It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with tributes to Gene Wolfe, Ian McEwan being very clueless about science fiction, the final season of Game of Thrones, Star Trek Discovery, The Orville, Shazam!, High Life, season 2 of American Gods, Hellboy, the season 4 finale of The Magicians and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Eric Brown shares the best recent science fiction novels.
- Martin Cahill lists five recent novels that blend science fiction and horror.
- Sam Reader shares nine SFF rock novels.
- Rudy Rucker talks about Cyberpunk use cases.
- Nicole Hill shares seven darkly funny fantasy novels.
- Jeff Somers ranks magic systems in fantasy novels.
- Alix E. Harrow explains how her mother fostered her love of fantasy and science fiction.
- Elizabeth Fitzgerald talks about her love for YA fantasy featuring faeries.
- James Davis Nicoll offers a history of Pamela Sargent's Women of Wonder anthologies.
- Kristopher Jansma discusses Philip K. Dick's last unfinished novel The Owl in Daylight.
- Edward German profiles the German pulp science fiction series Perry Rhodan.
- Omar l. Gallaga shares seven Stephen King books almost as scary as Pet Sematary.
- Stuart Anderson profiles Isaac Asimov.
- Cora Buhlert explains why Ian McEwan is clueless about science fiction.
- Also inspired by Ian McEwan's cluelessness about science fiction, Sarah Ditum discusses the lingering snobbery against science fiction among some literary writers.
- Alison Flood reports that J.K. Rowling a.k.a. crime fiction writer Robert Galbraith is backing the mentoring program of the organisation Killer Women for crime fiction writers from minority backgrounds.
- Editor Jason Sizemore announces that Apex Magazine is going on indefinite hiatus after issue 120.
- Kazuhiko Kato a.k.a. Monkey Punch, creator of the manga Lupin III, has died aged 81.
- Science fiction author and TV screenwriter Allan Cole has died aged 75.
Tributes to Gene Wolfe:
- Author Gene Wolfe has died aged 87.
- Valya Dudycz Lupescu remembers Gene Wolfe.
- Mike Glyer remembers Gene Wolfe.
- Locus remembers Gene Wolfe.
- The SFWA remembers Gene Wolfe.
- Ross Johnson remember Gene Wolfe.
- Alison Flood remembers Gene Wolfe.
- Jonathan Thornton remembers Gene Wolfe.
- Paul di Filippo remembers Gene Wolfe.
Film and TV:
- Daniel Dern shares a quick recommendation for season 2 of The Tick.
- Stuart Jeffries declares that the British supernatural sitcom Ghosts will make you die laughing.
- Danette Chavez calls the horror movie Curse of La Llorona more funny than frightening.
- Noel Murray calls the latest episode of the new Twilight Zone a near classic.
- Linda Holmes calls Little a wrong body comedy that can't get comfortable.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the short film Aliens Night.
- Katie Rife shares her thoughts on the latest episode of What We Do in the Shadows.
- Christopher East shares his thoughts on Russian Doll.
- Peter Bradshaw calls the 1979 movie Monty Python's Life of Brian an unholy work of satirical genius.
- Peter Bradshaw also revisits the 1985 children's adventure movie The Goonies.
- Cheryl Eddy shares the five best movies of the late horror film director Larry Cohen.
- Kim Newman jumps into the debate about trailer for horror films accidentally being shown before children's films in cinemas and declares that horror films do not harm children.
- Natalie Devitt revisits episodes 25 to 28 of season 1 of the original Outer Limits.
- Jon Land shares pop culture's most jaw-dropping twist endings (spoilers, obviously).
- Joshua Yehl explains how George Lucas helped to finish Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
- Graeme McMillan interviews Kathleen Kennedy about planning the next ten years of Star Wars movies.
- Ben Child explains why no one ever really dies in Star Wars.
- The BBC reports that Jar-Jar Binks is George Lucas' favourite Star Wars character.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore reports that the X-Men related TV-show The Gifted has been cancelled.
- Charles Pulliam.Moore reports that US senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris has invoked Avengers. Infinity War in a debate on net neutrality.
