Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for December 30, 2022

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best SFF books, films and TV-shows of 2022, the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, the new Willow, the series finale of His Dark Materials, The Witcher: Blood Origins, Kindred, the chaotic future of the DC Cinematic Universe, Avatar: The Way of Water and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Alex Brown shares ten great SFF novellas and novelettes to enjoy.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five recently completely SFF series to enjoy.
• Cole Rush shares five SFF stories about found family. 
• Cole Rush shares five fantasy cafés he'd love to visit. 
• Ryka Aoki pairs SFF books and ramen noodle flavours.
  
• Matthew Ilseman takes a look at fantasy fiction set at the end of time. 
• Deirdre C. Byrne and Gerhard Hope share an overview of South African SFF. 
• Lyndsie Mancuso talks about awards eligibility lists.
  
• Jo Walton talks about comfort reads and the search for books in which nothing bad happens. 
• Molly Templeton discusses how she decides what to read next. 
  
• Michael Curtis takes a look at the horror fiction of Fritz Leiber.
  
• Terry Olson profiles Michael Moorcock. 
• Terry Olson takes a look at the Sexton Blake villain Monsieur Zenith the Albino and traces his connection to Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. 
• Michael R. Brown takes a look at Robert E. Howard's occult detective Steve Harrison. 
• Bobby Derie discusses The Day of the Stranger, a 1947 radio drama Novalyne Price Ellis wrote about her relationship with Robert E. Howard.
  
• Jim Wampler profiles Sterling E. Lanier. 
• Bobby Derie takes a look at the similarities and differences between the bigotry of H.P. Lovecraft and J.K. Rowling. 
• Allison Kubo Hutchison discusses the geology of Robert Jordan's and Brandon Sanderson's Wheel of Time.
  
• Thomas W. Hazlett remembers Martin Morse Wooster.
  

 

Best Books of 2022:

• SSFWorld share their favourite science fiction books of 2022.
  
• SFFWorld share their favourite fantasy and horror books of 2022.
• Andrew Mather shares his favourite SFF novellas of 2022.
  
• Publishers Weekly share their favourite graphic novels of 2022.
• io9 share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror TV shows of 2022.
  
• io9 share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror TV shows of 2022.
  
• io9 share their favourite animated movies and TV shows of 2022.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• C.T. Phipps reviews the comic Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1 by Nancy Collins and Enid Balam.
• John Coulthart revisits Leo and Diane Dillon's album cover art.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Lucy Mangan calls Christmas Carole an instant festive classic and praises the performance of Suranne Jones. 
• Rebecca Nicholson calls the Ghosts Christmas Special genuinely moving.
  
• Lucy Mangan finds A Ghost Story for Christmas: Count Magnus not particularly thrilling. 
• Hollie Richardson declares that the superhero sitcom Extraordinary will put a smile on viewers' faces.
  
• Arturo Serrano declares that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish makes existential dread funny. 
• Marion Deeds shares her thoughts on The Peripheral.
  
• Matthew Huff discusses how Hollywood movies tackled intergenerational trauma in 2022.
  
• Bridget McGovern shares eleven oddball holiday specials to enjoy.
• Lorna Wallace shares six SFF movies so bad they're good. 
• Michael Ledwige revisits the 1946 Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life and finds unexpected noir elements.  
• Galactic Journey revisit the 1967 Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold".
  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1977 holiday special Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1980 Christmas horror film To All a Goodnight. 
• Paul Levinson revisits the 2017 time travel movie 2:22. 
• Maggie Lovitt interviews Diego Luna who plays Cassian Andor in Andor.
  
• Hollie Richardson interviews Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rheanyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
  
• Justin Carter interviews Mairighread Scott and John Epler, showrunner and producer of Dragon Age: Absolution.
• Coco Khan interviews Christina Ricci, star of Wednesday, the Addams Family movies of the 1990s and Yellowjackets.
  
• Xan Brooks interviews Adam Scott, star of Severance.
  
• Jude Rogers interviews Mark Jenkin, director of the folk horror film Enys Man.
  
• Ben Child wonders whether James Cameron can revive the Terminator saga. 
• Drew Taylor celebrates the twentieth anniversary of Sony Pictures Animation.
  
• Brooks Barnes reports that Steamboat Willie, the first ever Mickey Mouse cartoon, will enter the public domain in 2024. 
• Italian horror film director Ruggero Deodato has died aged 83.
  
