It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general, season 2 of The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general, season 2 of His Dark Materials, Freaky, Fireballs: Visitors from Darker Worlds, the woes of the Fantastic Beasts series, NaNoWriMo tips and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Geoff Allshorn talks about LGBTQ science fiction.
- Chloe Gong shares five SFF books about star-crossed lovers.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five classic science fiction survival stories.
- G.W. Thomas takes a look at science fiction stories which treat spaceships as characters of their own.
- Nina Munteanu shares ten novels of ecological science fiction.
- Michael Zapata shares genre-bending novels from Latin America.
- Chris Mooney explains what makes a great villain.
- James Swallow shares his favourite hacker heroes from science fiction and crime fiction.
- Greg Mele shares his appreciation for the Corum stories by Michael Moorcock.
- G.W. Thomas shares his top ten Edgar Rice Burroughs monsters.
- Joe R. Christopher finds Tolkien references in the mystery novels of Nevada Barr.
- Jason Pak lists every ringbearer in Lord of the Rings in chronological order.
- Deuce Richardson shares his appreciation for the works of L. Sprague de Camp.
- Cliff Biggers remembers Donald A. Wollheim.
- Maddy Warren remembers J. Hunter Holly.
- Cora Buhlert takes a look at the elusive golden age horror writer Allison V. Harding.
- John Cox reminds us that James Bond would have turned 100 on November 11.
- Colin Newton looks for traces of Ray Bradbury, Raymond Chandler and other famous literary resident of the West Side of Los Angeles, California.
- Bella Ellis offers a brief overview of conspiracy theories involving the Bronte sisters.
- Tony Ortega takes a close look at the military medals science fiction author and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard supposedly earned.
- Dalya Alberge reports that Anthony Burgess renounced his famous dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange later in life.
- Mike Glyer reports that J. Michael Straczynski, executor of Harlan Ellison's estate, may actually be publishing the long delayed anthology The Last Dangerous Visions.
- The BBC profiles Tamil comic book pioneer Vijayan Soundrapandian.
- James Whitbrook reports that Marie Javins has been named the editor in chief of DC Comics.
- Paul Morley explains why opera will never die.
- The BBC reports that a statue of Mary Wollstonecraft has been unveiled in North London, UK, to some controversy.
- Locus remembers Rachel Caine.
- Pippin MacDonald remembers her mother Debra Doyle.
- Science fiction fan and bookseller Ken Barr has died.
Film and TV:
- Jason Shawhan calls Wolfwalkers an unsettling and magical animated movie.
- Phil Hoad calls Train to Busan: Peninsula a tired zombie rehash that lacks the social commentary of the original.
- Peter Bradshaw calls Nuclear an eccentric post-apocalyptic drama.
- Stuart Heritage calls Fatman the Mel Gibson as Santa Claus action comedy no one wanted or needed.
- Cath Clarke calls Jingle, Jangle: A Christmas Journey a sugar rush of holiday joy.
- Kate Erbland calls Proxima a more cerebral alternative to the more soapy astronaut drama Away.
- Leslie Felperin calls Blood Harvest a lurid religious horror film.
- Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
- Randall Colburn shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Moonbase 8.
- Gwen Ihnat shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Next.
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on the horror comedy Truth Seekers.
- James Worrad shares his thoughts on the Indian horror movie Tumbbad.
- Emma John shares her appreciation for Agents of SHIELD.
- Rob Sanders shares ten little known fantasy films of the 1980s.
- Christian Blauvelt revisits Walt Disney's 1940 animated movie Fantasia for its 80th anniversary.
- Jessica Holmes revisits the 1965 Doctor Who serial "The Myth Makers".
- Noah Berlatsky revisits the 1981 science fiction western Outland and compares it to the 1952 western High Noon.
- Leah Schnelbach revisits the 1999 fantasy adventure movie The Mummy.
- Ellen Gutorskey remembers The Land of Gorch, a forgotten Jim Henson puppet sketch that briefly ran as part of the comedy program Saturday Night Live in 1975.
- Beth Elderkin lists twenty actors who could appear in a superhero musical.
- Cheryl Eddy praises the work of director Rachel Talalay.
- Catherine Shoard interviews Gabrial Byrne, star of The Usual Suspects, Excalibur, Miller's Crossing and many others.
- Tony King interviews Benjamin Ross Hayden, director of Parallel Minds.
- Devan Coggan offers some background in the upcoming Marvel TV series WandaVision.
- Tony Quine reports that a Russian production company is also planning to film aboard the International Space Station and is looking for a suitable star.
- Shannon Miller reports that actress Anne Hathaway has apologised to the disability community for the problematic portrayal of her character in The Witches.
- Anthony d'Alessandro reports that the theatrical releases of Free Guy and Death on the Nile have been delayed due to the corona pandemic.
- Andrew Liptak reports that season 13 of Doctor Who will be shorter than usual due to the corona pandemic.
- Molly Templeton reports that the Marvel series WandaVision will start streaming on January 15, 2021.
