It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the various iterations of Star Trek, season 5 of Outlander, season 3 of Westworld, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Dispatches from Elsewhere, the latest convention cancellations due to the corona virus and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- S.L. Huang recommends some recent SFF books.
- Martha Wells recommends some recent SFF books.
- Liz Bourke shares yet more SFF books to read during difficult times.
- The Hugo Book Club talks about the boundaries of science fiction and fantasy and how they are reflected in the various genre awards.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five stories about rogue planets.
- James Davis Nicoll explains how space probes changed the way science fiction authors presented our solar system.
- Seanan McGuire shares her ten favourite urban fantasy books for adults.
- C.T. Phipps recommends ten indie grimdark fantasy novels.
- Christine Lynn Herman shares five books which mix supernatural problems and teenaged life.
- Josie Meléndez talks about the rise of magical realism in young adult fiction.
- Christina Dalcher talks about family life as portrayed in dystopian fiction.
- Drew McCaffrey discusses the economics of magic as portrayed in The Runelands series by David Farland and the Foundryside series by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- Christina Dalcher talks about eugenics and how she came to write her new novel Master Class.
- Margaret Atwood explains how she deals with self-isolating.
- Nicola Alter discusses Alexander von Humboldt's influence on science and science fiction.
- Trish E. Matson talks about strong women in the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
- Nadja Sayej remembers forgotten women cartoonists and comic artists.
- Nikesh Shukla shares his appreciation for the 1987 Spider-Man story "Kraven's Last Hunt".
- Sam Thielman reports that the US comic book industry is in turmoil due to Diamond's decision to no longer ship any new comics because of the corona virus.
- Kara Yorio reports that several YA authors of colour have experienced racist abuse during virtual school visits.
- Mike Glyer shares a list of the American Library Association's top ten most challenged books for 2019.
- Horror writer and editor Joseph S. Pulver died aged 65.
Film and TV:
- Cristina Orlando shares eight beautifully designed SFF films to watch right now.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares the eleven best monster movies to stream, while self-isolating.
- William Hughes calls Upload a bracingly dark science fiction satire.
- Mark Kermode calls Astronaut a heartwarming journey.
- Benjamin Lee calls Blood Quantum a grimy zombie film with an intriguing twist.
- Alex McLevy calls We Summon the Darkness bloody good fun.
- Leslie Felperin calls Reborn a pretentious schlock horror film.
- Katie Rife shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What We Do in the Shadows.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the animated series The Midnight Gospel.
- Romesh Ranganathan watches Game of Thrones for the first time, is shocked by the violence and praises Maisie Williams' performance.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that the character of the Doctor is the most important thing about Doctor Who for them.
- Ben Child asks which Alien movie is the best.
- Kaye Dee revisits the 1964 Australian science fiction TV series The Stranger
- Phil Harrison revisits the 1968 dystopian TV movie The Year of the Sex Olympics.
- Daniel Harris revisits the 1989 time travel film Back to the Future II, his favourite film aged 12.
- Shaun Duke revisits the 2002 zombie movie 28 Days Later.
- Camestros Felapton revisits the 2012 South Korean zombie movie Train to Busan.
- A.A. Dowd revisits the 2013 science fiction horror film Under the Skin.
- Alex McLevy revisits the 2013 dystopian film Her.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin discusses a missing scene in Avengers: Endgame.
- Zack Sharf reports that according to director Guillermo del Toro, the situation which allowed the first two Hellboy films to be made no longer exists.
- Emma Fraser lists the most stylish hats in SFF movies and TV shows.
- Borys Kit reports that Genevieve O'Reilly will reprise her role as Mon Mothma in Disney's Cassian Andor Star Wars spin-off series.
- Tor.com reports that a sequel to the 1985 children's fantasy film The Goonies may be in the works.
- Alison Flood reports that new faithful TV adaptations of Terry Pratchett's beloved Discworld novels are in the works.
- Actor Gene Dynarski, best known for his appearances in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the original Star Trek, The X-Files, Batman and many others, has died aged 86.
- Indian actor Irrfan Khan, best known internationally for his parts in Jurassic World, Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire, has died aged 53.
Comments on the various iterations of Star Trek:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Resistance" and "Prototype".
- Alvaro Zinos-Amaro revisits the Star Trek Deep Space Nine tie-in novel Warpath by David Mack.
