Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for July 1, 2022

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the many other iterations of Star Trek, Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love and Thunder and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars in general, season 3 of The Umbrella Academy, season 4 of Westworld and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Molly Odintz shares twenty-three horror novels to read this summer. 
• Camestros Felapton compiles the twenty most looked up science fiction short stories on Wikipedia.
  
• Eddie Robson talks about science fiction, noir and the gothic.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares scientifically plausible science fiction settings that provide an alternative to faster-than-light travel. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five stories about sending kids into space.
  
• Camestros Felapton discusses the popularity of bounty hunters in science fiction. 
• Charles Payseur wonders where the core of the genre with regard to short fiction lies. 
• Barbara Graham wonders what makes a mystery paranormal. 
• Daryl Wood Gerber shares six paranormal cozy mysteries to enjoy.
  
• Margaret Atwood weighs in on the repeal of the "Roe vs. Wade" decision decriminalising abortion in the US and draws comparisons to her 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale. 
• Annalee Newitz weighs in on the repeal of "Roe vs. Wade". 
• Samantha Allan explains why she wrote a lesbian Sasquatch novel.
  
• Cornelius Fortune explores Gertrude Stein's interest in pulp fiction, particularly detective and crime fiction. 
• The Roanoke Times profiles Murray Leinster.
  
• Open Culture shares a 1949 correspondence between Aldous Huxley and George Orwell.
  
• Michael Curtis revisits the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series of the early 1970s. 
• Nancy Kathryn Walecki talks about the history of science fiction fanzines. 
• Martin Edwards talks about the history of indexes to fiction magazines and his work on them.
  
• Vanessa Zoltan discusses how the mainstream popularity of the Bridgerton series has caused toxic fans to invade romance fandom.
  

Comics and Art:

• Blue Book Balloon reviews the graphic novel Gun Honey by Charles Ardai, Ang Hor Kheng and Asifur Rahman
• Alan Stewart revisits the August 1972 issue of Vampirella.
  
• Bill Ward revisits Frank Frazetta's covers for the Lancer Conan reprints of the late 1960s. 
• Bill Ward revisits the striking cover art of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series of the 1970s. 
• Bill Ward shares his appreciation for the cover art of the late Ken Kelly.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Stuart Heritage reports how The Boys managed to turn off its rightwing fanbase which failed to realise that the show was a satire. 
• Stuart Heritage wonders whether Stranger Things even counts as TV anymore, considers that every episode of season 4 has been movie length.
  
• William Hughes calls Moonhaven a science fiction buddy cop series with heady ideas and arresting visuals.
  
• Mark Lawson declares that the dystopian TV series The Undeclared War shows the perils and pitfaalls of near future science fiction. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Orville. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Man Who Fell To Earth. 
• David Cote shares his thoughts on the latest episode of For All Mankind.
  
• Leonard Maltin really enjoyed the animated film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.
  
• Phuong Le calls Pompo: The Cinephile a cliched anime film about the love for movies. 
• Leigh Monson calls The Sea Beast a thought-provoking and fun animated adventure.
  
• Todd Gilchrist calls Minions: The Rise of Gru an animated sequel, that is amusing but of little importance. 
• Rob Bricken wonders whether Superman and Lois takes place in the same universe as the other DC Comics superhero TV shows.
  
• Margaret David ranks dystopian science fiction films based on how horrible the futures they depict would be to live in.
  
• Guy Lodge shares his favourite films about modern day vampires. 
• Stephen Johnson shares seventeen of the most disturbing movies ever made. 
• Charles Solomon notes that anime has very well developed heroines.
  
• Larry Fried explains why some science fiction movies are banned in certain countries.
  
• Lorelei Marcus revisits the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice. 
• Ryan Britt revisits the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner for its fortieth anniversary and compares it to Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep?
• Robert Repino revisits the 1982 science fiction horror film The Thing for its fortieth anniversary. 
  
• Germain Lussier revisits the 1987 science fiction parody Spaceballs for its thirty-fifth anniversary. 
• Leah Schnelbach revisits the 2007 animated fantasy film Ratatouille. 
  
• Tara Yarlagadda revisits the 2008 animated dystopian film Wall-E.
  
