It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with an uproar about a story in Clarkesworld, the suspension of Courtney Milan from RWA and the subsequent implosion of the organisation, Star Trek: Picard, The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general, series 12 of Doctor Who, The Witcher, Dolittle, Avenue 5, tributes to Christopher Tolkien, Terry Jones and Neil Peart and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Joe Sherry shares more of his favourite SFF books of 2019.
- M.K. England shares five books of hopeful science fiction and fantasy.
- James Davis Nicoll shares great posthumously published works of science fiction and fantasy.
- Rita Woods shares her favourite SFF works by black writers.
- Kim Taylor Blakemore shares her favourite new and classic gothics.
- It's an Indie Book Blog share their appreciation for the novella form.
- Raffi Khatchadourian profiles N.K. Jemisin.
- Rich Horton profiles Judith Merril.
- Emily Temple shares pulpy covers of classic literature.
- The Hugo Book Club offers an overview of the best graphic stories and comics of 1944.
- Alison Flood reports about a backlash against Suzanne Collins' upcoming Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, when it turned out that the protagonist of the prequel would be the villainous president Coriolanus Snow.
- PEN America reports about a problematic bill in Missouri, which would allow citizen panels to ban library books and might lead to the imprisonment of librarians for circumventing such bans.
- John Garth remembers Christopher Tolkien.
- Jonathan Cowe celebrates the cartographic legacy of Christopher Tolkien.
- Jeff LaSala remembers the late drummer Neil Peart of Rush and his connection to speculative fiction.
Comments on the story "I sexually identify as an attack helicopter" by Isabel Fall in Clarkesworld:
- Emma Grey-Ellis reports about the controversy surrounding the story "I sexually identify as an attack helicopter" and its subsequent removal from Clarkesworld.
- Alison Flood also reports about the controversy surrounding the story.
- Doris V. Sutherland weighs in on the controversy.
- M.L. Clark shares her thoughts about the controversy.
- Font Folly weighs in on the Clarkesworld controversy and points out that deciding not to read something is a valid form of criticism.
- Camestros Felapton responds to Neil Clarke's statement regarding the removal of the story.
Comments on the suspension of Courtney Milan from RWA and the cancellation of the 2020 Rita Awards:
- Mike Glyer offers a round-up of the latest events in the ongoing RWA drama.
- Christine Larson discusses the RWA drama and also complains about the fact that so many mainstream news outlets reporting about the situation still fail to take romance seriously.
- A.J. Willingham reports about the RWA drama.
- Sarah Wendell asks where the RWA can go from here.
Film and TV:
- Foz Meadows calls Cats a study in Vogon poetry.
- Katie Rife calls Color Out of Space a predictably wild mix of H.P. Lovecraft, star Nicholas Cage and director Richard Stanley.
- Jesse Hassenger declares that The Turning relocates The Turn of the Screw into the 1990s and then comes to a baffling dead end.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on Joker.
- Ignatiy Vishnevetsky shares his thoughts on Zombi Child.
- Peter Bradshaw shares his thoughts on the David Lynch short What Did Jack Do?
- Kate Sanchez shares her thoughts on the first episode of the New Zealand fantasy series The Dead Lands.
- Allison Shoemaker shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Outsider.
- Tom Duggins finds some unexpected parallels between the movies Parasite and Us.
- Amber Troska asks what makes an adaptation good or bad.
- Luke Holland talks about the rise of the bleakquel, depressing sequels to popular movies and TV shows.
- Ed Park revisits the dystopian science fiction movies of the 1970s.
- Joe George revisits the 1990 horror film Tremors for its 30th anniversary.
- Natalie Devitt remembers season 2 of the original Outer Limits.
- George Bass interviews Captain Planet co-creator Barbara Pyle and David Coburn, the actor who voiced Captain Planet, about the animated show.
- Alison Flood shares her concerns about The Watch, an upcoming adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s books about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.
- Andrew Liptak looks ahead at season 5 of The Expanse.
