Who Can Argue: Fake Names, "Fake Names"

Fake Names, Fake Names (Epitaph, 2020)

This band! 

Few bands come along that represent so much global punk rock firepower. Composed of Brian Baker (Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, Minor Threat), Michael Hampton (Embrace, S.O.A.), Dennis Lyxzen (International Noise Conspiracy, Refused), Matt Schulz (Enon, Holy Fuck, Les Savy Fav), and Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside), Fake Names has not a fake name among them—an extremely impressive roster.

Last year’s follow-up EP swapped Schulz for Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring) on drums, potentially offering too much awesomeness. Why Schulz didn't merit a photo on the back cover of this album—he received just a credit mention after several lines of text—I don't know. The guy played on the Boredoms' 77 Boa Drum project, for gosh sakes.

Sonically, the resulting band—a best of the best—and record fall closest to an updated approach to the melodic hardcore and early emo of Dag Nasty, Embrace, and Soulside. The album’s back cover makes a point to highlight, “No synthesizers,” and the album was recorded without effects so the band would be able to perform the songs live without too much adjustment.

It’s an impressive combination of east coast United States and Swedish punk and hardcore concepts. In fact, building on the band’s hardcore, post-hardcore, and punk lineage, the album is perhaps more oriented toward power pop or alt-rock than old-school punk or hardcore. Self-described purists might chafe, but who can argue with this group? They’ve got the history, they’ve made the records, and with many members in their 50s now, they’ve got the chops.

The band initially formed so Baker and Hampton—who composes for commercials, television, and video games—could write songs together; Hampton hadn’t performed in a band for decades. The two then recruited Lyxzen between sets at Riot Fest in 2016. He took the songs the two had worked out and wrote lyrics.

Resonating with the politics of Bad Religion and Lyxzen’s past bands (Baker is also quite outspoken on Twitter), lyrics address themes and topics such as the alienation of consumption, class, the commodification of creativity, conformity, freedom, protest and revolution, and redemption. Baker and Hampton’s guitars mesh well melodically, and Lyxzen’s lead vocals alternate between soulful (almost edging toward dark wave on “Darkest Days” and “First Everlasting”) and strident.

Standout tracks include "All for Sale," “Brick,” “This Is Nothing,” and “Lost Cause,” which is an excellent ending to the album.  

Song of the Day: Toni Tornado, "Podes Crer, Amizade"

Channeling the Originals: Guns n' Roses, "'The Spaghetti Incident?'"

Guns n’ Roses, “The Spaghetti Incident?” (Geffen, 1993)

By the time this surprisingly sterling collection of cover songs was released, I was well over Guns n’ Roses and passed it by entirely, not that that matters to anyone. To many people, Appetite for Destruction was an important record in 1987 and subsequent years, with its full-throated Hollywood rock ‘n’ roll, the band’s street-worn gutter hair metal personas and style, and Robert Williams’s mind-blowing interior painting. Following the success of Appetite for Destruction, the band followed with G n’ R Lies—almost a pairing of two EPs, really—and the two-volume Use Your Illusion, neither quite capturing the crunch and snarl of their first album.

"The Spaghetti Incident?" was recorded over multiple sessions in multiple locations (Canoga Park! Tarzana!) while recording Use Your Illusion, intended to leaven the intensity of those sessions—as well as to tip hat to some of the bands that informed and inspired the band and its success. (The title refers to former drummer Steven Adler hiding drugs among Italian takeout containers in a Chicago refrigerator, referring to his stash as “spaghetti.”) Similar to Metallica’s The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited before it, the collection rounds up an excellent selection of songs, primarily punk, glam, and classic rock numbers (and one doo-wop song), much of which didn’t obviously translate to Guns n’ Roses’ evolving sound.

As the band said in the liner notes, “Do yourself a favor and go find the originals.” Indeed, the track list is a veritable shopping list for bands well worth listening to in depth. Bands covered include the Damned, the Dead Boys, Fear, the Misfits, Nazareth, the New York Dolls, the Sex Pistols,  the Skyliners, Soundgarden, the Stooges, Johnny Thunders, T. Rex, and the U.K. Subs. (You can explore most of the original recordings on a Spotify playlist.)

