Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 11, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the problem of toxic fans, Masters of the Universe in general, Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Star Wars in general, season 2 of The Rings of Power, Timestalker, Megalopolis, The Penguin, Joker: Folie a Deux, Terrifier 3, The Platform 2, The Franchise, Teacup and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Reactor shares all the new horror, romantasy and SFF crossover books coming out in October. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories with a refreshing lack of violence
  
• Margot Harrison shares six books about the perils of memory manipulation.
• Camestros Felapton shares a map of robots and related concepts in SFF. 
• Ryan Berger talks about augmented intelligence in science fiction from "Flowers for Algernon" onward
  
• James Davis Nicoll wonders why there is comparatively little YA science fiction being published these days. 
• Farah Mendlesohn responds to James Davis Nicoll and notes that the amount of YA science fiction  published has increased a lot since the early 2000s. 
• Krystle Matar argues that grimdark fiction is the home of the other. 
• Lish McBride shares her favourite weird westerns.
  
• Clayton Purdom talks about weird nonfiction.
  
• Ryan Britt lists seven James Bond novel better than any of the movies. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five science fiction novels where the US presidential line of succession plays an important role.
  
• Drew Broussard shares horror books for people new to the genre.
  
• Mark Yon lists five books to read for Halloween.
• Jeremy Dauber shares a brief history of the rise of horror in nineteenth century America.
  
• Lorna Wallace shares five horror books about obsession. 
  
• Victory Witherkeigh lists five dark academia fantasy novels. 
• Rachel Ayers shares six retellings of the fairy tale "Diamonds and Toads"
  
• Alex Brown shares five SFF books set during World War II. 
• Jo Walton shares her reading list for September 2024.
  
• Brad East shares his appreciation for the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn epic fantasy series by Tad Williams.  
• Dennis Wilson Wise profiles legendary SFF editor Judy-Lynn Del Rey. 
• Bill DeMain discusses how Jimi Hendrix's love for science fiction influenced his music.
  
• Molly Templeton reports that the golden owl from the 1993 French puzzle mystery On the Trail of the Golden Owl by Max Valentin and Michel Becker, has finally been found after 31 years.
  
• SFF scholar and editor H. Bruce Franklin has died aged 90. 
• Canadian fan, writer and librarian Fran Skene has died aged 86. 
• Mystery, western and fantasy writer Robert R. Randisi has died aged 73.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Robin Marx reviews Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone #1 by Jim Zub and Jonas Scharf
• Bill Capossere reviews The Asgardians 2: Thor by George O'Connor.
  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about Franz Kafka attempting to write a picture book for children.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Adam B. Vary talks about toxic fans and how Hollywood studios respond and give in to the worst elements of fandom.
• Rachel Leishman points out that the problem aren't toxic fans, but a handful of YouTubers who exploit YouTube's algorithm to attack anything they don't like and who often aren't even actual fans of the properties they attack. 
• Anna Miller calls The Wild Robot an instant, heartwarming classic
  
• Cath Clarke calls Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person an offbeat coming-of-age horror comedy
• Nathan Rabin calls Borderlands a generic space adventure that brought video game movies back to their basics: crashing and burning. 
• Kevin Beckett declares that Megalopolis may or may not be the best movie of the year, but it is undeniably the most movie movie of the year. 
  
• Phil Hoad calls Daddy’s Head in clever British psychological horror film.
• Cath Clarke calls Haunted Ulster Live a mock Halloween broadcast that evokes the spectre of Ghostwatch
• Jim Vorel declares that House of Spoils resents its horror film assignment 
• Joel Golby notes that Disclaimer is either beautiful … or a schlocky nightmare 
• Robert P. Crease talks about how the science fiction shows Constellation and Dark Matter handle quantum mechanics.
• Isaiah Colbert explains that the advice Dan Da Dan creator Yukinobu Tatsu got from his editor to read more shojo romance manga is the reason why Dan Da Dan has more depth than most action-oriented shonen anime.
  
• Isaiah Colbert shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Uzumaki. 
• Cheryl Eddy calls the Solar Opposites Halloween Special a surprisingly sweet treat  
• John Scalzi shares what he considers the most important science fiction films of the 20th century.
  
• Blake Stilwell shares his ten favourite military horror movies. 
• Justin Dealey and Danny Fullbrook interview Carole Ann Ford, who played the Doctor's granddaughter Susan in the first two series of Doctor Who and who is the last surviving original castmember. 
  
• Steve Rose interviews Lennie James, best known for his appearances in The Walking Dead and its spin-offs, Line of Duty, Jericho, Human Target and others. 
• Eva Wiseman interviews Stanley Tucci, best known for his appearances in the Hunger Games movies, Captain America: The First Avenger, Prizzi's Honor, Road to Perdition, The Devil Wears Prada and many others. 
• Rich Pelley interviews Matthew Modine, who appeared in Married to the Mob, Pacific Heights, Cutthroat Island, Full Metal Jacket, Stranger Things and many others.
  
• Chris Broughton interviews Robert Harmon and C. Thomas Howell, director and one of the stars of the 1986 horror thriller The Hitcher. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Greg Jardin, director of It's What's Inside.
• William Earl interviews Kate Siegel who directed one of the segments of V/H/S/ Beyond.
• Mark Sweney interviews Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke about the state of the search for the next James Bond.
  
