Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for February 16, 2023

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Masters of the Universe: Revolution, Star Trek in general, Star Wars in general, Doctor Who past, present and future, the new Quantum Leap, Madame Web, season 2 of Halo, Lisa Frankenstein, the shelving of Coyote vs. Acme, the 2023 Hugo nomination scandal, the best SFF books of 2023 and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares a round-up of recent science fiction and fantasy releases. 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy, horror and other SFF crossover books coming out in February. 
• Reactor shares all the new YA SFF books coming out in February. 
  
• Molly Odintz shares fifteen horror novels to look out for in 2024. 
• Madeleine Grey and Johny Pitts talk about the rise of romantasy. 
• Molly Templeton discusses her issues with cozy SFF.
  
• James Wallace Harris wonders whether science fiction has changed since he started reading it. 
• Brian Murphy explains why there is value both in reading old and new fiction rather than focussing just on one.  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five careers for post-apocalyptic worlds. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF books about the dangers of dabbling in archaeology.
  
• Jenny Hamilton shares her favourite female friendships in SFF.
  
• Eliza Chan hosts a roundtable of fantasy writers discussing their favourite dragons. 
• Gwenda Bond shares great fantasy novels that feature visual art. 
  
• Natalie Zutter talks about book crushes.
  
• Chinaza Okorie profiles Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki 
• Adventures Fantastic profiles C.L. Moore.
  
• James Maliszewski profiles Abraham Merritt. 
• Jody Macgregor reports that the Warhammer 40000 tie-in series Horus Heresy will end after more than sixty books and eighteen years.
  
• Bevan Hurley reports about the ongoing and constant harassment and swatting attempts of SFF author Patrick Tomlinson.
  
• Michael Swanwick remembers the late Howard Waldrop.
• Fan, con-runner and filker Gary Swaty has died.
  

 

Best of 2023:

• Tim Pratt shares his favourite SFF books of 2023.
  
• A.C. Wise shares her favourite SFF books of 2023. 
• Ian Mond shares his favourite SFF books of 2023. 
• Alex Brown shares their favourite SFF books of 2023. 

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews Conan the Barbarian #7 by Jim Zub and Doug Braithwaite
• Sergio Pereira reviews Thundercats #1 by Declan Shalvey and Drew Moss.
  
• Brad Hawley reviews the graphic novel In Utero by Chris Gooch 
  
• Alexander Gonzales profiles SFF artists Leo and Diane Dillon.
• David Brooke interviews writer and artist Patch Zircher.  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about defending your local library from budget cuts. 
• Tom Gauld also shares a cartoon about drilling into the Earth.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Saloni Gajjar calls Constellation a trippy, hypnotic space thriller
  
• Alex Wallace calls Out Of Darkness a tense film about life and death during the stone age. 
• Catherine Bray calls Deliver Us a horror film with all the right elements that sadly just drags on.
  
• Lucy Mangan calls Ted a foul-mouthed teddy bear sitcom that doesn’t feature a single funny joke
• Max Gao shares his thoughts on season 3 of Ghosts. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season 3 premiere of Resident Alien.
  
• Vanessa Armstrong shares her thoughts on the documentary The Space Race. 
• Lucy Mangan calls the documentary The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth the finest possible tribute to the astronauts who lost their lives aboard the space shuttle Columbia,
• Joe George shares his favourite on screen superhero romances. 
  
• Ben Child declares that Moana is the hero we need, therefore he is happy that Moana 2 is being made.
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Linda Hamilton, star of the Terminator movies, Resident Alien, The Beauty and the Beast, Stranger Things and many others. 
  
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1994 horror film Interview with the Vampire. 
• Rania Richardson revisits the 1994 romantic fantasy comedy Amélie. 
  
• Adam B. Vary reports that the main cast for Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four movie has been announced.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe: Revolution (spoilers) and Masters of the Universe in general: 

• Joshua M. Patton declares that Masters of the Universe: Revolution manages to tell a mature story without sacrificing what made Masters of the Universe fun in the first place.
  
• Brian Jankowski explains the backstory of a character briefly seen at the end of Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
• Renaldo Matadeen ranks the fight scenes of Masters of the Universe: Revolution. 
  
• Dad-at-Arms interviews artist Nate Baertsch who created the poster for Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
• Joshua M. Patton discusses how toy inspired cartoons like the original Masters of the Universe cartoon inspired children and stimulated the imaginations of the generation. 
• Joshua M. Patton lists references to the original toyline in Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
  
• Joshua M. Patton reports that it may be a while until we see a new season of Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution, because animation is extremely time-intensive. 
  
