More book club scam emails, which reminds me I've been slacking on promo. So let me put this into the ether: Audiofuturism will be eligible for a Best Related Work Hugo in 2027. This year's nominees are *stunning* & I would love to be one someday. So I hope you'll read it. bit.ly/audiofuturism

Audiofuturism: Science Fiction Radio Drama and the Black Fantastic Imagination

A revelatory history of Black radio productions from the 1950s to the present Audiofuturism uncovers the vibrant, overlooked history of radio adaptations that placed Black speculative writing before m...

bit.ly

A fifth Friday of the month means bonus content from Speculative Insight , and so we present: Garth Nix and France Hardinge in conversation! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras #francehardinge #garthnix

Thread. The team are having fun!

Brisbane in 28 Worldcon Bid@brisbane28.org · 2w ago

This week the team played Fantasy Guest List. Which fictional characters would we invite to be our Guests of Honour, Special Guests, or featured panelists, in which capacity and why. #Meanjin2028 #Brisbanein2028. (do play along and add ideas).

A true historical fantasy novel that’s never, as far as I’m aware, received genre recognition.

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Maxilist magic realism.

open.substack.com

There’s something in the sky, a mountain range ascending into space! It’s dropping something!

Having just done the NYT mini crossword I am very confused. A plait and a braid are different things to me. Brits, what do you think a plait is? Do you have braids? Americans, same questions!

I am SO excited about the new essay we're publishing this Friday (for free!). If you have Thoughts about The Bride!, and other versions of Frankenstein's bride, I think you're going to Be Intrigued...

A fifth Friday of the month means bonus content from Speculative Insight , and so we present: Garth Nix and France Hardinge in conversation! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras #francehardinge #garthnix

It's Sunday, so that means it's time for Escapist Routes! It's our 69th edition, and this week I watched Ride or Die, House of the Dragon, and The Killings at Parrish Station - which gave unexpected True Detective season 4 vibes.

Escapist Routes #69

nice

escapistroutes.beehiiv.com

OK, humbling problem to have, but due to overwhelming demand (seriously!) subs are RE-OPENED on the website for The Monstrous & The Divine for one week only! If you missed the deadline due to timezones or any other reason, get it in by Friday AUG 7th! www.scyllapublishing.com/anthology-su...

A fifth Friday of the month means bonus content from Speculative Insight , and so we present: Garth Nix and France Hardinge in conversation! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras #francehardinge #garthnix

A fifth Friday of the month means bonus content from Speculative Insight , and so we present: Garth Nix and France Hardinge in conversation! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras @franceshardinge.bsky.social @garthnix.bsky.social

New issue of Intergalactic Mixtape. :)

Intergalactic Mixtape #64

Hey! The northern hemisphere is too hot. I know there’s a lot of video content recently, so all I can figure is that the weather is making reading extremely...

buttondown.com

A fifth Friday of the month means bonus content from Speculative Insight , and so we present: Garth Nix and France Hardinge in conversation! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras @franceshardinge.bsky.social @garthnix.bsky.social

A fifth Friday of the month means bonus content from Speculative Insight , and so we present: Garth Nix and France Hardinge in conversation! www.speculativeinsight.com/extras @franceshardinge.bsky.social @garthnix.bsky.social

I have a new story out in the world! It's short, and combines three of my favourite things: magic, music, and grouchiness at the state of the world. Hope you enjoy it! www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/conc...

Concerto For Wartime - Lightspeed Magazine

The magician raises his wand. Initially, this commission seemed simple. One large country invading a much smaller one, a clear case of aggressor and victim—but nothing is ever so straightforward.

lightspeedmagazine.com

As well as essays, we've been posting some bonus conversations on fifth Fridays. Arkady Marine and Ann Leckie, Angela Slatter and GennaRose Nethercott, Freya Marske and Celia Lake - such good discussions! And just saying: there's a fifth Friday in July... www.speculativeinsight.com/extras

Extras — Speculative Insight

Occasional extras that supplement and complement the essay published on Speculative Insight.

speculativeinsight.com

Speculative Insight has been publishing 2 essays/month about SFF since January 2024. That means there's 31 free essays available to read right now! Pratchett's Men, the politics of translation, ethnicity is SEAsian SFF, Tolkien and myth-making... and so much more... www.speculativeinsight.com

Speculative Insight

A journal for exploring the ideas and themes that stand behind, inform, and develop out of, speculative fiction.

speculativeinsight.com

HONEYEATER is on the Lord Mayor's People's Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award shortlist! It's an amazing list — please check it out and, if you're in Australia, PLEASE consider voting! bwf.org.au/queensland-l...

