Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for July 16, 2021

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Loki, Black Widow and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, the various DC Comics based movies and TV shows,, The Bad Batch and Star Wars in general, the many versions of Star Trek, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Tor.com lists all the new horror and genre-bending novels coming out in July. 
• Jo Walton shares the books she read in June 2021. 
• Max Barry lists great books which are secretly (or not so secretly) science fiction.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five books about SFF futures where aliens rather than humans are in charge. 
• Brian Murphy explains what the sword and sorcery genre needs to experience a revival. 
• Jose Cruz talks about horror as comfort reading.
  
• Linda H. Codega talks about time loop romances.
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories about raising the children of the future. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF books about automated art.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five speculative visions of the future America. 
• Marta Mboka Tveit talks about the rise of African speculative fiction and makeshift modernity.
  
• Molly Silk discusses how China uses mythology and science fiction to sell its space program to the world. 
  
• Jennifer Karr talks about reading Harry Potter with her nephew. 
• Liz Bourke shares her appreciation for the works of Jo Spurrier.
  
• Andrew Darlington revisits the shortlived British SFF magazine Impulse. 
• Diane Callahan shares her love for speculative poetry.
  
• Matthew Ilseman shares his appreciation for the works of Belgian weird fiction writer Jean Ray. 
• Ty Johnston reminds us that Robert E. Howard wrote more than fantasy and more than just Conan. 
• Bill Ward discusses Jack Vance's influence of Dungeons and Dragons.
  
• M.A. Sieghart wonders why so many men are reluctant to read books by women.
  

 

Comics and Art: 

• James Bacon reviews Ta-Nehisi Coates' run on Captain America.
  
• Terhali's Particular Satisfaction revisits the 1979 graphic novel The Swords of Heaven, the Flowers of Hell by Michael Moorcock and Howard Chaykin. 
• Hypnogoria discusses the British sword and sorcery comic Black Beth.
  
• G.W. Thomas offers an overview of severed hands in horror comics. 
• Jake Jackson shares his appreciation for the SFF art of Virgil Finlay. 
• Florian Hardwig takes a look at Philip K. Dick covers from the 1970s, including their use of typography.
  
• Ryan Parker reports that actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman, complained about a supposedly anti-American Captain America comic which he hasn't even read.
• SFF artist Paul Alexander has died aged 83.
• Brazilian comic artist Robson Rocha, who worked on Aquaman and Green Lantern among many others, has died.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Leslie Felperin calls Werewolves Within a witty horror whodunnit. 
• Cheryl Eddy calls Wellington Paranormal a demonically good time.
  
• Phuong Le calls Plurality a simple-minded multiple identity science fiction thriller from Taiwan.
• Jason Shawhan calls The Vigil a creepy and resonant Jewish horror film. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Deerskin a deadpan French horror comedy.
  
• Cheryl Eddy calls Vicious Fun an energetic horror film. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Titane a freaky body horror film.
  
• Jesse Hassenger calls Tournament of Champions an Escape Room sequel that doesn't amount to much. 
• Cath Clarke calls The Coods: A New Age a hectic animated stone age adventure for children. 
  
• Juan Barquin shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Lisey's Story. 
• Emily Carney and Dwayne A. Day discuss season 2 of For All Mankind. 
• Joel Zakem shares his thoughts on the documentary Walter Tevis: A Writer's Gambit.
  
• Ross Johnson shares the 24 best comic book movies that aren't based on Marvel or DC Comics. 
• Jake Jackson shares his ten favourite historical fantasy movies. 
• Beth Elderkin lists fifteen SFF movies you had no idea spawned multiple sequels. 
  
• Stuart Heritage wonders whether Marge and Homer Simpson should divorce. 
  
• Keith Roysdon shares the strangest US TV movie thrillers from the 1970s, many of them with supernatural elements.  
  
• Craig Pittman revisits Orson Wells' long-lost 1955 crime movie Mr. Arkadin.  
• Scott Tobias revisits the 1981 dystopian science fiction crime movie Escape From New York for its 40th anniversary. 
• Germain Lussier revisits the 1986 science fiction horror film Aliens for its 35th anniversary.
  
• Dan Persons revisits the 2001 science fiction film A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
  
• Cat Eldridge revisits the 2003 comic book adaptation League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
  
• Danny Trejo, star of El Mariachi, Machete and many others, remembers his time in prison. 
• Rob Bricken interviews Kevin Smith, director of Master of the Universe: Revelation. 
• The Spy Command remembers Richard Donner's television work. 
  
