SF² Concatenation

Our home page colour this season is green now that we have the northern hemisphere summer.  Yes, the plants are blooming....

HELP SF Convention reporters wanted

We are seeking to expand our convention reports of national SF conventions beyond Britain. If you would like to contribute a report then feel free to contact office [at] concatenation [dot] org for a one-page con-reporter's guide.

September 2025 news

Essential Science Fiction: A Concise Guide was published 20 years ago.  There are still just a couple of boxes left! This book's entries primarily consist of fan-voted SF award winners (such as the Hugo and Locus Awards), fan surveys of books and films from some past Worldcons, Eastercons, and the Anglo-Romanian SF Exchange, and SF books that have been continually in print for over 75 years. Any author that has more than three entries also gets an entry on themselves with reference to their other ('secondary') works. There is also a tick-box, collectors' index of books and films with primary entries listed in bold and secondary entries in non-bold.  If you want to see more details, reviews of this title, or a copy then click here.

August 2025 news

The 2025 Hugo Awards were presented at this year's SF Worldcon in Seattle.  The principal category -- those attracting attention from over 60% of those Worldcon (WSFS) members (nearly 2,000) who voted -- Hugo wins this year were:-
Best Novel: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
Best Novella: The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler
Best (Book) Series: 'Between Earth and Sky' by Rebecca Roanhorse
Best Short Story: 'Stitched to Skin Like Family Is' by Nghi Vo
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Dune: Part Two
Other category win information (those other categories) can be found at thehugoawards.org.  Last year's principal category Hugo winners here.

Huge thanks to the 45 out of 125 who voted against the World SF Society 'Business Meeting' that would have quasi-legitimised the illegal breaking of the World SF Society Constitution by the 2025 Worldcon (being held 13th - 17th August in Seattle).  This Worldcon is the third Worldcon in succession, after Glasgow (2024) and Chengdu (2023), that has wilfully ignored the WSFS Constitution that was democratically created by preceding Worldcons.  Though only 45 voted against this motion, as a two-thirds majority is required to change the constitution, the motion failed.  (Back story here.)  It is good to see that there are still some principled SF fans in the Worldcon community, even if only a minority.  And this news snippet lets Worldcon organisers know that there are fans outside of Worldcon who are watching and taking note!

Summer 2025 news

Jim Walker.  It is with sadness that we report news that the British SF fan Jim Walker has passed. Jim was a friend of, and contributor to, SF² Concatenation. His first offerings were a couple of book reviews back in the mid-1990s. From the early 2000s to 2017, he was one of our regular convention reporters, especially of Eurocons. He also took part in the Anglo-Romanian Fan Fund activities of the 1990s to early 2000s attending events both here in Britain when there were visiting Eastern European fans, and also in Timisoara, Romania, with our two International Weeks of Science and SF in 1999 and 2003. In addition to Eurocons, he was a regular at Britain's (there are others) Festival of Fantastic Films and the British Eastercon. A civil engineer by training and profession, in retirement he made short films with local friends including a couple of SF offerings which, naturally, were screened at the Festival of Fantastic Films.  Farewell old pal.

Advance Post

We have a convention report now up of Windycon in Chicago, USA.

New up...

Posted to keep you going over the summer break, another 'Best of Nature Futures' short story.  The science journal Nature publishes these roughly once a week, but unless you are a subscriber you will not see these little SF gems as they are usually behind a paywall.  However we have an arrangement with Nature and secure the authors' permissions to re-post four of those we think are among the best each year.  If you can't wait for the next on in November, we have our archive of past 'Futures' stories here.

                ☺

For details of / links to the new content, scroll down to beneath 'Most recently added' below.

