It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the 2020 Hugo Awards and 1945 Retro Hugo Awards and the controversy surrounding the ceremony, Star Trek: Lower Decks and the various other iterations of Star Trek, season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, An American Pickle, the virtual Worldcon CoNZealand, the controversy surrounding the sword and sorcery anthology Flashing Swords 6, the successful landing of SpaceX's Dragon capsule and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- BookNest shares their one hundred favourite fantasy novels of the 21st century to date.
- Bryan Appleyard takes a look at the current state of the science fiction genre.
- James Davis Nicoll lists five SFF novels which make him wish they had sequels.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories featuring secretly supernatural beings.
- Thoraiya Dyer shares eight SFF books featuring forests.
- Neil Clarke explains that short fiction is important.
- Steve J. Wright points out that John W. Campbell was a complex figure whose impact on the SFF genre was both good and bad.
- Leslie S. Klinger and Lisa Morton discuss the forgotten female horror writers of the 19th century.
- John Schwartz, science reporter at the New York Times, is thrilled that he has been tuckerized by Mary Robinette Kowal.
- Alison Flood reports that Irish novelist John Boyne accidentally included some objects and creatures from the videogame The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in a historical novel, when he googled for how to dye fabric red without realising that the ingredient list referred to a videogame.
- Susan Ellison, widow of the late Harlan Ellison, has died aged 60.
- Costumer David Ivey has died.
- Costumer and fantasy author Patricia Anne Buard has died.
- Long term science fiction fan Ro Nagey has died aged 67.
Comments on the Flashing Swords #6 controversy:
- Mike Glyer reports that several authors have pulled their stories from the sword and sorcery anthology Flashing Swords 6 because of the sexist introduction by editor Robert Price.
- Rich Johnston also reports about the controversy surrounding Flashing Swords #6 and reprints the entire foreword by editor Robert Price.
- Inspired by the Flashing Sword #6 controversy, Remco van Straten and Angeline B. Adams point out that sword and sorcery was always diverse.
- Mike Glyer reports that the publisher has apologised about the issues with the sword and sorcery anthology Flashing Swords #6 and offered authors a slot in a different anthology or a kill fee.
Film and TV:
- Andrew Liptak discusses the status of Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of Fank Herbert's Dune.
- Peter Bradshaw calls Make Up a spooky seaside thriller.
- Katie Rife calls La Llorona an intelligent slow burn horror thriller.
- Ellen E. Jones calls Mortal a by the nubers fantasy film.
- Jennifer Ouellette calls Radioactive an uneven biopic, but praises Rosamund Pike's performance as Marie Curie.
- Cath Clarke calls Sheep and Wolves: Pig Deal an animated fable shorn of excitement.
- Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Stargirl.
- Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Darren Franich shares his displeasure with several recent science fiction TV shows.
- Leah Schnelbach argues that the serial killer drama Hannibal and the fantasy cartoon Steven Universe are actually the same show.
- Anthony Breznican takes a look at horror movies by black directors and with largely black casts.
- Catherine Shoard reports that according to director Lilly Wachowski, The Matrix was always intended as a trans metaphor.
- Heroes & Icons revisits fifteen forgotten science fiction TV shows of the 1980s.
- Katie Rife revisits the 1971 vampire movie The Velvet Vampire.
- Katie Rife revisits the 1988 vampire movie Fright Night Part 2.
- Ignatiy Vishnevestky revisits the 1995 vampire movie The Addiction.
- Noah Berlatsky revisits the 2013 remake of The Evil Dead.
- Padraig Cotter lists all the times Godzilla has died on screen.
- Thomas Hobbs profiles special effects specialist Tom Savini who worked on many horror movies over the years.
- Steve O'Brien profiles Big Finish, producer of audiodramas based on Doctor Who and other popular SFF TV series.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports about alleged anti-Asian discrimination on the set of Daredevil.