• Steve Dow interviews animator Adam Elliot.
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1958 horror film Womaneater and the 1973 horror sex comedy Don't Eat My Mother! 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1963 horror thriller Violent Midnight and the 1966 horror thriller Theatre of Death. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1965 horror movie Die, Monster, Die and the 1971 horror movie I, Monster.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1972 slasher movie The Gore Gore Girls and the 1982 slasher movie The Slumber Party Massacre. 
• Tim Ford revisits the 1974 science fiction comedy Dark Star.
• Phil Nichols and Colin Kuskie revisit the 1974 Planet of the Apes TV series.
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1976 horror movie Eaten Alive and the 1978 horror movie Night Creature.
  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1982 science fiction horror movie The Thing.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode“The Geometry of Shadows”
  
• Judith Tarr revisits the 2010 children's fantasy movie Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster 
  
• Ben Child notes that the proposed Deathstroke and Bane movie can't possibly be worse than Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (or Joker: Folie à Deux). 
• Daisy Stephens reports that never before seen footage from the classic Supermarionation science fiction show Thunderbirds has been discovered in a garden shed in Buckinghamshire, UK. 
  
• Jordan Moreau and Joe Otterson report that Kaos has been cancelled by Netflix after a single season in spite of excellent reviews.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power: 

• Joe Otterson reports that playwright and screenwriter Heidi Schreck will write the proposed live-action She-Ra movie.
• Molly Templeton weighs in on the selection of Heidi Schreck as the screenwriter for the proposed live action She-Ra movie. 
• Germain Lussier is skeptical whether a He-Man or She-Ra live-action film will ever happen.
  
• James Eatock notes that a mistake crept into the transformation sequence in the title sequence of the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon.
  

 

Comments on Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along. 
• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on “Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along.  
• Gordon Jackson shares his thoughts on “Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along.  
• Brian Davids interviews Jac Schaeffer, showrunner of Agatha All Along.
  
• Zoe Williams interviews Joe Locke who plays the Teen in Agatha All Along.
• Ben Allen interviews Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• Rachel Ulatowski discusses concerns that the new young heroes and heroines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who seem to be primed for a Young Avengers movie, are all written the same.
• Watch a deleted scene from Deadpool and Wolverine. 
  

 

Comments on Star Wars in general:  

• James Hibberd asks if Disney is bad at making Star Wars.
• Iana Murray interviews Jodie Turner-Smith who plays Aniseya in The Acolyte.  
• Liza Esquibias and Scott Huver interviews Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.
• Rachel Leishman reports about Star Wars fans fighting back against toxic fandom YouTube channels.
   
  

Comments on Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft:

• Kayleigh Dray declares that Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a feminist reinvention of the classic video game heroine.
• Ryan Gaur calls Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft a vibrant, globetrotting Saturday morning cartoon 
• Manuel Betancourt calls Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft a delightfully straightforward binge
  

 

Comments on The Rings of Power:

• Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on "Shadow and Flame", the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power.
• Orb Muse shares their thoughts on The Rings of Power so far. 
  
• James Whitbrook interviews Charlie Vickers who plays Sauron in The Rings of Power. 
• James Whitbrook interviews Cynthia Addai-Robinson who plays Miriel in The Rings of Power.
• James Whitbrook interviews Markella Kavenagh, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Benjamin Walker and Robert Aramayo, several of the stars of The Rings of Power. 
• Melody McCune shares her appreciation for the character of Galadriel in The Rings of Power.
  
• Christopher Gates explains why the Elvish languages used in Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power is not necessarily Elvish as created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
• James Hibberd reports that The Rings of Power is on the verge of being renewed for season 3.
  

 

Comments on Timestalker: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Timestalker an anti-romantic comedy and a darkly hilarious spin through history
• Rachel Healey interviews Alice Lowe, writer, director and star of Timestalker.
  

 

Comments on the new Salem's Lot:

• Haley Zapal declares that the new Salem's Lot rushes through its vampire-infested, small Maine town, eschewing exposition in favor of trying desperately to come off as a Mike Flanagan project
• Jacob Oller declares that even Stephen King’s afterword to Salem’s Lot is better than the new movie  
• Bill Bria calls the new Salem’s Lot a vampiric romp that’s more layered than expected
  

 

Comments on Teacup: 

• Jenna Scherer calls Teacup a horrifically bad horror series that has neither chills nor thrills  
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the first episode of Teacup. 
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the second episode of Teacup.

 

Comments on The Platform 2: 

• Jesse Hassenger calls The Platform 2 an inferior sequel to the 2020 dystopian horror film. 
• Matt Donato calls The Platform 2 a second, less satisfying helping of the same meal
  

 

Comments on Terrifier 3:

• Catherine Bray calls Terrifier 3 a gleeful gorefest 
• Andy Crumb calls Terrifier 3 a horror movie for our self-centered times.
  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Damien Leone, writer and director of Terrifier 3.

