Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for June 28, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Doctor Who past, present and future, Star Wars: The Acolyte and Star Wars in general, Masters of the Universe in general. Dark Matter, season 2 of House of the Dragon, season 4 of The Boys, season 2 of Interview with the Vampire, Supacell, A Quiet Place: Day One, Orphan Blacl. Echoes, Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials, Inside Out 2, tributes to Donald Sutherland and Taylor Wily and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• James Davis Nicoll lists five SFF works featuring nameless protagonists.
  
• Verlyn Flieger explains how J.R.R. Tolkien shaped modern fantasy. 
• Valentin D. Ivanov and Cristian Tamaș talk about science fiction in Bulgaria and Romania. 
• Éva Vancsó talks about contemporary Hungarian SFF
  
• Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl explain how to support women who write and create horor. 
  
• Emily Gould reports about the new trend of minotaur romance. 
  
• Alec Pollak profiles Joanna Russ.
• Open Culture takes a look at Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein's work during World War II. 
• Sylas K. Barrett talks about the character of Padan Fein from The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson and his parallels to Gollum from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. 
• Molly Templeton talks about the joy of reading books you don't entirely understand.
  
• SFWA remembers John Maddox Roberts.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Gabe Hernandez reviews Wonder Woman #10 by Tom King and Daniel Sampere.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits issue No. 2 of The Savage Sword of Conan from 1974.
• Gordon Jackson shares an overview of Aquaman's villains.
  
• Paul Morton shares a tribute to comic writer and historian Peter B. Gillis, who died aged 71.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Sarah Welch-Larson talks about Furiosa and the struggle for personhood
• Mark Roth-Whitworth shares his thoughts on Godzilla Minus One.
  
• Alex Wallace calls Tuesday a heavy, peculiar, odd and unsettling film 
• Matt Donato calls The Devil's Bath a gloomy slow-burn horror film. 
• Benjamin Lee calls The Exorcism a cursed horror film about a cursed horror film.
  
• Peter Bradshaw calls MaXXXine a horribly watchable Hollywood tale of sex, death, fear and gore  
• Ann Michelle Harris calls Ultraman Rising enjoyable, angsty, trope-filled, family-friendly cuteness.
  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Lazarus Project. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Reginald the Vampire.
  
• Cath Clarke calls Eternal You an unsettling documentary about people using AI simulations of dead loved ones to deal with their grief.
  
• Ben Child declares that Alien: Romulus could be the back-to-basics Alien reboot we’ve all been waiting for
• Max Gao interviews Jared Padalecki, star of Walker and Supernatural. 
  
• Emine Saner interviews Anthony Michael Hall, star of Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Edward Scissorhands, The Dead Zone, Trigger Warning, Reacher and others. 
• Rebecca Sun interviews Lee Isaac Chung, director of Twisters. 
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 1922 vampire movie Nosferatu
  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1988 cyberpunk anime Akira.
  
• Justin Carter revisits the 1989 Batman movie. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode "By Any Means Necessary".
• Joshua M. Patton revisits the 1994 animated movie The Lion King. 
• Justin Carter revisits the 2009 science fiction movie Transformers: Revemge of the Fallen and the 2014 science fiction movie Transformers: Age of Extinction. 
• Leah Thomas revisits the 2010 anime The Tatami Galaxy. 
  
• Lisa Haasbroek ranks her ten favourite Steampunk movies. 
• Lorna Wallace lists five movies which creatively adapt Arthurian legend. 
• Dani Aguiano reports that the film and TV crew union IATSE has reached a tentative deal with the Hollywood studios to avert another strike.  
  
• Canadian director Erik Canuel, best known for Bon Cop, Bad Cop, Transplant, Ransom, Flashpoint and The Hunger, has died aged 63.
  
• Actor and surfer Tamayo Perry, best known for his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hawaii Five-O and Blue Crush, has died in a shark attack aged 49. 
• Actor Tony Lo Bianco, best known for his appearances in French Connection, God Told Me To and The Honeymoon Killers, has died aged 87.
• Actor Bill Cobbs, who appeared in The Bodyguard, New Jack City, Demolition Man, Night at the Museum, Cotton Club and many others, has died aged 90. 
  

  

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future: 

• Martin Belam shares his thoughts on "Empire of Death", the season finale of Doctor Who. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on "Empire of Death" 
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Empire of Death"
• Ed Power shares his thoughts on "Empire of Death" 
• Vicky Jessop shares her thoughts on "Empire of Death" 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Empire of Death"  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Empire of Death"  
• Leila Latif praises the performance of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.
  
• James Whitbrook ranks the appearances of Susan Twist in Doctor Who.
• Sarah Barrett lists ten Doctor Who characters who deserved better fates.
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1969 Doctor Who serial "The War Games".
  