- Actor Wilford Brimley, best known for his part in Cocoon, has died aged 85.
Comments on Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek in general:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido calls the first episode of the cartoon Star Trek: Lower Decks almost really good.
- James Whitbrook calls Star Trek: Lower Decks fun as hell and so much more.
- Zack Handlen calls Star Trek: Lower Decks high concept meets low effort.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Macrocosm", "Fair Trade" and "Alter Ego".
- Ross A. Lincoln reports that William Shatner is well aware of the existence of Kirk/Spock slashfic.
- Alvaro Zinos-Amaro reviews the Star Trek Deep Space Nine tie-in novel Typhoon Pact: Raise the Dawn by David George III.
Comments on season 2 of The Umbrella Academy:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido declares that season 2 of The Umbrella Academy is even better than season 1.
- Kathryn VanArendonk finds season 2 of The Umbrella Academy stylish and funny, but declares that it makes no sense.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on season 2 of The Umbrella Academy.
- Caroline Siede offers episode by episode reviews of The Umbrella Academy.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that The Umbrella Academy is a show about growing beyond familial abuse.
- Stuart Jeffries calls season 2 of The Umbrella Academy inscrutable nonsense.
- Maggie Fremont shares nine big questions she has to the end of season 2 of The Umrbella Academy (spoilers).
- Charles Pulliam Moore discusses the character of Lila Pitts in The Umbrella Academy.
- Cameron Scheetz interviews Robert Sheehan and Justin H. Min, who play Klaus and Ben in The Umbrella Academy.
Comments on An American Pickle:
- Peter Bradshaw calls An American Pickle a zany timeslip comedy.
- Jesse Hassenger calls An American Pickle a timeslip comedy with mixed results.
- Marah Eakin interviews Seth Rogen, star of An American Pickle.
Awards:
- The longlist for the 2020 Not the Booker Prize has been announced with lots of love for genre works and voting is open for the shortlist.
- The shortlist for the 2020 Prix Rosny Aîné has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2020 Norma K. Hemming Award have been announced.
- The winner of the 2020 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award has been announced.
- The winner of the 2020 Munsey Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 ENnie Awards have been announced.
- David Gerrold weighs in on the Hugo Awards and various other genre awards.
- The winners of the 2020 BAFTA TV Awards have been announced with some love for SFF.
Comments on the 2020 Hugo Awards and 1945 Retro Hugo Awards:
- The winners of the 2020 Hugo Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards have been announced.
- Alison Flood shares her thoughts on the winners of the 2020 Hugo Awards.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the winners of the 2020 Hugo Awards.
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the winners of the 2020 Hugo Awards.
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the winners of the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards.
- Steve J. Wright shares his thoughts on the winners of the 1945 Retro Hugo Awards.
- Doris V. Sutherland shares her thoughts on the winners of the 2020 Hugo Awards and the 1945 Retro Hugos.
- Ann Leckie explains why she declined a Hugo nomination for The Raven Tower.
Comments on the 2020 Hugo ceremony:
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Natalie Luhrs shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Miyuki Jane Pinckard shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Sean Reads Sci-Fi shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Runalong the Shelves share their thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Dag-Erling Smørgrav shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Remco van Straten and Angeline B. Adams share their thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- P.Z. Myers shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Jason Sanford shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Ed Fortune shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Vivienne Raper shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Rachel Kiley shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Cheryl Morgan shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Adam Whitehead shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Torsten Adair shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Soon Lee weighs in on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Jacob Tyler shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Madison Malone Kircher shares her thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Kaila Hale-Stern weighs in on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Robert J. Sawyer weighs in on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Louise McCreesh weighs in on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore shares his thoughts on the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Sam Brooks reports about the 2020 Hugo ceremony.
- Casey Lucas reports that the finalists and winners of the 2020 Sir Julius Vogel Awards were aso shafted by CoNZealand.
