It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with mothers in science fiction, Iron Fist, The Predator, "Comicsgate", toxic Star Wars fandom 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:
- Eric Brown shares a round-up of the best recent science fiction novels.
- John DeNardo shares the best new science fiction and fantasy books for September.
- Paul Weimer talks about the grimdark interregnum in the fantasy genre.
- Tor.com shares ten military fantasy titles they love.
- Martin Cahill talks about unique narrative devices in fantasy fiction.
- Camestros Felapton talks about common locations in fantasy fiction.
- N.P. Martin shares a complete guide to the urban fantasy genre.
- Tansy Rayner Roberts and Rivqa Rafael share five books that give voice to artificial intelligences.
- Parker Peevyhouse shares five SFF books about waking up in strange circumstances.
- Lady Business wonders why there are so few mothers in science fiction.
- Tiffany Meuret also talks about mother in SFF and the lack of them.
- Alis Franklin declares that everything wrong with science fiction is John W. Campbell's fault.
- Yuval Noah Harari explains why science fiction is the most important genre.
- B.J. Murphy talks about Afrofuturism and the need for more inclusive science fiction.
- Steven Barnes talks about diversity and appropriation.
- Bryan Cebulski asks how we will establish speculative fiction's LGBTQ+ canon.
- Amber Fallon talks about woman writers of horror.
- Keith Stuart explains what YA fiction taught him.
- Stephen Padmick explains what makes a villain a supervillain.
- Emily Asher Perrin takes a look at the nine best frenemy duos in science fiction and fantasy.
- The AV Club looks at several high profile SFF shows currently in various stages of development.
- Abigail Nussbaum offers an in-depth analysis of the TV show Humans.
- The Hollywood Reporter shares Gene Roddenberry's 1966 explanation of Star Trek and what it is.
- Tor.com wonders why Starfleet doesn't put any lawyers on the Enterprise and its other starships.
- Rebecca Harrison sees broader social dynamics at work in the toxic turn that Star Wars fandom has taken, especially as Star Wars fans used to celebrate diverse characters in the past.
- David Barnett shares his appreciation for comic store chain Forbidden Planet and explains how it influenced comics and geek culture.
- Doris V. Sutherland looks at the portrayal of mummies in 1950s horror comics.
- Eirik Gumeny reports that American Gods has lost yet another showrunner.
- Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit report that Henry Cavill will no longer be playing Superman in the DC Universe movies.
- Beth Elderkin shares the strange and beautiful history of science fiction musicals.
- Actress Carole Shelley, who appeared in the Broadway performance of Wicked and who voiced characters in several Disney movies, has died aged 79.
- British actress Fenella Fielding, who appeared in several comedies and horror films, has died aged 90.
- Sitcom actor Bill Daily, who had regular parts in I Dream of Jeannie and Alf, has died aged 91.
Comments on season 2 of Iron Fist:
- Charles Pulliam Moore declares that season 2 of Iron Fist is much stronger than its predecessor and particularly praises the finale.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido declares that the first few episodes of season 2 of Iron Fist are a big improvement compared to season 1.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also finds season 2 of Iron Fist much improved, though she still finds that Danny Rand is boring.
- Camestros Felapton is surprised that season 2 of Iron Fist is actually good.
- Laura Prudom declares that season 2 of Iron Fist is a big improvement compared to season 1, but that Danny Rand is still the least interesting character.
- Laura Prudom also discusses the twist ending of season 2 of Iron Fist as well as the post-credits scene (spoilers).
- Kevin Melrose declares that the final twist of season 2 of Iron Fist completely changes the character and the mini-universe of the Netflix Marvel series.
- Kevin Melrose also finds an unexpected link between Iron Fist and Avengers: Age of Ultron in the character of Mary Walker.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw explains why the character of Mary Walker a.k.a. Typhoid Mary is highly problematic.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also talks about Iron Fist's new powers.
- Renaldo Matadeen shares the biggest moments of season 2 of Iron Fist.
- Charles Pulliam Moore and James Whitbrook share five things they liked and four they didn't about season 2 of Iron Fist.
- Charles Pulliam Moore also takes a look at various comic characters introduced in season 2 of Iron Fist.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares a brief history of Iron Fist in the comics.
