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 Star Trek in general, Secret Invasion and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, season 2 of Foundation, season 2 of Good Omens, season 5 of What We Do In the Shadows, Barbie, the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the debate about AI writing and art, all the cool new toys shown at San Diego Comic Con, tributes to Jane Birkin and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Natalie Zutter lists the best science fiction and fantasy books coming out in July.
- Cristina Orlando shares thirty more SFF books coming out in the second half of 2023.
- James Davis Nicoll celebrates the forgotten greats of science fiction.
- G.W. Thomas talks about Lovecraftian elements in sword and sorcery.
- Karen Lord talks about finding the space between utopia and dystopia.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction novels that will make you long for a breath of fresh air.
- Bruce Borgos takes a look at nuclear war fiction.
- Jimmy Juliano lists five iconic horror novels from the early 1990s.
- Cole Rush shares his favourite fantasy clocks.
- Molly Templeton wonders if she is reading too many books at once.
- Swedish SFF fan and journalist Hans Sidén died aged 87.
- Swedish science fiction fan and electronic music pioneer Ralph Lundsten has died aged 86.
Comics and Art:
Film and TV:
- Ann Michelle Harris calls season 6 of Black Mirror a self-aware exploration of all the ways humans are awful.
- Arturo Serrano calls Gray Matter a superhero movie that adresses themes other superhero movies and comics haven't adresses in a long time.
- Benjamin Lee calls Bird Box Barcelona an unnecessary but not unwatchable spin-off.
- Peter Bradshaw calls They Cloned Tyrone a satire turned goofy caper.
- Molly Templeton calls Command Z a weird and wacky time travel adventure.
- Cath Clarke calls The Secret Kingdom a spooky children's film.
- Phil Hoad calls Sakra a hectic historical action romance with top-notch fight scenes.
- Justin Carter revisits the 1988 Cyberpunk anime Akira.
- Aidan Bryant revisits the 1990 mystery series Twin Peaks and notes that the person responsible for the premature cancellation was none other than current Disney CEO Bob Iger.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1994 fantasy film The Secret of Roan Inish.
- Dave Davis revisits the 1995 cyberpunk movie Johnny Mnemonic and wonders why it bombed so hard.
- Germain Lussier revisits the 2008 superhero movie The Dark Knight.
- Germain Lussier revisits the 2020 science fiction thriller Tenet.
- Cheryl Eddy interviews Doc Hammer and Chris McCulloch a.k.a Jackson Publick, co-creators of The Venture Bros.
- Lorna Wallace shares her six favourite flying scenes in animated films and TV shows.
- Ben Child points out that the glut of TV shows and movies available on streaming is eating into box office grosses.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports about an uproar surrounding the Jay Garrick cameo in The Flash, which was partially CGI generated.
- Matt Donnelly reports that Netflix will not proceed with the planned live action Masters of the Universe movie in spite of already spending thirty million US-dollars on development costs.
- Michileen Martin reports that Disney is planning a John Carter TV series.
Comments on season 2 of Foundation:
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "In Seldon's Shadow", the first episode of season 2 of Foundation.
- Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on "In Seldon's Shadow".
- Stars End share their thoughts on "In Seldon's Shadow".
- Joseph Kolacinski shares his thoughts on "In Seldon't Shadow".
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "In Seldon's Shadow".
- Andrew Webster interviews David S. Goyer, showrunner of Foundation.
- The Indicator reports how Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels have inspired generations of economists.
Comments on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the cancellation of Star Trek Prodigy and Star Trek in general:
Comments on Secret Invasion and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general (spoilers):
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Harvest", the latest episode of Secret Invasion.
- Linda Codega shares her thoughts on "Harvest".
- Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on "Harvest".
- Andy Welch shares his thoughts on "Harvest".
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw wonders just why the budget for the various Marvel TV shows streaming on Disney Plus is so high.
- Devan Coggan interviews Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, the stars of The Marvels.
- Justin Carter shares Haley Atwell's reaction to her cameo appearance as an alternate universe Captain Britain in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
- Justin Carter reports that the Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel will air on the ABC network in the US to fill the airwaves during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
Comments on season 2 of Good Omens:
Comments on Barbie:
- Courtney Howard calls Barbie a pink, plucky and poignant rumination on womanhood
- Jordan Hoffman reports that Barbie defies the odds and manages to be original, fun and even a little meaningful.
