Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 4, 2024

 

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 in general, Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Transformers One, season 2 of The Rings of Power, The Legend of Vox Machina, Megalopolis, Hold Your Breath, Lock Back, The Penguin, Joker: Folie a Deux, The Wild Robot, Dan Da Dan, Salem's Lot, Terrifier 3, The Substance, It's What's Inside, Apartment 7A, House of Soils, V/H/S Bayond, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Star Wars Rebels at ten and Star Wars in general, tributes to Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in October.
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books coming out in October 2024.
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books coming out in October 2024. 
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books coming out in October 2024. 
  
• Natalie Zutter shares her favourite scince fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in October 2024.
  
• Writers of the Scientific American share their favourite science fiction books. 
• Gabino Iglesias shares his favourite recent horror novels.
  
• Sasha Karsavina talks about current science fiction in China. 
• Charlie Jane Anders wonders where genres come from. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five strategies SFF books have used to remove parents as potential obstacles to teenage adventures.
  
• Wen-yi Lee declares that the gothic as a genre is about the skeletons in the family’s closet. 
• Kay Chronister shares five SFF books featuring horrific family inheritances  
• Kelley Armstrong shares seven great haunted house novels written by women. 
• Kimberly Brock talks about the hinterland dreams of the gothic novel.
  
• Erin Britton shares five spooky mysteries to enjoy for Halloween. 
  
• Jacquie Walters talks about the healing power of horror. 
• Keith Donohue talks about the inspiration behind his fantasy mystery The Girl in the Bog.  
• Olivia Rutigliano wonders if Robert Louis Stevenson based The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on the real life murder case of  Eugène Chantrelle who murdered his wife Elizabeth in 1877.
  
• Jason Sheehan chronicles the difficulties of getting the science fiction anthology The Last Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison published.
  
• Jesus Jimenenz reports about the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman. 
• S.E. Lindberg shares tributes to the late Janet Morris.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Justin Carter interviews Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, the creative team behind Absolute Wonder Woman. 
• James Whitbrook interviews Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, the creative team behind Absolute Batman.
  
• Paperback Warrior profiles comic book and men's adventure fiction writer Jon Messman.
• Julie Sharp reports that Batman has become the first superhero to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  
• Rich Johnston reports that Marvel and DC have lost their jointly held trademark on the term "super hero".
  

 

Film and TV:

• Erin Underwood asks if Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a magical sequel or a missed opportunity. 
  
• Nathan Rubin calls Argylle an overplotted spy story. 
• Leslie Felperin calls Hellboy: The Crooked Man a sputtering mess that even a metric ton of makeup can’t conceal
  
• Catherine Bray declares that the horror movie Inherit the Witch looks like an amateur theatre group doing a murder mystery party in an Airbnb. 
• Matthew Jackson calls Heretic a terrifically tense horror movie and praises the performance of Hugh Grant. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Things Will Be Different an uncanny-realist time travel movie
  
• Leah Thomas calls Natsume’s Book of Friends one of the coziest, most comforting anime of all time 
• Catherine Bray calls The Deserving a frustrating horror film that doesn’t have the storytelling heft its premise deserves 
• Anna McKibbin shares her thoughts on the South Korean horror movie Sleep and compares it to Cat People.
  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on the science fiction movies Restore Point and Aporia.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Ark.
  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest season of Unsolved Mysteries.
  
• Stuart Heritage discusses how the joy in streaming TV died.
• Brian Davis interviews Gaten Matarazzo, star of Stranger Things and LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy 
• Michaela Zee interviews Akihiko Yamashita. supervising animator for Howl's Moving Castle.
  
• Audra Heinrichs wonders what happened on the set of Furiosa based on cryptic remarks by star Anya Taylor Joy. 
• Don Kaye shares fifteen TV horror movies from the 1970s. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1926 horror movie The Bells and the 1927 horror movie The Cat and the Canary.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1954 science fiction B-movie Killers From Space and the 1967 science fiction B-movie Mars Needs Women
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1957 monster movie The Black Scorpion and the 1960 monster movie Dinosaurus 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1974 horror comedy Young Frankenstein.
  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1981 dystopian movie Escape From New York.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode “Revelations” 
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 2006 fantasy film The Fall.
• Dan Persons revisits the 2013 Venture Bros episode "Spanakopita".
• Emma Keates reports that several people fainted, threw up or walked out of the premiere of Terrifier 3.
  
• Winston Cho reports that Comcast is sueing Warner Bros Discovery over their refusal to partner on the Harry Potter TV series no one except these two companies seems to want.
• James Whitbrook reports that even more animated series have been removed from Warner Bros' streaming service, including the popular Steven Universe.
  
