Villain Origin Stories, Demon Summoning, and the Borg Queen

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( BIG BADS [Empathy for the Devil: Villains, Antiheroes, and Origin Stories]( There’s a big difference between a villain and an antihero—motives, decisions, and audience perception all play into how we view a morally dubious character. This distinction seems to be getting lost in the recent rash of villain origin stories, as we’ve crossed the line between studying our inner monster to hero-worshipping said monster. Stina Leicht delves into our current cultural obsession with villains, antiheroes, and their motivations. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( LIGHT SOME CANDLES [Five Books That Get Demon Summoning Right]( When it comes to night dwellers of the supernatural variety, there’s something singularly unnerving about demons. Maybe it’s because demons are invisible, yet make themselves so eerily known; maybe it’s that they’re multifarious by nature. Or maybe it’s the notion that sometimes, summoning a demon is much easier and more tempting than arcane lore would have you believe. Lana Harper shares five books about letting demons in. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( IN TRANSLATION [The Language of Chinese Dreams Is Science Fiction — And Sometimes They’re Nightmares]( Chinese science fiction shows us that the reality of China is infinitely more complicated than any narrative prejudiced by its politics, no matter whether pro- or anti-government, and that a country that appears to be closed and tightly controlled is in fact full of possibilities. In this essay, presented by Guest Editor R.F. Kuang, Michael O’Krent dives into how Chinese science fiction, particularly the work of Liu Cixin, shapes our understanding of Chinese culture and the concept of the Chinese Dream. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( BELOVED BOOKS [Five Life Lessons From Ella Enchanted on the Novel’s 25th Anniversary]( Some books are simply meant to be reread again and again, and Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted is one such book. Perhaps it’s because of Ella’s conviction to be true to her own heart. Maybe it’s her rebellious and contrarian spirit. Whatever it is, we return to Ella Enchanted’s undeniable passion—passion for friendship, for kind mothers, for adventure, for humor, for justice, for life. Diane Callahan shares five life lessons from the classic novel. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( PAGE TO SCREEN [Please Adapt: Darcie Little Badger’s Elatsoe]( Elatsoe, a novel about a young girl who can talk to the dead, is still finding its way into the hands and hearts of many SFF readers. It’s a novel that tells a unique, compelling story brimming with legends and magic—a story that’s ready-made for the onscreen treatment. In a new Please Adapt column, Cole Rush makes the case for a TV or movie adaptation of Darcie Little Badger’s Elatsoe. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( FOR YOUR BOOKSHELVES [Five Series Made Up of Standalone Novels]( There are many ways to write a series of novels. Whether you like a compact duology or a lengthy continuing epic, in SFF, we are spoiled for choices. There are quite a few speculative fiction series whose individual volumes can be read and enjoyed without having read all of the previous volumes. James Davis Nicoll spotlights five series made up of standalone novels. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( THE BORG & BEYOND [“The Proper Pronoun for When One Shares One’s Body With One’s New Friend”: A Transgender Reading of Star Trek: Picard]( The relationship between Agnes Jurati and the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard is captivating, and the resolution to their arc is easily the most interesting thing that Trek has done with the Borg in the last thirty years. It’s a story of a person coming into her power through a personal transformation that many would consider wrong or even monstrous–a narrative Jaime Babb personally identifies with. Babb highlights why Jurati’s transition so closely aligns with the trans experience. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( HOPEPUNK CINEMA [Five Dark (But Not Hopeless) SF Movies]( There’s nothing more wonderful, thought-provoking, and inspiring than a science fiction film that asks you to re-examine society and the world around you—especially if the bleak reality of the film still contains a glimmer of hope. Ashley Biancuzzo recommends five dark and dystopian sci-fi films that still hold out hope for the future. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ORIGINAL FICTION [“Hearts of Stone” by Emma Newman]( For over 35 years, the Wild Cards universe has been entertaining readers with stories of superpowered people in an alternate history. In Emma Newman’s “Hearts of Stone,” a young woman learns how to control her deadly powers from an unlikely ally. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( Follow Tor.com to get updates on all of our original fiction. 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