Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for February 6, 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, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek in general, Wonder Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, season 2 of Fallout, The Muppet Show, Iron Lung, Avatar: Fire and Ash, tributes to James Sallis, X.J. Kennedy and Catherine O'Hara and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares sixty-nine new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in February 
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in February 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in February 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in February 2026 
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in February 2026   
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in February 2026   
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in February 2026 .
• Molly Odintz shares twenty-seven new and upcoming horror novels to look out for in 2026 
• Christina Ferko explains why horror is the perfect genre for processing trauma 
• Sam Reader shares eight deeply weird post-apocalyptic fantasy novels 
• Aaron Jones discusses what it means to be human in a science fiction world. 
• Lorna Wallace shares five science fiction short stories told through an alien POV 
• Reactor shares thriteen excellent Groundhog Day-style time loop stories  
• Callie Kazumi shares five great Japanese mysteries and horror novels 
• Karen Winn lists eight novels about secret societies.  
• Christopher Lockett shares some thoughts on mythology and historical accuracy. 
• James Machell takes a look at the titular castle in the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake. 
• Alex Brown shares SFF reading recommendations for the characters of Heated Rivalry 
• Timothy Snyder discusses a lecture about dragons that J.R.R. Tolkien held in 1938. 
• David Barnett reports that Neil Gaiman claims that the sexual assault allegations against him are the result of a smear campaign.

 

Tributes to James Sallis: 

• J. Kingston Pierce remembers James Sallis.
• Adrian McKinty remembers James Sallis. 
• Locus remembers James Sallis. 
• Arley Sorg shares an interview with the late James Sallis. 

 

Tributes to X.J. Kennedy:

• SFF writer, fan, poet and academic X. J. Kennedy has died aged 96. 
• Rebecca Chace shares an obituary for X.J. Kennedy, focussing on his poetry. 

 

Best of 2025:

• The 2025 Locus recommended reading list has been announced.   
• Gary K. Wolfe shares his favourite SFF works of 2025. 
• Archita Mittra shares her favourite SFF works of 2025.  
• Wole Talabi shares his favourite African speculative fiction stories of 2025. 

  

Comics and Art:

• Isaiah Colbert calls After God by Sumi Eno an underrated dystopian dark fantasy manga
• Amelia Meyers reviews The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A.  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon on the rewards of enhanced reading.  

 

Film and TV: 

• Alasdair Stuart declares that Mercy might have been fun as a B-movie made thirty years ago, but times have changed. 
• Justin Carter calls Pretty Please, I Don’t Want to Be a Magical Girl an animated indie darling. 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that Whistle puts a pleasingly freaky spin on a familiar horror tale  
• C.T. Phipps shares his thoughts on The Mighty Nein. 
• Isaiah Colbert declares that the plot of the animated series The Darwin Incident may be bananas, but he's gotta see what that monkey does next  
• Ben Child notes that the Star Wars franchise is hamstrung by a massive identity crisis 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that the horror film Rock Springs brings horror from the past into its tale of contemporary grief  
• Catherine Bray calls V/H/S/Halloween the latest helping of the engaging horror anthology series.
• Germin Lussier interviews Gore Verbinski, director of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die,
• Ryan Hefferman shares his eight favourite hidden-gem fantasy masterpieces of the twenty-first century 
• Amber Dubin revisits the 1971 Night Gallery episodes "Room with a View", "The Little Black Bag" and "The Nature of the Enemy".
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1986 Argentinian science fiction film Man Facing Southeast 
• Germain Lussier revisits the 1989 post-apocalyptic movie The Blood of Heroes. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Endgame”
• Dan Persons revisits the 2014 science fiction film Ex Machina. 
• Judith Tarr shares her appreciation for Jonesy the cat from the Alien movies. 
• John Summers theorises that Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street might be a Time Lord. 
• James Hibberd reports about a backlash against the Arthurian fantasy series The Pendragon Chronicles, since you have to subscribe to a right-wing streaming service to view the show. 
• Simon Abrams notes that Netflix was as surprised as anybody else by the massive success of KPop Demon Hunters.  
• Jake Kanter reports that according to a new report, the BBC should avoid "clunky colour-blind casting" and "preachy anti-colonial storylines" in shows like Doctor Who and various Agatha Christie adaptations. 
• Actor Desmond Wilson, star of Sanford and Son, has died aged 79 

Tributes to Catherine O'Hara:

• Canadian actress Catherine O'Hara, best known for her roles in A Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, The Last of Us, Schitt's Creek and The Studio, has died aged 71. 
• Benjamin Lee remembers Catherine O'Hara. 
• Jesse Hassenger remembers Catherine O'Hara. 
• Germain Lussier remembers Catherine O'Hara. 
• Ryan Gilbey shares an obituary for Catherine O'Hara. 
• Justin Carter shares tributes to Catherine O'Hara from former co-stars. 
• Jim Hedge shares photos from Catherine O'Hara's lengthy career. 

