It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week Star Trek: Picard, series 12 of Doctor Who, season 5 of Outlander, The Outsider, Sonic th Hedgehog, Fantasy Island, the 2019 Nebula Award finalists, Boskone 2020 and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Charlie Jane Anders explains that science fiction, though set in the future, is often about the past.
- Gavin Miller reports that psychologists once again try and fail to figure out what makes SFF fans tick.
- T.R. Tapper talks about speculative noir from around the world.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction stories about teleportation systems gone awry.
- Tor.com shares seven fantasies told from multiple points of view.
- Joel Cunningham shares six SFF books with monstrous heroes.
- James Wallace Harris shares Alfred Bester's 1953 critique of the science fiction genre and wonders whether Bester had a point.
- Silvia Moreno-Garcia explains how the gothic romances of the 1960s and 1970s developed into the domestic suspense novels of today.
- Alexandra Sterling tackles Georgette Heyer's legacy in the Regency and historical romance genres.
- Michael J. Seidlinger talks about books featuring rule-breaking unreliable narrators.
- R.S. Benedict and Tim Heiderich discuss the dark side of fandom.
- Andy Davidson shares his favourite Swamp Thing comics.
- Craig Pittman reports that cartoonist Mike Diana is finally off probation in Florida, which he was given in 1994 for drawing comics deemed obscene.
- Cover artist Barbara Remington, who illustrated the covers for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit among others, has died aged 90.
Film and TV:
- Peter Bradshaw calls Little Joe a wilting triffid horror.
- Josh Pearce and Arley Sorg discuss Birds of Prey.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Devs a brilliant work of near future science fiction.
- Angelica Cataldo calls the supernatural teen drama I Am Not Okay With This middling.
- Liz Shannon Miller shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Avenue 5.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist.
- Alex Brown shares her appreciation for Legends of Tomorrow.
- Rakib Ahmad Khan shares his favourite new SFF shows of 2019.
- Dan Persons shares ten animated cartoons that will break your heart.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin argues that one needs to consider the Star Wars animated series Clone Wars and Rebels to fully understand the development of Anakin Skywalker.
- Phil Hoad is unimpressed by My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising.
- Maria Lewis interviews Leigh Whannell, director of the latest version of The Invisible Man.
- Brooks Barnes interviews Ben Affleck about his time as Batman and his personal problems.
- Ben Child declares that even though Ben Affleck was a hard to like Batman, the actor himself deserves empathy for his personal difficulties.
- The BBC reports that the Royal Mail has released some James Bond stamps to tie in with the upcoming 25th James Bond movie No Time To Die.
- Actress Kellye Nakahara, best known for her parts in M.A.S.H., Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Clue, has died aged 72.
Comments on Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek in general (warning, spoilers):
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "Absolute Candor", the latest episode of Star Trek Picard.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "Absolute Candor".
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Absolute Candor".
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Absolute Candor".
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "Absolute Candor".
- Font Folly shares his thoughts on "Absolute Candor".
- Anthony Mountjoy muses about the origins of the characters Soji and Dahj in Star Trek Picard.
- Una McCormack, author of the Star Trek Picard tie-in novel The Last Best Hope, explains what Star Trek and Jean-Luc Picard mean to her.
- Camestros Felapton revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Scorpion" and "The Gift".
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Emanations" and "Prime Factors".
- Scott Colura interviews Jeri Ryan, who plays Seven of Nine in Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek Picard.
- Phil Pirello also interviews Jeri Ryan.
Comments on series 12 of Doctor Who (spoilers):
- Sylas K. Barrett and Emmet Asher Perrin share their thoughts on "The Haunting of Villa Diodati", the latest episode of Doctor Who.
- Dan Martin shares his thoughts on "The Haunting of Villa Diodati".
- Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on "The Haunting of Villa Diodati".
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "The Haunting of Villa Diodati".
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "The Haunting of Villa Diodati".
- Paul Kirkley wonders why so many diehard Doctor Who fans seem to dislike the show so much that they're never satisfied.
- Huw Fullerton reports how former Doctor Who showrunner Steve Moffat was spoiled on one of the surprises of this season by one of the actors.
- Camestros Felapton offers an overview of the hairstyles of the various Doctors.
- Clark Collis reports that showrunner Chris Chibnall and star Jodie Whittaker will be back for another season of Doctor Who.
Comments on season 5 of Outlander:
- Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on "The Fiery Cross", the season 5 premiere of Outlander.
