It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week the new series of Doctor Who, a racism uproar involving Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald, Venom, Titans, Captain Marvel, Comicsgate 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:
- Amanda Baker shares a list of science fiction books for people who think they don't like science fiction.
- Liz Bourke shares several upcoming speculative fiction novels featuring lesbian and bisexual characters.
- Charles Stross asks what the blindspots of today's science fiction are.
- Sam Kates shares his favourite post-apocalyptic novels.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five worldbuilding errors he would like to see banished from science fiction.
- James Davis Nicoll also shares books about women who save themselves and everyone else.
- Claire Legrand shares five books about girls who don't care if you like them or not.
- Abigail Nussbaum takes a look at the political implications of Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire trilogy.
- Ira Gladkova talks about the portrayal of neurodiversity in Lois McMaster Bujolds Vorkosigan series.
- Adri Joy shares her appreciation for the Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliott.
- Tade Thompson explains that African speculative fiction is not a new phenomenon, but that it has always been here.
- Ashley Stimpson and Jeffrey Irtenkauf trace the varied life and career of Paul Linebarger a.k.a. Cordwainer Smith.
- Amanda Kooser talks to several NASA employees about their love of science fiction.
- Philip Styrt explains why you should always read the epigraph.
- Fletcher Vredenburgh explains why grimdark fantasy isn't necessarily more realistic.
- Deuce Richardson traces the sword and sorcery legacy of Donald A. Wollheim.
- Adam Rowe asks if retro horror fiction is having a resurgence.
- Leo Benedictus remembers the time when reading novels was considered dangerous.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw attempts to explain the popularity of coffee shop AU fanfiction among Millennials.
- Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples share their favourite moments of Saga.
- Comic artist Carlos Ezquerra, co-creator of Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog and many others, has died aged 71.
- Evan Narcisse remembers the late Batman artist Norm Breyfogle.
- John M. Dwyer, set decorator for Star Trek among many others, has died aged 83.
- Animator Will Vinton has died aged 70.
Film and TV:
- Rob Bricken declares that Captain Marvel is not Marvel's answer to Wonder Woman... yet.
- Narayan Liu explains how the Captain Marvel movie has finally distanced itself from Green Lantern.
- Based on the trailer for Bumblebee, Ben Child wonders whether Hollywood has finally grown up and realised that Transformers are for kids.
- Graeme McMillan reports that the negative fan reactions to Star Wars: The Last Jedi were amplified by Russian bots.
- Tor.com reports that Jon Favreau's planned Star Wars TV series will be called The Mandalorian.
- Richard Newby explains why Night of the Living Dead is more relevant than ever on its 50th anniversary.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the original 1933 King Kong.
- Victoria Lucas revisits the 1963 supernatural thriller The Burning Court.
- Sandy Ferber also revisits the 1968 science fiction film The Power.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Manifest.
- Abigail Nussbaum shares her thoughts on several new TV and streaming video shows.
- Steve Zeitchik explains why many American TV shows are staying on the air longer, even if the US ratings aren't all that great.
Comments on series 11 of Doctor Who:
- Rod McPhee says that Jodie Whittaker may be the breath of fresh air Doctor Who needs.
- Stephen Kelly declares that Jodie Whittaker's 13th Doctor crackles with warmth, wit and righteous fury.
- Martin Belam declares that Jodie Whittaker fizzes with energy as the 13th Doctor.
- Huw Fullerton declares that the first episode of series 11 of Doctor Who is not perfect, but that Jodie Whittaker definitely is the Doctor from her very first scene on.
- Ben Lawrence finds the first episode of series 11 of Doctor Who too dour and dark, but delcares that Jodie Whittaker is a delight.
- Morgan Jeffery calls the first episode of series 11 of Doctor Who a promising start to a bold new era.
- Boyd Hilton declares that the first episode of series 11 of Doctor Who looks beautiful.
- Watch a clip from the first episode of series 11 of Doctor Who.
Comments on the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald racism uproar:
- Kate Lyons reports that J.K. Rowling has defended the decision to cast South Korean actress Claudia Kim as the snake woman Nagini in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald in the face of criticism.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw declares that the Nagini revelation embodies everything that is wrong with the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
- Hanna Flint declares that Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald isn't racist, but that J.K. Rowling should stop making retroactive changes to her characters.
- Mili Mitra answers the questions whether Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald is racist with "Not quite".
- James Whitbrook reports that Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald will at least make it clear that Dumbledore is gay.
Comments on Venom:
- Meg Downey calls Venom a dated relic from a superhero movie era before the Marvel Cinematic Universe came along.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw asks everybody to ignore the haters, because Venom is hilarious.
- Brandon Staley shares sonme early social media reactions to Venom.
- Brian Davids explains why Michelle Williams agreed to appear in Venom.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares the surprisingly erotic history of Venom in the comics.
Comments on Titans:
- Charles Pulliam-Moore declares that there is more depth to Titans than one would think.
- Kevin Melrose declares that Titans offers action, violence and profanity in spades.
Comments on "Comicsgate":
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that Richard C. Meyer, one of the initiators of the so-called "Comicsgate" movement, is sueing writer Mark Waid for alleged defamation.
- Rich Johnston also reports about Richard C. Meyer's lawsuit against Mark Waid.
