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 of 2022, the uproar surrounding horror editor Thomas F. Monteleone, Star Trek in general, Star Wars in general, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general The Last of Us, Poker Face, Knock at the Cabin, the future of the DC Cinematic Universe, Pathaan and the state of Bollywood in general, tributes to Paco Rabanne and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Natalie Zutter shares nine fantastic SFF books coming out this February.
- Isabelle Popp shares twenty must-read cozy fantasy books.
- Judith Tarr points out that women are still writing space opera.
- Alex Brown shares ten great YA space operas.
- Emily Hughes points out that every space story is also a horror story.
- Alan Brown talks about the influence of nautical fiction on space opera and military science fiction.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five classic space operas featuring war and warmongers.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five 1980s science fiction novels where aliens have conquered the Earth.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction stories about space scouts and cosmic explorers.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction stories featuring teleportation and other timey-wimey shortcuts.
- Rachel Ayers shares five modern fairy tale mash-ups.
- Deborah A. Wolf explains why stories about being trapped with a monster in the house are so enduringly popular.
- Bryn Hammond shares her personal take on sword and sorcery.
- Adrian Cole shares his personal take on sword and sorcery.
- Jim Cornelius takes a look at the figure of the ranger in fantasy and reality.
- Richard Marpole has some suggestions for makign fantasy dwarves interesting.
- Jeff Goad profiles Philip José Farmer.
- The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy profiles Gene Wolfe
- Soumla Karlamangla tours the places of Octavia E. Butler's life.
- Sylas K. Barrett talks about free will in The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.
- Priya Sridhar says good-bye to J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter.
- Strange Horizons shares tributes to critic Maureen Kincaid Speller
Best of 2022:
The uproar surrounding Thomas F. Monteleone:
Comics and Art:
- Matt Davis shares comic highlights from January 2023.
- Matthew Jackson lists classic DC and Marvel superheroes who are surprisingly similar.
- Dad-at-Arms interviews Tim Seeley, writer of Hexwave, Masterverse, Masters of the Multiverse and many others.
- Sabina Graves interviews Disney artist Ashley Taylor.
- Natalie Zutter discusses the portrayal of parenting in Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples.
- Benjamin Marra shares his appreciation for the fantasy artwork of John Pound.
Film and TV:
- Max Gao calls My Dad the Bounty Hunter an animated science fiction joyride.
- Arturo Serrano declares that Extraordinary applies the mechanisms of the British class system to a superhero show.
- Paul Levinson calls the science fiction series The Ark well worth watching.
- Cheryl Eddy calls Attachment a bittersweet horror romance.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Huesera: The Bone Woman a terrifying and feminist pregnancy horror film from Mexico.
- Mike Hale shares his thoughts on the Chinese TV adaptation of The Three Body Problem.
- Saloni Gajjar reports about the backlash against Velma and the portrayal of South Asian teens on TV and in movies.
- Cath Clarke calls Epic Tails a not funny animated take on Greek mythology.
- Michael Hogan interviews various actors who played notable villains on TV about their experiences.
- Roseanna Greenstreet interviews Minnie Driver, star of Grosse Pointe Blank, The Deep, The Phantom of the Opera, The Witcher: Blood Origin and many others.
- The AV-Club interviews Meagan Good who plays the superhero form of Darla in Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods.
- Tim Lewis interviews Sarah Parish, who appeared in Doctor Who, Merlin, Broadchurch, Blackpool, Bancroft, Stay Close and many others.
- Dad-at-Arms interviews Jonathan Martin and Emily Anne Askby, director and star of the short film Teela and the Masters of the Universe.
- Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris trace the trope that "the black guy dies first" to the 1968 splatter movie Spider Baby.
- Tobias Carroll revisits the 1965 dystopian science fiction film Alphaville.
- Charles Bramesco revisits the 1983 horror film Videodrome for its fortieth anniversary.
- Emmet Asher-Perrin revisits the 1999 space opera TV show Farscape.
- Henry Hoke revisits the 2008 animated science fiction film Wall-E.
- Chris Heasman shares his fourteen favourite opening scenes of science fiction movies.
- Reviewers of The Guardian discuss their favourite and least favourite TV finales of all time.