Comments on The Predator:
- A.A. Dowd declares that The Predator feels very much like an 1980s action movie transposed into 2018.
- Jim Vejvoda declares that The Predator starts off promising, but falls apart at the end.
- Germain Lussier calls The Predator a manic muddled mess.
- Meg Downey declares that The Predator fails in every possible way and is an incomprehensible mess.
- Dennis Harevy calls The Predator loud, energetic and near-senseless.
- Simon Brew calls The Predator boring and offensive.
- Bryan Bishop says that The Predator could have been that franchise's chance to finally develop an identity.
- Kevin Melrose explains if The Predator has a post-credits scene.
- Joe George discusses the self-mocking, self-destructive masculinity of the Predator franchise.
- According to Variety, actress Olivia Munn says that her complaints that one of the actors in The Predator was a convicted sex offender were originally ignored.
- Kate Gardner reports that many castmembers of The Predator are shunning Olivia Munn over speaking out.
- Sam Stone ranks every Predator movie to date.
Comments on "Comicsgate":
- Tricia Ennis offers an overview of "Comicsgate".
- J.A. Micheline declares that "Comicsgate" is the latest front in the ongoing culture wars.
- Camestros Felapton declares that the "Comicsgate" movement doesn't get to define who counts as a fan.
- Font Folly responds to Camestros Felapton and talks some more about attempts to exclude certain people from fandom.
Awards:
- The winner of the 2018 Planete SF Prize has been announced.
- The winners of the 2018 Emmy Creative Arts Awards have been announced with lots of love for genre television.
- Watch a video of the Emmys' tribute to Star Trek as well as William Shatner's acceptance speech for the Governor's Award on behalf of everybody who ever worked on Star Trek.
- Nominations are open for the 2019 Darrell Awards.
- Nate Hoffelder reports that French booksellers pitched a fit when a self-published novel was nominated for the prestigious Prix Renaudot.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- John Gorman shares tips for finding your writing voice.
- Nick Maccarone shares three surefire ways to write more consistently.
- N.A. Turner shares five reasons why writing short stories makes you a better writer.
- Cat Rambo explains what RPGs taught her about storytelling.
- Lilah Raptopoulos explains why you should start a bullet journal.
- Andrew Liptak traces how Tor.com went from website to publisher of innovative speculative fiction.
- Steven Smith shares his favourite non-fiction books for fantasy writers.
- Sam H. Arnold evaluates five social media platforms from a writer's POV.
- Joanna Penn explains how ton use infographics to successfully promote your book.
- Nate Hoffelder explains how to make an infographic.
Interviews:
- Mark Chitty interviews Peter F. Hamilton.
- Thea James interviews Nova Ren Suma.
- Locus interviews Kelly Robson.
- Quill to Live interviews Adrian Tchaikovsky.
- Michael Gruneir interviews James Wolanyk.
- The Qwillery interviews Sherri Cook Woosley.
- The Qwillery interviews Larry Allen.
- Charles Payseur interviews Aidan Doyle.
- Locus interviews the contributors to the anthology Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler.
- Lulu Garcia-Navarro interviews Geneva Robertson-Dworet, screenwriter of the upcoming Captain Marvel movie.
Reviews:
- Liz Bourke reviews The Accidental War by Walter Jon Williams.
- Ross Johnson reviews The Accidental War by Walter Jon Williams.
- Civilian Reader reviews Exit Strategy by Martha Wells.
- The Fantasy Café reviews Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews.
- Camestros Felapton reviews Blood Binds the Pack by Alex Wells.
- Cailyn Paxson reviews A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma.
- Liz Bourke reviews Accelerants by Lena Wilson and A Glimmer of Silver by Juliet Kemp.
- Adri Joy reviews Accelerants by Lena Wilson and A Glimmer of Silver by Juliet Kemp.
- Carolyn Cushman reviews The Hills Have Spies by Mercedes Lackey.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Promise of Space by James Patrick Kelly.
- Mark Chitty reviews Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton.
- Sam Reader reviews Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton.
- Ceridwen Christensen reviews Severance by Ling Ma.
- Ana Grilo reviews The Book of M by Peng Shepherd.
- Marion Deeds reviews Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller.
- Liz Bourke reviews State Tectonics by Malka Older.
- Russell Letson reviews The Million by Karl Schroeder.