Awards:
- The recipients of the 2018 MacArthur Genius Grants have been announced and include SFF writer Kelly Link and planetary scientist Sarah T. Stewart.
- The winner of the 2018 WSFA Small Press Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2018 Salam Award for Imaginative Fiction have been announced.
- The winners of the 2018 Geffen Awards have been announced.
- The longlist for the 2018 BookNest Fantasy Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2018 DBW Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2018 Ringo Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2018 Inky Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2018 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize has been announced.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Ryan J. Pelton implores writers to write what they want to read.
- Lauren Sapala explains why writer's block hits writers with the INFJ Meyers-Briggs personality type harder than any other types.
- Kameron Hurley talks about building the story of ourselves.
- Betsy Dornbush discusses why writers return to certain themes and questions over and over again.
- Lulu shares the four key elements of great short stories.
- Sadie Trombetta shares writing advice from eleven science fiction and fantasy authors.
- Oren Ashkenazi discusses eight absurdities forced on female characters.
- Camestros Felapton shares a space opera cover generator.
- S.L. Huang explains how working in the US film industry inspired the criminal underworld in Zero Sum Game.
- Marc and Cleo Coyle explain why they revived their Haunted Bookshop mystery series after almost ten years.
- Roz Morris talks about her quiet rebellion against conventional marketing wisdom.
Interviews:
- Locus interviews Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Ilana C. Myer interviews Peng Shepherd.
- Paul Weimer interviews Lauren Teffeau.
- The Qwillery interviews Sonia Faruqi.
- The Qwillery interviews Peter McLean.
Reviews:
- Liz Bourke reviews Exit Strategy by Martha Wells.
- Liz Bourke reviews Zero Sum Game by S.L. Huang.
- Gabino Iglesias reviews Zero Sum Game by S.J. Huang.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton.
- Ardi Alspach reviews An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris.
- Black Nerd Problems reviews The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark.
- Rob Bedford reviews Time's Children by D.B. Jackson.
- Liz Bourke reviews The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner.
- Mark Yon reviews Wychwood by George Mann.
- Ana Grilo reviews Nightingale by Amy Lukavics.
- Grimdark Magazine reviews Queen of Crows by Myke Cole.
- Lila Garrott reviews The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer.
- Dann Lewis reviews Melokai by Rosalyn Kelly.
- Marion Deeds reviews The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri.
- Alex Brown reviews For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig.
- Adrian Collins reviews War Cry by Brian McClellan.
- Ian Mond reviews The Outsider by Stephen King.
- Mahvesh Murad reviews Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand.
- Liz Bourke reviews Furyborn by Claire Legrand.
- Sarah McCarry reviews The Taiga Syndrome by Cristina Rivera Carza.
- Jana Nyman reviews Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Slimer by Harry Adam Knight.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews The Toy Thief by D.W. Gillespie.
- Spacefaring Kitten reviews Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff.
- Angie Barry reviews Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker.
- The Qwillery reviews Reaper's Eye by Richard A. Knaak.
Classics reviews:
- Kat Hooper revisits the 1940 science fiction classic Slan by A.E. van Vogt.
- Sandy Ferber revisits Frank Belknap Long's 1946 collection The Hounds of Tindalos.
- Judith Tarr revisits Andre Norton's 1958 science fiction novel The Time Traders.
- Will Errickson revisits the 1992 horror novel Wilding by Melanie Tem.
- Drew McCaffrey revisits the 1998 grimdark science fiction novel Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover.
- Jo Walton revisits the 1999 time travel novel Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove.
- Rich Horton revisits Vernor Vinge's 1999 science fiction novel A Deepness in the Sky.
Con reports:
- Chris M. Barkley shares his experiences at WorldCon 76 in San José, California, as well as some photos.
- Meagan Damore reports about the DC Universe panel at New York Comic Con.
- Trae Dorn reports that Matsuricon in Columbus, Ohio, had the misfortune of sharing a venue with a political event featuring none other than Donald Trump himself.
- Vijaya Bodach reports about the 2018 Carolinas SCBWI Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, and shares several photos.
- Jeff LaSala reports about the Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth exhibition in Oxford, UK.
- David Doering reports about a visit to the Evermore theme park in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and shares several photos.
Science and technology:
- Sunny Wang discusses China's plan to reach Mars by 2021.
- Loren Grush reports that astronomers may have found the first extrasolar moon ever.
- Jay Bennett reports that a new discovery has stirred up signs of the rumoured ninth planet of our solar system.
- Ethan Siegel explains the physics behind the reason why the first pendulum clock shipped from the Netherlands to America did not work.
- Bob Holmes reports that baboons are trying to domesticate wolves in Ethiopia.
Free online fiction:
- "Court of Birth, Court of Strength" by Aliette de Bodard in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "We Ragged Few" by Kate Alice Marshall in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "The Horror of Party Beach" by Dale Bailey in Lightspeed.
- "Kaleidoscope" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia in Lightspeed.
- "Abigail Dreams of Weather" by Stu West in Uncanny Magazine.
- "The Stars Above" by Katherine Duckett in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Listen" by Karin Tidbeck in Uncanny Magazine.
- "With Lips Sewn Shut" by Kristi DeMeester in Apex Magazine.
- "The Things I Miss the Most" by Nisi Shawl in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Lions and Gazelles" by Hannu Rajaniemi in Slate.
Odds and ends:
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