Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for January 13, 2017

Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with lots of looks forward at the SFF books of 2017, discussion about Star Wars and Rogue One, Hidden Figures, Emerald City and Underworld: Blood Wars, a lot of discussion about dystopian fiction and films, the nominations for the Hugo Awards as well as the usual mix of awards news, writing advice, interviews, reviews, awards news, con reports, crowdfunding projects, science articles and free online fiction. 

Speculative fiction in general:

• Elizabeth Bonesteel talks about the future of war, peace and military science fiction.
• David Weber shares five authors with magical worldbuilding skills.
• Tor.com shares nine recent SFF books featuring sisters. 
• The Fantasy Book Café shares the most anticipated science fiction and fantasy books of 2017. 
• Jeff Somers shares 21 science fiction and fantasy debuts for 2017.
• Everdeen Mason shares the best science fiction and fantasy books for January. 
• Swapna Krishna shares ten upcoming books by Indian authors, including several SFF titles.
• Claudie Arseneault talks about how asexuality is often associated with death in speculative fiction. 
• Sam Reader shares seven SFF books about the pros and cons of immortality. 
• Nisi Shawl discusses the 19th century story "The Goophered Grapevine" by Charles W. Chesnutt, an early work of black science fiction.
• Joshua Rothman profiles Ted Chiang. 
• Britt Peterson profiles Catherine Asaro.
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books share their appreciation for Ursula K. Le Guin.
• Nina Renata Aron shares her appreciation for The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
• Jeff Somers shares ten things you might not know about Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? by Philip K. Dick and its film version Blade Runner.
• Ed Howker looks back on the 1976 film adaptation of Logan's Run and wonders whether it illustrates the current generation gap.
• Frank Swain wonders if we are living in the future of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Running Man.
• Michael Moorcock reports how Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of 2001 - A Space Odyssey upset Arthur C. Clarke. 
• Jim Knipfel looks back at Fritz Lang's classic science fiction movie Metropolis ninety years after its premiere. 
• Leah Schnelbach remembers the anime movie Princess Mononoke on its 20th anniversary.
• Rachel deSantis shares the most anticipated movies of 2017, which includes plenty of science fiction, fantasy, superhero and horror movies.
• Josh O'Connor reports that the sexism of mainstream superhero comics is here to stay.
• Katharine Trendacosta calls the movie Monster Trucks a disaster, but fun to watch when drunk.
• Evan Narcisse declares that the streaming video show Travelers features the most ethically messed up time travel he has ever seen.
• The Geekiary declares that the streaming video show The OA is the strangest thing they ever watched.  
• Gary Levin reports that the upcoming sitcom The Santa Clarita Diet is actually a zombie show.
• Natalie Zutter reminds us that outgoing US president Barack Obama was also a champion of science and science fiction. 
• Mike Glyer reports that the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts will be built in Los Angeles.
• Peter Weston, fanzine publisher, convention organiser and manufacturer of the Hugo rockets, has died aged 72. 

Comments on Rogue One and Star Wars in general: 

• Sam Adams declares that Rogue One is Star Wars, for better or for worse. 
• Germain Lussier reports that Rogue One's ending was an epic balancing act.
• Caroline Siede has found a problem with the timeline of the Star Wars movies.
• Caroline Siede also reports why actor Diego Luna using his Mexican accent when playing Captain Cassian Andor in Rogue One is so important.
• Germain Lussier reports why the iconic shot of Jyn Erso turning around in the tunnel from the first Rogue One trailer was not in the finished movie.
• Cole Delbyck reports about considerations of the Star Wars movies will progress after the sudden death of Carrie Fisher.
• The BBC reports that Carrie Fisher's ashes were buried next to her mother Debbie Reynolds.  

Comments on Hidden Figures:

• Annalee Newitz calls Hidden Figures the perfect space race movie.
• Evan Narcisse explains how Hidden Figures surprised him. 
• Lenika Cruz declares that unlike other bio pics about brilliant scientists and mathematicians, Hidden Figures is not all about ego.
• Renay Williams calls Hidden Figures a long overdue correction of the erasure of black women from the space race.
• Rebecca Ford report that Hidden Figures does very well at the box office, once it got a wide release.
  

Comments on Emerald City: 

• Neil Genzlinger calls Emerald City a grimdark take on The Wizard of Oz.  
• Hank Stuever declares that the Oz of Emerald City apparently wants to be the next Westeros. 
• Katharine Trendacosta declares that Emerald City is so shallow it almost appears deep.

