Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for May 17, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general, Masters of the Universe in general, Doctor Who past, present and future, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace at 25 and Star Wars in general,, X-Men '97 and X-Men in general, IF, Furiosa, Megalopolis, The Strangers: Chapter 1, season 4 of Evil, season 2 of Outer Range, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Planet of the Apes in general, season 2 of Interview with the Vampire, tributes to Roger Corman, Brandon Lee and Shirley Conran and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares a round-up of recent science fiction, fantasy and horror novels. 
• Molly Odintz shares recent gothic thrillers.
  
• Alex Brown shares their most anticipated YA science fiction, fantasy and horror for May and June 2024
  
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for April 2024. 
• Jonathan Russell Clark attempts to explain why people like time travel stories. 
• Esme Addison shares three great time travel books for people who don't like science fiction.
  
• Bruce Sterling talks about utopian realism.
  
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories featuring experiments with unexpected outcomes
  
• Carmella Lowkis shares eight haunting ghost stories. 
• Jenny Hamilton talks about fairy tale retellings in the age of romantasy.
  
• Rachel Ayers shares her favourite fairy tale retellings.
  
• Joshua Tyler shares his appreciation for the Liaden Universe novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. 
• Aberdeen Livingstone discusses what Station Eleven and All the Light We Cannot See reveal about art and loneliness 
  
• Dave Hook digs up some background information on Elma Wentz, a little known SFF writer who collaborated with Robert A. Heinlein on one story. 
• Stephanie Burt profiles Joanna Russ.
  
• David Beer reports that J.G. Ballard was experimenting with computer generated poetry in the 1970s, decades before ChatGPT.
• Jonathan Thornton discusses the fantastic elements in the works of A.S. Bryatt. 
  
• Another lost story by Terry Pratchett has been found. 
• Alice Munro, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, has died aged 92.
  
• British writer Shirley Conran, best known for her novel Lace, has died aged 91.
• Veronica Horwell shares an obituary of Shirley Conran.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews The Savage Sword of Conan #1 by John Arcudi, Jim Zub and Max von Fafner 
• Robin Marx reviews The Savage Sword of Conan #2 Jim Zub, Richard Pace and Patch Zircher 
  
• Alex Puncekar reviews When the Blood Has Dried #2 by Gary Moloney and Daniel Romero
• Cartoonist Elena Steiner has died aged 66.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Matt Donato calls Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever a horror sequel that explores hereditary trauma from Denmark.
  
• Cath Clarke calls Breathe a solidly acted but underwhelming post-apocalyptic thriller 
• Phil Hoad calls The Coffee Table an audacious and sharp horror comedy. 
• Brian D. Bradley shares his thoughts on the series premiere of Dark Matter.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Beacon 23. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Reginald the Vampire.
  
• Michaele Jordan shares her thoughts on the Chinese historical fantasy film The YinYang Master
  
• Andy Meek shares Neil DeGrasse Tyson's favourite science fiction movies.
  
• Alexander Valentino shares six science fiction movie staples that are scientifically impossible.
• Veronica Esposito interviews Jane Schoenbrun, director and writer of I Saw the TV Glow.
  
• Anthony D'Alessandro interviews the cast and creators of Fallout. 
• Ryan Gajewski interviews Stephen Sommers, director of the 1999 adventure movie The Mummy. 
• Michael Segalov interviews several stunt performers.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode “The War Prayer” 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1997 The X-Files episode “El Mundo Gira” 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1997 virtual reality thriller Open Your Eyes.
  
• Marion Deeds revisits season 1 of the 2004 TV series Lost.
  
• Jon Man talks about the musical heritage of Hammer Films.
  
• Andrew Webster argues that Apple Plus is the best streaming service for SFF fans.
• Germain Lussier notes that the title for Marvel's Agatha Harkness show has now changed four times. 

 

Comments on Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general:

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Labyrinths", the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Labyrinths" 
• Avery Kaplan shares her thoughts on "Labyrinths"  
• Ryan Britt interviews Mary Wiseman who plays Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek Discovery.
• io9 interviews Sonequa Martin-Green who plays Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery.
  