Forthcoming

Our 'autumnal'* season edition will be up mid-September. As usual, this will include an extensive, seasonal news page, with its sections on Film News;  Television News;  Publishing News;  General Science News  and  Forthcoming SF Books from major British Isles SF imprints for the season, among much else.  Our most recent seasonal news page is here. There is a lot to unpack with many links to YouTube trailers and other videos so, if you have not already gone through it, take time to make a mug of tea, settle down at your PC or with a laptop or pad, and dive on in.
* 'Autumnal' season here being the northern hemisphere, academic year autumn.

Separately, we will have a couple of stand-alone articles and convention reports.  Plus there will be the usual tranche of stand-alone book reviews.  Something for every SF enthusiast and/or science bod.

What's not to like?

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Most recently added

v35(4) 2025.7.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

• It’s Time For Your Performance Review (1-page PDF short story) - Jane Brown
  Using artificial intelligence to handle a company's personnel management seems straightforward. What could possibly go wrong?
  (And don't forget to scroll down below the end of the tale to get 'the story behind the story'. This tale is SF but on the cusp of being real...)
   
• The index to all of the Concatenation selection of Nature 'Futures' stories.
• The guidelines for prospective 'Futures' SF short stories authors.

v35(3) 2025.4.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Summer 2025

• Newscast for the Summer 2025. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections.  In the mix are its Film News;  Television News;  Publishing News;  General Science News  and  Forthcoming SF Books from major British Isles SF imprints for the season, among much else.
   
• Can Spooky Action at a Distance be explained? – Steven French
  This is one for our physicist regulars
   
• Wolf Man and Universal Monsters – Jonathan Cowie
  Film review
   
• Mickey 17 – Jonathan Cowie
  Film review and box office analysis
   
• The virtual, online 2024 SF Worldcon – Steven French
  Another digital experience review of Britain's biggest SF event of last year
   
• Fantasycon 2024 – Ian Hunter
  The annual convention reviewed
   
• The 1994 Eurocon re-visited – Roberto Quaglia
  The first East Europe Eurocon since the fall of the Iron Curtain
   
• Slan by A. E. van Vogt: re-visited – Jonathan Cowie
  This minor classic from 1946, by an SFWA Grand Master, is re-visited.
   
• Gaia 2025
  Annual oddities and whimsy
   
• Ten Years Ago Exactly. One from the archives.
  Loncon 3 – The London Worldcon
  In 2015 we posted coverage of the 2014 SF Worldcon
   
• Ten Years Ago Exactly. One from the archives.
  SF Films of the 1950s
  Lest we forget some golden age cinematic SF classics
   
• Twenty Years Ago Exactly. One from the archives.
  Science Fiction in Film Serials
  Early 20th century cinema serials
   
  (This Edition's Facebook alert.)

v35(3) 2025.4.15 -- Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews

• Death’s Successor - Brad Abdul
• The Devil's Advisor - Brad Abdul
• The Devils - Joe Abercrombie
• A Place Between Waking and Forgetting - Eugen Bacon
• Legends & Lattes (2nd review) - Travis Baldree
• October - Gregory Bastianelli
• The Epilogue Event - S. G. Bell
• Wooing The Witch Queen - Stephanie Burgis
• The Outcast Mage - Annabel Campbell
• The Incubations (2nd review) - Ramsey Campbell
• Night & Day - John Connolly
• Run - Blake Crouch
• Dream Machine: A Portrait of Artificial Intelligence - Appupen and Laurent Daudet
• Rogue Trooper: Blighty Valley - Garth Ennis & Patrick Goddard
• The Bloodstained Doll - John Everson
• Schrödinger’s Wife (and other possibilities) - Pippa Goldschmidt
• All Tomorrow’s Futures: Fictions that Disrupt - Ben Greenaway & Stephen Oram (ed.s)
• Starling House - Alix E. Harrow
• Sun Rising: Short Stories - Ravit Helled (ed.)
• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls - Grady Hendrix
• The Legacy of Arniston House - T. L. Huchu
• Folk Horror - Paul Kane & Marie O’Regan (ed.s)
• Rose/House - Arkady Martine
• Basilisk - Graham Masterton
• Moon Falling: Short Stories - Ben Moore (ed.)
• Elemental Forces - Mark Morris (ed.)
• That Which Stands Outside - Mark Morris
• Buried Deep… and other stories - Naomi Novik
• Death of the Author - Nnedi Okorafor
• Nosferatu Unbound - Steven Paulsen & Christopher Sequeira (ed.s)
• When The Moon Hits Your Eye - John Scalzi
• Red Sonja: Consumed - Gail Simone
• Alien Clay (3rd review) - Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Shroud - Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Shroud (2nd review) - Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Tea You At The Altar - Rebecca Thorne
• To The Stars And Back: Stories In Honour of Eric Brown - Ian Whates (ed.)
• Drive or Be Driven: Stories of Travel - Aliya Whiteley

