Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 7, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the series finale of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general, Masters of the Universe in general, Doctor Who past, present and future, Star Wars: The Acolyte and Star Wars in general,, Godzilla Minus One, Lumberjack the Monster, season 2 of House of the Dragon, The Watchers, season 2 of Interview with the Vampire, the investment firm Baillie Gifford cancelling sponsorships of several UK literary festivals in response to protests and pressure groups, tributes to William Russell and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy lists 45 new science fiction, fantasy and horror novels coming out in June. 
• Reactor lists all the new science fiction books coming out in June. 
  
• Reactor lists all the new fantasy books coming out in June. 
• Reactor lists all the new YA SFF books coming out in June. 
  
• Gabino Iglesias recommends recent horror novels.
• Ratika Deshpande shares six surprisingly hopeful stories about the end of the world.
  
• Charlie Jane Anders shares three science fiction stories that reveal the truth about meritocracy 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five very good cats in science fiction and fantasy. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five very good cat people in science fiction and fantasy.
  
• Kathryn Schulz ranks fantastic creatures by their plausibility. 
• Erika Robuck discusses the fascination of anti-heroes.  
• Matthew Ward explains why he loves redemption arcs.
  
• Charlie Higson wonders how to update James Bond for the twenty-first century.
  
• Robert P. Crease reports that Ursula K. Le Guin popularised the concept of Schrödinger's cat in a 1972 short story. 
• Bethanne Patrick takes a tour of Harlan Ellison's unique home in Sherman Oaks, California.
  
• Leisha Chi-Santorelli reports that James Patterson is finishing Michael Crichton's unfinished novel Eruption.
  
• Carly Tagen-Dye reports that Idaho high school graduate Annabelle Jenkins handed the superintendent of her school district a copy of the graphic novel adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, after superintendent banned the book from school libraries in his district.
  
• Writer and artist MaryAnn Harris, wife of Charles de Lint, has died aged 71.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews Conan the Barbarian #11 by Jim Zub and Roberto De La Torre
• Paperback Warrior revisits issue No. 1 of The Savage Sword of Conan from 1974.
  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about book censorship.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Amy Nicholson calls the animated film Robot Dreams a silent wonder that says everything about love. 
• Lucy Mangan calls The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live a spin-of that offers nothing new.
• Brent Simon calls Handling The Undead a moody Norwegian zombie tale that is sad and not much else
  
• Phuong Le calls Deep Sea a dazzling psychedelic animated film. 
• Emma Keates calls Tuesday a tonal mess, flitting between horror, humor and absurdity
  
• J.R. Forasteros finds parallels between the horror movies Immaculate and The First Omen and links them to the US debate about abortion and birth control.
  
• Judith Tarr shares her thoughts on the fantasy monster film Chupa. 
• Brian D. Bradley shares his thoughts about the latest episode of Dark Matter. 
• Leah Thomas shares her favourite urban fantasy animes.
  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1927 dystopian science fiction film Metropolis.
  
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1936 space opera serial Flash Gordon.
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1975 horror musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show 
  
• Scott Tobias revisits tthe 1984 adventure film Indiana Jones and tthe Temple of Doom for its fortieth anniversary. 
• Craig D. Lindsey revisits the 1984 neo-noir fantasy musical Streets of Fire and praises its soundtrack. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1986 nuclear war animated movie Where the Wind Blows.
  
• Paul Weimer revisits the 1988 cyberpunk anime film Akira.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode "Deathwalker". 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1999 science fiction film The Matrix for its twenty-fifth anniversary.
  
• Lauren Collee revisits the 2004 disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow.  
• Vinnie Mancuso interviews Tom Hiddleston, best known for playing Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  
• Jackie Strause interviews Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror.
• Emine Saner interviews Diane Lane, star of Streets on Fire, Cotton Club, The Full Monty, Rumble Fish and many others. 
• io9 interviews Tom Pelphrey, one of the stars of Outer Range. 
• Xan Brooks interviews Griffin Dunne, who appeared in An American Werewolf in London, Who's That Girl?, Me and Him, After Hours and many other and who is also the brother of actress Dominique Dunne who was murdered by her boyfriend iu 1982.
  
• Mark Kermode praises the work of David Cronenberg. 
  
• Joshua Rivera reports that the animated science fiction show Scavengers Reign is getting a new lease on life at Netflix after its cancellation by HBO Max.
  
• Actor and film producer Zack Norman, who starred in Romancing the Stone and produced and starred in Chief Zabu among many others, has died aged 83.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general:

• Camestros Felapton bids farewell to Star Trek Discovery and takes a look back on the series as a whole.
  
• James Whitbrook discusses the epilogue of the Star Trek Discovery series finale.
• Avery Kaplan compares the eight Star Trek series finales to date.
  

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on "Dot and Bubble", the latest episode of Doctor Who.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "Dot and Bubble"
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Dot and Bubble"
  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Dot and Bubble". 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Dot and Bubble".  
• io9 interviews Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, who play the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who.
  
• William Russell, best known for playing First Doctor companion Ian Chesterton in Doctor Who, has died aged 99. 
• James Whitbrook remembers William Russell. 
• Yasmin Rufo remembers William Russell. 

