It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best science fiction and fantasy of 2020, season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general, season 2 of The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general, season 5 of The Expanse, Wonder Woman 1984, Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks, We Can Be Heroes, part 4 of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Soul and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Leah Schnelbach looks ahead at some SFF books coming out in 2021.
- Fantasy-Faction looks ahead at fantasy novels coming out in 2021.
- The Guardian interviews several science fiction writers about worldbuilding.
- Samantha Nelson explains how cosmic horror went mainstream.
- Stina Leicht lists five SFF characters you want to trust, but probably shouldn't.
- Mike Chen shares five recent SFF novels featuring characters with superpowers.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five books by SFF authors we lost in 2020.
- Amber Troska revisits some SFF books she loved as a teen and wonders whether they hold up as an adult.
- James Davis Nicoll remembers science fiction books he found in the children's section of his library, though they definitely did not belong there.
- James Davis Nicoll takes a look at the way Canadians are depicted in science fiction.
- Jennifer L. Holm talks about cats in space in science fiction.
- Rachel Ayers talks about the magic of libraries.
- Kellie Doherty takes a look at fantasy-themed cookbooks.
- Camestros Felapton revisits the Sad and Rabid Puppies debarkle of 2015/16 and how it relates to current political events.
- Michael Dirda looks back on the long and varied career of Tarzan and how he became a household name.
- Terry Olson shares his appreciation for the works of Michael Moorcock.
- Deuce Richardson remembers writer, anthropologist, Lovecraft superfan and literary executor Robert H. Barlow.
- D.J. Taylor reports that the works of George Orwell, including Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four are no out of copyright, since Orwell died seventy years ago, and explains how they can and cannot be used.
- Rob Salkowitz worries about the future of DC Comics.
- Alison Flood reports that the UK Royal Mint's H.G. Wells commemorative coin seems to have bene designed by people who have never read any of Wells' novels.
- Jon Tattrie chronicles how sword and sorcery author Charles R. Saunders was initially buried in an unmarked grave, before fans collected money for a gravestone.
- SFF artist Jael Ashton has died aged 83.
- Urban fantasy writer and podcaster Anton Strout has died aged 50.
Best of 2020:
- Powell's Books share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror novels of 2020.
- Larissa Irankunda shares her twenty-one favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2020.
- Joe Sherry shares his favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2020.
- Susan Maguire shares her favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2020.
- Steve Donaghue shares his favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2020.
- Andrew Mather shares his favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2020.
- Garik16 shares his favourite science fiction and fantasy novels of 2020.
- Tom Shippey shares his favourite science fiction novels of 2020.
- The Best Sci Fi Books share their favourite science fiction novels of 2020.
- Fantasy Book Review share their favourite fantasy novels of 2020.
- Fantasy Book World share their favourite fantasy novels of 2020.
- That Artsy Reader Girl shares her ten favourite debut science fiction novels of 2020.
- Randy Money shares his favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror novels of the decade.
- Andrew Leon Hudson shares his favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror novels of the decade.
- The Red Panda Fraction offers a round-up of various "Best SFF of 2020" lists.
Film and TV:
- Tyler Dean discusses what worked and what didn't about season 2 of His Dark Materials.
- Zack Handlen declares that The Watch muddles Terry Pratchett's Discworld with edgy humour.
- Paul Levinson calls 3022 a worthy, but bleak astronaut stranded in space movie.
- Leslie Felperin calls the horror movie The Call a phoned in mix of well-worn horror tropes.
- Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya shares her thoughts about the latest episode of The Stand.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the Danish fantasy series Equinox.
- Marissa de la Cerde shares her thoughts on the Spanish horror series 30 Coins.
- Michael Sragow revisits the 1921 adventure movie The Mark of Zorro for its 100th anniversary and notes how much Zorro influenced the superhero genre.
- Angeline B. Adams revisits the 1944 fantasy movie The Curse of the Cat People.
- Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1971 fantasy film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
- Vance Kotrla revisits the 2016 animated fantasy film Your Name.
- Emma Brockes interviews Nicholas Hoult, best known for his roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and the X-Men movies.
- Lanre Bakare reports that a record number of the highest grossing Hollywood films of 2020 were directed by women.