Comments on season 5 of Outlander:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Outlander.
- Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Outlander.
- Jessica Mason reports that Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in Outlander, has called out some toxic fans for the bullying that he, his family and his co-star Catrioba Balfe have been subjected to.
Comments on season 3 of Westworld:
- Paul MacInnes shares his thoughts about "Passed Pawn", the most recent episode of Westworld.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts about "Passed Pawn".
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts about "Passed Pawn".
- Dean E.S. Richard shares his thoughts on "Passed Pawn".
Comments on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels:
- Adrian Horton calls Penny Dreadful: City of Angels magnetic but messy entertainment.
- Tyler Dean calls City of Angels a worthy successor to Penny Dreadful with key differences.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw declares that Penny Dreadful: City of Angels does not measure up to the original.
- Danette Chavez shares her thoughts on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
- Marah Eakin interviews Nathan Lane and Natalie Dormer, two stars of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
Comments on Dispatches from Elsewhere:
- Lucy Mangan calls Dispatches from Elsewhere weird and weirdly charming.
- Liz Shannon Miller shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Dispatches from Elsewhere.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2020 Edgar Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Minnesota Book Awards have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2020 Premio Italia has been announced.
- The winner of the 2020 Self-published Fantasy Blog-off has been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Pulp Factory Awards have been announced.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Alison Flood reports that according to a recent study of Durham University, the majority of writers hear their characters speak and find that characters have their own agency.
- Cat Rambo shares some tips for effective goal setting for writers.
- Yoon Ha Lee talks about writing Phoenix Extravagant.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch explains how indie writers can navigate the corona pandemic.
- Dean Wesley Smith takes a look at the current troubles of the publishing industry.
- Rachel Rosenberg explains why independent bookstores are experiencing a resurgence.
- McSweeney's Internet Tendency shares an ever expanding list of ways to support your local independent bookstore.
- Andrew Albanese reports that the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has declared that literacy is a constitutional right.
- The SFWA has announced the results of its recent officer elections.
Interviews:
- Locus interviews Tamsyn Muir.
- Andrew Liptak interviews Daniel Abraham.
- Andrea Johnson interviews Gideon Marcus.
- Petra Mayer interviews Grady Hendrix.
- Christian A. Coleman interviews Katie M. Flynn.
- Paul Weimer interviews Andi C. Buchanan.
- Jessica Mason interviews Lisa Marie Basile.
- Instagram users interview Murderbot and ART from Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries.
Reviews:
- Adri Joy reviews Network Effect by Martha Wells.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott.
- Steve J. Wright reviews The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley.
- Steve J. Wright reviews A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews War of the Maps by Paul McAuley.
- Caroline Cushman reviews False Value by Ben Aaaronovitch, Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire and The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn.
- Katharine Coldiron and Liz Bourke reviews Stormsong by C.K. Polk.
- The Qwillery reviews The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman.
- Kat Hooper reviews A Blight of Blackwings by Kevin Hearne.
- Camestros Felapton review The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.
- Rebecca Fisher reviews The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman.
- Martin Cahill reviews Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett.
- Rebecca Fisher reviews Warrior Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino.
- Fantasy Faction reviews Fortune's Fool by Angela Boord.
- Fantasy Faction reviews Beggar's Rebellion by Levi Jacobs.
- Aja Romano reviews A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge.
- Edward Gwynne reviews The Fell Sword by Miles Cameron.
- Fantasy Faction reviews The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang.
- A Cup of Cyanide reviews The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo.
- Sean Dowie reviews The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo.
- Liz Bourke reviews Creatures of Charm and Hunger by Molly Tanzer.
- A.M. Justice reviews Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn.
- Rebecca Fisher reviews The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
- Tobias Carroll reviews Moonflower, Nightshade, All the Hours of the Day by J.D. Scott.
- Summer H. Paulus reviews The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold.
- Mark Yon reviews Sanctuary by V.V. James.
- Chris Wolak reviews You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce.
- Laird Hunt reviews You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce.
- The Bibliosanctum reviews Looking Glass by Christina Henry.
- Andrew Fowlow reviews The Passengers by John Marrs.
- Ian Mond reviews 88 Names by Matt Ruff.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman.
- Jana Nyman and Tadiana Jones review Semiosis by Sue Burke.
- Nina Allan reviews Hinton by Mark Blacklock.