• Special effects specialist Paul McWilliams has died aged 43. 
  
• Actor Drake Hogestyn, best known for playing John Black in the soap opera Days of Our Lives, has died aged 70. 
• Actor John Amos, best known for his appearances in Die Hard 2, The Beastmaster, Good Times and Roots, has died aged 85.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general: 

• James Eatock reports how some episode titles of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe were altered to appease anti-television pressure groups in the US.
• James Eatock explains how Filmation's suggested episode for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power tried to make sure that the He-Man episode "Origin of the Sorceress", which introduced both the Sword of Protection and the Evil Horde 
  

 

Comments on Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along.
• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along.
• Gordon Jackson shares his thoughts on “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along. 
• Gordon Jackson notes that Agatha All Along is supposedly getting good viewing numbers, but that the viewing data reported by streaming service such as Disney Plus is pretty much useless. 
• Stuart McGurk interviews Elizabeth Olsen, best known for playing Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• Ryan Coleman interviews Samuel L. Jackson who plays Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
  
•  Ben Child wonders if Marvel’s Thunderbolts can avoid the mistakes of DC’s Suicide Squad?

 

Comments on Transformers One:  

• Joe George notes that Transformers One is the pro-labor allegory that the animation industry needs right now.
• Germain Lussier calls Transformers One and The Wild Robot two of the best animated films of the year and notes that they make a great double feature.
  

 

Comments on season 3 of The Legend of Vox Machina:

• Anna Govert declares that The Legend of Vox Machina remains excellent in a romantic and harrowing third season
• Justin Carter interviews the cast of The Legend of Vox Machina 
  

 

Comments on The Rings of Power: 

• Matt Schimkowitz shares his thoughts on “Shadow And Flame”, the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power.
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “Shadow And Flame”, the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Shadow And Flame”, the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power. 
• Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on "Doomed to Die", the previous episode of The Rings of Power.
• Melody McCune interviews Charlie Vickers who plays Sauron in The Rings of Power.
  
• James Whitbrook itnerviews Robert Aramyao who plays Elrond in The Rings of Power. 
• Melody McCune interviews Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Markella Kavenagh who plays Míriel and Nori in The Rings of Power.
  
• James Whitbrook interviews The Rings of Power director Charlotte Brändström and cinematographer Alex Disenhof
  

 

Comments on The Wild Robot: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that The Wild Robot knows the meaning of life, if you’re willing to listen 
  
• Justin Carter reports that The Wild Robot has a better opening weekend than expected.
• Pamela McClintock reports that The Wild Robot took the top spot at the US box office, while Megalopolis bombed. 
  

 

Comments on Megalopolis: 

• Jacob Oller calls Megalopolis a Z-grade vanity project from a grade-A filmmaker 
  
• Leah Schnelbach declares that Megalopolis’ vision of the future offers nothing new
• Haley Zapal calls Megalopolis ambitious, messy, cheesy at times, confusing, breathtaking and weird as hell.
• Kimberly Pierce declares that Megalopolis left her in slack-jawed fascination
  

 

 Comments on Hold Your Breath:

• Benjamin Lee calls Hold Your Breath a scattered 1930s set horror thriller. 
• Natalia Keogan calls Hold Your Breath an eerie but inconsistent 1930s set thriller.
  

 

Comments on Look Back: 

• Isaiah Colbert calls Look Back an instant anime classic 
• Elijah Gonzales declares that Look Back delights in the act of creation.
  

 

Comments on the new Salem's Lot:

• Benjamin Lee declares that the new Salem’s Lot lacks bite
  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Gary Dauberman, director of the new Salem's Lot.
  

 

Comments on It's What's Inside: 

• Natalia Keogan calls It's What's Inside a funny horror whodunnit. 
• Germain Lussier calls It’s What’s Inside a wonderfully messed up science fiction mystery that’s one of the year’s best films
  

 

Comments on The Substance: 

• Adrian Horton asks if The Substance is a brilliant feminist critique or a soulless mess?
• Kyle MacNeill talks about The Substance and movies’ obsession with fictional drugs  
• Inspired by The Substance, Anne Billson ranks movies about the search for eternal youth.
  

 

Comments on Apartment 7A: 

• Kimberly Pierce shares her thoughts on Apartment 7A.
• Lorinda Donovan shares a spoilerish review of Apartment 7A. 
• Brian Davids interviews Natalie Erika James, director of Apartment 7A. 
  