- Brent Lang interviews Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, producers of the James Bond movies.
- Mike Fleming Jr. interviews Quentin Tarantino, director of Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood and others, who insists on pissing on superhero and Star Wars movies, probably because he realises that he has become irrelevant.
- The Guardian reports that the Corona virus crisis in China led to cinemas closing down and film releases being cancelled on what would have been China's biggst box office weekend of the year.
- Steve Rose remembers pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché.
- Children's TV host Gene London has died aged 88.
- Terry Jones, Monty Python founding member and director of The Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, died aged 77.
- Peter Bradshaw remembers Terry Jones.
- Alex Ritman remembers Terry Jones.
Comments on Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek in general (warning, possible spoilers):
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Star Trek: Picard a triumphant return for Patrick Stewart.
- Danette Chavez declares that Star Trek: Picard is so much more than a hero's homecoming.
- Mike Hale calls Star Trek: Picard a Star Trek series for the peak TV era.
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "Rememberance", the first episode of Star Trek: Picard.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "Rememberance".
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Rememberance".
- Dave Itzkoff asks if Star Trek: Picard is the way forward for the Star Trek franchise.
- Ryan Britt reports that after Star Trek Picard, there are two more not yet announced Star Trek live action series planned and wonders what they might be.
- Tilly Pearce interviews Jonathan Del Arco who plays Hugh the Borg in Star Trek: Picard.
- Joe Otterson asks the stars of Star Trek: Picard, which Star Trek character they'd like to have a drink with.
- Tor.com reports that Patrick Stewart has invited Whoopi Goldberg to reprise her role as Guinan in Star Trek: Picard.
- James Warrington reports that Picardilly Circus tube station in London, UK, has been turned into an advertisement for Star Trek: Picard.
- Rob Bricken revisits the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Up the Long Ladder", which he rightfully calls one of the worst in the franchise's history.
Comments on series 12 of Doctor Who (spoilers):
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror", the latest episode of Doctor Who.
- Dan Martin shares his thoughts on "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror".
- Sylas K. Barrett and Emmet Asher-Perrin share their thoughts on "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror".
- Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on "Nikola Telsa's Night of Terror".
- Clark Collis interviews Jodie Whittaker who plays the Doctor in Doctor Who.
- Huw Fullerton reports that an alien Judoon in an upcoming episode of Doctor Who has been named after the late fan Paul Condon.
- Kaye Dee remembers the arrival of Doctor Who on Australian television in 1965.
Comments on The Witcher:
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on The Witcher.
- Allison Keene and Josh Jackson share their appreciation for The Witcher.
- James Whitbrook declares that The Witcher takes a while to get interesting, but that the show eventually gets there.
- Alex Tiegen talks about the real world history that influenced The Witcher.
- Beth Elderkin discusses how The Witcher handles sex.
- Michelle Jaworski discusses Geralt of Rivia's choice of words in The Witcher.
- Todd Spangler reports that The Witcher is Netflix's most successful original show ever.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is sceptical about Netflix's claims regarding the popularity of The Witcher, considering that they count more than three minutes watched as a view.
- Beth Elderkin reports that Netflix is planning an animated Witcher movie.
Comments on The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general (warning: spoilers):
- James Whitbrook points out that The Rise of Skywalker reinforces a key lesson of The Last Jedi.
- James Whitbrook discusses the different approaches of The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian to fan service and why one succeeds more than the other.
- Tyler Hersko declares that Disney learned from the mixed success of its various Marvel shows and created an instant hit with The Mandalorian.
- Wired praises the military tactics on display in The Mandalorian.
- Sean Keane reports that the Baby Yoda puppet cost 5 million US-dollar according to actor Adam Pally.
- Tambay Obenson reports that Disney is cracking down on unlicensed Baby Yoda merchandise.
- Borys Kit reports that director Taika Waititi has been asked to direct a Star Wars film.
- Julie Muncy shares two cameos in The Rise of Skywalker that most viewer probably missed.
