Author: Marion Deeds

[Reposted from Deedsandwords.com with permission.]

I paid #3.99 to watch Morbius. The price was about right. I don’t know the character from the comic books, but I’d seen a few articles and reviews so I knew that a doctor turned into a super-vampire.

Michael Morbius has a rare genetic condition that leaves him weak and likely to die young. He vows to find a cure. In the Greek hospital/hospice where he lives (he’s about 12) he befriends a younger boy with the same disease. the kid’s name is Lucien, but Morbius dubs him “Milo.” “You’re just the next Milo,” he says.

Next week, August 3, will be a single-topic column.

Jordan Peele’s adult horror movie Nope opened to $44 million at the box office.

Marvel revealed the first Wakanda Forever trailer at San Diego Comic-Con.

Jenny Hamilton reviews Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater at Tor.com.

The site also shares upcoming August releases.

File770 interviews Nicole Michell, a jazz musician and composer who has created a suite of works inspired by Octavia Butler’s XENOGENESIS TRILOGY.

Even if you’re not a Jane Austen fan, you might enjoy this acerbic (and perceptive) review of the new Netflix adaptation of Persuasion. On the other hand, The Mary Sue speaks for the defense.

No, you haven’t seen enough images from the James Webb Space Telescope yet, so here are some more.

R.L. Stein is considered the founding father of kids’ horror, and GOOSEBUMPS turns 30 this year. The writer considers the legacy of the series.

Eric Flint passed away earlier this month.

It’s officially been summer for two weeks now. What do you want to read for summer? Molly Templeton shares her thoughts on summer reading for grown-ups at Tor.com.

In this Ask the Smithsonian column, a reader asks about a science fiction writer the magazine admires, and they recommend Octavia Butler. (You can also learn why only men’s bikes have the crossbars.)

I don’t think I’ve done a book design link in a while. This Book Riot article has taught me to look underneath the book jacket,