- Discon III, the 2021 Worldcon in Washington DC, has announced the hosts for their Hugo ceremony.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Charlie Jane Anders points out that anger is a storytelling goldmine for writers.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch points out that writers need courage.
- Jesse Kellerman talks about writing at home with children.
- Andrew Albanese reports about the Internet Archive's response to the copyright lawsuit regarding their so-called National Emergency Library.
- The SFWA announced the launch of the Book Industry Health Insurance Partnership.
- Jane Friedman reports about the state of the US publishing industry.
Interviews:
- Arley Sorg interviews Lauren Beukes.
- Petra Mayer interviews Lauren Beukes.
- Book Marks interviews Erin Morgenstern.
- Wendy Browne interviews Maurice Broaddus.
- Andrea Johnson interviews R.F. Kuang.
- Arley Sorg interviews Michael Swanwick.
- Brian Merchant interviews Tim Maughan.
- Paul Weimer interviews Bree Bridges a.k.a. one half of the writing team that makes up Kit Rocha.
- Elyse Martin interviews Eiko Kadono and Emily Balistrieri.
Reviews:
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Blue Planet by Jane O'Reilly.
- Mark Yon reviews The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez.
- Vanessa Armstrong reviews Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha.
- Sean Dowie reviews Mexican Gothic by Silva Moreno-Garcia.
- Mahvesh Murad reviews Afterland by Lauren Beukes.
- Joel Cunningham reviews The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse,
- Liz Bourke and Gary K. Wolfe review The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews The Sunken Land Begins to Rise by M. John Harrison.
- Kelly Lasiter and Tadiana Jones review Desdemona and the Deep by C.S.E. Cooney.
- Paul Weimer reviews The Vanished Queen by Lisbeth Campbell.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Creatures of Charm and Hunger by Molly Tanzer.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace.
- Kat Hooper reviews The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh.
- J.C. Kang reviews The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith.
- Adri Joy reviews The Tyrant Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson.
- Kelly Lasiter reviews Red Mantle by Maria Tutschaninoff.
- Fran Wilde reviews Every Bone a Prayer by Ashley Blooms
- Leah Schnelbach reviews I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van den Berg.
- Alex Brown reviews Prelude for Lost Souls by Helene Dunbar.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston.
- Lesa Holstine reviews Shadows in Time by Julie McElwain.
- Lesa Holstine reviews Ghosts Up Her Game by Carolyn Hart.
- Kelly Lasiter reviews Catherine House by Elizabeth Thomas.
- Alex Brown reviews Lobizona by Romina Garber.
- Doris V. Sutherland reviews Reception by Kenzie Jennings.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Of Ants and Dinosaurs by Liu Cixin, translated by Elizabeth Hanlon.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews A Summer Beyond Your Reach by Xia Jia, translated by Ken Liu, Carmen Yiling Yan, Emily Jin and Rebecca Kuang
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Interlibrary Loan by Gene Wolfe.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews The Fantastic Fiction of Hannes Bok by Hannes Bok.
- Kelly Lasiter reviews Where the Veil Is Thin, edited by Cerece Rennie Murphy and Alana Joli Abbott.
Classics reviews:
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1926 science fiction novel The Radio Planet by Ralph Milne Farley.
- Alan Brown revisits the 1941 science fiction novel Second Stage Lensman by E.E. Smith.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1964 science fiction collection Space by the Tale by Jerome Bixby.
- Rosemary Benton revisits the 1965 time travel novel Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen by H. Beam Piper.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1965 gothic novel The White Jade Fox by Andre Norton.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the August 1965 issues of Analog.
- David Levinson reviews the September 1965 isue of Worlds of If.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1972 post-apocalyptic novel The Heirs of Babylon by Glen Cook.
- Sean Guynes revisits the 1972 science fiction novella The Word For World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin.