 

Comments on Dan Da Dan:

• Rafael Motomayor calls the anime Dan Da Dan a genre-blending good time 
• James Whitbrook calls Dan Da Dan one of the slickest shows of the year
  

 

Comments on House of Spoils:

• Benjamin Lee calls House of Spoils a goofy horror thriller that offers more for fans of cookery shows than those looking for a scare  
• Jacob Oller declares that House Of Spoils' restaurant horror is more rotten tomato than Michelin star
  
• Watch a trailer for House of Spoils
• Watch a clip from House of Spoils

 

Comments on V/H/S Beyond: 

• Cheryl Eddy calls V/H/S/Beyond pleasingly disturbing
• Leslie Felperin calls V/H/S/Beyond a charmingly ragged lo-fi horror anthology 
• Matthew Jackson declares that V/H/S/Beyond has more of a throughline than normal for an anthology film.   
• Jim Vorel declares that a pivot to science fiction offers limited inspiration for V/H/S/Beyond
  

 

Comments on Joker: Folie à Deux: 

• Germain Lussier calls Joker: Folie à Deux an anti-sequel that pretends to be great, but never is
  
• Jason Gorber declares that in Joker: Folie à Deux, the joke is definitely on you 
• Jim Veyvoda interviews Todd Phillips, director of Joker and Joke: Folie a Deux. 
  

 

Comments on The Penguin: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin.
  

 

Comments on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: 

• Saloni Gajjar declares that the inclusion of Carol breathes new life into The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
• Trent Moore declares that season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is off to a messy, emotional start 
  

 

Comments on Star Wars: Rebels at ten and Star Wars in general: 

• Germain Lussier declares that ten years on, Star Wars: Rebels remains one of Star Wars‘ greatest successes
  
• Rafael Motomayor shares his ten favourite episodes of Star Wars: Rebels.

 

Tributes to Maggie Smith:

• Dame Maggie Smith, star of Gosford Park, the Harry Potter movies, Downton Abbey, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Sister Act, Hook, Room With a View, Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, Murder by Death and many others, has died aged 89.
  
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Maggie Smith.
• Nicholas Hytner remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Mark Lawson remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Michael Palin remembers Maggie Smith
• Mike Newell remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Gareth Neame, producer of Downton Abbey, remembers Maggie Smith.
  
• Ol Parker remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Mary Kate Carr remembers Maggie Smith.
  
• Michael Coveney shares an obituary for Maggie Smith. 
• William Hughes shares tributes to Maggie Smith by several Harry Potter actors.
  
• Olivia Rutigliano remembers Maggie Smith's roles in crime movies and murder mysteries.
  
• Peter Bradshaw ranks his twenty favourite of Maggie Smith's many movies.
  
• The Guardian shares photos from Maggie Smith's lengthy career.
  

 

Tributes to Kris Kristofferson:

• Singer, songwriter and actor Kris Kirstofferson, who appeared in Convoy, A Star Is Born, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Blade, Planet of the Apes and many others, has died aged 88.  
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Kris Kristofferson.
  
• Matt Schimkowitz shares an obituary for Kris Kristofferson.
  
• The Guardian shares photos from Kirs Kristofferson's lengthy career.

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2024 WSFA Small Press Award has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2024 Glass Bell Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Rhysling Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Dwarf Star Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Galaxy Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Ottawa International Animation Festival have been announced.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Joy Kluver talks about the importance of giving characters backstory.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about the different types of writers' block.
  
• Steph Post talks about the magic of bookbinding. 
• Palak Jayswal reports that Brandon Sanderson is planning to open a bookstore in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
  

 

Interviews:

• Dana Jacobson interviews V.E. Schwab. 
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Allen Stroud.
  
• Eric de Roulet interviews Bryn Hammond in two parts.
• Arley Sorg interviews R.S.A. Garcia.
  
• Arley Sorg interviews Indrapramit Das.
  
• The HWA interviews Jessica R. Brynarsky
• The HWA interviews Gerardo Sámano Córdova
  
• Fanbase Press interviews Craig Miller.
  

 

Reviews:

• Paul Weimer reviews Shadow of the Smoking Mountain by Howard Andrew Jones
• John Mauro reviews Deep Black by Miles Cameron
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Infinity Gate by M. R. Carey 
• Maura Krause reviews Toward Eternity by Anton Hur.
  
• Liz Bourke reviews The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris
  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Hammer of the Dogs by Jarret Keene.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews One Life Left by David Green
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi, translated by Jesse Kirkwood 
• T.O. Munro reviews Last Winter Sun by G.R. Matthews
  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews  A Shadow over Haven by David Green
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach 
• Sally Berrow reviews The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling 
• Emma Davis reviews The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne 
  
• Trish Matson reviews The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
  
• Martin Cahill reviews Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud
  
• Molly Templeton reviews Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby.
  