• Actor Stephen Greif, who appeared in Blake's 7, Doctor Who and Tales of the Unexpected among others, has died aged 78.
  
• British screenwriter and script editor Chris Boucher, who worked on Doctor Who and Blake's 7 among others, has died aged 79. 
  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:  

• Reggie Ugwu interviews Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, director and screenwriter of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
• The AV-Club interviews Gugu Mbatha-Raw who plays Ravonna Renslayer in Loki. 
• Jack King interviews Charlie Cox, star of Treason and Daredevil.
  

 

Comments on the new Willow: 

• Cindy White shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Willow.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Willow. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Jon Kasdan, showrunner of Willow.
  

 

Comments on His Dark Materials: 

• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the series finale of His Dark Materials.
• Rob Bricken shares his thoughts on the series finale of His Dark Materials.
  

 

Comments on The Witcher and its spin-offs: 

• Jack Seale finds The Witcher: Blood Origin a lot of fun.
• Angie Han calls The Witcher; Blood Origin a ho-hum prequel.
  

 

Comments on Kindred:

• Linda Codega calls Kindred a bit drawn out, but praises the performance of Mallori Johnson and looks forward to season 2.
  
• Avery Kleinman and Anna Casey interview Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who adapted Octavia Butler's novel Kindred for television.
• io9 interviews Mallori Johnson who plays Dana in Kindred.
  

 

Comments on the various DC Comics based movies and TV-shows and the chaos at Warner Bros in general: 

• Aaron Couch and Borys Kit share some background for Henry Cavill being outtsted as Superman.
• Ryan Gajewski reports that Zachary Levi, who plays Billy Batson a.k.a. Shazam in the DC Cinematic Universe, has asked fans to give DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran a break.
  

 

Comments on Avatar: The Way of Water: 

• Stefan Dimitroff reports that some indigenous groups are boycotting Avatar: The Way of Water. 
• William Mullally interviews James Cameron, director of Avatar: The Way of Water.
  
• Tracey Harrington McCoy reports that actress Edie Falco shot her part in Avatar: The Way of Water four years ago and actually assumed that the movie had already come out and flopped.
  
• Pamela McClintock reports that Avatar: The Way of Water continues to do well at the box office over the Christmas weekend.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 1967 Galactic Stars have been announced.
• The 2022 Grand Masters of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association have been announced.

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Ada Palmer declares that the "plotter vs. pantser" writing divide has been exaggerated.
  
• Robert Repino shares storytelling lessons from Mr. Rogers.
• Kelly McClymer explains how to bring your indie book to the attention of librarians. 
• Cat Rambo shares a social media strategy for writers. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about advertising in 2022.
  
• Victoria Strauss reports about a new scam targeting authors.
  
• The SFWA reports that they have reached the milestone of 2500 members.
  

Interviews:

• The Guardian interviews Philip Pullman. 
• Media Death Cult interviews Mike Carey.
  
• Media Death Cult interviews Ken MacLeod. 
• Paul Weimer interviews Tim Akers.
  
• Paul Weimer interviews Rem Wigmore.
• John Mauro interviews Kian N. Ardalan. 
• D.M. Ritzlin interviews H.R. Laurence.
  
• D.M. Ritzlin interviews John Lawrence Rak Jr.
  

Reviews:

• Lis Carey reviews The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard.
  
• J.Z. Weston reviews A Starbound Solstice by Juliet Kemp.
  
• Ian Mond reviews Titan by Mado Nozaki, translated by Evan Ward. 
• Lis Carey reviews Juniper Wiles and the Ghost Girls by Charles de Lint. 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Blood Moon by Catherine Lundoff.
  
• Chris Kluwe reviews The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. 
• Caren Gussoff Sumption reviews A Restless Truth by Freya Marske.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews This Charming Man by C.K. McDonell. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste.
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Pulling the Wings Off Angels by K.J. Parker. 
• Shellie Horst reviews The Dragonfly Delivery Company by Keith W. Dickinson
  
• Carrie Chi Lough reviews The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia. 
• John Mauro reviews The Burning God by R.F. Kuang. 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull. 
• James Vella-Bardon reviews Essex Dogs by Dan Jones.
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Desert Creatures by Kay Chronister. 
• Caren Gussoff Sumption reviews Glorious Fiends by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Book of the Baku by R.L. Boyle. 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish. 
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka 
• Skye Walker reviews Some Faraway Place by Lauren Shippen.
  
