Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 30, 2026

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film, the movie toys and Masters of the Universe in general, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general, Sinners, Wonder Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Greg Ketter of Dreamhaven Books versus ICE and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Molly Odintz shares ten speculative mysteries and thrillers to check out in 2026   
• Annalise Ryan talks about monsters, myths and our desire to be scared
• Maria Tureaud talks about turning the trauma of colonialism into horror fiction. 
• Gemma Amor lists entomological horror novels to make your skin crawl 
• Lorna Wallace shares five SFF stories set during a frozen apocalypse 
• Adriane Leigh explains why we are living in the age of the unreliable narrator 
• Louise Perry notes that it's time to ditch Harry Potter. 
• The Times explains how Terry Pratchett’s novels have shed new light on dementia 
• Jason Sanford and Earl Kemp discuss how so many SFF writer came to have a second career writing erotic fiction under pen names.
• Science fiction writer, editor and reviewer James Sallis has died aged 81. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Isaiah Colbert declares that Absolute Batman is the Batman we deserve in 2026  
• Adam Rowe shares his favourite books of vintage science fiction art. 
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1971 comic book New Gods No. 1 by Jack Kirby. 
• Isaiah Colbert wonders about the future of  Dragon Ball after the death of its creator Akira Toriyama 
• Charlotte Beach interviews Katie Dimond, Melissa Scott and Chelsea Scheller who restore vintage posters. 
• Heidi McDonald reports that the latest Amazon layoffs may have shut down what remains of Comixology 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about writing in January. 
• Marvel comic artist Sal Buscema has died aged 89. 
  
  

 

Film and TV: 

• Petrana Radulovic shares all the SFF movies premiering in February 
• Petrana Radulovic shares all the SFF TV-shows premiering in February  
• Arturo Serrano declares that if you had to endure ninety minutes of garbage like Mercy, you’d legalize summary executions too 
• Cath Clarke calls the anime Another World a kaleidoscopic afterlife fairytale with the dark fury of a Greek tragedy 
• Isaiah Colbert declares that Arco is as close to an instant animated classic as it gets 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Rabbit Trap an eerie fairy folk rock horror film. 
• Matt Larkin calls the Indian film Aranyak well worth a watch for those who enjoy gritty mysteries with potential supernatural angles 
• Leslie Felperin calls Witchboard a fun occult thriller 
• Benjamin Lee calls Wicker an inventive but uneven fantasy film. 
• Justin Carter notes that season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen keeps looking so damn good  
• Rai Furniss-Greasley calls the latest incarnation of The Running Man well-paced and visually slick 
• Jacob Oller calls Return To Silent Hill the series' worst film adaptation yet
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Fallout.  
• Justin Carter is happy to see Darth Maul return once again. 
• Lucy Mangan shares her thoughts on the documentary Mission to Space with Francis Bourgeois and wonders whether we really needed to see him be sick in zero gravity? 
• Rich Pelley interviews Nick Frost, star of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block and many others. 
• Michael Hogan lists ten TV characters who died and came back. 
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1971 Doctor Who serial "Terror of the Autons". 
• Leah Thomas revisits the 1982 anime series Magical Princess Minky Momo and why the final episode is believed to be cursed. 
• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 1984 science fiction film The Terminator. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1987 science fiction satire RoboCop. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Between the Darkness and the Light”  
• Yvonne Lime, star of I Was A Teenage Werewolf, High School Hellcats, Speed Crazy, Dragstrip Riot, Father Knows Best and many other has died aged 90.
• Roger Allers, director, storyboard artist and writer for many animated Disney films such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, has died aged 76. 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• The Spirit of Grayskull Podcast shares their thoughts on the Masters of the Universe trailer. 
• Todd Luck shares his thoughts on the Masters of the Universe trailer. 
• Former Filmation writer and storyboard artist Robert Lamb shares his thoughts on the Masters of the Universe trailer. 
• Former brand manager Scott Neitlich shares his thoughts on the Masters of the Universe trailer.  
• Pixel Dan shares his thoughts on the Masters of the Universe trailer. 
• Ben Child laments that the Masters of the Universe movie appears to be taking itself too seriously and once again proves that he has no idea what Masters of the Universe is all about. 
• Wesley Stenzel reports that some far right would-be culture warriors are upset about pronoun gag in the trailer in Masters of the Universe live action movie.
• Marcus Wratten also reports that some far right would-be culture warriors try to stroke an uproar about Adam's pronouns in the Masters of the Universe trailer.  
• James Eatock shares fifty things about Frosta. 

 

Comments on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general: 

• Ann Michelle Harris declares that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy hits the sweet spot for youthful adventure mixed with Gen X cynicism 
• Liz Barr shares her appreciation for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Vox in Excelso”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Vox in Excelso”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Vitus Reflux", the third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.   
• Jeff Spry interviews Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, showrunners of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• Jacob Hall interviews Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau
• Samantha Coley interviews Robert Picardo who plays the Emergency Medical Hologram in Star Trek: Boyager and Starfleet Academy. 
• James Whitbrook shares a brief history of fictional Star Trek sports 
• James Whitbrook revisits the 1996 Star Trek Voyager episode "Threshold", often considered one of the worst episodes of that series and all of Star Trek. 

 

Comments on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: 

• Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on “Hard Salt Beef”, the latest episode of  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “Hard Salt Beef”, the latest episode of  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Ira Parker, showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
• Katie Campione reports that the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has gotten respectable ratings. 