- Adrian Horton calls Barbie canny, often funny, pleasurably gonzo, well-acted yet stuck in a familiar loop of intense self-awareness.
- Linda Codega calls Barbie an existential crisis wrapped in a plastic daydream, an unfinished story that rejects its own, inevitable ending.
- Peter Bradshaw calls Barbie a feminist satire that pulls its punches, but praises the performance of Ryan Gosling.
- Caspar Salmon laments that an independent director like Greta Gerwig has helmed Barbie, which he considers selling out.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports about a sexist backlash against Barbie star Margot Robbie.
- The Guardian reports that the world has been gripped by Barbiemania.
- Benjamin Lee reports that Barbie is expected to beat Oppenheimer at the box office.
- Sam Joyce reports that an actual Barbie doll starred in the film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story in 1987, but the film was pulled after complaints from Karen Carpenter's estate.
Comments on season 5 of What We Do In the Shadows:
Tributes to Jane Birkin:
Comments on the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike:
- Andrew Pulver and Catherine Shoard share everything you need to know about the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- Gene Maddaus reports which points are contentious in the negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the studios.
- Dade Hayes reports that the SAG-AFTRA strike will be much more disruptive to the entertainment industry than the WGA strike.
- Vanessa Thorpe chronicles the potential impact of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike on the entertainment business around the world.
- Andrew Webster reports that the studios wanted the right to scan an actor's likeness, pay them for a day or work and thereafter use that likeness however they see fit for all eternity.
- Joel St. Peters reports that the cast of Oppenheimer walked out of the UK premiere of the movie in London when the SAG-AFTRA strike officially began.
- Justin Carter reports about the Haunted Mansion premiere in Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and how the studio handled not having an stars at hand to walk the red carpet.
- Julia Humphrey reports that several panels at San Diego Comic Con have been cancelled, because actors are unable to appear due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- William Hughes also reports about the San Diego Comic Con panels cancelled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- Zac Ntim reports that production of Deadpool 3 has been halted due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- Max Goldbart reports that Interview With the Vampire has shut down production due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- Manori Ravindran and Jennifer Maas report that season 2 of House of the Dragon can continue production in spite of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes due to filming in the UK.
- Max Grobar reports that the TV-series Dune: The Sisterhood will continue filming in spite of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes due to filming in Hungary.
- Andrew Horton reports that according to actor Brian Cox, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes could last until the end of the year.
- Melanie Goodfellow shares writer and director Oliver Stone's thoughts on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
- Max Goldbart shares actor and director George Clooney's statement on the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- Stuart Heritage reports about the ridiculously low paycheques that actors are receiving for appearing in popular streaming series.
- Catherine Shoard wonders whether other actors will eventually turn on the extremely high paid A-list Hollywood stars.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight doesn't even get the residuals he is owed after his show was pulled from Netflix and moved to Disney Plus.
- Lynzee Loveridge reports that David J. Fielding, the actor who portrayed the villain Zordon in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, was paid less than 1000 US-dollars for his work, even though his face was reused in every episode of the long-running series.
- Lesley Goldberg reports that Ryan Murphy, producer of American Horror Story, American Horror Stories and American Sports Story, all of which are still in production in spite of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, has threatened to sue WGA strike captain Warren Leight for claiming that Murphy has violated strike rules.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos was mocked for his claiming that he grew up in a union household
- David Robb reports that some independent film productions may continue filming during the SAG-AFTRA strike, provided the producers sign interim agreements.
- Justin Carter explains what the SAG-AFTRA strike means for so-called Actual Play shows.
- Cailin Huston and Abbey White report from the picket lines of the WGA and SGA-AFTRA strike in New York City.
- Robert Lang shares photos of the picket lines of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
- The Guardian shares photos of actors on the SAG-AFTRA picket lines.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that the trees outside Universal Studios in Hollywood, California, have been cut at the height of summer to harass WGA and SAG-AFTRA members picketing the studio.
- Anthony D'Alessandro reports that SAG-AFTRA has requested that social media influencers not promote films and TV shows by studios affected by the strike.