• Chris Snellgrove feels that the final season of Star Trek Discovery is too predictable and episodic, likely due to the showrunners listening to fan demands.  
• Avery Kaplan lists Star Trek's worst first contacts.
  
• Kris Vyas-Myall takes a look at British Star Trek comics of 1969.
  
• Stacy Perman reports about a legal battle over a long lost model of the USS Enterprise that appeared in the opening credits of the original Star Trek.
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on "Space Babies" and "The Devil’s Chord", the first two episodes of series 14 of Doctor Who. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Space Babies" and "The Devil’s Chord"
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Space Babies" and "The Devil’s Chord" 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "Space Babies" and "The Devil’s Chord"   
• Richard Unwin, Beth Axford, Janelle McCurdy, Francis Beveridge and George Norohna share their thoughts on "Space Babies" and "The Devil’s Chord"
  
• Jack Dunn shares a look behind the scenes of "Space Babies", the series 14 premiere of Doctor Who.
• Ryan Britt and Hoai-Tran Bui report about a throwaway line in "Space Babies" that hints that Star Trek exists in a part of the Doctor Who universe, hinting at a possible crossover. 
• Joel Golby praises the performance of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.  
• Cameron K. McEwan interviews Russel T. Davies, showrunner of Doctor Who.
  
• James Whitbrook interviews Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, who play the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Tuesday in Doctor Who.
• Eleanor Doyle and Manish Pandey interview Jinx Monsoon who plays Maestro in the Doctor Who episode "The Devil's Chord". 
• Emily Murray reports how Russell T. Davies criticising the lowkey nature of LGBTQ representation in Loki led to him befriending showrunner Kate Herron and to Herron writing an episode of series 14 of Doctor Who.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Dad-at-Arms interviews Tim Sheridan, Ted Biaselli and Rob David, co-writers of the Masters of the Universe Revolution prequel comic series. 
• For Eternia interviews Tim Sheridan, Ted Biaselli and Rob David
• Collier Jennings reviews Masters of the Universe Revolution #1 by Tim Sheridan, Rob David, Ted Biaselli and Daniel HDR.
  
• The Battle Ram Blog shares some quick facts about the character of Man-at-Arms in Masters of the Universe.
  

 

Comments on X-Men '97 and X-Men in general: 

• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of X-Men '97.
• James Whitbrook also discusses a revelation about the character of Morph in X-Men '97. 
• Matt Patches interviews J.P. Karliak who voices Morph in X-Men '97.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars: The Phantom Menace at 25 and Star Wars in general: 

• Jesse Hassenger revisits the 1999 Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace for its twenty-fifth anniversary.
  
• Jarrod Jones explains how George Lucas' love for car racing influenced his movies, including the Star Wars films.
  
• Matt Goldberg points out that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace has two different fandoms, those who watched the movie when it first came out and those who discovered it later via the various animated series.
• Jamie Jirak interviews Ahmed Best who played Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy and Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian.
  

 

Comments on Furiosa:

• Peter Bradshaw calls Furiosa an immersive and spectacular prequel and praises the performances of Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth.  
• Germain Lussier declares that Furiosa is every bit the Mad Max masterpiece you're hoping for 
• io9 interviews George Miller, director of the Mad Max movies and Furiosa. 
  

 

Comments on IF: 

• Adrian Horton calls IF a sweet, if a little messy, tale of imaginary friends reconnecting with the grown-ups who once bid them goodbye 
• Anna McCibbin calls IF an unimaginative take on children’s imaginations 
  
• Germain Lussier calls IF an absolute disaster.
  

 

Comments on Megalopolis: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Megalopolis megabloated and megaboring
• Jason Gorber calls Megalopolis a magical, meandering, maddening epic 
• Sabina Graves shares early reactions of Megalopolis.
  
• Steve Rose chronicles Francis Ford Coppola's struggle to make Megalopolis.  
• Watch a trailer for Megalopolis.  

 

Comments on season 4 of Evil:

• Saloni Gajjar calls season 4 of Evil a spooky, kooky, rousing farewell 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that season 4 of Evil reminds us that horror TV can be smart, clever and dripping with doom
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Outer Range:

• Tom Philip calls season 2 of Outer Range a plodding time travel series. 
• Brian D. Bradley shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Outer Range.
• Audrey Kearns shares her thoughts on episode 2 of season 2 of Outer Range.