- Ann Casano shares twelve surprisingly low tech special effects from science fiction and fantasy movies.
- Cheryl Eddy lists the best Valentine's Day movies for nerds and geeks.
- Alex Brown shares nostalgic SFF movies from the 1980s and 1990s for stressed-out Millennials to enjoy.
- Cindy White explains why physical media still matters in the streaming age.
- Stuart Heritage reports that film and TV kisses are increasingly done via CGI.
- Lacey Rose and Katie Kilkenny report that disgraced voice actor and animation creator Justin Roiland was always difficult to work with according to colleagues.
- The Guardian reports that Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been released from prison after a hunger strike.
- Nicholas Yong reports that an episode of The Simpsons about forced labour camps in China has fallen afould of censorship in Hongkong.
- Sian Cain reports that Disney is firing 7000 employees.
- Actress Melinda Dillon, star of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Harry and the Hendersons, Absence of Malice, Sioux City and many others, has died aged 83.
- Celebrated designer of space style fashion and costume designer for Barbarella Paco Rabanne has died aged 88.
- Pejman Faratin shares some of Paco Rabanne's most iconic looks.
- Composer Burt Bacharach has died aged 94.
- Martin Edwards remembers Burt Bacharach.
Comments on Star Trek in general:
Comments on The Last of Us:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "Please Hold to My Hand", the latest episode of The Last of Us.
- David Cote shares his thoughts on "Please Hold to My Hand".
- Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on "Please Hold to My Hand".
- Andy Welch shares his thoughts on "Please Hold to My Hand".
- Darren Mooney points out that "Long, Long Time" is not a filler episode.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that actress Melanie Lynskey, who plays rebel leader Kathleen in The Last of Us, has responded to people criticising her supposedly too feminine appearance.
- Cheryl Eddy reports that the ratings for The Last of Us continue to rise.
Comments on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:
- Germain Lussier shares early reactions to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
- Germain Lussier interviews Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general.
- Dictionary.com discusses the names of the characters in the Black Panther movies, their significant and their meaning.
- Justin Carter interviews cast and crew of the animated Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series.
Comments on Star Wars in general:
Comments on Poker Face:
Comments on the future of the DC Cinematic Universe:
- Ben Child calls James Gunn's and Peter Safran's plan for the DC Cinematic Universe brave and bold and is happy to see the last of Ben Affleck as Batman.
- Scott Huver explains why James Gunn's and Peter Safran's ambitious plans for DC might actually work.
- Joe Otterson reports that the Gotham prequel Pennyworth has been cancelled by HBO Max after three seasons.
Comments on Pathaan and the state of Bollywood in general:
- Hannah Ellis-Peterson reports about Indian audiences' enthusiastic response to Sha Rukh Khan's latest action movie Pathaan in spite of boycott calls from members of the Indian government.
- Fatima Bhutto criticises the portrayal of Pakistanis as the go-to villains in Pathaan and other recent Bollywood movies.
Comments on Knock at the Cabin:
- Bilge Ebiri calls Knock at the Cabin M. Knight Shyamalan's best film since The Village.
- Benjamin Lee praises Knock at the Cabin for its portrayal of a gay couple as central characters.
- Amy Nicholson calls Knock on the Cabin another attempt by M. Night Sjyamalan to regain audience trust.
- Matt Schimkowitz notes that Knock at the Cabin proves that Dave Bautista is the best of the wrestlers turned actors.
- Matt Mills ranks every M. Night Shyamalan film, including Knock on the Cabin.
- Pamela McClintock reports that Knock at the Cabin has knocked Avatar: The Way of Water off the top of the US box office, even though it had the lowest grossing opening of any M. Night Shyamalan film.
Awards:
- The winner of the 2023 IAFA Crawford Award has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2023 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2023 Splatterpunk Awards have been announced.
- The winners of the 2023 Canopus Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2023 Prix Bob Morane have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2023 Tähtivaeltaja Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2023 Victorian Pirze for Literature has been announced with some love for genre fiction.
- The finalists for the 2023 BBC Audio Drama Awards have been announced.
- The 2022 Uncanny Reader Poll is open for voting.
- Mike Glyer wonders when the 2023 Hugo nominations will open.