 

Comments on Joker: Folie à Deux: 

• Jesse Hassenger calls Joker: Folie à Deux a perverse joke aiming to dissatisfy everyone and more of an affectionless slog than anything else.
• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that it’s hard to talk about Joker: Folie à Deux without skewing into hyperbole about how patently awful it is. 
• Johnny Oleksinski calls Joker: Folie à Deux a pointless sequel. 
• Richard Lawson calls Joker: Folie à Deux a grim sequel that gives the middle finger to everybody who liked the first Joker.
  
• Erin Underwood calls Joker: Folie á Deux a prime example of why studios need to rethink their current approach to filmmaking when a film that should have been a slam dunk is just getting slammed
  
• Jesse Hassenger discusses Joker: Folie a Deux's unwillingness to commit to the fact that it is a musical. 
• Inspired by Joker: Folie à Deux, James Mottram notes that musicals have been getting darker in recent times. 
  
• Germain Lussier discusses the ending of Joker: Folie à Deux 
• Jim Vejvoda interviews director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix to explain the ending of Joker: Folie à Deux.
  
• James Whitbrook reports that the ending of Joker: Folie à Deux was actually an idea for the ending of Joker that was scrapped.
  
• Richard Newby argues that the ending of Joker: Folie à Deux, which most people hated, was actually its finest moment.
  
• Joel Nolfi reports that a scene of Harley Quinn kissing a woman was cut from Joker: Folie à Deux, supposedly because it got in the way of a musical number.
  
• William Hughes reports that moviegoers dislike Joker: Folie À Deux and gave it the worst ever exit poll score for a comicbook movie.
  
• Tatiana Siegel reports about attending an opening day screening of Joker: Folie á Deux, where the moviegoers were mostly uninterested in the movie and more interested in themselves.
• The Guardian wonders whether Joker: Folie à Deux could have possibly been worse than it is.
  
• Rebecca Rubin reports that Joker: Folie à Deux flopped even worse than expected and grossed less on its opening weekend than what the first Joker grossed in a single day. 
• Gordon Jackson wonders what went wrong to make Joker: Folie à Deux bomb so spectacularly.
• Tatiana Siegel reports that Joker: Folie à Deux director Todd Phillips rejected all feedback and wanted nothing to do with DC Studios, even though Joker is a DC character.
• Mary Kate Carr notes that Warner Bros and DC Studios knew exactly what they were getting when they hired Todd Phillips. 
  
• Pamela McClintock and Aaron Couch explain why no one will get fired over Joker: Folie à Deux, even though the movie was a complete disaster.
  
• Pamela McClintock reports that Francis Ford Coppola has praised Joker director Todd Phillips, from the director of one megaflop to another. 
• Rachel Leishman declares that people should rather be watching the 2020 movie Birds of Prey, which also features Harley Quinn dumping Joker, than Joker: Folie à Deux.
  

 

Comments on The Penguin: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin. 
  

 

Comments on The Franchise: 

• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on the first episode of The Franchise.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the first episode of The Franchise.
  

 

Awards:

• The finalists for the 2023 Endeavour Award have been announced.
• The winners of the 2024 Ditmar Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Elgin Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2023 Australasian Shadows Awards have been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2024 Wonderland Book Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2024 Utopiales Comic Prize has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2023 Emeka Walter Dinjos Memorial Award For Disability In Speculative Fiction have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2024 Giller Prize has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize for Literature has been announced.
  
• The finalists for the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards have been announced. 
  

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Steve Wasserman talks about the environmental and philosophical factors behind literary creation 
  
• M.L. Rio talks about the connection between writing and dreams.
  
• Lincoln Michel shares tips for writing horror. 
• Mike Glyer reports about an uproar inside the HWA about the organisation's proposed AI policy 
• Mary SanGiovanni shares some suggestions for reforming the HWA. 
• Alexandra Alter reports about a start-up which plans to legally licence authors' works in order to train AI large language models. 
  
• John Yang and Laura Baldwin explain why typewriters are experiencing a renaissance. 
• Locus reports that Sarah Guan is leaving Erewhon Books.
  
• Laura Miller interviews Rosalie Stewart who has been hired by Penguin Random House to combat book bannings.
  
• Andrew Albanese reports that a federal judge has ordered the Crawford County Public Library in Arkansas to stop segregating books deemed inappropriate by some local residents into special “social sections,” and to return the books to general circulation.
  

 

Interviews:

• Locus interviews Lev Grossman.
  
• Runalong the Shelves interviews R.J. Barker.
• Anthony Cummins interviews Olga Tokarczuk
  
• John Mauro interviews Graham McNeill, Richard Swann and Essa Hansen.
  
• Katie Fraser interviews Makana Yamamoto
• Terry J. Benton-Walker and Sarah Henning interview each other.
  
• Runalong the Shelves interviews James Bennett. 
  
• Dag Rambraut interviews Kerry Nietz and Randall Ritnour
  

 

Reviews:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews In the Shadow of the Ship by Aliette de Bodard
  
• Tzer Island reviews Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky 
• Marlene Harris reviews Darkside by Michael Mammay 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Lake of Darkness by Adam Roberts 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Out of the Drowning Deep by A.C. Wise 
• Clara Cohen reviews The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson 
  
• John Mauro reviews Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer
• Lacy Baugher Milas reviews Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan. 
• Alana Joli Abbott reviews Vilest Things by Chloe Gong. 
• Melissa A. Watkins reviews Heir by Sabaa Tahir
  
• Paul di Filippo reviews Rebel by David Weber and Richard Fox 
• Paul Weimer reviews The Runes of Engagement by Tobias Buckell and Dave Klecha  
• Alex Brown reviews The City in Glass by Nghi Vo.
  
