Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for August 28, 2026

 

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general, season 4 of Star Trek Strange New Worlds and Star Trek in general,  Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general, Coyote vs. Acme, Doctor Who past, present and future, The Dog Stars, Dark Matter, Buddy, tributes to Tim Curry, Peter Cullen and Dolly Parton, the 2026 Worldcon and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Joanna Nelius-Free discusses the importance of reading (and teaching) cyberpunk in the age of AI 
• Ruthanna Emrys talks about ESP in science fiction. 
• Leslie Vedder shares five SFF books about queer love on the high seas 
• Lish McBride shares six surprisingly hopeful post-apocalyptic stories. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five classic science fiction tales of the nanny state gone mad. 
• Matthew Sorrento talks about the connection between horror and crime. 
• Judith Tarr discusses how actual humans fit into the fictional worlds of talking animals.
• Jared Shurin shares his appreciation for the works of Philip K. Dick. 
• Max Gladstone remembers John Crowley. 
• Science fiction fan and con runner Rick Katze has died aged 81. 
• SFF poet David Kopaska-Merkel has died aged 69. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Alex Dueben talks about lettrism and comics
• Christopher Chiu-Tabet reports that Jack Kirby has received commemorative plaque at Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about the end of the summer books season 
• Science fiction artist Len Brown, creator of the Mars Attacks trading cards, has died aged 84. 

  

Film and TV:

• Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre movies premiering in September 
• Petrana Radulovic shares all the genre TV premieres in September 
• Arturo Serrano calls Ann Droid a touching comedy about the search for meaning in the age of AI
• Leah Schnelbach calls The Magic Faraway Tree uneven but often charming 
• Lucy Mangan calls Revival the most moving zombie show ever  
• Laurence Phelan calls Colony a frenzied zombie movie from South Korea. 
• Christopher Lockett finds some parallels between House of the Dragon and Succession. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the penultimate episode of season 3 of Silo. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw asks why so many horror movies are set at summer camp.
• Ben Child notes that he is not interested in any more Alien Covenant movies. 
• Simon Abrams interviews Joe Dante, director of the troubled 2003 animated/live action movie Looney Tunes: Back In Action 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1993 dinosaur movie Jurassic Park. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1998 Babylon 5 TV movie The River of Souls   
• Emma Madden revisits the 2004 horror movie Saw. 
• Angelica Jade Bastien shares her appreciation for Miss Piggy.
• Tatiana Siegel takes a look at the actors who are rumoured to be in the running to play the next James Bond. 
• Justin Carter reports that stop motion animator Phil Tippett, who worked on various Star Wars movies, Jurassic Park and many others, has sold off his studio and is retiring.  

 

Tributes to Peter Cullen:

• Canadian actor Peter Cullen, who voiced Optimus Prime in many incarnation of Transformers over more than forty years as well as Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, Venger in Dungeons and Dragons, K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, Red Skull in Spider-Man, the titular characters in Predator and King Kong, Ramrod and Commander Eagle in Saber Riders and the Star Sheriffs, Thaedus in Invincible and many others, has died aged 85. 
• Isaiah Colbert remembers Peter Cullen. 
• Devin Meenan remembers Peter Cullen. 
• Justin Carter remembers Peter Cullen's forty-two year career as the voice of Optimus Prime. 
• Witney Seibold remembers Peter Cullen's final role as Thaedus in Invincible. 
• Cora Buhlert remembers Peter Cullen, Tim Curry and Dolly Parton. 

 

Tributes to Tim Curry:

• British actor and singer Tim Curry, best known for his role as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show as well as for his roles in It, Legend, Annie, Clue, The Hunt for Red October, The Shadow, The Three Musketeers, Muppets Treasure Island, Home Alone 2, The Hunt for Red October, Loaded Weapon, Criminal Minds and many others, has died aged 80. 
• Jeremy Mathai remembers Tim Curry. 
• Laurence Phelan shares his five favourite Tim Curry roles. 
• The AV-Club list their favourite Tim Curry performances. 
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Tim Curry's most famous role as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 
• Jeremy Smith remembers Tim Curry's role as Darkness in Legend. 
• The Guardian shares photos from Tim Curry's lengthy career. 

 

Tributes to Dolly Parton:

• Dolly Parton, American singer, actress, literarcy advocate, philanthropist, theme park owner and all around wonderful person, has died aged 80. 
• Alexis Petridis notes that Dolly Parton turned country music clichés in their head. 
• Joe Stone remembers Dolly Parton as an LGBTQ icon. 
• Margaret Sullivan shares a tribute to Dolly Parton. 
• Dave Simpson and Owen Myers share tributes to Dolly Parton from fellow singers and musicians. 
• Jonathan Klotz remembers Dolly Parton's memorable guest appearance on The Orville. 
• The fashion editors of The Guardian remember Dolly Parton's unique fashion sense.  
• The AV-Club follows Dolly Parton through the decades.  
• The Guardian shares photos from Dolly Parton's long life and career. 
• Emma Joyce reports that Dolly Parton gave permission to test experimental cancer drugs on her, hoping that even if she could not be saved, her death would help others.  
• Becca Andrews reports that mourners are flocking to Dollywood, Dolly Parton's theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 
• The Guardian shares photos of fans remembering Dolly Parton around the US. 
• Watch a video tribute to Dolly Parton from her family. 

