Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 13, 2023

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Star Trek in general, the new Willow, The Last of Us, Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution, Enys Man, Kindred, Mayfair Witches, M3GAN, Black Adam, the chaotic future of the DC Cinematic Universe and the chaos at Warner Bros and HBO Max in general, Avatar: The Way of Water and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Natalie Zutter shares 21 SFF books to look forward to in 2023.
• Tor.com shares all the new science fiction books coming out in January 2023.
  
• Tor.com shares all the new fantasy books coming out in January 2023. 
• Tor.com lists all the new horror and genre-bending books arriving in January 2023.
  
• Tobias Carroll shares the best indie press SFF coming out in January and February. 
• Alex Brown shares all the new YA SFF books coming out in January. 
• Tor.com shares all the new YA SFF books coming out in January. 
• Eric Adelson compiles what he considers the most influential science fiction works of all time.
  
• John Mauro takes a look at rising stars of grimdark SFF.
• Shauna Lawless talks about the rise of historical fantasy. 
• James Davis Nicoll remembers five SFF authors who died far too young.
  
• Rachel S. Cordasco takes a look at Italian speculative fiction in translation. 
• Daria Piskozub lists ten must-read Ukrainian SFF writers. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF stories about worlds threatened by endless winter.
  
• Cole Rush shares five SFF books that offer a unique take on music. 
• Grady Hendrix takes a not entirely serious look at the impact hauntings and resident ghosts have on the housing market. 
  
• Anya Bergman notes that witches are having a cultural moment right now. 
• Linda Reilly tells book lover to stop feeling guilty about the size of the TBR pile.
  
• Molly Templeton goes in search of new reading rituals.
  
• Rachel Ayers shares six retellings of Cinderella.
  
• Diana Gabaldon recalls how she wrote Outlander. 
  
• Bill Ward shares his appreciation for the Bran Mak Morn stories by Robert E. Howard. 
• Ryan Harvey takes a look at Robert E. Howard's weird menace pulp stories. 
• The Obelisk takes a look at Robert E. Howard's occult investigators Professor John Kirowan and John Conrad. 
• Judith Tarr shares her appreciation for the Wolf's Point novels by Catherine Lundoff.
  
• Laura Miller critiques Ross Douthat's unpublished fantasy novel The Falcon's Children.  
• A.J. Willingham reports about the saga of romance author Stephanie Meacham who faked her own suicide. 
  
• Lucy Knight reports that British writer and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi suffered a serious spinal injury after an accident in Rome and may remain paralysed. 
• Lara Feifel, Amanda Craig and Lisa Allardice remember the late Fay Weldon. 
   
  

Comics and Art:

• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. 
• Anthony Perconti reviews Headlopper: The Island by Andrew MacLean and Mike Spicer. 
• For Eternia shares some information about the upcoming Masterverse comics, written by Tim Seeley.
  
• Deuce Richardson shares his appreciation for the fantasy artwork of Wayne Barlowe. 
• Deuce Richardson recounts how Frank Kelly Freas' iconic cover for the November 1950 issue of Weird Tales came to be. 
• Fantasy artist Richard Bober died aged 79.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Lucy Mangan calls The Rig a spooky supernatural thriller set aboard an oil rig in the North Sea.
• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the first and only season of Y: The Last Man and wishes there were more.
• Hayden Mears finds season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch frustrating with regard to its unrealised potential. 
• Matthew Jackson declares that Skinamarink may well be the scariest film of 2023. 
• Saloni Gajjar shares her thoughts on season 4 of the horror series Servant.
  
• Saloni Gajjar calls Velma a fun Scooby-Doo prequel. 
• The Guardian notes that some scenes in Matilda: The Musical can be triggering for survivors for child abuse.
  
• Adrian Horton calls Sick an efficient pandemic horror slasher. 
  
• Allegra Frank shares her twelve favourite animated TV shows and movies of 2022.
  
• Robert Repino shares six very strange made-for-TV science fiction, fantasy and horror movies.
• Matt Mills shares fifteen horror films that showcase the history of the jump scare
  
• Jessica Holmes revisits the 1967 Doctor Who serial "The Enemy of the World".   
• Phil Hoad profiles David Lynch, director of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, Dune and many others. 
• Kyle Buchanan interviews Stephanie Hsu who plays Joy in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
  
• Ann Lee interviews Kathleen Turner, star of Body Heat and Romancing the Stone.
  
• Nick Romano interviews Harry Melling, who appeared in the Harry Potter movies as a child and now stars in The Pale Blue Eye as Edgar Allan Poe. 
• Scott Simon also interviews Harry Melling.
  
• Peter White reports that the animated science fictionn series Pantheon has been cancelled after only one season in spite of a two season order and that the existing season will be removed from streaming. 
• Emma Fraser calls the cancellation of 1899 Netflix's latest ridiculous decision.
  
• Germain Lussier reports that Wednesday has been renewed for season 2.
• Si Litvinoff, producer of A Clockwork Orange, The Man Who Fell to Earth and Walkabout, has died aged 93.
  
• Actor Earl Boen who played psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the first three Terminator movies and who also appeared in Battle Beyond the Stars, The Man With Two Brains, Alien Nation, The Naked Gun and Scarecrow and Mrs. King, has died aged 81.
  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:  

• Ammar Kalia interviews Kumail Nanjiani, who appeared in Eternals, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Welcome to Chippendales. 
  
• Sabina Graves reports how Don Cheadle came to play James Rhodes a.k.a. Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• William Earl reports that Black Panther 3 is already in the works according to Letitia Wright.
  
• Watch a trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
  

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Galactic Journey revisits the 1968 Star Trek episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion".
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares an overview of season 2 of Star Trek Enterprise.
• Peter White reports that season 3 may not be the end for Star Trek Picard after all.
  

 

Comments on the season 1 finale Willow: 

• Cindy White shares her thoughts on the final episode of season one of Willow. 
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the season 1 finale of Willow. 
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Warwick Davis, Erin Kellyman and Amar Chadha-Patel, three of the stars of Willow.
• Germain Lussier discusses the end credits scene of the season 1 finale of Willow.
  