• Krystle Matar reviews New York Minute by Stephen Aryan 
• Bill Capossere reviews Sargassa by Sophie Burnham
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Company of the Wolf by David Wragg
  
• Paul Weimer reviews A Hunger with No Name by Lauren C. Teffeau  
• Bill Capossere reviews Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim, translated by Anton Hur
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Merciless Saviors by H.E. Edgmon 
• Alexis Ong reviews The West Passage by Jared Pechaček
  
• Sam Leith reviews Odyssey by Stephen Fry  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews No/Mad/Land by Francisco Verso
  
• Ian Mond reviews Hum by Helen Phillips 
• Alexis Ong reviews The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins 
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Lullaby by Daniel Barnett
  
• Colleen Mondor reviews Cinderwich by Cherie Priest 
• Mike Parker reviews House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud. 
  
• Matthew Jackson reviews Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud. 
• Rob Bedford reviews Murder Road by Simone St. James.
  
• Esmay Rosalyne reviews Nightfall by Daniel Barnett
  
• Rob Bedford reviews Children of the Dark 2: The Night Flyers by Jonathan Janz. 
• Randy Money reviews The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon. 
  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Oasis of the Damned and Heretics by Greg F. Gifune. 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Jade Shards by Fonda Lee 
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Come Sing For The Harrowing: Stories by Dan Coxon
  
• Vance Kotrla reviews Glamour Ghoul: The Passions and Pain of the Real Vampira by Sandra Niemi.
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth revisit the 1922 horror story "The Outcast" by E.F. Benson.
  
• Sam Reader revisits the 1926 horror story “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1941 humorous science fiction story “Earth for Inspiration” by Clifford D. Simak
• John Boston revisits the November 1969 issue of Amazing Stories.
  
• Kris Vyas-Myall revisits the November 1969 issue of Visions of Tomorrow. 
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1970 horror story “Longtooth” by Edgar Pangborn
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1975 feminist science fiction novel The Female Man by Joanna Russ
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1984 post-apocalyptic novel The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson. 
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1989 YA horror novel The Surprise Party and the 1997 YA horror novel All-Night Party by R.L. Stine.
  
• NPR revisits the 1993 dystopian novel The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2001 science fiction adventure novel Crossover by Joel Shepherd
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Locus shares a report about the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland.
  
• The 2029 Worldcon bid for Dublin, Ireland, shares a look at their proposed venues. 
• Jeannette Boner reports that the Teton County Library in Jackson, Wyoming, has been forced to cancel its regular Harry Potter related events after eight years, following a cease and desist letter from Warner Bros who hold the movie and TV rights to the character. 
• Mike Glyer shares the line-up for the 2024 Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
  
• Keza MacDonald reports about a new Nintendo gaming museum that is set to open in Kyoto, Japan.
• Chris Nichols reports that the Space Shuttle mock-up Inspiration will go on display at the Columbia Memorial Science Center in Los Angeles, California. 
• Philip Oltermann reports that eighteen theatregoers became sick and required medical treatment after watching an intensely graphic performance of Florentina Holzinger's take on the Paul Hindemith opera Sancta Susanna in Stuttgart, Germany.
  
• Germain Lussier reports that the Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Florida, will close due to Hurricane Milton.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Andrew Griffin reports that scientists have found an exoplanet orbiting Barnard's Star. 
• Isaac Schultz reports that NASA's Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter has been delayed by Hurricane Milton. 
• James Davis Nicoll points out that completely destroying the Earth or any other planet is not as easy as it seems.
  
• Angela Watercutter and Gabriel Leão report about the impact that the banning of Twitter in Brazil had on many online fandoms, because many fan accounts are run by Brazilian users.
• Stephen Lyth celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the discovery of graphene and chronicles how the material quietly revolutionised many fields. 
• Olivia Rutigliano shares some background on the phrase "shouting fire in a crowded theater" and explains where it comes from. 
  

 

Gaming: 

• Adrian Collins takes a look at Hatred, the first expansion for Diablo 4.
  
• Holly Nielsen celebrates thed 25th anniversary of Age of Empires II.
• Avery Kaplan reviews Star Trek: Lower Decks: Buffer Time: The Card Game 
• Charlie Theel reviews the science fiction boardgame Arcs.  
• Cass Marshall reviews the horror videogame Mouthwashing.
  
• Dom Peppiatt interviews Cody Matthew Johnson who composed the music for Star Wars: Outlaws.
• Aidan Moher reports that video game creators are looking at new ways to remake older games. 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that Hasbro is offering a The Exorcist themed ouija board. 

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Jonathan Alexandratos expplains what the McFarlane Toys Clive Barker's Tortured Souls toyline taught him about fear. 
• Germain Lussier reviews the Lego Star Wars Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber.
  
• James Whitbrook shares a look at the Character Options Doctor Who action figures of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday.
  
