It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and the various iterations of Star Trek, the season 1 finale of Lovecraft Country, The Haunting of Bly Manor, a new version of The Witches, The Walking Dead and its spinoffs, a proposed Mad Max prequel featuring Furiosa, the impact that the repeated delays of various blockbusters have on movie theatres worldwide, a lot of horror and a lot of sword and sorcery and much more.
Speculative fiction in general:
- Eric Brown shares the best recent science fiction and fantasy.
- Danielle Trussoni recommends some recent horror novels.
- Time Magazine share their one hundred favourite fantasy books of all time.
- Rich Horton takes issue with the Time Magazine list.
- Tasha Robinson explains how the science fiction genre has changed in the past ten years.
- N.K. Jemisin talks about the timeless power of fantasy fiction.
- Damien Walter wonders whether science fiction can help people to heal and grow.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF novels driven by terrible choices and appalling judgment.
- James Davis Nicoll shares five SFF books build around dead or mostly dead people.
- Anifowoshe Ibrahim shares ten African SFF novels.
- Alaya Dawn Johnson muses about alternate history.
- Howard Andrew Jones attempts to define sword and sorcery.
- G.W. Thomas discusses the connection of Conan to the Cthulhu Mythos.
- Matthew John wonders whether Robert E. Howard was the godfather of grimdark fantasy.
- G.W. Thomas talks about yellow peril plots in science fiction of the 1930s and 1940s.
- Chris Napier wonders whether Dune by Frank Herbert can be considered grimdark.
- C.D. Covington discusses how science fiction deals with swearing.
- James Wallace Harris talks about humour in science fiction.
- Jane Gilmartin talks about the ongoing fascination with mad scientists.
- John Woods talks about the intersection of noir and horror.
- David Barnett takes a look at forgotten women writers of ghost stories of the 19th and early 20th century.
- Emily Danforth talks about lesbian relationships in gothic horror.
- Natalie Zutter shares nine SFF books with complicated female narrators.
- Lila Shapiro profiles Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Steven Erickson discusses the relationship between authors and literary criticism.
- Chris Leadbeater takes a look at the real world inspirations for Narnia.
- Doris V. Sutherland notes a revival of the so-called Satanic Panic of the 1980s in the QAnon conspiracy theory and alt-right circles in general.
- Bruce Sterling shares some Lovecraftian illustrations that Robert Bloch did in the 1930s.
- Livia Gershon discusses what she considers fascist tendencies in SFF fandom in the 1930s and 1940s.
- Doug Ellis unearthes a study of the readership of Analog from the early 1960s.
- Kris Vyas-Myall takes a look at British comics of the 1930s to 1960s.
- David Hochman details the Stan Lee elder abuse case.
- J. Michael Straczynski discusses the many problems he faces as the executor of the estate of Harlan and Susan Ellison.
- Rob Beschizza reports that Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weiss are sueing Wizards of the Coast over cancelling the latest Dragonlance trilogy.
- The Daily Mail reports about a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which went missing from a library in Portsmouth, UK, and was later sold at auction for 55000 US-dollars.
Film and TV:
- Joe George shares ten international horror movies to watch this Halloween.
- Gavia Baker Whitelaw calls Helstrom a derivative misfire.
- Katie Rife calls Synchronic a time-travelling genre-bender.
- Chelsea Steiner declares that Love and Monsters proves that dystopias don't have to be depressing.
- Benjamin Lee calls His House an effective haunted house horror with a timely spin.
- Shannon Miller calls Bad Hair a tousled horror comedy.
- Ellen E. Jones calls Antrum an eerie horror mockumentary.
- Font Folly praises the LGBTQ representation in Julie and the Phantoms.
- Monica Castillo shares her thoughts on the finale of The Third Day.
- Alex McLevy shares his thoughts on the latest episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
- William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Archer.
- Font Folly explains why he loves spooky SFF.
