Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for November 8, 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, Star Trek Lower Decks and Star Trek in general, season 2 of Arcane, What We Do in the Shadows, The Penguin, The Franchise, allegations against Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, tributes to Greg Hildebrandt and Phil Rickman much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy lists new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in November.
• Natalie Zutter shares new science fiction and fantasy books coming out in November. 
• Publishers Weekly share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror novels of 2024.
• Jo Walton lists SFF books to read when you need an escape. 
  
• Kayla Cottingham shares five SFF books that worldbuild via food and fashion.
  
• Tyler Malone explains why horror needs humor.
• Ratika Deshpande shares five SFF stories about mother/daughter relationships.
  
• Olivia Blacke talks about genre-bending books.  
• Kristen Patterson takes a look at the horse girl archetype. 
• Ella Creamer reports that sales of dystopian novels such as 1984 by George Orwell and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood surged after the US presidential election.
  
• Mystery and fantasy author Phil Rickman has died aged 74. 
• Martin Edwards remembers Phil Rickman. 
  

 

Discussion of the allegations against Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki:

• Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki responds to the allegations by Erin Cairns.
• Jason Sanford responds to Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki's response and also links to the comments of other writers on the issue.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Publishers Weekly share their favourite comics and graphic novels of 2024.
  
• Alasdair Stuart reviews The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor.
• Jason Sacks looks back on the debut of The Fantastic Four in 1961 and the start of the Marvel Universe as we know it today. 
• Steven Heller interviews Cuban artist Edel Rodriguez.
  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the plight of the narrator.
  
• Fantasy and science fiction artist Greg Hildebrandt has died aged 85. 
• Gordon Jackson remembers Greg Hildebrandt. 
  

 

Film and TV:

• Phil Hoad calls Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom an  intriguing fantasy anime  
• Arturo Serrano declares that Nautilus does a disservice to its anticolonial message.
  
• Nathan Rabin declares that nobody emerges from Megalopolis unscathed 
• Natalia Keogan calls Bird a flawed fairy tale.
  
• Phil Hoad calls Pedro Páramo a Mexican magical realist drama full of time slippages and perspective shifts 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and calls the second season of the show mediocre. 
• Emma Davis shares her thoughts on  A Quiet Place: Day One
  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on Never Let Go. 
• Melody McCune shares her appreciation for the character of Juliette Nichols in Silo.
  
• Ryan Gilbey interviews Lucy Lawless, best known for playing Xena: The Warrior Princess.
• Germain Lussier interviews Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, writers and directors of Heretic. 
  
• Fiona Moore revisits the 1967 fantasy comedy Bedazzled.
• James Whitbrook revisits the 1989 animated movie Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode “Soul Mates” 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1996 fantasy movie Loch Ness. 
• Fiona Denton revisits the 2005 dystopian film V for Vendetta.
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2016 dystopian film The Purge: Election Year. 
• Rick Austin lists ten science fiction films that got the future completely wrong. 
  
• Daniel Boyer ranks the ten worst decisions made by characters in horror movies. 
• Ben Child wonders whether potential future instalments of the Alien series will repeat the mistakes of underwhelming past films or learn the right lessons from the success of Alien: Romulus. 
• Jennifer Maas reports that Warner Bros is still not willing to give up on Harry Potter.
  
• Mark Kermode shares his appreciation for the work of film composer John Williams. 
• Emma Keates reports that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is thrilled about the election of Donald Trump, proving once again that he is a horrible person.
  
• Animator and illustrator Emma Calder has died aged 65. 
• Actor Jonathan Haze, best known for his appearances in Little Shop of Horror, The Day the World Ended, Not of This Earth, Monster from the Ocean Floor, The Terror, X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes, Nobody Smiling, 77 Sunset Strip, Dragnet and many others, has died aged 95.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general: 

• Danielle Directo-Meston interviews Alison Brie who has been cast as Evil-Lyn in the planned Masters of the Universe live action movie.
• James Eatock explains how the dragon Warlock from the Filmation cartoon Blackstar later reappeared in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
  

 

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

• Camestros Felapton calls Agatha All Along an enormously entertaining miniseries 
• Asa West declares that Agatha All Along nailed some profound truths about witchcraft
  
• Adam B. Vary interviews Jac Schaeffer, showrunner of Agatha All Along. 
• Brian Davids interviews Jac Schaeffer, showrunner of Agatha All Along. 
  