• Abe Apfel shares photos of a massive Game of Thrones Wall made from Lego.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "To Hunt the Grey Lady" by Chris Willrich in Beneath Ceaseless Skies 
• "The Mausoleum" by Inderjeet Mani in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "The Children of Flame" by Fiona Moore in Clarkesworld. 
• "Fractal Karma" by Arula Ratnakar in Clarkesworld.
  
• "The Snow Child" by Alison Littlewood in The Dark.
• "What Good Daughters Do" by Tia Tashiro in Apex Magazine. 
• "The Life You’ve Given Me, Rusty" by P.A. Cornell in Lightspeed.
  
• "A Stranger Knocks" by Tananarive Due in Uncanny Magazine
  
• "Everybody Is in the Place" by Emma J. Gibbons in Reactor.
• "After Stasis" by R.T. Ester in Interzone Digital.
  
• "Little Horn" by Gemma Files in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "Homecoming" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld 
  
• Watch a trailer for Time Cut.
• Watch a trailer for Heretic.
  
• Watch a trailer for Flow.
  

 

 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for October 4, 2024

 

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Masters of the Universe in general, Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Transformers One, season 2 of The Rings of Power, The Legend of Vox Machina, Megalopolis, Hold Your Breath, Lock Back, The Penguin, Joker: Folie a Deux, The Wild Robot, Dan Da Dan, Salem's Lot, Terrifier 3, The Substance, It's What's Inside, Apartment 7A, House of Soils, V/H/S Bayond, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Star Wars Rebels at ten and Star Wars in general, tributes to Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shares new science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in October.
• Reactor shares all the new science fiction books coming out in October 2024.
• Reactor shares all the new fantasy books coming out in October 2024. 
• Reactor shares all the new young adult SFF books coming out in October 2024. 
  
• Natalie Zutter shares her favourite scince fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in October 2024.
  
• Writers of the Scientific American share their favourite science fiction books. 
• Gabino Iglesias shares his favourite recent horror novels.
  
• Sasha Karsavina talks about current science fiction in China. 
• Charlie Jane Anders wonders where genres come from. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five strategies SFF books have used to remove parents as potential obstacles to teenage adventures.
  
• Wen-yi Lee declares that the gothic as a genre is about the skeletons in the family’s closet. 
• Kay Chronister shares five SFF books featuring horrific family inheritances  
• Kelley Armstrong shares seven great haunted house novels written by women. 
• Kimberly Brock talks about the hinterland dreams of the gothic novel.
  
• Erin Britton shares five spooky mysteries to enjoy for Halloween. 
  
• Jacquie Walters talks about the healing power of horror. 
• Keith Donohue talks about the inspiration behind his fantasy mystery The Girl in the Bog.  
• Olivia Rutigliano wonders if Robert Louis Stevenson based The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on the real life murder case of  Eugène Chantrelle who murdered his wife Elizabeth in 1877.
  
• Jason Sheehan chronicles the difficulties of getting the science fiction anthology The Last Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison published.
  
• Jesus Jimenenz reports about the sexual abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman. 
• S.E. Lindberg shares tributes to the late Janet Morris.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Justin Carter interviews Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, the creative team behind Absolute Wonder Woman. 
• James Whitbrook interviews Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, the creative team behind Absolute Batman.
  
• Paperback Warrior profiles comic book and men's adventure fiction writer Jon Messman.
• Julie Sharp reports that Batman has become the first superhero to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  
• Rich Johnston reports that Marvel and DC have lost their jointly held trademark on the term "super hero".
  

 

Film and TV:

• Erin Underwood asks if Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a magical sequel or a missed opportunity. 
  
• Nathan Rubin calls Argylle an overplotted spy story. 
• Leslie Felperin calls Hellboy: The Crooked Man a sputtering mess that even a metric ton of makeup can’t conceal
  
• Catherine Bray declares that the horror movie Inherit the Witch looks like an amateur theatre group doing a murder mystery party in an Airbnb. 
• Matthew Jackson calls Heretic a terrifically tense horror movie and praises the performance of Hugh Grant. 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Things Will Be Different an uncanny-realist time travel movie
  
• Leah Thomas calls Natsume’s Book of Friends one of the coziest, most comforting anime of all time 
• Catherine Bray calls The Deserving a frustrating horror film that doesn’t have the storytelling heft its premise deserves 
• Anna McKibbin shares her thoughts on the South Korean horror movie Sleep and compares it to Cat People.
  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on the science fiction movies Restore Point and Aporia.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the season 2 finale of The Ark.
  
• Cheryl Eddy shares her thoughts on the latest season of Unsolved Mysteries.
  
• Stuart Heritage discusses how the joy in streaming TV died.
• Brian Davis interviews Gaten Matarazzo, star of Stranger Things and LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy 
• Michaela Zee interviews Akihiko Yamashita. supervising animator for Howl's Moving Castle.
  
• Audra Heinrichs wonders what happened on the set of Furiosa based on cryptic remarks by star Anya Taylor Joy. 
• Don Kaye shares fifteen TV horror movies from the 1970s. 
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1926 horror movie The Bells and the 1927 horror movie The Cat and the Canary.
  
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1954 science fiction B-movie Killers From Space and the 1967 science fiction B-movie Mars Needs Women
• Sandy Ferber revisits the 1957 monster movie The Black Scorpion and the 1960 monster movie Dinosaurus 
• Peter Bradshaw revisits the 1974 horror comedy Young Frankenstein.
  