 

Comments on Wonder Man and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Germain Lussier declares that Wonder Man may be Marvel’s best show yet 
• Stephen Robinson calls Wonder Man a mostly pleasant binge with some unexpectedly moving moments 
• Lucy Mangan calls Wonder Man a Marvel TV show with almost no superhero action... and it’s all the better for it 
• Germain Lussier shares nine things he liked and three he didn’t about Wonder Man. 
• Sydney Bucksbaum interviews Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, creators of Wonder Man. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Watch a video of Doctor Doom advertising holidays in Latveria.  

 

Comments on Sinners: 

• Lanre Bakare interviews Delroy Lindo, one of the stars of Sinners.  
• Trevor Hogg interviews Michael Ralla, visual effects supervisor for Sinners. 

 

Comments on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: 

• Alasdair Stuart shares his appreciation for 28 Years Later. The Bone Temple.
• Amy Wild discusses why US cinemagoers are dressing as Jimmy Savile to see 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 

 

Awards:

• The preliminary ballots for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2026 Tähtivaeltaja Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 ALA Youth Media Awards have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2026 Audie Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Bafta Film Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Saturn Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Writers Guild Awards have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2026 Eddie Awards have been announced. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Val McDermid talks about her writing rituals and routines. 
• L.A. Stratton talks about being a crossgenre writer. 
• The Authors Guild share their concerns about the Amazon Kindle’s new “Ask This Book” AI feature
• Mike Glyer reports that a video of Greg Ketter, founder of Dreamhaven Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota, standing amidst teargar clouds and cursing ICE agents after the murder of nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents.  
• Nick Lunemann and Erin Hassanzadeh interview Greg Ketter and report that Dreamhaven Books has seen an uptick of sales after its owner went viral on social media.
• Carson Hartzog also profiles Greg Ketter. 
• Greg Ketter shares a statement about the viral video and his anger at ICE agents murdering Alex Pretti. 
• Claire Kirch reports that both Dreamhaven Books and Comma Bookshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have seen sales spike after they made their opposition to ICE operations in Minneapolis public.  
• Publisher and anti-racism activist Eric Huntley has died aged 96. 

 

Interviews:

• Betsy Aoki interviews Marie Brennan. 
• Michael Coulombe interviews Jendia Gammon. 
• Ali Karim interviews Dean Koontz  
• Locus interviews Michael Kelly.
• Alex Puncekar interviews Johnny Compton. 

 

Reviews: 

• Mark Yon reviews Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Pioneers by Allen Stroud 
• Marlene Harris reviews Boy with Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor 
• John Hertz reviews The Mills of the Gods by Tim Powers.
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Ring the Bells by C.K. McDonnell   
• Alex Brown reviews Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells. 
• Fiona Denton reviews Paralyze by S.K. Putt
• Paul Weimer reviews The Sleep of Empires by David Annandale   
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Envoys of War by Dave Lawson
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Threadlight Series by Zack Argyle 
• Christine D. Baker reviews City of Others by Jared Poon 
• Alex Brown reviews City of Others by Jared Poon  
• Colleen Mondor reviews The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews The Tower of the Tyrant by J. T. Greathouse
• Alexandra Pierce reviews No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan 
• Marlene Harris reviews Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire 
• Jenny Hamilton reviews The Last Vampire by Romina Garber 
• Mahvesh Murad reviews I, Medusa by Ayana Gray 
• Alex Brown reviews An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole 
• Chris Kluwe reviews Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson 
• Bill Capossere reviews Hum by Helen Phillips 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Salvage by Anbara Salam 
• Maya Gittelman reviews The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo 
• Rob Bedford reviews On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield.
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews A Dark Forgetting by Kristen Ciccarelli 
• Ian Mond reviews Song of Spores by Bogi Takács
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Positive Obsession - The Life And Times of Octavia E Butler by Susana M. Morris
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1899 lost world novel The Secret of the Earth by Charles Willing Beale 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1974 apocalyptic novel The Memoirs of a Survivor by Doris Lessing 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1983 Hourse of Kendreth fantasy novel When Voiha Wakes by Joy Chant 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1997 Metropolitan fantasy novel City on Fire by Walter Jon Williams  
• Esmay Rosylne revisits the 2013 science fantasy novel The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
   
  
  

Con and event reports:

• The 2026 European Fan Fund Race to send a fan to Metropolcon in Berlin, Germany, the 2026 Eurocon, is now open. 
• Tom Regan reports about the opening of PokéPark Kanto, a Pokémon theme park in Tokyo, Japan.

 

Crowdfunding:

• Dubious Pleasures, a collection of original short stories of science fiction, fantasy and horror by Greg Cox, is looking for funding.
• Publishing for Minnesota has organised an auction to benefit the people in Minnesota affected by the ongoing ICE raids.  

 

Science and technology:

• Katrina Miller reports that astronomers have announced the discovery of a starless cloud of hydrogen gas, a pristine relic of the cosmos that is almost as old as time itself.
• Robert Lea reports that scientists just got the clearest picture of the dark universe yet
• Stephen Clark interviews former astronaut Kate Rubins about the lunar spacesuits for the upcoming Artemis mission.  
• Patrick McNameeKing remembers teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.  
• Scott Tong and Adam Higginbotham discuss what NASA learned from the Challenger disaster.  
• Kaye Dee shares a round-up of space news from 1971. 
• Yulija Talmazan reports that the earliest known hand-held wooden tools, used by our early human ancestors around 430 000 years ago, have been uncovered at an archeological site in Greece. 
• Ed Simon talks about the legends of the Brazen Head.
  