- British actor Geoffrey Palmer who appeared in Doctor Who, Whoops, Apocalypse and the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies among many others has died aged 93.
Comments on season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Forget Me Not", the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "Forget Me Not".
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "Forget Me Not".
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Forget Me Not".
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "Forget Me Not".
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Forget Me Not".
- Philiana Ng interviews Blu del Barrio who plays Adira in Star Trek Discovery.
- Eric Pesola discusses some negative fandom reactions to Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard and other current iterations of Star Trek.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "Mortal Coil" and "Waking Moments".
- Alvaro Zinos-Amaro revisits the 2016 Deep Space Nine tie-in novel Force and Motion by Jeffrey Lang.
Comments on season 2 of The Mandalorian and Star Wars in general:
- Paul MacInnes shares his thought on "The Passenger", the latest episode of The Mandalorian.
- Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on "The Passenger".
- Emmet Asher-Perrin shares his thoughts on "The Passenger".
- Katie Rife shares her thoughts on "The Passenger".
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "The Passenger".
- Tyler Hersko shares his thoughts on "The Passenger".
- Charles Pulliam-Moore is bothered by Baby Yoda's eating habits in "The Passenger".
- John Saavedra explains the background of the critters seen in "The Passenger".
- Adrienne Tyler explains why the Tusken Raiders always wear masks.
- Mark Brown interviews John Boyega, who played Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
- Eric Spitznagel shares 99 Star Wars related jokes.
- James Hibberd reports that a restaurant in Bambridge, Northern Ireland, offers a Baby Yoda cocktail.
Comments on season 2 of His Dark Materials:
Comments on Freaky:
Comments on Werner Herzog's documentary Fireballs: Visitors from Darker Worlds:
Comments on the Fantastic Beasts film series replacing Johnny Depp:
- Benjamin Lee reports that Johnny Depp has been asked to resign from the Fantastic Beasts movie series following losing the libel lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
- Andrew Pulver reports that Mads Mikkelsen will replace Johnny Depp in the Fantastic Beasts movies.
- Luke Walpole wonders how replacing a main actor will affect the Fantastic Beasts series.
Awards:
- The semi-finalists for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2020 Goldsmiths Prize for Innovation in Fiction has been announced.
- The 2020 inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame have been announced.
- Locus reports about a controversy surrounding the Women's Prize for Fiction.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Margaret Atwood talks about creating art in difficult times.
- Andrea Hall shares a NaNoWriMo pep talk for writers.
- Summer H. Paulus shares writing advice from several published writers.
- E.A. Aymar hosts a roundtable on writing the other.
- Sara Foster explains why narrative structure is such a valuable tool for writers.
- Charlie Jane Anders explains that irony and emotion can go hand in hand in your writing.
- John Scalzi looks back on twenty years as an author.
- Joby Dorr feels that artists should charge more for their work.
- Emily Hare attempts to answer the question if you should start a Patreon.
- Alison Flood announces that hundreds of British authors have signed an initiative to support British bookstores during the pandemic.
- Alison Flood also reports that the British Booksellers' Association declares that bookstores should be classified as essential services and should remain open during the current lockdown in the UK.
- Rachel Kramer Brussel reports about people who have opened bookstores during the corona pandemic.
- Sarah Laskow takes a look into the caretaker's apartments still found inside some branches of the New York Public Library.
- Jason Kottke reports that Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, is releasing a fragrance that smells like a bookstore.
- Mike Glyer reports that Greg Ketter, owner of DreamHaven Books in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and an employee were attacked and robbed only months after the store was vandalised during the riots following the death of George Floyd.
Interviews:
- Kara Swisher interviews Jeff VanderMeer.
- Brian Gresko interviews Jonathan Lethem.
- John Maher interviews Terry Brooks.
- Locus interviews Victor LaValle.
- Andrea Johnson interviews Rachel Cordasco.
- The Qwillery interviews Ginger Smith.
- The Qwillery interviews Wayne Santos.
- Andrea Johnson interviews Cole Nagamatsu.
- Janna Miller interviews Anna Elise Brinich.
- Sian Cain interviews Rumaan Alam.
- Scott Edelman interviews Steve Toase.
Reviews:
- Marion Deeds, Tadiana Jones and Jana Nyman review Network Effect by Martha Wells.
- Julia Frazer reviews Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Elizabeth Tabler reviews Ballistic by Marko Kloos.
- Shellie Horst reviews Dexter and the Sinister Detecting Agents by Keith W. Dickinson.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas.
- Adri Joy revisits The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk.
- E, Nordling reviews The Factory Witches of Lowell by C.S. Malerich.
- Rebecca Fisher reviews The Wizard of Once by Cressida Cowell.
- Liz Bourke reviews Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
- Elizabeth Tabler reviews The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso.
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen
- Paul Weimer reviews Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews Legacy of Steel by Matthew Ward.
- Alice Arneson reviews Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson.
- Marion Deeds reviews The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher.
- Margaret Agnew reviews The Cabin on Souder Hill by Lonnie Bush.
- Pam Guyno reviews The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston.
