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Forbes
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Fantastic Voyage': David S. Goyer On Hopes He And Guillermo Del Toro Can Complete Remake Of Sci-Fi Classic
Actors Stephen Boyd (1931 - 1977) as Charles Grant and Raquel Welch as Cora Peterson in the sci-fi ... More fantasy 'Fantastic Voyage', 1966. (Photo by Silver) David S. Goyer is hoping he and Guillermo del Toro can still find a way to embark on their long-gestating remake of the 1966 sci-fi classic Fantastic Voyage. Goyer, of course, collaborated with director Christopher Nolan as a screenwriter on The Dark Knight Trilogy and is currently executive producing Apple TV+'s Murderbot. Goyer first teamed with del Toro in 2002 on the Wesley Snipes Marvel movie Blade II, which he co-wrote and del Toro directed. Starring Raquel Welch, Stephen Boyd, Edmund O'Brien and Donald Pleasence, Fantastic Voyage follows a crew of five scientists who are miniaturized in a submarine and injected into the bloodstream of an ailing colleague in a desperate bid to prevent his death. The Fantastic Voyage remake was to be directed by del Toro from a script by Goyer and produced in collaboration with James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. 'Guillermo's a good friend. We've worked on about five or six projects together,' Goyer said in a recent Zoom conversation. 'We were in prep on Fantastic Voyage and it was very close. A production designer was on and all of the above. "While we were in prep for that, Guillermo said, 'I've got this deal with Searchlight' and 'Do you have any scripts that could be made for $20 million?' and I gave him a script called Antlers that we produced together,' Goyer added. Wesley Snipes, director Guillermo del Toro, & David S. Goyer (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage) While Antlers — a horror thriller directed by Scott Cooper that starred Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons — was released in 2021, Fantastic Voyage remained in development. The film was put on pause in 2017, Deadline reported. 'Fantastic Voyage got derailed with the-then regime at Fox, but God, it was a good one,' Goyer added. 'It was such a great experience working with Guillermo and James Cameron on that, and then my experience working on that led to my working on Terminator: Dark Fate with Cameron and we got along great.' While it has been eight years since Fantastic Voyage began treading water, Goyer said he isn't giving up hope on the film just yet. 'I've known Guillermo forever. I hope one day we can figure out [how to get Fantastic Four made],' Goyer said. 'In fact, now, my friend Steve Asbell is running [20th Century Studios], so it occurs to me that I should call him up and say, 'Hey, maybe we should try to resurrect this.' "I also have a Star Wars script I wrote with Guillermo that hasn't been made, so there are definitely a few ones that have gotten away,' Goyer added. While David S. Goyer has yet to complete Fantastic Voyage with Guillermo del Toro, the duo has had the good fortune to collaborate on other projects including the 2022 Netflix horror anthology series Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. When the series — which was initially known as Guillermo del Toro's 10 After Midnight (via Deadline) — got the green light at Netflix, the director reached out to Goyer to write a script for one of the eight short stories he was going to produce for the series. 'He said I'm doing this 10 After Midnight thing at Netflix and I've optioned X amount of short stories and I had read them all,' Goyer recalled. 'Guillermo said, 'You get first pick if you want to do one. Since I had always loved The Autopsy and the author [Michael Shea], I wrote that.' Then, Goyer, added, he experienced something that's never happened to him in all of his years as a writer. 'I adapted the story and sent Guillermo the script and he said, 'I love it. No notes.' It went into Netflix, and no notes,' Goyer enthused. 'It was the first time in my life that it ever happened. It was just like, 'Boom!' It was just a completely painless experience.' Goyer is currently executive producing the new Apple TV+ sci-fi action comedy Murderbot, which is based on Martha Wells' best-selling The Murderbot Diaries book series. In addition, Season 3 of Goyer's sci-fi series Foundation debuts on Apple TV+ on July 11, while his Netflix fantasy series The Sandman returns for its second and final film season with six episodes on July 3 and six episodes on July 24. Meanwhile, del Toro is readying his version of the Mary Shelley horror classic, Frankenstein, for release on Netflix sometime in November.