At last, here's the next up in my essay series on Ballantine Adult Fantasy, which dives into the satirical romances of James Branch Cabell and THE SILVER STALLION (1926):

Ballantine Adult Fantasy: Reading “The Silver Stallion” by James Branch Cabell (Biography of the Life of Manuel)

The fifteenth essay in my Ballantine Adult Fantasy reading series, about James Branch Cabell’s The Silver Stallion (1926), a satirical take on the medieval romance that goes to some truly wil…

seanguynes.com

Delve into the making of Ridley Scott's Legend (1985) in this new 6,000 word essay, now available on FictionMachine. fictionmachine.com/2026/07/27/b...

“Black as midnight, black as pitch” | Ridley Scott’s Legend (1985)

When Ridley Scott commenced his feature directing career in 1977, it was with the critically acclaimed period drama The Duellists. He followed it up in 1979 with the science fiction horror film Ali…

fictionmachine.com

Can’t stop thinking about this essay “Speculating, Ambiguously” in @speculativeinsight.bsky.social by Miranda Jensen and the moral imperatives queer writers/ publishers have to speculate wildly! www.speculativeinsight.com/essays/ambig...

Speculating, Ambiguously — Speculative Insight

At its heart—its big, tender heart—speculative fiction is speculation. It demands from its readers what some call a suspension of disbelief, where reality takes a backseat, and our imaginations open t...

speculativeinsight.com

A book...

Kathleen Jennings@tanaudel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

HONEYEATER, a (double-Ditmar Award winning! AUREALIS shortlisted! Locus 2025 recommended!) haunted subtropical tale, is available now! Order through your favourite bookstore or: USA: torpublishinggroup.com/honeyeater/ Australia: panmacmillan.com.au/9781761562303/

In which Tansy Rayner Roberts discusses the ultimate end of Sam Vimes... Subscribe to read it now: AUD30/yr gets you this and 11 other essays over the year! That's ~USD21 or GBP16! www.speculativeinsight.com #pratchett

Alexandra Pierce reviews MASSIF by @garthnix.bsky.social: “Everyone else, though, looking for a rollicking adventure, be excited that this one is coming to you in September.”

Massif by Garth Nix: Review by Alexandra Pierce

Massif, Garth Nix (Harper Voyager 978-0-06329-201-7, $30.00, 352pp, hc). Cover by Jackie Alvarado. September 2026. An intriguing (to me) subset of “humans in space” stories is the one where humans …

locusmag.com

On The End of Everything: locusmag.com/review/the-e...

The End of Everything by M. John Harrison: Review by Niall Harrison

The End of Everything, M. John Harrison (Ser­pent’s Tail 978-1800812949, £16.99, 208pp, hc). June 2026. I’m not certain of the origin of the phrase “What is the exact nature of the catastrophe?”, a…

locusmag.com

As well as essays, we've been posting some bonus conversations on fifth Fridays. Arkady Marine and Ann Leckie, Angela Slatter and GennaRose Nethercott, Freya Marske and Celia Lake - such good discussions! And just saying: there's a fifth Friday in July... www.speculativeinsight.com/extras

Extras — Speculative Insight

Occasional extras that supplement and complement the essay published on Speculative Insight.

speculativeinsight.com

Congratulations finalists! Public voting is now open thru August 16: ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com/vote/ We encourage you to read or otherwise engage with the nominated works/folks between now and then. Thanks for tuning in!

Did you know that subscribing to Speculative Insight gets you access to all the past subscriber essays? For AUD30/yr (~USD21, GBP16, EUR19) you can read 30 (and counting!) more essays: Pratchett's men, cargo ships in space, Tamsyn Muir as cosy catastrophe... and much more! www.speculativeinsight.com

Speculative Insight

A journal for exploring the ideas and themes that stand behind, inform, and develop out of, speculative fiction.

speculativeinsight.com

Speculative Insight has been publishing 2 essays/month about SFF since January 2024. That means there's 31 free essays available to read right now! Pratchett's Men, the politics of translation, ethnicity is SEAsian SFF, Tolkien and myth-making... and so much more... www.speculativeinsight.com

Speculative Insight

A journal for exploring the ideas and themes that stand behind, inform, and develop out of, speculative fiction.

speculativeinsight.com