- Gene Maddaus shares what is and is not allowed during the SAG-AFTRA strike for union members, journalists, film critics, cosplayers and fans.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw notes that film reviews, cosplay and fanfic are not violating that SAG-AFTRA strike.
- James Whitbrook shares what fans can do to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
- Ray Greene remembers how Disney was hit by an animators strike in 1941.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2022 Shirley Jackson Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2023 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition has been announced.
- The winner of the 2023 Manly Wade Wellman Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2023 Imadjinn Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2023 Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award has been announced.
- The winners of the 2023 Premios Kelvin 505 have been announced.
- The winners of the 2023 Trigon Awards have been announced.
- The shortlist for the 2023 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize has been announced.
- The winners of the 2023 Hummingbird Flash Fiction Prize has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2023 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award have been announced.
- The Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog shares some Hugo Awards trivia.
- Camestros Felapton explains why it is a good thing that there are so many different SFF awards.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Camestros Felapton discusses what makes characters memorable.
- John David Mann explains how to write characters that feel real.
- Liz Nugent talks about hating writing and loving having written.
- All Things Considered explains how audiobooks are made.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch shares some more thoughts on niche marketing.
- Victoria Strauss explains how scammers are exploiting Amazon trademarks to rip off authors.
- Alice Kemp-Habib reports that there is an industry-wide mental health crisis affecting authors.
- Jim Milliot reports that Penguin Random House has been hit by a wave of lay-offs.
- Anthony Cummins praises Britain's small indie presses.
- Brooke Leigh Howard reports that writer Ta-Nehisi Coates appeared in person at a schoolboard meeting in Lexington-Richland, South Carolina, after they tried to ban his memoir Between the World and Me.
Comments on the AI controversy:
- Chloe Veltman reports that thousands of authors have signed an open letter protesting AI companies using their work without permission.
- Lucy Knight also reports about the open letter signed by thousands of authors.
- Sheera Frenkel and Stuart A. Thompson report how fanfiction writers are fighting back against their works being used to train AI large language models.
Interviews:
- Fabienne Schwizer interviews Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- Graham Thomas Wilcox interviews Howard Andrew Jones.
- Paul Weimer interviews Gareth Hanrahan.
- Anthony Cummins interviews Colson Whitehead.
- Dwyer Murphy interviews Colson Whitehead.
- Paul Weimer interviews N.E. Davenport.
- Locus interviews Kemi Ashing-Giwa.
- James Bacon interviews Anton Marks.
- Sally Berrow interviews David Wagg.
- Scott Edelman interviews Rhondi Salsitz.
- Literary Hub interviews Chuck Tingle.
- Locus interviews Yume Kitasei.
Reviews:
- Camestros Felapton reviews The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- Bill Capossere reviews Nightborn by C.S. Friedman.
- Rob Bedford reviews Nightborn by C.S. Friedman.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Station Six by S.J. Klapecki.
- Miguel Salazar reviews Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- Arturo Serrano reviews The Electric Detective by Peter Ward
- Durand Welsh reviews The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud
- Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis.
- Gayle Surrette reviews The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis.
- Marlene Harris reviews The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre
- Molly Templeton reviews The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson.
- Becky LeJeune reviews One by Eve Smith.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews Airside by Christopher Priest
- Xan Brooks reviews Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Mage of Fools by Eugen Bacon
- John Mauro reviews The Last of the Atalanteans by P.L. Stuart
- Fiona Denton reviews Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker
- Aigner Loren Wilson reviews He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
- Brigid Flanagan reviews The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
- Doreen Sheridan reviews The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni
- James Davis Nicoll reviews To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose.
- Alex Brown reviews Against the Stars by Christopher Hartland
- Paul Di Filippo reviews The Woods of Arcady by Michael Moorcock
- Fabienne Schwizer reviews After the Forest by Kell Woods
- Leah Schnelbach reviews Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith
- Jen Lucas reviews Weyward by Emilia Hart
- Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth review Last Exit by Max Gladstone.
