Kim Huett traces the history of the Ace Double paperback lines.
• Gray Basnight talks about writing futuristic thrillers on the borderline between science fiction and thriller. 
• Ashley R. Pollard takes a look at the popularity of spy fiction and technothrillers such as Alistair MacLean's Ice Station Zebra and Ian Stuart's The Satan Bug in the early 1960s.
• Katie Walsh explains how tie-in have become much better in recent years, using recent Jurassic World and Star Wars tie-ins as an example.  
• Sherronda J. Brown finds a perfect political parallel in Black Panther and Thor Ragnarok. 
• Charles Pulliam-Moore declares that the pro-union and anti-capitalist message of Sorry To Bother You is more important than ever.
• Ben Child takes a look at Sony's Spiderverse movies and wonders how they will compare to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Tor.com shares some details about the upcoming season 2 of Iron Fist.
• On occasion of its twentieth anniversary, Zaron Burnett III calls Cowboy Bebop the greatest and coolest anime series ever made.
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1956 science fiction film The Invisible Boy.
• Carl Slaughter remembers some forgotten science fiction films of the 1950s. 
• Steven Padnick declares that the trailer for Titans exposes everything that is wrong with DC's gritty take on superheroes.
• Lesley Goldberg reports that a reboot of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer is planned, starring a black actress in the lead role. 
• Actress Elmarie Wendel, who was a regular on Third Rock From the Sun among many other TV appearances, has died aged 89.
  

Comments on the firing of director James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:

• Kevin Melrose reports that director James Gunn has been fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 about some years old problematic tweets.
• Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, speaks out against the firing of James Gunn.
• Dave Bautista also has strong words for the rightwing provocateurs who pushed for the firing of James Gunn.
• Sean Gunn, who plays Kraglin in Guardians of the Galaxy and also happens to be James Gunn's brother, also speaking up in defence of his brother.
• Guardians of the Galaxy stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillen also speak out against the firing of James Gunn.
• Michael Rooker, who plays Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy, has quite Twitter over the firing of James Gunn.
• Actor Bobcat Goldthwait has demanded that Disney remove his voice from one of their theme park rides in protest against the firing of James Gunn.
• Thanos creator Jim Starlin speaks out in support of James Gunn and declares that Disney was played by rightwing trolls who wanted retaliation for the firing of Roseanne Barr over current offensive tweets and remarks.
• Phil Hornshaw shares more reactions supporting James Gunn. 
• Jon Levine reports about Mike Cernovich, the rightwing troll who led the campaign to get James Gunn fired. 
• Liam Nolan wonders what the firing of James Gunn means for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Renaldo Matadeen wonders who could replace James Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
• Marc Bernardin declares that the firing of James Gunn will hurt all of Hollywood. 
• Michael Cavna explains why he believes that James Gunn will never direct a major mainstream blockbuster again. 
• Eirik Gumeny reports that James Gunn's planned Starsky and Hutch reboot for Amazon Video has been canned as well, though for reasons unrelated to the offensive tweets. 
• Kevin Melrose reports that Republican senator Ted Cruz has abandoned his party's staunch commitment to free speech and now calls for James Gunn to be prosecuted over years old offensive tweets.
• Matthew Jackson reports that a petition to Disney to rehire James Gunn has already gathered more than 50000 signatures.
  

Comments on Preacher: 

• Emine Saner profiles Dominic Cooper, who plays Jesse Custer in Preacher and the young Howard Stark in the Marvel films and TV shows.
• Ryan Gilbey interviews Mary Laws, screenwriter of Preacher.
  

Comments on Castle Rock: 

• Glenn Garvin shares his thoughts on Castle Rock.
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the first episode of Castle Rock.
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Bill Skarsgard, one of the stars of Castle Rock.
• Cheryl Eddy also interviews Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason, showrunners of Castle Rock.
• Jeff Somers shares every Stephen King story set in Castle Rock.

