Obi-Wan, Murderbot, Doctor Who, Avatar Kyoshi, and Poltergeist!

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( GENRE-BENDERS [Five SF Stories That Look Like Fantasy]( There are many stories that blur the line between genres, but it’s always fun when a story is disguised as one genre, only to be revealed as another over the course of reading it. James Davis Nicoll shares five excellent stories in which science fiction lurks inside the trappings of fantasy. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( IT IS A PERSON [Murderbot: An Autistic-Coded Robot Done Right]( When handled well, robot characters can offer a fascinating exploration of the way that somebody can be very unlike the traditional standard of “human” but still be a person worthy of respect. However, robots who explicitly share traits with autistic people can get…murky. That’s why Martha Wells’ Murderbot stands out. Cassie Josephs delves into the autistic traits depicted in the Murderbot Diaries, what makes good representation, and how to treat autistic-coded characters with the respect they deserve. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( OI! SPACE BOY! [Why “Partners in Crime” Is the Perfect Episode of Doctor Who]( Ten and Donna are fan favorites, due in no small part to the chemistry of Tennant and Tate, whose friendship shines through each episode. More than that, so much of why we love Doctor Who is the show’s inherent sense of joy and wonder—which is perfectly exemplified in Donna’s first episode, “Partners in Crime.” In a new Close Read, Christina Orlando shares just what makes this episode so special, and why we are all a little bit Donna. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( PLEASE ADAPT [Please Let F.C. Yee’s Kyoshi Sequence Be the Next Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie]( When it rains, it pours! Three new Avatar movies are on the way, and it’s possible that one of them might be exactly what Cole Rush is pining for…an adaptation of F.C. Yee’s Kyoshi novels. In this month’s Please Adapt column, Rush discusses the two novels, and why the fascinating origin story of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom-born Avatar, would make such a great film. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( STAR WARS FEELINGS [Obi-Wan Kenobi Aims Straight for the Heart in Part VI]( “Don’t you do this to me, Star Wars. Not now, not today, you can’t do this to me seventeen years later…” It’s the sixth and final episode of the series–there’s a chase, and an epic confrontation, and so many feelings to deal with! Emmet Asher-Perrin is here to react and discuss in their full-spoiler review of Part VI. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( THEY'RE HERE [I Rewatched Poltergeist for Its 40th Anniversary and I Have Questions]( This month marked the 40th anniversary of the iconic horror film, Poltergeist—a film that was formative for Leah Schnelbach. Imagine their surprise when they rewatched it in adulthood, only to find they had misremembered some key elements. Here, Leah revisits Poltergeist with fresh eyes…and some burning questions. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( MIND VS MATTER [Five Stories That Test the Limits of Bodily Consciousness]( Pitting a character against their own consciousness can yield riveting stories, and consciousness can be as effective a setting as any for a captivating sci-fi or fantasy tale. In recent years, writers and creators have enthusiastically embraced this concept, creating stories—some humorous or touching, some thrilling or disturbing—that stretch the limits of known consciousness. Check out these five intriguing examples, and recommend your own favorites in the comments! [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( FILM HISTORY [Brazil Weaponized Audience Identification for All the Right Reasons]( TTerry Gilliam’s masterpiece, Brazil, takes place in a dystopic, fascistic Great Britain—and its ending was cause for major contention between the creator and its distributors. In fact, there are three distinct versions of the film. A particular fantasy sequence makes all the difference between them, and holds the key to understanding the film’s intention. Dan Persons dives into whether we are meant to identify with the movie’s protagonist, and how the movie’s message is a call to action that shouldn’t be ignored. [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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