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Films and Shows You Should Be Streaming in June 2025
We've picked out the best horror, sci-fi, and genre titles coming to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and beyond, including 'Jaws,' 'Indiana Jones,' 'Alien,' and 'Predator.' A whole new era continues. For the past several years, our monthly column the Nerd's Watch has been the place to find out all the best genre titles coming to the biggest streaming services. It wasn't a complete list. We just posted the titles we think you'd care about, but it was still long and frankly, hard to pick out the best of the best. Well, over the past few months, that changed. What follows isn't a list of all the best stuff streaming on all the big streaming services. We've looked at all those lists and come up with a few dozen titles that we think are noteworthy this month. Some are new, some are old, but either way, we'll tell you why you should care. Or at least joke about it. So sit back, grab your remote, and get ready for the new and improved Nerd's Watch, highlighting the best movies and shows coming to streamers this month. Anna and the Apocalypse (June 1 on Peacock) I usually try to keep this list organized by streamer, but sometimes, you have to break tradition to get a point across. Anna and the Apocalypse is quite possibly one of my favorite, most underrated genre films in recent memory. It's a Christmas high school zombie musical and every bit as entertaining as that sounds. Now, it loses some steam in the back half but the songs are so freaking good and characters so endearing that it's a film I revisit often, and a soundtrack I listen to even more often. So, if you've never seen it, I implore you to check it out on Peacock this month. Barbarian (June 1 on Netflix) With Zach Cregger's new movie, Weapons, opening later this summer, now is the perfect time to brush up on the film that put him on the map. Barbarian is a completely awesome and off-the-wall movie that starts in the most normal, relatable way, when two people realize they've been booked in the same Airbnb. But where things go from there needs to be seen to be believed. Dune (1984) (June 1 on Netflix) David Lynch's take on Dune is always worth a watch but it's even more interesting now in the wake of the Denis Villeneuve films. Lynch's film does such a great job of telling the first part of this story, only for it to barrel through the second half with reckless abandon. It's really something. The Birds, Rear Window, and Vertigo (June 1 on Netflix) Three of the best thrillers ever made, period, are all coming to Netflix in June, all from the same man: Alfred Hitchcock. Many would say The Birds, Rear Window, and Vertigo are three of Hitchcock's best, so if you've never seen them or just want to watch them again, now is the time. Piece by Piece (June 7 on Netflix) If you've listened to any popular music in the past 30 years, you know the work of Pharrell Williams. You may not know you know it, but you do. And seeing his story unfold, told completely with Lego animation, was some of the most fun I had watching a movie back in 2024. If you missed it, check it out. Squid Game: Season 3 (June 27 on Netflix) Netflix's most popular series comes to its conclusion. Fingers crossed it sticks the landing. Ironheart (June 24 on Disney+) With the delays of the next two Avengers movies, new Marvel content is going to be at a premium in the coming months. And while there are a few movies scheduled, this show about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever character Riri Williams, now back in the U.S, is the only one coming immediately. We sincerely hope it's good. The Alien franchise (June 1 on Hulu) Yes, all of them. Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Prometheus, and Alien Covenant are all coming to Hulu. Almost like Hulu is doing its own Alien show later this summer. Which, of course, it is. (Alien: Romulus is already on there too.) The Predator franchise (June 1 on Hulu) Yes, all of them. Prey is already on there but also now we'll get Predator, Predator 2, Predators, and The Predator, as well as Aliens vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. Almost like there's a new Predator movie, or two, coming out. Which, of course, there are. Case in point… Predator: Killers of Killers (June 6 on Hulu) The director of Prey, Dan Trachtenberg, has a theatrical movie coming in a few months—but before that, he's got this animated anthology showing the Predator throughout history. Edge of Tomorrow (June 1 on Hulu) I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If Edge of Tomorrow, the incredible Tom Cruise sci-fi time loop movie, is announced as returning to a streaming service, you can guarantee I'll let you know. Every time. Independence Day (June 1 on Hulu) Independence Day is the kind of movie we all dream about. It's a simple, awesome concept, executed beautifully, with a scope and resonance that you remember long after the film ends. One of the most fun movies of its era and still a certified banger. Spaceballs (June 1 on HBO Max) In 2025, the idea of a Star Wars spoof is almost cliché. Star Wars is so incredibly prevalent in every aspect of pop culture, it seems too easy to joke about it. But in 1987, years after Return of the Jedi and without another film anywhere near reality, Mel Brooks' send-up of the franchise wasn't just amazing and hilarious, it scratched a franchise itch we take for granted these days. Split (June 1 on HBO Max) Keeping a spoiler secret is all but impossible these days, but a few years ago, M. Night Shyamalan was able to do just that in the best possible way with Split. Now, of course, we all know that Split is a sequel to the 2000 film Unbreakable—but that reveal, at the time, was a massive cherry on top of an already awesome, scary film. The Riddick franchise (June 1 on Peacock) We all know Vin Diesel from the Fast and Furious movies, but never forget he's got at least one other really fantastic franchise: Riddick. Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Riddick are all coming to Peacock and they're super moody, interesting, action-packed sci-fi spectacles. Knock Knock (June 1 on Peacock) Before they shared the screen together in the upcoming Ballerina, Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas starred in this very intense, uncomfortable, but fantastic home invasion film. Not for the faint of heart, but very worth watching. Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy (June 1 on Peacock) Punch! That! Shit! The amazing, awesome, hilarious classics Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End are all coming to Peacock and there's no better way to spend a day than in the world of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and the crew. The Jaws franchise (June 15 on Peacock) Yes, there is a 'Jaws franchise.' Though, to be fair, it's not great. Only one of them is truly, undeniably great. But if you still want to hunt a killer shark after watching the Steven Spielberg masterpiece, Jaws 2, Jaws III,and Jaws the Revenge are right there. Perfect for a nice summer day. Cloverfield (June 1 on Paramount+) There are tons of found footage movies out there but only a handful of really good ones. And Cloverfield is, undoubtedly, one of those. It will always be incredibly fun to watch New York City get destroyed by a giant kaiju through the lens of a camcorder. The Indiana Jones franchise (June 1 on Paramount+) Most of them. Raiders of the Lost Art, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Crystal Skull are all popping back on Paramount for the summer, and now you don't have to perform archeology to find them. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (June 1 on Paramount+) Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie star in this effects-heavy sci-fi period film that we still can't believe exists. Nothing before it, or after it, has quite looked like it, and while the movie isn't as wonderful as you hope it'll be, you can't take your eyes off it. Teen Titans GO! To the Movies (June 1 on Paramount+) I am not usually a huge fan of Warner Bros. DC animated films but one that I very much love is Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. It's so fun, so funny, and so, so smart. Easily one of the best animated superhero movies we've seen in a long time. The Running Man (June 1 on Paramount+) Before Edgar Wright and Glen Powell unleash their reimagining, check out the original Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi satire about a killer reality game show. Insidious (June 1 on Shudder) Horror is hotter than ever, and that audience appetite makes a film like Insidious feel even more miraculous. It's a terrifying, original idea that did a lot of world-building and made us all want to come back again and again. Which, of course, has happened. But the first one is still the best. Ash (June 20 on Shudder) Aaron Paul and Eiza González star in this new sci-fi thriller about a woman stranded on an alien planet, and the stranger who may or may not be there to save her.
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New Netflix Animated Sci-Fi Romance ‘Lost In Starlight' Sparkles Visually And Emotionally
Promotional image from Lost in Starlight, an animated romance/sci-fi film debuting on Netflix May ... More 30, 2025 The term 'star-crossed lovers' has become a bit of a cliché, but it applies literally to Nan-young and Jay, the two protagonists of Lost in Starlight, the beautiful new animated feature from director Han Ji-Wan dropping on Netflix May 30. The film, which is the first feature length animated production on Netflix from South Korea, comes dressed in the trappings of science fiction, complete with planetary exploration and an edgy near-future version of Seoul glittering in the background. Underneath, however, it's a warm-hearted love story that pushes the boundaries of animation in exciting new directions. 'Usually in animated films, the characters just exist to drive the plot,' said Han in an exclusive interview via an interpreter. 'I didn't want that. I really wanted to have characters that you would see in everyday life, who you could really relate to. With animation, you can control all the details of expression and movement, so you can actually get more personal, more character-specific, and really dive into the feeling of it.' Lost in Starlight delivers on that vision. Like Entergallactic, Scott 'Kid Cudi' Mescudi and Kenya Barris's animated romance film that debuted on Netflix in 2022, Lost in Starlight uses the irresistible eye candy of high-end contemporary animation to illuminate appealing characters and dazzling backgrounds, but never loses sight of the emotional heart of its story. In Lost in Starlight, Nan-young is a scientist attached to the space program. The leadership is initially reluctant to add her to an upcoming journey to Mars because her mother was lost there on a previous mission 20 years ago. As Nan-young fights to realize her dream, she meets Jay, a gifted musician whose stage fright has kept his career from taking flight. But when Nan-young is added to the Mars mission at the last minute, and finds herself on