It's time again for our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Star Trek Discovery, The Orville, Thor: Ragnarok, Stranger Things, the World Fantasy Awards, tributes to Karin Dor as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, awards news, con reports, crowdfunding campaigns, science articles and free online fiction.
Speculative fiction in general:
- N.K. Jemisin looks at new science fiction and fantasy novels for fall and winter.
- The Tor.com reviewers share their favourite science fiction and fantasy books of 2017.
- Various Tor.com columnists share the movies, TV shows, books and moments that sparked joy in 2017.
- Dimas Ilaw shares a powerful essay about how reading and writing speculative fiction can be acts of resistance in dark times.
- Martha Wells talks about all the women and people of colour and LGBT people who were erased from the history of speculative fiction and other genres and mediums.
- Autostraddle recommends eight queer speculative fiction anthologies.
- Spencer Ellsworth discusses what space opera universe he would like to live in.
- Charles Payseur recommends where to find fun SFF short fiction.
- Tim Pratt talks about creating alien cultures.
- Adrian Tchaikovsky talks about mad science and modern warfare.
- Chris Gavaler attempts to explain why science fiction makes its readers stupid.
- Shaun Duke talks about different kinds of reviews and why some are valued higher than others.
- Sarah Kuhn talks about reclaiming Asian female character stereotypes.
- Nisi Shawl shares her appreciation for Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor.
- Martin Cahill wonders why the fantasy novel The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss still resonates ten years after it was first published.
- Alex Storer shares how science fiction shaped his music.
- Alec Nevala-Lee discusses the fiction of L. Ron Hubbard and the making of Scientology.
- Kim Huett revisits the 1938 novelette The Smile of the Sphinx by William F. Temple.
- Mark Yon revisits Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
- Phil Nichols chronicles the friendship between Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen.
- Alan Brown revisits Robert A. Heinlein's 1958 novel Have Space Suit - Will Travel.
- Gideon Marcus revisits the 1962 alternate history novel The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.
- Judith Tarr revisits the 1960 science fantasy novel Storm Over Warlock by Andre Norton.
- Cynthia Zarin shares her appreciation for the works of M.R. James.
- Meghan Ball shares ten novels featuring the classic monsters of 19th century horror in new contexts.
- Doris V. Sutherland shares her appreciation for the folk horror of Alison Littlewood.
- Doris V. Sutherland also revisits Abraham Merritt's 1932 horror novel Burn, Witch, Burn and its two film adaptations, the 1936 movie The Devil Doll and the 1961 movie The Curse of the Doll People.
- Clive Barker explains how he made Hellraiser.
- Leigh Butler shares her appreciation for the 1987 horror movie The Lost Boys.
- Richard Scott Larson explains what John Carpenter's horror movie Halloween taught him about queerness.
- Lindsay Pugh compares Roman Polanski's 1968 horror movie Rosemary's Baby and Alice Lowe's 2016 horror movie Prevenge and discusses how both are relevant to our current time.
- Ashlee Blackwell talks about black women's horror movie aesthetics.
- Emily Burnham reports that Stephen King as well as his sons Joe Hill and Owen King are all on the New York Times bestseller list at the same time.
- Mike Glyer reports about a harrassment scandal in the horror community.
- Damien Walter discusses the problems of intersectional political alliances as illustrated by Star Wars.
- Ben Aldridge shares his top three theories regarding the future of Kylo Ren in the Star Wars movies.
- Germain Lussier reports that Ridley Scott apparently believes that the Alien franchise can do without Aliens.
- Germain Lussier calls The Untamed the unlikeliest science fiction film ever.
- The Guardian calls the movie Marjorie Prime a potent science fiction parable.
- K.J. of Lady Business shares her thoughts about season one of The Shannara Chronicles.
- Mike Cecchini wonders what went wrong with the 2006 movie Superman Returns.
- Justin Garner reports that comic writer Brian Michael Bendis has left Marvel for and exclusive deal with DC after seventeen years.
Comments on Star Trek Discovery (and The Orville):
- Katharine Trendacosta calls episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery muddled.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw shares her thoughts on episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Keith DeCandido shares his thoughts on episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Zack Handlen shares his thoughts on episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Angel Wilson shares her thoughts on episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Camestros Felapton shares their thoughts on episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Kevin Melrose shares his thoughts on episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery and praises the interaction between the characters Michael Burnham and Ash Tyler.
- Emily Asher-Perrin discusses the experiences of the character Saru in episode 8 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Cora Buhlert shares her thoughts on episode 7 of Star Trek Discovery and wonders whether the show is improving.
- Ethan Siegel declares that episode 7 of Star Trek Discovery is the first episode of the new series he genuinely enjoyed.
- Kevin Melrose declares that episode 7 of Star Trek Discovery turned Harry Mudd into a serious villain.
- Jodie of Lady Business shares her thoughts on episode 4 of Star Trek Discovery.