• Kali Wallace revisits the 1981 dystopian movie Escape From New York.
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the 1994 Babylon 5 episode “Revelations” 
• Arturo Serrano revisits the 2006 fantasy film The Fall.
• Dan Persons revisits the 2013 Venture Bros episode "Spanakopita".
• Emma Keates reports that several people fainted, threw up or walked out of the premiere of Terrifier 3.
  
• Winston Cho reports that Comcast is sueing Warner Bros Discovery over their refusal to partner on the Harry Potter TV series no one except these two companies seems to want.
• James Whitbrook reports that even more animated series have been removed from Warner Bros' streaming service, including the popular Steven Universe.
  
• Special effects specialist Paul McWilliams has died aged 43. 
  
• Actor Drake Hogestyn, best known for playing John Black in the soap opera Days of Our Lives, has died aged 70. 
• Actor John Amos, best known for his appearances in Die Hard 2, The Beastmaster, Good Times and Roots, has died aged 85.
  

 

Comments on Masters of the Universe in general: 

• James Eatock reports how some episode titles of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe were altered to appease anti-television pressure groups in the US.
• James Eatock explains how Filmation's suggested episode for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power tried to make sure that the He-Man episode "Origin of the Sorceress", which introduced both the Sword of Protection and the Evil Horde 
  

 

Comments on Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along.
• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along.
• Gordon Jackson shares his thoughts on “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”, the latest episode of Agatha All Along. 
• Gordon Jackson notes that Agatha All Along is supposedly getting good viewing numbers, but that the viewing data reported by streaming service such as Disney Plus is pretty much useless. 
• Stuart McGurk interviews Elizabeth Olsen, best known for playing Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• Ryan Coleman interviews Samuel L. Jackson who plays Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
  
•  Ben Child wonders if Marvel’s Thunderbolts can avoid the mistakes of DC’s Suicide Squad?

 

Comments on Transformers One:  

• Joe George notes that Transformers One is the pro-labor allegory that the animation industry needs right now.
• Germain Lussier calls Transformers One and The Wild Robot two of the best animated films of the year and notes that they make a great double feature.
  

 

Comments on season 3 of The Legend of Vox Machina:

• Anna Govert declares that The Legend of Vox Machina remains excellent in a romantic and harrowing third season
• Justin Carter interviews the cast of The Legend of Vox Machina 
  

 

Comments on The Rings of Power: 

• Matt Schimkowitz shares his thoughts on “Shadow And Flame”, the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power.
• James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on “Shadow And Flame”, the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on “Shadow And Flame”, the season 2 finale of The Rings of Power. 
• Sylas K. Barrett shares his thoughts on "Doomed to Die", the previous episode of The Rings of Power.
• Melody McCune interviews Charlie Vickers who plays Sauron in The Rings of Power.
  
• James Whitbrook itnerviews Robert Aramyao who plays Elrond in The Rings of Power. 
• Melody McCune interviews Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Markella Kavenagh who plays Míriel and Nori in The Rings of Power.
  
• James Whitbrook interviews The Rings of Power director Charlotte Brändström and cinematographer Alex Disenhof
  

 

Comments on The Wild Robot: 

• Emmet Asher-Perrin declares that The Wild Robot knows the meaning of life, if you’re willing to listen 
  
• Justin Carter reports that The Wild Robot has a better opening weekend than expected.
• Pamela McClintock reports that The Wild Robot took the top spot at the US box office, while Megalopolis bombed. 
  

 

Comments on Megalopolis: 

• Jacob Oller calls Megalopolis a Z-grade vanity project from a grade-A filmmaker 
  
• Leah Schnelbach declares that Megalopolis’ vision of the future offers nothing new
• Haley Zapal calls Megalopolis ambitious, messy, cheesy at times, confusing, breathtaking and weird as hell.
• Kimberly Pierce declares that Megalopolis left her in slack-jawed fascination
  

 

 Comments on Hold Your Breath:

• Benjamin Lee calls Hold Your Breath a scattered 1930s set horror thriller. 
• Natalia Keogan calls Hold Your Breath an eerie but inconsistent 1930s set thriller.
  

 

Comments on Look Back: 

• Isaiah Colbert calls Look Back an instant anime classic 
• Elijah Gonzales declares that Look Back delights in the act of creation.
  

 

Comments on the new Salem's Lot:

• Benjamin Lee declares that the new Salem’s Lot lacks bite
  
• Cheryl Eddy interviews Gary Dauberman, director of the new Salem's Lot.
  

 

Comments on It's What's Inside: 

• Natalia Keogan calls It's What's Inside a funny horror whodunnit. 
• Germain Lussier calls It’s What’s Inside a wonderfully messed up science fiction mystery that’s one of the year’s best films
  

 

Comments on The Substance: 

• Adrian Horton asks if The Substance is a brilliant feminist critique or a soulless mess?
• Kyle MacNeill talks about The Substance and movies’ obsession with fictional drugs  
• Inspired by The Substance, Anne Billson ranks movies about the search for eternal youth.
  

 

Comments on Apartment 7A: 

• Kimberly Pierce shares her thoughts on Apartment 7A.
• Lorinda Donovan shares a spoilerish review of Apartment 7A. 
• Brian Davids interviews Natalie Erika James, director of Apartment 7A. 
  