W. Axl Rose’s caterwauling vocals and Slash’s muscular guitar stand out on the recording, as one might expect, with Duff McKagan taking a turn at singing a handful of songs, including the Damned’s “New Rose,” the Stooges’ “Raw Power,” the Misfits’ “Attitude,” and Thunders’s “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory.” In fact, that last song is primarily McKagan, who didn’t just sing and play bass, but also played guitar and drums on the track. The collection’s lead single, the Dead Boys’ “Ain’t It Fun,” also featured Hanoi Rocks’ vocalist Michael Monroe paired with Rose.

The covers are relatively decent, in most cases more Guns n’ Roses than channeling the originals, though on the U.K. Subs’ “Down on the Farm,” Rose’s vocals are more straightforward, almost adopting a British accent to pay homage to the original vocal stylings. McKagan’s take on “Attitude” and the cover of Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You” is also pretty true to the originals. Several of the songs include playful innovations that occasionally come off as goofy. Dizzy Reed’s rollicking keyboards on “Raw Power” are delightful. Rose’s keyboards on the Skyliners’ “Since I Don’t Have You” are dreamily spacey—particularly at the end—and might deserve further experimentation. But his kazoo work on the New York Dolls’ “Human Being,” while initially tasteful and true to the original's saxophone, comes off at the end as somewhat silly. (It is, after all, the kazoo.)

Not included on the track list is a cover of Charles Manson’s “Look at Your Game, Girl,” which ends the album. Even though the song’s inclusion was downplayed—the track was not included on reviewers’ advance tapes and Manson received no credit or mention on the record—it proved controversial, prompting a response from law enforcement and victims rights groups. To make up for the gaffe, Rose donated royalties to a nonprofit environmental organization, royalties were donated to the son of a Manson victim, and Geffen Records donated its royalties share to the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau.

As an album, the collection is a worthy endnote to Guns n’ Roses original lineup. Izzy Stradlin and Adler had already left the band, and Stradlin’s guitar parts were reportedly re-recorded by Gilby Clarke. It was also the last record to feature Slash, McKagan, and Matt Sorum, whose drumming is quite impressive throughout.

News of the Genres

The following articles and stories related to science fiction, fantasy, and horror recently appeared in various news sources online. An asterisk indicates that the article is of particular interest.

9 Indie Sci-Fi Games With The Best Queer Representation (The Gamer, July 11, 2022)

In rebellion against the cruel present, queer games look to the future.

10 Fantasy Tropes That Redditors Are Done With (Screen Rant, July 10, 2022)

Films like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings may be beloved to fans, but Redditors have found that they contain some worn-out tropes.

* 11 Must-Read Filipino Sci-Fi Books (Book Riot, June 15, 2022)

The Absolute Best Sci-Fi TV Shows on Netflix (CNet, July 10, 2022)

Find a huge range of impeccable sci-fi series on Netflix.

* A Beginner’s Guide to Using (and Exploding) Horror Tropes (CrimeReads, July 11, 2022)

"A trope can be as complex and metaphorical as a labyrinthine haunted house, or as a simple as the image of a bloody knife."

Blake Crouch No Longer Believes in Science Fiction (Time, July 6, 2022)

Bong Joon-ho names his favourite horror film directors of all time (Far Out, July 12, 2022)

* Carl Sagan’s Love/Hate Relationship with Intelligent Design (Evolution News, July 12, 2022)

Dystopian dramas, dark fantasy and chance encounters await at Jerusalem Film Fest (The Times of Israel, July 12, 2022)

The annual summer event includes a wide selection of Israeli and international films, along with outdoor screenings and conversations with filmmakers around Jerusalem

Exclusive: Jenna Cato Bass and Babalwa Baartman Discuss Their South African Horror Film Good Madam (Movieweb, July 12, 2022)

Jenna Cato Bass and Babalwa Baartman discuss their film Good Madam, which uses horror to dig deeper into South African society.

The Fantasy of the Middle Ages (The J. Paul Getty Museum)

* ‘The folklore lends itself to it’: Ireland’s horror films find mainstream success (The Guardian, July 10, 2022)

Country’s film industry makes 20 horrors in last six years, as directors channel the vampires and banshees of traditional tales

* A Great Science Fiction Writer Underwhelms With Climate (The Federalist, June 17, 2022)

Celebrated science fiction writer Neal Stephenson’s latest novel on climate change has lots of interesting asides on technology, but little excitement and flat characters.