Comments on Underworld: Blood Wars:

• Evan Narcisse discusses the goofy darkness of the Underworld movies.
• Tom Chapman declares that Underworld: Blood Wars sucks the life out of the franchise for good.
• James Hunt declares that Underworld: Blood Wars has its share of problems, but is also a whole lot of fun.
• Owen Gleiberman shares his thoughts on Underworld: Blood Wars.

Awards:

• The nominations for the 2017 Hugo Awards are open. 
• Nominations for the 2017 WSFA Small Press Awards are open.
• The longlist for the 2016 BSFA Awards has been announced.
• The winners of the 2016 Best of r/Fantasy Stabby Awards have been announced.
• The winners of the 2017 Golden Globes have been announced, though most SFF related nominees were snubbed.
• Mike Glyer reports that with awards season gearing up, both the Sad and Rabid Puppies have returned as well.
  

Writing, publishing and promotion:

• Cat Rambo talks about inspiration, where to find it and how to cultivate it.
• Cat Rambo also shares some tips regarding daily rituals and protecting your writing time.
• John Scalzi shares a ten point plan for getting creative work done in the age of Trump.
• David Kadavy explains how he quadrupled his creative productivity in 2016.
• T.W. O'Brien discusses the writing methods and instruments of various SFF authors.
• Laura Anne Gilman discusses the one book that piqued her creative fury. 
• Carrie Vaughn talks about writing Martians Abroad.
• Nalo Hopkinson shares some advice for anthology editors.
• Julie Ann Dawson shares the top five reasons a story is rejected.
• Joynell Schultz talks about the quest to find 1000 true fans.
  

Interviews:

• Paul Weimer interviews Ken Liu.
• Locus interviews Mary Robinette Kowal.
• Locus interviews Thomas Olde Heuvelt.
• Joel Cunningham interviews Foz Meadows and Keith Yatsuhashi.

Reviews:

• Marion Deeds reviews Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes.
• Ardi Alspach reviews The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. 
• Caitlyn Paxson also reviews The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor, The Lost Child of Lychford by Paul Cornell and Passing Strange by Ellen Klages.
• Rob Bedford reviews Guns of Empire by Django Wexler.
• Rob Bedford also reviews The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams.
• Liz Bourke reviews The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman. 
• Shana DuBois also reviews The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman.
• George Anadiotis reviews Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters by John Langan.
• Thea James reviews Death's End by Liu Cixin.
• Ana Grilo reviews The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. 
• Zen DiPietro reviews Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy by Steven Campbell.
• Risingshadow reviews You Don't Belong Here by Tim Major.
• Risingshadow also reviews Reimar Breaking by Jonathan Rivalland.
• Michael Patrick Hicks reviews Trackers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith.
• Mark Yon reviews Empire Games by Charles Stross. 
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books reviews Words Are My Matter by Ursula K. Le Guin.
• Aaron Pound reviews Volume 6 of Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. 
• Germain Lussier reviews the movie Raw.
• Timothy the Talking Cat reviews the movie La La Land.
  

Crowdfunding:

• Catherine Clifford reports that the board game Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5 has become one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns ever, raising more than ten million US-dollar.

Con reports:

• Tara Lynne reports that Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia, is planning to cut the Tolkien and Whedonverse fan tracks.
• Mike Glyer reports that Sci-Fi Fest LA had to go on hiatus because of actors union rule changes.
• Nick Izumi reports about a harrassment incident at Evercon in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Science and technology:

• Sagittarius A, the black hole at the centre of our galaxy, could be spewing out planet-sized gas balls.
• The UK military is planning to build a prototype laser weapon.
• The big takeaway from this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  

Free online fiction:

• "Microbiota and the Masses: A Love Story" by S.B. Divya at Tor.com.  
• "The Dark Birds" by Ursula Vernon in Apex Magazine.
• "Next Station, Shibuya" by Iori Kusano in Apex Magazine.
• "Rates of Change" by James S.A. Corey in Lightspeed.
• "Seven Salt Tears" by Kat Howard in Lightspeed.
• "Shiplight" by Benjamin C. Kinney in Metaphorosis.
• "Polyglossia" by Tamara Vardomskaya in GigaNotoSaurus.
• "Bombyx Mori" by Kerstin Hall in Strange Horizons.
• "Feast War" by Vylar Kaftan at Tor.com.
• "Unicorn Fort" by T.S. Paul.
  

Odds and ends:

• Watch a trailer for The Handmaid's Tale.
• Watch a trailer for The Lure.
• Watch a trailer for Kong: Skull Island.
• Watch a trailer for Roger Corman's Death Race 2050. 
• Watch a teaser for a mysterious untitled SFF movie.
• Check out the cartoon The Life-Changing Magic of Decluttering in a Post-Apocalyptic World.
• Check out these patterns for geeky paper snowflakes inspired by Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Harry Potter and others.