- Gabino Iglesias reviews Ascension by Nicholas Binge
- Becky LeJeune reviews The After-Death of Caroline Rand by Catherine Cavendish
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The After-Death of Caroline Rand by Catherine Cavendish
- Caren Gussoff Sumption reviews No One Will Come Back for Us by Premee Mohamed
- Durand Welch reviews The Edge of Sleep by Jake Emmanuel and Willie Block
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Season of Skulls by Charles Stross.
- Caren Gussoff Sumption reviews Human Sacrifices by María Fernanda Ampuero
- Bill Ward reviews Nyumbani Tales by Charles R. Saunders.
- Eugen M. Bacon reviews Infinite Constellations: An Anthology of Identity, Culture, and Speculative Conjunctions, edited by Khadijah Queen and K. Ibura.
- Ian Mond reviews All These Worlds: Reviews & Essays by Niall Harrison
Classics reviews:
- Sam Reader revisits the 1882 horror story "The New Mother" by Lucy Clifford.
- Davide Mana revisits the 1934 dark fantasy story "The Colossus of Ylourgne" by Clark Ashton Smith.
- James Maliszewski revisits the 1937 sword and sorcery story "The Thief of the Forthe" by Clifford Ball.
- James Wallace Harris revisits the 1947 science fiction story "Zero Hour" by Ray Bradbury.
- James Wallace Harris revisits the 1949 science fiction story "The Hurkle is a Happy Beast" by Theodore Sturgeon
- Brian Collins revisits the 1953 Fafhrd and Gray Mouser sword and sorcery story "The Seven Black Priests" by Fritz Leiber.
- Brian Collins revisits the 1953 science fiction story "Paycheck" by Philip K. Dick.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1953 science fiction story "Year Day" by Henry Kuttner.
- James Wallace Harris revisits the 1957 science fiction story "All the World's Tears" by Brian W. Aldiss.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1957 science fiction story "Mr. Loneliness" by Henry Slesar and "Precious Artifact" by Philip K. Dick.
- Greg O'Driscoll revisits the 1964 sword and planet novel The Warrior of Llarn by Gardner F. Fox.
- Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1968 dystopian novel In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan, Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1968 dytopian novel Five to Twelve by Edmund Cooper, Gideon Marcus revisits the 1968 science fiction novels Assignment Moon Girl by Edward S. Aarons and Dimension of Miracles by Robert Sheckley and Jason Sacks revisits the 1968 science fiction novel Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin.
- Victoria Silverwolf reviews the August 1968 issue of Fantastic.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1978 horror novel Blind Voices by Tom Reamy.
- James Maliszewski revisits the August 1986 issue of White Dwarf.
- Leah Schnelbach revisits the 1986 horror novel It by Stephen King.
- Paperback Warrior revisits the 1990 horror novel Out of the Night by Patrick Whalen.
- Alissa Burger revisits the 1990 YA horror novel See You Later, the 1991 YA horror novel Whisper of Death and the 1993 YA horror novel The Wicked Heart, all by Christopher Pike.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2001 fantasy novel The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling.
Crowdfunding:
- Best Fanzine Hugo finalist nerds of a feather are looking for funding to translate their Hugo Voter Packet into Chinese.
- Pulphouse Fiction Magazine has launched its 2023 funding drive.
- Super 7 are crowdfunding the Thundercats Cat's Lair playset.
- Toy and pop culture YouTuber Ozstradamus Toys is looking for funding to attend the 2023 Power-Con in Columbus, Ohio, with his young son.
- Freelance writer Jessie Kwak needs help with medical expenses following an eye injury caused by a drive-by shooting.
Con and event reports:
- The 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China, has shared its progress report No. 2.
- Paul Kraus talks about hybrid conventions.
- Rich Lynch shares a report about the 2023 SpiralCon
- Jen Lucas shares the line-up for the 2023 DESIBlitz Literature Festival in Birmingham, UK.
- Sabina Graves reports about various immersive pop culture experiences available at the 2023 San Diego Comic Con in San Diego, California.
- Germain Lussier shares some of the coolest things he saw on display at the 2023 San Diego Comic Con.
- Cheryl Eddy shares photos of the interactive Paramount Plus Ski Lodge experience at the 2023 San Diego Comic Con.
- Ellen Datlow shares photos of the latest reading at the KGB Bar in New York City, featuring Farah Rose Smith and Michael Cisco.
- Salamisha Tillet reports about an opera adaptation of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, which debuted in New York City.