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2018 World Fantasy Award have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 RITA Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Golden Heart Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2018 Mythopoeic Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Seiun Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Tähtifantasia Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Prix Rosny Aîné have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Scribe Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2018 ESFS Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 Eisner Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2018 PRISM Awards for the best in LGBTQAI+ comics have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Prize has been announced.
• The 2018 Radio Bremen Krimipreis, a German crime fiction award, goes to Tom Hillenbrand, author of dystopian crime novels. 
• The Maine Literary Award was withdrawn from this year's winner John Crowley, when he was found ineligible due to not permanently living in Maine. 
• MTR Network reports that Marjorie M. Liu has become the first woman to win an Eisner Award.
• Read Suzanne Brockmann's RWA Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Lauren Sapala explains why the creative life can be so hard for certain personality types. 
• Michael Coorlim talks about multidisciplinary creative balance.
• Becky Mandelbaum mourns the writer she used to be.
• Lauren Sapala explains why characters with unresolved trauma can give their writers huge headaches.
• Fran Wilde hosts a worldbuilding roundtable at Tor.com.
• Nicola Griffith shares some tips on editing for narrative logic.
• Cris Freese has asked literary agents about the state of the science fiction genre.
  

Interviews:

• Ceridwen Christensen interviews Becky Chambers.
• Korva Coleman interviews Maria Dahvana Headley. 
• Christian A. Coleman interviews J.Y. Yang. 
• Andrea Johnson interviews Stephanie Malia Morris.
• The Qwillery interviews Danie Ware.
• Daniel from Foreigner interviews Rayne Hall.
• Théoden Janes interviews William Shatner.
  

Reviews:

• Niall Alexander reviews Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers.
• Sam Riedel reviews Annex by Rich Larson.
• Mark Yon reviews The Wrong Stars by Tim Pratt.
• Caitlin Paxson reviews Hull Metal Girls by Emily Skrutskie. 
• Constance Grady reviews Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. 
• Martin Cahill reviews Redemption's Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
• Marion Deeds reviews Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. 
• Bookworm Blues reviews The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.  
• Bookworm Blues reviews American War by Omar El Akkad.
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Maze Master by Kathleen O'Neal Gear. 
• Jo Niederhoff reviews The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman.
• Tadiana Jones reviews The Book of Secrets by Melissa McShane. 
• Tadiana Jones reviews Game of the Gods by Jay Schiffman.
• Janet Webb reviews Flight of the Fox by Gray Basnight.  
• Ian Mond reviews Red Clocks by Leni Zumas. 
• Paul di Filippo reviews Black Chamber by S.M. Stirling.
• Sam Reader reviews The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French. 
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews The Siren and the Specter by Jonathan Janz.
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From the Road, edited by D. Alexander Ward.
  
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews The Smile Factory by Todd Keisling.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Daydreamer's Journey, a new art book by Julie Dillon, is looking for funding.
• Uncanny Magazine has launched its year five Kickstarter. 
• Tiny Supers, a minimalist roleplaying game by Gallant Knight Games is looking for funding.
• The Expanse roleplaying game is looking for funding.
  

Con reports:

• James Whitbrook offers a round-up of all the important news and events at San Diego Comic Con in San Diego, California, for Friday. 
• James Whitbrook offers a round-up of all the important news and events at San Diego Comic Con for Saturday. 
• Tor.com shares a round-up of news and trailer from San Diego Comic Con. 
• Jill Pantozzi shares the biggest winners and losers of San Diego Comic Con 2018.
• The BBC reports about San Diego Comic Con and shares several photos. 
• Ross A. Lincoln and Phil Owens reports how San Diego Comic Con addressed the #MeToo movement.
• Beth Elderkin shares the best cosplay photos of San Diego Comic Con.
• Beth Elderkin shares even more cosplay photos from San Diego Comic Con. 
• Al Mannarino reports about the Masquerade contest at San Diego Comic Con and shares several photos.
• The Guardian reports about the Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic Con.
• Farid Ul-Haq reports about the Riverdale panel at San Diego Comic Con. 
• Zack Sharf reports that Marvel offered a grief counselling booth at San Diego Comic Con for people still depressed by the ending of Avengers: Infinity War.
• Edmund Schluessel shares his experiences at Eurocon 2018 in Amiens, France. 
• Tracey Maknis reports about ConnectiCon XVI in Hartford, Connecticut, and shares some photos.
• WorldCon 76 in San José, California, offers its progress report No. 4.
• Amal El Mohtar shares her guest of honour speech given at WisCon in Madison, Wisconsin.
  

