Where are the Lady Gandalfs? Plus Spooky Poetry and Ladies Who Kill

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( [A screencap of Moiraine from the Wheel of Time show]( MARK AS READ [Where Are the Lady Gandalfs?]( In SFF, older mentor figures are so often men—Gandalf, Merlin, Obi Wan, Giles, etc. And while older, or at least grown-up, women are finding their place as characters on page and screen, it’s not always easy to find wise female mentors in science fiction and fantasy. In a new Mark As Read column, Molly Templeton investigates SFF media in search of more Lady Gandalfs. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of an open book with fall leaves and pumpkins]( IT'S SPOOKY TIME [13 More Haunting Poems to Get You in the Mood For Halloween]( With spooky season in full swing, many of you are likely embracing a delightful array of odd, eerie, and autumnal vibes this October. As Halloween draws near once again, Holly Kybett Smith shares a new list of thirteen poems for the reader seeking to set the mood. So settle down with a mug of pumpkin spice, and let’s get ready to summon the spirit of the season… [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of an axe lodged in a log of wood]( FOR HORROR LOVERS [Five Horror Books Featuring Ladies Who Kill]( Why are all the hot serial killers in popular media dudes? Because, yes, we love characters like Hannibal Lecter, Dexter Morgan, Joe Goldberg, and Norman Bates. But surely fiction has room for lady serial killers, too? Sure enough, author Delilah S. Dawson has compiled a list of five horror books featuring ladies who kill. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A photo of several hot air balloons against a blue sky]( UP IN THE AIR [Hot Air Balloons: The Ultimate Fantasy Vehicle?]( Hot air balloons may be one of the few methods of travel that feel distinctly fantastical—flying to an unknown place in a vehicle that could go up and down, even twist in circles, but could never be steered deliberately. That feeling is why we read fantasy in the first place—the author may take us to any land they wish, and we’re there to enjoy the ride. Here, Cole Rush shares a few fantasy stories that feature hot air balloons. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a photo of two gold wedding rings]( STEPFORD WIVES & MORE [Five Stories Featuring High-Tech Solutions to the Problems of Marriage]( Older novels often leave the impression that while many heterosexual men might have had lust in their hearts, they didn’t actually like women much. Some seemed to outright hate women, or at least wives. Writers noticed this, thus a wealth of stories featuring high-tech solutions for happier marriages…rather than stooping to, I don’t know, actually talking to spouses. James Davis Nicoll shares five (mostly critical) works involving robot partners and their pitfalls. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a screenshot from A Monster Calls]( FANTASY FEARS [A Monster Calls Knows the Truth That Terrifies Us]( There are many representations of evil that exist in fantasy media: Sauron, Darth Vader, Scar, and Darkseid; the Borg and the Daleks. They are creatures distilled from the darkest of human impulses, entities of such compelling malevolence that they could not possibly exist in the real world. But what if the real evil, the scariest evil, is the school bully? Here, Dan Persons dives into the 2016 film adaptation of Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls , and why Harry’s specific brand of cruelty is so devastating. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [A collection of screencaps]( WHAT COMPELS YOU? [Beyond The Exorcist: Five Movies That Explore Possession From Non-Christian Perspectives]( Possession films in the Catholic tradition are working from a particular set of themes, tropes, and assumptions about how spirits interact with humans. Those assumptions have shaped American cinema—they show up in everything from The Exorcism of Emily Rose to The Last Exorcist to The Conjuring -verse films. But what about films that deal with possession through the lens of different belief systems and cultural traditions? Here, JR. Forasteros recommends a few movies that feature a non-Christian approach to demonic possession and exorcism. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( [a screencap from The Covenant]( TIME TO ASCEND [A Spell to Captivate Queers: The Covenant’s Magical Bros and the Reboot We Need]( With all the magic bursting off the screen in 2006’s The Covenant—telekinetic fights! exploding cars! angry ghosts!—the film’s most powerful spell is its grasp on queer imaginations. Nathan Tavares revisits the film’s homoeroticism and discusses why an explicitly queer reboot would captivate today’s audiences. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ORIGINAL FICTION [“The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery” by Lavie Tidhar]( A new Judge Dee mystery! While visiting the mysterious castle of Maidstone for an investigation, Judge Dee and Jonathan discover the only thing more menacing than a vampire child is twin vampire children… [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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