 

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

• Haley Zapal shares her thoughts on "Day", episode 4 of The Acolyte. 
• Rachel Leishman shares her thoughts on "Night", episode 5 of The Acolyte. 
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Night".
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Night".
  
• Dalton Ross interviews Leslye Headland, showrunner of The Acolyte. 
• Dalton Ross interviews Dafne Keen who plays Jecki Lon in The Acolyte. 
• James Whitbrook discusses the fighting style of the villain The Stranger in The Acolyte.
  
• James Whitbrook shares some background on Cortosis, the rare metal which shorts out lightsabres as seen in The Acolyte.
  
• Thomas Bacon reports that the Star Wars fansite Wookiepedia has become the target of harrassment after changing the age of Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi in response to an appearance of the character in The Acolyte.
• Rachel Ulatowski reports that clickbait YouTube channels are spreading unsubstantiated rumours that Amandla Stenberg, who plays Osha and Mae in The Acolyte, has been fired by Disney.
  
• Paul Tassi reports that The Acolyte has accumulated more audience reviews in three weeks than three seasons of The Mandalorian in five years, providing clear evidence of review bombing.  
  

 

Comments on season 2 of House of the Dragon: 

• Tom Huddleston shares his thoughts on "Rhaenyra the Cruel”, episode 2 of season 2 of House of the Dragon.
• Kayleigh Dray shares her thoughts on “Rhaenyra the Cruel”.
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on “Rhaenyra the Cruel”. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Rhaenyra the Cruel”. 
• Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on "Rhaenyra the Cruel” 
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Olivia Cooke who plays Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon. 
• Hollie Richardson wonders why House of the Dragon is so painfully dull. 
• Michelle Jaworski notes that everybody dislikes the character of Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Todd Luck reviews issue 2 of the Masters of the Universe Revolution prequel comic by Ted Biaselli, Rob David, Tim Sheridan and Daniel HDR 
• The Nerd Initiative reviews issue 2 of the Masters of the Universe Revolution prequel comic by Ted Biaselli, Rob David, Tim Sheridan and Daniel HDR 
  
• James Eatock revisits the 1984 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "The Shadow of Skeletor".
• James Eatock revisits the 1986 She-Ra: Princess of Power episode "Sweet Bee's Home". 
  
• James Eatock shares some background on the battle axe Skeletor wields in some early episodes of the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.
• James Eatock reveals what Battle Cat looked like under the mask in the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon.
• The Battle Ram Blog shares some quick facts about the Masters of the Universe character Beast-Man. 
  

 

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.  
• Elizabeth Minkel wonders why Interview with the Vampire, though very good and beloved by its fans, isn't more popular.
• Tenacity Plys compared the Interview with the Vampire TV-series to the eponymous novel and explains how the series uses the discrepancies to its advantage.  
• Gordon Jackson reports that Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for season 3 and will adapt Anne Rice's novel The Vampire Lestat.
  

 

Comments on season 4 of The Boys:

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of The Boys. 
  
• James Poniewozik discusses how The Boys portrays fascism coming to the US. 
• Alex Abad-Santos notes that many right wing viewers have been missing the point of The Boys all along.
  
• Eric Spitznagel interviews Valorie Curry who plays Firecracker in The Boys.
• Melody McCune takes a look at the fake movies and TV-shows announced in the latest episode of The Boys.
  

 

Comments on Supacell:

• Leila Latif calls Supacell an absolute riot.
  
• Daniel Fienberg declares that Supacell is a superhero drama with potential despite its familiarity
• Ellen E. Jones interviews Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu, creator of Supacell. 
  

 

Comments on Dark Matter: 

• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Dark Matter.
• Brian D. Bradley shares his thoughts on the season finale of Dark Matter.
  

 

Comments on Orphan Black: Echoes:

• Ann Michelle Harris calls Orphan Back Echoes not as clever as the original series but entertaining enough to pass the time when you need an adventure.  
• Aramide Tinubu declares that Orphan Black: Echoes lacks the audacity of the original 
• Saloni Gajjar calls Orphan Black: Echoes a sequel series that falls short of the original.
  
• Emma Stefansky calls Orphan Black: Echoes the rare brilliant spin-off series 
  
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the series premiere of Orphan Black: Echoes. 
  
• Brian Davids interviews Krysten Ritter, star of Orphan Black: Echoes, Jessica Jones and Breaking Bad.
• Ayomikun Adekaiyero interviews Anna Fishko, showrunner of Orphan Black: Echoes.
  

 

Comments on A Quiet Place: Day One:

• Peter Bradshaw calls A Quiet Place: Day One an efficient and familiar horror prequel.
  