 

Comments of Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution: 

• Dad-at-Arms interviews Tim Sheridan, writer of Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution, Dragon Age: Absolution, Batman and many others. 
  
• Andrew Gans interviews Chris Wood who played Mon-El in Supergirl and voices Prince Adam/He-Man in Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

 

Comments on The Last of Us:  

• Joel Golby calls The Last of Us finally a perfect videogame adaptation.
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, producers of The Last of Us. 

 

Comments on Enys Man: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls Enys Man a supremely disquieting study of solitude.
• Steven Morris reports that the Cornish folk horror film Enys Man is outgrossing Avatar: The Way of Water - at least in Cornwall.   
  

 

Comments on Mayfair Witches: 

• Saloni Gajjar interviews Alexandra Daddario, star of Mayfair Witches.  
• Rob Bricken reports that a crossover between Mayfair Witches and the new Interview With the Vampire is planned. 
  

 

Comments on Kindred: 

• Arturo Serrano notes that the TV adaptation of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred demonstrates the power of stories to create empathy.
• Ross McIndoe points out that Kindred buries some thorny truth inside a listless story. 
• Ronda Racha Penrice declares that Kindred doesn't dig deep enough into the messy history it portrays. 
• Robert Daniels finds that Kindred lets down its source material. 
• Allegra Frank declares that Kindred bungles everything that was beautiful about Octavia E. Butler's novel. 
• Helena Andrew-Dyer explains why it took 43 years to bring Kindred to TV.
  

 

Comments on M3GAN: 

• Derek Smith calls M3GAN a delightfully campy horror movie.
• Leigh Monson calls M3GAN a horror comedy that pulls all the right strings. 
• Owen Gleiberman calls M3GAN creepy, preposterous and diverting. 
• Jason Zinoman calls M3GAN an over the top horror film. 
• Richard Newsby calls M3GAN a horor film, for the TikTok generation. 
• Charles Bramesco calls M3GAN smarter and scarier than expected. 
• Arturo Serrano declares that M3GAN shows the horror of letting a machine manage your feelings.
  
• Margaret Fuhrer notes that M3GAN proves once again that many people find dancing robots unnerving.
  
• Jen Yamato interviews Akela Cooper, screenwriter of M3GAN
• Rebecca Rubin reports that M3GAN has performed better than expected at the box office, but that the movie still can't beat the noxious Avatar: The Way of Water. 
• Anthony D'Allessandro reports that M3GAN will be getting a sequel. 
  

 

Comments on Black Adam, the various DC Comics based movies and TV-shows and the chaos at Warner Bros and HBO Max in general: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on Black Adam and the way the movie treats heroism. 
  
• Tatiana Siegel chronicles how Dwayne Johnson tried to gain control of the DC cinematic universe and what went on behind the scenes of Black Adam.
  
• Ben Child reports that DC is planning a movie multiverse of its own and wonders if they can repeat Marvel's success.
  
• Allegra Frank calls HBO Max removing some two hundred classic Looney Toons cartoons from its streaming service a shameful decision.
• Todd Spangler reports that HBO Max is raising subscription prices.
  

 

Comments on Avatar: The Way of Water: 

• Steve Power shares his thoughts on Avatar: The Way of Water.
• James Hibberd interviews James Cameron, director of Avatar: The Way of Water, about the unfortunately unevitable sequels. 
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 2023 Golden Globes have been announced with quite a bit of love for genre film and TV. 
• The nominations for the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced with quite a bit of love for genre film and TV.
  
• The 2022 Asimov's Readers' Awards are open for voting.
• The 2022 Analytical Laboratory Awards are open for voting. 
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Lincoln Michel talks about bad writing habits stemming from visual media and how to avoid them. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about selling books directly via your website.
  
• Porter Anderson reports that the revenues of US publishers have dropped by more than five percent last year.
  
• Locus offers an update on the ongoing strike of the HarperCollins Union. 
• The Guardian reports that Filippo Bernardini has pleaded guilty to stealing more than 1000 unpublished manuscripts.
  
• Leyland Cecco reports about Apple's controversial decision to offer AI-narrated audiobooks on its platform.
• Zoe Wood reports that the number of independent bookshops in the UK has hit a ten-year high in spite of other retail shops suffering in 2022. 
• Sarah Shaffi that independent bookstores in the UK fear for the future in spite of their numbers rising. 
• Bookseller Joyce Meskis, founder of the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver, Colorado, has died aged 80.
  

Interviews:

• Locus interviews Annalee Newitz.
• J.W. McCormack interviews Kelly Link. 
• Robert Lanza and Nancy Kress interview each other.
  
• The Guardian interviews Alex Wheatle.
• Fantasy Magazine interviews Flossie Arend.
  
• D.M. Ritzlin interviews Daniel J. Davis.
  

Reviews:

• Adrienne Martini reviews August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White
  
• Matthew Claxton reviews The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. 
• File 770 reviews The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler. 
• Ian Mond reviews Here Be Leviathans by Chris Flynn
  
• Elizabeth Fitzgerald reviews Wolfpack by Rem Wigmore. 
• Greg Hersom reviews Conan: Blood of the Serpent by S.M. Stirling
• Arturo Serrano reviews Hamlet, Prince of Robots by M. Darusha Wehm
  
• Stephanie Merritt reviews Cold People by Tom Rob Smith. 
• Paul Burke reviews Cold People by Tom Rob Smith.  
• Lis Carey reviews Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
• Arturo Serrano reviews Level Five by William Ledbetter.  
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Downfall by Louise Carey. 
• Aigner Loren Wilson reviews Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk.
  
• Martin Cahill reviews The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin.
  
