Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 17, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek in general, Masters of the Universe in general, Peacemaker and the DC Cinematic Universe in general, the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general, Tron Ares, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, season 2 of Gen V, Invasion, Black Phone 2, Solar Opposites, Witches of Essex, tributes to Drew Struzan, Diane Keaton and Jilly Cooper and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Lisa Tuttle shares a round-up of her favourite recent science fiction and fantasy books. 
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books arriving in October 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books arriving in October 2025  
• Reactor shares all the new horror books arriving in October 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new romantasy books arriving in October 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new SFF crossover books arriving in October 2025 
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books arriving in October 2025   
• Paz Pardo shares five new speculative thrillers and mysteries coming out this fall   
• Krystle Matar attempts to define grimdark fiction. 
• Aaron Jones talks about the power of fantasy and science fiction, when dealing with grief. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five reasons from vintage science fiction why we should build military bases on the Moon. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five novels about coming of age during the apocalypse 
• Fran Wilde lists six high tech heists that defy the odds
• John Valeri lists fifteen spooky crime and horror novels to enjoy this October. 
• Trillina Pucci explains why romance and horror go well together. 
• A.G. Slatter discusses some ways of subverting the “women as a victim” trope
• Asa West explains why we need witches now more than ever. 
• C.J. Cooke shares seven historical horror novels inspired by true events 
• Alex Brown shares five underrated books about evil houses 
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror books set in liminal spaces 
• John Hornor Jacobs shares his favourite examples of transportation based horror. 
• Laura Elliott discusses the popularity of medical horror. 
• Letitia Urieta shares nine works of fungus horror. 
• Eden Royce shares five SFF books featuring encounters with death and the dead
• Carson Faust recommends horror novels based on people's favourite recent horror films. 
• Nicholas Binge talks about doubles and doppelgangers in fiction. 
• Mark Waddell shares five SFF books with the weirdest and worst office jobs. 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for September 2025. 
• Robert Charles Wilson talks about the connections between the postwar counterculture in Greenwich Village and speculative fiction. 
• Lyndsie Manusos shares her appreciation for the work of Carissa Broadbent. 
• Ed Crocker shares his appreciation for the work of Richard Swan. 
• Kiri Callaghan shares some musings on Arthur Conan Doyle's interest in spiritualism  
• Ed Simon talks about Edgar Allan Poe's obsession with being buried alive. 
• Lyndsey Merbaum shares cocktails inspired by her novel Vampires at Sea. 

 

Tributes to Jilly Cooper:

• Dame Jilly Cooper, British author of romance novels, family sagas and so-called "bonkbusters", has died aged 88. 
• Veronica Horwell shares an obituary for Dame Jilly Cooper. 
• Jenny Colgan, Olivia Laing and Jess Cartner-Morley share their tributes to Jilly Cooper. 
• Readers of The Guardian share their tributes to Jilly Cooper. 
• The Guardian shares photos from Jilly Cooper's long life. 

 

Comics and Art:

• Brad Hawley reviews Hedra by Jesse Lonergan
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Last Session, Volume 1: Roll For Initiative by Jasmine Walls and Dozerdraws 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The Power Fantasy Vol. 2 by Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard, Clayton Cowles and Rian Hughes 
• Kristin Loesch discusses the use of illustrations and artwork in horror fiction. 
• Justin Carter reports that DC's Vertigo imprint is returning in 2026. 
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon on where writers get their ideas. 
   

 Tributes to Drew Struzan:

• Movie poster artist Drew Struzan has died aged 78. 
• Leia Mendoza remembers Drew Struzan and his work.  
• Matthew Byrd remembers Drew Struzan's work. 
• James Whitbrook remembers Drew Struzan and his work. 
• James Whitbrook shares his favourite genre movie posters by Drew Struzan. 
• He-Mania remembers that Drew Struzan also created the poster for the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie.  

 

 

Film and TV: 

