The Marvels, Gothic Star Wars, and Superhero TV's Current Crisis

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( [A collage of book covers]( BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS [Five Must-Read SF Books Published in 2023]( While fantasy does tend to dominate speculative imaginations (and the publishing market), there are a number of brilliant science fiction books published in the last year that deserve your attention. James Davis Nicoll highlights five favorites (four compelling novels, plus one outstanding anthology)—please share your own recommendations in the comments! [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a screenshot of Darth Vader]( MAY THE GOTH BE WITH YOU [Corrupted Bloodlines and the Gothic Ancestry of The Empire Strikes Back]( Star Wars creator George Lucas famously wove his epic story out of established tropes and archetypes drawn from Westerns, science fiction, fantasy, war movies, samurai films, and many more sources of inspiration, combining them into something that feels new as a whole even while it’s familiar in its basic elements. However, Star Wars also draws deeply from the Gothic genre, and that’s a part of its lineage that is often overlooked or ignored. Here, Jay Kang Romanus explores the Gothic influences in Empire, from inherited curses to key parallels with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of an orange sunset over a mountain]( WRITING ADVICE [Running Down that Hill: On Trail-Running and Writing]( In the writing world, failure is part of the game, no matter how hard you try. But Constance Fay, practiced long-distance runner, was well prepared for failure—after all, falling down is part of that game, too. In this personal essay, Fay recounts how trail running helped prepare her for the life of a professional writer. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a screencap from Star Trek: Lower Decks]( LOWER DECKS [How I Learned to Love Beckett Mariner]( If there is one ironclad law of Star Trek, it is this: Each new series, no matter how good it ends up being, will be received like a declaration of holy war by a certain extremely vocal subset of the fandom. For Trek-lover Jaime Babb, the newest entry into the Trek lineage, Lower Decks, was ruined by one character in particular. Here, Babb recounts how she got over that initial fan reaction and learned to love Beckett Mariner. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of an ipod laying on an open book]( NERDY PLAYLISTS [Five Surprisingly Perfect Song and Sci-Fi Book Pairings]( While there are plenty of songs and scores directly based on sci-fi books, there are also some tunes that are not inspired by literature and yet feel eerily reminiscent of specific books anyway. Here, sci-fi fan Lorna Wallace pairs five books with songs that work perfectly together. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a collection of screencaps]( FROM CHARLIE JANE [The Lesson That Superhero TV Shows Keep Learning]( One conversation that keeps popping up in speculative media is whether franchise TV shows should be tied into sprawling multimedia universes. Shared universes are great for movies, under the right circumstances–but they tend to drag TV series down a bit, over time. At worst, TV shows that tie in with movies tend to become glorified bonus material for fans of the film franchise. So is it worth it to continue trying? Charlie Jane Anders looks at the issues facing Superman and Lois, Arrow, Agents of SHIELD, and more. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A screencap from the Wheel of Time series]( HISTORY LESSON [The Problem With For All Mankind’s Alt-History Politics]( Showrunner Ronald D. Moore characterizes For All Mankind as the alt-history foundation for Star Trek’s utopian future. It’s a bold but conflicted premise because while the show is packed with thrilling retrofuturistic ideas, its political worldbuilding grows less and less coherent with each new season. Gavia Baker-Whitelaw takes a look at the complications behind For All Mankind’s retelling of history. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel]( BACK TO THE MCU [The Marvels Is a Much-Needed Dose of Delight]( Despite the notable lack of PR blitz around its release, The Marvels is easily the most exciting MCU film of the year. Three excellent characters getting tied together for a space-bound team-up that brings wider audiences in contact with the effervescent Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani)? Yes, please. Emmet Asher-Perrin reviews the film here. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel]( LOKI FOREVER [Season 2 of Loki Finally Gave Us a Story Worthy of the Prince Formerly Known as the God of Mischief]( As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to sprawl and franchise fatigue becomes a term that audiences are increasingly aware of, the question increasingly becomes what branches of the story continue to hold our attention. Loki’s first season was disappointing. But the second season might just be exactly what fans have been waiting for… [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ORIGINAL FICTION [“A Heart Between Teeth” by Kerstin Hall]( A new novelette set in the realms of Kerstin Hall’s acclaimed The Mkalis Cycle series. The 813th realm of Mkalis has fallen to a cruel and mercurial god, but Tahmais, its would-be successor, finds an unlikely ally in her quest to reclaim it at any cost… [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( Follow Tor.com to get updates on all of our original fiction. FOLLOW US: [Follow Us on Facebook]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Follow Us on Tumblr]( [Follow Us on Pinterest]( This email was sent by: Macmillan 120 Broadway New York, NY, 10271, US We respect your right to privacy - [view our policy]( Macmillan believes piracy hurts writers, readers and everyone who loves books. Learn more and report suspicious activity [here.]( To subscribe to this or other email communications from Macmillan, please click [here](. Visit our [profile center]( to update your email address and/or other information. If you no longer wish to receive this email communication, click [here]( to unsubscribe.