• Actor Chick Vennera, star of The Milagro Beanfield War as well as prolific voice actor, has died aged 74.
• Actor William Smith, who appeared in Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, Hawaii Five-0, Any Which Way You Can and many others, has died aged 88.

 

Comments on Loki and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general (spoilers):

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "For All Time. Always", the season 1 finale of Loki. 
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "For All Time. Always". 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "For All Time. Always." 
• Andy Welch shares his thoughts on "For All Time. Always." 
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on "For All Time. Always." 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "For All Time. Always." 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "For All Time. Always."
  
• Beth Elderkin shares her thoughts on the post-credits sequence of "For All Time. Always."
• Kaila Hale-Stern declares that Loki finally gave the Marvel Cinematic Universe a worthy villain. 
  
• Sam Barsanti wonders about the future of Loki. 
• Kaila Hale-Stern interviews Christine Weda, costume designer of Loki.
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw wonders why the lighting in Loki and other Marvel movies and TV shows is so murky. 
  
• Stephen Robinson explains how Peter David's work for Marvel influenced many Marvel films and TV shows, including Loki. 
  
• William Hughes reports that Chris Hemsworth recorded new dialog for the cameo of Frog Thor in Loki. 
• Ben Travis interviews Taika Waititi, director of Thor: Ragnarok and Love and Thunder. 
• Katey Rich explains how WandaVision went from underdog to Emmy favourite. 
  
• Katie Rife, A.A. Dowd and Alex McLevy discuss the highs, the lows and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  
• Tatiana Tenreyro reports that Lea Thompson who starred in the original Howard the Duck movie is lobbying to be allowed to direct a reboot. 
• Jake Kanter reports that Loki has been renewed for season 2. 
• Watch a video of Deadpool and Karg reacting to the trailer for Free Guy.
  

 

Comments on Black Widow: 

• Ben Child calls Black Widow a gender-swapped James Bond movie. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that Black Widow outdoes every (male) Avenger and somehow makes it look easy.
  
• Katie Rife, A.A. Dowd and Alex McLevy discuss how Black Widow both adhere to and breaks away from the Marvel formula. 
• Katie Rife declares that the best parts of  Black Widow are all about family. 
• Abigail Nussbaum shares her thoughts on Black Widow. 
• Chelsea Steiner declares that the women of Black Widow have an accountability problem.
  
• Margaret Dunlap explains how she experienced the long wait for Black Widow to finally hit our screens.
• Alex McLevy talks about the post-credits scene of Black Widow.
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw also discusses the post-credits scene of Black Widow.
• Germain Lussier talks about the character of Taskmaster in Black Widow. 
• Charles Pulliam-Moore discusses the sexy battle poses in Black Widow.
  
• Kate Aurthur interviews Scarlett Johanssen and Florence Pugh, stars of Black Widow. 
• Michael Cavna interviews Cate Shortland and David Harbour, director and one of the stars of Black Widow.
  
• Ryan Parker reports that actor Stephen Dorff, who appeared in Blade II, declared his dislike for superhero movies in general and Black Widow in particular. 
• Sam Barsanti reports that Black Widow made sixty million US-dollar on Disney Plus alone. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that Black Widow is a success both in cinemas and on streaming.
  

 

Comments on Gunpowder Milkshake: 

• Caroline Siede calls Gunpowder Milkshake a better Jackie Chan than John Wick homage. 
• Richard Whittaker calls Gunpowder Milkshake a stylish but forgettable action thriller. 
• Marah Eakin interviews Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino, three of the stars of Gunpowder Milkshake.
  

 

Comments on the various DC Comics based movies and TV Shows:

• Andrew Tejada shares his thoughts on the latest episodes of the various DC Comics based TV shows.
  
• Allison Shoemaker shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Legends of Tomorrow. 
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Superman and Lois. 
• Scott von Doviak shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Flash.
  
• Charles Pulliam-Moore interviews Peter Safran, producer of The Suicide Squad. 
• Charles Pulliam-Moore interviews David Dastmalchian, who plays Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad. 
  
• Chris Gardner interviews Patty Jenkins, director of the Wonder Woman movies and the upcoming Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Titans.
  