• Leah Schnelbach calls Good Boy an excellent, heartwrenching new horror film that rises above its gimmick 
• Natalie Zutter declares that All of You merely flirts with the science of soulmates  
• Isaiah Colbert calls The Summer Hikaru Died easily the best horror anime in ages  
• Isaiah Colbert calls Sanda a weird, wild and wonderfully unhinged holiday horror-comedy anime 
• Ann Michelle Harris reviews season 2 of the anime Kaiju No. 8.
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on the Thai science fiction anthology series Tomorrow and I 
• Catherine Bray calls Night of the Zoopocalypse a zombified animal caper for horror-hungry kids 
• Cath Clarke calls The Twits gruesome in all the wrong ways  
• Tim Grierson calls Good Fortune a pedestrian fantasy comedy of haves and have-nots doesn't have much to say, even when an angelic Keanu Reeves is saying it. 
• Dan Person discusses the evolution of the Invisible Man on screen and what it tells us about power and fear.  
• Fiona Moore revisits the 1970 horror films Trog and The Vampire Lovers.  
• George Pritchard revisits the 1970 horror films How Awful About Allan and Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly 
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1970 science fiction series Timeslip. 
• Craig D. Lindsey revisits the 1972 blaxploitation horror Blacula 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1975 shark movie Jaws. 
• Kali Wallace revisits thr 1975 children's science fiction film Escape to Witch Mountain 
• Jacob Oller revisits the 1980 science fiction horror film Altered States. 
• Adam Ganderson revisits the 1981 Arthurian fantasy film Excalibur and the 1982 sword and sorcery film Conan the Barbarian. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1982 children's science fiction movie E.T. the Extraterrestrial. 
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1983 horror adaptation Something Wicked This Way Comes. 
• Vance Kotrla revisits the 1994 cosmic horror film In The Mouth of Madness  
• Leah Thomas revisits the 1995 anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “The Long Night” 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1997 Babylon 5 episode “Into the Fire”  
• Kate Solomon revisits the 2001 fantasy movie The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. 
• Michael J. Fox shares his memories of filming Back to the Future in 1985. 
• John Jurgensen interviews George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson. 
• Adam B. Vary and Kate Aurthur interviews Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Stranger Things.
• Alex Zalben interviews Liam Hemsworth and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, star and showrunner of The Witcher. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Andy Muschietti, co-creator of IT: Welcome To Derry  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her favourite SFF roles of Lee Pace. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido lists five movies that attempt to capture the brilliance of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein 
• Judith Tarr takes a look at the boom of shark movies that come out in the wake of Jaws. 
• Inspired by Bone Lake, Matthew Byrd shares his favourite erotic horror movies. 
• Caitlin Starling shares five horror films set in hospitals.
• Oliver Holmes reports that Yoda was originally blue. 
• Molly Templeton reports that the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle has now become the highest grossing international film of all time in the US. 
• Heather Hill, who directed the soap opera The Young and the Restless for fifteen years, has died aged 85. 

 

Tributes to Diane Keaton:

• Diane Keaton, star of The Godfather, Annie Hall, Baby Boom, Sleeper, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The First Wives Club, The Little Drummer Girl and many others, has died aged 79.
• Director and actor Woody Allen remembers his co-star and former partner Diane Keaton.  
• Kirsten Chuba shares Keanu Reeves' tribute to Diane Keaton. 
• Elliott Gould remembers his former co-star Diana Keaton. 
• Castille Landon, director of what would be Diane Keaton's final film, shares a tribute to her. 
• Peter Bradshaw shares a tribute to Diane Keaton. 
• Jesse Hassenger shares a tribute to Diane Keaton. 
• William Hughes remembers Diane Keaton. 
• Writers of The Guardian remember Diane Keaton 
• Jess Cartner-Morley celebrates Diane Keaton's unique sense of style. 
• Pejman Faratin shares photos from Diane Keaton's long life.  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Turn a Page interviews Tiffany Smith, who voiced Andra in Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution and also wrote a one-shot comic about the character. 
• Lily Ford interviews Robbie Brenner, head of Mattel Studios, about the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie and other Mattel movie projects. 
• Leo Barraclough interviews Robbie Brenner.
• He-Mania shares Mattel Chief Franchise Officer Josh Silverman comments about the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie made at the Brand Licensing Europe event in London, UK. 
• He-Mania shares some concept artwork for Snake Mountain from the upcoming Masters of the Universe live action movie as well as the remarks made by Ruth Henriquez of Mattel and Greg Coleman of Amazon MGM Studios at the Brand Licensing Europe event in London, UK.  
• James Eatock takes a look at some very visually striking background characters in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "To Save the Creatures".
• James Eatock discusses the creation of a specific piece of He-Man and She-Ra promotional artwork. 

Comments on Peacemaker and the DC Cinematic Universe in general: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the penultimate episode of Peacemaker.
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the season finale of Peacemaker. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the penultimate episode of Peacemaker. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season finale of Peacemaker.  
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on the penultimate episode of Peacemaker. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on the season finale of Peacemaker.  
• Isaiah Colbert shares his thoughts on the penultimate episode of Peacemaker.  
• Isaiah Colbert shares his thoughts on the season finale of Peacemaker.   
• Isaiah Colbert shares six things he liked, and three he didn’t, about season 2 of Peacemaker. 
• Peter White interviews James Gunn, showrunner of Peacemaker and head of DC Studios. 
• Saloni Gajjar interviews Jennifer Holland who plays Emilia Harcourt in Peacemaker. 
• Saloni Gajjar praises the performance of John Cena in Peacemaker. 
• Melody McCune shares her personal highlights from season 2 of Peacemaker. 
• Diana Keng visits the paddlesteamer Georgia Queen, one of the filming location of Peacemaker. 
• Watch a trailer for Bat-Fam.  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Jaime Babb declares that Star Trek needs new (and better) villains 
• Camestros Felapton revisits season 1 of Star Trek Enterprise, whiched aired in 2001/2002. 
• Vanessa Armstrong reports that actor Anthony Rapp, who played Paul Stamets in Star Trek Discovery, has said that the series was initially planned to have a sixth season. 
• Vanessa Armstrong reports that the 1967 Star Trek episode  “Return of the Archons” inspired the popular horror film series The Purge. 
• Kelcie Mattson revisits the 1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Inner Light". 
• Avery Kaplan finds some connections between Star Trek and season 6 of Solar Opposites. 
• Avery Kaplan reviews Star Trek: The Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior's Way by Joey Spiotto.  
• Melody McCune reports about the Star Trek panel at the 2025 New York Comic Con in New York City. 
• Watch a clip from season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 
• Watch a trailer for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. 