- Paperback Warrior revisits the 1976 horror novel The Pack a.k.a. The Long Dark Night by David Fisher.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1983 dystopian novel Hyacinths by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
- Kelly Lasiter revisits the 1983 horror novel Winter Lord by Jean Brooks-Janowiak.
- Bobby Derie revisits the 1986 memoir One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price Ellis, on and off girlfriend of Robert E. Howard.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2007 military science fiction novel Endgame by Kristine Smith.
Con and event reports:
- Cheryl Morgan shares her experiences at CoNZealand, the virtual 2020 Worldcon, in a multi-part post.
- Cheryl Morgan also explains why and how Worldcons can go wrong.
- Steve J. Wright shares his experiences at CoNZealand, the virtual 2020 Worldcon.
- Edmund Schluessel reports that his Zoom background was repeatedly censored by CoNZealand, the virtual 2020 Worldcon.
- Kevin Standlee reports about the business meeting at ConZealand in Wellington, New Zealand.
- Anna Smith Spark, organiser of the open letter to oppose the Worldcon bid for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2022, has penned another open letter prtesting against the Worldcon bid for Chengdu in China in 2023.
- Mike Glyer reports that Chicon 8, the 2022 Worldcon, will take place in Chicago, Illinois.
- Mike Glyer also reports that Brisbane, Australia, is bidding for the 2025 Worldcon.
- Yunchtime reports about the virtual Cyberpunk Culture Conference and other virtual cons.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that the virtual San Diego Comic Con was a flop.
- Kelly Gordon reports how the corona pandemic has impacted Magic The Gathering by making live tournaments impossible.
- Severin Carrell reports that the Edinburgh Internation Book Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, will be going all virtual.
Crowdfunding:
- Rebuilding Tomorrow, an anthology of life after the apocalypse edited by Tsana Dolichva, is looking for funding.
- Uncanny Magazine is looking for funding to finance its year seven.
- The comic anthology Mañana: Latinx Comics From the 25th Century is looking for funding.
- The Corruption Within, a 2D psychological thriller first-person point and click adventure game set in the Victorian era, is looking for funding.
- Bonnie Elizabeth shares her experience using Kickstarter to fund her latest series.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch continues her series about how Kickstarter is a gamechanger for creatives.
Science and technology:
- Jonathan Amos reports that NASA's rover Perseverance has launched on its journey to Mars.
- Brendan Byrne also reports about the Perseverance Mars rover.
- Nell Greenfieldboyce reports about the successful return of the SpaceX Dragon capsule from the International Space Station.
- Paul Rincon also reports about the successful return of the SpaceX Dragon capsule from the International Space Station.
- Paul Rincon reports about a testflight of SpaceX's Starship.
- Jonathan Amos reports that the Sentinel-2 satellite which measures the Antarctic ice has discovered a previously unknown colony of Emperor penguins.
- Kenneth Chang offers a virtual trip through the cabin of the Virgin Galactic space plane.
- Steven Poole discusses the term "lyfe" to be used for alien lifeforms to alien that regular "life" just doesn't cut it.
- Bill English, co-creator of the computer mouse, has died aged 91.
Free online fiction:
- "The Shadow Prison Experiment" by Caroline M. Yoachim in Lightspeed.
- "All These Guardians of Order and Clarity, None of Them Can Abide a Free Witch" by Benjamin Rosenbaum in Lightspeed.
- "The Lori" by Fiona Moore in Clarkesworld.
- "The Inaccessibility of Heaven" by Aliette de Bodard in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Dead Girls Have No Name" by Claire Wrenwood in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Bobby and Her Father" by Gillian Daniels in The Dark.
- "Ganymede's Lamps" by Michèle Laframboise in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "Satin and Velvet" by R.H. Cloake in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "The Many Lives of an Abiku" by Tobi Ogundiran in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "The Turnaround" by Charlie Jane Anders in Alta.
- "Homecoming" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
- "Picnic at Seashell Beach" by Cora Buhlert
Odds and ends:
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