- Kayla Kumari Upadyaya shares her thoughts on "The Fiery Cross".
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "The Fiery Cross".
- Allison Shoemaker interviews Richard Rankin who plays Roger McKenzie in Outlander.
Comments on The Outsider:
- Allison Shoemaker shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Outsider.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Outsider.
Comments on Sonic the Hedgehog:
- David Ehrlich calls Sonic the Hedgehog a dull videogame adaptation that not even a redesign can fix.
- Owen Gleiberman declares that even the redesign does not make Sonic the Hedgehog cool.
- Ben Kenigsberg declares that the visual improvements haven't done anything for the generic script of Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Robbie Collin calls Sonic the Hedgehog a drab, joyless crawl.
- Sam Maskovech can't see a reason why anybody should watch Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Jordan Farley says that Sonic the Hedgehog exceeds his low expectations
- Phil Hornshaw declares that as videogame adaptations go, Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the better ones.
- Dami Lee calls Sonic the Hedgehog too cute not to love.
- Caleb Zane Huett calls Sonic the Hedgehog an origin story that deserves a follow-up.
- James Whitbrook shares his favourite part of Sonic the Hedgehog which has nothing to do with Sonic himself.
Comments on Fantasy Island:
- Jennifer Ouellette declares that Fantasy Island commits the ultimate cinematic sin - it's boring.
- Cameron Scheetz interviews Jeff Wadlow, director of the horror movie Fantasy Island.
- Cameron Scheetz interviews Lucy Hale, one of the stars of Fantasy Island.
Awards:
- The finalists for the 2019 Nebula Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2019 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the first inaugural Ray Bradbury Prize have been announced.
- The longlist for the 30 from 30 Award has been announced with quite a bit of love for genre titles.
- The winners of the 2020 Skylark and Gaughan Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2019 Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Ronantic Fiction have been announced.
- The longlists for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.
- The nominations for Spectrum 27: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art have been announced.
- The Speculative Literature Foundation has selected its 2020 Illustration of the Year.
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2019 Nebula Award finalists.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch points out that the bones of good stories will show even though bad writing and production values.
- Peter Clines explains why writers should think about their characters' underwear.
- Janice Hardy attempts to answer the question whether you should stop and revise or continue writing the first draft.
- Andrew Albanese reports that Donald Trump had once again proposed to end federal funding for libraries in the US.
- Victoria Strauss urges writers not to pay to display their books at Book Expo America in New York City.
- SFWA has issued a statement on the Goodreads troll problem.
Interviews:
- Jen Doll interviews Veronica Roth.
- The Qwillery interviews Stephanie Burgis.
- The Qwillery interviews K.S. Villoso.
- The HWA interviews Angel Leigh McCoy.
- The HWA interviews Lisa Morton.
- The HWA interviews Marge Simon.
- The HWA interviews Ellen Datlow.
- The HWA interviews Deborah LeBlanc.
- J.C. Kang interviews Luanne G. Smith.
- Andrea Johnson interviews Myke Cole.
- Scott Edelman interviews John Edward Lawson.
- Marlon James and Tochi Onyebuchi interviews each other.
Reviews:
- Natalie Zutter reviews Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey and Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha.
- Paul Weimer reviews The Hanged Man by K.D. Edwards.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley.
- Linda H. Codega reviews The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley.
- Marion Deeds reviews Mazes of Power by Juliette Wade.
- Mark Yon reviews The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold.
- Molly Templeton reviews A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas.
- Adri Joy reviews Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton.
- Tobias Carroll reviews The Golden Key by Marian Womack.
- Liz Bourke reviews The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews The Initiate by James L. Cambias.
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo.
- Katharine Coldiron reviews Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews All Worlds Are Real by Susan Palwick.
- Mahvesh Murad reviews The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
- Gabriella Tutino reviews Song of the Risen God by R.A. Salvatore.
- Bill Capossere reviews Black Leviathan by Bernd Perplies, translated by Lucy Van Cleef.
- Tracy Robinson reviews The Deep by Alma Katsu.
- Suzy Michael reviews Little Paranoias by Sonora Taylor.
- Ian Mond and Gary K. Wolfe review Anyone by Charles Soule.
- Tadiana Jones and Kat Hooper review Dispell Illusion by Mark Lawrence.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Fighters of Fear: Occult Detective Stories, edited by Mike Ashley.
Classics reviews:
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1928 surrealist fantasy novel Orlando by Virginia Woolf.