 

Comments on seaosn 2 of Gen V: 

• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the previous episode of season 2 of Gen V.  
• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the latest episode of season 2 of Gen V.   
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of season 2 of Gen V.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of season 2 of Gen V. 
• Melody McCune shares her appreciation for the character of Jordan Li in Gen V. 

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general:

• Melody McCune reports about the Marvel Television panel at the 2025 New York Comic Con in New York City. 
• Watch a trailer for Wonder Man.   

 

Comments on Outlander: Blood of My Blood: 

• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season finale of Outlander: Blood of My Blood. 
• Melody McCune shares her favourite moments from the season finale of Outlander: Blood of My Blood.
• Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on the season finale of Outlander: Blood of My Blood.  
• Hunter Ingram declares that Outlander: Blood of My Blood highlights the importance of friendship, not steamy encounters (although it has those too). 

 

Comments on Tron Ares: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Tron Ares a pointless threequel.
• Arturo Serrano declares in reference to Tron: Ares that a story about the ephemerality of life shouldn't be as instantly forgettable as this 
• Jesse Hassenger declares that Tron: Ares is a blockbuster from another decade, and that's not entirely bad 
• Emmet Asher Perrin declares that Tron: Ares never believed in itself, so how could the audience? 
• Germain Lussier calls Tron: Ares Tron at its most Disney  
• Robert Repino revisits the original 1982 Tron.  
• Matt Schimkowitz declares that the Tron franchise is always at its best when music does the talking 
• Seth Abramovitch, Borys Kit and Pamela McClintock attempt to analyse the failure of Tron Ares. 
• James Whitbrook declares that the failure of Tron Ares might spell the end for the Tron franchise altogether. 

 

Comments on Invasion: 

• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the previous episode of Invasion.  
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Invasion. 

 

Comments on Black Phone 2:  

• Benjamin Lee calls Black Phone 2 a joke-free. low-rent horror sequel.  
• Tomris Laffly calls Black Phone 2 a successfully throw-back to the biggest slashers of the 1980s 

 

Comments on Solar Opposites: 

• Avery Kaplan shares episode by episode reviews of season 6 of Solar Opposites.  
• Cheryl Eddy declares that the Solar Opposites series finale gave us the perfect retcon  
• Cheryl Eddy declares that she will miss Solar Opposites. 

 

Comments on Witches of Essex: 

• Frances Ryan calls Witches of Essex an unfailingly moving documentary about one of history's most shamefuly periods. 
• Lucy Mangan calls Witches of Essex a look at real-life witch trials that treats the viewers like idiots 

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 Ignyte Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Sunburst Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Ditmar Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Geffen Awards have been announced.  
• The winners of the 2025 Salam Awards have been announced.
• The winner of the 2025 Glass Bell Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Lambda Literary Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2025 Chicago Review of Books Awards has been announced.  
• The winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Rhysling Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Elgin Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 SFPA Poetry Contest have been announced.  
• The winners of the 2025 Harvey Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Phoenix and Rebel Awards have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Frank R. Paul Award have been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2025 Wonderland Book Awards have been announced. 
• The winner of the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize has been announced.  
• The shortlist for the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards has been announced. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Molly Templeton talks about the challenges of moving with lots of books.
• Emma Loffhagen reports about the British Organic Books initiative which plans to certify AU-free, human written books. 
• Vanessa Armstrong reports that PEN America's most banned books of the year list for 2025 includes numerous SFF titles and authors 
• J. Kingston Pierce shares the most banned crime novels from the PEN American list. 

 

Interviews:

• Elizabeth Tabler interviews Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam J. Miller 
• Locus interviews Ken Liu. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Ken Liu. 
• John Mauro interviews Glen Cook. 
• Locus interviews Daniel H. Wilson. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Rich Larson. 
• S.E. Lindberg interviews Bryn Hammond.
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Eliza Chan. 
• Z.B. Steele interviews Christopher Ruocchio. 
• Grimdark Magazine interviews Michael S. Jackson. 