• Katherine Bromwich interviews Emilia Clarke who played Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. 
• Rich Pelley interviews Denise Richards, star of The World Is Not Enough, Tammy and the T-Rex and Starship Troopers.
  
• Phil Hoad interviews Caleb Landry Jones, star of No Country For Old Men, Get Out! and Nitram. 
  
• Catherine Shoard reports that according to producer Barbara Broccoli, the next James Bond film will be a complete reinvention.
  
• Jake Coyle reports that John Williams, who has just turned 90, will step away from film scores, but not from music.
• Japanese film composer Michiaki Watanabe, who worked on many superhero films, has died aged 96. 
• Special effects miniature and model maker Greg Jein has died aged 76.
   

Comments on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the many other iterations of Star Trek: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "The Elysian Kingdom", the latest episode of Star Trek Strange New Worlds.
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "The Elysian Kingdom". 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "The Elysian Kingdom".
  
• Ben Child revisits the 1982 movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and finds it still the best of all Star Trek movies. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Enterprise episode "Dead Stop".
  
• Joel McKinnon and Paul Levinson discuss the legacy of Star Trek.
  

 

Comments on Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love and Thunder and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general (spoilers): 

• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on Ms. Marvel. 
• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on "Seeing Red", the latest episode of Ms. Marvel. 
• Sarah Shaffi shares her thoughts on "Seeing Red". 
• Swara Salih shares her thoughts on "Seeing Red".
  
• Tariq Raouf takes a look at the changes Ms. Marvel made between the comics and the TV series.
  
• Sabina Graves shares some early reactions to Thor: Love and Thunder.
• Sasha Urban and Mark Malkin interview Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder.
• Germain Lussier interviews Chris Hemsworth. 
• Mickey Rapkin interviews Chris Pratt, star of Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Terminal List and many others. 
• Stuart Heritage reports how a clip from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featuring an overacting extra has gone viral. 
• Rob Bricken reports that Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda Maximoff, still hasn't seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, because Marvel only gave her a watermarked copy.
  

 

Comments on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars in general: 

• Joshua Rivera declares that Obi-Wan Kenobi was as broken as its hero.
• Linda Codega declares that Obi-Wan Kenobi focussed more on character development than on conflict. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on part 5 of Obi-Wan Kenobi. 
• Nathan Johnson interviews Stuart Beattie, writer of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  
• Nathan Johnson reports that Obi-Wan Kenobi was originally conceived as a trilogy of films and that the TV series only covered part I.
  
• Justin Carter wonders where the Star Wars TV series should go from here. 
• James Whitbrook wonders why so few characters truly stay dead in the Star Wars universe and what the characters that cheated death have in common.
  
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw takes a look at the advantages and disadvantages of "The Volume", the new green screen replacement technology developed by Industrial Light and Magic, which was extensively used in the Star Wars TV shows.
  

Comments on season 3 of The Unbrella Academy: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on season 3 of The Umbrella Academy. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares nine things she loved and three things she didn't about season 3 of The Umbrella Academy.
  

 

Comments on season 4 of Westworld: 

• Joel Golby traces how Westworld went from the most glorious show on TV to the greatest mess. 
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the season 4 premiere of Westworld. 
• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the season 4 premiere of Westworld. 
• Rob Bricken shares his thoughts on the seaon 4 premiere of Westworld. 
• Jack Seale calls season 4 of Westworld nothing but a humdrum dramedy about sad singletons, some of whom happen to be androids.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2022 Locus Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2021 Analog AnLab Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2022 Rhysling Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2022 Elgin Awards have been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2022 Dwarf Star Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2022 Ray Harryhausen Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2022 Bill Finger Awards have been announced. 
  
• The finalists for the 2022 Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award have been announced.
• Michaele Jordan shares her thoughts on the 2022 Hugo finalists for Best Novel. 
  
• Olav Rokne shares a proposal for a Hugo voting threshold reform.
• Steve Davidson shares his thoughts on the state of the Hugos.
  
• Rich Horton takes a look at the possible Hugo finalists for 1953.
  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Katrina Schroeder explains that characters need to change over the course of a story or novel.
• William Miller shares the first commandment of good sentences.
  
• Lucy Clarke talks about finding your novel's perfect rhythm.
  