 

Comments on The Strangers, Chapter 1: 

• Benjamin Lee calls The Strangers: Chapter 1 an unnecessary horror retread 
• Matt Schimkowitz finds The Strangers: Chapter 1 a little too familiar
  

 

 Comments on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Planet of the Apes in general:

• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 
  
• Germain Lussier discusses the ending of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. 
• Jesse Hassenger explains how Planet of the Apes became Hollywood’s most resilient franchise
  
• Jesse Hassenger notes that the Planet of the Apes prequel movie series looks forward to an uncertain future.
• Germain Lussier interviews Wes Ball, director of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
  
• Brian Davids interviews Freya Allan who plays Mae in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Erik Winquist, visual effects supervisor for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Interview with the Vampire:

• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Interview with the Vampire.
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Interview with the Vampire.
• Noetta Harjo shares her thoughts on the season 2 premiere of Interview with the Vampire. 

 

Tributes to Roger Corman:

• Celebrated B-movie writer, director and producer Roger Corman has died aged 98. 
• Richard Natale and Jim Gray share an obituary for Roger Corman.  
• Ronald Bergan shares an obituary for Roger Corman.
  
• Peter Bradshaw shares a tribute to Roger Corman.
  
• Justin Carter remember Rogar Corman. 
• Steve Vertlieb remembers Roger Corman.
  
• Greg Whitmore shares photos from Roger Corman's lengthy career.
  

 

 Tributes to Brandon Lee:

• David Smith recalls the night that Brandon Lee was fatally shot on the ste of The Crow in 1994.
• Ann Lee interviews Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee and sister of Brandon Lee, about losing her father and brother at such an early age.
  

 

Awards:

• The shortlist for the 2024 Arthur C. Clarke Award has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2024 Sir Julius Vogel Awards have been announced. 
• The winners and finalists for the 2024 Premio Vegetti have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2024 Tähtivaeltaja Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Tomorrow Prize and Green Feather Award have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2024 Eisner Awards have been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2024 Stella Prize has been announced.
• The winners of the 2024 Minnesota Book Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Bafta TV Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Peabody Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Quirino Awards have been announced.
  
• The 2024 World Video Game Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. 
• Adri Joy and Joe Sherry discuss the 2024 Hugo finalists. 
• James Davis Nicoll ranks science fiction awards according to their suitability as weapons.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Terry Wolverton talks about craft, fiction and identity
• Elle Marr talks about mining personal experiences for writing inspiration
• Ella Creamer offers an overview of the online book world.
  

 

Interviews:

• Lisa Allardice interviews Kaliane Bradley.
• Locus interviews Malka Older. 
• Adam McPhee interviews Matt Holder. 
• Off On a Tangent interviews Robert J. Sawyer.
  
• Marissa van Uden interviews Kanishk Tantia
  

 

Reviews:

• Mark Yon reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 
  
• The Quick and the Read reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 
• Marion Deeds reviews Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes 
• Molly Templeton reviews Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson 
• Paul Weimer reviews Blade by Linda Nagata 
  
• Russell Letson reviews Blade by Linda Nagata
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell
  
• John Mauro reviews Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Five Furry Familiars by Lynn Cahoon and tries a recipe from the book.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown  
  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Dreams of Fire by Shauna Lawless  
• Ann Michelle Harris reviews So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole 
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel 
• Alex Brown reviews Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo 
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo 
• Alex Brown reviews Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Dry Lands by Elizabeth Anne Martins 
• Alex Brown reviews Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Meet Me At The Surface by Jodie Matthews
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat by Camille Gomera-Tavarez 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon 
• Aigner Loren Wilson reviews Ours by Phillip B. Williams
  
• Rob Bedford reviews The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Human Resources by Fiona Moore.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Greatest Hits by Harlan Ellison 
• Ian Mond reviews Power to Yield by Bogi Takács
  
• Richard Fisher reviews Neither Beg Nor Yield, edited by Jason M. Waltz.  
• C.T. Phipps reviews Fallout: A Tale of Mutation by Erwan Lafleuriel
     