- Ian Mond reviews Afterland by Lauren Beukes.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews The Crowman by Gareth Clegg.
- Doreen Sheridan reviews Sherlock Holmes and the Beast of the Stapletons by James Lovegrove.
- No More Grumpy Bookseller reviews Sleep Donation by Karen Russell.
- Lee Mandelo reviews Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross.
- Alex Preston reviews Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Utopia by Ahmed Khaled Towfik.
- Bill Capossere and Kat Hooper review Bloom by Kenneth Oppel.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews The Evidence by Christopher Priest.
- Stevie Davis reviews The Betrayals by Bridget Collins.
- Mark Yon reviews The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson.
- Colleen Mondor reviews We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry.
- James Davies Nicoll reviews Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron.
- Runalong the Shelves reviews After Sundown, edited by Mark Morris.
- Sean Guynes reviews Theory for the World to Come: Speculative Fiction and Apocalyptic Anthropology by Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer.
Classics reviews:
- Ken Lizzi revisits the 1914 fantasy novel The Moon Pool by A. Merritt.
- James Malizewski revisits the 1932 Conan sword and sorcery story "The Frost Giant's Daughter" by Robert E. Howard.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1949 science fiction anthology The Best Science Fiction Stories, edited by Everett F. Bleiler and T.E. Ditky.
- Matthew Beaumont revisits the 1951 dystopian story "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the 1957 YA science fiction novel Blast-Off at Woomera and its 1958 sequel The Domes of Pico by Hugh Walters.
- Bill Ward revisits the 1963 Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story "Bazaar of the Bizarre" by Fritz Leiber.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the December 1965 issue of Galaxy.
- John Boston revisits the December 1965 issue of Amazing Stories.
- Joe Kenney revisits The Endless Orgy, a 1969 sleaze time travel novel by Richard E. Geis.
- Book Marks shares contemporary reviews of the 1969 science fiction novel Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1970 fantasy novel No Flying in the House by Betty Brock.
- Terhali's Peculiar Satisfaction revisits the 1972 Jerry Cornelius novel The English Assassin by Michael Moorcock.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1974 science fiction anthology Universe 4, edited by Terry Carr.
- Joe Kenney revisits The Blood Merchants, a 1982 Sabat horror men's adventure novel by Guy N. Smith.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1984 historical adventure novel Stand and Deliver by Andre Norton.
- Kat Hooper revisits the 1996 fantasy novel Storm Breaking by Mercedes Lackey.
- Ryan Howse revisits the 1998 Ile-Rien fantasy novel The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells.
Con and event reports:
- Cat Eldridge reports about the virtual 2020 World Fantasy Convention.
- L.D. Lewis shares her experiences as one of the organisers of the virtual 2020 FIYAHCON.
- Alasdair Stuart interviews the team behind FIYAHCON.
- Mike Glyer reports about the virtual one day SMOFCon.
- The schedule for the virtual OR-e-Con is online.
- The 2021 Eurocon in Fiuggi, Italy, has been postponed until July due the corona pandemic.
Crowdfunding:
- The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pennsylvannia, where part of the 1958 movie The Blob was filmed, needs help to remain open.
- Louise Perenne, artist and member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, needs some help to pay for home healthcare.
- The SLF Podcast: Mohanraj and Rosenbaum Are Humans is looking for funding.
- Jenitales: Artemisia, an erotic supernatural comic by Jennie Gyllblad, is looking for funding.
Science and technology:
- Jennimai Nguyen reports that Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot is being used by the NYPD at crime scenes in New York City.
- Matan Shelomi reports how people are using Pokémon to expose scientific misinformation and predatory, non-peer-reviewed journals.
- Rebecca Mead reports about the discovery of a Viking hoard in the UK and what happened afterwards.
- Kellie Doherty lists her favourite mythological creatures that are not dragons.
Free online fiction:
- "To Sail the Black" by A.C. Wise in Clarkesworld.
- "Lost in Darkness and Distance" by Clara Madrigano in Clarkesworld.
- "Words We Say Instead" by Brit E.B. Hvide in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Our Lady of the Wicker Bridge" by Angela Slatter in The Dark.
- "Giant Beach" by Amy Porter in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law" by Lavie Tidhar in Tor.com.
- "The Gwyddien and the Raven Fiend" by J.T. Greathouse in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "A Land of Blood and Snow" by Cooper Anderson in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Do Androids Dream of Capitalism and Slavery?" by Mandisi Nkomo in Omenana.
- "Small Hopes and Dreams" by Beth Dawkins in Apex Magazine.
- "The Legacy of Alexandria" by Maurice Broaddus in Apex Magazine.
- "Burn the Ships" by Alberto Yáñez in Lightspeed.
- "Night Doctors" by P. Djèlí Clark in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Schrödinger's Catastrophe, Part 2" by Gene Doucette in Lightspeed.
- "I Decline" by Cat Rambo in Daily Science Fiction.
- "An Introduction" by Reina Hardy in Fantasy Magazine.
- "Double-Cross" by Cora Buhlert.
Trailers and videos:
