SF Plot Twists and New Live-Action Star Wars!

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( [A set of books]( READING HABITS [Why Read Old Books?]( With so many new books being published every week, and so many changing trends and storytelling conventions, it can be hard to keep up. So why go back to read or reread books published long ago? Here, James Davis Nicoll offers five reasons why older books still appeal to readers. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [the cover of Shigidi: And the Brass Head of Obalufon]( READING RECOMMENDATIONS [Five Fast-Paced African Urban Fantasy Books]( In many African cultures, the supernatural and the physical are often already believed to exist side by side, and it’s not unusual to find supernatural elements popping up in non-genre fiction. But urban fantasy stories, firmly centered around life in a metropolis, offer something special. Here, author Wole Talabi recommends five urban fantasy books with African cities and characters. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [An illustration from Poe's Fall of the House of Usher]( IT'S ALMOST SPOOKY SEASON [Five Fascinating Twists on the Classic Haunted House Story]( Haunted house stories usually share a few common elements: an oppressive atmosphere and feeling of being trapped; a grand but dilapidated house that’s basically a character in its own right; and, of course, malevolent ghosts that make things go bump in the night. But some authors take these conventions and give them a twist, treading a rather more unconventional—and sometimes downright weird—path. Lorna Wallace shares five novels that go beyond your typical haunting. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A screencap from Netflix's Heartstopper]( FOR THE WARM FUZZIES [SFF Reading Recommendations for the Characters of Heartstopper]( Heartstopper, the sweet-as-pie YA queer romance that appeared first as a graphic novel by Alice Oseman and now as a show on Netflix, has lots of characters to love. Nick, Charlie, and all their friends have unique traits and storylines that endear them to us. Here, Alex Brown recommends SFF books for each of them—and for you! [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A collage of screencaps from films]( WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? [Five Lesser-Known Sci-Fi Movies with Incredible Plot Twists]( Some of the best science fiction films of all time feature mind-blowing plot twists, from Planet of the Apes to The Empire Strikes Back. The feeling of watching a twist unfold for the very first time can never be recaptured, but once you’ve seen all the famous blockbusters, there are plenty of lesser-known sci-fi movies out there waiting to shock and surprise. Check out these five underrated films with memorable plot twists. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A screencap from Ahsoka]( JEDIS & REBELS [Ahsoka’s Premiere Brings the Animated Side of Star Wars to Live-Action With Style]( Ahsoka Tano nation, we’re up! Disney+’s long-awaited Ahsoka series is now here, expanding on characters from some of the Star Wars animated series. Emmet Asher-Perrin reviews the first episode here. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A screencap of Adam Scott from Severance]( WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING [Severance, Disney, and the Ghosts of Corporate Modernism]( Apple TV+’s show Severance dissects the illusion of work-life balance under capitalism, and the sinister role of the corporation in modern life. The labyrinthian Lumon campus features design elements that echo the architecture of a very particular type of vision for the future—a 1960’s fantasy of corporate-funded utopia. Dan Persons dives into what Severance’s corporate architecture says about modernity, technology, and the modern worker. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A screencap from The Last Voyage of the Demeter]( OCEANS ARE NOW BATTLEFIELDS [The Last Voyage of the Demeter Tackles the Deeper Themes of Stoker’s Dracula]( Dracula, the titular vampire from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, ranks among the most prolific fictional characters in all of film. But in spite of the Count’s perennial popularity, few adaptations directly engage with the themes, anxieties, and preoccupations of the original narrative. Tyler Dean discusses The Last Voyage of the Demeter’s take on the classic tale and its contemporary approach to Stoker’s themes. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ORIGINAL FICTION [“The Three O’Clock Dragon” by John Wiswell]( Prosperity City’s corrupt mayor never guessed his greatest opponent would be a fire-breathing dragon and her unconventional platform… [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. 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