Horror Business: Legendary Actress Lisa Wilcox Talks Career, Creative Evolution and “the Bloody Man” (Icon vs. Icon, July 12, 2022)

* The Italian Horror Movie That Secretly Influenced Tarantino's Death Proof (Screen Rant, July 12, 2022)

Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof was inspired by many different '70s car chase movies, but it also drew heavily from one classic Italian horror movie.

Jordan Peele Says ‘Nope’ “Transcends the Horror Genre” (FanBolt, July 12, 2022)

* Ni Kuang, Prolific Hong Kong Novelist and Screenwriter, Dies at 87 (New York Times, July 7, 2022)

Best known for fantastical thrillers that doubled as political allegories, he also wrote hundreds of martial arts films for Bruce Lee and others.

* On the Life of Czech Sci-Fi Author Karel Čapek, the Man Who Coined the Term “Robot” (Literary Hub, July 12, 2022)

From The History of Literature Podcast with Jacke Wilson

* Sci-Fi And Fantasy Kids Movies You Thought Were A Fever Dream (Slash Film, July 11, 2022)

Thrills Are Brewing At Coffee Shop Of Horrors, A Horror-Themed Coffee Shop In Florida (Only in Your State, July 12, 2022)

This Hugo-Nominated Story Written in Text Messages Is Devastating (The Mary Sue, July 12, 2022)

Just read it right now!

This Viral Nuclear-Powered Flying Hotel Is Pure Science Fiction (Popular Mechanics, July 12, 2022)

Like Peter Pan, the flying hotel can Never, Never Land.

Welcome to a Science-Fiction Planet (Counterpunch, June 17, 2022)

* When Italian design was science fiction (Domus, July 9, 2022)

What are Joe Colombo and Vico Magistretti doing in Space: 1999? In the Sixties and Seventies sci-fi sets, from the most expensive TV series to the cheapest of B-movies, were furnished with the icons of Italian design, which at the time looked as something coming straight from the future.

Zack Kaplan, Science Fiction Writer (PBS, June 26, 2022)

Writer Zack Kaplan discusses sci-fi as allegory, adapting his comics for television and his latest series “Metal Society.” He has written for DC, Dark Horse and Image Comics.

Song of the Day: Les Paul and Mary Ford, "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise"

A Turn Toward Country: Social Distortion, "Prison Bound"

Social Distortion, Prison Bound CD (Time Bomb, 1988)

By the time this record first came out on Restless Records, Social Distortion had firmly emerged as one of the better-known Southern California punk bands. The band’s reputation depended on very little recorded output—several singles (including two on Posh Boy), the excellent 1983 album Mommy’s Little Monster, and an appearance in the documentary Another State of Mind, which captured the band’s challenging 1982 tour with Youth Brigade.

With that little documentation (even though not every band gets a documentary film), a quiet spell of five years—including rehab and recovery—could easily spell the end of many a band. But over the course of those five years, a combination of Mike Ness’s turn toward sobriety, persistent radio cheerleading from local DJs such as Rodney Bingenheimer, and a savvy—but not seismic—shift away from the initial Orange County punk rock of the band’s initial recordings helped open a new path to the future of Social Distortion.

That shift can be primarily attributed to the addition of two new band members, bassist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece, who helped provide increased personnel stability well into the mid-1990s and the turn of the century; and Ness and Dennis Danell fine tuning their songwriting skills to incorporate elements of country, blues, and other American roots music. Not only does Social Distortion energetically cover the Rolling Stones’ “Back Street Girl” on the album (as “Backstreet Girl”), there’s another Stones reference in the lyrics to “On My Nerves” and a reference to Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” in the title track.

Before Prison Bound, the band had had four different bassists (Danell switched to rhythm guitar in the early 1980s) and four different drummers, including Orange County punk rock stalwart Rikk Agnew, who went on to play with the Adolescents, Christian Death, and D.I. Even with the turn toward country inflections and what some have termed “cowpunk,” the band stayed true to its Orange County punk roots, and Prison Bound was recorded at Casbah Studio in Fullerton, Calif., which also recorded material by the Adolescents, Agent Orange, the Cadillac Tramps, and the Vandals. When the studio closed briefly in the early 1990s after cofounder Charles “Chaz” Ramirez’s accidental death, Social Distortion rented the space and continued to use it as a rehearsal and recording space. Casbah has since reopened as a recording studio in downtown Fullerton, operated by cofounder Jon St. James.

