A Russian émigré poet living in Paris is visited by a mysterious bear with an agenda…
The Star-Bear
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien Is Getting an Expanded Edition
The first edition of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien came out in 1981 and included 354 letters from Tolkien, edited by his biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and his son, Christopher. At the time, the two wanted to include more correspondence, but weren’t able to because of publishing restrictions. Over forty years later, times have changed, and HarperCollins will be releasing an expanded edition of Letters later this year.
No Live Organism Can Continue For Long: Arkady Martine’s “Rose/House”
Welcome back to Reading the Weird, in which we get girl cooties all over weird fiction, cosmic horror, and Lovecraftiana—from its historical roots through its most recent branches.
This week, we cover Arkady Martine’s Rose/House novella, just released this year by Subterranean Press. Spoilers ahead—but we highly recommend grabbing the ebook and reading it yourself first!
Series: Reading the Weird
Jenna Ortega Says Second Season of Wednesday Will “Lean Into The Horror”
Screenshot: Netflix
Netflix’s Wednesday, the show centered on the titular member of the Addams Family, was a surprise hit for the streaming platform. It was no surprise then, that it got renewed for a second season. What that new season will entail remains a mystery. In a recent interview, however, Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega (pictured above) hinted at what we might see in the upcoming episodes.
All the New Young Adult SFF Books Arriving in June!
Head below for the full list of young adult SFF titles heading your way in June!
Finally, Star Wars: Ahsoka Gets a Premiere Date
There’s a new teaser for Ahsoka, and at first glance, it seems to be made up entirely of footage we’ve already seen. But this little friend brings the best news of the day in the form of Ahsoka‘s premiere date: August 23rd.
Celebrating the Books That Queered Us
Photo: Edoardo Botez [via Unsplash]
Books are gateways.
You know this.
Gateways, as a structure or a concept, can aid in many things: They can hold things in; keep things out; serve as intermediary places between thoughts and ideas; hold space for newness to develop; invite us somewhere unexpected; keep things safe.
We pretend to forget this because knowing that books are gateways imbues them with no small amount of power. But that knowledge doesn’t go away.
Seven SFF Short Stories Featuring Students and Scholarship
Photo: Robin Worrall [via Unsplash]
Until I read the Stormlight Archive books, I didn’t realize how much I needed stories centered on historians and their apprentices, and engineers and their laboratories. I cherished every scene in the books in which Shallan and Jasnah discussed the nature of scholarship and Navani guided the scientists working for her kingdom. I read and reread every note they made, the details of every book they read, every idea they researched, longing to join them.
Soon, I was hunting for similar books and short stories by other authors. Here are seven of my favorite short fiction pieces featuring students and scholarship, research and exams—and one visit to the principal’s office.
The Mystery of Good Omens 2 Is Finally Revealed
Until now, teases for the second season of Good Omens have been quite vague. Where will the series—based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett—go as it veers off the page? A surprising mystery! That could mean literally anything.
Hands up: Who predicted that it would involve the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) having totally forgotten who he is, and turning to Aziraphale for help?
And that maybe this will lead to some kind of war?
Alex White’s Salvagers Series Could Be an Epic, High-Flying Sci-Fi Film Trilogy
Hello, fellow readers! I write to you today still feeling caught up in that “I’ve just finished a series” lull. You know the one—it’s an emotional state where you feel at once happy about how much you loved spending time in a fictional world and very sad that it’s over. Such is my mental disposition after turning the final page of Alex White’s Salvagers series, which includes three wonderfully titled books: A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy, and The Worst of All Possible Worlds.
What better way to revel in that post-series feeling than to write about how ripe Salvagers is for possible adaptation? Let’s get to it.
The Star-Bear
A Russian émigré poet living in Paris is visited by a mysterious bear with an agenda…
A Fourteen-Year-Old Created One of Across the Spider-Verse’s Most Adorable Scenes
Screenshot: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Across the Spider-Verse has premiered to great critical and general audience acclaim (as well as killing it at the box office). The sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, produced by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, took years to make and, without getting into spoilers, provides an assault to the senses, as it takes you to myriad Spider-Verses full of myriad Spider-People. It turns out that one of those scenes, and arguably the most adorable one at that, was created by a person who has yet to graduate high school.
Very mild spoilers for Across the Spider-Verse lie ahead!
All the New Science Fiction Books Arriving in June!
Head below for the full list of science fiction titles heading your way in June!
Final Trailer For Insidious: The Red Door Makes MRI Machines Worse Somehow
The much-anticipated Insidious sequel, directed by and starring Patrick Wilson, is set to premiere in a month, and we’ve got a final trailer that gives us the lowdown of the plot as well as plenty of scary images to keep us up at night in the days leading up to the movie’s release.
Must Read Short Speculative Fiction: May 2023
This month is a nice mix of authors I’ve read many times before and new-to-me authors. My ten favorite short science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that I read in May cover stories of finding hope in what feels like the ruins of your life, stories of terror and brutality, and stories that twist and turn like a deer trail in the misty woods.
New Talk To Me Trailer Confirms That Communing With an Evil Hand Is… Not a Good Idea
Need a hand finding your next horror film to watch? A24’s Talk To Me looks like a good choice, if the latest trailer is any indication.
New in Series
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