- James Whitbrook tackles the thorny question whether the character of Nien Numb dies in The Rise of Skywalker or survives.
- Watch a country music parody video inspired by The Mandalorian.
Comments on Avenue 5:
- Leah Schnelbach calls Avenue 5 a space comedy that often drifts off course.
- Mike Hale shares his thoughts on the science fiction comedy Avenue 5.
- Glen Weldon calls Avenue 5 an enjoyable science fiction comedy.
- Kate Kulzick calls Avenue 5 muddled, but praises Hugh Laurie's performance.
- Sandra Mangan calls Avenue 5 a comedy lost in space.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the first episode of Avenue 5.
- Marah Eakin interviews Avenue 5 creator Armando Iannucci and star Nikki Amuka Bird.
Comments on Dolittle:
- Scott Tobias declares that Dolittle does a lot, all of it terribly.
- Leah Schnelbach calls Dolittle a mess unworthy of its cast.
- Katie Rife and A.A. Dowd discuss Dolittle.
Awards:
- The preliminary ballot for the 2019 Bram Stoker Awards has been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced with some love for genre works.
- Nerds of a feather offer Hugo recommendations for the fiction, visual categories and individual categories.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Sarah Megibow asks writers to make a list of personal influencers.
- Janice Hardy shares a trick for finding overused words in your manuscript.
- Betsy Miller talks about collaborating and co-authoring.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about contracts and power relationships.
- Nicholas C. Rossis talks about the Goodreads troll problem.
- Nick Kolakowski reports about rampant e-book piracy on Slide Share.
- Steven Morris reports how the Petersfield Bookshop in Petersfield, UK, experienced a windfall of orders, after one of their tweets was retweeted by Neil Gaiman and went viral.
Interviews:
- The Qwillery interviews Simon Jimenez.
- Joseph Hurtgen interviews Rimi Chatterjee.
- Christian A. Coleman interviews Tochi Onyebuchi.
- Rudy Rucker interviews William Gibson.
Reviews:
- Mark Yon reviews Bone Silence by Alastair Reybolds.
- Paul di Filippo reviews The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez.
- Kat Hooper reviews The Bronze Skies by Catherine Asaro.
- Paul Weimer reviews Invented Frontier: Silver by Linda Nagata.
- Liz Bourke reviews The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt.
- Rachael McKenzie and Marion Deeds review The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews.
- For Winter Nights reviews The Eternity War: Dominion by Jamie Sawyer.
- Ian Mond reviews Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer.
- Carolyn Cushman reviews Fallen by Benedict Jacka and The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Quillifer the Knight by Walter Jon Williams.
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho.
- David Barnett reviews Highfire by Eoin Colfer.
- Bill Capossere reviews A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff.
- Genine Tyson reviews Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhouse.
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Promise of Darkness by Bec McMaster.
- Katharine Coldiron reviews A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi.
- Alex Brown reviews Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi.
- Rob Bedford reviews Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi.
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling.
- Publishers Weekly reviews Bears Behaving Badly by Mary Janice Davidson.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire.
- Lee Mandelo reviews The Seep by Chana Porter.
- Jason Sheehan reviews Agency by William Gibson.
- M. John Harrison reviews Agency by William Gibson.
- Ian Mond reviews Sabbath by Nick Mamatas.
- L.A. Young reviews Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, translated by Julia Meitov Hersey.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews The Painter from Piotrków by Glen Krisch.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanrahan.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Bard's Blade by Brian D. Anderson.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Manifestations of Sherlock Holmes by James Lovegrove.
- Suzanne Moore reviews In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado.
- Alvaro Zinos-Amaro reviews Hidden Wyndham: Life, Love, Letters by Amy Binns.
Classics reviews:
- Rebecca Fisher and Sandy Ferber revisit the 1924 fantasy novel The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 utopian novella Old Man in New World by Olaf Stapedon.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 science fiction novelette "The Children's Hour" by Lawrence O'Donnel a.k.a. Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 military science fiction novelette "Deadline" by Cleve Cartmill.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 fantasy story "The Lake" by Ray Bradbury.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 horror story "The Man Who Wouldn't Hang" by Stanton A. Coblentz.