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Mega Jay Retro and Brick Something discuss whether a live action Masters of the Universe film is a good idea.
• The Battle Ram Blog shares some quick facts about Skeletor.
• The Battle Ram Blog shares some quick facts about He-Man in a two part video. 
• Dad-at-Arms interviews Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams II, writer and artist of the upcoming Turtles of Grayskull Masters of the Universe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comic.
• Dad-at-Arms interviews Shane Minshew, head of production at Powerhouse Animation who produced Masters of the Universe Revelation and Revolution.
  

 

Comments on Star Wars: The Acolyte and Star Wars in general: 

• Manuel Betancourt calls The Acolyte a thrilling show that breathes new life into Star Wars tropes 
• James Whitbrook declares that The Acolyte features great characters and an intriguing mystery and raises compelling questions. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin calls the two-part premiere of The Acolyte captivating for all the right reasons. 
• Graeme Virtue calls The Acolyte thrilling and fresh,. 
• James Whitbrook notes that the true mystery in The Acolyte is not the murder which sets things off nor the identity of the killer. 
• James Whitbrook shares his praise for the character of Yord Famdar in The Acolyte.
  
• James Whitbrook is fascinated by the chair droids seen in The Acolyte.
  
• Daniel Deisinger shares some little known facts about the original Star Wars trilogy.
  

 

Comments on Godzilla Minus One:

• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on Godzilla Minus One. 
  
• Jesse Hassenger reports that Godzilla Minus One has become a monster hit for Netflix.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of House of the Dragon: 

• Cheryl Eddy interviews Ryan Condal, showrunner of House of the Dragon.
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Steve Touissaint, who plays Lord Corlys Velaryon, and Bethany Antonia, who plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon.  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Ewan Mitchell who plays Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
  

 

Comments on Lumberjack the Monster:

• Peter Bradshaw calls Lumberjack the Monster an explosion of horror strangeness from a master of the art
• Stuart Heritage complains that Netflix put out the Japanese horror film Lumberjack the Monster with barely any notice.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Interview with the Vampire:

• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Interview with the Vampire.
• Sabina Graves shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Interview with the Vampire.
• Noetta Harjo shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Interview with the Vampire. 

 

Comments on The Watchers:

• Sabina Graves calls The Watchers a satisfyingly eerie slow-burn horror film.
  
• Katie Rife calls The Watchers a wobbly horror debut.
• Sabina Graves interviews Ishana Shyamalan and Georgina Campbell, director and star of The Watchers. 
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2024 Kurd Laßwitz Preise have been announced.
• The winners of the 2024 Seiun Awards have been announced. 
  
• The finalists for the 2024 Mythopoeic Awards have been announced.
• The winner of the 2024 Chautauqua Prize has been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2024 Śląkfa Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Maine Literary Awards have been announced. 
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Kanishk Tantia talks about using culture as more than just set dressing. 
  
• Lincoln Michel discusses MFA programs. 
• Jason Sanford weighs in on the bankruptcy of the Romance Writers of America.
  
• Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter report that the US retailer Costco will only stock books during the holiday season, citing too much work stocking them.
  
• Lucy Knight reports that according to a recent study, children and teenagers in the UK and Ireland are reading fewer and "less challenging" books.
  

 

 Interviews:

• Locus interviews M.R. Carey. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Suyi Davies Okungbowa. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Tobias S. Buckell and Dave Klecha
• Paul Marshall interviews Rachael K. Jones.
  
• Sarah Gailey interviews Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Faith Schaffer.
• Jason Ray Carney interviews Matt Holder. 
• Hannah Zeavin interviews China Mieville.
  
• Adam's Notes interviews Shelley Puhak.
  

 

Reviews:

• Marion Deeds reviews Translation State by Ann Leckie
• Maura Krause reviews Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead
• Archita Mittra reviews Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
• Mark Yon reviews Seeker by Samuel Griffin. 
• Liz Bourke reviews The Silverblood Promise by James Logan 
• Maura Krause reviews Saint-Seducing Gold by Brittany N. Williams.
  
• Esme Rosalyne reviews Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland 
• Lis Carey reviews On the Fox Roads by Nghi Vo.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang  
• Adrian Collins reviews The Fire Within Them by Matthew Ward
  
• Esme Rosalyne reviews Riven Earth by Zammar Ahmer 
• Colleen Mondor reviews River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta 
  
• Gayle Surrette reviews Bitter Waters by Vivian Shaw 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Book of Perilous Dishes by Doina Ruşti, translated by James Christian Brown.  
  
• Aunt Agatha's reviews Same Difference by E.J. Copperman.  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton  
• Adrian Collins reviews Tears of Raphaela by Richard Swan
  
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews A Mourning Coat by Alex Jeffers  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Lost In The Garden by Adam S. Leslie
  
• Phoebe Wagner reviews We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull 
  
• Carrie Chi Lough reviews The Devising by Jacob Sannox 
• Maura Krause reviews The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller.
• Runalomg the Shelves reviews To The Stars and Back - Stories in Honour of Eric Brown, edited by Ian Whates
  
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews The Climate Action Almanac, edited by Joey Eschrich and Ed Finn 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Cunning Folk: Life In The Era of Practical Magic by Tabitha Stanmore
     
  

Classics reviews:

• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1826 post-apocalyptic novel The Last Man by Mary Shelley.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1952 science fiction novel Planet of the Damned by Jack Vance
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1967 science fiction story “Riders of the Purple Wage” by Philip José Farmer.
• David Levinson revisits the July 1969 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction. 
• John Boston revisits the July 1969 issue of Amazing.
  