  

Gaming: 

• Fiona Denton reviews the video game Still Wakes the Deep
• Michael Thomsen talks about V.I.P. programs for phone and online games that keep gamers spending money.
• Salvador Hernandez reports that California has been hit by a wave of Pokémon card thefts and robberies of collectibles stores, 
• Jon Gann and Sarah McCammon report about a surge of interest in Mahjong 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the first few Masters of the Universe movie action figures revealed at Nuremberg Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany.  
• Gerrard Hall shares a look at the first wave of Masters of the Universe Chronicles movie tie-in toys.  
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the first wave of Masters of the Universe Chronicles movie figures. 
• Dade Hayes shares a look at some KPop Demon Hunters dolls and merchandise that was unveiled at Nuremberg Toy Fair. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the new Hot Toys KPop Demon Hunters action figures 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at some new Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets 
• Kimberlee Kruesi reports that Rhode Island is considering removing Mr. Potato Head from licence plates after Hasbro announced that they will be moving their headquarters from Rhode Island to Boston, Massachussetts.

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Skull of Francisco Xalbec" by Alan M. Fisher in The Deadlands. 
• "The Rat Queen" by Dan Maloney in Swords and Sorcerry Magazine.
• "I Met You on the Train" by J.R. Dawson in Uncanny Magazine 
• "The Earth Inside Us" by Abigail Kemske in The Dark.
• "Fingerprints on Glass and Clay" by Fernanda Coutinho Teixeira in Strange Horizons  
• "The Desolate Order of the Head in the Water" by A. W. Prihandita in Clarkesworld. 
• "Space is Deep" by Seth Chambers in Clarkesworld. 
• "A Brief Public Announcement" by Eli Brown in Lightspeed.  
• "The Moving Finger" by Adam-Troy Castro in Lightspeed. 
• "The Egg" by Andy Weir at GalactaNet.
• "Congenital Agenesis of Gender Ideation by K. N. Sirsi and Sandra Botkin" by Cameron Reed in Reactor. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Supergirl. 
• Watch a trailer for the latest attempt to revive The Muppets Show. 
• Watch a trailer for the final season of Outlander. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Paradise.  
• Watch a trailer for Dracula in Space.
• Watch a trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 23, 2026

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Mercy, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general, Pluribus, Fallout, Mother of Flies, Cosmic Princess Kaguya, The Beauty, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the battle for Warner Bros and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Natalie Zutter shares romantasy books coming out in January and February 2026. 
• Ruby Martinez shares five romantasy books with sweet love interests 
• Ken Liu explains why science fiction can’t predict the future (and why that’s a good thing) 
• Sam Reader shares seven works of cyberpunk written before the eighties made it cool  
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror books set in inescapable towns 
• James Davis Nicoll talks about updating public domain books and explains why it's a bad idea. 
• Alex Brown shares must read short speculative fiction for December 2025 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for December 2025.
• Molly Templeton declares that your to-be-read pile might be lying to you

 

Comics and Art:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews "Their Kingdom Come", volume 3 of The Night Eaters, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Demon of Beausoleil by Mariana Costa 
• Markus Helminiak ranks DC's earliest superheroes by importance. 
• Isaiah Colbert shares his appreciation for the dark fantasy manga Centuria by Tohru Kuramori
• Scott Edelman interviews comic creator Don Simpson. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon on difficult New Year’s resolutions 
  
  

 

Film and TV: 

• Arturo Serrano calls The Copenhagen Test a deadly game of stories inside stories, masks behind masks 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox a space-hopping comedy that asks big questions 
• Isaiah Colbert declares that if you’re not watching Frieren, you’re missing out on the best fantasy anime in ages  
• Isaiah Colbert declares that the anime Gnosia is basically the pandemic-era online multiplayer game—but with pretty anime waifus, husbands, an actual alien and a talking dolphin 
• Ryan Gilbey ranks his twenty favourite time loop movies. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1981 science fiction western Outland. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Intersections in Real Time”
• Zoe Williams interviews Sophie Turner, best known for her roles in Game of Thrones, the X-Men movies, Tomb Raider and Steal.
• Lanre Bakare interviews Wunmi Musaku, best known for her roles in Sinners, Loki, Waking the Dead, Passengers, We Own This City and many others. 
• Camestros Felapton takes a look at the Daleks in Doctor Who  
• Camestros Felapton takes a look at the Cybermen in Doctor Who 
• Germain Lussier wonders how often is too often for new Star Wars movies. 
• Ben Child expresses his excitement that Two-Face will appear in an upcoming Batman film. 
• Charlie Jane Anders has some ideas about how to reboot Blake's 7. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Marvel Studios is apparently pleased with the performance of those odd teaser trailers for Avengers: Doomsday. 
• Justin Carter reports that Zootopia 2 is  now the highest-grossing animated film of all time. 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Watch a trailer for the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
• Watch a teaser for the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the teaser trailer for the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the actual trailer for the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action film. 
• Jukka Issakainen reviews Masters of the Universe: The Sword of Flaws No. 3 by Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams II. 