- Sasha Ingber reports that the Writers Guild of America has advised Hollywood screenwriters to fire their agents.
- Actress Mya-Lecia Naylor, who appeared in Cloud Atlas as well as several BBC children's programs, has died aged only 16.
Comments on Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek in general (spoilers):
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrow", the latest episode of Star Trek Discovery.
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrow".
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrow".
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrow".
- Kayti Burt shares her thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrow".
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrow".
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "Such Sweet Sorrows".
- Emily Asher-Perrin declares that Star Trek Discovery shows that Spock's greatest battle was never emotion vs. logic.
- Brian Cronin reports that the late Vonda McIntyre came up with Hikaru Sulu's first name in a Star Trek tie-in novel and it later became canon.
Comments on The Orville:
- Nick Wanserski shares his thoughts on "Sanctuary", the latest episode of The Orville.
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "Santuary".
Comments on the final season of Game of Thrones:
- Joe Brosnan shares his thoughts on "Winterfell", the first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones.
- Theresa DeLucci shares her thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Melissa Leon shares her thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Sam Stone shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Rob Bricken shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Ben Van Iten shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Lucy Mangan shares her thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Rebecca Nicholson shares her thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Jeremy Egner shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Miles McNutt shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Angel Wilson shares her thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Hillary Kelly shares her thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Readers of The Guardian share their thoughts on "Winterfell".
- Tyler Dean points out the parallels between "Winterfell" and "Winter is Coming", the very first episode of Game of Thrones.
- Beth Elderkin explains which scene in "Winterfell" carried the most narrative weight.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore analyses the season 8 opening credits of Game of Thrones.
- Sarah Marsh reports that the impact of Game of Thrones will be felt long after the TV series' finale.
- Kyle McAuley declares that the most notable thing about Game of Thrones was that it felt as if everybody in the world was watching the show.
- Barbara Moran views Game of Thrones as an analogy for climate change.
- Tyler Dean explains why Sansa Stark is a gothic heroine.
- Julie Wittes Schlack feels the need to tell the world that she doesn't watch Game of Thrones and feels superior because of it.
- Andy Welsh shares the best and most shocking moments from George R.R. Martin's books that never made it into the TV series.
- Tom Lamont profiles Gwendoline Christie who plays Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones.
- Meredith Blake profiles Camilla Naprous, horse master for Game of Thrones.
- Beth Elderkin interviews David J. Peterson, the linguist who created High Valyrian for Game of Thrones.
- James Whitbrook reports that George Lucas directed a scene from the season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones.
- For HBO Backstories, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss share an anecdote from behind the scenes of Game of Thrones, complete with animation.
- Sam Stone reports that the season 8 premiere of Game of Thrones has set a new viewer record for the series.
- Watch a clip in which Elmo from Sesame Street resolves at least one of the many conflicts in Game of Thrones.
Comments on Shazam!:
- Josh Pearce and Arley Sorg shaare their thoughts on Shazam!
- Zach Vasquez reports how the success of Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam! saved the DC cinematic universe.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore offers a brief guide to the surprising character who pops up in the mid-credits scene of Shazam!
- Justin Cronin explains that Shazam! literally opens the door to a Dark Justice League movie.
- Brian Cronin explains when Shazam and Billy Batson became the same person.
Comments on High Life:
- Eric Eisenberg calls High Life an impressive cinematic experience.
- Naleigh Foutch calls High Life a strange and sublime science fiction subversion.
- A.A. Dowd calls High Life a captivating and messily human space odyssey.
- Jeff Niesel declares that High Life stands apart from other science fiction movies, but is also not easy to sit through.
- Scott Tobias declares that High Life baffles audience expectations.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore interviews Claire Denis and Robert Pattinson, director and star of High Life.
- Katie Kilkenny interviews Claire Denis.
- A.A. Dowd interviews Claire Denis.
Comments on season 2 of American Gods:
- Charles Pulliam-Moore shares his thoughts on the latest episode of American Gods.
- Emily L. Stephens shares her thoughts on the latest episode of American Gods.
- Jamie Sugah shares her thoughts on the latest episode of American Gods.