 

Reviews: 

• Colleen Mondor reviews Flight of the Sparrow by Fallon Demornay
• Clara Cohen reviews The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei  
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews Red Star Hustle by Sam J. Miller and Apprehension by Mary Robinette Kowal
• Fantasy Faction reviews When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi 
• Alex Brown reviews Artificial Condition by Martha Wells. 
• Ali Karim reviews Exiles by Mason Coile  
• Lesa Holstine reviews 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Paul Weimer reviews All that We See or Seem by Ken Liu  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews All that We See or Seem by Ken Liu   
• Bill Capossere reviews Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 
• Bill Capossere reviews Queen Demon by Martha Wells 
• Alex Brown reviews The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile by Errick Nunnally 
• Maya C. James reviews Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado 
• Marion Deeds reviews Hemlock and Silver by T. Kingfisher 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Alakazam by Mia Dalia 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews It Begins by Eule Grey 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow 
• John Mauro reviews Lies Weeping by Glen Cook
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Making History by K.J. Parker
• James Davis Nicoll reviews An Unlikely Coven by A.M. Kvita 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Pilgrims of the Dead by Steve McHugh 
• Alex Brown reviews Among Ghosts by Rachel Hartman
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson  
• Mark Yon reviews Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber. 
• Fantasy Faction reviews Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long 
• Mark Yon reviews Red City by Marie Lu. 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Red City by Marie Lu.  
• Ian Mond reviews Kalivas! Or, Another Tempest by Nick Mamatas 
• Marion Deeds reviews Fairy Tale by Stephen King 
• Colleen Mondor reviews The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed 
• Alex Puncekar reviews Gyfted by D.W. Lewis  
• Elizabeth Tabler reviews Alchemised by SenLinYu  
• Niall Harrison reviews The Creator by Aliya Whiteley 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews When There Are Wolves Again by E.J. Swift 
• Vanessa Armstrong reviews The Summer War by Naomi Novik 
• Fiona Sturges reviews Hekate by Nikita Gill 
• Ed Crocker reviews The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi 
• Fiona Denton reviews The Cold House by A.G. Slatter 
• Mark Yon reviews The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey. 
• Rhiannon Lucy Coslett reviews The Decadence by Leon Craig  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews The Darkness Calling by Kaleigh McCann 
• Randy Money reviews The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher. 
• Robert Mammone reviews Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World by Cullen Bunn 
• Jeff Ayers reviews Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran, translated by Gene Png. 
• Abergale Shep reviews Traumaland by Josh Silver 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Killer on the Road and The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones 
• Sam Leith reviews The Captive by Kit Burgoyne 
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Pam Kowolski Is a Monster! by Sarah Langan 
• Grimdark Magazine reviews Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
• C.T. Phipps reviews Cthulhu: Grimoire by Eric Malikyte 
• Rob Bedford reviews Necrotek by Jonathan Maberry. 
• Rob Bedford reviews Cold War by Jonathan Maberry.  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Graveside Gallery: Tales of Ghosts And Dark Matters by Eric J. Guignard 
• Ali Karim reviews You Like It Darker by Stephen King   
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Drowning In The Dark And Other Stories by Matt Tighe 
• Lesa Holstine reviews  The In Death Cookbook: To-Die-For Recipes fro the World of J.D. Robb by Theresa Carle-Sanders
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Writing The Magic - Essays On Crafting Fantasy Fiction, edited by Dan Coxon and Richard V. Hirst 

 

Classics reviews:

• Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth revisit the 1832 horror story "Metzengerstein" by Edgar Allan Poe. 
• Camestros Felapton revisits the 1946 science fiction story "A Logic Named Joe" by Murray Leinster. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1950 science fiction crime story “Punishment Without Crime” by Ray Bradbury 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1951 horror story “The Hungry House” by Robert Bloch  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1959 science fiction collection The Menace From Earth by Robert A. Heinlein  
• Mark Yon revisits the 1962 horror novel Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1965 horror novel The Visitors by Nathaniel Benchley 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1969 fantasy adventure novel A Feast Unknown and its 1970 sequels Lord of the Trees and The Mad Goblin by Philip José Famer 
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the October 1970 issue of Worlds of Fantasy. 
• John Boston revisits the November 1970 issue of Amazing. 
• Jason Sacks revisits the 1970 dystopian novel The Gods of Foxcroft by David Levy, Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1970 dystopian novel Dance the Eagle to Sleep by Marge Piercy, Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the 1970 fantasy novel Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant and the 1970 dystopian novel Son of Kronk by Edmund Cooper
• Randy Money revisits the 1972 historical horror novel The Wolf in the Garden by Alfred H. Bill.
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1977 Pip and Flinx space opera novel The End of the Matter by Alan Dean Foster 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the February/March 1980 issue of Destinies. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1981 near future science fiction novel The Cool War by Frederik Pohl 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1983 science fiction novel Forty Thousand in Gehenna by C.J. Cherryh  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1986 science fiction novel The Moon Goddess and the Son by Donald Kingsbury  
• Alan Brown revisits the 1990 science fiction novel Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1996 surreal short fiction collection Record of a Night Too Brief by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Lucy North.  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2003 Sarah Tolerance alternate history novel Point of Honour by Madeleine E. Robins 
• James Whitbrook revisits the 2005 Star Wars novelisation Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring Stover. .  
• Z.B. Steele revisits the 2008 Malazan epic fantasy novel Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson
      

Crowdfunding:

• Cheryl Morgan is looking for backers for the Welsh folklore anthology They are Still Here (Maen Nhw Yma O Hyd) 
• The MOTUNIVERSE Masters of the Universe convention in Torrance, California, is looking for funding. 