- Paul Fraser revisits the March 1944 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.
- Paul Fraser revisits the November 1944 issue of Weird Tales.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1947 generation ship story "Centaurus II" by A.E. van Vogt.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1951 prehistoric novel Fire-Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard.
- Gideon Marcus revisits on the February 1965 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
- Victoria Silverwolf revisits the February 1965 issue of Fantastic: Stories of Imagination.
- Fabio Fernandes revisits the 1983 fantasy The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe.
- Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1986 Deverry fantasy novel Daggerspell by Katherine Kerr.
- Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1986 Discworld novel The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett.
- Joe Kenney revisits A Time of Ghosts, a 1987 Raven post-apocalyptic novel by Richard Kirk a.k.a. Richard Holdstock and Angus Wells.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 2006 fantasy novel Return to Quag Keep by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe.
Con and event reports:
- Daniel Dern shares some photos of the set-up of Arisia in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Daniel Dern shares more photos of Arisia.
- Daniel Dern also shares his experiences at Arisia.
- Lady Business collects ideas for panels at Wiscon in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Ellen Datlow shares some photos of the latest edition of the Fantastic Fiction Readings Series at the KGB Bar in New York City.
- Mike Roe reports about the Rise of the Resistance attraction at the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land in Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
- Steven H. Silver reports about the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in Waukegan, Illinois.
- Aaron Mondry reports that a RoboCop statue is finally ready to be installed at the Michigan Science Center in Detroit, Michigan.
- KABC Los Angeles reports that two furries in full costume came to the aid of a woman who was being assaulted in San José, California, and stopped her attacker.
- The candidates for the 2020 Down Under Fan Fund have been announced.
- The candidates for the 2020 Going Under Fan Fund have been announced as well.
Crowdfunding:
Science and technology:
- Hannah Morrison reports about 17-year-old NASA intern Wolf Cukier, who discovered a new planet on his third day.
- Dan Robitzki reports that NASA is planning to grow a moonbase from fungi.
- Jonathan Amos reports that SpaceX has successfully completed a crew emergency escape maneouvre.
- Jonathan Amos also reports about the ESA mission Truths, which will investigate climate change.
- Patchen Barrs asks what if the universe has no end.
- Sarah Wild discusses the ethical dilemma surrounding 3D-printed bones.
- Rhiannon
Williams reports that in the future prisoners could serve thousand year
sentences in a couple of hours due to modern technology messing with
their minds.
- Laurel Wamsley reports that Australian firefighters have saved the world's only grove of prehistoric Wollemi pines.
- Paul Rincon reports that according to recent studies, the Neanderthals dived into the ocean to catch shellfish.
- Andrea Valentino reports about alphabets at risk of extinction.
- Gary Starkweather, inventor of the laser printer, has died aged 81.
Free online fiction:
- "A Girlfriend's Guide to Gods" by Maria Dahvana Headley at Tor.com.
- "Fortune's Final Hand" by Adam-Troy Castro in Lightspeed.
- "The Ones Who Stay and Fight" by N.K. Jemisin in Lightspeed.
- "Alligator Point" by S.P. Miskowski in Nightmare Magazine.
- "The Fox Witch" by J. Motoki in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "The Remains of Prophecy" by Rebecca Bennett in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "The Ancestral Temple in a Box" by Chen Qiufan, translated by Emily Jin in Clarkesworld.
- "Green Tunnels" by Taimur Ahmad in Fireside Magazine.
- "The Man at Table Nine" by Ray Cluley in The Dark.
- "Mahamba's Angel" by Brooks Shropshire in Crimson Streets.
- "Last Contact" by Dan Micklethwaite in Daily Science Fiction.
- "Milky Way Galaxy, Solar System, Earth" by Kenneth James Crist in Yellow Mama.
- "The Arrival of Truth" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Odds and ends:
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