  

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Ben Travis reports about the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Colt Crane interviews Tim Seeley, writer of the Dark Horse Masters of the Universe comics. 
• James Eatock points out that the Masters of the Universe character Mekaneck almost had a very different colour scheme.

 

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

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Series Acclimation Mil”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Series Acclimation Mil”, the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.  
• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Vox in Excelso", the third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.   
• Erin Underwood shares her issues with the episode ordering of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Noga Landau, co-showrunner of Starfleet Academy. 
• James Whitbrook is irritated by former late night talkshow host Stephen Colbert voicing the Digital Dean of Students in Starfleet Academy. 
• James Whitbrook discusses the origin of the some of the Klingon ships seen in Starfleet Academy. 
• Arthur Quintalino revisits the 1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Chain of Command” 

 

Comments on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: 

• Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on “The Squire”, the latest episode of  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “The Squire”, the latest episode of  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on “The Squire”, the latest episode of  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.   
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Ira Parker, showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
• Caroline Siede talks about what A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms reveals about the Targaryen dynasty. 
• James Whitbrook reports that the success of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is influencing HBO's plans for other Game of Thrones spin-offs. 

 

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

• Arturo Serrano calls Wonder Man a refreshing superhero series. 
• Ben Francisco declares that Wonder Man brings a cozy Hollywood bromance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe 
• Adam B. Vary declares that Wonder Man pushes Marvel into unfamiliar territory

 

Comments on the new Muppet Show: 

• Rhik Samadder calls the new Muppet Show a thrilling return is so great he can’t even count how many times he laughed
• Lucy Mangan declares with regard to the new The Muppet Show that we all deserve a brief bit of happiness right now
• Cheryl Eddy declares that The Muppet Show returns for a cute and nostalgic special 

 

Comments on season 2 of Fallout: 

• William Hughes declares that the season 2 finale of Fallout wastes its shot 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the season 2 finale of Fallout. 
• Matthew Byrd explains how season 2 of Fallout avoided making any of the optional endings of the video fame Fallout: New Vegas canon  
• William Hughes interviews Jon Daly, one of the stars of Fallout.   

 

Comments on Iron Lung: 

• Mike McCahill calls Iron Lung a barebones science fiction horror film about a convict on a vague intergalactic mission
• Simon Abrams calls Iron Lung a satisfying DIY submarine horror film. 
• James Whitbrook reports that Iron Lung beat the documentary Melania at the box office and narrowly came in second to Send Help. 

 

Comments on Avatar: Fire and Ash:  

• Dan Sarto interviews Dan Barrett and Eric Saindon, special effect supervisors for Avatar: Fire and Ash  
• Ingrid Schmidt interviews Deborah Scott, costume designer for Avatar: Fire and Ash.  

 

Awards:

• The shortlists for the 2025 Aurealis Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Pulp Factory Awards have been announced.
• The finalists for the 2025 Clarkesworld Reader’s Poll have been announced. 
• Martha Wells has received the 2026 Copperhead Award. 
• The shortlists for the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Awards have been announced.
• The recipient of the 2026 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award has been announced. 
• The 2025 Locus Award poll is open for voting. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Molly Templeton explains what you can do to support your favourite authors and books. 
• Sam Spratford reports that the Washington Post is shuttering its books section amid widespread layoffs  
• Zach Rabiroff interviews Greg Ketter of DreamHaven Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

Interviews:

• The Oxford Union interviews George R.R. Martin.
• Locus interviews Nnedi Okorafor. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Michael Swanwick. 
• Scott Edelman interviews Emily Mitchell. 
• Elizabeth Tabler interviews T.R. Napper and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne 

 

Reviews: 

• Lesa Holstine reviews Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb  
• Sandra Mangan reviews Vivian Dies Again by C.E. Hulse  
• Alex Brown reviews Project Hanuman by Stewart Hotston 
• C.T, Phipps reviews Twelve Months by Jim Butcher 
• Marlene Harris reviews Junkyard Riders by Faith Hunter
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Night Ship by Alex Woodroe
• Runalong the Shelves reviews All That Is In The Earth by Andrew Knighton 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The First Thousand Trees by Premee Mohamed 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold
• Blue Book Balloon reviews Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold
• Paul Weimer reviews The Astral Library by Kate Quinn  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Fate’s Bane by C. L. Clark 
• Alex Brown reviews All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles.
• Blue Book Balloon reviews What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews In This City, Where It Rains by Lyndsey Croal 
• Tobias Carroll reviews Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World by Cullen Bunn.
• Stew Hotston reviews Hyo the Hellmaker by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews I, Medusa by Ayana Gray 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Girl from the West by Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano.  
• Ian Mond reviews Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski  
• Ed Crocler reviews First Date by Gemma Amor 
• Sharon Richardson reviews The Hope by Paul E. Hardisty 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Regicide Report by Charles Stross  
• Paul Weimer reviews The Universe Box by Michael Swanwick. 
• Alvaro Zinos-Amaro reviews Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris
  