• Ann Langley offers writing tips based on a drawing of Tarot cards. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about the different types of money woes facing writers.
  
• Lincoln Michel explains why it takes so long to publish a book. 
• Locus reports that the publisher Macmillan has experienced a security incident. 
• The SFWA is now the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association
  
• The SFWA has changed its guidelines for membership applications.
  
• Sally Weale reports about reactions to the announcement of Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, UK, to suspend their English literature degree, because it supposedly offers no value.
• Dave Eggers explains how his novel The Circle was banned in the Rapid City, South Dakota, school district after a Republican takeover of the school board. 
• Kelly Jensen reports that a Republican state delegate from Virginia is sueing the publishers Oni Press over publishing the graphic novel Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, which he considers obscene.
  
• Deanna Schwartz reports about Amazon's problematic e-book return policy.
  
• Paul Weimer shares a look inside the premises of the new Uncle Hugo's and Uncle Edgar's bookstores in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 
  

Interviews:

• The Speculative Literature Foundation interviews Walter Jon Williams.
  
• Michele Lerner interviews Brenda Clough. 
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Robert Jackson Bennett.
  
• Tin House interviews Kim Stanley Robinson. 
• The HWA interviews James Bennett.
  
• Scott Edelman interviews Gwendolyn Clare. 
• Oliver Brackenbury interviews Gideon Marcus.
  
• The HWA interviews Steve Berman. 
• The HWA interviews Cody Sisco. 
• The HWA interviews Damian Serbu. 
• The HWA interviews Crystal Romero.
  
• Jen Gheller interviews Amelia Brunskill.
• Cole Rush interviews Einar Baldvin.
• Paul Weimer interviews Kimberly Unger.
  
• Cora Buhlert interviews Erica Friedman. 
• The Cromcast interviews Rusty and Shelly Burke. 
  

Reviews:

• Paul Weimer reviews Up Against It by Laura J. Mixon.
• Alex Brown reviews Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse. 
• Mike Glyer reviews A Star Named Vega by Benjamin J. Roberts.
  
• L.A. Young reviews The Yasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. 
• Paul Weimer reviews Prison of Sleep by Tim Pratt.
• The Hugo Book Club Blog reviews A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark.
  
• J.C. Kang reviews Red Winter by Annette Marie. 
• Angela Gualtieri reviews Brother Red by Adrian Selby.
  
• Tobias Carroll reviews Spear by Nicola Griffith.
• Marion Deeds reviews Spear by Nicola Griffith.
  
• Liz Bourke reviews The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison. 
• Alex Brown reviews Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert.
  
• Elizabeth Fitzgerald reviews A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows. 
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Next Time I Die by Jason Starr. 
• Brian Greene reviews The Next Time I Die by Jason Starr. 
• Cannonball Read reviews The Next Time I Die by Jason Starr.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings.
  
• Bill Capossere reviews Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews All the Seas in the World by Guy Gavriel Kay.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews A Drowned Kingdom by P.L. Stuart.
• Paul Weimer reviews Babel by R.F. Kuang. 
• Alexis Ong reviews The City Inside by Samit Basu. 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Extractionist by Kimberly Unger.
  
• Ian Mond reviews The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Scandal in Brooklyn by Lauren Wilkinson. 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews The Fervor by Alma Katsu.
  
• Adam Troy Castro reviews It's Alive by Julian David Stone. 
• Grab This Book reviews The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor by Mark E. Drotos.
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Among Strangers by Robert Silverberg.
• Arley Sorg reviews Dreams for a Broken World, edited by Ellen Meeropol and Julie C. Day.
  

Classics reviews:

• Benjamin Thomas revisits the 1916 yellow peril novel The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1919 science fiction novel The Girl in the Golden Atom by Ray Cummings.
  
• James Maliszweski revisits the 1932 planetary romance "The Planet of the Dead" by Clark Ashton Smith.  
• James Reasoner revisits the July 1933 issue of Magic Carpet Magazine. 
• Mystery*File revisits the 1946 space opera novelette "Phalid's Fate" by Jack Vance.  
• Alan Brown revisits the 1950 science fiction fix-up novel I, Robot by Isaac Asimov.
  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1959 supernatural mystery collection City of Brass and Other Simon Ark Stories by Edward D. Hoch. 
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1965 science fiction story "The Survivor" by Walter F. Moudy.
  