- Adventures Fantastic revisits the 1936 Northwest Smith science fiction story "Lost Paradise" by C.L. Moore.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 time travel novelette "Bridgehead" by Frank Belknap Long.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 Venus Equilateral novelette "Beam Pirate" by George O. Smith.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 Venus Equilateral novelette "Off the Beam" by George O. Smith.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 Venus Equilateral novelette "The Firing Line" by George O. Smith.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 space opera story "Double-Cross" by Frederik Pohl.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 horror short story "The Peeper" by Frank Belknap Long.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 horror short story "The Bat Is My Brother" by Robert Bloch.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 horror short story "Undersea Guardians" by Ray Bradbury.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 horror story "The Gothic Window" by Dorothy Quick.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 science fiction short story "The Huddling Place" by Clifford D. Simak.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 John Thunstone story "The Golden Goblins" by Manly Wade Wellman.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 John Thunstone story "Hoofs" by Manly Wade Wellman.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 John Thunstone story "Letters of Cold Fire" by Manly Wade Wellman.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 John Thunstone short story "John Thunstone's Inheritance" by Manly Wade Wellman.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 John Thunstone short story "Sorcery from Thule" by Manly Wade Wellman.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1944 John Thunstone short story "The Dead Man's Hand" by Manly Wade Wellman.
- Judith Tarr revisits Andre Norton's 1961 Civil War novel Ride, Proud Rebel.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the March 1965 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
- Sean Guynes revisits the 1969 science fiction novel The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1976 religious science ficiton novel Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
- Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1988 Discworld novel Sourcery by Terry Pratchett.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1989 science fiction novel Look Into the Sun by James Patrick Kelly.
Con and event reports:
- Daniel Dern shares his experiences as well as several photos of Boskone 2020 in Boston, Massachussetts.
- Yunchtime shares their experiences at Boskone 2020 in Boston, Massachussetts.
- Carma Spence shares ten things not to do at a science fiction convention.
- Mark L. Blackman shares his experiences at the latest installment of the Fantastic Fiction Readings Series in New York City, featuring P. Djèlí Clark and James Patrick Kelly.
- Ian Youngs reports about a stage adaptation of Back to the Future in Manchester, UK.
- Bridget Hallinan reports about the "Witches and Wizards" themed Murder Mystery Experience aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train, which travels from Napa to St. Helena, California.
Crowdfunding:
- Invisible Threads: Cutting the Binds That Hold Us, an anthology edited by Jason Sizemore and Lesley Conner, is looking for funding.
- The small press Neon Hemlock is looking for funding for its 2020 novella series.
- DreamForge Magazine is looking for funding for its second year in business.
- Tiny Cthulhu, a minimalist Lovecraftian RPG, is looking for funding.
- Steve Davidson, editor of Amazing Stories, needs some help to pay the vet bills for his dog Bo.
- Bryan Menegus reports that Kickstarter has successfully unionised.
Science and technology:
- The BBC reports that NASA is looking for astronauts for its Artemis Moon mission.
- Pallab Ghosh reports that NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is changing theories of planet formation.
- Jonathan Amos reports that Virgin Galactic has moved its Unity rocketship to its operational location.
- Gideon Marcus offers a round-up of the latest space news of 1965.
- Gideon Marcus also reports about the 1965 Ranger 8 moon probe.
- Ben Morris explains why your new work colleague might be a robot.
- Thor Benson reports about an anti-solar panel that can generate electricity by night.
- Merrit Kennedy reports that "ghost" DNA found in some people from West Africa suggests that there is a previously unknown human ancestor.
- Paul Rincon reports that the first Neanderthal skeleton in a decade has been unearthed in Iraq.
- Father George C. Coyne, former director of the Vatican observatory, has died aged 87.
Free online fiction:
- "Toxic Destinations" by Alexander Weinstein in Lightspeed.
- "Dying Light" by Maria Romasco-Moore in Lightspeed.
- "Staying Behind" by Ken Liu at Tor.com.
- "A Bitter Orange Perfume" by H. Pueyo in Fireside Magazine.
- "Manuscript Tradition" by Harry Turtledove at Tor.com
- "Things Boys Do" by 'Pemi Aguda in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Hunt" by Mina Li in Translunar Travelers Lounge.
- "Generation Gap" by Thoraiya Dyer in Clarkesworld.
- "Ngozi Ugegbe Nwa" by Dare Segun Falowo in The Dark.
Odds and ends:
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