 

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer lists the members of the bid committee for the 2030 Worldcon in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 
• Melody McCune reports about the Invincible panel at the 2025 New York Comic Con in New York City.  
• Melody McCune reports about the Hazbin Hotel panel at the 2025 New York Comic Con in New York City.   
• Martin Edwards shares his experiences at the  Isle of Wight Literary Festival in Cowes, Isle of Wright.
• Martin Edwards shares his experiences at the Henley Literary Festival in Henley-on-Thames, UK. 
• Fiona Benson shares her experiences at the BookForum festival in Lviv, Ukraine. 
• Richard Norton-Taylor reports about the exhibition "Tradecraft" about John Le Carré's writing and research process at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, UK.
• Shane Whaley interviews Jessica Douthwaite and Federico Varese, curators of the "Tradecraft" exhibition.  

 

Science and technology:

• Daniel H. Wilson talks about the colonialist fallacies undergirding our unsuccessful search for alien life 
• James Davis Nicoll would like to remind us that stars move.
• Jacob Silverman explains how Silicon Valley became a center of reactionary, anti-democratic politics 
   

Gaming: 

• C.T. Phipps reviews the video game Alan Wake II. 
• Z.B. Steele reviews the video game God of War. 
• Matt Larkin reviews Black Myth: Wukong 
• Joe DelFranco reviews the video game Balatro by LocalThunk 
• James Whitbrook reviews the Star Trek Voyager video game Into the Unknown. 
• Camestros Felapton reviews the Nintendo Switch 2. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Matthew Wills notes that LEGO is not as neutral and universal as they would like to present themselves.  
• Germain Lussier shares his favourite Hasbro Marvel and Star Wars reveals from the 2025 New York Comic Con in New York City.
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at wave 3 of Nacelle's Star Trek action figures. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares a look at the NECA Pennywise the Clown action figures and wonders whether it includes spoilers for It: Welcome to Derry. 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Hasbro HasLab crowdfunded Tron: Heroes of the Grid action figure set.  
• James Whitbrook takes a look at the LEGO Back the Future DeLorean set and notes that it is remarkably affordable. 
• Avery Kaplan shares a look at Hallmark's 2025 selection of Star Trek themed Christmas ornaments.

 

Free online fiction: 

• "You, Me, and a Teacup Dragon" by Julie Graham in Swords and Sorcery Magazine. 
• "O Mechfighter, O Starsinger" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu in Lightspeed.  
• "Dirge and Gleam" by Micah Dean Hicks in Lightspeed. 
• "At the Bottom of the Bonfire" by Martin Cahill in Lightspeed.  
• "The Porniest Porn in Porntown" by Stephen Graham Jones in Lightspeed.  
• "Courtney Lovecraft’s Book of the Dead" by Sam J. Miller in Nightmare Magazine.  
• "The Thirteenth Time" by Patrick Samphire in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "The Third Movement of Time" by R.J. Taylor in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 
• "Where the Hell in Nirvana?" by Champ Wongsatayanont in Reactor.
• "The Island at the End of the World" by S.L. Harris in The Dark.
• "Wire Mother" by Isabel J. Kim in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Cancer Wolves" by Fiona Moore in Clarkesworld. 
• "Liecraft" by Anita Moskát, translated by Austin Wagner in Apex Magazine. 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 4 of The Witcher. 
• Watch a trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms  
• Watch a teaser for The Dragon King.
• Watch a trailer for The Mighty Nein. 
• Watch a trailer for Mercy.  
• Watch a trailer for Predator: Badlands. 
• Watch a trailer for season 4 of Invincible. 
• Watch a clip from season 2 of Hazbin Hotel.  
• Watch the "Gravity" music video from season 2 of Hazbin Hotel.  
• Watch a trailer for All You Need Is Kill.  
• Watch a trailer for The Running Man. 
• Watch a trailer for It: Welcome to Derry. 
• Watch a trailer for The Vampire Lestat. 
• Watch a trailer for We Bury the Dead. 
• Watch a trailer for Send Help.  
• Watch a trailer for Pluribus. 
• Watch a trailer for Primate. 
• Watch a trailer for Keeper. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake 
• Watch a trailer for The Twits. 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 3, 2025