• Mark Yon revisits the July 1967 issue of New Worlds. 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the July 1967 issue of Analog.
  
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1978 erotic science fiction novel Love Me Tomorrow by Robert H. Rimmer.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1979 time travel novel Pillars of Salt by Barbara Paul. 
• Richard Fisher revisits the 1979 science fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe by George Takei and Robert Asprin. 
• James Maliszewski revisits the March 1983 issue of White Dwarf. 
• Joe Kenney revisits American Overthrow, a 1989 novel in the Doomsday Warrior postapocalyptic men's adventure series by Ryder Stacy a.k.a. Ryder Syvertson. 
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1992 anthology The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Ninth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois. 
• Fletcher Vredenburgh revisits the 2012 sword and sorcery collection Young Thongor by Lin Carter.
  
• Joe Sherry revisits the 2013 October Daye urban fantasy novel Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• The Cromcast shares a recording of the Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet at the 2022 Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas.
• The Cromcast shares a recording of a panel at the 2022 Robert E. Howard Days to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the movie Conan the Barbarian. 
• The Cromcast shares a recording of the "What's up with Robert E. Howard?" panel at the 2022 Robert E. Howard Days.
  
• The Cromcast shares some interviews with attendees of the 2022 Robert E. Howard Days. 
  
• Sarah Avery shares her notes on two panels presented at the 2022 Balticon in Baltimore, Maryland. 
• Nathalie op de Beeck reports about Charlie Jane Anders' keynote address at the Children's Institute 10 event in Phoenix, Arizona. 
• Kevin Standlee reports that Salt Lake City, Utah, is bidding for the 2024 Westercon. 
• S.E. Lindberg announces that R.A. Salvatore will be the author guest of honour at the 2022 GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
• Andrew Liptak talks about early science fiction conventions and the origins of cosplay.
  
• Deuce Richardson reports about the H.R. Haggard Room exhibited at Chicon 7, the 2012 Worldcon in Chicago, Illinois. 
• Dave Jamieson reports that performers at a Medieval Times live event in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, are unionising to campaign for improved pay and safety standards.
  
• Sabina Graves shares the latest news and attractions from various theme parks in the US.
  

Science and technology:

• NASA reports that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted a rocket impact crater on the Moon. 
• Kaye Dee reports about the pioneering Our World global satellite broadcast in 1967.
  
• John Timmer details why the first ever transplant of a pig heart into a human body failed. 
• Amanda Skenadore explains what nineteenth century hospitals were like. 
  
• Stephen Marche wonders whether artificial intelligence has the potential to create transformative art.
  
• Ken Knowlton, pioneer of computer art and animation has died aged 91.
  

Free online fiction:

• "Scientists Confirm: There’s a Black Hole in the Center of Your Heart" by Jo Miles in Lightspeed.
• "The Turnip, or, How the Whole World Was Brought to Peace" by P.H. Lee in Lightspeed. 
• "Witchbreaker" by Leah Ning in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Into the Thunder" by Michelle Muenzler in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Mouse That Roared" by Geoffrey Hart in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Fruit of the Princess Tree" by Sage Tyrtle in Apex Magazine. 
• "As Though I Were a Little Sun" by Grace Chan in Fireside Magazine.
  
• "Crowd Demons" by Lisa Farrell in Luna Station Quarterly.
• "Potemora in the Triad" by Sara S. Messenger in Fantasy Magazine.
  
• "This, but Again" by David Iserson in Slate Future Tense.
• "Ad Nauseam" by Josh Warriner in Daily Science Fiction.
• "The Small Shop of Me" by Renan Bernardo in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Our Kingdom Come" by Rajiv Mote in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Future Tense" by Danny Marks in Daily Science Fiction.
• "No Worries" by Jason A. Bartles in Daily Science Fiction.
• "Warming" by Maria Zoccola in Nightmare Magazine.
• "Shadow Side" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Paper Girls.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Three Body Problem. 
• Watch a trailer for Hocus Pocus 2.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Solar Opposites.