• Erika Frank revisits the science fiction stories published in Playboy in 1969.
  
• Alex Wallace revisits the 1971 alternate history The Glory of the Empire by Jean d'Ormesson.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1975 Joe Karns science fiction mystery Now You See It/Him/Them…  by Robert Coulson and Gene DeWeese 
• B.D. McClay revisits the 1979 non-fiction collection The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy by Ursula K. Le Guin. 
• Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth revisit the 1983 horror novel Pet Sematary by Stephen King.
• Sam Reader revisits the 1987 horror anthology The Dark Descent, edited by David G. Hartwell.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2003 collection Night Lives: Nine Stories of the Dark Fantastic by Phyllis and Alex Eisenstein
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 2010 science fiction story “The Jaguar House, in Shadow” by Aliette de Bodard 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 2010 generation ship novel Chill by Elizabeth Bear
   
  

Crowdfunding:

• Hugo finalist Marshall Ryan Maresca needs some help to attend the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer reports that the Worldcon bid for Brisbane in Australia for 2028 is active again. 
• The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival in Vancouver, Canada, has apologised for banning Israeli writer and artist Miriam Libicki following pressure by Palestinian pressure groups.
  
• James Tapper and David Barnett report that the future of several literary festivals in the UK is in question, after protesters complained about the sponsor, investment firm Baillie Gifford.
• Lucy Knight reports that two more UK literary festivals, the Cheltenham literature festival and the Borders book festival, have cut ties with Baillie Gifford in response to protests and pressure. 
• Lucy Knight reports that Baillie Gifford have cancelled all remaining festival sponsorships in response to the attacks on their company. 
  
• Martha Gill points out that book festivals are easy targets for protesters and pressure groups, leading them to shoot themselves in the foot by rejecting sponsorship money. 
• Sabina Graves reports that there will be an A Quiet Place themed haunted houe attraction at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, for Halloween 2024.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Simone McCarthy reports that China’s Chang’e-6 probe has successfully landed on far side of the moon 
  
• Jackie Wattles, Ashley Strickland and Maureen Chowdhury reports that Boeing have successfully launched their Starliner spacecraft with astronauts aboard for the first time.
• Alexandra Witze reports how NASA astronauts are training to walk on the Moon.
  
• Keith Cooper wonders whether potential Dyson spheres spotted by telescopes are really just dusty quasars. 
• Gunnar de Winter talks about the science of sleeping and dreaming, 
• Jonathan Cowie discusses how technology is causing a pandemic of myopia among children.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Final Fantasy VII Rebirth by Square Enix's Creative Business Unit 1
• Arturo Serrano reviews the tabletop roleplaying game Girl by Moonlight by Andrew Gillis. 
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• For Eternia reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Collector vehicle.
  
• Mega Jay Retro reviews the Super 7 Ultimates Silverhawks vac-metalized Quicksilver action figure.
• Still a Big Kid reviews the McFarlane Super Powers Blue Beetle action figure
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at some new Lego Minecraft sets aimed at adults. 
• Germain Lussier ranks different Han Solo in Carbonite figures.
  
• Cheryl Eddy reports that a hand-painted prototype of the 1979 rocket firing Boba Fett action figure by Kenner, which was never released, has sold at auction for more than half a million US-dollar, making it the most valuable toy of all time.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Discordant Factions" by Howard Andrew Jones in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly.
• "Our Chatbots Said "I Love You," Shall We Meet?" by Caroline M. Yoachim in Clarkesworld.
  
• "Twenty-Four Hours" by H.H. Pak in Clarkesworld.
• "The Waking Sleep of a Seething Wound" by Dave Ring in Lightspeed. 
• "Sparrow and the Parasol" by Varsha Dinesh in Lightspeed.
  
• "The High Cost of Heat" by Kelly Robson in The Sunday Morning Transport. 
• "Breathing Constellations" by Rich Larson in Reactor. 
  
• "Sleeping Arrangements" by R.T. Ester in Interzone Digital.
• "The Abandoned" by Jack Klausner in The Dark.
• "Mammoth" by Manish Melwani in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "New Beginnings" by Trisha Simone in Omenana.
• "Amelia Pillar’s Etiquette for the Space Traveler" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
   

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft 
  
• Watch a trailer for Venom: The Last Dance.
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Snowpiercer.
• Watch a trailer for Alien: Romulus.
  
• Watch a trailer for WondLa. 
• Watch a trailer for The Devil's Bath. 
• Watch a trailer for The Vourdalak.
• Watch a trailer for Oddity. 
• Watch a trailer for MaXXXine. 
• Watch a trailer for She Loved Blossoms More