- Musician Daniel Dumile, better known as the science fictional rapper MF Doom, has died aged 49.
- Jazz musician and film composer Claude Bolling, who wrote the score for many gangster and horror movies, has died aged 90.
- British actor Mark Eden, who appeared in Doctor Who, Quartermass and the Pit and Coronation Street, has died aged 92.
- British actress Barbara Shelley, best known for her appearances in various Hammer horror films as well as Doctor Who, The Saint, Quartermass and the Pit, Village of the Damned and The Avengers, has died aged 88.
- American actress Tanya Roberts, best known for her appearances in A View to a Kill, Beastmaster, Sheena - Queen of the Jungle and Charlie's Angels, has died aged 65, a day after a premature death announcement was retracted.
Comments on season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "There Is a Tide...", the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery.
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "There Is a Tide..."
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "There Is a Tide..."
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "There Is a Tide..."
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "There Is a Tide..."
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Demon" and "One".
- Jamie Lovett reports about an upcoming documentary about Star Trek Voyager.
Comments on season 2 of The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general (spoilers):
Comments on Wonder Woman 1984:
Comments on part 4 of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina:
Comments on season 5 of The Expanse:
Comments on Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks:
- Martin Belam calls Revolution of the Daleks an uneven New Year's special.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin calls Revolution of the Daleks truly unsettling.
- Camestros Felapton declares that Revolution of the Daleks contains a glimpse of a much better episode.
- Caroline Siede calls Revolution of the Daleks a disappointing New Year's special that highlights the problems with the current era.
- Stuart Heritage interviews Sacha Dhawan who plays the Master in Doctor Who.
- Denise Petski reports that actor John Bishop will join the TARDIS crew as a new companion in the upcoming series of Doctor Who.
- Lanre Bakare reports about speculations that Jodie Whittaker may be about to leave Doctor Who.
- Huw Fullerton hopes that Jodie Whittaker will stay.
- Stuart Heritage wonders who might replace Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor.
Comments on Soul:
Awards:
- The winners of the 2020 Stabby Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2020 Darrell Awards have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2020 Cybils Awards has been announced.
- The 2021 WSFA Small Press Award is open for submissions.
- The winners of the 2020 Costa Book Awards have been announced with some love for genre fiction.
- The Endeavour Award has been suspended for 2021.
- Kate Elliott explains how she uses her bullet journal.
- Seanan McGuire explains how My Little Pony taught her how to write glittery and fluffy violence.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch takes a look at the development of and prospects for audio books.
- Jim Milliot wonders whether attempts to make the publishing industry more diverse are showing signs of success.
Interviews:
- Arley Sorg interviews Connie Willis.
- Arley Sorg interviews E. Lily Yu.
- Daniel DeVita interviews Patrick Rothfuss.
- Runalong the Shelves interviews Gautam Bhatia.
- The Guardian interviews William Gibson.
- Ashish Ghadiali interviews Courttia Newland.
- Jen Gheller interviews Wen-yi Lee.
- Scott Edelman interviews Ian Randal Strock.
- R.S. Benedict interviews Sloane Leong.
- Reece Michealson interviews C.E. McGill.
Reviews:
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Rise of the Right Hand by Olivia Chadha.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi.
- Alex Tas reviews The Outside by Ada Hoffmann.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard.
- Camestros Felapton reviews Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Underneath the Oversea by Marc Laidlaw.
- Beth Kanell reviews Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg.
- Andrew Mather reviews The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.
- Kat Hooper and Tadiana Jones review Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer.
- Adrienne Martini reviews Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Bare Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots.
- Kat Hooper reviews The Somebody People by Bob Proehl.
- Bill Capossere reviews The Fictional Man by Al Ewing.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Fictional Man by Al Ewing.
- Tim Scheidler reviews The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter.
- Paul Weimer reviews The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly.
- Adam Roberts reviews A River Called Time by Courttia Newland.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews A River Called Time by Courttia Newland.
- Beejay Silcox reviews The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan.
- Alex Brown reviews When the Tigar Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker a.k.a. Seanan McGuire.
- Adri Joy reviews A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik.
- Ian Mond reviews Rest and Be Thankful by Emma Glass.
- Maya James and Rich Horton review Entanglements: Tomorrow’s Lovers, Families, and Friends, edited by Sheila Williams.