v35(3) 2025.4.15 -- Non-Fiction SF & Science Fact Book Reviews

• Time and Propinquity: An Anthology of Fiction and Philosophy - M. Sauve & D. Matthew (ed.s)
• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition - J. R. R. Tolkien

v35(2) 2025.3.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

• Cosmic Rentals (1-page PDF short story) - Dave Kavanaugh
  If you could buy a universe, what sort would you get?
  (And don't forget to scroll down below the end of the tale to get 'the story behind the story'.)
   
• The index to all of the Concatenation selection of Nature 'Futures' stories.
• The guidelines for prospective 'Futures' SF short stories authors.

v35(1) 2025.1.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Spring 2025

• Newscast for the Spring 2025. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections.  In the mix are its Film News;  Television News;  Publishing News;  General Science News  and  Forthcoming SF Books from major British Isles SF imprints for the season, among much else.
  (This edition's Facebook alert here)
   
• Best Science Fiction of 2024: books and films – SF² Concatenation team
  Each Christmas, the team puts forward their suggestions as to the best SF of the year and we list the most suggested. – It is just a bit of fun but scroll down and you'll see, with past years' performance, that it has form.
   
• What makes a Hugo-worthy novel? - The Worldcon survey – Rebecca Montgomery
  Those that attended the 2024 Glasgow Worldcon were asked what determines their Hugo nominations.
   
• Detecting warp drives – Jonathan Cowie
  Do we have the technology to detect a starship's warp drive and how far away would it work?
   
• Eurocon 2024 - Rotterdam, Netherlands – Leadie Flowers
  Around 600 attended the five programme streamed Erasmuscon Eurocon.
   
• Glasgow – The 2024 SF Virtual Worldcon – Mark Yon
  6% of the Worldcon attended online. What did they get for their registration fee? (Not the con publications.)
   
• Sci-Fi London Film Fest 2024 – Jonathan Cowie
  The 2024 Fest nearly never happened... But it did!
   
• 2024 SF Film Top Ten Chart and Other Worthies
  (All past annual film charts are archive indexed here)
   
• SF Convention Listing & Film Diary with links to con sites and film trailers
  The list of the major, fan run, national and international level, SF cons and British Isles general release film diary.
   
• Ten years ago exactly. One from the archives:
  
• Eurocon 2014 – Dublin, Ireland (2nd review) - Peter Tyers
  Interesting programme and lots of friendly people.
   
• Twenty years ago exactly. One from the archives:
  Eurocon 2004 - Bulgaria – Jim Walker
  The first Eurocon to be opened by a Head of State... and there was an astronaut in the mix too.