- Mike Glyer shares a statement from Hugo administrator Dave McCarty about when Hugo nominations will open.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Quan Barry talks about the benefit of writing across genres.
- M.J. Rose explains how the techniques of method acting can help writers to get to know their characters better.
- Ziv Wities talks about writing with mirrors.
- Steven Womack talks about writing while terminally ill.
- Sterling Watson talks about capturing the voice of adolescent narrators.
- Charlie Jane Anders explains why she dislikes the notion of having a career.
- Jason Sanford discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on writers, artists and other creatives.
- Victoria Strauss warns writer about the United Writers Organization and the Perpetual Eagle Awards.
- The Authors Guild shares an update about the state of the HarperCollins strike.
- The Authors Guild reports that Amazon is changing its controversial e-book return policies.
- Abby Monteil reports that some teachers in Florida are removing books from their classrooms because of a new law demanding that any books in classrooms be approved by a state-approved librarian first.
- Sarah Shaffi reports that the British Library in St. Pancras, London, UK, will receive a large extension.
Interviews:
- If This Goes On, Don't Panic interviews Martha Wells.
- Cheryl Eddy interviews Stephen Graham Jones.
- David Remnick interviews Salman Rushdie.
- Cat Rambo interviews Lee Martindale.
- The HWA interviews Beatrice Winifred Iker.
- Tangenetic Podcast interviews Oliver Brackenbury.
- D.M. Ritzlin interviews Robert Zoltan.
Reviews:
- Camestros Felapton reviews The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal.
- Lesa Holstine reviews Encore in Death by J.D. Robb.
- Aigner Loren Wilson reviews Station Six by S.J. Klapecki.
- Judtih Tarr reviews the Starfang series by Joyce Chng
- Anastasia Klimchynskaya reviews A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.
- Maya C. James reviews Invisible Things by Mat Johnson
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The This by Adam Roberts.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Virgin Land by Chloe Smith.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz.
- Arturo Serrano reviews The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler.
- Raven Crime Reads reviews The Forcing by Paul E. Hardisty.
- Rogues in the House review Conan: Blood of the Serpent by S.M. Stirling.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.
- Arturo Serrano reviews Kalyna the Soothsayer by Elijah Kinch Spector
- Hedwig's World reviews Stormsong by C.L. Polk.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel
- Brigid Flanagan reviews To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
- Adrian Collins reviews The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Lies We Tell Ourselves by L.K. Kitney.
- Marion Deeds reviews Empire of the Feast by Bendi Barrett
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Saturnalia by Stephanie Feldman.
- Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Death Rider by Zamil Akhtar.
- Marion Deeds reviews Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Miasma by Jess Hyslop.
- Alexandra Pierce reviews The Measure by Nikki Erlick
- Paul Di Filippo reviews The Thing in the Snow by Sean Adams
- Rob Bedford reviews The Spite House by Johnny Compton.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell.
- Lee Mandelo reviews Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones.
- Gabino Iglesias reviews All Nightmare Long by Tim Lebbon
- Maya C. James reviews Revelations: Horror Writers for Climate Action by Seán O’Connor.
- Ian Mond reviews Concerning Those Who Have Fallen Asleep: Ghost Stories by Adam Soto
- Matthew John reviews New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine No. 0.
Classics reviews:
- Morgan Holmes revisits the 1912 adventure novel The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.
- Paperback Warrior revisits the 1934 Conan sword and sorcery adventure "A Witch Shall Be Bornw" by Robert E. Howard.
- Joe Kenney revisits the 1936 Spider thriller Slaves of the Murder Syndicate by Grant Stockbridge a.k.a. Norvell Page.
- Adventures Fantastic revisits the 1937 Jirel of Joiry and Northwest Smith sword and planet story "Quest of the Starstone" by C.l. Moore and Henry Kuttner.
- Michael Dirda revisits the 1939 post-apocalyptic novel The Hopkins Manuscript by R.C. Sheriff.
- Anne M. Pillsworth and Ruthanna Emrys revisits the 1949 horror story "A Child in the Bush of Ghosts" by Olympe Bhêly-Quénum.
- M. Porcius revisits the 1966 Thongor sword and sorcery novel Thongor and the Dragon City by Lin Carter.