• Marion Deeds reviews Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore
  
• Fabienne Schwizer reviews The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elbai.
• The Appendix N Book Club reviews A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden. 
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Kid Wolf and Kraken Boy by Sam J. Miller. 
• Fabienne Schwizer reviews The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore.
• Mark Yon reviews Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Hannah Fawcett
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Twelve by Joan Marie Verba.
• James Tivendale reviews Godkiller by Hannah Kaner.
• Kat Hooper and Marion Deeds review Legendborn by Tracy Deonn.
  
• Mark Yon reviews Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Everything's Changing by Chelsea Stickle.
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Expect Me Tomorrow by Christopher Priest
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Such a Pretty Smile by Kirsti DeMeester.
• Marion Deeds reviews Little Eve by Catriona Ward. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan.
  
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Old Country by Matt Query and Harrison Query 
  
• Alexander Wallace reviews issue 0 of New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine.
  
• Richard Fisher reviews Swords and Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume Five, edited by David A. Riley.
• Joani Etzkovitz reviews The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moira McTier.
• Tim Adams reviews The Written World and the Unwritten World: Collected Non-Fiction by Italo Calvino, translated by Ann Goldstein.
• John Self reviews The Written World and the Unwritten World: Collected Non-Fiction by Italo Calvino, translated by Ann Goldstein.
  
• Jason Ray Carney reviews Lurking Under the Surface: Horror, Religion, and the Questions That Haunt Us by Brandon R. Grafius.

Classics reviews:

• Patricia Matson revisits the 1914 supernatural thriller The Thing in the Woods by Harper Williams.
  
• Carlo Rotella revisits the 1922 fantasy novel The Worm Ourobouros by E.R. Eddison.
• Davide Mana revisits the 1934 Conan sword and sorcery story "The People of the Black Circle" by Robert E. Howard.
  
• Danny Sichel revisits the 1954 science fiction story "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin. 
• Joachim Biaz revisits the 1965 science fiction novel The Genocides by Thomas M. Disch.
  
• Vintage Pop Fictions revisits the 1965 Thongor sword and sorcery novel The Wizard of Lemuria by Lin Carter. 
• Victoria Silverwolf revisits the 1967 science fiction anthology Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison.
  
• Erica Frank revisits the January 1968 issue of Playboy and finds an unexpected bounty of science fiction stories inside. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1976 portal fantasy The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1982 Red Sonja sword and sorcery novel Demon Night by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney. 
• Brian Collins revisits the 1983 science fiction novella "Hardfought" by Greg Bear.
  
• C.T. Phipps revisits the 1987 Garrett P.I. fantasy mystery Sweet Silver Blues by Glenn Cook.  
• Nicholas Whyte revisits the 1988 science fiction stories "Schördinger's Kitten" by George Alec Effinger and "The Last of the Winnebagos" by Connie Willis.
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1990 post-apocalyptic novel Black Snow Days by Claudia O'Keefe.
• Alissa Burger revisits the 1991 YA horror novel The Snowman by R.L. Stine and the 1992 YA horror novel Freeze Tag by Caroline B. Cooney.
  
• Alan Brown revisits the 1992 cyberpunk novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Chris M. Barkley shares photos of Chicon 8, the 2022 Worldcon in Chicago, Illinois. 
• Locus reports that the Galactic Philadelphia reading series in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will return in 2023.
  
• Greg Hersov reports how the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, UK, has been turned into a unique dream space.
• Sabina Graves shares the latest news and attractions from the various Disney Parks, Universal Studios Resorts and other US theme parks. 
• Sabina Graves reports that a Tron Lightcycle rollercoaster will come to Disney World in Orlando, Florida in April. 
• Sabina Graves reports about some of the offerings at the Epcot International Festival of Arts at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
  
• Germain Lussier shares his impressions of the new Super Nintendo World attraction at Universal Studios Resort Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Horror writer Laird Barron needs help with medical expenses.
  
• Artist Peri Charlifu needs some help with medical expenses.
• The Weary Dragon Inn, a cozy fantasy series by S. Usher Evans, is looking for funding.
  
• The RPG OrcQuest: Warpath is looking for funding.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Eric Berger reports that Virgin Orbit's first attempt to launch a rocket from UK soil ended in failure. 
• NASA reports that the James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed its first exoplanet.
  
• Emmett Lindner discusses how climate change affects book preservation.
  
• Daniel Capurro reports that the mystery of strange ancient markings in various European caves has been solved. 
• Hannah Frisberg reports that archaeologists have unearthed a giant Viking hall in Jutland, Denmark. 
  

Free online fiction: 

• "Time Marked and Mended" by Carrie Vaughn in Tor.com.
  
• "How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub" by P. Djèlí Clark in Uncanny Magazine.
  
• "Within the Heart of a Sleeping Giant" by Xan van Rooyen in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.
• "The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside" by Isabel J. Kim in Apex Magazine.
  
• "Tears Waiting to Be Diamonds: Part One" by Sarah Rees Brennan in The Sunday Morning Transport. 
• "Notes on The Seventh Battle Of The Queen Of The Ruby Mists" by Mari Ness in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
• "Constant Ivan and Clever Natalya" by M.A. Carrick in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "Late Night at the Sideshow" by Gordon B. White in Nightmare Magazine. 
• "A Guide to Alien Terms Useful in the Human Diaspora" by Deborah L. Davitt in Lightspeed.
• "Braid Me a Howling Tongue" by Maria Dong in Lightspeed.
  
• "Anais Gets a Turn" by R.T. Ester in Clarkesworld. 
• "Hunger" by Meg Malone in Luna Station Quarterly. 
• "Broodmare" by Flossie Arend in Fantasy Magazine.
  
• "Lap Record" by Nelson Stanley in The Dark.
• "Naruoma, the Cow Detective of the Millennium" by Rešoketšwe Manenzhe in Omenana.
• "The Wanderer's Lament" by Stewart A. Shearer in SideQuest.
  
• "There Are No Butterflies on Proxima B" by Kyle Robert Annasenz in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "Turbulence" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. 
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Carnival Row. 
• Watch a trailer for Lockwood & Co.
  
• Watch a trailer for Wolf Pack.
  