a dangerous mission on the Red Planet, they must deal with the anxieties and uncertainties of being worlds apart. Han brings a warmth and empathy to her characters and realizes the visuals in a style that combines the best of Asian and American-style animation while avoiding stylistic and genre clichés. She says the settings in 2050s-era Seoul are modeled on the neighborhood where she lives and works, and every detail in the background is meant to spark emotional or nostalgic resonance. It's a remarkably self-assured film from such a relatively young director, and a bold choice for Netflix's debut entry from the South Korean animation industry. Animator Han Ji-Won, director of "Lost in Starlight" debuting on Netflix May 30, 2025 Han is a rising star in the South Korean animation industry with a growing catalog of short films including The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns, which was screened at Sundance in 2023. She says she fell in love with comics as a child at a comic shop run by her grandmother, and knew she wanted to be an animator after seeing the work of Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki. Lost in Starlight, her second feature film, is getting an international release on Netflix, part of the streamer's ongoing investment in cutting edge animation and new voices. 'At Netflix, we collaborate with creators from diverse backgrounds to offer a variety of stories,' says Vincent Taewon Kim, Director of Content for Netflix Korea. 'Lost in Starlight, especially with the incredible vision of Director Han Ji-won, is a perfect example of that. We're also proud to support new and emerging creative voices. This year, we are showcasing two other films such as Mantis by Lee Tae-sung and Love Untangled by Namkoong Sun, both amazing up-and-coming filmmakers.' Han says she came up with the story idea of a woman's dream to be an astronaut as part of a short music video she was working on, which she then had the opportunity to expand into a full length film. 'At the time I was making the movie, I fell in love,' she says. 'The production company asked me if we could add more romance to the movie, and I thought this was actually perfect because right now I' m love, so this would be the ideal opportunity to show my emotions!' She also says she is grateful she had the support to realize her vision in an industry and culture that does not always welcome women in creative leadership. 'I'm lucky because it is quite rare to be in the role and position I'm in, to do both the production and planning myself,' she says. 'It's true that it is a very male dominated field, especially at the director and senior levels, and there is an unseen barrier to some extent, so I try my best to make sure my communication is very clear cut and I am able to get my ideas across. My way of breaking the barrier was having a unique way of working and being very persuasive as I advanced my career.' She added she's encouraged to see the industry opening up, with more opportunities for talented female creators. If Lost in Starlight meets with popular success to match its creative accomplishments, those barriers may drop down even further.
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
57 New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books Arriving in June
Greet the summer heat with new books from Adrian Tchaikovsky, V.E. Schwab, Malka Older, Elizabeth Bear, and more. It's a new month and a new season, and a huge pile of new sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books is on the way. Keep reading for rebellious royals, climate thrillers, reimagined myths, galactic heists, post-apocalyptic journeys, romances that challenge space and time, ghostly tales, and so much more. June 3 The Afterlife Project by Tim Weed In the year 2068, scientists journey across the post-apocalyptic planet hoping to save humankind before it's too late. At the same time, they send a microbiologist millions of years into the future in search of signs of life that might help them in their quest. (June 3) Bee Speaker by Adrian Tchaikovsky The Dogs of War series continues in this third entry exploring 'a future where genetically engineered 'Bioforms' have inherited not the Earth, but the Solar System.' (June 3) Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil 'Filled with passion, romance, betrayal, and divine magic, Black Salt Queen journeys to a gorgeous precolonial island nation where women—and secrets—reign.' (June 3) The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward Twin sisters who were adopted into different homes after their mother died are shocked when she seemingly reappears 30 years later, having not aged a day. Is this a con artist at work, or something even more insidious? (June 3) Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare 'A multiverse novel about two women who fall in love despite living in worlds that are five months apart, as they try to find a timeline that doesn't end in disaster.' (June 3) Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase A princess is forced into exile after her father has her mother executed. Over a decade later, as she's offered an arranged marriage that will allow her return to royalty, she discovers a much better option when she meets an alluring lady-in-waiting who schools her in magic alchemy. (June 3) Fenrir by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor 'When astronomer Stephanie Bronson uncovers a massive alien vessel named Fenrir racing toward the Sun, she must lead a desperate mission to rescue its crew before a catastrophic failure dooms them both