Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 5, 2023

 

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 works of 2023, the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special, What If...?, Echo and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Rebel Moon, Part 1 - A Child of Fire, Night Swim, season 4 of For All Mankind, tributes to Tom Wilkinson and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares 35 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in January 2024. 
• Natalie Zutter shares 24 new science fiction and fantasy books to look forward to in 2024. 
• Alex Brown shares YA science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in January and February 2024.
  
• Noah Smith shares a defense of science fiction. 
• Tiffani Angus attempts to explain what sword and sorcery is.
  
• John Mauro lists the rising stars of dark and grimdark SFF.
• Alex Brown shares five underrated YA science fiction books. 
• James Davis Nicoll lists five science fiction stories featuring externally mandated body modifications. 
• Alice McIlroy shares thriller featuring AI. 
  
• Rachel Ayers talks about the comfort of so-called competence porn stories. 
• Terry Parlato explains why forests are such popular settings for fiction.  
• Tara Isabella Burton talks about running away with the fairies as a metaphor.
  
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for December 2023.
  
• The "Jack the Ripper in Fiction" issue of Journey Planet is now available for download.  
• Michael Curtis shares his appreciation for the works of Fritz Leiber. 
• Rich Lynch and Guy H. Lillian III recount how Paul Doerr, one of the prime suspects for the still unsolved crimes of the so-called Zodiac killer, was once a member of the Southern Fandom Press Alliance.
  
• The World of Robert E. Howard shares an update on the health status of Robert E. Howard scholar Rusty Burke, who suffered a serious fall and head injury. 
• Deuce Richardson also shares an update on the health status of Rusty Burke.
  
• Ella Creamer reports that Salman Rushdie's memoir about his stabbing could delay the trial of his attacker.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong remember Richard Bowes.
  
• io9 remembers the SFF luminaries we lost in 2023. 

 

Best of 2023:

• Runalong the Shelves shares his favourite books of 2023.
  
• SFF World share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror films and TV of 2023.
• Avery Kaplan shares her favourite Star Trek episodes of 2023.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Nadya Martinez interviews Randy Milholland and Emi Burdge, the creative team behind Popeye and Olive.
• The Watchmen issue of Journey Planet is now available for download.  
• Rich Johnston reports that Marvel and DC have started printing their covers on lower quality paper to combat rising costs.
  
• Leslie Silberberg shares her appreciation for the work of pulp cover artist Hubert Rogers.
  
• Deuce Richardson shares his appreciation for the artwork of Wallace Smith.
  
• Comic scholar Roger Hill has died aged 75.
  

 

Film and TV:

• The Rolling Stone shares their 150 favourite science fiction movies of all time. 
  
• James Wallace Harris shares his thoughts on Leave the World Behind. 
• Leslie Felperin calls Lord of Misrule review  a poor man's Wicker Man rehash 
• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Curse. 
• Lucy Mangan calls Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster quite possibly the most deeply joyous documentary ever made, even though it does not contain an actual sea monster. 
• Cath Clarke shares her thoughts on the documentary Who Is James Payton?
  
• Susana Polo points out that people are not tired of superhero movies but of bad superhero movies.
• Thomas West shares his twenty favourite moments in science fiction films.
  
• Charles Bramesco takes a look at how science fiction movies have portrayed 2024. 
• James Whitbrook takes a look at how Star Trek has portrayed 2024. 
• Justin Carter looks ahead at what 2024 will bring in animation. 
• Kayleigh Dray wishes that TV seasons of twenty plus episodes were to come back. 
• Rob Young wishes that British television would once again become as weird as it was in the 1970s and 1980s.
  
• The Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog looks back at the Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo finalists of 1979. 
• Galactic Journey revisits the 1968 Star Trek episode "Elaan of Troyius".
  
• Norman Miller revisits the 1973 horror movie The Wicker Man.
  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1987 horror movie Bloody New Year. 
• Brian Davids interviews Eman Esfandi, who plays Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka.
  
• Nell Frizzell profiles collectors of TV memorabilia.  
• Catherine Shoard reports that the British Film Institute has added content warnings to several movies, including two Bond films, shown as part of its retrospective dedicated to film composer John Barry. 
• Peter Bradshaw is no fan of the content warnings added by the British Film Institute and points out that the issues with Bond movies should be well known to everybody.
  