• Watch a trailer for Velma.
  
• Watch a trailer for Beau Is Afraid. 
• Watch a trailer for Consecration.
  
• Watch a trailer for Disquiet.
  
• Watch a trailer for Sick.
• Watch a trailer for Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.
  

 

 Odds and ends:

• Cora Buhlert shares another Masters-of-the-Universe-Piece Theatre Photo Story entitled "Wun-Dar and his Wonderful Dinosaur".
  

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 6, 2023

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best SFF books, films and TV-shows of 2022, the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Star Wars in general, Star Trek in general, the new Willow, The Witcher: Blood Origins, Mayfair Witches, M3GAN, Netflix cancelling 1899 and Netflix's cancellation spree in general, the chaotic future of the DC Cinematic Universe and the chaos at Warner Bros and HBO Max in general, Avatar: The Way of Water, tributes to Suzy McKee Charnas and Fay Weldon, Fritz Leiber revisited, Jeremy Renner's snow-ploughing mishap and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Cheryl Eddy shars 41 science fiction, fantasy and horror books coming out in January. 
• Nicholas Whyte reveals what we can expect in 2023 according to science fiction. 
• Charles Bramesco also takes a look at what 2023 will look like according to science fiction. 
• Brandon Ying Kit Boey explains why apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are prennially popular.
  
• Ratika Deshpande shares six SFF works to brighten gloomy days. 
• James Davis Nicoll shares a semi-scientific study of science fiction and fantasy governments.
  
• A.K. Larkwood shares seven adventure fantasy books. 
• Cole Rush shares five SFF works that draw on Greek mythology. 
  
• Fletcher Wortmann talks about dinosaurs and cosmic horror.  
• Bobby Derie chronicles the correspondence between Bernice Nette Barlow, mother of R.H. Barlow, and H.P. Lovecraft.
  
• Molly Templeton explains why you should touch all your books.
  
• Steve Holland shares an obituary for Greg Bear.
• io9 remembers the science fiction, fantasy and horror creators we lost in 2022.  

 

Best Books of 2022:

• Marlene Harris shares her favourite crime and SFF novels of 2022. 
  
• SFFWorld share their favourite SFF films and TV shows of 2022.
• The io9 reviewers shares their favourite SFF works of 2022. 
• The Strange Horizons reviewers share their favourite SFF works of 2022 in a two part post.
  

 

Tributes to Suzy McKee Charnas: 

• SFF and horror writer Suzy McKee Charnas has died aged 83.
• Michael Swanwick remembers Suzy McKee Charnas.
  

 

 Tributes to Fay Weldon:

• British novelist and screenwriter Fay Weldon has died aged 91.
• Claire Armitstead shares an obituary for Fay Weldon. 
• Jenny Colgan remembers Fay Weldon. 
• Alex Clark remembers Fay Weldon.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• Patrick McDonnell explains how to read a comic strip. 
• John Picacio weighs in on the rise of AI-generated art. 
• Brian Murphy rails against AI-generated art.
  
• Cartoonist Sarah Andersen recounts how she first had her art stolen by Neonazis and then by AI art generators. 
• Adrian Collins reviews The Fade Out: The Complete Collection by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
• C.T. Phipps reviews Blade Runner Black Lotus #2 by Nancy Collins and Enid Balam.
• Rachel Cooke reviews Artist by Yeong-shin Ma.
  
• Scott Edelman interviews comic artist and editor Al Milgrom.
• Eli Benik explains how to prepare your art to post it online. 
• James Davis Nicoll points out five surprise cameos in SFF cover art.
  
• Sideshow remembers Stan Lee for his 100th birthday.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Jason Ray Carney shares his thoughts on Masters of the Universe: Revelation. 
• Jack Seale finds that Our Flag Means Death wastes the talents of some of the best comedians in the world. 
• Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on the series finale of His Dark Materials.
  
• David Gerrold finds that Wednesday depart too much from the established Addams Family canon.
• Arturo Serrano declares that Troll takes all the clichés of the kaiju genre and applies them to Norse mythology. 
• Keith R.A. DeCandido calls Samaritan a perfectly cromulent superhero movie.
  
• Peter Bradshaw calls Wolf Manor a cheerfully silly werewolf horror film. 
• Phuong Le calls Piggy a darkly fun horror movie.
  
• Bonnie McDaniel shares her thoughts on season 1 of Severance. 
• Judith Tarr revisits the 1961 horror film The Curse of the Werewolf.
  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1999 X-Files episode "Millennium".
  
• Lorna Wallace shares her appreciation for the animated TV show Gravity Falls for its tenth anniversary. 
  
• Steve Rose interviews S.S. Rajamouli, director of RRR. 
• Justin Carter notes that 2022 was the year that many media franchises fell off their pedestals. 
• Ted Gioia muses how Star Wars, the Marvel Universe and other media franchises he dislikes may finally fail and end. 
  
• Fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has died aged 81.
• Make-up artist Christopher Tucker has died aged 81. 
  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:  

• Carolyn Giardina interviews Autumn Durald Arkapaw, cinematographer of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
• Yang-Yi Goh interviews Dave Bautista, star of Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune and Glass Onion.
  
• Neil Barrett takes a biomedical look at the process that turned Jennifer Walters into She-Hulk.
• Chris Godfrey interviews Hugh Jackman, best known for playing Logan a.k.a. Wolverine.
  

 

Comments of Star Wars in general: 

• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw praises the costume design of Andor. 
• James Hibberd interviews Pedro Pascal, star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us.
  
• Germain Lussier interviews Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau, producers of Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
  
• Zack Sharf reports that Solo: A Star Wars Story will not be getting a sequel to nobody's surprise. 

 

Comments on Star Trek in general: 

• Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on the first season of Star Trek Prodigy.
  
• Galactic Journey revisits the 1967 Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles". 
  
• Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Enterprise episode "The Expanse".
  

 

Comments on the new Willow: 

• Cindy White shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Willow.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Willow. 
  