• Justin Knoll reports that director Travis Knight is now attached to the Masters of the Universe live action movie, which has been in development hell for decades.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars in general:

• Sydney Sumpter discusses how often indigenous people save the day in Star Wars.
• James Whitbrook interviews Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau, producers of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. 
• Ben Travis interviews Ian McDiarmid, who played Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars saga. 
• Ben Travis interviews Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars saga.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general:

• Galactic Journey revisits the 1969 Star Trek episode "The Lights of Zetar".
  
• Avery Kaplan shares seven romantic Star Trek episodes.
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future:  

• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1969 Doctor Who serial "The Seeds of Death".
• Rich Pelley and readers of The Guardian interview David Tennant, star of Doctor Who, Good Omens, Broadchurch and many others.
  

 

Comments on the new Quantum Leap:

• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Quantum Leap. 
  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett and Ernie Hudson, stars of the new Quantum Leap.

 

Comments on Madame Web:

• Benjamin Lee calls Madame Web a tangled mess.
• Manuel Betancourt calls Madame Web a laughable affair and a mess. 
• Hoai-Tran Bui calls Madame Web embarrassing for everyone involved
  
• Germain Lussier declares that Madame Web is not the worst comic book movie of all time, but that it isn't good. 
• Hannah Rose declares that Madame Web at least manages to tell a coherent story that stands alone. 
• Germain Lussier shares the worst thing about Madame Web.
  
• Brian Davids interviews Isabela Merced, star of Madame Webb, Superman: Legacy and The Last of Us.

 

Comments on Lisa Frankenstein:

• Olivia Rutigliano calls Lisa Frankenstein a charming horror comedy. 
• Haley Zapal calls Lisa Frankenstein a black horror comedy with an impressive retro vibe.
  

Comments on season 2 of Halo:

• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Halo.
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on episode 2 of season 2 of Halo.
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on episode 3 of season 2 of Halo. 
  

 

Comments on the shelving of Coyote vs. Acme: 

• Drew Taylor reports that Warner Bros will shelve and delete the already completed Coyote vs. Acme movie as a tax write-off after all and rejected offers by various studios and streaming services to buy it. 
• Anthony d'Alessandro shares criticisms of Warner Bros refusing to sell Coyote vs. Acme to another studio or streaming service.
  

 

Awards:

• The recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Skylark and Gaughan Awards have been announced.
  
• The shortlist for the 2024 Subjective Kind of Chaos Awards has been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2024 Compton Crook Awards have been announced.
  
• The recipient of the 2024 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award has been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 DGA Awards have been announced.
• Chris M. Barkley and Jason Sanford share a report regarding leaked e-mails about how the 2023 Hugo Award committee censored the finalist list to preemptively comply with perceived Chinese issues. 
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Lincoln Michel shares the first and best writing advice he ever received. 
• Martin Edwards talks about finishing a novel.
  
• Austin Conrad shares tips for sourcing cover art on a budget.
• Charlie Jane Anders shares tips for building your online "brand" without burning out.
  
• Jack Simpson that the popularity of Sarah J. Maas' books has led to higher than projected profits for her publisher Bloomsbury.
  
• Khaled Hosseini speaks out about book bans in the US.
  
• Chloe Mac Donnell reports that younger readers of the so-called Gen Z prefer physical books and libraries. 
• Andrew Albanese shares an update on the lawsuit brought by several authors against OpenAI for copyright infringement. 
• Robin Progrebin reports that the 130-year-old bookstore Vroman's in Pasadena, California, is for sale.
  
• Take a virtual tour of Vortex Books and Comics in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
  

 

Interviews:

• Scott Edelman interviews Jo Miles.
  
• Fabienne Schwizer interviews Lee Mandelo.
• Rita Bullwinkel interviews Venita Blackburn.
  

 

Reviews:

• Alexandra Pierce reviews Chaos Terminal by Mur Lafferty 
• Marion Deeds reviews  The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
• Alex Brown reviews The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
  
• Alasdair Stuart reviews Swordheart by T. Kingfisher. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher 
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews  The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green  
• Carrie Chi Lough reviews The Beautiful Harpies by Cameron Scott Kirk 
• Rob Bedford reviews Godkiller by Hannah Kaner. 
• Fabienne Schwizer reviews Tonight, I Burn by Katharine J. Adams
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
  
• Fiona Denton reviews The Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. Beaulieu
• Liz Bourke reviews All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter 
• Fiona Denton reviews The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter 
• John Mauro reviews The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence
  
• Mark Yon reviews An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson. 
  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Glass Box by J. Michael Straczynski 
• Warner Holme reviews The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar 
  
• Sam Lubell reviews The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord
  
• Haley Zapal reviews Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase  
• Raven Crime Reads reviews The Descent by Paul E. Hardisty. 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Descent by Paul E. Hardisty. 
  