• John Mauro reviews Bone Shroud by Andrew D. Meredith.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Pallbearers' Club by Paul Tremblay. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Whitstable by Stephen Volk.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw. 
• Paperback Warrior reviews The Yuletide Butcher by Mike Duke. 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Illuminations: Stories by Alan Moore. 
• Chris Mautner reviews See You at San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture by Mathew Klickstein.
  

Classics reviews:

• John Mauro revisits the 1872 vampire novel Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1933 Conan sword and sorcery story "Black Colossus" by Robert E. Howard.
  
• James Maliszewski revisits the 1939 sword and sorcery story "Adventure in Lemuria" by Frederick Arnold Kummer Jr. 
• Steve Carper revisits the 1943 science fiction thriller The Last Secret by Dana Chambers.
  
• MarzAat revisits the 1946 sword and planet adventure "Lorelei of the Red Mist" by Leigh Brackett and Ray Bradbury.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1952 science fiction story "The Moon Is Green" by Fritz Leiber.
• M. Porcius revisits the 1957 fantasy novel Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. 
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1961 science fiction collection So Close to Home by James Blish.
  
• M. Porcius revisits the 1966 science fiction mystery Galactic Sybil Sue Blue by Rosel George Brown. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1968 science fiction novel Catch a Falling Star by John Brunner.
  
• Meg Elison revisits the 1987 horror novel Misery by Stephen King. 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1992 media tie-in Quantum Leap: The Novel by Ashley McConnell.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Gail Jamieson shares a history of the Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa Club.
  
• Locus reports about the exhibtion “Voyage to the Edge of Imagination” at the Science Museum in London, UK. 
• Shawn Ghassemitari reports about the exhibition "H.R. Giger X Sorayama: Approaching" in Beijing, China.
• Arifa Akbar calls The Fir Tree by Hannah Khalil, which is currently playing at the Globe Theatre in London, UK, a must-see festive fairy tale.
• Arifa Akbar calls Andrew Pollard's adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, which is currently playing in Watford, UK, a lacklustre retelling.
  
• Tim Jonze and his children shares their thoughts on Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show, which is currently playing in London, UK.
  
• Sabina Graves shares the latest news from the Disney Parks and Universal Studios Resorts.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Con runner Lisa Garrison and her family have lost everything in a fire and need some help.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Kenneth Chang reports that NASA's InSight Mars lander has lost power after four years of operation. 
• Dennis Overbye reports that the James Webb Space Telescope is only just getting started.
  
• Michael Powell reports how the debate about the naming of the James Webb Space Telescope was marred by homophobia accusations.
  
• Catherynne M. Valente talks about the implosion of Twitter and how it mirrors what happened to other online communities over the years.
  

Free online fiction: 

• "The Beginning" by Katrina Carrith in Luna Station Quarterly. 
• "The Spread of Space and Endless Devastation" by Stewart C. Baker in Lightspeed.
• "Mad Honey" by Aimee Ogden in Lightspeed.
  
• "The Lightness" by Alex Sobel in Clarkesworld. 
• "To Exorcise Mechanical Ghosts" by Laney Gaughan in Clarkesworld. 
• "Still Breathing" by Chris DiLeo in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "Into the Dark" by Jennifer R. Donohue in Fantasy Magazine. 
• "Balkan Cosmology" by Bruce Sterling in Medium.
  
• "Harvest of Bones" by Eugenia Triantafyllou in The Deadlands.
  
• "Amadi on the Concrete" by Jarred J. Thompson in Omenana.
  
• "Earth Dragon, Turning" by Anya Ow in Uncanny Magazine.
  
• "A Fall Counts Anywhere" by Catherynne M. Valente in Uncanny Magazine.
  
• "The Cat" by Morana Violeta, translated by Clara Madrigano, in The Dark.
• "Dragon Rising" by S.E. Gilbey in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "The Hole in the Storm" by Carol Scheina in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "A Wish" by Edoardo Albert in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "After the War" by Karl El-Koura in Daily Science Fiction.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for the Doctor Who Sixtieth Anniversary Special.
• Watch a trailer for season 7 of Outlander. 
• Watch a trailer for Knock at the Cabin.
  

 

Odds and ends:

• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon of the Three Wise Men going gift shopping.
• Take the Guardian's 2022 Book Quiz.