• Justin Carter explains how Val Kilmer was able to put in a cameo in Willow.
  

 

Comments on The Witcher: Blood Origins: 

• Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on The Witcher: Blood Origins.
  
• Darren Mooney notes that the reason that The Witcher: Blood Origins feels rushed is because it was cut down from six to four episodes.
  

 

Comments on Mayfair Witches: 

• Linda Codega calls Mayfair Witches and unambitious and tragically unsexy adaptation of Anne Rice's trilogy. 
  
• Jenna Schere calls Mayfair Witches not exactly spellbinding.
  

 

Comments on M3GAN: 

• Peter Bradshaw calls M3GAN an entertaining horror film.
• Germain Lussier calls M3GAN more serious than expected, but still very fun.
  
• Brian Davids interviews James Wan and Jason Blum, director and producer of M3GAN. 
  

 

Comments on the cancellation of 1899 and Netflix's cancellation spree in general:

• J. Kim Murphy reports that the historical fantasy series 1899 has been cancelled after only one season. 
• Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that Netflix is being criticised for cancelling so many shows, including successful ones, after only a single season.  
• Jennifer Maas reports that The Sandman had a difficult journey to renewal as well, though the show was ultimately renewed.
  

 

Comments on the various DC Comics based movies and TV-shows and the chaos at Warner Bros and HBO Max in general: 

• Ellise Shafer reports that George R.R. Martin has said that the chaos at HBO Max also affects the various Game of Thrones spin-offs in development.
• James Whitbrook reports that actress Leslie Grace has shown a look at her Batgirl costume from the Batgirl movie that was cancelled by Warner Bros, even though it was already far into post-production. 
• The AV-Club reports that in spite of their increasingly erratic behaviour and multiple charges against them, Ezra Miller may still return to the DC Cinematic Universe as the Flash.
  

 

Comments on Jeremy Renner's snow-ploughing accident: 

• Sian Cain reports that actor Jeremy Renner, best known for playing Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been hospitalised following a serious accident while snow-ploughing. 
• Sian Cain shares more information about Jeremy Renner's snow-ploughing accident. 
• Sian Cain also shares Jeremy Renner's first statement after his accident. 
• The Guardian shares some video footage of Jeremy Renner in hospital.

 

Comments on Avatar: The Way of Water: 

• Chris M. Barkley shares his thoughts on Avatar: The Way of Water and finds that he is not the audience for the movie. 
• Steve Power shares his thoughts on Avatar: The Way of Water.
  
• Various Hollywood personalities interviews James Cameron, director of Avatar: The Way of Water.
  
• Ben Child notes that the relative financial success of Avatar: The Way of Water sadly means that they will make more of those movies.
  
• The BBC reports that Avatar: The Way of Water has raked in one billion US-dollar at the box office, but will need at least twice that to break even.
• Andrew Pulver reports that Avatar: The Way of Water has passed Top Gun: Maverick at the global box office, though the latter has grossed more in the US. 
  
• Mark Sweney reports that the success of Avatar: The Way of Water and Glass Onion proves that audience are willing to go to the cinema again, but wonders if it's too little too late.
  

 

Awards:

• The winner of the 2022 Darth Vader Parenthood Award for Outstandingly Horrible Fictional Parents has been announced.
• The winner of the 2022 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award has been announced. 
• The finalists for the 2021 Emeka Walter Dinjos Memorial Award For Disability In Speculative Fiction have been announced.
• The shortlist for the 2022 Cybils Awards has been announced.
  
• The winner of the 2022 Golden Issue Award for Best Comic Book Movie has been announced. 

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• David Steffen explains how to read a short story contract.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about social media for authors.
  
• Mark Piesing claims that AI audiobook narration is inevitable.
  
• Brandon Sanderson criticises the business practices of Audible. 
• Ted Gioia explains how James Daunt turned Barnes & Noble around.
  
• Phoenix Tso and Mike Roe report that a new bookstore in Pasadena, California, will be named after Octavia E. Butler. 
• Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter report that Filippo Bernadini has plead guilty to stealing several unpublished manuscripts.
  

Interviews:

• Arley Sorg interviews Ada Hoffman.
  
• Locus interviews Saad Z. Hossain.
• Oliver Brackenbury interviews Kim Stanley Robinson. 
• Arley Sorg interviews Paul McAuley. 
• Paul Weimer interviews M. Darusha Wehm.
  

Reviews:

• Lis Carey reviews The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky. 
• Russell Letson reviews Return to Glory by Jack McDevitt 
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Beyond the Burn Line by Paul McAuley.
  
• Bonnie McDaniel reviews Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk. 
• Fletcher Vredenburgh reviews Arminius: Bane of Eagles by Adrian Cole.
  
• Paul Weimer reviews Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans. 
• Marlene Harris reviews The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• John Mauro reviews The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. 
• Adrienne Martini reviews Among Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews Sword of Fire by Katherine Kerr.
  
• Bonnie McDaniel reviews Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhoarse. 
• Chris Haught reviews Death's Beating Heart by Rob J. Hayes. 
• John Mauro reviews No Heart for a Thief by James Lloyd Dulin.
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
• Ian Mond Reviews The Inconceivable Idea of the Sun by Anil Menon
  
• Gabino Iglesias reviews Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold by Umar Turaki 
• Annamária Apró reviews Aphasia by Katalin Baráth.
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Phase Change: Imagining Energy Futures, edited by Matthew Chrulew
• Isiah Lavender III reviews Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Zelda Knight
  
• Liam's Lyceum reviews issue 0 of New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine.
  