- Paperback Warrior revisits the 1966 gothic novel Dark Shadows by Marilyn Ross a.k.a. William Edward Daniel Ross.
- David Levinson revisits the March 1968 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the 1968 science fiction collection From the Land of Fear by Harlan Ellison.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1968 science fiction collection A Glass Full of Stars by Robert F. Young.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1977 science fiction novel Frostworld and Dreamfire by John Morressy.
- Paul Weimer revisits the 1981 Demon Princes science fiction mystery The Book of Dreams by Jack Vance.
- The PorPor Books Blog revisits the 1981 historical fantasy novel The War Hound and the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1987 science fiction spy novel Tools of the Trade by Joe Haldeman.
- Mark Yon revisits the 1989 horror novel Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1990 science fiction novel The Oxygen Barons by Gregory Feeley.
- Alissa Burger revisits the 1990 YA horror novel The Boyfriend and the 1991 YA horror novel The Girlfriend by R.L. Stine.
Con and event reports:
- Octothorpe discusses the issues with the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the uproar surrounding the guest of honour choice of MarsCon in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
- The candidates for the first European Fan Fund race have been announced.
- Fran Skene reports that nominations for the 2023 Canadian Unity Fan Funf CUFF are now open.
- Mark Fisher calls Moonset by Maryam Hamidi, which is currently playing in Glasgow, Scotland, a senstive play about witchy magic and teen anxiety.
- Rob Bricken reports that the Japanese stage adaptation of Spirited Away is coming to the US.
- Sabina Graves reports about the 20000 Leagues Under the Sea dining experience at the Lost Spirits Distillery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Justin Carter reports about the "Avengers: Power of the Night" drone show at Disneyland Paris in Coupvray, France.
- Ella Braidwood reports that British theatres are staging a wave of protest plays about the closures and staff shortages facing British theatres as well as the cost of living crisis in the UK in general.
Crowdfunding:
Gaming:
- C.T. Phipps reviews the videogame The Sinking City.
- C.T. Phipps reviews the 2023 version of the videogame Dead Space.
- Melissa Kagen calls the videogame Outer Wilds an interactive space opera.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports about the backlash against the Hogwarts Legacy videogame.
- William Hughes calls Hogwarts Legacy the videogame Harry Potter fans want and probably also the one they deserve.
Science and technology:
- Robert Lea reports that twelve new Jupiter moons have been discovered, bringing the total number of moons to 92.
- Maciej Cegłowski explains why sending humans to Mars is not a great idea.
- Cade Metz wonders how smart robots will get.
- Kyle Barr reports that Twitch has kicked an AI-generated Seinfeld show off their platform after the faux Jerry Seinfeld made transphobic remarks.
- Lyndon Nicholas reports about a flying bike designed to resemble a Star Wars landspeeder.
- Tessa Koumoundouros reports that scientists have discovered that ants can sniff out cancer in urine,
- Daniel Victor reports that a metal detector hobbyist has found a pendant linked to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in a field in Warwickshire, UK.
Free online fiction:
- "Even If Such Ways Are Bad" by Rich Larson in Tor.com.
- "Behind Space, Between Stars" by C.S. Marten in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "A Forcible Calm" by Jonathan Olfert in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Somewhere, It's About to Be Spring" by Samatha Murray in Clarkesworld.
- "Larva Pupa Imago" by Eric Schwitzgiebel in Clarkesworld.
- "Live Oak" by Carly Racklin in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "Snake Bit" by Rhonda Parrish and Jarrod K. Wade in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "Real Magic" by Sharang Biswas in Lightspeed.
- "In(con)solation" by Octavia Cade in Lightspeed.
- "Slipping" by Lauren Beukes in Omenana.
- "The Books Would Like a Word" by Cynthia Gòmez in Fantasy Magazine.
- "The Red Planet" by Rett Weissenfels in Starward Shadows.
- "Chamberstar: The Accabon" by Sam Redelein in The Deadlands.
- "River Bargain Baby" by K.S. Walker in Apex Magazine.
- "The Names of the Drowned Are These" by Angela Slatter in The Dark.
- "When At Last He Was Empty" by Rob E. Boley in Nightmare Magazine.
- "The Tower" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Trailers and videos:
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