• Alex Brown reviews One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Coup de Grace by Sofia Arjam 
• Rob Bedford reviews Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio
  
• Mary Picken reviews Broken Ghosts by J.D. Oswald
  
• Grab This Book reviews Ghost Story by Elisa Lodato
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker 
  
• Niall Harrison reviews Egypt + 100, edited by Ahmed Naji     
• Randy Money reviews 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1956 Simon Ark supernatural detective story "The Witch is Dead" by Edward D. Hoch.   
• Brian Collins revisits the 1960 science fiction story  “David’s Daddy” by Rosel George Brown
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1963 time travel novella “Some Lapse of Time” by John Brunner 
• Gabino Iglesias revisits the 1967 post-apocalyptic novel Termush by Sven Holm.
  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the October 1969 issue of Analog. 
• David Levinson revisits the November 1969 issue of If: World of Science Fiction.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1975 vampire novel The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1983 science fiction novel The Integral Trees by Larry Niven
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1993 science fiction story “Georgia On My Mind” by Charles Sheffield and the 2007 science fiction story “The Cartesian Theater” by Robert Charles Wilson
  
• Fiona Sturges revisits the 1995 His Dark Materials YA fantasy novel Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 2014 Southern Reach post-apocalyptic novel Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Sword and sorcery author Howard Andrew Jones and his family need help with medical expenses.
• The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is collecting donations to support authors and other book and comic industry people affected by Hurricane Helene.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mari Ness talks about accessibility problems at the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland.
• Mike Glyer reports that Joyce Carol Oates will be a guest of honour at the 2025 StokerCon in Stanford, Connecticut.
• Mike Glyer shares the schedule for the 2024 Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival in Lille, France, and Cologne, Germany, respctively.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Jackie Wattles reports that SpaceX has launched a mission to pick up the astronauts stranded on board of the International Space Station due to the Boeing Starliner failure and return them to Earth. 
• Steven Young reports that SpaceX has grounded its Falcon rockets after an upper stage misfire.
  
• Dave Eggers reports about the search for extraterrestrial life at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  
• Kaye Dee profiles the women of the Apollo program. 
• The Guardian reports that a man in Montana has been sentenced to six months in prison for cloning a giant hybrid sheep for hunting purposes. 
• Michael Greshko reports that underwater robots have discovered the wreck of the WWII era vessel U.S.S. Stewart
• Geoff Brumfiel, Scott Neuman and Camila Domonoske report how Hurricane Helene could impact the US tech industry by hitting the town of Spruce Pines, North Carolina, the sole source of high purity quartz in the US.
• Emma Ross reports about a drama involving WordPress.com, WordPress.org and WP Engine. 
• Kay Chronister discusses the rising interest in and fascination with bogs.
  
• Kris Spisak takes a look at the Baba Yaga mythos.
  
• Laura Sullivan reports about historical markers that mark the sites of alleged UFO sightings and landings.
  

 

Gaming: 

• James Whitbrook reports that the Commander's Rules Committee has been dissolved by Wizards of the Coast following some controversial bans of popular Magic the Gathering cards.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Adam McCombs reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Demo-Man action figure.
  
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Mer-Man action figure.
  
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Hiya Toys Exquisite Super Judge Dredd action figure.
  
• Toy Habits share a look at the prototypes and concept sketches for the new Warriors of the Galaxy toyline from Formo Toys. 
• James Whitbrook shares new Lego sets coming out in October.
  
• Ed's Retro Geek Out assembles a vintage 1986 Mattel Masters of the Universe Eternia playset.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Nine Tenths of the Law" by K.J. Parker in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Black Wine From the Slopes of Dawn" by Rajiv Moté in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "A Space O/pera" by Abby Nicole Yee in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Buried People" by Nigel Brown in Clarkesworld.
  
• "The Apostle" by James Bennett in The Dark.
  
• "Remembered Salt" by E. Catherine Tobler in Apex Magazine.
  
• "Have You Eaten?" by Sarah Gailey in Reactor.
• "Parthenogenesis" by Stephen Graham Jones in Reactor.
  
• "Parasocial" by Monica Byrne in Future Tense. 
• " #000000: From the Permanent Collection" by LeeAnn Perry in Strange Horizons.
  
• "¡Sangronas! Un Lista de Terror" by M. M. Olivas in Uncanny Magazine
  
• "Spaceships in the Desert" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch,
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 6 of What We Do In the Shadows.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Squid Game.
  
• Watch a trailer for Elevation.
• Watch a trailer for Nosferatu. 
• Watch a trailer for Paddington in Peru.
  
• Watch a trailer for Companion.
  
• Watch a trailer for Before.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Franchise.
• Watch a trailer for Carved. 
• Watch a trailer for MADS.
  
• Watch a trailer for American Horror Stories.