In terms of songwriting, Ness contributed five of the album’s 10 tracks, with Danell cowriting an additional four. (The Stones’ cover rounds out the album.) The opening track, “It’s the Law,” opens with a delicious bit of squelch before the countrified chords kick in. And it is Ness’s vocals and the dual guitars that drive the sound throughout. “Like an Outlaw (for You)” and “No Pain No Gain” ably incorporate Frankie Laine- and Ennio Morricone-like country and western elements to showcase the change in tonality, and the band stops shy of leaning too far towards the rockabilly revival active elsewhere in the Los Angeles area at the time. Lyrics focus on addiction, crime and punishment, expectations, and pain and irritation.

Prison Bound is a worthwhile listen, impressive as a whole as well as individual songs—though Social Distortion didn’t return to releasing singles until it reached a major label. Despite a couple of songs that briefly look backward (“On My Nerves” and “I Want What I Want” are slightly more punk than the other tracks’ forceful roots-oriented stylings.), the record firmly asserted what would become the band’s hallmark sound, strongly led by Ness’s vocals. Not that his vocals matter more than anything else, but in a way, they do. That man can sing, and I am glad that he saved—and secured the legacy of—his voice. Ness had indeed been prison bound.

New Issues of Faculae & Filigree and Telegraphs & Tar Pits

Bill Burns has archived several editions of my apazines Faculae & Filigree and Telegraphs & Tar Pits in eFanzines. Now available:

• Faculae & Filigree #12
• Faculae & Filigree #13
• Telegraphs & Tar Pits #19
• Telegraphs & Tar Pits #20
• Telegraphs & Tar Pits #21
• Telegraphs & Tar Pits #22

Thank you, Bill!

Song of the Day: Eddie and the Valiants, "Please Come Home"

The Romantic Starchild: Kiss, "Paul Stanley"

Kiss, Paul Stanley CD (Mercury, 1978)

In 1978, after the release of million-selling Alive II the previous year—and while they were producing their television movie, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park—the members of Kiss each released a solo album. Each record featured a portrait of the individual member painted by Eraldo Carogati and included an insert poster that, when combined with the others in the series of solo albums, formed a mural of the band in all its rock ‘n’ roll glory. As a young, grade school-aged record buyer, my only piece of that mural (the Paul Stanley piece, I believe)—as well as the oversized poster included with 1979’s Dynasty—ranked among my prized possessions.

According to a 2020 Rocking in the Norselands article, the band’s solo records were in part contractual obligations but also offered the hard-rocking and -working foursome some time off from the band and an opportunity to exert more creative control as individuals. Kiss members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were particularly frustrated with their limited creative input to the most popular band in America.

Guitarist and romantic Starchild Paul Stanley’s nine-song outing featured all original songs, most of them written by Stanley but several cowritten with Mikel Japp, a Welsh musician who also wrote songs for Kiss and British rock act The Babys. Perhaps the most Kiss-like of the four solo albums, the resulting songs suggest that Stanley was quite satisfied with his creative involvement. While slightly slower and more mellow than some Kiss records, there are a couple of notable songs among the playlist.

“Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me?” might be my favorite track. Though no one else from Kiss performs on the album, it’s pretty much a Kiss song but also feels adjacent to power pop or musicians such as Elvis Costello or Cheap Trick. I can easily imagine another band covering it without embarrassment. Later in the album, “It’s Alright” is also a simple, rollicking pleaser that very much feels within Kiss’ wheelhouse.

Unfortunately, despite a marketing investment by Casablanca Records of $2.5 million, the records didn’t do that well. Stanley’s sides reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200 and haven’t really had any lasting impact beyond the release of four solo records on the same day. (Green Day’s 2012 trilogy of albums Uno!, Dos!, and Tre! gently approached the concept.) Some critics contend that the solo albums and TV movie signify the beginning of the end of the band’s massive popularity.

Besides, what better way to test the mettle and popularity of a band’s members individually than to release solo albums at the same time? Stack ranking their sales is a natural next step. Similar to reality TV shows such as Survivor, it’s a savvy and not-so-subtle way to thin the herd and identify top talent. A 2021 Spinditty piece suggests that that might not be too far off the mark: “​​[T]he band was beginning to rot from the inside. As Kiss got bigger, interpersonal relationships between the four members were getting progressively worse. Where once the quartet's motto had been ‘All for one, one for all,’ their massive success had seemingly given each member a new philosophy: ‘What's in it for me?’” 

It wasn’t that many years before Criss and Frehley departed Kiss, with Gene Simmons and Stanley remaining to align with a number of largely interchangeable members for future releases. Criss and Frehley both eventually returned in the late 1990s to reprise the classic lineup.

Perhaps to bolster his position on the island that was Kiss, Stanley didn’t stack his solo release with an all-star cast of performers and didn’t include any cover songs. The backup band, while far from nobodies, stopped short of posing any risk to or eclipsing Stanley’s talent. Guitarist Bob Kulick, who had auditioned for Kiss but was passed by for Frehley, played uncredited on several Kiss releases and also performed with Meat Loaf’s touring band and W.A.S.P. (Interestingly, Kulick’s brother Bruce later joined Kiss.) Guitarist Steve Lacey also performed on Gene Simmons’s solo record before turning to composition.

Bassist Steve Buslow also played with Meat Loaf, as well as Bonnie Tyler, while bassist Eric Nelson recorded several records with Nick Gilder. Drummer Richie Fontana played with Laura Branigan, while drummer Craig Krampf established a relatively impressive career as a session musician with Steve Perry, Kim Carnes, The Motels, and Alice Cooper. And piano man Doug (“The Gling”) Katsaros went on to score for animated series such as Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! and The Tick.

Of the personnel on Stanley’s solo album, Carmine Appice—who only played on one track, the dreamily yearning “Take Me Away (Together As One)”—offers the most impressive, wide-ranging, and long-lasting resume as a musician. Dating back to the 1960s, Appice performed and recorded with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod Stewart, King Kobra, and others, also releasing solo recordings of his own. He remains active to this day, and Cactus’ Tightrope came out just last year.

What was Appice doing hiding on Stanley’s solo album, gracing just a single song? He might be the best musician ever to perform in Kiss, even if briefly, almost an afterthought. Listen to that song, paying close attention, just to appreciate Appice’s drum work.

News of the Genres

The following articles and stories related to science fiction, fantasy, and horror recently appeared in various news sources online. An asterisk indicates that the article is of particular interest.

3 science fiction icons who appeared on Star Trek in some form (Fansided/Redshirts Always Die, July 5, 2022)

7 New Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movies to Watch in July 2022 (CBR, July 3, 2022)
July 2022 is bringing sci-fi and fantasy fans big-name studio releases that break genre boundaries and more traditional fare to dive into.

The 8 Worst Apocalypse Bunkers in Science Fiction (Gizmodo, July 4, 2022)

9 Iconic Black Characters In Horror Movie History (Collider, July 3, 2022)
These Black characters defy horror movie tropes!

The 13 Best Fourth of July Horror Flicks, from ‘Jaws’ to ‘The Purge’ (IndieWeb, July 4, 2022)
Stars, stripes, and slashers perfect for "a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July."

20 Tired Science-Fiction Tropes (That Still Have Life In Them) (Cracked, June 15, 2022)

50 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All Time (Rolling Stone, March 12, 2020)
From superhero shows and space operas to creepy anthology series, the greatest small-screen sci-fi of all time

'80s Horror Movies that Used 3D Technology (MovieWeb, July 6, 2022)
3D films experienced a massive resurgence in the '80s. Here are some horror films from that time that used 3D in that wave.

Are Bigger Budgets Worse For Horror Movies? (GameRant, July 5, 2022)
Most movie genres are dominated by films with the biggest price tags, but horror seems to have a special place for the cheap stuff.

The Best New Fantasy Books of July 2022 (Paste, July 1, 2022)

The Best New Horror Movie Scream Queens For the Modern Era (MovieWeb, July 6, 2022)
Scream queens are an important part of horror movies. Here are a few actresses who have become a part of this group in the last couple of years.

The best new science fiction books — carry on screaming (Financial Times, July 3, 2022)
From a Gothic, Dickensian fantasy to a comedic Scottish dystopia, plus Marvel Comics and a reimagining of an HG Wells classic

Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy TV Series Inspired by Real-World History and Mythology (MovieWeb, July 5, 2022)
From Arcane and the Industrial Revolution to Game of Thrones and War of the Roses, these sci-fi/fantasy TV are based on real history and mythology.

Book talk: Fantasy and science fiction novels (Canberra Weekly, July 2, 2022)

Can minds persist when they are cut off from the world? (Live Science, July 6, 2022)
Could we ever create a brain-in-a-vat?