• Taylor Gates interviews Sasheer Zamata, who plays Jennifer Kale in Agatha All Along.
  
• Alex Brown shares some SFF reading recommendations for the characters of Agatha All Along.
• Chris Snellgrove reports that Kathryn Hahn, who plays Agatha Harkness in Agatha All Along, has received a not entirely serious award for being the first female character to appear nude in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• Clayton Davis reports that Disney has submitted Agatha All Along as an ongoing comedy series rather than a mini-series for awards purposes, suggesting that there might be more seasons.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek in general: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on “A Farewell to Farms”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “A Farewell to Farms”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks.  
• Avery Kaplan shares her thoughts on “A Farewell to Farms”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks.   
• Ryan Britt interviews Gabrielle Ruiz who voices T'Lyn in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
  

 

Comments on season 2 of Arcane: 

• Diana Keng interviews Christian Linke, producer and co-creator of Arcane.   
• Justin Carter interviews Christian Linke.
  
• Isaiah Colbert reports that Arcane is the most expensive animated series ever made. 

 

Comments on What We Do in the Shadows: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of What We Do In the Shadows.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What We Do In the Shadows.

 

Comments on The Penguin: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin.
• Germain Lussier 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 Franchise: 

• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Franchise.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts about the latest episode of The Franchise.
  

 

Godzilla at seventy:

• Fiona Ng chronicles how the original 1954 Godzilla came to the US with some extra scenes shot in Los Angeles and inserted into the movie.
  
• James Whitbrook and Adriano Contreras interviews Takashi Yamazaki, director of Godzilla Minus One.

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2024 Self Published Fantasy Blogoff have been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2024 Prix Julia Verlanger has been announced. 
  
• The winner of the 2024 Prix Utopiales BD has been announced.
• The winners of the 2024 Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival 
  
• The 2024 inductees into the Animation Hall of Fame have been announced.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Charlie Jane Anders tells writers not to beat themselves up over arbitrary wordcount goals. 
• Moira Butterfield tells creators that it's okay to have bad ideas.
  
• Sue Burke talks about the problem of AI-generated submissions flooding SFF magazines.
• Ella Creamer reports that the Dutch publisher Veen Bosch & Keuning wants to use AI to translate a limited number of books into English in what is a terrible idea.  
• Ella Creamer reports that a report by the British National Literacy Trust has discovered a shocking drop in the number of children reading for pleasure. 
• Jay Waagmeester reports that Florida has removed more library books in 2023 than any other state.
  
• Andrew Albanese reports that anti-book-ban activists have won a legal victory in Alaska.
  

 

Interviews:

• Arley Sorg interviews Nalo Hopkinson.
• Kat Kouberti interviews Arkady Martine. 
  
• Kalyani Saxena interviews Alix E. Harrow, Alexis Henderson and Grady Hendrix 
• Runalong the Shelves interviews A.C. Wise.
  
• Paul Weimer interviews K.V. Johansen.
• Doug Gordon interviews Gabino Iglesias. 
• Nick Kolakowski interviews Rob Hart and Alex Segura. 
  
• Christina Orlando interviews Anne de Marcken 
• Kelly Robson interviews Ted Chiang.
  
• Stewart A. Shearer interviews Matthew John.  
• Nick Kolakowski interviews Rob Hart and Alex Segura. 
  
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Kate Macdonald.
  
• Arley Sorg interviews Eliane Boey.
  