- Karen Haber reviews Leonardo 2 by Stéphane Levallois.
Classics reviews:
- John Lellenberg revisits the 1912 science fiction novel The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.
- Every Day Should Be Tuesday revisits the 1939 alternate history novel Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp.
- Paul Fraser revisits the 1953 science fiction story "Who's Cribbing?" by Jack Lewis.
- Matt Mikalatos revisits the 1955 children's fantasy novel The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis.
- James Malizewski revisits the 1963 science fantasy novel Sign of the Labrys by Margaret St. Clair.
- David Levinson revisits the February 1966 issue of If - Worlds of Science Fiction.
- John Boston revisits the February 1966 issue of Amazing Stories.
- Fletcher Vredenburgh revisits the 1968 fantasy novel The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
- John O'Neill revisits the 1970 sword and sorcery/sword and planet anthology Swords Agaimst Tomorrow, edited by Robert Hoskins.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1974 science fiction novel Iron Cage by Andre Norton.
- Adrian Simmons revisits the November 1979 issue of Omni.
- Alan Brown revisits the 1979 military science fiction novel Janissaries by Jerry Pournelle.
- Ken Lizzi revisits the 1979 sword and sorcery anthology Swords Against Darkness V, edited by Andrew J. Offutt.
- The Por Por Book Blog revisits the 1985 historical fantasy novel Starkadder by Bernard King.
- S.E. Lindberg revisits the 1985 sword and sorcery novel The Trail of Bohu by Charles R. Saunders.
- John O'Neill revisits the 1988 space opera novel The Guardsman by P.J. Beese and Todd Cameron Hamilton.
- MarzAat revisits the 1991 fantasy collection Old Nathan by David Drake.
- Paul Fraser revisits the 1995 Cyberpunk story "Downloading Midnight" by William Borwning Spencer.
Con and event reports:
- Paul Eisenberg interviews the team behind the Chicon 8, the 2022 Worldcon in Chicago, Illinois.
- Kathy Merlock Jackson reports that the 2021 conference of the Popular Culture Association will be going virtual because of the pandemic.
- Mike Glyer reports about the results of the investigation of an alleged code of conduct violation at the virtual Balticon 54.
- Mark L. Blackman reports about the latest edition of the virtual New York Review of Science Fiction readings series, featuring Sam J. Miller.
- Ron Dominguez, former director of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, has died aged 85.
Crowdfunding:
Science and technology:
- Benjamin Bullard reports about plans to rebuild the collapsed Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico.
- Gideon Marcus takes a look at what was known about Saturn in 1966.
- Elizabeth Rayne declares that the reason we haven't found any sign of alien civilizations yet might be because they died out long ago.
- Joshua Espinoza reports that the object Oumuamua, which appeared in our solar system in 2017, may have been and alien spaceship or probe.
- Deborah Solomon digs into the mystery monoliths that appeared all over the world in late 2020.
Free online fiction:
- "Rotten Little Town: A Oral History (Abridged)" by Adam-Troy Castro in Nightmare Magazine.
- "How to Break Into a Hotel Room" by Stephen Graham-Jones in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Skyboss" by Rocky Breen in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "Tyrannosaurus Hex" by Sam J. Miller in Uncanny.
- "Let All the Children Boogie" by Sam J. Miller in Tor.com.
- "Things to Bring, Things to Burn, Things Best Left Behind" by C.E. McGill in Fantasy Magazine.
- "Intentionalities" by Aimee Ogden in Clarkesworld.
- "Drummer Boy in a World of Wise Men" by Tobi Ogundiran in Omenana.
- "As Tight As Any Knot" by M.A. Carrick in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Colombina" by Jelena Donato in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "The Incorruptible World" by Anjali Sachdeva in Lightspeed.
- "The Orange Tree" by Maria Dahvana Headley in Lightspeed.
- "Root Rot" by Fargo Tbakhi in Apex Magazine.
- "The Van Etten House" by Carrie Laben in The Dark.
- "A Complex Filament of Light" by S. Qiouyi Lu in Anathema Magazine.
- "A Thousand Bites. And One" by Calie Voorhis in Daily Science Fiction.
- "When I Grow Up" by Kate Elliott in The Book Smugglers.
Trailers and videos:
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