- Anastasia Tsioulcas also reports about the opera adaptation of Parable of the Sower.
- Mark Fisher reports about a stage adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde, which is currently playing in Glasgow, Scotland.
- Samantha Bergeson reports that Stanley Kubrick's estate has approved a stage adaptation of Dr. Strangelove.
- Sabina Graves interviews Winston Fisher, CEO of the immersive entertainment experience Area15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Amelia Tait reports about the travelling Disney Centennial exhibition and how it glosses over many of the issues with the entertainment giant.
Science and technology:
- The Guardian reports about the Moon mission of the Indian Chandrayaan-3 rocket.
- Mostafa Rachwani reports that a mystery object which might be part of the Chandrayan-3 rocket, has washed up on a beach in Australia.
- Lucas Ropek reports that a supposed drug trafficker has been arrested based on an AI analysis of supposedly suspicious driving patterns.
- Kaye Dee talks about satellite launches in 1968.
Gaming:
- Jordan Maison interviews Casey Hudson, production designer for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic videogame.
- Malindy Hetfeld calls En Garde! the ultimate swashbuckling fantasy.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Blade Runner the Roleplaying Game: Core Rules.
- Linda Codega calls Pokémon Sleep a cozy game that wants to gamify sleeping.
Toys and collectibles:
- James Whitbrook shares the coolest toys and exclusive merchandise available at the 2023 San Diego Comic Con.
- Mattel Creations has unveiled its exclusives for the 2023 San Diego Comic Con.
- Pixel Dan shares a first look at the Masters of the Universe Masterverse Motherboard action figure, which will be an San Diego Comic Con and Mattel Creations online exclusive.
- Geek Dad Live also reviews the Masters of the Universe Masterverse Motherboard figure.
- Toy Habits shares the Masters of the Universe Origins figures revealed at San Diego Comic Con.
- Toy Habits shares the Masters of the Universe Masterverse figures revealed at San Diego Comic Con.
- Toy Habits shares photos of the upcoming Super 7 Thundercats Cat's Lair playset.
- Andrew Liszewski share a look at an amazing autonomously transforming Grimlock Transformer figure.
- Germain Lussier shares some Ahsoka themed Star Wars Lego sets.
- Mike Glyer shares SFF themed Hallmark Christmas ornaments.
Free online fiction:
- "The Assassin" by Jeffrey A. Sergent in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "First in Fear and then in Pain" by Adam R. Shannon in Nightmare Magazine.
- "The Orchard of Dreams" by Holly Cornetto in Wyldblood.
- "The Bodhi Tree Asks Only For the Safe Return of Her Beloved" by Ashok K. Banker in Lightspeed.
- "The Real Worlds" by Lauren Bajek in Lightspeed.
- "Tigers for Sale" by Risa Wolf in Clarkesworld.
- "Timelock" by Davian Aw in Clarkesworld.
- "Island Circus" by Amal Singh in Apex Magazine.
- "The Dancer" by Catherine Yu in Fantasy Magazine.
- "Mother Mangue" by Lis Vilas Boas in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "The City Born Great" by N.K. Jemisin in Tor.com.
- "Burning Girls" by Veronica Schanoes in Tor.com.
- "The Devil in America" by Kai Ashante Wilson in Tor.com.
- "Savoring the Taste" by Belicia Rhea in Pyre Magazine.
- "A Ritual for Pleasure and Atonement" by Kristi DeMeester in The Dark.
- "Fast Cars" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Trailers and videos:
Watch a trailer for Jules.- Watch a clip from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem.
- Watch another clip from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
- Watch a featurette about the teen actors voicing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Mutant Mayhem.
- Watch a mash-up of Barbie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
- Watch a trailer for season 2 of The Wheel of Time.
- Watch a trailer for The Creator.
- Watch a trailer for Don't Look Away.
- Watch a trailer for The Pod Generation.
- Watch a trailer for Birth/Rebirth.
- Watch a trailer for The Winter King.
- Watch a trailer for Haunted Mansion.
- Watch a trailer for A Haunting in Venice.
- Watch a trailer for Dear David.
- Watch a clip from Cobweb.
- Watch a trailer for Sharksploitation.
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