Comments on the season 4 finale of The Magicians (spoilers):
- Lisa Weidenfeld declares that the season 4 finale of The Magicians says good-bye to a major character.
- Beth Elderkin declares that the season 4 finale of The Magicians broke her.
- Beth Elderkin also shares a statement from the showrunners regarding the events in the season 4 finale of The Magicians.
- Rae Nudson expains why the sex scenes in The Magicians look different than in other TV shows.
Comments on Hellboy:
- Chris Klimek calls the latest version of Hellboy chaotic and repetitive.
- Emily Asher-Perrin declares that Hellboy doesn't know what to do with its R-rating, so it became a bad music video.
- Inspired by the lackluster Hellboy, Maté Mohos wonders if the R-rated superhero movie has lost its power.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore analyses Hellboy's post-credits scene.
- Christian Holub explains how Hellboy brought Baba Yaga to life.
- The BBC reports that Hellboy is a box office failure.
- James Whitbrook shares six great Hellboy comics to read instead of watching the latest rather lackluster Hellboy movie.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2018 Kitschies have been announced.
- The winner of the 2019 Compton Crook Award has been announced.
- The preliminary ballot for the 2018 Ditmar Awards has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2019 Sir Julius Vogel Awards have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2019 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2019 Prix Imaginales have been announced.
- The finalists for the 2019 Roswell Award have been announced.
- The longlist for the 2019 Best Translated Book Awards has been announced.
- The finalists for the 2018 This Is Horror Awards have been announced and voting is open as well.
- Voting is open for the 2019 CLFA Book of the Year.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- S.L. Huang talks about not fitting into traditional gender stereotypes and writing a wide variety of woman characters.
- Janice Hardy talks about raising a story's stakes by narrowing the focus.
- Janice Hardy shares the five classic conflict types.
- Janice Hardy explains why conflict is so hard to create in romance.
- Jodi Turchin explains how to write realistic teenagers.
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about critical voice.
- Vivian Shaw attempts to answer the question how much research you should do for your book.
- Shiloh Walker shares her letter to Jeff Bezos of Amazon about the practice of republishing old books as new ones without disclosing the publication history.
- Tom Doherty Associates has announced the creation of a new horror imprint to be called Nightfire.
Interviews:
- Jellyfable interviews Foz Meadows.
- John Scalzi interviews Cory Doctorow.
- Tim Adams interviews Ian McEwan, wherein McEwan reveals his complete and utter ignorance of the past two hundred years of science fiction.
- The Qwillery interviews Ian Stuart Sharpe.
Reviews:
- Liz Bourke reviews A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy by Alex White.
- Spacefaring Kitten reviews Shadow Captain by Alastair Reynolds.
- Ceridwen Christensen reviews Atlas Alone by Emma Newman.
- Jeff Somers reviews Titanshade by Dan Stout.
- The G at nerds of a feather reviews Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos.
- Tom Whitmore reviews Trial by Treason by Dave Duncan.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews The Undefeated by Una McCormack.
- Debbie Haupt reviews The Alchemist's Illusion by Gigi Pandian.
- Jana Nyman reviews The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis.
- Fantasy Faction reviews A Time of Blood by John Gwynne.
- Daniel Haeusser reviews The Curiosity Killers by K.W. Taylor.
- Rob Bedford reviews No Country for Old Gnomes by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne.
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Wicked King by Holly Black and The Supernormal Sleuthing Service: The Sphinx's Secret by Gwenda Bond and Christopher Rowe.
- Bill Capossere reviews Imposters by Scott Westerfeld.
- Bill Capossere reviews A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher.
- Janet Webb reviews Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton.
- S. Qiouyi Lu reviews All My Colors by David Quantick.
- Ian Mond reviews Infinite Detail by Tim Maughan.
- Marcel Theroux reviews Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan.
- Julian Lucas reviews Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan.
- Louisa Hall reviews Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Ghost Mine by Hunter Shea.
- Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Inside the Asylum by Mary SanGiovanni.
- Durand Welsh reviews Thin Air by Richard Morgan.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color, edited by Nisi Shawl.
- Paul Weimer reviews The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein by Farah Mendlesohn.