- Eric Piepenburg talks about the popularity of horror anthology TV shows.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1932 horror film White Zombie.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1971 horror thriller Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1983 horror movie The Entity.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 1985 horror movie Demons and its 1986 sequel Demons 2.
- Leslie Felperin revisits the 2002 werewolf movie Dog Soldiers.
- Sandy Ferber revisits the 2014 horror film The Babadook.
- David Tennant, best known for playing the Tenth Doctor, interviews former Doctor Who co-star Billie Piper.
- Hannah J. Davies interviews Samuel L. Jackson, who appeared in Star Wars, Avengers, Pulp Fiction and lots of other things.
- Jimmy Kimmel interviews former Batman Michael Keaton.
- Catherine Shoard interviews Jennifer Lawrence, star of The Hunger Games.
- Olivia Rutigliano ranks the best, worst and strangest filmic Draculas of all time.
- Cameron Scheetz interviews Ann Dowd, best known for her roles in Rebecca and The Handmaid's Tale.
- Anne Billson shares the ten best adaptations of Daphne du Maurier's novels.
- Matthew John hopes that Netflix's planned Conan adaptation will finally get the character right.
- Steve O'Brien explains why writers' rooms make for great television.
- The Guardian shares some behind the scenes photos from the sets of Ridley Scott's movies.
- Dalya Alberge reports that concept designs for a 1979 Flash Gordon movie, which was never made, have been found.
- Brian Pietch reports that Disney is adding disclaimers and warnings before several of its classic movies streaming on Disney Plus.
- Rick Porter reports that Disney is planning a Willow series, which will once again star Warwick Davis.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw reports that Jared Leto will reprise his role as the Joker for the so-called Snyder cut of Justice League.
- The Guardian reports that actor Jeff Bridges, best known for Starman, True Grit, The Fabulous Baker Boys and lots of other roles, is suffering from lymphoma.
- Jamie Doward reports that EON Productions, who produce the James Bond movies, receive millions in UK tax credits
- James Randi, magician and paranormal debunker, has died aged 92.
- Rhonda Fleming, who appeared in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Spellbound, The Spiral Staircase, Out of the Past and others, has died aged 97.
Comments on season 3 of Star Trek Discovery and the many versions of Star Trek:
- Keith R.A. DeCandido shares his thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1", episode 1 of season 3 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1".
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1"
- James Whitbrook shares his thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1".
- Camestros Felapton shares his thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1".
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1".
- Sam Thielman shares his thoughts on "That Hope Is You, Part 1" and calls it Star Trek Discovery's most thoughtful episode yet.
- David Betancourt interviews Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays Michael Burnham in Star Trek Discovery.
- Craig Elvy wonders whether a reference to the Gorn in Star Trek Discovery is a plot hole.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido revisits the Star Trek Voyager episodes "The Raven" and "Scientific Method".
- Christian Bone reports that there might be plans for a Star Trek Deep Space Nine revival.
Comments on Lovecraft Country:
Comments on the new version of The Witches:
Comments on The Haunting of Bly Manor:
Comments the proposed Mad Max prequel featuring Furiosa:
Comments on the renewed delay of the James Bond film No Time to Die and other movies and its impact on the ailing movie theatre chains:
- Catherine Shoard and Andrew Pulver interviews several people who work in the UK film insutry about the continued impact of the pandemic onto the industry.
- Scott Campbell reports that the movie theatre chain AMC will run out of money in six months.
- Zoe Wood reports that the British movie theatre chain Everyman is laying off 400 employees.
- Kate Hutchinson reports about various people working in arts and culture who has to retrain and find other jobs due to the covid pandemic.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2020 Ignyte Awards have been announced.
- The winner of the 2020 WSFA Small Press Awards has been announced.
- The winners of the 2019 Quantum Short Flash Fiction Awards have been announced.
- The 2020 Not the Booker Prize is open for voting.
