Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 3, 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, the cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Andy Weir versus modern Star Trek and Star Trek in general, season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Project Hail Mary, Paradise, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, tributes to James Tolkan and Barry Caldwell and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares 72 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in April 
• Sam Reader shares eight strange stories celebrating strange works of art
• Lorna Wallace shares five time travel stories about taking out Hitler. 
• Linda Hamilton talks about exploring religious patriarchy through gothic horror 
• Liz Bourke takes a look at Aragorn's tax policy and other issues that Lord of the Rings never addresses. 

   

Comics and Art:

• Rich Johnston reports that The Moons on Mars, a new comic written by British actor and writer Daniel Peacock, is using AI-art, since the publisher claims they were unable to find human artists to draw it.
• Andrew Farago remembers the late legendary DC Comics colourist Tatjana Wood. 

 

Film and TV:

• Petrana Radulovic lists  all the genre movies premiering in April.
• Petrana Radulovic lists  all the genre TV premieres airing in April. 
• Catherine Bray calls the new Deathstalker a ludicrously enjoyable revisit of 1980s sword-and-sorcery silliness 
• Ann Michelle Harris declares that the anime Sentenced to Be a Hero has an intriguing fantasy premise that would benefit from deeper character development 
• Leslie Felperin calls Ghost Killer a supernatural action-comedy with fantastic karate chopping and gunslinging.
• Cath Clarke calls Bone Keeper a serviceable British horror film. 
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Invincible. 
• Justin Carter takes a look at the Marvel and DC superhero movies that came out in 2016 and wonders what remains of them and the characters they introduced ten years later.
• Jacob Oller revisits the 1980 horror film Inferno.  
• Don Kaye revisits the 1981 horror film Omen III: The Final Conflict. 
• Tyler Dean revisits the 1982 animated fantasy film The Last Unicorn. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 episode “Learning Curve” 
• Brian Davids interviews BenDavid Grabinski, writer/director of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice 
• Actress Mary Beth Hurt, best known for her roles in The World According to Garp, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Lady in the Water, D.A.R.Y.L. and many others has died aged 79. 
• Actor and comedian Alex Duong, best known for his roles in Blue Bloods and Dexter, has died aged 42. 

 

 Tributes to James Tolkan: 

• Actor James Tolkan, best known for his roles in Back to the Future, Masters of the Universe, Top Gun, War Games, Remington Steele, The Amityville Horror, Serpico and many others, has died aged 94. 
• Payton Turkeltaub remembers James Tolkan. 
• William Hughes remembers James Tolkan. 
• Adam McComb remembers James Tolkan's role as Detective Lubic in Masters of the Universe. 
• He-Mania.com remembers James Tolkan's role as Detective Lubic in Masters of the Universe.  
• Back to the Future.com remembers James Tolkan's role as Principal Strickland in Back to the Future. 

 

Tributes to Barry Caldwell:

• Animator Barry Caldwell, who worked on Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, The Smurfs, Osmosis Jones and many others, has died aged 68. 
• Glenn Garner remembers Barry Caldwell. 

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Watch a trailer for the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie. 
• Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on the new trailer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie.  
• Dad-at-Arms shares his thoughts on the new trailer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Jay Glatfelter shares his thoughts on the new trailer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Mega Jay Retro shares his thoughts on the new trailer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Pixel Dan shares his thoughts on the new trailer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Adam McComb analyses the new trailer for the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• Karlis Wilde praises the design of Skeletor in the live action Masters of the Universe movie. 
• James Eatock revisits the 1983 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Eternal Darkness".
• James Eatock revisits the 1985 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "No Job Too Small". 

 

Comments on the cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Andy Weir versus Star Trek and Star Trek in general: 

• Charlie Jane Anders explains why it is so hard to make Star Trek YA.
• Sandy Schaefer reports that Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary, has stated that he prefers his science fiction and particularly Star Trek free of social and political commentary.  
• James Hibberd reports that Andy Weir doubled down on his rejection of modern Star Trek on the far right Critical Drinker podcast. 
• Jesse Whittock reports that crime fiction writer Don Winslow has criticised Andy Weir for his remarks about Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman. 
• James Whitbrook reports that Andy Weir has issued a rather weak apology for his comments about modern Star Trek.  
• Joshua M. Patton discusses that the reasons for Paramount to cancel the remaining Star Trek shows are likely as much financial as political. 
• Sign a petition to renew Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 

 

Comments on Project Hail Mary:

• Josh Pearce calls Project Hail Mary fun and funny and charming, with some good-looking visuals 
• Ryan Gajewski wonders why Project Hail Mary has ignited so much online debate?
• Anthony D'Alessandro reports that Project Hail Mary is the top-grossing Hollywood film to date. 

  

Comments on season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “Shoot the Moon” and “The Scales & the Sword”, the latest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again.
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on “Shoot the Moon” and “The Scales & the Sword”, the latest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. 

 

Comments on season 2 of Paradise: 

• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of Paradise. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares their thoughts on the season 2 finale of Paradise.  
• Nathalie Oganeseyan shares seven burning questions left unanswered by the Paradise season 2 finale. 
• Jackie Strause interviews John Hoberg, producer and writer of Paradise. 

 

Comments on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie:

• Peter Bradshaw calls The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a bland screensaver of a movie that’s actually worse than AI 
• Jesse Hassenger calls The Super Mario Galaxy Movie bland if visually pleasing  
• Germain Lussier declares that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie stinks  
• Germain Lussier talks about the post-credits scene of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. 