  

Classics reviews:

• Alan Brown revisits the 1956 YA science fiction novel Time for the Stars by Robert A. Heinlein 
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1960 science fiction collection The Worlds of Clifford Simak by Clifford D. Simak 
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1967 science fiction story “Flies” by Robert Silverberg
  
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the June 1969 issue of Fantastic. 
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1969 post-apocalyptic novel The Hieros Gamos of Sam and An Smith by Josephine Saxton, Gideon Marcus revisits the 1969 science fiction novel None But Man by Gordon R. Dickson, Brian Collins revisits the 1969 science fiction collection News from Elsewhere by Edmund Cooper, Jason Sacks revisits the 1969 science fiction novel The Sky is Filled with Ships by Richard C. Meredith, Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1969 science fiction novel The Four-Gated City, by Doris Lessing, Cora Buhlert revisits the 1969 thriller Zero Cool by John Lange a.k.a. Michael Crichton and Joe Martin revisits the 1969 technothriller The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. 
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1970 science fiction collection A Pride of Monsters by James H. Schmitz  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1971 gothic thriller Message from a Ghost by Marilyn Ross a.k.a. William Ross.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1972 dystopian novel 334 by Thomas M. Disch
  
• Ken Lizzi revisits the 1974 historical fantasy novel A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Anderson. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1985 fantasy story "The Jaguar Hunter" by Lucius Shepard.
  
• John Mauro revisits the 1994 magical realist novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1995 YA horror novels Dark Moon by Diane Hoh and Bad Moonlight by R.L. Stine.
   
  

Con and event reports:

• Thom Wall reports about the 2024 Norwescon in Seattle, Washington.
• Watch a video of the lecture "Furries, Neurodivergence, and STEM" at the University of California in Berkeley, California. 
• Patricia Battle reports that the character of Tinker Bell has been removed from "meet and greet" events at the various Disney Parks due to being suddenly considered controversial.  
• Sabina Graves explains how to best ride the new Tiana's Bayou Adventure log flume ride at the US Disney Parks.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Sarah Scoles talks about the potential for asteroid mining. 
• Sumeet Kulkarni reports that the exo-planet 55 Cancri has been found to have an atmosphere.
  
• Roxanne Hoorn reports about the Dark Watchers, mysterious humanoid figures seen in the Californian mountains.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Ali Jones reviews Hades 2.
  
• Jamal Michel reports about Evan Narcisse, who tries to make video games less white.
• Gideon Marcus reports about the wargame Up Against the Wall, Motherfucker!, which was inspired by the 1968 protests at Columbia University in new York City.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Still a Big Kid reviews the Mattel Turtles of Grayskull Leonardo action figure.
  
• Cat Eldridge reviews the Funko Rock Candy Lady Thor figure
• Camille Alexa reviews the Folkmanis Sea Serpent Puppet
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Lego Lord of the Rings Barad-Dûr set.
• James Whitbrook looks back on the weird Jar Jar Binks merchandise that came out in 1999 in the wake of the release of The Phantom Menace.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video" by Thomas Ha in Clarkesworld. 
• "In Which Caruth is Correct" by Carolyn Zhao in Clarkesworld.
  
• "The Bequest" by Sandra Unerman in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "Solve This One, Mrs. Miller" by Carlie St. George in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Happily Ever After Comes Round" by Sarah Rees Brennan in Uncanny Magazine
• "Exit Interview" by Ben Peek in Lightspeed. 
• "The Last Thing They See Is Laika" by Stephen Geigen-Miller in Lightspeed. 
  
• "In Thin Air" by Phoenix Alexander in The Dark.
• "Fated" by Mary Anne Mohanraj in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "To Catch the Dragon’s Eye" by Lyndon Perry.
• "Clay Feet" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
   

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of House of the Dragon.
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of The Rings of Power. 
• Watch a trailer for Dune: Prophecy.  
• Watch a trailer for Ultraman Rising.
  
• Watch a trailer for Nightmares and Daydreams.
• Watch a trailer for Never Let Go.
  
• Watch a trailer for Wicked.