 

Comments on Dan Da Dan:

• Rafael Motomayor calls the anime Dan Da Dan a genre-blending good time 
• James Whitbrook calls Dan Da Dan one of the slickest shows of the year
  

 

Comments on House of Spoils:

• Benjamin Lee calls House of Spoils a goofy horror thriller that offers more for fans of cookery shows than those looking for a scare  
• Jacob Oller declares that House Of Spoils' restaurant horror is more rotten tomato than Michelin star
  
• Watch a trailer for House of Spoils
• Watch a clip from House of Spoils

 

Comments on V/H/S Beyond: 

• Cheryl Eddy calls V/H/S/Beyond pleasingly disturbing
• Leslie Felperin calls V/H/S/Beyond a charmingly ragged lo-fi horror anthology 
• Matthew Jackson declares that V/H/S/Beyond has more of a throughline than normal for an anthology film.   
• Jim Vorel declares that a pivot to science fiction offers limited inspiration for V/H/S/Beyond
  

 

Comments on Joker: Folie à Deux: 

• Germain Lussier calls Joker: Folie à Deux an anti-sequel that pretends to be great, but never is
  
• Jason Gorber declares that in Joker: Folie à Deux, the joke is definitely on you 
• Jim Veyvoda interviews Todd Phillips, director of Joker and Joke: Folie a Deux. 
  

 

Comments on The Penguin: 

• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin.
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Penguin.
  

 

Comments on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: 

• Saloni Gajjar declares that the inclusion of Carol breathes new life into The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
• Trent Moore declares that season 2 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is off to a messy, emotional start 
  

 

Comments on Star Wars: Rebels at ten and Star Wars in general: 

• Germain Lussier declares that ten years on, Star Wars: Rebels remains one of Star Wars‘ greatest successes
  
• Rafael Motomayor shares his ten favourite episodes of Star Wars: Rebels.

 

Tributes to Maggie Smith:

• Dame Maggie Smith, star of Gosford Park, the Harry Potter movies, Downton Abbey, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Sister Act, Hook, Room With a View, Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, Murder by Death and many others, has died aged 89.
  
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Maggie Smith.
• Nicholas Hytner remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Mark Lawson remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Michael Palin remembers Maggie Smith
• Mike Newell remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Gareth Neame, producer of Downton Abbey, remembers Maggie Smith.
  
• Ol Parker remembers Maggie Smith. 
• Mary Kate Carr remembers Maggie Smith.
  
• Michael Coveney shares an obituary for Maggie Smith. 
• William Hughes shares tributes to Maggie Smith by several Harry Potter actors.
  
• Olivia Rutigliano remembers Maggie Smith's roles in crime movies and murder mysteries.
  
• Peter Bradshaw ranks his twenty favourite of Maggie Smith's many movies.
  
• The Guardian shares photos from Maggie Smith's lengthy career.
  

 

Tributes to Kris Kristofferson:

• Singer, songwriter and actor Kris Kirstofferson, who appeared in Convoy, A Star Is Born, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Blade, Planet of the Apes and many others, has died aged 88.  
• Peter Bradshaw remembers Kris Kristofferson.
  
• Matt Schimkowitz shares an obituary for Kris Kristofferson.
  
• The Guardian shares photos from Kirs Kristofferson's lengthy career.

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2024 WSFA Small Press Award has been announced. 
• The winner of the 2024 Glass Bell Award has been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Rhysling Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Dwarf Star Awards have been announced. 
• The winners of the 2024 Galaxy Awards have been announced.
  
• The winners of the 2024 Ottawa International Animation Festival have been announced.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Joy Kluver talks about the importance of giving characters backstory.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about the different types of writers' block.
  
• Steph Post talks about the magic of bookbinding. 
• Palak Jayswal reports that Brandon Sanderson is planning to open a bookstore in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
  

 

Interviews:

• Dana Jacobson interviews V.E. Schwab. 
• Runalong the Shelves interviews Allen Stroud.
  
• Eric de Roulet interviews Bryn Hammond in two parts.
• Arley Sorg interviews R.S.A. Garcia.
  
• Arley Sorg interviews Indrapramit Das.
  
• The HWA interviews Jessica R. Brynarsky
• The HWA interviews Gerardo Sámano Córdova
  
• Fanbase Press interviews Craig Miller.
  

 

Reviews:

• Paul Weimer reviews Shadow of the Smoking Mountain by Howard Andrew Jones
• John Mauro reviews Deep Black by Miles Cameron
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Infinity Gate by M. R. Carey 
• Maura Krause reviews Toward Eternity by Anton Hur.
  
• Liz Bourke reviews The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris
  
• Paperback Warrior reviews Hammer of the Dogs by Jarret Keene.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Kavithri by Aman J. Bedi 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews One Life Left by David Green
  
• Marlene Harris reviews The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi, translated by Jesse Kirkwood 
• T.O. Munro reviews Last Winter Sun by G.R. Matthews
  
• Julia Kitvaria Sarene reviews  A Shadow over Haven by David Green
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach 
• Sally Berrow reviews The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling 
• Emma Davis reviews The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne 
  
• Trish Matson reviews The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
  
• Martin Cahill reviews Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud
  
• Molly Templeton reviews Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby.
  