Classics reviews:
- Mark Yon revisits the 1955 science fiction novel Earthman Come Home by James Blish.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1957 science fiction novel Wasp by Eric Frank Russell.
- Rosemary Benton revisits the 1964 science fiction novels The House of Iszm and Son of the Tree by Jack Vance and Web of the Witch World by Andre Norton.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the May 1964 issues of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and recounts some unpleasant events in the science fiction community in 1964.
- John Boston revisits the May 1964 issue of Amazing Stories.
- Terry Weyna revisits the 1973 science fiction novella The Girl Who Was Plugged In by James Tiptree Jr.
- Adri Joy revisits the 1978 feminist science fiction novel Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre.
- James Davis Nicoll the 1982 science fiction novel Voyage From Yesteryear by James P. Hogan.
- Will Errikson revisits the 1983 horror novel Joyride by Stephen Crye.
- Bogi Takács revisits the 1988 space opera A Matter of Oaths by Helen S. Wright.
- Ross Johnson revisits the 1993 dystopian novel Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
Crowdfunding:
- The Time Scouts Handbook, a handbook for young time travellers, is looking for funding.
- Strange Days: A Book of Curious Forgotten Lore by G.H. Finn is looking for funding.
- Writer and composer S.P. Somtow needs some help.
Con and event reports:
- Cat Rambo explains why she is looking forward to the 2019 Nebula Conference in Woodland Hills, California.
- Emily Asher-Perrin shares the highlights from the Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, Illinois.
- Shea Corrigan shares fifteen things she learned from the Star Wars Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration.
- Lynzee Loveridge reminds attendants on Anime Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, to bring their own bags due to a new trash reduction law.
- WorldCon 77 chairperson James Bacon shares a message for WorldCon 77 members affected by the new Irish short term rental law.
Science and technology:
- Eric Berger reports that the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet crashed during its attempted landing on the Moon.
- Rebecca Morelle reports that the Beresheet crashwas likely caused by a technical glitch.
- Monica Edwards and Laura Abadie report about the results of a NASA study on the impact of space travel on astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother Mark Kelly.
- The BBC profiles Dr. Katie Bouman whose work made the recently captured first image of a black hole possible.
- James Gallagher reports that US scientists have partially revived pig brains four hours after death.
- James Gallagher reports that a baby with three parents has been born in Greece.
- James Gallagher reports that a new type of medicine can reverse the genetic disease porphyria.
- Paul Rincon reports that a new extinct species of human, the homo luzonensis, has been found in the Philippines.
- David Grossman reports that cave paintings suggest that early humans had much more astronomical knowledge than frequently assumed.
- Astronaut Dr. Owen K. Garriott died aged 88.
Free online fiction:
- "Gundark Island, or Tars Tarkas Needs YourHelp" by Matthew Corradi in Lightspeed.
- "The Lady of Shalott" by Carrie Vaughn in Lightspeed.
- "An Open Coffin" by H. Pueyo in The Dark.
- "Mama Bruise" by Jonathan Carroll at Tor.com.
- "The One You Feed" by Dennis E. Staples in Nightmare Magazine.
- "Before the World Crumbles Away" by A.T, Greenblatt in Uncanny Magazine.
- "A Wedding Gown of Autumn Leaves" by caroline M. Yoachim in Daily Science Fiction.
- "A Fool's Baneful Gallantry" by Derek Lubangakene in Apex Magazine.
- "A PSA for Time-Travelers" by Fabio Fernandes in Daily Science Fiction.
- "Poorly Researched Men's Fiction" by Evan Allgood in McSweeney's Internet Tendency.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
- Watch a trailer for Avengers: Endgame and eleven years of Marvel movies.
- Watch a trailer for Dark Phoenix.
- Watch a trailer for The Boys.
- Watch a teaser for Good Omens.
- Watch a teaser for Swamp Thing.
- Watch a trailer for the latest version of Child's Play.
- Listen to a country song written by a neural network that studied a catalogue of country hits and wrote its own.
- Timothy the Talking Cat shares his autobiography Beyond the Bounds of Genius.
- Danny Sichel shares some science fictional jokes.