 

Comments on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general: 

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Star Trek meets college drama and a fun but frustrating series 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Beta Test", the second episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Vitus Reflux", the third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Vitus Reflux", the third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• Dylan Roth explains what Star Trek means to him.
• James Whitbrook shares his appreciation for the character of Nahla Ake, played by Holly Hunter, in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• Alexis Solaski interviews Holly Hunter who plays Nahla Ake in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Robert Picardo who plays The Doctor in Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• Lacy Baugher interviews Robert Picardo. 
• Ryan Britt interviews Paul Giamatti who plays Nus Braka in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Gina Yashere who plays Lura Thok in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• David Moye reports that Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller has been soundly mocked for begging William Shatner to save Star Trek from wokeness 
• James Whitbrook is baffled about what precisely is upsetting rightwingers about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 

 

Comments on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: 

• Rhik Samadder calls A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms a glorious grossout comedy and Game of Thrones at its best 
• Tyler Dean calls A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms a delightful buddy comedy.
• Lucy Mangan calls A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms the Game of Thrones we all need now 
• Glen Weldon calls A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Game of Thrones for the haters
• Jarrod Jones declares that A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms kicks off on a delightful and refreshingly modest note 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms kicks off its delightful new Game of Thrones adventure  
• James Whitbrook shares a brief reminder of when in the history of Westeros A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Ira Parker, showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Ira Parker and Peter Claffey who plays Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Bertie Carvel, who plays Baelor Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Daniel Ings who plays Ser Lyonel Baratheon in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 
• Cheryl Eddy interview various castmembers of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 

 

Comments on Mercy: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Mercy an ingenious science fiction legal thriller 
• Jesse Hassenger calls Mercy an unconvincing dystopian noir thriller. 
• Germain Lussier ranks all of Chris Pratt's science fiction movies. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Fallout: 

• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Fallout.  
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Fallout.   
• Justin Carter declares that reception of the new Fallout season is good, but the audience just isn't there on a week-by-week basis. 

 

Comments on Pluribus: 

• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on Pluribus. 
• Christopher Lockett shares his thoughts on Pluribus.  

 

Comments on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: 

• Leah Schnelbach calls 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple wild, brutal and a perfect middle child in the trilogy
• Rory Doherty declares that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple's villain makes an existential struggle for survival blandly literal  
• Matthew Jackson declares that the best scene in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a musical war for symbols
• Matt Schimkowitz declares that the ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple reveals its faith in the humanities 
• Germain Lussier discusses the ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (spoilers). 
• Justin Carter reports that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is off to a decent box office start  

 

 Comments on Cosmic Princess Kaguya!: 

• Cath Clarke calls Cosmic Princess Kaguya! a trippy anime adapted from a Japanese folk tale  
• Elijah Gonzales declares that Cosmic Princess Kaguya! plays the hits, but isn't brave enough to be a lasting classic

 

Comments on The Beauty:  

• Jarrod Jones calls The Beauty a body-horror series with plenty of skin-deep pleasures 
• Lucy Mangan calls The Beauty a body horror series so delicious you could just pass out  

 

Comments on Mother of Flies: 

• Leslie Felperin calls Mother of Flies a menacing folk horror film about a woman attempting to cheat death by strange means 
• Katie Rife declares that Mother of Flies confronts death with heavy-metal style

 

Comments on the bidding war between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros: 

• Justin Carter notes that the fight for Warner Bros. is Paramount’s most embarrassing moment yet  
• Germain Lussier reports that Netflix has announced that they will keep Warner Bros. movies in theaters for forty-five days 

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2026 Oscars have been announced. 
• The finalists for 2026 Golden Reel Awards have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2026 Cinema Audio Society Awards have been announced 
• The finalists for the 2026 Golden Raspberries have been announced. 
• Scott Roxborough points out that the Oscars can’t pretend that anime doesn’t exist anymore 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• David Guterson talks about maintaining an authorial persona... or not
• Kelly Scarborough talks about taking dramatic license in historical fiction 
• Esther Addley asks if listening to an audiobook is as good as reading. 
• Steven D. Brewer explains how to hand-sell books for fun and profit  
• Jason Sanford talks about the evolution of AI book club scams. 
• Ted Gioia talks about the death of the midlist in the 1990s. 
• Sophia Stewart reports that the Tor Publishing Group has announced the creation of a commercial fiction imprint named Wildthorn  
• Tanya Roth discusses the many reason for book bans and pulling books from library shelves.
• Tamilore Oshikaniu reports that the Fairhope public library in Alabama has lost state funding after refusing to move several books, including The Handmaid’s Tale, out of its teen section 
• Claire Kirch reports how bookstores in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, are affected by the increased activity of ICE in the cities, following the murder of Renee Good. 

 

Interviews:

• Ann Leckie and Arkady Martine interview each other. 
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Jim Butcher. 
• Paul Weimer interviews K.V. Johansen
• Locus interviews Kamilah Cole 
• The Queer Words Podcast interviews Heather Rose Jones. 