Classics reviews:

• Steve Goble revisits the 1939 sword and planet novel Almuric by Robert E. Howard.
• Alec Nevala-Lee revisits the 1939 cozy catastrophe novel The Hopkins Manuscript by R.C. Sheriff. 
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1950 horror novel You're All Alone by Fritz Leiber. 
• Steven H. Silver reviews the 1951 science fiction story "The Devil Was Sick" by Bruce Elliott.   
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1959 science fiction horror novel The Monster from Earth's End by Murray Leinster.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1961 Fafhrd and Gray Mouser sword and sorcery story "Scylla's Daughter". 
• Gideon Marcus revisits the January 1968 issue of Analog. 
• David Levinson revisits the February 1968 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction. 
• James Maliszewski revisits the 1975 Fafhrd and Gray Mouser sword and sorcery story "Under the Thumbs of the Gods" by Fritz Leiber.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1977 Fafhrd and Gray Mouser sword and sorcery story "Rime Isle" by Fritz Leiber. 
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1977 horror novel The Wolfman by Carl Dreadstone a.k.a. Ramsey Campbell.
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1978 military science fiction novel Space War Blues by Richard A. Lupoff.  
• James Malizewski revisits the February 1985 issue of White Dwarf.
  
• Joe Kenney revisits the 1990 horror novel Nightblood by T. Chris Martindale
  
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 2013 fantasy novel Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Mike Glyer shares the presentation the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China, gave at the 2022 SMOFCon in Montreal, Canada.
• Rich Lynch reports about a visit to the "Entertainment Nation" exhibition at the National Museum of American History in Washington DC.
• Dalya Alberge reports that many castles, museums and theatres in the UK are forced to close because of rising energy prices.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Ghoulish Books is looking for funding for their 2023 line-up of horror titles. 
  
• Gilead is looking for funding for his illustrated fantasy collection Tales from Bosky Creek.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Edward Helmore reports that NASA sees itself in a space race with China.
  
• Nell Greenfieldboyce explains how zircon can offer a look into the Earth's past.
• Ben Crair profiles Swedish paleobotanist Else Marie Friis who discovered fossil evidence of the world's first blooming wildflowers. 
• Kiona Smith reports that a book-eating fungus is exciting xenobiologists.
  
• Jaweed Kaleem profiles the Embracer Group, a Swedish company that is buying up videogame companies left, right and center. 
• NASA astronaut Walter Cunningham has died aged 90.
  

Free online fiction: 

• "A Man Walks Into a Bar: In Which More Than Four Decades After My Father’s Reluctant Night of Darts on West 54th Street I Finally Understand What Needs to Be Done" by Scott Edelman in Lightspeed.
• "The Last Serving" by Lincoln Michel in Lightspeed.
  
• "Collaboration?" by Ken Liu and Caroline M. Yoachim in Uncanny Magazine. 
• "What Is Owed and What Can Never Be" by Ariel Marken Jack in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
  
• "Different Drummer" by Lindsey Duncan in Swords and Sorcery Magazine.  
• "The Tongue Remembers What the City Forgets" by R.K. Duncan in Strange Horizons. 
• "L’Homme de Houbigant" by Jonathan Louis Duckworth and Joe Koch in The Deadlands.
  
• “A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen” by Margrét Helgadóttir in Slate Future Tense.
• "Monsters" by L.D. Colter in Fantasy Magazine.
  
• "Sweat, Rice" by Shari Paul in The Dark.
  
• "This Sweet and Bitter Fruit or, Ladon’s Lament" by Meaghan Klinker in Luna Station Quarterly.
• "Learning to Accept What's To Come" by Scott Edelman in Apex Magazine. 
• "To Cheer as They Leave You Behind" by James L. Sutter in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "Into the Hyacinths" by Mandisi Nkomo in Omenana. 
• "The Fortunate Isles" by Gregory Feeley in Clarkesworld.
  
• "Symbiosis" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires in Clarkesworld.
  
• “End of the Year PR Missives From Scrooge & Marley” by John Scalzi in Whatever.
• "Rocket Girls" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  
• "The Frozen Citadel" by Cora Buhlert
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for season 2 of Foundation.
  
• Watch a trailer for Evil Dead Rise. 
• Watch a trailer for Jung_E.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Ark. 
• Watch a trailer for Renfield.
  
• Watch a trailer for Poker Face.
  
• Watch a trailer for Koala Man.
  

 

 

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for December 30, 2022

It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with the best SFF books, films and TV-shows of 2022, the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, the new Willow, the series finale of His Dark Materials, The Witcher: Blood Origins, Kindred, the chaotic future of the DC Cinematic Universe, Avatar: The Way of Water and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:

• Alex Brown shares ten great SFF novellas and novelettes to enjoy.
  
• James Davis Nicoll shares five recently completely SFF series to enjoy.
• Cole Rush shares five SFF stories about found family. 
• Cole Rush shares five fantasy cafés he'd love to visit. 
• Ryka Aoki pairs SFF books and ramen noodle flavours.
  
• Matthew Ilseman takes a look at fantasy fiction set at the end of time. 
• Deirdre C. Byrne and Gerhard Hope share an overview of South African SFF. 
• Lyndsie Mancuso talks about awards eligibility lists.
  
• Jo Walton talks about comfort reads and the search for books in which nothing bad happens. 
• Molly Templeton discusses how she decides what to read next. 
  
• Michael Curtis takes a look at the horror fiction of Fritz Leiber.
  
• Terry Olson profiles Michael Moorcock. 
• Terry Olson takes a look at the Sexton Blake villain Monsieur Zenith the Albino and traces his connection to Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. 
• Michael R. Brown takes a look at Robert E. Howard's occult detective Steve Harrison. 
• Bobby Derie discusses The Day of the Stranger, a 1947 radio drama Novalyne Price Ellis wrote about her relationship with Robert E. Howard.
  
• Jim Wampler profiles Sterling E. Lanier. 
• Bobby Derie takes a look at the similarities and differences between the bigotry of H.P. Lovecraft and J.K. Rowling. 
• Allison Kubo Hutchison discusses the geology of Robert Jordan's and Brandon Sanderson's Wheel of Time.
  
• Thomas W. Hazlett remembers Martin Morse Wooster.
  

 

Best Books of 2022:

• SSFWorld share their favourite science fiction books of 2022.
  
• SFFWorld share their favourite fantasy and horror books of 2022.
• Andrew Mather shares his favourite SFF novellas of 2022.
  