• Mexican actress Ana Pfelia Murguía, best known internationally for voicing the mother of Coco in the eponymous animated film, has died aged 90.  
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who at sixty: 

• Matt Webb Mitovich praises Ncuti Gatwa's performance as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.
• James Whitbrook reports that the BBC offering almost all of Doctor Who to stream for free has been a huge success.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of What If...?, Echo and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:

• Avery Kaplan shares her thoughts on the What If? episode "What If… The Avengers Assembled in 1602?"
• Rachel Leishman shares her thoughts on "What If…the Avengers Assembled in 1602?”
• Julia Glassman shares her thoughts on the What If? episode “What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?” 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
• Sam Barsanti shares some background on the character of Echo before the debut of the eponymous series. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Richie Palmer, executive producer of Echo.
  
• Coral Murphy Marcos reports about the current helath status of actor Jeremy Renner, best known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one year after his near-fatal snow plough accident. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
  
• Watch a trailer for Echo.
  

 

Comments on Rebel Moon, Part 1 - Child of Fire: 

• Brian Davids interviews Staz Nair, one of the stars of Rebel Moon.
• Ben Child wonders why in spite of terrible reviews, Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder nonetheless appears to be unstoppable.
  

 

Comments on Night Swim: 

• Matthew Jackson calls Night Swim a creepy horror film about a haunted pool that surpasses expectations. 
• Germain Lussier declares that Night Swim treads water but ultimately sinks
  

 

Comments on season 4 of For All Mankind:

•  Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of For All Mankind.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of For All Mankind.
  

 

Tributes to Tom Wilkinson:

• British actor Tom Wilkinson, best known for his roles in The Full Monty, Batman Begins, Michael Clayton, Burke and Hare and many others, has died aged 75.
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Tom Wilkinson.
• Justin Carter remembers Tom Wilkinson.
  
• Ryan Gilbey shares an obituary for Tom Wilkinson. 
• Catherine Shoard shares tributes by fellow actors to Tom Wilkinson.
  
• Michael Williams shares photos of Tom Wilkinson's lengthy career.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 1968 Galactic Stars have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2023 Darth Vader Parenthood Award have been announced.
• The winners of the 2023 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award have been announced. 
• The 2024 Robert E. Howard Awards are open for nominations.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Angela Brown explains that there is always time to follow your writing dreams.
  
• Coilin O'Sullivan explains how to integrate your nighrmares into your next novel. 
  
• Heidi Perks talks about the importance of plot twists. 
• Philip Athans explains how to use smell to write vivid descriptions.
  
• Hildy Silverman shares six tips for collaborative storytelling. 
• Kate Brody explains how to write fiction about true crimes.
• Michelle Wildgen shares tips for good author photos. 
• Ella Creamer reports that the British charity Libararies Connected has launched a programm to support libraries at risk of budget cuts.
  
• Andrew Albanese reports that a judge has blocked parts of the propsoed Iowa law to ban books with sexual content from school libraries. 
  

 

Comments on the AI controversy:

• Michael M. Grynbaum and Ryan Mac report that the New York Times is sueing Open AI and Microsoft over the unauthorised use of copyrighted texts.
• Jason Sanford sums up the discussion of AI in the writing and art spheres in 2023. 
• Jason Sanford has collected all of his AI coverage in 2023 in e-book form.
  
• Jason Farago decides that the fact that AI programs can produce art that feels human shows that humans are not imaginative and radical enough. 
• View a list of artists whose work was used to "train" the Midjouney AI art bot. 
• Mike Glyer notes that many Hugo winners and finalists appear on the list of artists whose work was exploited by Midjounrey.

 

Interviews:

• John Wilson interviews Margaret Atwood.
• The Guardian interviews Francis Spufford.
• Scott Edelman interviews Pat Murphy. 
• Deuce Richardson interviews Keith Taylor. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Caitlin R. Kiernan. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Seth Dickinson. 
• Roseanna Pendlebury interviews Francesca Barbini. 
• Maya Gittelman interviews Aiden Thomas.
  

 

Reviews:

• John Mauro reviews The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
• Carolyn Frank reviews The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei  
• Paul Weimer reviews Talonsister by Jen Williams 
  
• Adrienne Martini reviews The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu, The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe and The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab 
  
• Paul Weimer reviews The Gods Awoke by Marie Vibbert 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers.
• Clara Cohen reviews The Mars House by Natasha Pulley  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Plutoshine by Lucy Kissick
  
• Bill Capossere reviews The Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. Beaulieu
  
• Clara Cohen reviews The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar by Indra Das.  
• L.A. Young reviews The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 
• James Tivendale reviews Watcher of the Dead by J.V. Jones 
• Matthew Keeley reviews Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K.J. Parker.
  