to fiery destruction.' (June 3) Galaxy Grifter by Alla Zaykova After an interstellar con man loses his spaceship to a gang as loan collateral, he decides to pull a heist that will solve all his money troubles—only to uncover a far more dangerous scheme that's already in the works. (June 3) A Game of Monsters by Ben Alderson The Realm of Fey series concludes as 'bolstered with the sudden help of his ex-love Erix, Robin embarks on a mission to save Duncan, seeking out the aid of the Nephilim once more. However, Robin finds that the game of the gods is not over, and those he can trust may have other motives.' (June 3) The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim 'In this swoony sequel to The God and the Gumiho, a trickster god must work with his reincarnated lost love to solve his brother's murder on board a luxury underworld cruise ship.' (June 3) It's Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage This tale set in near-future Los Angeles is described as 'a terrifying climate thriller, a vicious takedown of the uber-wealthy, and a queer family saga that isn't afraid to punch back.' (June 3) The Lure of Their Graves by Laura R. Samotin 'In the heart-wrenching sequel to The Sins on Their Bones, The Lure of Their Graves forces Dimitri and Vasily to confront old ghosts and a new threat: political enemies-turned-suitors, all coveting Dimitri's throne and his hand in marriage.' (June 3) Maria the Wanted by V. Castro 'A fierce and seductive vampire thriller, pulsing with rage, fear and desire, that explores the dark back streets of Mexico and a vampire woman's determination to find her place in the world.' (June 3) Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove A sentient spaceship strikes back—with the help of a team of monster allies—when an ancient vampire starts killing off her human passengers in this 'queer love child of pulp horror and classic sci-fi.' (June 3) Queen of Mercy by Natania Barron 'The gorgeous final chapter in the critically acclaimed female-led Arthurian Fantasy Romance trilogy.' (June 3) Realms of the Round Table by John Matthews 'Rare and previously unpublished tales of one of the most famous legends in literature is brought to life for a new generation by one of the world's leading Arthurian experts and illustrated by an acclaimed Tolkien artist.' (June 3) Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky 'On a planet shrouded in darkness, a stranded crew must fight for survival—but the darkness may have plans of its own.' (June 3) A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde 'An unforgettable tale of revenge and rebellion unfolds when a reckless king implements an ill-fated plan to end a thousand-year war in this relentlessly gripping epic fantasy debut.' (June 3) Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel 'An epic and daring novel that imagines an alternate version of 1960s India that was never liberated from the British, and a young woman's struggle to change the tides of history.' (June 3) The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O'Keefe 'A search for a missing person uncovers a galaxy-spanning conspiracy in this thrilling standalone space opera.' (June 3) The Unmapping by Denise Robbins 'Each person in New York wakes up on an unfamiliar block when the buildings all switch locations overnight. The next night, it happens again … While scientists scramble to find a solution—or at least a means to cope—and mysterious 'red cloak' cults crop up in the disaster's wake, New York begins to reckon with a new reality no one recognizes.' (June 3) June 10 Awakened by Laura Elliott 'In a bid to make us more productive, to give us more time, science took sleep from humanity. But sleeplessness turned people into feral monsters and now a small group of scientists are trapped in the Tower of London, consumed by guilt at what they have done and desperately searching for a cure.' (June 10) Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab 'A genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger' set in 1532 Spain, 1827 London, and 2019 Boston. (June 10) A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena 'A debut fantasy romance filled with hope after heartbreak, secrets, and betrayal, as a dancer-turned-spy must decide how far she will go to secure her freedom.' (June 10) The Flight of the Fallen by Hana Lee The 'gritty, queer Mad Max–inspired fantasy duology continues with more high-stakes political intrigue, monsters of all kinds, and a high-speed motorcycle adventure to find a refuge for humanity beyond the wasteland.' (June 10) Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko 'The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history.' (June 10) The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death by Helen Marshall In this dark fantasy, a young woman learns to tame death from her grandmother, then joins the circus as the first step toward avenging her parents. (June 10) The Nimbus by Robert P. Baird Marriage, parenthood, and religion share focus in this satirical tale about a divinity professor facing the impossible when his toddler son begins periodically giving off a strange, glowing light that changes the lives of those who witness it. (June 10) The Palace of Illusions by Rowenna Miller This tale set during an early 20th century World's Fair in Paris follows a gifted clockmaker who discovers a fantastical mirror world—then realizes there's a dark side to tapping into its magic. (June 10) The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older 'The next entry in the multi-award-nominated cozy space-opera