Hi there, my little clicking sharks! In in the present day’s round-up of latest sci-fi and fantasy hyperlinks, I’ve stuff to share with you about nice sci-fi villains, the sequel to E book of Evening by Holly Black, disturbing sci-fi exhibits, and extra!
Can Science Fiction Assist Us Envision a Higher Future?
Annalee Newitz kicked off a brand new sequence referred to as “Sci X Sci-Fi” at Yale, discussing science fiction and the long run. They talked a bit earlier than the occasion about science fiction, robots, and the long run.
“I feel the most effective fiction presents us a sensible image of a future world the place issues is perhaps going higher — we’d have carbon-negative vitality sources, or sustainable agricultural practices — however on the identical time we’ll nonetheless be coping with onerous issues round governance and useful resource allocation. I feel what science fiction presents is a protected sandbox the place we are able to recreation out potential future situations, imagining sudden secondary and tertiary results of latest applied sciences and insurance policies. “
Newitz’s latest guide, a comfortable sci-fi novella referred to as Automated Noodle, shall be out August 5, 2025 from Tordotcom. It’s about robots who run a noodle store and what occurs when their restaurant begins being hate-bombed with one-star evaluations. (Every time I see the guide talked about on-line, my mind begins singing “Automatic Buffalo” by The Sheila Divine. Which I don’t thoughts, as a result of it’s a very good music.)
10 Sci-Fi Film Villains Who Have been So Nice, They Even Outshone The Hero
A superb villain could make or break a narrative, and the scenery-chewers are sometimes the most effective ones. This checklist of fantastic sci-fi film villains is perhaps my favourite checklist that I’ve shared thus far. I agree with so a lot of them!
First, there’s Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg from The Fifth Component, performed by Gary Oldman. Love Oldman or hate him, he’s an amazingly proficient chameleon. I really like this film a lot, I made myself a Leeloo Dallas multipass. And I haven’t heard something just lately to dispute this truth: The Fifth Component is the one huge business movie launch through which the hero and the villain don’t share the display for a single second.
There’s additionally Roy Batty from the 1982 authentic Blade Runner, performed with such bizarre pleasure by the late, nice Rutger Hauer. I wasn’t that enthusiastic about David in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, however I do love him being included as a result of this (NSFW) video stating all the issues with Prometheus nonetheless makes me snort. (One other drawback—they spelled the title improper within the article.)
After which I’ve to shout out Immortan Joe from Mad Max: Fury Highway, just because he seems like Bane and Debbie Harry had a child. Who’re your favourite sci-fi villains?
The Sequel to BOOK OF NIGHT by Holly Black is Coming in 2025!
The sequel to Holly Black’s grownup fiction debut E book of Evening has been introduced! It’s referred to as Thief of Evening, and continues the adventures of con artist Charlie Corridor.
From the writer: “There’d always been something wrong with Charlie Hall. Crooked from the day she was born. Never met a bad decision she wasn’t willing to double down on. She may be good enough to steal a shadow from a tower, but will she be good enough to steal back a heart?”
Folks just lately revealed the duvet and talked to Black concerning the guide. “With Thief of Night,” she tells Folks solely, “I wanted to push Charlie Hall even further — into darker places, deeper magic and confronting her own shadow self. I loved exploring shadows not just as the monstrous Blights that live in this world, but as secrets, as hunger, as the parts of ourselves we pretend don’t exist until they rise up to consume everything.”
Thief of Evening (E book of Evening) by Holly Black shall be out September 23, 2025 from Tor Books.
Rework your studying expertise! Change into an All Entry member and unlock a treasure trove of unique content material—must-read articles, deep dives, and curated suggestions—with limitless entry to twenty+ members-only newsletters, group options, and extra. Join now for under $6/month!
Ayana Grey’s Grownup Debut I, MEDUSA Takes on a Legendary Monster
Getting again to villains, Ayana Grey will launch her first novel for adults, I, Medusa, on the finish of the 12 months. She’s taking over considered one of mythology’s biggest monsters, Medusa, whose visage causes individuals to show to stone after they take a look at her. However like a variety of latest widespread books, together with Circe and Kaikeyi, Grey is taking a much-maligned determine from lore and telling her aspect of the story.
From the writer: “In Athens’ colourful market streets and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy thrives in her function as Athena’s favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of goal and energy. However when she is observed by one other Olympian, Poseidon, a drunken night time between woman and god ends in violence, and the course of Meddy’s promising future is all of the sudden and irrevocably altered.Her locs remodeled into snakes as punishment for against the law she didn’t commit, Medusa should embrace a brand new id—not as a sufferer however as a vigilante—and with it, the prospect to put in writing her personal story as mortal, martyr, and fable.Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a younger girl caught within the crosscurrents between her coronary heart’s deepest wishes and the merciless, careless video games the Olympian gods play.
Folks just lately revealed the duvet of Grey’s guide as nicely, and she or he talked concerning the Medusa in its pages. “Medusa is an iconic but often one-dimensional figure in classical Greco-Roman mythology,” Grey tells Folks. “She is often portrayed as a villain, but I’ve learned the best villains never think of themselves that way and wanted to explore that.” She provides, “I was inspired to write a story that forces readers to decide for themselves whether she truly deserves to be called a monster.”
I, Medusa shall be out November 18, 2025 by Random Home
The ten Most Disturbing Sci-Fi Reveals
No shock, I’m wrapping up with one other checklist! Collider has a listing of the ten most annoying sci-fi exhibits. Disturbing is my favourite taste, so I used to be upset in myself after studying this checklist, as a result of I’ve solely seen one of many exhibits listed, The X-Recordsdata, plus a couple of episodes of Black Mirror and the “Time Enough at Last” episode of The Twilight Zone. (Each guide lover’s dream!) Which of those exhibits do you’re keen on? Which sci-fi present would you add?
Okay, star bits, now take the data you could have realized right here in the present day and use it for good, not evil. If you wish to know extra about books, I speak about books just about nonstop (once I’m not studying them), and you may hear me say a number of adjectives about them on the BR podcast All of the Books! and on Bluesky and Instagram.
If an SFF fan forwarded this article to you otherwise you learn it on bookriot.com and also you’d wish to get it proper in your inbox, you’ll be able to enroll right here.