 

Comments on the Masters of the Universe live action film and Masters of the Universe in general:

• The Masters Cast asks if the Masters of the Universe movie gets He-Man right. 
• Mike Holz explains why people should give Masters of the Universe a chance. 
• The Eternia Four discuss the performence of Masters of the Universe at the box office, on streaming and in the toy aisle, discuss toy reveals and their hopes for a movie sequel. 
• Watch "Swap Meet", the latest episode of the Masters of the Universe: Tales from Eternia animated series.  

Comments on season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek in general:  

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on “Off-Hour”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.   
• Caroline Siede shares her thoughts on “Off-Hour”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.    
• Alyse Wax shares her thoughts on “Off-Hour”, the latest episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.    
• Emmet Asher-Perrin notes that the fashion of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds tells a far deeper story than you think 
• Matthew Byrd discusses what we know about the uncertain future of Star Trek on TV. 
• Mark Yon reviews The Star Trek Archive: 100 Objects and Stories From The Final Frontier by Ben Robinson

 

Comments on Lanterns and the DC Cinematic Universe in general:

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Trust Fall”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "Trust Fall”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Dennis Perkins shares his thoughts on "Trust Fall”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on "Trust Fall”, the latest episode of Lanterns. 
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Aaron Pierre who plays John Stewart in Lanterns. 
• Jarrod Jones explains the comic history of the Manhunters, who appear to be the main antagonists in Lanterns.  

 

Comments on Coyote vs. Acme: 

• Dann Todd shares a modest review of Coyote vs. Acme.  
• Germain Lussier shares messages from Dave Green and Will Forte, director and star of Coyote vs. Acme, celebrating the fact that the movie got released. 
• A Martinez interviews Will Forte, star of Coyote Vs. Acme. 
• Brent Lang reports that Coyote vs. Acme reached No. 1 at the US box office and performed better than projected.
• Ryan Scott explains what Coyote Vs. Acme's box office means for the future of the Looney Tunes franchise

 

 Comments on Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general: 

• Justin Carter reports about the suspicion that generative AI was used for concept art for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. 
• Watch a Lego recreation of the Avengers Doomsday trailer. 

 

Comments on Doctor Who past, present and future:

• Camestros Felapton takes a look at the Fourth Doctor's robotic dog K9. 
• Jesse Whitlock reports that Doctor Who may be moving to Amazon Prime. 
• Jarrod Jones reports that Billie Piper has confirmed that she is not playing the next Doctor.  

  

Comments on Dark Matter: 

• Cheryl Eddy declares that Dark Matter expands its world and emotional depth in season 2
• Vanessa Armstrong interviews Joel Egderton and Jennifer Connelly, stars of Dark Matter. 

  

Comments on The Dog Stars: 

• Benjamin Lee calls The Dog Stars a lethargic postapocalyptic drama 
• Ryan Scott shares five reasons why The Dog Stars bombed at the box office. 

 

Comments on Buddy: 

• Leah Schnelbach declares that Buddy takes Barney’s premise to a hilariously bloody conclusion
• Monica Castillo declares that the horror comedy Buddy takes its "killer Barney" premise to its delightfully unhinged conclusion 

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2026 Hugo Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2026 Sidewise Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2026 Nommo Awards have been announced. 
• The recipient of the 2026 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award has been announced. 
• The recipients of the 2026 First Fandom Awards have been announced. 

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Dorthe Nors talks about striving to write emotionally resonant fiction
• John Self shares some tricks of the book trade to create bestsellers. 

 

Interviews:

• Marissa van Uden interviews Anj Baker.
• Scott Edelmen interviews Todd Sanders. 