- Anthony Cummins reviews Hinton by Mark Blacklock.
- Tsana Dolichva reviews The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Analog/Virtual: and Other Simulations of Your Future by Lavanya Lakshminarayan.
- Ruth Franklin reviews If It Bleeds by Stephen King.
- Stephanie Merritt reviews If It Bleeds by Stephen King.
- Andrew Fowlow reviews The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen.
- Blue Book Balloon revies The Wise Friend by Ramsay Campbell.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Unspeakabe: A Queer Gothic Anthology, edited by Celine Frohn.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Both Sides: Stories from the Border, edited by Gabino Iglesias.
Classics reviews:
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 science fiction short story "And the Gods Laughed" by Fredric Brown.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1944 science fiction story "Far Centaurus" by A.E. van Vogt.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1948 time travel novel Forgotten Worlds by Howard Browne.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1949 adventure novel Sword in Sheath by Andre Norton.
- Jason McGregor revisits the 1950 science fiction novel Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov.
- Jason McGregor revisits the 1953 Foundation novel Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov.
- Paul Fraser revisits the October 1955 issue of the UK version of Argosy.
- Mark Yon revisits the April/May 1965 issues of New Worlds and Science Fantasy.
- Victoria Silverwolf revisits the May 1965 issue of Fantastic Stories of Imagination.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1965 issue of Analog.
- Hannah Abigail Clarke revisits the 1968 fantasy novel The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
- Joachim Boaz reviews the 1969 science fiction novel The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1969 children's fantasy novel The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt.
- Sean Guynes revisits the 1970 fantasy novel The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1972 Cap Kennedy space opera novel Seetee Alert! by Gregory Kern a.k.a. E.C. Tubb.
- Paperback Warrior revisits The Ring of Ikribu, a 1981 Red Sonja sword and sorcery novel by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1981 sword and sorcery novel The Steel of Raithskar by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron.
- Ryan Skardal revisits the 1996 science fiction novel Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.
Crowdfunding:
- Beorn: The Littlest Viking Saga by Ben Bender is looking for funding.
- The Binge Watcher's Guide to the Harry Potter Films is looking for funding.
- The Black Oak Workshop is looking for funding for its polyhedral dice Advent-ure Calendars.
Con and event reports:
- CoNZealand, the now virtual 78th Worldcon in Wellington, New Zealand, has published its third progress report.
- Reunicon in Den Haag, the Netherlands, has been postponed until 2021 because of the corona virus.
- Mike Glyer reports that the 2020 NASFIC in Columbus, Ohio, is still going ahead as of now and wants to know who is still planning to come.
- Mike Glyer reports that the 2020 Pennsic War event of the Society for Creative Anachronism in Cooper's Lake, Pennsylvania, has been postponed until 2021 because of the corona virus.
- Mike Glyer reports that the Clarion West writing workshop in Seattle, Washington, has been cancelled due to the corona virus.
- Steve Davidson announces AmazingCon, a virtual convention tied to Amazing Stories.
Science and technology:
- Caitlin McDermott-Murphy reports that the first ever photo of a black hole taken last year may offer further insight into the phenomenon.
- Meghan Bartels reports about the break-up of the comet Atlas.
- Joe Palca reports that an amateur radio operator has found the lost US military satellite LE-5.
- Eric Mack reports that Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot is now deployed to help with testing suspected corona patients.
- Caroline Delbert reports about a special glove which can influence dreaming and even induce lucid dreams.
Free online fiction:
- "The Witch Speaks" by Rati Mehrotra in Lightspeed.
- "A Subtle Web: A Tale from the Somadeva Chronicles" by Vandana Singh in Lightspeed.
- "Stealing Through the Stars" by Jenny Wong and Sylvia Santiago in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "Daffodil's Baby" by Alyssa Virker in Slate: Future Tense.
- "Hello, Moto" by Nnedi Okorafor at Tor.com.
- "Of Roses and Kings" by Melissa Marr at Tor.com.
- "Anything Resembling Love" by S. Qiouyi Lu at Tor.com.
- "The ThoughtBox" by Tlotlo Tsamaase in Clarkesworld.
- "The Longest Night" by Emily B. Cantaneo in The Dark.
- "Salem Week" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
- "When We Call a Place Home" by Chinelo Onwualu.
- "And the Carnival Leaves Town" by A.C. Wise in Nightmare Magazine.
Odds and ends:
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