mystery series the Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti' follows Pleiti setting out on her own to investigate a plagiarism accusation that conceals a much darker mystery. (June 10) Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle 'Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy.' (June 10) Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race 'A breathtaking epic fantasy of dragons, courtly intrigue, sapphic yearning, and the wives of Henry VIII as you've never seen them before.' (June 10) This Is Not a Ghost Story by Amerie A man's peaceful afterlife existence is suddenly disrupted when he's shoved back into the world of the living in Los Angeles, where he 'becomes an instant celebrity for being the first visible and verifiable ghost.' (June 10) The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott A courier assigned to guide a snobbish prince to safety warns him not to enter a haunted tower—which he ignores—then must contend with the additional danger that shadows their journey as a result. (June 10) Writing Mr. Right by Alina Khawaja Just as she's decided to give up her aspirations of being a successful romance novelist, a woman's shocked when her muse comes to life. Things get complicated when she starts to fall for him—especially since he'll vanish once she fully recovers her writing spark. (June 10) June 17 Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda In this 'deliciously dark horror reimagining of a Greek tragedy,' a woman finds herself again after her controlling husband dies and she unwittingly encounters an ancient god. (June 17) Engines of War by R.S. Ford 'The final novel in a trilogy where guilds clash, magic fuels machines, and an all-out war has consumed an empire.' (June 17) A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry 'A heart-rending fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution.' (June 17) The Folded Sky by Elizabeth Bear 'Dr. Sunya Song embarks on an interstellar journey across the Milky Way to connect with the artificial intelligence known as Baomind, a moon-sized entity that holds the key to humanity's survival amidst cosmic challenges and unforeseen threats.' (June 17) The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes 'In a fast-paced, sexy, ghostly adventure, a publicist at the top of her game must confront her secret mystical past.' (June 17) A Holy Maiden's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Katy Nyquist 'A Holy Maiden should never drink, get kidnapped, nor kiss a Dark Lord, but Ysabel is breaking all the rules to escape her fate as a human sacrifice.' (June 17) If Wishes Were Retail by Auston Habershaw 'In this hilarious debut fantasy cozy, a rebellious―but enterprising―young woman and an ancient―but clueless―genie set up shop at the local mall.' (June 17) The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton 'A talented heretic must decide between the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy.' (June 17) This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman 'A princess with a mostly useless magical talent takes on horrible monsters, a dozen identical masked heroes, and a talking lion in a quest to save a kingdom—and herself—in this affectionate satire of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale The Twelve Huntsmen.' (June 17) School of Shards by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, translated by Julia Meitov Hersey The Vita Nostra trilogy concludes in this 'magical dark academia novel' that 'brings the story of Sasha to a revelatory climax as she learns to take control of her powers and reshape the world…or destroy it forever.' (June 17) UnWorld by Jayson Greene 'A gripping novel about four intertwined lives that collide in the wake of a mysterious tragedy set in a near-future world where the boundaries between human and AI blur.' (June 17) Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell This tale 'brings a humanizing and humorous touch to the Hercules story, forever changing the way we understand the man behind the myth—and the goddess reluctantly bound to him.' (June 17) June 24 An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecelia Edward 'An ancient witch explores the thrills—and perils—of online dating with hilarity and heart in a charming rom-com perfect for fans of cozy fantasy and witchy romance.' (June 24) As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith When three friends working as au pairs in Seoul visit a magic waterfall, they start to realize the wishes they made don't really represent their deepest dreams. (June 24) The Dallergut Dream-Making District by Miye Lee, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee 'In this bestselling follow-up to The Dallergut Dream Department Store, Penny and her crew of coworkers must visit a special dream-making district to unlock new secrets about the customers they lost and hope to bring back.' (June 24) The Ellyrian Code: The Treaty of Edriendor by BF Peterson 'Fourth Wing meets The Atlas Six in this epic fantasy set in an elite university, where four students test their mettle to become part of an elite order of dragon riders.' (June 24) Glass Girls by Danie Shokoohi 'A former child medium is forced to face her deadly past and the ghosts she left behind in this electrifying debut.' (June 24) Heart of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker 'The epic conclusion to the Forsaken trilogy, set in a forest straight out of darkest folklore with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities.' (June 24) The Last Vigilant by Mark A. Latham 'In a world