 

Reviews:   

• Adrian Collins reviews This Machine Kills Billionaires by T.R. Napper 
• Marlene Harris reviews On a Barbarian World by Anna Hackett 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews This Is Where The Future Bleeds by Mike Brooks 
• Ian Mond reviews Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay  
• Chris Kluwe reviews All We Have Is Time by Amy Tordoff 
• Mark Yon reviews Scion by James Islington. 
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Scion by James Islington. 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Ice Vegas by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Lemuria 7 by Allen Steele 
• Colleen Mondor reviews Young World by Soman Chainani 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow 
• Marlene Harris reviews A Fellowship of Curses and Cats by J. Penner
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Coup of Tea by Casey Blair 
• Marlene Harris reviews A Labyrinth of Honeybees by Heather Fawcett
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson 
• Vanessa Fogg reviews An Impossibility of Crows by Kirsten Kaschock 
• Bill Capossere reviews The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman 
• Bill Capossere reviews Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske 
• Niall Harrison reviews Animal Spiral by Luis Othoniel Rosa, translated by Katie Marya 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Bill Capossere and Marion Deeds review Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Adrian Collins reviews The Godsblood Tragedy by Bill Adams 
• Sarah McCarry reviews The Red Sacrament by Sara Hinkley 
• Mahvesh Murad reviews The Brides by Charlotte Cross 
• Mike Parker reviews The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims  
• Rob Bedford reviews The Winter Folk by Jen Julian. 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Carrion Saints by Hiyodori  
• Tobias Carroll reviews She Haunts Me Still by De Elizabeth.
• Michael Swanwick reviews The Book of Bots by James Patrick Kelly 
• Tobias Carroll reviews Offerings for Ordinary Gods by Ali Trotta. 
• Karen Haber reviews Icons of the Fantastic: Illustrations of Imaginative Literature from the Korshak Collection by David M. Brinley and Amanda T. Zehnder 

 

Classics reviews:

• Matthew de Abaitua revisits the 1930 science fiction novel Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1953 time travel novel The Victorian Chaise-Longue by Marghanita Laski  
• George Pritchard revisits the 1971 science ficiton anthology Quark/4, edited by Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn Hacker. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1976 horror novel Moths by Rosalind Ashe 
• Joel Miller revisits the 1976 dystopian novel Don't Bite the Sun by Tanith Lee. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1990 Hyperion Cantos science fiction novel The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons   
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1997 YA horror novel The Rich Girl by R.L. Stine. 
• Alex Brown revisits the 1998 fantasy novel The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 2006 Pip and Flinx space opera Trouble Magnet by Alan Dean Foster 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2009 Dagmar Shaw technothriller This is Not a Game by Walter Jon Williams 
• Anya Johanna DeNiro revisits the 2017 dystopian novel Tropic of Kansas by Christopher Brown.

 

Comments on LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon:

• Sydney Gaw reports about LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California. 
• Rich Lynch shares some photos of LACon V. 
• Mike Glyer reports about the site selection business meeting at LACon V, the 2026 Worldcon in Anaheim, California. 
• Mike Glyer reports that the co-chairs and Hugo administrators of the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China, Ben Yalow, Shi Chen/Raistlin Chen, Dave McCarty and Joe Yao/Yao Chi have been officially censured and received limited and in case of Dave McCarty unlimited Worldcon bans.
• Mike Glyer reports about the “Many Mics, One Stage: Hugo Fancast Mashup” panel at LAcon V 
• Rich Lynch reports about the panel "From Fanzines to Social Media -How Fans Communicate" at LACon V. 

 

Other con and event reports:

• James Bacon reports about MetropolCon in Berlin, Germany, the 2026 Eurocon.  
• Aussiecon5, the 2028 Worldcon in Brisbane, Australia, has announced its guests of honour. 
• Mike Glyer reports that the 2026 virtual WisCon has apologised for having two white guests of honour and has promised to increase the number of guests of honour to four.
• Josy Forsdike shares photos of the Otamatsuri comic-con festival in Nairobi, Kenya. 
• Amy Walker reports that three new theme parks, including a Dragonball Z inspired theme park, will be built near Paris in France.  
• James Hibberd reports that the popular X2 rollercoaster at the theme park Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, has been shut down after two riders suffered traumatic brain injuries. 

 

Science and technology:

• Mike Brown declares that Pluto still isn't a planet. 
• Lee Weinstein remembers neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks.

 

Gaming: 

• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Nine Sols by Red Candle Games 
• Marisa Ingemi explains why Pokémon is gay as hell. 
• James Davis Nicoll lists four roleplaying games that did something right 
• Matthew Byrd lists eight low magic fantasy video games. 
• Jen Lennon shares some details about an upcoming Magic the Gathering and Masters of the Universe crossover.

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Germain Lussier shares a look at a massive Star Wars Super Star Destroyed Lego set. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Turned All To Silver Screens" by Madeline Ashby in Reactor. 
• "Ladd’s Robot Repair" by David Anaxagoras in Lightspeed. 
• "The Goddess of Not Enough" by Susan Palwick in Lightspeed. 
• "Portrait of a Woman in a Red Qipao" by Tina S. Zhu in The Dark.
• "Piece de Resistance" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Universal Human Happiness Program" by Y.M. Pang in Clarkesworld. 
• "Boys of the Fellwood" by David R. Hoffman in Apex Magazine. 
• "Inheritance" by Shobhita Narayan in The Deadlands. 

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Outlander: Blood of Me Blood.
• Watch a trailer for Pendulum.