• Jesse Hassenger calls A Quiet Place: Day One a low-key, character-centric horror movie.
• Germain Lussier calls A Quiet Place: Day One a well-intentioned misfire 
  

 

Comments on Inside Out 2: 

• Victoria Davis interviews Rebecca McVeigh and Maurissa Horwitz, story artist and lead editor for Inside Out 2. 
  
• Catherine Shoard reports that Inside Out 2 becomes biggest film of the year on second week of release
  

 

Comments on Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials:

• Lucy Mangan declares that the misogyny on display in the documentary Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials will make you want to smash furniture
  
• Coco Khan interviews Suranne Jones, star of Vigil and Scott and Bailey and director of the documentary Investigating Witch Trials. 

 

Tributes to Donald Sutherland:

• Ronald Bergan shares an obituary for Donald Sutherland. 
• The Guardian shares tributes to Donald Sutherland from co-stars, directors and other film industry professionals.
  
• Mike Barnes and Duane Byrge remember Donald Sutherland.
• Cheryl Eddy lists ten memorable science fiction, fantasy and horror roles of Donald Sutherland.
  

 

Tributes to Taylor Wily:

• Actor Taylor Wily, best known for playing Kamekona in Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I. and MacGuyver, has died aged 56. 
• Mary Kate Carr remembers Taylor Wily.

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2024 Locus Awards have been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2024 ESFS Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2024 Phantastikpreis der Stadt Wetzlar has been announced. 
  
• The winners of the 2024 Colorado Book Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medals have been announced
• The shortlist for the 2024 Diana Jones Awards has been announced. 
• Kyle Eve shares some Hugo Award predictions.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Caitlin Shetterly discusses different ways writers get in the mood to write.
  
• A.A. Chaudhuri talks about the importance of strong characterisation  
• Deborah Copaken explains how to prevent Meta from stealing your data to train their AI systems. 
  
• Ashley Belanger reports that the Internet Archive will be required to remove 500000 books following a lawsuit brought forwards by several publishing companies.
  
• David Barnett introduces some of his favourite independent bookstores in the UK.
• Aida Edemariam discusses the important role that British libraries fulfil for their communities.
  

 

Interviews:

• Jeffe Kennedy interviews Susan Cooper. 
• Fabienne Schwizer interviews Jenn Lyons.
  
• Scott Edelman interviews Elwin Cotman.
• Tim Niederriter interviews Alasdair Stuart. 
• Fabienne Schwizer interviews O.O. Sangoyomi
  

 

Reviews:

• Bidisha Mamata reviews The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 
  
• Carrie Chi Lough reviews Ninth Life by Stark Holborn
• Liz Bourke reviews Road to Ruin by Hana Lee 
• Chris Kluwe reviews Road to Ruin by Hana Lee 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Ghost of the Neon God by T.R. Napper 
  
• Aaron Jones reviews Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee 
  
• Fabienne Schwizer reviews When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits by Ben Berman Ghan 
• Suzi Feay reviews The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks 
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Emergency Skin by N. K. Jemisin  
• Alex Brown reviews The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa 
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Man Who Saw Seconds by Alexander Boldizar 
  
• Ian Mond reviews Mood Swings by Frankie Barnet 
• Martin Cahill reviews The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews We Speak Through The Mountain by Premee Mohamed
  
• John Mauro reviews Gates of Sorrow by J.E. Hannaford 
• Kristy Wang reviews Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Daughter's War by Christopher Buehlman
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo 
• Fantasy Book Cafe reviews The Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
  
• Adrienne Martini Reviews Lyorn by Steven Brust
• Frank Cottrell-Boyce reviews Ghost Mountain by Rónán Hession 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer 
• Paula Guran reviews The Proper Thing and Other Stories by Seanan McGuire
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Year’s Top Hard Science Fiction Stories 8, edited by Allan Kaster
  
• Bill Capossere reviews Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic by Tabitah Stanmore  
     
  

Classics reviews:

• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1885 post-apocalyptic novel After London by Richard Jefferies 
• Elif Shafak revisits the 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1951 science fiction story “Pictures Don’t Lie” by Katherine MacLean
• Alan Brown revisits the 1955 YA science fiction novel Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein. 
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 1967 post-apocalyptic novel Termush by Sven Holm, translated by Sylvia Clayton
  
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1969 science fiction novel Galactic Pot Healer by Philip K. Dick 
• Mark Yon shares his thoughts on the July 1969 issue of New Worlds.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1980 urban fantasy novel The Orphan by Robert Stallman 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1984 science fiction novel The Tides of Time by John Brunner
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1988 science fiction novel Nick and the Glimmung by Philip K. Dick
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1990 Earthsea fantasy novel Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin   
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1992 YA horror novel Goodnight Kiss and its 1996 sequel Goodnight Kiss 2 by R.L. Stine.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 2000 horror story “In Shock” by Joyce Carol Oates
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 2004 dystopian novella Tiger Chair by Max Brooks.
   