 

Reviews: 

• Alex Brown reviews The Starseekers by Nicole Glover 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Insurgents by Allen Stroud  
• Ed Crocker reviews The Night Ship by Alex Woodroe 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews A Hole in the Sky by Peter F. Hamilton 
• Bill Capossere reviews Slow Gods by Claire North 
• Paul Weimer reviews This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar  
• Marlene Harris reviews Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher   
• Lesa Holstine reviews Twelve Months by Jim Butcher 
• Kat Hooper reviews Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Village at the Edge of Noon by Darya Bobyleva 
• Tobias Carroll reviews The Village at the Edge of Noon by Darya Bobyleva  
• Lesa Holstine reviews A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa 
• Kate Jackson reviews Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Corin Hayes by G. R. Matthews 
• Niall Harrison reviews Pedro the Vast by Simón López Trujillo 
• Arturo Serrano reviews Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka  
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford  
• Alex Puncekar reviews Splinters of Heaven by Theo Tsirigotis 
• C.T. Phipps reviews Destroying Angels by David Hambling 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal 
• Stew Hotston reviews The Regicide Report by Charlie Stross  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Numbers Game by R.J. Dark 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Who Will You Save? by Gareth L Powell 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Universe Box by Michael Swanwick
• Paul Weimer reviews ECO24: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction, edited by Marissa van Uden. 
• Paula Guran reviews The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Seventeen, edited by Ellen Datlow 
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1965 near-future political thriller.Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1967 time travel novels The Time Tunnel and Timeslip! by Murray Leinster 
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the Winter 1970/71 issue of Worlds of Fantasy 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the February 1971 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction  
• Maureen Hogan revisits the 1971 science fiction novel The Days of Glory by Brian M. Stableford, Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1971 science fiction novel Saltflower by Sydney van Scyoc and Another End by Vincent King, Tonya R. Moore revisits the 1971 science fiction novel Trouble on Project Ceres by Ted White, Winona Menezes revisits the 1971 science fiction novels The Leaves of Time by Neal Barrett, Jr. and To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer and Amber Dubin revisits the 1971 sword and sorcery collection The Traveler in Black by John Brunner
• Gideon Marcus revisits the 1971 science fiction novels Alice's World and No Time for Heroes by Sam L. Lundwall, Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1971 dystopian novel The Sun Grows Cold by Howard Berk and the 1971 historical fantasy novel The Sword of the Golem by Abraham Rothberg and Jason Sacks revisits the 1971 Eternal Champion fantasy novel Phoenix in Obsidian by Michael Moorcock.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1978 essay On Thud and Blunder by Poul Anderson 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1981 science fiction novel The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1986 historical fantasy novel The Iowa Baseball Confederacy by W. P. Kinsella 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1995 YA horror novel The Visitor by Christopher Pike. 
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 2002 science fiction horror novel Night of the Triffids by Simon Clark 
   
  
  

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer reports that the 2028 Worldcon bid for Brisbane, Australia, has unveiled a new indigenous logo.
• Jason W. Ellis shares videos and photos from the Tenth Annual City Tech Science Fiction Symposium on “Image in SF” 
• The 2026 International Philip K. Dick Festival in Fullerton, California, has issued a call for papers. 
• Matthew Gault reports that the 2026 San Diego Comic Con in San Diego, California, has banned AI art, following a pushback from artists. 
• Gary M. Kramer reports about the premiere of the opera The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, composed by Michael Bates, with a libretto by Gene Scheer, adapted from Michael Chabon’s eponymous novel, in New York City.
• James Whitbrook reports how the recent remodelling has completely messed up the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 

 

Crowdfunding:

• Fantasy writer Katherine Kerr needs some help to pay property taxes and insurance.

 

Science and technology:

• Ian Sample reports about the upcoming launch of NASA's Artemis II mission to the orbit of the Moon. 
• Keith Cooper reports that the SETI@home project is investigating the final 100 signals.
• Futura reports that teenager Matteo Paz has stunned scientists by mapping 1.5 million previously unknown space objects 
• Manuela Callari reports that viruses that evolved on the International Space Station and were sent back to Earth were more effective at killing bacteria 
• Stephanie Baum reports that research at Aarhus University in Denmark reveals that complex building blocks of life form spontaneously in space. 
• Kaye Dee profiles NASA engineer Marjorie Townsend. 
• Cory Doctorow promises that AI companies will fail and wonders what can be salvaged from the wreckage 
• EcoNews reports that Africa is slowly splitting in two. 
• L.A. Chandlar talks about the historical implications and fictional possibilities of the Hindenburg disaster 
  
  

Gaming: 

• Joe DelFranco reviews the video games Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Mega Dimensions DLC 
• Keza MacDonald notes that Animal Crossing’s ​new ​update ​has revive​d her interest in the game.
• Justin Carter reports that Games Workshop is finally making female Custodes figures for Warhammer 40000. 
• Liv McMahon reports that Ubisoft has canceled six video games including Prince of Persia and is closing two studios 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Cora Buhlert reviews the Mythic Legions: War of the Aetherblade Attila Leossyr II and Gorgo Aetherblade II Two-Pack from Four Horseman Studios
• D Amazing reviews the Mezco One:12 Collective Doc Savage action figure. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at an upcoming LEGO Legend of Zelda set.
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the Hot Toys Squid Game Player 456 action figure. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at some new It: Welcome to Derry themed Funko Pops.  
• Ben Feuerherd reports about an armed robbery at the Pokémon shop Poké Court shop in Chelsea, New York.  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Great King’s Lost Bride" by R.K. Duncan in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Strike First And Then Give Tongue" by Lalini Shanela Ranaraja in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "The Palanquin" by Rab Foster in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "The Face of the King" by Adrian Tchaikovsky in Grimdark Magazine. 
• "Tomorrow's Beautiful Dream" by Ju Chu, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan, in Clarkesworld. 
• "Rehearsals for the End" by Steve Rasnic Tem in The Dark. 
• "Hunter, Hunter" by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe in Lightspeed.
• "Academic Neutrality" by M.R. Robinson in Lightspeed.  
• "The Very Important Case of Rami and the Rainbow Bird" by Marlene Jo Baquiran in Imagine 2200.  
• "Jennifer’s Daughter" by Sara S. Messenger in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Girl Stuff" by Claire Humphrey in Uncanny Magazine 
• "The Spew" by Jeffrey Ford in Reactor. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Invincible. 
• Watch a trailer for Darth Maul - Shadow Lord.