• Molly Templeton reviews The Space Between Here and Now by Sarah Suk 
• Joe Sherry reviews Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire.
  
• Marion Deeds reviews A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
  
• Niall Harrison reviews Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Off-Time Jive by A. Z. Louise 
• Ian Mond reviews Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull 
• John Mauro reviews House of Bad Memories by Michael David Wilson
  
• John Mauro reviews The Death Doula by Ali Seay 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Human Sacrifices by María Fernanda Ampuero, translated by Frances Riddle.  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, edited by Jordan Peele
  
• Dennis Duncan reviews  Magus: The Art of Magic from Faustus to Agrippa by Anthony Grafton
    
  

Classics reviews:

• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1937 science fiction horror novella "The Island Monster" by Arthur D. Howden Smith  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1939 alternate history novel Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague De Camp.
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1956 science fiction horror story “Horrer Howce” by Margaret St. Clair.
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1956 time travel story “The Man Who Came Early” by Poul Anderson
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1956 science fiction story “A Work of Art” by James Blish
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1962 gothic novel Bezill by John Symonds.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1966 anthology 11th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S‑F, edited by Judith Merril. 
• David Levinson revisits the February 1969 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1972 science fiction collection The Gold at the Starbow's End by Frederik Pohl.
• Brian Collins revisits the 1990 science fiction story "Inertia" by Nancy Kress.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 2006 horror novel Dark Harvest by Norman Partiridge.
  
  

Con and event reports:

• The 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland, has announced game developer Tanya DePass as a special guest.
• Senay Boztas reports about a Charles Dickens Festival in Deventer, Netherlands.
  
• Chris Wiegand reports that the Suffolk county council is planning to cut arts funding by one hundred percent.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Will Robinson-Smith reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster has toppled over and fallen into the sea during a storm in Port Canaveral, Florida.
• Linda Geddes reports that a new antibiotic has been developed which can fight drug-resistant bacteria. 
• J.H. Markert talks about terrifying and potentially hautned abandoned train tunnels. 
  
• Eric Grundhauser reports about the alleged grave of the pilot of a UFO which crashed in 1897 in Aurora, Texas. 
• Judith Tarr talks about cryptids.
  
  

Gaming: 

• Zachary Small explains why video games have helped transgender and non-binary players to express their identity.
• Aaron Jones lists his most anticipated games of 2024
  
• Justin Carter interviews  Danny Homan and Cole Swaney, writers of the video game Star Wars Jedi Survivor.
• Brian C. Rideout shares an introduction to Japanese tabletop roleplaying games.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Teela.
  
• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Trap Jaw.
• Toy Habits reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse New Eternia Meckaneck.
• For Eternia reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse Revolution Battle Armor He-Man. 
• Toy Habits reviews the Super 7 Thundercats Ultimates Snarf. 
  
• Denise Dutton reviews the Folkmanis Dragon Wristlet Puppet Pearl
• Pixel Dan details his G.I. Joe toy journey. 
• James Whitbook looks ahead at new LEGO sets coming out in January 2024.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Judgement Tree" by D. K. Latta in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "Five Views of the Planet Tartarus" by Rachael K. Jones in Lightspeed. 
• "A Saint Between The Teeth" by Sloane Leong in Lightspeed. 
  
• "Nothing of Value" by Aimee Ogden in Clarkesworld.
• "Down the Waterfall" by Cécile Cristofari in Clarkesworld.
  
• "The Ethnomusicology of the Last Dreadnought" by Yoon Ha Lee in The Sunday Morning Transport
  
• "Exiled to Gravity" by Marissa Lingen in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Ghost Story" by Rachel Hartman in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Office Auntie" by Rachelle Cruz in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Notes From the Delta Spirits" by John Lighthouse in The Deadlands.
• "Ten Thousand Crawling Children" by R.A. Busby in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "The Grit Born" by Frances Ogamba in The Dark.
  
• "The Kawaii Pups" by Richard Roth in Mystery Tribune.
  
• "Merry Go" by Maria Paige Brekke in Luna Station Quarterly.
  
• "The Christmas Knight" by Ethan Sabatella.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for She Is Conann. 
  
• Watch a trailer for The First Omen. 
• Watch a clip from season 3 of La Brea. 
• Watch a trailer for Lisa Frankenstein. 
• Watch a trailer for Robot Dreams.
  
• Watch a trailer for Rick and Morty: The Anime.