- Doris V. Sutherland shares her thoughts on the winners of the 2020 Ignyte Awards.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch declares that there is not just one way to succeed in writing and tells writers to write what they love.
- Dean Wesley Smith also tells writers to write what they love.
- Seraphina Nova Glass explains how to write a novel in three months.
- Charlie Jane Anders discusses the importance of a strong narrator.
- Stuart Turton declares that mixing genres is all about messing with structure.
- Molly Spencer talks about juggling writing and motherhood.
- Ginger Smith explains what collecting comic books and toys taught her about writing.
- Jim Milliot reports that book sales are surprisingly strong.
- Elizabeth Stamp reports about the striking architecture of the Dujiangyan Zhongshuge bookstore in Chengdu, China.
- Locus reports that Barnes & Noble suffered a cyberattack and that customers' personal data may have been accessed.
Interviews:
- Locus interviews Naomi Kritzer.
- Petra Mayer interviews Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Nick Spacek interviews Ursula Vernon a.k.a. T. Kingfisher.
- Paul Weimer interviews Ausma Zehanat Khan.
- Tasha Robinson interviews Kim Stanley Robinson.
- Jen Gheller interviews Chelsea Sutton.
- Andrea Johnson interviews Eliana González Ugarte and Coral Alejandra Moore.
- Sam Leith interviews Art Spiegelman.
Reviews:
- James Davis Nicoll reviews Prime Deceptions by Valerie Valdes
- Mark Yon reviews Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott.
- Ryan Howze reviews The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.
- Camestros Felapton reviews Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.
- Randy Money reviews Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- Bill Capossere reviews Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.
- Jessica P. Wick reviews The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Dead Man in a Ditch by Luke Arnold.
- Tadiana Jones reviews Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark.
- Colleen Mondor reviews Burn by Patrick Ness.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews Greensmith by Aliya Whiteley.
- Jana Nyman reviews Sea Change by Nancy Kress.
- James Davis Nicoll reviews The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison.
- Jodie Crump reviews The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart.
- C.T. Phipps reviews Sea of Quills by Seth Skorkowsky.
- Katharine Coldiron reviews The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke.
- Sean Dowie reviews King of the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender.
- A.M. Justice reviews The Worth of Hair by A.A. Freeman.
- Larissa Irankunda reviews A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik.
- Bill Capossere and Jana Nyman review A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik.
- Alasdair Stuart reviews Stone by Ho Che Anderson.
- Blue Book Balloon reviews D by Michael Faber.
- Randy Money reviews The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman.
- The G. reviews My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.
- Rob Bedford reviews The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.
- Bonnie McDaniel reviews The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher.
- Linda H. Cordega reviews The Fourth Island by Sarah Tolmie.
- Lee Mandelo reviews Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda, translated by Polly Barton.
- Andrea Johnson reviews Monteverde: Memoirs of an Interstellar Linguist by Lola Robles, translated by Lawrence Schimel.
- Ian Mond reviews Red Pill by Hari Kunzru.
- Ian Mond reviews Tender Is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses.
- Bill Capossere reviews To Hold Up the Sky by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu.
- Paul Di Filippo reviews My Favourites by Ben Bova.
- Gary K. Wolfe reviews Settling the World: Selected Stories 1970-2020 by M. John Harrison.
- Bitter Tea and Mystery reviews Clarkesworld Year 5, edited by Neil Clarke and Sean Wallace.
Classics reviews:
- John Miller revisits the May 1923 issue of Weird Tales.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the July 1940 issue of Unknown.
- Steve J. Wright revisits the August 1940 issue of Unknown.
- Cora Buhlert revisits the 1940 fantasy story "Transparent Stuff" by Dorothy Quick.
- Alan Brown revisits the 1960 space opera The Vortex Blaster a.k.a. Masters of the Vortex by E.E. Smith.
- Joachim Boaz revisits the 1962 post-apocalyptic novel The Wind From Nowhere by J.G. Ballard.