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 16, 2026

 

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, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Avatar: Fire and Ash,  the series finale of Stranger Things, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general, All You Need Is Kill, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the exceedingly odd advertising campaign for Avengers: Doomsday, the battle for Warner Bros and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares a round of her favourite recent science fiction, fantasy and horror books.  
• Christina Orlando shares thirty SFF books to look forward to in 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in January 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF crossover books arriving in January 2026 
• Tobias Carroll shares can’t miss indie press speculative fiction for January and February 2026 
• Andrew Liptak shares his favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2025 
• Alex Brown shares five underrated speculative anthologies  
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for November 2025. 
• Joanna Kavenna takes a look at SFF books which have predicted current trends. 
• James Davis Nicoll side-eyes science fiction’s love of empires 
• Charlie Jane Anders discovers a mini-trend of books about characters sharing memories with each other. 
• Matthew Byrd discusses the evolution of the cryosleep trope from King Arthur to corpsicles.  
• Lish McBride shares whimsical wintery SFF reads to enjoy. 
• Dimitra Fimi explains how J.R.R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-stories" shaped the thinking of later fantasy writers 
• Keith Roysdon shares his appreciation for the work of Richard Matheson. 
• Adam Kirsch explains that being a reader means cultivating a relationship with the world that, by most standards, can seem pointless and counterproductive. 
• Nathan Masters takes a look at the many science fiction writers, collection and sites in Los Angeles, California. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews Conan the Barbarian #25 by Jim Zub and Alex Horley 
• Frank M. Young talks about the decline and fall of newspaper comics
• The Hiveworks Guild shares a statement on problems with the webcomic publisher Hiveworks Comics
• Justin Carter reports that Ultimate Endgame #1 has potentially become Marvel’s top-selling comic in years due to Robert Downey Jr. contributing a cover.
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about performative reading  
• Cartoonist Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, has died aged 68. 
• Illustrator and cartoonish Dan Moynihan died aged 52.  

 

Film and TV: 

• io9 share their thirty most anticipated SFF films of 2026  
• Isaiah Colbert declares that the animated series Primal is back and as gnarly as ever 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido declares that in The Fantastic Four: First Steps superheroes may save the world, but can't defeat terminal blandness. 
• Jacob Oller calls A Useful Ghost a hilarious and affecting ghost storyfrom Thailand. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Bulk a quirky science fiction film that brings small-budget charm to big questions 
• Leah Thomas declares that the anime Frieren offers timeless life lessons from a tired mage 
• Arturo Serrano declares that the new Anaconda feels like something captured by its titular monster: a regurgitated, half-digested lump that is hard to ignore but much harder to look at. 
• Jacob Oller calls Greenland 2: Migration an arbitrary apocalypse 
• Indrapramit Das talks about Pluribus, generative AI and Imperialism. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Fallout.  
• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on It: Welcome to Derry. 
• Ellen E. Jones and Mark Kermode take a look at the many Stephen King film adaptations.
• Cheryl Eddy looks ahead at horror movies coming out in 2026. 
• Amber Dubin revisits the 1971 Night Gallery episodes "The Dead Man" and "The Housekeeper" 
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1971 Timeslip serial “The Year Of The Burn Up”, 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “The Face of the Enemy”  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 2002 science fiction film Minority Report. 
• Paul Hirons revisits the 2006 time travel cop show Life on Mars.  
• Keith Roysdon shares a brief, disturbing history of the Universal monsters  
• Germain Lussier interviews Matthew Wiatt, director of the documentary Saber. 
• Justin Carter muses five years onwards whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s excursion into worked.  
• Stuart Heritage is frustrated that disaster movies keep destroying the same landmarks over and over again. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as the head of Lucasfilm and passing the reins to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. 
• Hannah Postlethwait reports that several Philip K. Dick adaptations are on the way. 
• Actor T.K. Carter, best known for his appearances in The Thing, The Corner, Ski Patrol and Punky Brewster, has died age 69. 
• Composer Guy Moon, who provided the music for many animated TV-series, has died aged 63. 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Colt Crane shares a profiles of the Masters of the Universe character Dekker. 
• Cora Buhlert reviews He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Sword of Flaws No. 2 by Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams II 
• Robert Labandeira discusses the possible fate of the 2018 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power cartoon, once it is pulled from Netflix at the end of the month. 
• James Eatock recounts how an edit made for the UK airing of the He-Man episode "A Beastly Sideshow" actually made the episode better.