 

Reviews:

• Runalong the Shelves reviews Broken Stars by Jeremy Szal
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Constituent Service by John Scalzi 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Buried Memories by Simon R. Green
  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Remember Me Tomorrow by Farah Heron 
• John Mauro reviews The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence 
• Rob Bedford reviews Candle and Crow by Kevin Hearne. 
• Clara Cohen reviews The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H. G. Parry 
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark 
• Rebecca Fisher reviews Ghost Drum by Susan Price 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Speculation by Nisi Shawl 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer
  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Exposure by Ramona Emerson  
• Lis Carey reviews The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Thunder Kraken by Dyrk Ashton and David Estes 
  
• Adrian Collins reviews The Genesis of Change by Livia J. Elliot 
• Ian Mond reviews State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg
  
• Paraic O'Donnell reviews Gliff by Ali Smith 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Drill by Scott R. Jones
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Ancients by John Larison 
• John Mauro reviews The Narrows by Ronald Malfi
• Colleen Mondor reviews Smothermoss by Alisa Alering 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks
  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Killer Delivery by Calum France.
• Mary Picken reviews Night and Day by John Connolly
  
• Sam Tomaino reviews The Last Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison and  J. Michael Straczynski
  
• Niall Harrison reviews Wish I Was Here by M. John Harrison
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Muse from the Orb revisits the 1553 Elizabethan horror novel Beware the Cat by William Baldwin.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1897 horror novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1953 science fiction novel Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1964 post-apocalyptic novel Greybeard by Brian W. Aldiss. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1967 children's fantasy The Secret of the Blue Glass by Tomiko Inui, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
  
• David Levinson revisits the December 1969 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction
• Brian Collins revisits the 1969 science fiction novel Macroscope by Piers Anthony.
  
• Jonathan Rosenbaum revisits the 1973 post-apocalyptic novel Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. 
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1979 fairy tales retelling “Red as Blood” by Tanith Lee 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1985 science fiction novel Child of Fortune by Norman Spinrad
   
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Steve Rose reports about the Trojan Horse Was a Unicorn digital arts festival in Lisbon, Portugal
• Fandom Pulse reports that rightwing science fiction author Richard Fox has allegedly been banned from programming at the 2024 Author Nation convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, for having a freak-out when asked for his pronouns. 
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Writer and editor Lezli Robyn needs help with medical expenses.

 

Science and technology:

• Elisha Sauers reports that NASA has managed to reestablish contact with the Voyager 1 spaceprobe, using a back-up transmitter. 
• The Guardian reports that LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite, has been launched into space.
  
• Eric Berger reports about Blue Origins' New Glenn rocket.
  
• Jennifer Graeser Dornbush answers frequently asked questions about forensic science. 
• Carrie Wise attempts to explain what makes some pieces of music scary.
  

 

Gaming: 

• Warner Holme reviews the Swedish RPG Dragonbane
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Modulok. 
• For Eternia reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse New Eternia Evil-Lyn.
  
• FigureFan Zero reviews the Ultimate Creature From The Black Lagoon action figure by NECA  
• Justin Carter shares a look at some upcoming Godzilla toys from Super 7. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Lord of the Rings "War of the Rohirrim" line of Funko Pops.
• Becca Down shares a look at a new Lego Captain America: Brave New World set. 
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at new Lego sets coming out in November.
• Sean Fallon also offers a look at new Lego sets coming out in November.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Golden Tooth: A Solo Show by Orion Cabrera" by William Alexander in Uncanny Magazine 
• "Cryptid Car Rental" by Allison Pottern in Trollbreath.
  
• "Margeaux Poppins: Monster Hunter" by L. D. Lewis in The Sunday Morning Transport. 
  
• "The Blood-Beast from Hellmouth" by Andrew Darlington in Swords and Heroes.
• "She Sheds Her Skin" by Raven Jakubowski in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "Beyond The Slit Of Eternity" by K. T. Booker in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "On the Existence of Ghosts, As If" by James Van Pelt in The Deadlands.
  
• "Antyesti For a Dead Ganesa, Part 1" by Ashok K. Banker in Lightspeed.
  
• "Babywings" by Isabel Cañas in Lightspeed.
  
• "Lightfingers" by Seán Padraic Birnie in The Dark.
• "Mirror Stages" by Claire Jia-Wen in Clarkesworld. 
• "LuvHome™" by Resa Nelson in Clarkesworld,
  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Skeleton Crew.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Scavenger's Reign, which will likely never be made.
  
• Watch a trailer for Heart Eyes.