• Alex Brown reviews One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Coup de Grace by Sofia Arjam 
• Rob Bedford reviews Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz.
  
• Marlene Harris reviews Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio
  
• Mary Picken reviews Broken Ghosts by J.D. Oswald
  
• Grab This Book reviews Ghost Story by Elisa Lodato
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker 
  
• Niall Harrison reviews Egypt + 100, edited by Ahmed Naji     
• Randy Money reviews 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1956 Simon Ark supernatural detective story "The Witch is Dead" by Edward D. Hoch.   
• Brian Collins revisits the 1960 science fiction story  “David’s Daddy” by Rosel George Brown
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1963 time travel novella “Some Lapse of Time” by John Brunner 
• Gabino Iglesias revisits the 1967 post-apocalyptic novel Termush by Sven Holm.
  
• Gideon Marcus revisits the October 1969 issue of Analog. 
• David Levinson revisits the November 1969 issue of If: World of Science Fiction.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1975 vampire novel The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen 
• Alan Brown revisits the 1983 science fiction novel The Integral Trees by Larry Niven
  
• James Wallace Harris revisits the 1993 science fiction story “Georgia On My Mind” by Charles Sheffield and the 2007 science fiction story “The Cartesian Theater” by Robert Charles Wilson
  
• Fiona Sturges revisits the 1995 His Dark Materials YA fantasy novel Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
• Runalong the Shelves revisits the 2014 Southern Reach post-apocalyptic novel Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Sword and sorcery author Howard Andrew Jones and his family need help with medical expenses.
• The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is collecting donations to support authors and other book and comic industry people affected by Hurricane Helene.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mari Ness talks about accessibility problems at the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland.
• Mike Glyer reports that Joyce Carol Oates will be a guest of honour at the 2025 StokerCon in Stanford, Connecticut.
• Mike Glyer shares the schedule for the 2024 Philip K. Dick European Science Fiction Film Festival in Lille, France, and Cologne, Germany, respctively.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Jackie Wattles reports that SpaceX has launched a mission to pick up the astronauts stranded on board of the International Space Station due to the Boeing Starliner failure and return them to Earth. 
• Steven Young reports that SpaceX has grounded its Falcon rockets after an upper stage misfire.
  
• Dave Eggers reports about the search for extraterrestrial life at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  
• Kaye Dee profiles the women of the Apollo program. 
• The Guardian reports that a man in Montana has been sentenced to six months in prison for cloning a giant hybrid sheep for hunting purposes. 
• Michael Greshko reports that underwater robots have discovered the wreck of the WWII era vessel U.S.S. Stewart
• Geoff Brumfiel, Scott Neuman and Camila Domonoske report how Hurricane Helene could impact the US tech industry by hitting the town of Spruce Pines, North Carolina, the sole source of high purity quartz in the US.
• Emma Ross reports about a drama involving WordPress.com, WordPress.org and WP Engine. 
• Kay Chronister discusses the rising interest in and fascination with bogs.
  
• Kris Spisak takes a look at the Baba Yaga mythos.
  
• Laura Sullivan reports about historical markers that mark the sites of alleged UFO sightings and landings.
  

 

Gaming: 

• James Whitbrook reports that the Commander's Rules Committee has been dissolved by Wizards of the Coast following some controversial bans of popular Magic the Gathering cards.
  

 

Toys and collectibles:

• Adam McCombs reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Demo-Man action figure.
  
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Mer-Man action figure.
  
• Still a Big Kid reviews the Hiya Toys Exquisite Super Judge Dredd action figure.
  
• Toy Habits share a look at the prototypes and concept sketches for the new Warriors of the Galaxy toyline from Formo Toys. 
• James Whitbrook shares new Lego sets coming out in October.
  
• Ed's Retro Geek Out assembles a vintage 1986 Mattel Masters of the Universe Eternia playset.
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Nine Tenths of the Law" by K.J. Parker in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Black Wine From the Slopes of Dawn" by Rajiv Moté in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "A Space O/pera" by Abby Nicole Yee in Clarkesworld. 
• "The Buried People" by Nigel Brown in Clarkesworld.
  
• "The Apostle" by James Bennett in The Dark.
  
• "Remembered Salt" by E. Catherine Tobler in Apex Magazine.
  
• "Have You Eaten?" by Sarah Gailey in Reactor.
• "Parthenogenesis" by Stephen Graham Jones in Reactor.
  
• "Parasocial" by Monica Byrne in Future Tense. 
• " #000000: From the Permanent Collection" by LeeAnn Perry in Strange Horizons.
  
• "¡Sangronas! Un Lista de Terror" by M. M. Olivas in Uncanny Magazine
  
• "Spaceships in the Desert" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch,
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 6 of What We Do In the Shadows.
  
• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Squid Game.
  
• Watch a trailer for Elevation.
• Watch a trailer for Nosferatu. 
• Watch a trailer for Paddington in Peru.
  
• Watch a trailer for Companion.
  
• Watch a trailer for Before.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Franchise.
• Watch a trailer for Carved. 
• Watch a trailer for MADS.
  
• Watch a trailer for American Horror Stories.