- Martin Cahill reviews Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds by Brandon Sanderson.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Alien Virus Love Disaster by Abbey Mei Otis.
- Daniel Haeusser reviews Hearts of Tabat by Cat Rambo.
- Bastian's Book Reviews reviews The Fairy's Tale by F.D. Lee.
- Mahvesh Murad reviews The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.
- Adam Roberts reviews The Fall of Gondolin by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- Mark Yon reviews War Cry by Brian McClellan.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Brass God by K.M. McKinley.
- Sam Reader reviews Port of Shadows by Glen Cook.
- Kat Hooper reviews Drop by Drop by Morgan Llywelyn.
- Paul Weimer reviews Deep Roots by Ruthanna Emrys.
- Paul Weimer reviews MJ-12: Endgame by Mike Martinez.
- Corrina Lawson reviews An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green.
- Grab This Book reviews The Siren and the Spectre by Jonathan Janz.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Bay's End by Edward Lorn.
Classics reviews:
- Alex McLevy shares his appreciation for the works of David R. Bunch.
- Jeff VanderMeer shares his appreciation for the Moderan stories by David R. Bunch.
- Becky Chambers shares her appreciation for The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- Alan Brown revisits the Starchild trilogy by Frederick Pohl and Jack Willliamson.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits John Varley's Eight Worlds stories.
- Bogi Takács revisits Melissa Scott's 1986 science fiction novel Silence in Solitude.
- Stephen Case revisits Linda Nagata's 1990 science fiction novel Vast.
- Summer H. Paulus revisits Meredith Ann Pierce's 1985 fantasy novel Birth of the Firebringer.
- Judith Tarr revisits Mary H. Herbert's 1990 fantasy novel Dark Horse.
Crowdfunding:
- The Continuous City, a photography book exploring videogame cities by Gareth Damian Martin, is looking for funding.
- Longterm science fiction fan and disability activist Samatha Jeude needs some help.
Con reports:
- Andrew Porter shares several photos of WorldCon 76 in San José, California.
- John Hertz and Andrew Porter report about the Rotsler Award exhibit at WorldCon 76 and share several photos.
- Alberto Chimal shares his experiences at WorldCon 76 (in Spanish).
- Lee Murray reports about Conclave III in Auckland, New Zealand.
- Mike Glyer shares some news about WorldCon 76 in Dublin, Ireland.
- Christopher Spata reports that Tampa Bay Comic Con in Tampa Bay, Florida, has changed its name following the ruling in San Diego Comic Con's trademark infringement lawsuit against Salt Lake City Comic Con.
- Martin Morse Wooster reports about a performance of the play The Interstellar Ghost Hour by Kathleen Akerley in Washington DC.
- Sean McLachlan reports about the exhibition Spellbound: Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft in Oxford, UK, and shares some photos.
Science and technology:
- Matt Williams shares new reasons why Pluto should be considered a planet after all.
- Shubham Sharma reports that a ring of black holes encircling a distant galaxy has been detected.
- Patrick Tuckers reports that it is now possible to communicate telepathically with a swarm of drones.
- Amanda Kooser reports about Kalashnikov's new battle robot.
- Paris Marx declares that self-driving cars are not the future.
- Daliah Singer asks if hot springs are the future of farming.
- Jeanette Ng takes a look at the Winchester Mystery House as the archetype of the haunted house.
Free online fiction:
- "Abandonware" by Genevieve Valentine in Lightspeed.
- "A Prayer to the Many-Eyed Mother" by Eliza Victoria in The Dark.
- "Her Monster, Whom She Loved" by Vylar Kaftan in Lightspeed.
- "A Open Letter to the Family" by Jennifer Brozek in Uncanny Magazine.
- "The Utmost Bound" by Vivian Shaw in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Ancestor Night" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "It's Easy to Shoot a Dog" by Maria Haskins in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Tank!" by John Wiswell in Diabolical Plots.
- "River Street" by S.R. Mandel in Apex Magazine.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for season 4 of Outlander.
- Watch a teaser for series 11 of Doctor Who.
- Watch a teaser for season 3 of Daredevil.
- Watch a trailer for The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
- Watch a trailer for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
- Watch a trailer for Captive State.
- See a gallery of posters for Ray Harryhausen movies.
- Homedit shares some Steampunk interior design ideas.
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