where magic is forgotten, monsters lurk in the dark woods, and honorable soldiers are few, this utterly gripping epic fantasy tells the story of an out-of-practice wizard and a hot-headed sergeant who are thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to unravel their kingdom's fragile peace.' (June 24) Lords of Creation by S.M. Stirling 'In this series conclusion, the richly imagined worlds of a habitable Venus and Mars, each with their own unique civilizations and ecosystems, come alive again.' (June 24) A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox In the Dutch Republic circa 1650, a woman longing to escape her overbearing family meets a mysterious man in a tale inspired by The Little Mermaid. (June 24) The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane 'Enemies become lovers, rivalry turns to romance, and convenient marriages create true love in these 12 addictive romantasy tales. Featuring Olivie Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Katherine Arden, Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Tasha Suri, Melissa Marr and more.' (June 24)
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Murderbot' Uses the Fake TV Series Trope So Perfectly
If you've been watching Murderbot on Apple TV+—and if you haven't, time to get started; episode four drops Friday!—you've no doubt picked up on one of the main character's most charming quirks: it's addicted to the galaxy's trashiest TV. That might seem like an unlikely time-waster for a self-aware security robot that's secretly hacked its consciousness and gained free will. But Murderbot's SecUnit loves nothing more than using its high-tech capabilities to consume thousands of hours of sci-fi soap operas, especially The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. It's a trait written into the Martha Wells source novel All Systems Red, the first of her Murderbot Diaries series, but the Apple TV+ show has had a delightful time expanding that part of the story so far. The show-within-a-show features some recognizable faces from other genre shows (including Star Trek's John Cho and Agents of SHIELD's Clark Gregg, deliberate casting choices). And while Sanctuary Moon's neon-drenched space travels are far campier than Murderbot's day-to-day routine alongside a human survey team on a desolate planet, the fictional hijinks seen on Sanctuary Moon actually influence the character in making some high-stakes choices. The shows it binges—it's also a fan of other titles, including World Hoppers, Med Center Argala, and Strife in the Galaxy, which it deems 'not premium quality like Sanctuary Moon, but still fun'—also help shape Murderbot's perspective on humans, as well as its interactions with them. Even those on his team who don't openly disdain Sanctuary Moon would be surprised to realize how often he peppers lines from the show into conversations. Though in-universe TV shows are used to particularly good effect on Murderbot, the use of a 'show within a show' in tandem with the main narrative is a familiar trope. It's fun to be fans of characters who also happen to be huge fans of things—think Community's knowingly blatant Doctor Who rip-off, Inspector Spacetime. Good-natured self-parody is welcome, too, like when Stargate SG-1 went behind the scenes of Wormhole X-Treme!, a suspiciously familiar series created by a former Stargate operative who'd had his memory (mostly) erased. On Twin Peaks, most TVs were tuned into Invitation to Love, an exaggerated version of the sort of nighttime soap opera Twin Peaks used as its own foundational springboard. There can also be fake TV shows that exist to remind you how great it is that they don't actually exist. Black Mirror's season six episode 'Joan Is Awful' followed a woman who realizes her rather unexciting life is being made into a TV show against her wishes—then discovered she's wrapped up in a simulation with so many layers it's hard to see where reality actually starts and ends. Similarly, Channel Zero's first season, Candle Cove, concerned a long-forgotten kid's program that broadcasts its way into reality to torment its former viewers as troubled adults. Fake TV shows have also made their way into movies, with Galaxy Quest representing maybe the greatest and funniest example of sci-fi fandom taken to the extreme. The 1999 cult comedy imagines a Star Trek-like show that aliens misinterpret as being real life, leading them to enlist its aging, disgruntled stars to help them fight an intergalactic battle. Hilarity ensues, as do some very unlikely heroics. Last year, another exploration of just how large a single TV show can loom came in I Saw the TV Glow, an eerie fantasy about two friends who bond over their obsession with eerie fantasy series The Pink Opaque. The events of the show come to influence and infiltrate their adult lives, and the end result explores not just the magic of fandom, but also how the strong grip of nostalgia can become twisted into something uneasy and dangerous. Murderbot doesn't dig that deeply. It's focused on entertaining the hell out of you, and in that it succeeds. But there's more to The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon than gaudy costumes and facial hair. It adds some welcome visual texture to a show that spends a lot of time inside its main character's mind. It's a reminder to ignore anyone who snarks on the stuff you happen to like. And it's a testament to the power of sci-fi, made even more enjoyable when a sci-fi character is also a sci-fi fan. To quote Sanctuary Moon: 'Boldness is all!' Murderbot drops new episodes Fridays on Apple TV+.