- Rich Horton revisits the 1963 science fiction novels The Rites of One and Castaways World by John Brunner.
- Paul Fraser revisits the 1965 anthology New Writings in SF #6, edited by John Carnell.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the November 1965 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
- Victoria Silverwolf revisits the November 1965 issue of Fantastic.
- Paul Fraser revisits the January 1966 issue of New Worlds.
- Joe Kenney revisits the 1978 tie-in novel The Hulk: Stalker From the Stars by Len Wein, Marv Wolfman and Joseph Silva.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1979 YA time travel novel Time Piper by Delia Hardy.
- James Davis Nicoll revisits the 1980 science fiction thriller Star Driver by Lee Correy a.k.a. G. Harry Stine.
- Simon Stephenson revisits the 1991 mystery thriller The Crow Road by Iain Banks.
- Paperback Warrior revisits the 1992 post-apocalyptic series Swampmaster by Jake Spencer a.k.a. Jerome Preisler.
Con and event reports:
- DisCon III, the 2021 Worldcon in Washington DC, has lauched its Capitalize! Fan Fund to offer sponsored memberships to people from marginalized communities.
- Arley Sorg reports about the virtual Outer Dark Symposium on the Greater Weird.
- Oline H. Cogdill reports about the virtual 2020 Bouchercon.
- Criminal Element reports about a live short story writing event featuring several horror authors and hosted by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson.
- Watch a virtual panel featuring several Wild Cards authors.
- Olivia Rutigliano reports about the 1977 Broadway production of Dracula and the sets by Edward Gorey.
Crowdfunding:
- Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith are looking for funding for their 2020 WMG Holiday Spectacular, an advent calendar of free holiday short stories.
- The Mab, an anthology of stories from the Mabinogion retold by Welsh writers and edited by Matt Brown and Eloise Williams, is looking for funding.
- The Stargate SG-1 tabletop roleplaying game is looking for funding.
Science and technology:
- Jason Davis reports about the NASA probe OSIRIS-REx, which will collect a sample from the asteroid Bennu.
- NASA reports that OSIRIS-REx has successfully taken a sample from the asteroid Bennu.
- Evelyn Arevalo reports that Elon Musk has presented his plans for the SpaceX Starship to the Mars Society.
- Jacob Oller reports about a retractable plasma sword, which functions a little like a lightsabre.
- Lizzie Roberts reports about 13000-year-old human and animal footprints discovered in New Mexico.
- Daco Auffenorde talks about the so-called White Death train disaster in Wellington, Washington, in 1910.
Free online fiction:
- "Everything and Nothing" by Jenny Rae Rappaport in Lightspeed.
- "The Virtue of Unfaithful Translations" by Minsoo Kang in Lightspeed.
- "Girls With Needles and Frost" by Jenny Rae Rappaport in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Degeneration" by Dominic Wright in Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
- "Clockwork Wives" by Caroline Diorio in Daily Science Fiction.
- "You and Whose Army?" by Greg Egan in Clarkesworld.
- "Last Wishes" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires in Clarkesworld.
- "Vó Úrsula's Magical Shop for Soul Aches" by Victoria V. in Luna Station Quarterly.
- "The Bend of Water" by Tiah Marie Beautement in Omenana.
- "Reflections in Black" by Steve Rasnic Tem in The Dark.
- "The Monkey Trap" by Adam Troy Castro in Nightmare Magazine.
- "The War Was Over" by Geoffrey A. Landis in Daily Science Fiction.
- "Assisted Suicide" by Brian Wells in Daily Science Fiction.
- "Outside Order" by Philip Gerwer in Daily Science Fiction.
- "City of Red Midnight: A Hikayat" by Usman T. Malik in Tor.com.
- "Children of the Night" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
- Read several flash fiction stories from the Breathe FIYAH anthology, edited by Brent Lambert and DaVaun Sanders.
- Download the free Africanfuturism anthology, edited by Wole Talabi.
Trailers and videos:
