Welcome back to another week at Speculative Chic! Can you believe it’s September already? I can’t, with what feels like a perpetual summer that shows no sign of slowing down here in Japan. Because of the extended heat and humidity, they’re predicting either a delay in the autumn foliage, or a marked difference in how the leaves change colors — less varied and intense, which is disappointing, as viewing koyo (紅葉) is just as much of a thing as viewing sakura. Since autumn may be potentially “meh” this year, I’m seeking out another familiar thing to get me excited for fall: Halloween! The ¥100 shops around here all started stocking their Halloween goods as soon as September 1 rolled in…and I have no complaints! I’ll take early Halloween season over early Christmas season a million times over. With that ramble of a preamble aside, let’s jump into another familiar tradition: the Weekly Roundup!
Monday
Gerald Brandt is our special guest at the MFT, and we’re excited to celebrate his latest release from DAW, The Rebel. So, what floats his boat? How about cyberpunk, replicants, old-school word processors and classic video games, and the expansive outer realms of the universe! There’s a lot more exciting things in store, so check it out!
Tuesday
R.J. reviews Claire Fitzpatrick’s newest collection of short stories, Metamorphosis. The eye-catching cover drew R.J. in — did the beautiful, haunting images deliver on their promise? How does Fitzpatrick’s prose convey the horror and power of transformation? If you’re interested in themes of rebirth and human darkness, read more of R.J.’s review here.
Wednesday
Kelly takes a look at Christina Henry’s The Girl in Red, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of “Little Red Riding Hood.” We’ve got another fabulous cover pulling our reviewer in, plus an interesting premise: in a world where the Crisis decimated a large amount of the population, and people fled to quarantine camps, there ” are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night.” Intrigued? Read on!
Thursday
Nicole reviews Paula Brackston’s The Little Shop of Found Things, a novel that blends time travel, historical intrigue, antiques, and ghosts! No stranger to Brackston, Nicole takes another spin with her work. How does this compare to her earlier work? How does Brackston balance all of these fantastical elements? Find the answers here.
Friday
Sherry continues her most epic of Resolution Projects by revisiting the Star Wars Universe — rewatching every film in the franchise! This time Sherry’s made her way to the sequels, which is perfect timing, as the final sequel will be released this December, and it’s good to be prepared! Join Sherry as she reviews Episode VII: The Force Awakens, introducing new fan favorites like Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron, and also bringing back series characters Luke, Leia, and Han Solo. To find out more, join the Force here.
Book Club
We ended our final book club discussion (before the forthcoming revamp!) with Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. Check out what our readers thought here (and there’s still time to contribute to the comments!). Meanwhile, stay tuned as we keep you posted on our Book Club reboot!
What are your fall traditions? Back-to-school shopping? Pumpkin spice lattes? Cozy, cable-knit sweaters and hot cocoa? As we journey into the peaceful autumn lands, here’s hoping you enjoy the changing of the seasons and embrace the spirit of transformation. Until next week, adventurers!
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