- Roger Cheng reports that the producers of Star Trek Discovery have urged fans to be patient and give the show a chance.
- John Orquiola declares that The Orville is not better than Star Trek Discovery.
- Mike Reyes interviews Penny Johnson Jerald, who used to play Kassidy Yates in Star Trek Deep Space Nine and now plays Dr. Claire Finn in The Orville.
- Keisha Hatchett interviews Anthony Rapp who plays the character of Paul Stamets in Star Trek Discovery.
- Anthony Cuoto announces when Star Trek Discovery will return after the winter break.
- Roachpatrol shares the truth about the many bizarre malfunctions starfleet vessels seem to experience in the various Star Trek shows, why all Starfleet engineers we've seen are human and why Vulcans let humans run the Federation.
Comments on Thor Ragnarok:
- Alasdair Stuart declares that Thor Ragnarok is the funny Marvel movie we have been waiting for.
- Emily Asher-Perrin calls Thor Ragnarok a hilarious blockbuster about the evils of Imperialism.
- Gavia Baker-Whitelaw calls Thor Ragnarok a disco inferno of pure charisma.
- The Geekiary calls Thor Ragnarok a glorious melee of music and mayhem.
- Alex Acks calls Thor Ragnarok fucking awesome.
- Chris Klimek calls Thor Ragnarok insubstantial, but a lot of fun.
- Justin Carter explains why Thor Ragnarok could only ever be a comedy.
- Emily Pothast explains how Thor Ragnarok narrowly missed being an unequivocally brilliant film.
- Ben Child asks if Thor Ragnarok really is Marvel's best film to date.
- Eammon Jacobs shares seven things he loved about Thor Ragnarok and eight things he didn't.
- John Nugent shares twelve revelations about Thor Ragnarok by director Taita Waititi.
- Mark Peters uses Thor Ragnarok as a jump-off point to discuss the unlikely comeback of the Norse gods.
- Kate MacDonald asks people which Loki they prefer, Marvel's, Joanne Harris' or Neil Gaiman's take.
- Dan Taipua explains the Maori elements in Thor Ragnarok, whose director Taika Waititi is Maori.
- Amy West reports that Thor Ragnarok finally gives Idris Elba's character Heimdall a chance to shine.
- Alex Leadbeater claims that Thor Ragnarok wastes Bruce Banner.
- Charles Pulliam-Moore explains how villainess Hela became in inadvertent gay icon in Thor Ragnarok .
- Bill Bradley talks about some "secret" cameo appearances in Thor Ragnarok and how they came about.
- Camestros Felapton takes a not quite serious look at the biology behind the transformation of Bruce Banner into the Hulk and vice versa.
- Watch a video of the cast of Thor Ragnarok performing a summary of the movie live on stage.
Comments on season 2 of Stranger Things:
- Natasha Skoryk declares that Stranger Things is great at subverting toxi masculinity.
- Emily Asher-Perrin explains how season 2 of Stranger Things redefines the 1980s action heroine.
- The G. takes a look at the popularity of 1980s nostalgia as peddled by Stranger Things.
- Willa Paskin declares that season 1 of Stranger Things already felt like a sequel to various beloved 1980s franchises and that season 2 offers more of the same.
- Phil Owen declares that season 2 of Stranger Things repeats one of the main mistakes of season 1 with a different character.
- Beth Elderkin declares that the treatment of the character of Max is the next big injustice in Stranger Things.
- Sam Adams calls the punk episode of season 2 of Stranger Things unbelievably awful.
- Geoff Miller reports that the popular character of Eleven was originally supposed to die in season 2 of Stranger Things.
- Marykate Jasper reports that the producers of Stranger Things forced an unscripted screen kiss on 15-year-old actress Sadie Sink.
- Kevin Melrose explains the Pollywog creature seen in season 2 of Stranger Things.
- Vivian Kane reminds Stranger Things fans that the young actors are still children.
- Tony Maglio reports that almost 16 million people watched season 2 of Stranger Things on its first weekend.
Deaths and tributes:
- British TV director Patricia "Paddy" Russell who worked on Doctor Who, Quartermass and the 1954 adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four among others, has died aged 89.
- German actress Karin Dor, best known to international audiences for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz and the 1967 Bond movie You Only Live Twice, has died aged 79.
- Steve Green remembers Karin Dor.
- Cora Buhlert remembers Karin Dor.
- Astronaut Richard Gordon has died aged 88.
- Mike Glyer remembers the late fanzine author and publisher D. Potter.
Awards:
- The winners of the 2017 World Fantasy Awards have been announced.
- Mike Glyer shares some photos of the 2017 World Fantasy Award ceremony.
- The winners of the 2017 Prix Utopiales have been announced.
- The winners of the 4th Annual Philip K. Dick European Sci-Fi Film Festival Awards have been announced.
- The nominees for the semi-final round of the Goodreads Choice Awards have been announced.