• Daniel Haeusser reviews The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Jezero by Allen Stroud 
• Sarah Crown reviews Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi 
  
• Alex Brown reviews A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert 
• James Smart reviews Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews What Hides in The Cupboards by Cassondra Windwalker
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Those Who Dwell in Modernhyrst Hall by Catherine Cavendish 
• Bill Capossere reviews Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi
  
• Niall Harrison reviews Nordic Visions, edited by Margrét Helgadóttir 
• Ann Michelle Harris reviews Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology, edited by Wole Talabi.  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 15 edited by Ellen Datlow
  
• Fletcher Vredenburgh reviews Neither Beg Nor Yield, edited by Jason M. Waltz
• Richard Fisher reviews issue 1 of Rakehell.
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Bobby Derie revisits the 1923 horror poem “A Dracula of the Hills” by Amy Lowell 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1939 Ki-Gor adventure story “Ki-Gor and the Secret Legions of Simba” by John Peter Drummond. 
• Sam Reader revisits the 1943 horror story “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” by Robert Bloch
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1954 science fiction novel They’d Rather Be Right by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley 
• Young People Read Old SFF revisit the 1965 science fiction story ​“Balanced Ecology” by James H. Schmitz.
  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the March 1969 issue of Galaxy.
  
• Ken Lizzi revisits the 1969 sword and sorcery novel Kandar by Kenneth Bulmer. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1973 science fiction collection What’s Become of Screwloose? and Other Inquiries by Ron Goulart. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1985 fantasy novel The Misenchanted Sword by Lawrence Watt-Evans
  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 2012 urban fantasy novel Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire.
  
  

Con and event reports:

• Montréal, Quebec, Canada, has announced a bid for the 2027 Worldcon. 
• Astronomer Professor Catherine Heymans has been named as a special guest at the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland,
  
• Emma Alpern reports about the release party for House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas at the Barnes & Noble store on Union Square in New York City.
• Sabina Graves shares the latest news from various US based theme parks.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine is looking for funding for its next two issues.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Cory Doctorow talks about the enshittification of the Internet and what can be done to stop it.
  
• Taylor Nicioli reports that the first passages from scrolls found in Herculaneum have been deciphered.
• Andrew Corpley reports that Wollemi pine tress, believed to have been extinct for two million years, have been rediscovered in Australia.
  
  

Gaming: 

• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games
• Japanese game designer Yoshitaka Murayama died aged 54.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins King Grayskull. 
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Creations Skeletor and Skilled Skeleton two-pack.
• Dad-at-Arms reviews the Mattel Creations Skeletor and Skilled Skeleton two-pack.
• Pixel Dan reviews the 9 to 5 Warriors action figures.
  
• Yesterdaze revisits the 1980s toyline Golden Girl and the Guardians of the Gemstones. 
• James Whitbrook wonders what would have happened if the Kenner Star Wars toyline had kept going in 1985.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga" by Mari Ness in Lightspeed.
• "Scarlett" by Everdeen Mason in Lightspeed.
  
• "Diamonds in the Darkness" by Matthew X. Gomez in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "The Rug-Maker and the Wonder Collector" by Emily McIntyre in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Hiyannet" by Phoenix Alexander in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "You, the Listener, on a Heavenly Trip" by Françoise Harvey in The Dark.
• "When No One Has to Say Goodbye" by Elisabeth Ring in Apex Magazine.
• "First Girls" by Jessica Luke García in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "Country Birds" by Kij Johnson in The Sunday Morning Transport.
  
• "The Peregrine Falcon Flies West" by Yang Wanqing, translated by Jay Zhang, in Clarkesworld.
• "Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid In the Omelas Hole" by Isabel J. Kim in Clarkesworld.
• "The Strangeness of the Day" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine. 
• Watch a trailer for X-Men '97.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Fall Guy. 
• Watch a trailer for IF. 
• Watch another trailer for IF. 
• Watch a trailer for Damsel.
  
• Watch a trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. 
• Watch a trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire 
  
• Watch a trailer for Wicked. 
• Watch a trailer for Twisters.
  
• Watch a trailer for Knuckles.
• Watch a trailer for Sasquatch Sunset.
  
• Watch a trailer for Tuesday.