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek in general, Masters of the Universe in general, Peacemaker and the DC Cinematic Universe in general,, Alien Earth, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, season 2 of Gen V, The Sisters Grimm, KPop Demon Hunters, V/H/S Halloween, Good Boy, A House of Dynamite, the suspension and reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel, the controversy surrounding the AI generated actress Tilly Norwood and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares 116 new science fiction, fantasy and horror books arriving in October   
• Natalie Zutter highlights some science fiction and fantasy books coming out in October. 
• Yume Kitasei shares five SFF books about searching for a missing sibling 
• Lorna Wallace shares five speculative novels told through interviews  
• Stephen King shares his appreciation for the works of Daphne du Maurier 
• Alex Przybyla shares his appreciation for the Ijon Tichy stories by Stanislaw Lem.
• Andrew Pulver reports that J.K. Rowling continues to be a terrible person and has attacked actress Emma Watson for her support of trans rights.
• Kel Lyle remembers the late Jon Lasser.

 

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews Conan the Barbarian #24 by Jim Zub and Fernando Dagnino 
• Jonathan Cowie celebrates the 35th birthday of the Judge Dredd Megazine,
• James Whitbrook reviews Star Trek: The Last Starship by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with art by Adrian Bonilla and Heather Moore
• Kathleen Jennings reviews Burger Force by Jackie Ryan. 
• Rich Johnston reports that Image Comics' plan to settle with Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. has been approved by the bankruptcy courts 
• The Guardian shares an overview of film posters designed by the late Renato Casaro. 

 

Film and TV: 

• Phil Hoad calls Devil in the Dust an impressive weird west film. 
• Ann Michelle Harris calls Bon Appetit, Your Majesty an addictive time travel K-drama romantic comedy. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls The Severed Sun a folk-horror nightmare that harks back to The Crucible 
• Alex Wallace calls Him a far smarter film than many critics give credit.  
• Phil Hoad declares that Scurry is a crawlspace nightmare thriller that turns into apocalyptic insect horror
• Catherine Bray calls The Drowned an atmospheric horror film about three art thieves holed up on the sea shore 
• Isaiah Colbert is not happy with season 3 of Alice in Borderland. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Radiohead X Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror a new approach to silent cinema that is like trying to watch a movie while your neighbour has their music on too loud 
• Phuong Le calls Knit's Island an inventive film, made entirely inside the multiplayer game DayZ 
• Alasdair Stuart shares his thoughts on Knights of Guinevere. 
• Diana Keng shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Invasion. 
• James Whitbrook notes that the seeming return of the Razor Crest in The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer is indicative of the problem with latter installments of The Mandalorian. 
• Michael Weyer shares fifteen science fiction movies that are better for not having a sequel. 
• Michael Wehunt lists horror film franchises that refuse to die 
• Cheryl Eddy explains how found footage films helped Blumhouse build its horror empire  
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1957 horror film The Curse of Frankenstein
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1972 science fiction mystery Probe. 
• Justin John Doherty shares a look behind the scenes of the 1973 horror film Don't Look Now. 
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1986 science fiction film Flight of the Navigator 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1996 Babylon 5 episode “Falling Toward Apotheosis” 
• Rachel Kessler revisits the 2005 science fiction film Serenity. 
• Kenneth Lowe revisits the 2015 superhero spy show Agent Carter.  
• Demet Koc interviews DeWanda Wise who plays NavigationUnit in Murderbot. 
• Nick Romano interviews Zach Cregger, director of Weapons. 
• Don Kaye shares his appreciation for the Professor Quartermass serials and movies. 
• Morgan Jeffery shares former producer Philip Hinchcliffe's ideas about how he would change Doctor Who. 
• Stephen Stafford remembers Thunderbirds co-creator Sylvia Anderson. 
• Andrew Pulver reports that according to a new study the right-wing claim "Go woke, go broke" is mostly nonsense. 
• Jill Goldsmith reports that Disney has sent a cease and desist letter to Character.ai for copyright infringement 

 

Comments on the AI actress Tilly Norwood:

• Stuart Heritage reports about the controversial AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood.
• Andrew Pulver reports about a backlash against Tilly Norwood from flesh and blood actors. 
• Cheryl Eddy shares actor Ralph Ineson's response to AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood. 
• Peter Bradshaw declares that AI ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood is a symptom of blandified film culture.
• Catherine Shoard declares that actors criticise AI actress Tilly Norwood, but resort to plastic surgery and insane exercise regimes themselves.   

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general:

• Cora Buhlert reviews the comic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Sword of Flaws No. 1 by Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams II 
• James Eatock explains why Man-at-Arms doesn't speak in the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "To Save Skeletor".

Comments on Peacemaker and the DC Cinematic Universe in general: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on the latest episode of Peacemaker.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Peacemaker. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Peacemaker. 
• Isaiah Colbert shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Peacemaker.  
• Adam B. Vary interviews James Gunn, showrunner of Peacemaker and head of DC Studios  
• Brian Davids interviews James Gunn. 
• Alex Pappademas interviews James Gunn. 
• Justin Carter reports that the Peacemaker emote has been disabled in the game Fortnite, following the reveal of the latest episode.  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Camestros Felapton revisits the 2001 TV show Star Trek Enterprise. 
• Avery Kaplan shares ten Star Trek references in Futurama.
• Tracy Brown shares a look at a Star Trek themed float at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. 

 

Comments on seaosn 2 of Gen V: 

• Manuel Betancourt shares his thoughts on the latest episode of season 2 of Gen V.  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of season 2 of Gen V.

 

Comments on Alien: Earth:

• Arturo Seraano declares that Alien: Earth passes stellarly the prequel test that Alien: Romulus failed 
• Germain Lussier declares that the big swings of Alien: Earth made it great  
• Alex Zalben interviews Sydney Chandler who plays Wendy and sound editor/designer Lee Gilmore about the xenomorph language in Alien Earth.
• Matthew Byrd shares some tips for what to watch after Alien Earth.

 

Comments on Outlander: Blood of My Blood: 

• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood. 
• Melody McCune shares her favourite moments from the latest episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

 

Comments on The Sisters Grimm: 

• Diana Keng declares that the animated series The Sisters Grimm fulfills everything it promises
• Diana Keng interviews Michael Buckley and Amy Higgins, creators of The Sisters Grimm.
• Diana Keng interviews Ariel Winter who voices Sabrina in The Sisters Grimm. 
• Diana Keng interviews Billy Harris who voices Puck in The Sisters Grimm. 
• Diana Keng interviews Laraine Newman who voices Relda in The Sisters Grimm.  
• Diana Keng interviews Abubakar Salim who voices Mayor Charming in The Sisters Grimm.   

 

Comments on KPop Demon Hunters: 

• Sabina Graves interviews Maggie Kang and EJAE, director and songwriter of KPop Demon Hunters. 
• Aja Romano wonders what the massive success of KPop Demon Hunters means for KPop artists and fans. 

 

Comments on Good Boy: 

• Jim Vorel declares that Good Boy is much more than its doggy gimmick
• Benjamin Lee calls Good Boy ingenious but repetitive
• Matt Schimkowitz interviews Ben Leonberg, director of Good Boy.  

 

Comments on V/H/S Halloween: 

• Jarrod Jones declares that V/H/S Halloween has enough standouts to be more treat than trick.
• Cheryl Eddy calls V/H/S/Halloween gruesome and fun but not a new series best  

 

Comments on A House of Dynamite: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls A House of Dynamite a terrifying, white-knuckle nuclear endgame thriller. 
• Jesse Hassenger calls A House of Dynamite a scary yet impotent stockpile of duds 

 

Comments on the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel:

• Alex Weprin reports that Jimmy Kimmel Live has returned to the ABC stations owned by network operators Sinclair and Nexstar. 
• Lauren Arantani reports that Disney investors demand details about the company’s Jimmy Kimmel suspension

 

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2025 Prix Aurora-Boréal have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2025 Xingyun Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2025 Dwarf Star Awards have been announced. 
• Chris M. Barkley reports about his continued problems to receive the Hugo Award he won in 2022 from former Hugo administrator Dave McCarty. 

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talks about the strange perambulations of writing inspiration
• Michael Swanwick writes about an unusual piece of writing inspiration.  
• Ella Creamer reports that the independent bookstore platform Bookshop.org has launched in the UK. 
• Ayo Onatade also reports about the launch of Bookshop.org in the UK. 
• Jason Sanford reports about AI powered writing scams. 
• Victoria Strauss shares an update about the Anthropic AI settlement. 
• Andrea Bartz talks about the class action lawsuit against Anthropic AI, which she initiated. 
• PEN America reports about the normalisation of book banning. 
• Hillel Italie reports that Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools. 
• Elizabeth A. Harris reports that a court in Florida has rejected the free speech argument in a book banning case involving the children's book And Tango Makes Three. 

 

Interviews:

• Holly Lyn Walrath interviews Marie Brennan. 
• Alex Puncekar interviews Bryn Hammond.
• Alex Puncekar interviews Dariel R.A. Quiogue
• Scott Edelman interviews Eugenia Triantafyllou  
• Martin Cahill interviews Sarah Gailey. 
• Tim Hardie interviews S.A. Tholin. 
• Ella Creamer interviews SenLin Yu. 