Cat People (1982) Revisited – Horror Movie Review (JoBlo, July 6, 2022)

Disney's Animated Science Fiction Movies Ranked (/Film, June 16, 2022)

The Episode of ‘Masters of Horror’ Too Extreme to Air in the US (Collider, July 6, 2022)
Americans apparently like their horror sanitized

‘Epoch-making’ author Ni Kuang, who put Asian stamp on science fiction, dies in Hong Kong at age 87 (South China Morning Post, July 3, 2022)
Ni rose to fame in the 1960s with his Wisely Series and went on to write hundreds of celebrated novels and screenplays
He was regarded as part of a trio of leading Chinese authors, and his death has sparked tributes from friends and artists

Every Sci-Fi Movie Reference in Lightyear (CBR, July 1, 2022)
Pixar's Lightyear is packed to the brim with references to classic science-fiction films, taking inspiration from some of the genre's very best.

Exploring Reflections of Modern Capitalism within Science Fiction (Counterpunch, July 3, 2022)
A Bleak Future

The Floating Continent Trope Of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Explained (GameRant, July 4, 2022)
Setting is everything in a science fiction or fantasy story, and the idea of a land mass floating through the clouds is more common than others.

Folk Horror Is The Genre We Need Right Now, And Here's Where To Start Watching (Looper, July 5, 2022)

From the Antarctic to Outer Space: 10 Iconic, Spine-tingling Horror Movie Settings (Collider, July 5, 2022)
Location, location, location…

The Glaring Flaw in 'For All Mankind' (Pajiba, July 6, 2022)

Hong Kong science fiction writer Ni Kuang dies aged 87 (Focus Taiwan, July 4, 2022)

Horror fans are battling it out to decide who are the genre’s best female villains (We Got This Covered, July 6, 2022)

The Horror Legend Behind The Black Phone's Unsettling Mask (Looper, July 5, 2022)

How games creators are using fantasy as a force for liberation (Financial Times, July 5, 2022)
Developers are rethinking a genre that until now has been dominated by tropes of conquest and colonialism

How Instagram Helps One Science Fiction Fan Sell Books (SciFiEd)

How 'Rubikon' Navigates the Challenges of Telling a Confined Science Fiction Story (Collider, July 2, 2022)
Despite a promising premise, the film becomes too defined by its limitations as opposed to its ability to tell a story within them.

July's List of New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Is Here, and It's Huge (Gizmodo, July 4, 2022)
56 new page-turners set in outer space, fantasy realms, and just-slightly-off versions of our world to add to your summer reading list.

Lincoln Michel on the Pulpy, Rollicking, Resonant Early Sci-Fi of John Wyndham (Literary Hub, July 6, 2022)
Way Back in 1936, Stowaway to Mars Asked: “Does man rule machine or do machines rule man?”

Marshall author publishes new fantasy book (Fox 17, July 5, 2022)

Missing Foundation? Here are five sci-fi sagas while we wait for season two (TechRadar, July 6, 2022)
Something to tide you over until the return of Brother Day

​​The most exciting films at Fantasia this year (AIPT, July 6, 2022)
Just a sample of what we are looking forward to.

Netflix greenlights a 'Stranger Things' spin-off series to help build a franchise (Reuters, July 6, 2022)

The Next Time I Die: Exclusive Excerpt of Jason Starr's Science Fiction Thriller (IGN, June 22, 2022)
Read the first three chapters of the high-concept thriller that's headed to streaming.

The Otolith Group's Science Fiction of the Present (Ocula, July 6, 2022)

Outer Sight: The Best Science Fiction Books You’ve Never Heard Of (Book Riot, June 15, 2022)

Peacock has canceled an award-winning fantasy epic and fans are up in arms (TechRadar, July 4, 2022)
The streaming service has plugged the plug.

Science fiction meets science fact: The robots of ancient India (Hindustan Times, July 1, 2022)
Ancient India had a rich literature featuring stories about robots that was originally written in Sanskrit and then translated into Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Tocharian, and Pali

Top 10 Horror Movie Remakes, According To Ranker (ScreenRant, July 5, 2022)
A remake of any movie can be a hit or miss, but some do hit the mark, and Ranker users voted for what they felt were good horror movie remakes.

