It's
time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting
links
about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with the best (and worst) SFF of 2025, a debate about ethical AI use in writing and publishing and if that's even possible, Masters of the Universe in general, season 2 of Fallout, Avatar: Fire and Ash, the final season of Stranger Things, Pluribus, tributes to Brigitte Bardot and much
more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Cheryl Eddy shares 42 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in January
- Karen Lord talks about finding the space between Utopia and Dystopia
- Nicholas Whyte takes a look at what science fiction has to say about 2026.
- Judy I Lin shares five SFF books to pair with a good cup of tea
- Molly Templeton talks about the long-running series we grow up with.
- Dave Hook talks about climbing and speculative fiction.
- Katie Bernet talks about narrators from beyond the grave.
- Kamilah Cole talks about dark academia.
- Cole Rush shares his favourite fantasy clocks.
- Charlie Jane Anders talks about the limits of realism.
- Annie Holmquist claims that modern literature is not diverse enough, because it is lacking white men,
- Michael D.C. Drout explains why he keeps returning the The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- Matthew Cantor shares his appreciation for Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series.
- Jeanne Britton notes that Mary Shelley left behind two very different versions of Frankenstein.
- French science fiction author Pierre Bordage has died aged 70.
- Canadian SFF writer Terence M. Green has died aged 78.
Best (and worst) of 2025:
- Grimdark Magazine share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2025.
- Julia Kitvaria Sarene shares her favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror books of 2025.
- SFF World share their favourite science fiction books of 2025.
- SFF World share their favourite horror books of 2025.
- Molly Odintz shares her favourite gothic novels of 2025.
- Marlene Harris shares her favourite books of 2025.
- SFF World share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror movies and TV shows of 2025.
- Grimdark Magazine share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror movies and TV shows of 2025.
- Grimdark Magazine share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror games of 2025.
Comics and Art:
Film and TV:
- Grimdark Magazine share their most anticipated SFF TV-shows and movies for 2026.
- William Earl lists horror movies coming out in January.
- Isaiah Colbert shares new anime shows releasing in January.
- Graeme Virtue explains how tech bros became Hollywood’s go-to baddie in 2025
- Tara Bennett calls We Bury The Dead a contemplative zombie movie.
- Josh Pearce shares his thoughts on Dust Bunny.
- Issue 93 of Journey Planet discusses season 2 of Andor.
- Rich Knight revisits the 1957 horror musical The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
- J. Antonio Juarez revisits the 1965 animated holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Fiona Moore revisits the 1970 folk horror film Tam-Lin and George Pritchard revisits the 1970 folk horror TV-movie Robin Redbreast.
- Nostalgia 4-1-1 revisits the 1981 anime Ulysses 31.
- Ashley Land revisits the 1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Chain of Command".
- Justin Carter revisits the 2005 animated superhero show Ben 10.
- Louise Gold remembers how The Muppets Show got started in the UK.
- Andreas Wiseman shares eighteen high-profile movies that were shot but haven’t seen the light of day
- Andrew Pulver wonders how Donald Trump's interest in the US film industry will impact what movies are made.
- Lanre Bakare explains how anime became an economic juggernaut.
- Justin Carter notes that in spite of several DC superhero movies, Wonder Woman hasn't really been seen since Wonder Woman 1984 came out five years ago.
- Germain Lussier shares Ryan Coogler's original plan for Black Panther 2.
- Germain Lussier reports that James Cameron, director of Aliens, also dislikes the choice to kill off Newt and Hicks during the opening credits of Alien 3.
- Jesse Hassenger reports that Francis Ford Coppola is still not willing to give up on Megalopolis.
- Catherine Shoard shares some tributes of Cary Elwes and Martin Scorsese to the late Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer as well as an update on the mruder investigation.
- Annette Dionne, last survivor of the famous Dionne quintuplets, has died aged 91.
Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:
- Ben Massa interviews Masters of the Universe artist Simon Soltau.
- He-Mania shares some behind the scenes photos and footage from the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie.
- He-Mania also shares a theory about how the various Heroic and Evil Warriors come by their toy names in the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie.
- Jukka Issakainen shares some Easter eggs and references found in issue 1 of the Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny comic mini-series by Tim Seeley and Eddie Nunez.
Comments on season 2 of Fallout:
Comments on the final season of Stranger Things:
- Saloni Gajjar declares that Stranger Things packs an emotional punch as it sets the stage for its finale
- Cheryl Eddy declares that the latest batch of Stranger Things episodes charts a propulsive path to the finale
- Bryce Olin declares that we should stop worrying about how Stranger Things ends and start enjoying the chaos
- Stuart Heritage notes that the fact that the second half of season 5 of Stranger Things isn’t unbearable is a miracle
- Germain Lussier and Cheryl Eddy share fifteen things they liked and five they didn’t about the latest batch of Stranger Things episodes.