Comments on The Bad Batch and Star Wars in general:

• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on "Devil's Deal", the latest episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on "Devil's Deal".
  
• Tom Breihan revisits The Force Awakens. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Vanessa Marshall who voices Hera Syndulla in the various Star Wars animated series.
• Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross share an oral history of the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.
  

 

Comments on the many iterations of Star Trek: 

• James Whitbrook offers a brief history of time travel in Star Trek.
• Germain Lussier interviews Sonequa Martin-Green who plays Michael Burnham in Star Trek Discovery.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Fury" and "Life Line".
  
• Andrew Liptak reports that Matt Shakman, director of WandaVision, will direct the next Star Trek movie.
  
• Take a quiz about the colours of Star Trek.
  

 

Comments on Space Jam: A New Legacy: 

• Charles Bramesco calls Space Jam: A New Legacy a garish and soulless sequel.
• A.A. Dowd calls Space Jam: A New Legacy a witless Warner Bros commercial. 
• Germain Lussier calls Space Jam: A New Legacy a huge airball without any heart or excitement,
  
• Derek Lawrence interviews Zendaya who voices Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
  

Awards: 

• The winners of the 2021 Prometheus Award have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2021 Manly Wade Wellman Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2021 Imadjinn Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2020 Ladies of Horror Fiction Award have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2021 Deutscher Science Fiction Preis have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2021 DeepSouthCon Awards have been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2021 Emmy Awards have been announced with quite a bit of love for SFF TV. 
• Kelsey Sutton explains that streaming services have taken over TV awards.
  
• The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation has established the Ray Harryhausen Awards. 
• The shortlist for the 2021 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming has been announced.
• The 2021 inductees into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame have been announced.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Kellie Doherty shares some advice for creating fantasy villains. 
• Maxim Jakubowski explains why he writes both crime fiction and SFF.
  
• Rhiannon Lucy Coslett chronicles the renewed debate about the short story "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian.
  

Interviews:

• Gary Oswald interviews Alex Acks.
  
• Mary Anne Mohanraj interviews Farah Mendlesohn.
• The Guardian interviews Monique Roffey.
• Locus interviews Christopher Brown. 
• Locus interviews Lucinda Roy.
  
• Paul Weimer interviews Nancy Jane Moore.
  
• Alec Nevala-Lee interviews Barry N. Malzberg. 
• Kathryn Bromwich interviews R.L. Stine. 
• Otherworlds NI interviews Angeline B. Adams. 
• A.C. Wise interviews Josh Rountree.
  
• Veronica Henry interviews Lulu Kadhim.
  
• D.M. Domosea interviews Angela Super. 
  
• Cat Luria interviews Nicole M. Wolverton.
  

Reviews:

• Linda H. Codega reviews A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. 
• Jana Nyman reviews A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. 
• Jo Ladzinski reviews A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.
  
• Mark Yon reviews Space Station Down by Ben Bova and Doug Beason. 
• Rafe McGregory reviews Midnight, Water City by Chris McKinney.
• Beth Kanell reviews Midnight, Water City by Chris McKinney.
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry. 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry. 
• A.B. Endecott reviews The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry.
  
• Shawna Bethell reviews The End of the Day by Claire North. 
• Gary K. Wolfe and Adrienne Martini review The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Dark Lullaby by Polly Ho-Yen. 
• LaShawn M. Wanak reviews For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten.
  
• Tadiana Jones reviews Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo.
  
• Fiona Murphy reviews Widowland by C.J. Carey. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette. 
• Sean Dowie reviews Inside Man by K.J. Parker.
  
• Liz Bourke reviews The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Stone and Steel by Eboni Dunbar.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Broken Darkness by Premee Mohamed. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Heartbreak Incorporated by Alex de Campi.
  
• Rob Bedford reviews The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix. 
• Angie Barry reviews The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix.
  
• B.J. Swann reviews Lords of Dyscrasia by S.E. Lindberg.
• Kadish Morris reviews Long Division by Kiese Laymon.
  
• Ian Mond reviews Subdivision by J. Robert Lennon. 
• Leah Schnelbach reviews Appleseed by Matt Bell. 
  
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Broken Fevers by Tenea D. Johnson. 
• Jo Ladzinski reviews The Burning Day and Other Strange Stories by Charles Payseur.
  
