All posts tagged: scifi

Wagner Moura Hopes He’s Not Spoiling His New Twisty Netflix Sci-Fi Thriller

Wagner Moura Hopes He’s Not Spoiling His New Twisty Netflix Sci-Fi Thriller

Published by Jenni Sidey

Wagner Moura isn’t quite sure what he can and can’t say about his mysterious sci-fi thriller The Last House. But the recently Oscar-nominated actor admits that’s on him. “They sent me a list of things,” he says of Netflix. “To be honest, I haven’t read it.” It’s understandable, considering Moura is busier than ever. After being widely-recognized for his multi-character performance in the hit Brazilian film The Secret Agent, it seems like everyone wants a piece of the 50-year-old. He’s currently Zooming in from France, where’s doing a stage production, and once he’s wrapped, he’s staying abroad to shoot his villain role in Bradley Cooper’s Ocean’s 11 prequel. He’ll then roll cameras on his latest directorial effort. There’s also all of the X-Men and James Bond buzz. First, he must figure out how to sell The Last House. Directed by Fast X’s Louis Leterrier, the new film stars Moura and Past Lives‘ Greta Lee as Jason and Ann Delgado, who, along with their two young children, are suddenly sealed into their home, with no possible …

5 Marvelous Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Starring Older Characters

5 Marvelous Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Starring Older Characters

Published by Jenni Sidey

Why should kids get all the fun? Older characters in novels of all genres are having their time in the sun right now. (Hope they’re wearing a wide-brimmed hat.) But excellent oldsters have always been prevalent in books, including the five awesome novels below, which even feature a few kicking butt! Which reminds me of my favorite older character in SFF: octogenarian and former superspy Edie Banister, from Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. But I mention that novel all the time, so think of it as a bonus recommendation! The Wanderers by Meg Howrey The three main characters of Howrey’s third novel are training to be the crew of the first-ever mission to Mars. But first, they must spend seventeen months in a simulation of their mission, which puts a strain on them all. And if they start cracking under the pressure of a replication of the long journey, how will they ever take the actual trip? Burning Roses by S. L. Huang This fairy tale novella features Red Riding Hood and the Archer, who have …

The Best Sci-Fi Books of the 21st Century are Very Queer

The Best Sci-Fi Books of the 21st Century are Very Queer

Published by Jenni Sidey

Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde (Queer Fiction) (Paperback release) The New People by Andrea Uptmor (Lesbian Fiction) While The World Slept by Ewa Gerald Onyebuchi (Queer Short Stories) American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera (M/M Romance) (Reissue) American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera (M/M Romance) (Reissue) Home Court Advantage by Kimani Mae (F/F Sports Romance) Dooneen by Keith Ridgway (Queer Speculative Fiction) The Wife Comes First: Qi Wei Shang (Novel) Vol. 3 by Lv Ye Qian He (M/M Historical Fantasy Romance) Lord of the Wood by E.M. Anderson (M/M Cozy Horror/Fantasy) A Fate Worse Than Drowning by Sarah L. Hawthorn (Queer Horror) The Flayed Man by Chloe Lauter (Sapphic Horror) I Do Not Apologize for My Position On Men by Rae Wilde (Sapphic Horror) (Reprint) Null Entity (Volatile Memory #2) by Seth Haddon (Sapphic, Trans Woman Science Fiction) Take it to Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes (Queer Guy YA Horror) Funerals are for the Living by Sami Ellis (Sapphic YA Horror) Smells Like Green Spirit by Saburo Nagai (M/M YA Horror) Spindlewood by Freddie Kölsch (Sapphic Middle …

Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Books

Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Books

Published by Jenni Sidey

Matthew Medney is the author of Existence Equation: What is the Price of Humanity?, out now from Gungnir. Below, he recommends three thought-provoking science fiction novels. Leaving you stunned… thinking about what could be… dreaming of a fundamental change to reality… These are the feelings that all great science fiction should leave you with. Wanting more, wanting something to dream about, something to discuss. Science fiction has always been at the forefront of discovery: wild science fiction plots that, when published, seemed out of the realm of possibility, only to become more realistic with each passing day. Today, we are looking at an AI revolution and reigniting exploration to the moon and beyond. These are the areas of interest that sci-fi has been talking about for over 100 years, becoming reality.    Science fiction pulls from what could be and dreams of what can be. My three must-read books that any lover of the future should devour are:   Swords and Spaceships Sign up to Swords and Spaceships to receive news and recommendations from the world of science fiction …

5 Great New Books For Sci-Fi and Fantasy Beginners

5 Great New Books For Sci-Fi and Fantasy Beginners

Published by Jenni Sidey

One of the great pleasures of being human is finding out what things bring us joy, and the pursuit of those things. For instance, perhaps you love to read, but you haven’t picked up anything in the science fiction or fantasy genres yet. If that’s the case—welcome! Come on in, the water’s fine. For readers looking to get started in SFF, sometimes it’s best to begin with gentle, low-stakes novels. Like books with great characters and stories, but not so many characters and place names, or made-up words, that you need a glossary to keep track. (Those books come later, and they’re also rad.) So here are five great books released in 2026 that are perfect for readers new to the genres, or anyone just looking for an excellent read. Enjoy! Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson After a near-death experience, Green decides to leave city life and commune with nature for a while. But his journey into the Appalachian Mountains puts him in touch with more nature than he was expecting. As he explores …