• Publishers Weekly share their favourite graphic novels of 2022.
• io9 share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror TV shows of 2022.
  
• io9 share their favourite science fiction, fantasy and horror TV shows of 2022.
  
• io9 share their favourite animated movies and TV shows of 2022.
  

 

Comics and Art:

• C.T. Phipps reviews the comic Blade Runner: Black Lotus #1 by Nancy Collins and Enid Balam.
• John Coulthart revisits Leo and Diane Dillon's album cover art.
  

 

Film and TV:

• Lucy Mangan calls Christmas Carole an instant festive classic and praises the performance of Suranne Jones. 
• Rebecca Nicholson calls the Ghosts Christmas Special genuinely moving.
  
• Lucy Mangan finds A Ghost Story for Christmas: Count Magnus not particularly thrilling. 
• Hollie Richardson declares that the superhero sitcom Extraordinary will put a smile on viewers' faces.
  
• Arturo Serrano declares that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish makes existential dread funny. 
• Marion Deeds shares her thoughts on The Peripheral.
  
• Matthew Huff discusses how Hollywood movies tackled intergenerational trauma in 2022.
  
• Bridget McGovern shares eleven oddball holiday specials to enjoy.
• Lorna Wallace shares six SFF movies so bad they're good. 
• Michael Ledwige revisits the 1946 Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life and finds unexpected noir elements.  
• Galactic Journey revisit the 1967 Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold".
  
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1977 holiday special Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 1980 Christmas horror film To All a Goodnight. 
• Paul Levinson revisits the 2017 time travel movie 2:22. 
• Maggie Lovitt interviews Diego Luna who plays Cassian Andor in Andor.
  
• Hollie Richardson interviews Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rheanyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
  
• Justin Carter interviews Mairighread Scott and John Epler, showrunner and producer of Dragon Age: Absolution.
• Coco Khan interviews Christina Ricci, star of Wednesday, the Addams Family movies of the 1990s and Yellowjackets.
  
• Xan Brooks interviews Adam Scott, star of Severance.
  
• Jude Rogers interviews Mark Jenkin, director of the folk horror film Enys Man.
  
• Ben Child wonders whether James Cameron can revive the Terminator saga. 
• Drew Taylor celebrates the twentieth anniversary of Sony Pictures Animation.
  
• Brooks Barnes reports that Steamboat Willie, the first ever Mickey Mouse cartoon, will enter the public domain in 2024. 
• Italian horror film director Ruggero Deodato has died aged 83.
  
• Actor Stephen Greif, who appeared in Blake's 7, Doctor Who and Tales of the Unexpected among others, has died aged 78.
  
• British screenwriter and script editor Chris Boucher, who worked on Doctor Who and Blake's 7 among others, has died aged 79. 
  

 

Comments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general:  

• Reggie Ugwu interviews Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, director and screenwriter of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
• The AV-Club interviews Gugu Mbatha-Raw who plays Ravonna Renslayer in Loki. 
• Jack King interviews Charlie Cox, star of Treason and Daredevil.
  

 

Comments on the new Willow: 

• Cindy White shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Willow.
• Germain Lussier shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Willow. 
• Germain Lussier interviews Jon Kasdan, showrunner of Willow.
  

 

Comments on His Dark Materials: 

• Paul Levinson shares his thoughts on the series finale of His Dark Materials.
• Rob Bricken shares his thoughts on the series finale of His Dark Materials.
  

 

Comments on The Witcher and its spin-offs: 

• Jack Seale finds The Witcher: Blood Origin a lot of fun.
• Angie Han calls The Witcher; Blood Origin a ho-hum prequel.
  

 

Comments on Kindred:

• Linda Codega calls Kindred a bit drawn out, but praises the performance of Mallori Johnson and looks forward to season 2.
  
• Avery Kleinman and Anna Casey interview Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who adapted Octavia Butler's novel Kindred for television.
• io9 interviews Mallori Johnson who plays Dana in Kindred.
  

 

Comments on the various DC Comics based movies and TV-shows and the chaos at Warner Bros in general: 

• Aaron Couch and Borys Kit share some background for Henry Cavill being outtsted as Superman.
• Ryan Gajewski reports that Zachary Levi, who plays Billy Batson a.k.a. Shazam in the DC Cinematic Universe, has asked fans to give DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran a break.
  

 

Comments on Avatar: The Way of Water: 

• Stefan Dimitroff reports that some indigenous groups are boycotting Avatar: The Way of Water. 
• William Mullally interviews James Cameron, director of Avatar: The Way of Water.
  
• Tracey Harrington McCoy reports that actress Edie Falco shot her part in Avatar: The Way of Water four years ago and actually assumed that the movie had already come out and flopped.
  
• Pamela McClintock reports that Avatar: The Way of Water continues to do well at the box office over the Christmas weekend.
  

 

Awards:

• The winners of the 1967 Galactic Stars have been announced.
• The 2022 Grand Masters of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association have been announced.

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Ada Palmer declares that the "plotter vs. pantser" writing divide has been exaggerated.
  
• Robert Repino shares storytelling lessons from Mr. Rogers.
• Kelly McClymer explains how to bring your indie book to the attention of librarians. 
• Cat Rambo shares a social media strategy for writers. 
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch talks about advertising in 2022.
  
• Victoria Strauss reports about a new scam targeting authors.
  
• The SFWA reports that they have reached the milestone of 2500 members.
  

Interviews:

• The Guardian interviews Philip Pullman. 
• Media Death Cult interviews Mike Carey.
  
• Media Death Cult interviews Ken MacLeod. 
• Paul Weimer interviews Tim Akers.
  
• Paul Weimer interviews Rem Wigmore.
• John Mauro interviews Kian N. Ardalan. 
• D.M. Ritzlin interviews H.R. Laurence.
  
• D.M. Ritzlin interviews John Lawrence Rak Jr.
  

Reviews:

• Lis Carey reviews The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard.
  
• J.Z. Weston reviews A Starbound Solstice by Juliet Kemp.
  