  

Crowdfunding:

• Silent Spaces, a Lady Astronaut short story collection by Mary Robinette Kowal, is looking for funding.
  
• The Disappearances of Lydia Fountayne, a surrealist audio drama by Foxbot Media, is looking for funding.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Alan Fleming shares his experiences at the 2024 Funcon in Buxton, UK.
• Octothorpe discuss the financials of Levitation, the 2024 Eastercon, as well as the 2024 Funcon in Buxton, UK, and the 2024 UK Games Expo in Birmingham, UK.  
• Aaron the Toyenhancer reports about the 2024 JoeFest toy convention in Augusta, Georgia.
• Mike Glyer shares an update on the Worldcon bid for Brisbane, Australia, in 2028.
• The virtual 2024 SpiralCon announces C.L. Werner as their guest of honour. 
• Activist Tom Jeffreys celebrates that British literary festivals and cultural events have lost funding, because Jeffreys and his fellow activists have moral issues with the investment firm Baillie Gifford.
  
• La Voce di New York reports that fairy doors have been popping up all over Brooklyn Heights, New York City.
• Sabina Graves reports about a visit to Dreamworks Land at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida, and her experience eating a Shrek themed pretzel.  
• Sabina Graves reports that the two Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Florida, and Hollywood, California, will both be receiving a Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire themed haunted house this Halloween season.
  
• Neda Ulaby explains how to grow a goth garden.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Cassie Morris reports that T Coronae Borealis, a binary star system three thousand lightyears away, is about to go nova.  
• Ling Xin reports that the Chinese Chang’e-6 capsule has landed in Inner Mongolia with rock samples from the far side of the Moon on board.
  
• Mark Kaufman reports that scientists have discovered how old Jupiter's great red spot really is. 
• Henri Barde explains why he is skeptical of space-based solar power. 
• Joe Hernandez reports that a family in Florida is sueing NASA after a piece of space debris crashed into their home.
  
• Mark Harris shares some background on the implosion of OceanGate's Titan submarine in 2023, killing all aboard.
• Annalee Newitz points out that the most troubling part of the hacking of the cheating site Ashley Madison in 2015 is that the entire site was a scam, where men flirted with chatbots pretending to be women.
  
• Robert Lloyd shares a brief history of Bedlam hospital.  
• Jem Aswad reports that major record labels have sued the AI music services Suno and Udio for copyright infringement.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Lewis Gordon reviews the video game Still Wakes the Deep 
  
• Katherine Monahan reports about a boardgame designed to help people in at risk communities prepare for wildfires.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Toy Habits reviews the Super 7 Thundercats Ultimates Toy Variant Jaga. 
• Toy Habits reviews the Super 7 Thundercats Ultimates Toy Variant Grune the Destroyer.
• Denise Dutton reviews the Folkmanis Baby Dutch Rabbit Puppet
• Sabina Graves shares a look at the Mattel Jurassic World Hammond Collection Bubbles Up Jimmy Buffett figure 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at two upcoming Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Lego sets. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Hasbro Star Wars Black Series The Stranger electronic helmet.
  
• The Battle Ram Blog revisits the Mattel New Adventures of He-Man Doomcopter vehicle from 1991.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Testimony of an Encounter with the Death-Mage, Taken at the Canal Village of Po-Endenn" by Stephen Case in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Institute of Harmony" by J.C. Snow in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "The Dinomancers Dance" by Ng Yi-Sheng in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Warning Notes from an Annihilator Machine" by Oyedotun Damilola Muees in Lightspeed. 
• "The Weight of Salt" by Shanna Germain in Lightspeed- 
  
• "Pilgrims of the Swamp Waste" by Benjamin Sartison in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "Off Track" by Luc Diamant in Clarkesworld.
• "The Big Easy" by Joanne Rixon in Strange Horizons. 
• "Rose Loaded Gun" by Akis Linardos in Wyldblood. 
• "Telemetry" by Guy Lingham in Wyldblood.
  
• "The Sea-Change" by Sara Omer in The Dark.
• "The Jukebox Man" by Natalia Theodoridou in Apex Magazine. 
• "Penis Secrets of the Anunnaki" by Sonya Taaffe in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "The Colors of Money" by Nisi Shawl in Reactor.
  
• "Pasi Pemvura" by Valerie Chatindo in Omenana.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Nosferatu.
• Watch a trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Hit Monkey.
  
• Watch a trailer for Red One.  
• Watch a trailer for Heretic.