  

 Classics reviews:

• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1901 lost world novel An Aerial Runaway by W.P. and C.P. Chipman 
• David Agranoff, John Battisberger and Cora Buhlert revisit the 1950 science fiction story "The Little Black Bag" by C.M. Kornbluth. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1951 science fiction novel The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the February 1971 issue of Analog
• David Levinson revisits the March/April 1971 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1985 Merovingen Nights science fantasy novel Angel With a Sword by C.J. Cherryh 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1987 science fiction novel Golden Sunlands by Christopher Rowley. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1988 science fiction novel The Big Lifters by Dean Ing
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1993 YA horror novel The Dead Girlfriend by R.L. Stine and Guilty by Diane Hoh.  
• Clara Cohen revisits the 2014 epic fantasy novel Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb.
   
  
  

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer reports that the website for the Nuremberg in 2028 Worldcon bid is now live. 
• The 2026 Going Under GUFF fan fund to send a fan from Europe to Australia is open for nominations. 
• Andrew J. Campa reports that the Haunted Mansion attraction in Disneyland in Anaheim, California, can be rented for weddings. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Disney is worried about fewer international visitors to its US parks due to Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies. 
• Jake Kanter reports that J.K. Rowling claims that she didn’t invite Jeffrey Epstein to the Broadway opening of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child and that Epstein was turned away at the door, when he showed up. 

 

Crowdfunding:

• The Cookout, a speculative fiction anthology by black authors, is looking for funding.
• Dean Wesley Smith is looking for funding for four essential indie publishing books.
• Roger Sweet, co-creator of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, has dementia and needs help with nursing home costs. 

 

Science and technology:

• Marcia Dunn reports that NASA is delaying the first Artemis moonshot with astronauts on board because of extreme cold at the launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• Joey Roulette reports that NASA's Artemis II Moon mission has been postponed until March 
• Sharmila Kuthunur insists that it's time to think about human reproduction in space 
• Gayoung Lee reports that NASA let AI drive the Mars rover Perseverance. 
• Maia Davies reports that Elon Musk wants to clutter orbit with one million satellite AI data centers.
• John Ruwitch reports about Moltbook, a new social media platform just for AI bots 
• Davide Castelvecchi reports that usable quantum computers could be here in a decade.  
• Alex Conroy points out that there is no proto-dragon and that dragons appear in all cultures all over the world. 
• Isabelle Schuler talks about the horrors and contrasts of the seventeenth century
  
  

Gaming: 

• Dominik Diamond explains why Wii Bowling remains his mother’s favourite game of all time
• Alex Wallace revisits the 2007 strategy game War Front: Turning Point 
• Rebekah Valentine reports that shareholders of Hasbro have sued the company and its directors alleging that the company leadership has mismanaged Magic: The Gathering by overprinting sets of cards, thereby devaluing existing ones.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• James Whitbrook looks ahead at LEGO sets coming out in February.
• The Yesterdaze Podcast takes a look at the 1985 toyline Golden Girls and the Guardians of the Gemstones by Galoob. 
• James Whitbrook reports that LEGO will offer KPop Demon Hunter sets in 2026. 
• BrickSet reports that LEGO has announced a Project Hail Mary set. 
• James Whitbrook also shares a look at the upcoming LEGO Project Hail Mary set. 
• Greg Gately shares a look at the DC Comics 90th anniversary collectible popcorn buckets 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Memory Hounds of Bak-Ankham" by A. W. Prihandita in Uncanny Magazine 
• "Precipice Sun" by Ewen Ma in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Medusa’s Ship, or The Thing About Bodies" by Natalia Theodoridou in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Six Sides of a Fairy Tale" by Audrey Zhou in Lightspeed.
• "Death Echoes Overlapping" by Megan Chee in Lightspeed.  
• "The Ghost in Apartment 5K" by Everdeen Mason in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "Deficiency Agent" by Andrew Liptak in Future Tense Fiction.
• "In Absentia" by Suzan Palumbo in The Dark. 
• "Remember Me in the Meat" by Sarah Pauling in Clarkesworld. 
• "Think of Me Before I Disappear" by Raahem Alvi in Clarkesworld.
• "The Self-Made Women’s Circle" by Marisca Pichette in The Deadlands. 
• "Marked" by Anita Noelle Green in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. 
• Watch a trailer for the latest incarnation of Ghost in the Shell.
• Watch a trailer for In the Blink of an Eye. 
• Watch a trailer for Resident Evil Requiem. 
• Watch a trailer for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come. 
• Watch a trailer for Undertone. 
• Watch a trailer for Scream 7. 
• Watch the animated The Mandalorian short film "Knot a Toy".