 

Reviews: 

• Blue Book Balloon reviews The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Fate's Bane by C. L. Clark 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews A Sword of Gold and Ruin by Anna Smith Spark.   
• Spells and Spaceships reviews A Sword of Gold and Ruin by Anna Smith Spark.  
• Marion Deeds reviews Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala  
• Marlene Harris reviews A Fellowship of Games and Fables by J. Penner 
• Alex Brown reviews The Memory Hunters by Mia Tsai 
• Mark Yon reviews Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Death of Mountains by Jordan Kurella 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Summer War by Naomi Novik 
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews Painted Devils by Margaret Owen 
• Xan Brooks reviews Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon 
• Mark Yon reviews Hearthspace by Stephen Baxter. 
• Alex Brown reviews The L.O.V.E. Club by Lio Min  
• Molly Templetron reviews Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings 
• Fantasy Faction reviews Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle 
• Ian Mond reviews Dwelling by Emily Hunt Kivel 
• Marion Deeds reviews It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest 
• Niall Harrison reviews These Memories Do Not Belong To Us by Yiming Ma
• Rob Bedford reviews The Sundowner's Dance by Todd Keisling. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews DuMort by Michelle Tang 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Bound Feet by Kelsea Yu 
• Rai Furniss-Greasley reviews The Night Birds by Christopher Golden 

 

Classics reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1961 collection Tiger by the Tail and Other Science Fiction Stories by Alan E. Nourse  
• Alan Brown revisits the 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1964 science fiction novel The Graveyard Heart by Roger Zelazny and its 1990 sequel Elegy for Angels and Dogs by Walter Jon Williams  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the October 1970 issue of Analog. 
• David Levinson revisits the November/December 1970 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1970 anthology The Science Fiction Fall of Fame, Volume One, edited by Robert Silverberg. 
• Kat Hooper revisits the 1977 Pip and Flinx space opera Orphan Star by Alan Dean Foster
• Ainy Cormac revisits the 1980 dark fantasy novel The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1997 YA horror novel Twisted by R.L. Stine and the 1994 YA horror novel Sorority Sister by Diane Hoh.  
• Christopher Lockett revisits the 1990 Discworld fantasy novel Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1993 dystopian novel Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack 
• Clara Cohen revisits the 2009 epic fantasy novel Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb.
      

Crowdfunding:

• Apex Magazine is looking for funding for 2026.

 

Con and event reports:

• Zhang Rui reports about a conversation between Liu Cixin and an AI agent during a panel at the 2025 Science Fiction Nebula Carnival in Chengdu, China. 
• Kyle Orland attempts to explain why LA Comic Con in Los Angeles, California, thought making an AI-powered Stan Lee hologram was a good idea  
• Christian House reports about the exhibition "Ghosts: Visualising the Supernatural" at Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Swizerland, 
• See some photos of the Masquerade at the 2025 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington. 
• Dodai Stewart reports that a dinosaur themed theme park in Leonia, New Jersey, is closing and that its dinosaur figures are available for sale.   

 

Science and technology:

• Josh Dinner reports about the effect of the US government shutdown on NASA. 
• Connie Loizos reports that according to roboticist Rodney Brooks, humanoid robots are not going to become viable any time soon.
• Primate researcher Jane Goodall has died aged 91. 
• Joanna Rugg shares photos from Jane Goodall's long life. 
   

Gaming: 

• Cole Rush shares six video games that capture the magic of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere 
• The Guardian reports that the video game company Electronic Arts has been taken over by the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF and Affinity Partners
• Keza MacDonald explains why the enormous Saudi-led deal to acquire Electronic Arts matters, whether you play games or not

 

Toys and collectibles:

• James Whitbrook shares a look at the latest Star Trek figures from Nacelle.
• Germain Lussier shares a look at the Hot Toys Terminator 2: Judgment Day endoskeleton action figure. 
• Bricklist reviews the Lego Star Wars Gingerbread AT-AT Walker 
• James Whitbrook shares a look at new Lego releases coming out in October. 
• Peter Dibble remembers the defunct Lego Fabuland line, which ran from 1979 to 1989. 
• Camestros Felapton remembers the Japanese tin robots of the postwar era. 

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Last of Atlantis" by James Morrow in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Pools of Light at the Center of the World" by Will McMahon in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "A Reputation For Prudence" by Richard Swan in Grimdark Magazine.
• "A World of Their Own" by Robert Falco in Clarkesworld.
• "Ino’s Hideaway" by Mari Ness in The Sunday Morning Transport. 
• "The Way Out" by Pippa Goldschmidt in Future Tense Fiction.
• "Model Collapse" by Matthew Kressel in Reactor. 
• "The Devil's Herd, Part 1" by Bruce Arthurs in Cliffhanger Magazine.
• "Whale Fall of Yours" by M. M. Olivas in Uncanny Magazine  

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein. 
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Hazbin Hotel. 
• Watch a trailer for Mr. K. 
• Watch a trailer for The Carpenter's Son. 
• Watch a trailer for In Your Dreams.
• Watch a trailer for Zootopia 2. 
• Watch a trailer for Psycho Killer. 
• Watch a clip from the latest adaptation of Charlotte's Web.