D-topia review – cosy sci-fi mystery takes aim at AI | Games

D-topia review – cosy sci-fi mystery takes aim at AI | Games

Published by Sam Flores

In the far future, on a planet that is not Earth, AI is in charge. This entity is no Skynet-esque killer robot but a machine that cares for humanity. Manifesting most visibly as cute droids, the technology is pervasive – embedded in everything from the design of the sleek architecture to the gorgeous, mostly sunny artificial weather. The so-called Optimization System has but one responsibility: ensuring the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In less skilled hands this game might have felt like an undergraduate seminar on the limits of utilitarianism. But Japanese studio Marumittu Games elegantly marries its philosophical concerns with smart design choices. You play as a young, unnamed Facilitator tasked with tending to both the city’s bots and its human residents. Each morning you wake up, sleepily loping off to the bathroom before sitting down for an exquisitely rendered breakfast, and then embark on your day’s work. Like everything else in this near-future scenario, labour is designed to cause as little frustration as possible, amounting to simple maths brain teasers …

8 Short Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books for Summer Fun

8 Short Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books for Summer Fun

Published by Jenni Sidey

Ah, summer. There’s so much to do, so much fun to be had…and a lot of it cuts in on reading time. So while you’re off at the beach, or camping, or playing pickleball, or visiting amusement parks, or whatever you get up to when the weather is nice, here are eight slim science fiction and fantasy novels you can read in one sitting between activities. (Don’t try reading on the teacups, though. You’ll hurl.) Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi If fairy tales are your favorite flavor of fantasy, pick up this fun one! The marriage of Prince Ambrose and Princess Imelda has lost its magic—but it’s not their fault. Their love has been taken by a witch, in return for surviving a curse placed on them. In order to get their love back, they’ll have to go on a dangerous magical quest. But is it worth it? The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark This is an exciting dark fantasy about assassins and honor. Eveen the Eviscerator is a professional …

Singapore wuxia and sci-fi film selected for Locarno Film Festival’s main competition

Singapore wuxia and sci-fi film selected for Locarno Film Festival’s main competition

Published by Sam Flores

Singapore film The House On The Moon will make its world premiere in the International Competition (Concorso Internazionale) at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, becoming one of the films competing for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Leopard. Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Nelson Yeo, the film marks his return to the Swiss film festival after his debut feature Dreaming & Dying won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present and the Swatch First Feature Award (Prize for Best First Feature) in 2023. Written by Yeo and Vicki Yang, The House On The Moon is billed as Singapore’s first wuxia feature film and the country’s first feature produced using virtual production technology, according to a press release.   The film, which is predominantly in Chinese, blends science fiction with wuxia storytelling and reimagines the Chinese legend of Chang Er, the moon goddess, and the legendary archer Hou Yi. The film stars Singaporean actress Lim Shi An as Chang Er alongside Akira Huang, Harry Chang and Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng. “The House On The Moon returning …

Neuromancer: The ‘unfilmable’ sci-fi novel that’s being boldly adapted by Apple TV

Neuromancer: The ‘unfilmable’ sci-fi novel that’s being boldly adapted by Apple TV

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter An adaptation of a revolutionary science-fiction book previously considered “unfilmable” finally has a teaser trailer, promising fans “the next chapter”. Apple TV’s Neuromancer is based on the 1984 cyberpunk classic by author William Gibson. Set in a near-future dystopia, the story follows a computer hacker enlisted into a crew by a powerful artificial intelligence and a traumatised former soldier to complete a high-stakes heist. Ten episodes were ordered in February 2024 from showrunner Graham Roland, whose previous credits include cult hits Lost and Fringe, and director JD Dillard. William Gibson’s ‘unfilmable’ novel ‘Neuromancer’ is getting adapted (Ace Books) The complex nature of the experimental novel, which often confounds new readers, has led many to believe an adaptation would have been too challenging to pull off. But for those wondering if Gibson had approved it: the 78-year-old writer is on hand as …

A Thrilling Sci-Fi and Mystery Mash-up

A Thrilling Sci-Fi and Mystery Mash-up

Published by Jenni Sidey

Science fiction and mystery make excellent bedfellows, and setting a “whodunit” in space is many a sci-fi reader’s kryptonite. If that’s you, do yourself a favor and wade through the backlists for Yume Kitasei’s debut novel, The Deep Sky. It’s hard to believe Kitasei wrote this page-turner a mere three years ago considering she’s published two more books since its release. But this was the novel that hooked me and more fans on her futuristic, high-stakes adventures. Content warnings include miscarriage, fertility issues, and death of a child. The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei It’s bad enough when an unidentified murderer is on the loose but when you’re trapped with said murderer in a metal box hurtling through space? No thanks! This is the predicament Asuka and her fellow crew members find themselves in. Oh, also, their ship has gone off track and they have limited time to correct the error. The Deep Sky is a ticking time bomb that puts a space team responsible for populating the new planet they’re bound for in dire …