• Ian Mond reviews Titan by Mado Nozaki, translated by Evan Ward. 
• Lis Carey reviews Juniper Wiles and the Ghost Girls by Charles de Lint. 
• Roseanna Pendlebury reviews Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Blood Moon by Catherine Lundoff.
  
• Chris Kluwe reviews The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty.
  
• Blue Book Balloon reviews A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. 
• Caren Gussoff Sumption reviews A Restless Truth by Freya Marske.
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews This Charming Man by C.K. McDonell. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste.
  
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Pulling the Wings Off Angels by K.J. Parker. 
• Shellie Horst reviews The Dragonfly Delivery Company by Keith W. Dickinson
  
• Carrie Chi Lough reviews The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia. 
• John Mauro reviews The Burning God by R.F. Kuang. 
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull. 
• James Vella-Bardon reviews Essex Dogs by Dan Jones.
  
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Desert Creatures by Kay Chronister. 
• Caren Gussoff Sumption reviews Glorious Fiends by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Book of the Baku by R.L. Boyle. 
• Rob Bedford reviews The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish. 
• Jake Casella Brookins reviews The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman
  
• Alexandra Pierce reviews Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka 
• Skye Walker reviews Some Faraway Place by Lauren Shippen.
  
• John Mauro reviews Bone Shroud by Andrew D. Meredith.
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Pallbearers' Club by Paul Tremblay. 
• Runalong the Shelves reviews Whitstable by Stephen Volk.
  
• James Davis Nicoll reviews The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw. 
• Paperback Warrior reviews The Yuletide Butcher by Mike Duke. 
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Illuminations: Stories by Alan Moore. 
• Chris Mautner reviews See You at San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture by Mathew Klickstein.
  

Classics reviews:

• John Mauro revisits the 1872 vampire novel Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.
  
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1933 Conan sword and sorcery story "Black Colossus" by Robert E. Howard.
  
• James Maliszewski revisits the 1939 sword and sorcery story "Adventure in Lemuria" by Frederick Arnold Kummer Jr. 
• Steve Carper revisits the 1943 science fiction thriller The Last Secret by Dana Chambers.
  
• MarzAat revisits the 1946 sword and planet adventure "Lorelei of the Red Mist" by Leigh Brackett and Ray Bradbury.
  
• Brian Collins revisits the 1952 science fiction story "The Moon Is Green" by Fritz Leiber.
• M. Porcius revisits the 1957 fantasy novel Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. 
• Joachim Boaz revisits the 1961 science fiction collection So Close to Home by James Blish.
  
• M. Porcius revisits the 1966 science fiction mystery Galactic Sybil Sue Blue by Rosel George Brown. 
• James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1968 science fiction novel Catch a Falling Star by John Brunner.
  
• Meg Elison revisits the 1987 horror novel Misery by Stephen King. 
• Paperback Warrior revisits the 1992 media tie-in Quantum Leap: The Novel by Ashley McConnell.
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Gail Jamieson shares a history of the Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa Club.
  
• Locus reports about the exhibtion “Voyage to the Edge of Imagination” at the Science Museum in London, UK. 
• Shawn Ghassemitari reports about the exhibition "H.R. Giger X Sorayama: Approaching" in Beijing, China.
• Arifa Akbar calls The Fir Tree by Hannah Khalil, which is currently playing at the Globe Theatre in London, UK, a must-see festive fairy tale.
• Arifa Akbar calls Andrew Pollard's adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, which is currently playing in Watford, UK, a lacklustre retelling.
  
• Tim Jonze and his children shares their thoughts on Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show, which is currently playing in London, UK.
  
• Sabina Graves shares the latest news from the Disney Parks and Universal Studios Resorts.
  

 

Crowdfunding:

• Con runner Lisa Garrison and her family have lost everything in a fire and need some help.
  

 

Science and technology:

• Kenneth Chang reports that NASA's InSight Mars lander has lost power after four years of operation. 
• Dennis Overbye reports that the James Webb Space Telescope is only just getting started.
  
• Michael Powell reports how the debate about the naming of the James Webb Space Telescope was marred by homophobia accusations.
  
• Catherynne M. Valente talks about the implosion of Twitter and how it mirrors what happened to other online communities over the years.
  

Free online fiction: 

• "The Beginning" by Katrina Carrith in Luna Station Quarterly. 
• "The Spread of Space and Endless Devastation" by Stewart C. Baker in Lightspeed.
• "Mad Honey" by Aimee Ogden in Lightspeed.
  
• "The Lightness" by Alex Sobel in Clarkesworld. 
• "To Exorcise Mechanical Ghosts" by Laney Gaughan in Clarkesworld. 
• "Still Breathing" by Chris DiLeo in Nightmare Magazine.
  
• "Into the Dark" by Jennifer R. Donohue in Fantasy Magazine. 
• "Balkan Cosmology" by Bruce Sterling in Medium.
  
• "Harvest of Bones" by Eugenia Triantafyllou in The Deadlands.
  
• "Amadi on the Concrete" by Jarred J. Thompson in Omenana.
  
• "Earth Dragon, Turning" by Anya Ow in Uncanny Magazine.
  
• "A Fall Counts Anywhere" by Catherynne M. Valente in Uncanny Magazine.
  
• "The Cat" by Morana Violeta, translated by Clara Madrigano, in The Dark.
• "Dragon Rising" by S.E. Gilbey in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "The Hole in the Storm" by Carol Scheina in Daily Science Fiction. 
• "A Wish" by Edoardo Albert in Daily Science Fiction.
  
• "After the War" by Karl El-Koura in Daily Science Fiction.
  

 

Trailers and videos:

• Watch a trailer for the Doctor Who Sixtieth Anniversary Special.
• Watch a trailer for season 7 of Outlander. 
• Watch a trailer for Knock at the Cabin.
  

 

Odds and ends:

• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon of the Three Wise Men going gift shopping.
• Take the Guardian's 2022 Book Quiz.