Virginia Man's Reason For Police Chase Is Straight Out Of Science Fiction (HuffPost, June 30, 2022)
The driver, Thomas W. Lee, also claimed he stole a car for the chase because he "was tired of walking."

Why Are So Many Fantasy Series About War? (Book Riot, July 6, 2022)

​​Why 'The Amityville Horror' Just Won't Die (Collider, July 4, 2022)
How a simple ghost story became a cultural phenomenon.

YouTube flags horror video as “for kids,” won’t let creator change rating (Ars Technica, July 5, 2022)
Found-footage horror channel Local58TV isn't for kids, but YouTube disagrees.

Genre Films on Turner Classic Movies: July 2022

The following science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies, shorts, serials, and cartoons are scheduled for broadcast on Turner Classic Movies in July, according to TCM’s Web site. All times listed are ET. Please check your local listings before tuning in.

July 2—3 a.m.: Repo Man (1984), 9:30 a.m.: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe—The Destroying Ray (1940), 10:07 a.m.: Bomba the Jungle Boy (1949)

July 5—8:30 a.m.: Cat People (1942), 9:45 a.m.: The Curse of the Cat People (1944), 11 a.m.: The Seventh Victim (1943)

July 8—8 p.m.: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), 9:45 p.m.: The Thing (1982), 11:45 p.m.: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

July 9—2 a.m.: The Velvet Vampire (1971), 3:30 a.m.: The Hunger (1983), 8 a.m.: Animation—Officer Pooch (1941), 9:30 a.m.: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe—The Palace of Horror (1940), 10 a.m.: Animation—Popalong Popeye (1952), 10:08 a.m.: Bomba on Panther Island (1949)

July 11—4:15 p.m.: The Golden Arrow (1964)

July 14—12:30 p.m.: Atlas (1961), 2 p.m.: The Slave (1962), 3:45 p.m.: Clash of the Titans (1981), 6 p.m.: Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981)

July 15—3:30 a.m.: Death Curse of Tartu (1966)

July 16—3:15 a.m.: They Live (1988), 8 a.m.: Animation—Little Buck Cheeser (1937), 9:30 a.m.: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe—Flaming Death (1940), 10 a.m.: Animation—Shuteye Popeye (1952), 10:08 a.m.: The Lost Volcano (1950), 1:45 p.m.: The Boy with Green Hair (1948), 3:15 p.m.: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

July 18—8 p.m.: Tommy (1975)

July 19—7:45 a.m.: The Mysterious Island (1929), 11:15 a.m.: Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1970), 1:15 p.m.: Master of the World (1961), 3 p.m.: From the Earth to the Moon (1958), 4:45 p.m.: Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

July 20—12 a.m.: Curse of the Demon (1958)

July 21—3 p.m.: Beyond Tomorrow (1940), 9:30 p.m.: It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955), 11 p.m.: Tentacles (1977)

July 22—1 a.m.: Warlords of Atlantis (1978)

July 23—1:45 a.m.: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), 3:30 a.m.: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 8 a.m.: Animation—The Little Goldfish (1939), 9:30 a.m.: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe—The Land of the Dead (1940), 10 a.m.: Animation—Swimmer Take All (1952), 10:08 a.m.: The Hidden City (1950), 12 p.m.: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

July 25—9:30 a.m.: The Woman in White (1948), 3:15 p.m.: The Green Slime (1969)

July 26—9:30 a.m.: Hands of a Stranger (1962)

July 27—4 a.m.: Brainstorm (1965), 8:15 a.m.: The Satan Bug (1965), 10:15 a.m.: The Frozen Dead (1967)

July 28—8 p.m.: Mysterious Island (1961), 10 p.m.: Gojira (1954), 11:45 p.m.: The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

July 29—1:15 a.m.: The Lost Continent (1968), 2:45 a.m.: Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961), 4 a.m.: The Giant Behemoth (1959), 7 a.m.: Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), 6:30 p.m.: The Boy with Green Hair (1948), 11:15 p.m.: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

July 30—8 a.m.: Animation—Little Tinker (1948), 9:30 a.m.: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe—The Fiery Abyss (1940), 10 a.m.: Animation—Tots of Fun (1952), 10:08 a.m.: The Lion Hunters (1951), 12 p.m.: Tarzan, the Ape Man (1932), 4 p.m.: The Time Machine (1960)

Song of the Day: Carla Bley and Steve Swallow, "Soon I Will Be Done With The Troubles Of The World"