• Sandra J. Lindow reviews Cosmic Songs for Human Ears by Greg Beatty. 
• Publishers Weekly reviews The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean. 
• Dana Gitig reviews The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean. 
  

 
Classics reviews:

• M. Porcius revisits the October 1931 issue of Weird Tales.
• James Maliszweski revisits the 1937 horror story "Fane of the Black Pharaoh" by Robert Bloch. 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1963 science fiction novel Judgment on Janus by Andre Norton.
  
• The Appendix N Book Club revisits the 1965 science fantasy novel Three Against Witch World by Andre Norton.
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1965 gothic romance Fog Island by Marilyn Ross a.k.a. William Edward Daniel Ross.
• Janice Marcus revisits the 1966 science fiction detective novel Sybil Sue Blue by Rosel George Brown.
• Gideon Marcus revisits the 1966 science fiction novel October the First is Too Late by Fred Hoyle and John Boston revisits the 1966 science fiction novel The Judgment of Eve by Edgar Pangborn.
  
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the August 1966 issue of Worlds of Tomorrow.
  
• Fletcher Vredenburgh revisits the 1966 Dying Earth collection The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1968 science fiction anthology Orbit 3, edited by Damon Knight.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1968 Interplanetary Relations Bureau novel The Still, Small Sound of Trumpets by Lloyd Biggle Jr.
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1972 science fiction anthology This Side of Infinity, edited by Terry Carr.
• Shelley Parker-Chan revisits the 1979 fantasy novel Sorcerer's Son by Phyllis Eisenstein.
  

Con and event reports:

• Locus reports about the virtual 2021 StokerCon.
  
• The program for the virtual 2021 San Diego Comic Con is now online. 
• Mike Glyer reports about BasedCon, a planned right-leaning SFF convention in Norton Shores, Michigan.
  
• LibertyCon in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will also be the location of the 2023 Deep South Con.
  
• Erin Underwood talks about the way some men behave at conventions.
  
• Deuce Richardson shares some photos of the 2007 Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas. 
• Anna Russell reports about the Alice in Wonderland exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK. 
• Simon Abrams reports about the TromaDance event at the Mahoning Drive-In in Lehighton, Pennsylvannia. 
  
• Raechal Shewfelt reports about the revamp of the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Issue 4: Swords and Shadows of Sexy Fantastic Magazine is looking for funding.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Aylin Woodward and Morgan McFall-Johnson report that NASA will attempt a risky repair of the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Sarah Betancourt reports that Richard Branson has successfully completed a test flight of Virgin Galactic's Unity space plane.
• The New York Times shares some highlights from the Virgin Galactic flight.
  

Free online fiction:

• "Innocent Bird" by Rachel Swirsky in Lightspeed.
  
• "To Jump Is to Fall" by Stephen Graham-Jones in Lightspeed. 
  
• "He Leaps for the Stars, He Leaps for the Stars" by Grace Chan in Clarkesworld. 
• "When the Sheaves Are Gathered" by Nick Wolven in Clarkesworld. 
  
• "To Rise, Blown Open" by Jen Brown in Anathema.
• "The Lingering Weight of Estrian Steel" by Rajan Khanna in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "A Land of Saints and Monsters" by Isabel Canas in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "Eilam Is Forever" by Beth Dawkins in Apex Magazine. 
  
• "The Wandering Fae" by Alex Grehy in Luna Station Quarterly. 
• "Forest Thing" by Endria Isa Richardson in Fireside Fiction.
  
• "Eating Bitterness" by Hannah Yang in The Dark.
• "Sometimes Boys Don't Know" by Donyae Coles in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "A Softness of the Heart" by Lulu Kdhim in Fantasy Magazine. 
• "Black Leg" by Glen Hirshberg in Tor.com. 
  
• "Cavesong" by Jennifer R. Povey in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Selling One's Self on a Multi-Dimensional Marketing Scheme" by Steven Berger in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Three Truths and Three Lies About Jack" by Andrea Eberly in Daily Science Fiction.
• "A Message from the CattimothyTech Dept." by Camestros Felapton.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of The Witcher.
• Watch a trailer for The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
• Watch a trailer for Fear Street Part 3: 1666.
  
• Watch a trailer for Rubicon.
• Watch a trailer for Spriggan.
• Watch a trailer for Memoria.
• Watch a trailer for The Colony. 
• Watch a trailer for Turning Red.