- Germain Lussier notes that the truth about the Upside Down was already theorised in season 1, but not confirmed until season 5.
- Kate Arthur interviews Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Stranger Things.
- Cheryl Eddy ranks her favourite couples from Stranger Things.
- Jordan Moreau reports that the release of the series finale of Stranger Things crashed Netflix.
Comments on Pluribus:
- Noel Murray shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of Pluribus.
- Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the season 1 finale of Pluribus.
- Arturo Serrano shares his appreciation for Pluribus.
- Stuart Heritage interviews Rhea Seehorn who plays Carol Stuka in Pluribus.
- Cheryl Eddy interviews Rhea Seehorn.
- Belen Edwards explains why The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin is so important to Pluribus.
- Matthew Byrd shares recommendations for what to read after watching Pluribus.
Comments on Avatar: Fire and Ash:
Awards:
- The winner of the 2025 Darth Vader Parenthood Award for Outstandingly Horrible Fiction Parents has been announced.
- The winner of the 2025 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year has been announced.
- The winner of the 2025 Forrest J Ackerman Award for Lifetime Achievement has been announced.
- The winner of the 2025 SFPA President’s Lifetime Service Award has been announced.
- The winner of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off Champions League has been announced.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Brandon Sanderson explains why total worldbuilding is a trap for new writers
- Daniel Estrin and Esther Margolis discuss the demise of the mass market paperback.
- John-Henri Holmberg mourns the demise of the mass market paperback.
- Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter note that sales of nonfiction and YA books dropped in 2025, but genre fiction and the Buble are booming
- Neda Ulaby lists the most borrowed titles in US libraries.
- Dave Hansen explains what payouts eligible authors may expect from the settlement of the class action lawsuit against Anthropic AI.
The Debate about intentional and unintentional AI-use in writing and publishing:
- Erin Underwood shares an open letter to SFWA and claims that avoiding using AI in the writing and publishing process is impossible.
- Paul Weimer responds to Erin Underwood.
- Chuck Wendig responds to Erin Underwood.
- Foz Meadows responds to Erin Underwood.
- T. Frohock responds to Erin Underwood.
- Shaun Duke responds to Erin Underwood.
- Robin Anne Reid shares her distaste for AI and how it invades academia.
Interviews:
Reviews:
- Adrienne Martini reviews Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller and Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Christine D. Baker reviews Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite
- Russell Letson reviews Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds
- Alexandra Pierce reviews Hearthspace by Stephen Baxter
- Runalong the Shelves reviews A Judgement of Powers by Benedict Jacka
- Liz Bourke reviews The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
- Paul Weimer reviews Making History by K. J. Parker
- Abigail Nussbaum reviews The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson
- Niall Harrison reviews Helm by Sarah Hall
- Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Deathless by Rob J. Hayes
- Lesa Holstine reviews New Year’s Nosferatu by Heather Graham
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Feeding by A.J. Ryan
- Gabino Iglesias reviews Fiend by Alma Katsu
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Letters from an Imaginary Country by Theodora Goss
- Ian Mond reviews We Live Here Now by C.D. Rose
- Alex Brown reviews These Bodies Ain’t Broken, edited by Madeline Dyer
Classics reviews:
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1948 fantasy anthology From Unknown Worlds, edited by John W. Campbell, Jr.
- Dave Hook revisits the 1969 science fiction collection The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World by Harlan Ellison
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1969 Hainish science fiction novel The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Gideon Marcus revisits the January 1971 issue of Analog.
- Abigail Nussbaum revisits the 1996 speculative novel Orlanda by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Sschwartz.
Con and event reports:
Science and technology:
- Richard Hollingham shares all you need to know about the International Space Station's 25 years in orbit
- Leonard David explains how NASA changed in 2025 — possibly forever
- Mike Pearl discusses China's proposed rules for anthropomorphic AI systems
- Cormac McQuinn reports that fewer Irish people are using ChatGPT than in other countries
- Cannon Taylor reports that the police department in Heber City, Utah, is testing AI software to automatically generate police reports based on bodycam data with some interesting results.
- Gabe Castro-Root shares some tips how to protect yourself against phone searches at the US border.
Toys and collectibles:
Free online fiction:
- "Blood for a Stone" by Deirdre Walker in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
- "This Sepulchral Aegis" by Rob Gillham in Clarkesworld.
- "Home Grown" by Madeleine Vigneron in Clarkesworld.
- "Morning Shed" by Namita Krishnamurthy in Strange Horizons.
- "The Pretendian" by Jason Pearce in The Deadlands.
- "The Patron" by Thomas Ha in The Sunday Morning Transport.
- "Blacula" by P.C. Verrone in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Circus Skills" by Seán Padraic Birnie in Interzone Digital.
Trailers and videos:
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