v35(1) 2025.1.15 -- Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews

• Lord of the Empty Isles - Jules Arbeaux
• Bookshops & Bonedust - Travis Baldree
• Januaries - Olivie Blake
• The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands (2nd review) - Sarah Brooks
• The Incubations - Ramsey Campbell
• Spirits Abroad - Zen Cho
• Sword Catcher - Cassandra Clare
• Elusive - Genevieve Cogman
• Doctor Who: Ruby Red - Georgia Cook
• Eruption - Michael Crichton & James Patterson
• Beyond & Within: Discontinue if Death Ensues - Tales from the tipping point - Carol Gyzander
• Doctor Who: 73 Yards - Scott Hancock
• Doctor Who: Rogue - Kate Herron and Briony Redman
• William Hope Hodgson: Horror Stories - William Hope Hodgson
• Cursed Under London - Gabby Hutchinson
• Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (2nd review) - Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
• Beyond & Within: Folk Horror - Paul Kane & Marie O'Regan
• Doctor Who: Death in the Stars - Bonnie Langford
• Lake of Souls: The Collected Short Fiction - Ann Leckie
• Daughter of Calamity (2nd review) - Rosalie M. Lin
• The Sky on Fire - Jenn Lyons
• Arthur Machen Horror Stories - Arthur Machen
• Doctor Who: Caged - Una McCormack
• They Stalk The Night - Brian Moreland
• Darkness Beckons - Mark Morris
• Chinese Ghost Stories - Xueting C. Ni
• The Last Song of Penelope - Claire North
• Tempered Glass - Beth Overmyer
• The First King - Shameez Patel Papathanasiou
• He Who Drowned the World - Shelley Parker-Chan
• The Book of Elsewhere - Keanu Reeves & China Miéville
• Lake of Darkness - Adam Roberts
• When the Night Falls - Glenn Rolfe
• Doctor Who: Space Babies - Alison Rumfitt
• Service Model (4th review) - Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne
• A Pirate’s Life for Tea - Rebecca Thorne
• Classic Ghost Stories - Lisa Tuttle
• Solarpunk - Francesco Verso
• Spiral - Cameron Ward

v35(1) 2025.1.15 -- Non-Fiction SF & Science Fact Book Reviews

• After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon - Greg Eghigian
• Einstein's Entanglement - W. M. Stuckely, Michael Silberstein & Timothy McDevitt

v34(7) 2024.12.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

• Fear of the Dark (1-page PDF short story) - Stephen Battersby
  When the nature of dark matter was discovered, it came with a problem...!
   
• The index to all of the Concatenation selection of Nature 'Futures' stories.
• The guidelines for prospective 'Futures' SF short stories authors.

v34(6) 2024.11.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series

• The Nana Inheritance (1-page PDF short story) - Amanda Helms
  The deathbed of your beloved grandmother isn’t really the place where you should decide who inherits her brain, but that’s what we did...

v34(5) 2024.9.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Autumn 2024

• Newscast for the Autumn 2024. This includes within it many key sections. See also the master newscast link index that connects to all its SF/F genre and science news sub-sections. (Facebook alert for this autumnal edition here. Spread the love.)
   
• How common are exo-Earths with water? – Jonathan Cowie
  Is the lack of watery, inner rocky planets an early Fermi filter? New science sheds possible light.
   
• Contabile ³₄: Triple Time – Peter Tyers
  Britain's 34th Annual UK Filk Music Convention reviewed.
   
• Levitation – The 2024 British Eastercon – Arthur Chappell
  Britain's national convention reviewed.
   
• Glasgow – The 2024 SF Worldcon – Tim Atkinson
  What's it like to attend a Worldcon for the first time?
   
• From engineer and SF fan to astronomy – Mark Paice
  Taking up astronomy as a hobby.
   
• Ten years ago exactly. One from the archives:
  My 25 years of Eurocons & ESFS – Roberto Quaglia
  After a decade as the European SF Society's Vice-Chair, Roberto reflects on a quarter of a century of Eurocons.
   
• Twenty years ago exactly. One from the archives:
  Robert Sheckley interviewed
  The SF author and Grandmaster reveals his influences, format preferences, idea sources and comments on working collaboratively.
   
• Thirty years ago exactly. One from the archives:
  More than Human: Colin Greenland, Charles Stross, Norman Spinrad & Tony Chester
  A panel discussion from the British Mexicon 5 convention in 1994.

Full 'What's New' list