The WorldCon 76 programming uproar:

• Mike Glyer reports about an uproar regarding the programming of WorldCon 76 in San José, California, as well as the misgendering of a Hugo finalist. 
• Mike Glyer also reports that writer Mary Robinette Kowal has offered to assist WorldCon 76 in putting together a more inclusive program and shares some further reactions to the controversy.
• Foz Meadows weighs in on the WorldCon 76 programming controversy.  
• Alex Acks weighs in on the WorldCon 76 programming debacle.
• Gavia Baker Whitelaw weighs in on the WorldCon 76 programming controversy.
  
• L.E.H. Lights weighs in on the WorldCon 76 programming uproar.
• Mark Sumner weighs in on the WorldCon 76 programming debacle.
• John Scalzi weighs in on the WorldCon 76 uproar.
• Camestros Felapton takes a look at some rightwing reactions to the WorldCon 76 programming uproar and explains why they are mistaken.
  
• Inspired by the WorldCon 76 controversy,  Heather Rose Jones shares some tips for getting on convention programming.
  

Science and technology:

• Sarah Kaplan and Joel Achenbach report about the problems with the James Webb Space Telescope.
• David Z. Morris reports that the company Boston Dynamics is planning to produce thousands of robot dogs.
• Mary Halton reports that dinosaur fossils recently found in China suggest that the prehistoric supercontinent Pangaea existed longer than previously believed.
  

Free online fiction:

• "Wild Bill's Last Stand" by Kyle Muntz in Lightspeed.
• "The Right Place to Start a Family" by Caroline M. Yoachim in Lightspeed.
• "The Breath of War" by Aliette de Bodard in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Kerouac's Renascence" by Tal M. Klein in Apex Magazine. 
• "All Clear" by Hao He in Apex Magazine. 
• "Last Gods" by Sam J. Miller in Clarkesworld.
• "The James Machine" by Kate Osias in Clarkesworld.
• "The Starfish Girl" by Maureen McHugh in Future Tense.
• "Digitocracy" by Andy Weir in Future Human.
  

Odds and ends: 

• Watch a trailer for Shazam!
• Watch a trailer for Aquaman.
• Watch a trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Star Trek Discovery. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of The Orville.
• Watch a trailer for the new season of Arrow.
• Watch a trailer or the new season of The Flash.
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Legends of Tomorrow.
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Supergirl. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Cloak and Dagger.
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of The Gifted.
• Watch a trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
• Watch a trailer for Glass.
• Watch a trailer for Origins.
• Watch a trailer for The First.
• Watch a trailer for Alita Battle Angel.
• Watch a trailer for season 9 of The Walking Dead.
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Fear the Walking Dead.
• Watch a trailer for The Purge TV series.
• Watch a trailer for Deadly Class.
• Watch a trailer for Homecoming. 
• Watch a trailer for Roswell, New Mexico.
• Watch a trailer for Young Justice: Outsiders. 
• Watch a trailer for The Dragon Prince.
• Watch a trailer for the new season of Voltron: Legendary Defender.
• Watch a trailer for Disenchantment.
• Watch a clip from Infinity Train.
• Watch a behind the scenes look at Good Omens.
• Watch the not entirely serious audition tapes for Batgirl.
• Watch a skit of Batman trying to join the Avengers.