 

Comments on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general: 

• Ryan Britt declares that Starfleet Academy really isn't your parents' Star Trek
• Vanessa Armstrong notes that Starfleet Academy is the horniest Star Trek show in years 
• Grame Virtue declares that Starfleet Academy is a hormone-fuelled tale of the training college for space voyagers that is like Grange Hill, with phasers – and it has a female lead unlike any captain before 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Kids These Days", the first episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Kids These Days" and "Beta Test", the first two episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• James Whitbrook explains the state of the Star Trek universe at the time of Starfleet Academy  
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Holly Hunter who play Chancellor Nahla in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• Jimmy Kimmel interviews Tig Notaro who plays Jet Reno in Star Trek: Discovery and Starfleet Academy. 
• Ed Gross revisits a proposed 1989 movie that would have shown Kirk, Spock and McCoy at Starfleet Academy 

 

Comments on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: 

• Cheryl Eddy calls A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms an absolute triumph   
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Ira Parker, showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 

 

Comments on the series finale of Stranger Things (spoilers): 

• Haley Zapal shares her thoughts on the series finale of Stranger Things. 
• James Whitbrook finds some unexpected parallels between the series finale of Stranger Things and the video game Mass Effect 3. 
• Kate Arthur interviews Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Stranger Things.
• Tony Maglio interviews Martina Radwan, director of the documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 
• Cheryl Eddy shares elevan things she learned from the Stranger Things finale documentary  
• Samantha Nelson reports that the Dungeons & Dragons terrain seen in the final episode of Stranger Things comes from the real world manufacturer Dwarven Forge. 

 

Comments on All You Need Is Kill: 

• Elijah Gonzales declares that the anime All You Need Is Kill avoids déjà vu and that colourful visuals and an introspective outlook ensure this adaptation isn't a brazen repeat of Edge of Tomorrow.  
• Isaiah Colbert calls All You Need Is Kill a trippy, heart‑flecked time loop that only partially lands 
• Isaiah Colbert interviews Kenichiro Akimoto,director of All You Need Is Kill.  

 

Comments on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple the best chapter yet of zombie horror series  
• Jesse Hassenger declares that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple doesn't zig-zag as stylishly as its predecessor, but is still more than worthwhile. 
• Germain Lussier calls 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple smaller, gorier and more fun than its predecessor  

 

 Comments on Avatar: Fire and Ash: 

• Sam Adams is annoyed that people are still claiming that the Avatar movies leave no cultural impact, even though they are massively successful.
• Sam Adams also declares that the Avatar films are animated movies. 
• Justin Carter reports that Avatar: Fire and Ash continues to sit at the top of the US box office. 

 

Comments on the exceedingly odd advertising campaign for Avengers: Doomsday: 

• Ben Child shares his frustration with the various teaser trailers for Avengers Doomsday which don't actually tell anything about the movie at all.  
• Germain Lussier is also exceedingly baffled by the odd advertising campaign for Avengers Doomsday. 
• Justin Carter attempts to explain why Avengers Doomsday is being marketed the way it is. 
• Watch yet another teaser for Avengers: Doomsday.  

 

Comments on the bidding war between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros: 

• Jill Goldsmith reports that Paramount has filed a lawsuit to stop the merger of Netflix and Warner Bros. 
• Joanna Partridge reports that Netflix has now switched to a multi-billion US-dollar all cash offer to purchase Warner Bros and pre-empt Paramount
• Alex Weprin predicts that the battle for Warner Bros might get even uglier.

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2026 Philip K. Dick Award have been announced.  
• The finalists for the 2026 Splatterpunk Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Golden Globes have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 DGA Awards have been aannounced.
• The finalists for the 2026 ASC Awards have been aannounced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 VES Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 NAACP Image Awards have been announced, 
• The finalists for the 2026 2026 D.I.C.E. Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2026 Ark Prize has been announced  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• David Arndt shares five steps to a better writing process 
• Ed Simon tallks about writers and their day jobs 
• Kemi Cole shares a research guide for responsible SFF worldbuilding 
• Paul Anthony Jones explains the most viral slang terms of 2025.
• Surina Venkat reports that publishers are taking a step back from LGBTQ books following Donald Trump's return to office. 
• Mike Glyer reports that Must Reads Magazines, publishers of Analog, Asimov's and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, have changed their standard contract in response to cricitism by SFWA 
• Michael Capobianco urgens writers who are part of the class action lawsuit against Anthropic AI to check whether their rights have reverted. 
• Mike Glyer reports that Sheila Williams, editor of Asimov's Science Fiction, has been hospitalised following a brain aneurysm and that Emily Hockaday will serve as interim editor.  
• Literary agent Patrick Delahunt has died aged 72. 

 

Interviews:

• James Hibberd interviews George R.R. Martin. 
• Locus interviews Tom Holt a.k.a. K.J. Parker. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Andy Duncan.
• Gabrielle Harbowy interviews Erin M. Adams. 
• Sophie McBain interviews George Saunders. 