- Mike Glyer shares a reminder about 2018 Hugo Award voting and nominating eligibility.
Writing, publishing and promotion:
- Jennifer Baker attempts to answer the question how long writing is supposed to take.
- Martin Cavannagh shares 41 insider tips for winning NaNoWriMo.
- Fonda Lee talks about NaNoWriMo and explains why her novel Jade City is an anti-NaNoWriMo case study.
- Ryan J. Pelton shares some tips for writing in the cracks of life.
- Austin Hackney explains what makes a compelling story.
- Callum Sharp shares five tips to bring the theme out in your story.
- Janice Hardy shares six things to consider before writing a series.
- Stina Leicht talks about the importance of secondary characters.
- Martin Cavannagh shares seven steps to writing a query letter.
Interviews:
- Liz Bourke interviews Melissa Caruso.
- Shana DuBois interviews Sam J. Miller and Lara Elena Donnelly.
- Rebecca Fisher interviews Pamela Freeman.
- Alasdair Shaw interviews Chogan Swan.
- Catherine Turnbull interviews Chris Brookmyre.
- Ardi Alspach interviews Marco Palmieri, Jennifer Gunnels and Nat Cassidy of the Steal the Stars podcast.
- Ilana Teitelbaum interviews Mac Rogers and Nat Cassidy of the Steal the Stars podcast.
- Market Shadows interviews David Brin.
- SpecPo interviews Jenna Le.
Reviews:
- Sam Reader reviews The Wrong Stars by Tim Pratt.
- Paul Weimer reviews Killing Gravity by Corey J. White, Starfire: A Red Peace by Spencer Ellsworth and Acadie by Dave Hutchinson.
- David Kilman reviews Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines.
- Ceridwen Christensen also reviews Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines.
- Ross Johnson reviews Communication Failure by Joe Zieja.
- Gardner Dozois reviews Extrasolar, edited by Nick Gevers.
- Renay Williams reviews The Power by Naomi Alderman.
- Ana Grilo reviews The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
- The Fantasy Café reviews The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso.
- Liz Bourke reviews Jade City by Fonda Lee.
- Liz Bourke reviews The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy.
- Jana Nyman reviews Black Goat Blues by Levi Black.
- Charles Payseur reviews Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw.
- Colleen Mondor reviews The Leaf Reader by Emily Arsenault.
- Taya Okerlund reviews Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne.
- Katie Burton reviews A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge.
- Ross Johnson reviews The Ship by Antonia Honeywell.
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Intermediate Thermodynamics by Susannah Nix.
- Corrina Lawson reviews Nanoshock by K.C. Alexander.
- Jeff Somers reviews Siege Line by Myke Cole.
- Kristin Centorcelli reviews Joe Ledger: Unstoppable, edited by Jonathan Maberry and Bryan Thomas Schmidt.
- Catherine Turnbull reviews The Dying Game by Asa Avdic, translated by Rachel Wilson-Broyles.
- Jeff Somers reviews The Spark by David Drake.
- Farid Ul-Haq reviews The Kaedin Secret by A.K. Lee.
- Faren C. Miller reviews Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malerman.
- Liz Bourke reviews Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr by John Crowley.
Crowdfunding:
Con reports:
- Rebecca Kuang reports about a problematic panel at the 2017 World Fantasy Con in San Antonio, Texas.
- Michael McAdam declares that Central Canada Comic Con in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was the worst convention he ever attended.
- Heidi MacDonald also reports about the problems with Central Canada Comic Con.
- Jackie Kent reports that Albuquerque and Santa Fe Comic Cons in New Mexico have discontinued the practice of offering free entry to police officers, firefighter and military personnel.
Science and technology:
- Carl Sagan and his contributions to popularising science.
- Ten spacetime mysteries that quantum gravity could solve.
- What powers the geysers of Saturn's moon Enceladus?
- Why do people see ghosts?
Free online fiction:
- "A Vortal in Midtown" by Ashok K. Banker in Lightspeed.
- "The Day the Wizards Came" by Rachel Swirsky in Lightspeed.
- "A Recipe for Magic" by Kat Howard and Fran Wilde at the B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog.
- "The First Witch of Damansara" by Zen Cho in Uncanny Magazine.
- "The Bone Plain" by Karin Tidbeck in Uncanny Magazine.
- "Making Us Monsters" by Sam J. Miller and Lara Elena Donnelly in Uncanny Magazine.
- "The World Is Full of Monsters" by Jeff VanderMeer at Tor.com.
- "I Won At NaSuHeMo!" by Marissa Lingen in Daily Science Fiction.
- "The Story of Kao Yu" by Peter S. Beagle at Tor.com.
Odds and ends:
- Watch a trailer for It Came From the Desert.
- Watch some interviews with the cast and crew of Justice League.
- See an interactive map of every leap Sam Beckett ever took in the 1980s TV show Quantum Leap.
- See the first picture of the 13th Doctor in costume as played by Jodie Whittaker.
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