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2026 Pulp Factory Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Australian Romance Readers Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2026 Seraph Award have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2026 Premio Vegetti has been announced.
• The finalists for the 2026 Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire have been announced. 
• Heather Rose Jones shares a history and analysis of the Best Related Work Hugo category 
• Heather Rose Jones shares even more history and analysis of the Best Related Work Hugo category  
• Heather Rose Jones shares even more history and analysis of the Best Related Work Hugo category  
• Cora Buhlert shares an open letter to the 2026 Hugo finalists, whoever they may be. 

 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Georgia McVeigh explains how to capture modern fixations in fiction 
• Patrica McConnell talks about the challenge and joy of writing mysteries as a nonfiction author 
• Matthew Byrd shares everything to know about the US Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, which he calls National Book Ban Bill. 
• Camestros Felapton shares a scale for rating the use and non-use of AI.
• Emma Loffhagen reports that the New York Times has dropped a freelance journalist for using AI to write a book review. 

 

Interviews:

• Scott Edelman interviews Steven H. Silver.

 

Reviews: 

• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Misheard World by Aliya Whiteley 
• Christine D. Baker reviews Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer  
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Astral Library by Kate Quinn 
• Marlene Harris reviews Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman 
• Will McClelland reviews The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki 
• Rob Bedford reviews Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons. 
• Pete Barnable reviews The Winds of War by Mosha Winter 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The People’s Republic of Love by Heather Child 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan 
• Jim McLeod reviews Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher  
• Stew Hotston reviews The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes 
• Ian Mond reviews Nonesuch by Francis Spufford 
• Ed Crocker reviews The Bone Door by Frances White 
• Blue Book Balloon reviews First Date by Gemma Amor  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews You Did Nothing Wrong by C. G. Drews
• Alex Brown reviews Seasons of Glass & Iron: Stories by Amal El-Mohtar. 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Pandemonium Waltz by Jeffrey Ford
• Kathryn Hughes reviews Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear With Stephen King by Caroline Bicks 
• Marlene Harris reviews Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton and Ada Palmer 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton and Ada Palmer  

 

Classics reviews:

• Brian Collins revisits the 1936 science fiction story “Devolution” by Edmond Hamilton  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1937 science fiction story “Shifting Seas” by Stanley G. Weinbaum 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1964 vampire novel The Shiny Narrow Grin by Jane Gaskell 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the April 1971 issue of Analog. 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1973 children's fantasy novel A Wind in the Door and the 1978 children's fantasy novel A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle  
• Luke Dumas revisits the 1984 horror novel Thinner by Stephen King a.k.a. Richard Bachman. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2002 Star Wars: New Jedi Order novel Destiny’s Way by Walter Jon Williams  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 2003 animal fantasy novel Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter.

 

Con and event reports:

• Emma Martin shares her experiences at the 2026 London Book Fair in London, UK. 
• Madison Malone Kircher reports about the 2026  Barbie Dream Fest in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which turned out to be yet another very underwhelming convention.
• Yasmin Rufo and Max Matza report that the Barbie Dream Fest will issue refunds after fan complaints 
• Locus shares a photo of the latest edition of the the Fantastic Fiction at KGB reading series at the KGB Bar in New York City.

 

Crowdfunding:

• The Ashen Oath action figure line is looking for funding.

 

Science and technology:

• Watch Artemis II take off for the Moon. 
• Caroline Delbert reports that scientists claim to have found a particle that links to a fifth dimension. 
• Kaye Dee shares some space news from 1971 and discusses NASA's future plans.
• Chris Simms reports that the full network of clitoral nerves has been mapped out for the first time
• James Davis Nicoll declares that history can teach us the most exciting ways to destroy fictional civilizations
• Sonja Anderson reports that a skeleton found buried in a church in Maastricht, the Netherlands, may belong to the Musketeer D'Artagnan. 

 

Gaming: 

• Justin Carter notes that 2027 is shaping up to be a great year for big science fiction RPGs 
• Keith Stuart discusses the connection between the rise of VHS and video games in the 1980s.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• James Whitbrook shares his favourite toys coming out in March 2026. 
• Pixel Dan reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Chronicles Scare Glow action figure. 
• Justin Carter shares a look at the Nacelle Star Trek Dr. Leonard McCoy action figure.
• Germain Lussier shares a look at the Xenofrog Kermit/Alien mash-up statue by artist Ed Harrington. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at LEGO sets coming out in April 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "A Study of Cats in Low-Gravity Mining Stations" by B. Morris Allen in Trollbreath Magazine.
• "The Messenger of Budapest" by Amy Kitcher in Trollbreath Magazine.
• "Heritage, or This Body of Folklore" by Ayida Shonibar in Apex Magazine. 
• "Person, Place, Thing" by Marissa Lingen in Clarkesworld.
• "Wyvern’s Grave" by William Morris in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "This Obituary Has Been Retracted" by P.C. Verrone in Strange Horizons.  
• "The Pocket Box" by Gunnar Anderson in Future Tense Fiction.
• " Zooming Past Shotgun Houses" by Eva Roslin in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "Bittersweet Endings (for All Who Live to See Such Times)" by Samantha Mills in Uncanny Magazine. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Supergirl. 
• Watch a trailer for the new Ghost in the Shell.
• Watch a trailer for Backrooms.