 

Reviews: 

• Adrian Collins reviews Wolfskin by Jeremy Szal 
• Jonathan Cowie reviews Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews System Collapse by Martha Wells 
• Marlene Harris reviews Intergalactic Waste Management LLC by Ash Bishop 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews God’s Junk Drawer by Peter Clines 
• Ainy Cormac reviews Immortal Aberration by Calum Lott  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews The Essence by Dave Hutchinson 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Private Rites by Julia Armfield 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Saint of Steel Series by T. Kingfisher 
• Rob Bedford reviews Twelve Months by Jim Butcher. 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz
• Jenny Hamilton reviews An Unlikely Coven by A.M. Kvita 
• Marlene Harris reviews Sorcerous Plates by Tao Wong 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews The Book Of Autumn by Molly O’Sullivan 
• Russell Letson reviews Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Silencing of the North by G. R. Matthews
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Echo of Crows by Phil Rickman   
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Asunder by Kerstin Hall 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Blackfire Blade by James Logan 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Poet Empress by Shen Tao 
• Mark Yon reviews The Poet Empress by Shen Tao. 
• Ian Mond reviews Playing Wolf by Zuzana Říhová, translated by Alex Zucker. 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Moss by Lisa Lueddecke  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews House of Splinters by Laura Purcell  
• Alexis Ong reviews Letters From an Imaginary Country by Theodora Goss. 
• Joanne Anderton reviews Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman 
• Arley Sorg reviews the Beyond Glittering World: An Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms, edited by Darcie Little Badger, Stacie Shannon Denetsosie and Kinsale Drake,   
• Marlene Harris reviews We Will Rise Again, edited by Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz and Malka Older 
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1950 science fiction fix-up novel The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1963 dark fantasy collection Who Fears the Devil? by Manly Wade Wellman 
• N.S. Ford revisits the 1968 Pern science fantasy novel Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey 
• Joachim Boaz and Rachel S. Cordasco revisit the 1970 dystopian short story "Slum" by Herbert W. Franke. 
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the February 1971 issue of Fantastic. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1988 fantasy anthology Unknown Worlds: Tales from Beyond, edited by Stanley Schmidt 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1995 science fiction mystery The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa, translated by Jesse Kirkwood. 
   
  
  

Con and event reports:

• Ari Anderson reports about the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington.
• Jonathan Cowie wonders whether Worldcon has shot itself in the foot. 
• Alexandra Witze reports that international scientists are increasingly avoiding conferences in the US due to Donald Trump's immigration policies.
• Guy D'Astolfo reports that the planned Museum of Science Fiction & Fantasy Arts in Warren, Ohio, has received a grant of 2.3 million US-dollar. 
• Christian Thorsberg reports about “Paws on Parchment”, an exhibition about the depiction (and occasional paw prints) of cats in medieval manucripts in Baltimore, Maryland.    
• Germain Lussier reports that the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, will also cover the original trilogy. 
• Sarah Szabo reports about people who dress up as mermaids. 

 

Crowdfunding:

• SFF writer Alma Alexander needs some help with emergency repairs to her house. 

 

Science and technology:

• Aaron Leong reports that astronomers have identified a baby galaxy cluster that's far hotter and more energetic than current cosmological models allow 
• Lauren E. Low reports that the final steps are underway for NASA’s first crewed Artemis Moon mission   
• Rachel Goodman reports that NASA will return the current ISS crew to Earth months early due to an astronaut’s illness 
• Erin Morton reports about NASA’s Dragonfly mission to the Saturn moon Titan. 
• John Scalzi is thrilled that an asteroid has been named after him. 
• Justin Hughes reports that the Space Shuttle Discovery will remain at the Smithsonian Museum. 
• Hilary Douwes explains how to build a handheld muon detector.
• Erich von Däniken, writer of popular non-fiction books about alleged visits of aliens to Earth, has died aged 90. 
   

Gaming: 

• Keza MacDonald talks about the video game Hollow Knight: Silksong and how it helped her deal with her chronic pain.
• Keza MacDonald talks about the "gamer brain" phenomenon. 
• James Whitbrook reports that Games Workshop have banned the use of generative AI in the game design process.  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• ToyPix shares his five favourite action figures of 2025.
• Adam McCombs reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Sketch Book Collection Mark Taylor style He-Man action figure.
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Mark Taylor style Castle Grayskull. 
• Anna Bawden reports that Mattel has launched the first autistic Barbie in the Fashionistas line.  
• James Whitbrook notes that Hasbro's latest Star Wars Black Series reveals include many odder alien characters. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at some upcoming LEGO Pokémon sets. 
• Amy Hawkins reports that the popular Labubu toys by Pop Mart are manufactured under exploitative conditions in China. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Doughnuts from the Daydream Network" by Julia Vee in The Sunday Morning Transport.
• "Bots All the Way Down" by Effie Seiberg in Lightspeed.  
• "Where the Chicken-Footed Dwell" by Marisca Pichette in Lightspeed.  
• "Donor Unknown" by Nika Murphy in Clarkesworld. 
• "Je Ne Regrette Rien" by James Patrick Kelly in Clarkesworld.
• "Punks Don’t Die" by Kat Sedia in The Deadlands. 
• "The Doorkeepers" by A. T. Greenblatt in Uncanny Magazine  
• "Joiner and Rust" by Lavie Tidhar in Reactor.
• "Three on a Match" by Joanne Anderton in The Dark. 
• "To Hear Herself Speak" by Gustavo Bondoni in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "Dregs" by R. Diego Martinez in Nightmare Magazine.   

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 3 of Primal. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of the live action One Piece. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters 
• Watch a trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy  
• Watch a trailer for The Bride. 
• Watch a trailer for This Is Not a Test. 
• Watch a trailer for Starman.