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After much debate (and some requests) I have signed up with crowdfunding service Patreon to better support future blogging efforts. You can find my Patreon page here and more information after the jump.

Blogging Roundup: 31 March to 31 July 2026

 

The Wertzone

News

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope launches on 20 August

• Amazon's Warhammer 40,000 project recruits Mike Flanagan

• Bethesda confirm Fallout remasters and new games from themselves and Obsidian Entertainment

• First trailer for Dune: Part Three released

• VERY STRONG RUMOUR: Obsidian Entertainment to develop a new Fallout game

• Avatar: The Last Airbender sequel movie gets a trailer

• Nivalis gets new trailer, name and release date

• Russell T. Davies leaves Doctor Who (again), 2026 Christmas Special cancelled

• Subterranean Press to shut down

• Creative Assembly unveils Alien: Isolation 2

• Square confirm Final Fantasy VII: Revelation for early 2027 release, completing the Remake Trilogy

• The Witcher III to get a new expansion, eleven years after the last one

• The world's most expensive video game, Star Citizen, crosses the billion dollar mark

• Peter Jackson hints that films based on Tolkien's Silmarillion may be possible

• Warhorse Studios confirm they are making an open-world Middle-earth game

• New China Mieville novel gets cover art and blurb

Features

• RIP Anthony Stewart Head

• RIP John Blanche

• Brandon Sanderson & Joe Abercrombie talk fantasy in London

• RIP Michael Keating

Reviews

• Pillars of Eternity

• I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

• Star City: Season 1

• Murderbot: Season 1

• Unseen Academics by Terry Pratchett

• Widow's Bay: Season 1

• Daredevil: Born Again - Season 1

• Person of Interest: Season 5

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

• Making Money by Terry Pratchett

• Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

• Tempest Rising

• Person of Interest: Season 4

• Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files - Volume 04

• Person of Interest: Season 3

• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files - Volume 03

• Person of Interest: Season 2

• Citizen Sleeper

Blogging Roundup: 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026

 

The Wertzone

News

• Tor Books release the rights to The Sword of Shadows series by JV Jones, allowing new publishers to come on board or self-publishing

• Ultra-long web saga The Wandering Inn to get physical releases starting this autumn

• For All Mankind renewed for sixth and final season

• Peter Jackson to produce yet another frankly unnecessary Lord of the Rings film

• Firefly animated TV series in development

• Hulu passes on Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series after shooting a pilot

• Two missing Doctor Who episodes recovered

• Cast of Firefly tease possible reunion

• Red Dwarf co-creator returns to franchise after thirty years with new novel

• Royal Shakespeare Company confirms launch of Game of Thrones: The Mad King for Summer 2026

• Pinnacle Entertainment launches Deadlands 30th Anniversary Kickstarter

• Baldur's Gate TV series in development at HBO from Last of Us team

• Sales of A Song of Ice and Fire surpass 100 million

• Hugh Cook's epic Chronicles of an Age of Darkness series returns to print

• Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere setting picked up for adaptation by Apple TV

• Blake's 7 reboot in development

• New Malazan novel, Legacies of Betrayal, slated for October 2026 release

• Kathleen Kennedy steps down as the head of Lucasfilm

• Hosting an event with Peter F. Hamilton in late January

• Total War: Warhammer 40,000 announced

• Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic announced

• Brandon Sanderson hits 50 million sales

• Creative Assembly announce Total War: Medieval III, confirm another game announcement for next week

• Tor Books passes on completing JV Jones's Sword of Shadows series, author to pursue self-publishing

• RUMOUR: Something may be up with Half-Life 3

• Paramount shelves the Star Trek "Kelvinverse" permanently

• Mass Effect TV series to be an original story set after the original video game trilogy

• China Mieville announces new novel, The Rouse, for 2026

Features

• RIP Nicholas Brendan

• RIP Dan Simmons

• RIP Rob Grant

• RIP Jean Rabe

• A Preview of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

• Doctor Who Review Index (2025)

• A revised Malazan reading order

Reviews

• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Volume 02

• Age of Mythology: Retold

• Slow Gods by Claire North

• Person of Interest: Season 1

• Relics of Ruin by Erin Evans

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Season 1

• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Volume 01

• Dispatch

• Pluribus: Season 1

• Empire of Exiles by Erin Evans

• Sniper Elite 3

• Red Dead Redemption

• Doctor Who: Season 26 and the TV Movie

• The Outer Worlds 2

• Doctor Who: Season 25

• Forge of the High Mage by Ian Cameron Esslemont

• Doctor Who: Season 24

• Doctor Who: Season 23 - The Trial of a Time Lord

• No Life Forsaken by Steven Erikson

• Doctor Who: Season 22

Hosting an event with Peter F. Hamilton in late January

I'm hosting an event with SF author Peter F. Hamilton at Waterstones Book Store in Colchester, Essex on 21 January (in the UK).

I don't often host events, and almost never outside of a convention, so this will be a change of pace. I've also known Peter for a good decade and been reading his work for close to thirty years, so it'll probably be an interesting discussion.

The main focus of the event will the physical release of A Hole in the Sky and the other books in his Arkship Trilogy, which was previously an audio exclusive, but I daresay we'll cover the rest of his career and his current project, the Exodus duology, tying in with the forthcoming video game.

If you're interested in attending, the details can be found hither.

Blogging Roundup: 1 September to 1 November 2025

 

The Wertzone

News

• Doctor Who to return with new special in 2026, ends partnership with Disney
• RUMOUR: One missing Doctor Who episode has been located
• Yellowjackets to end with its fourth season
• Trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms released
• Star Trek fans finally get the Battle of Wolf 359 they were denied in the 1990s
• New Star Trek video game will let you decide whether to murder Tuvix or not
• Next Star Wars movie gets its first trailer
• Pinnacle Entertainment launches Deadlands: The Dark Ages Kickstarter
• Daniel Abraham provides update on final Kithamar Trilogy novel

Reviews

• The Forest
• Thud! by Terry Pratchett
• Doctor Who: Season 21
• Alien: Earth - Season 1
• Doctor Who: Season 20
• Doctor Who: Season 19
• Titanfall 2 (campaign)
• Doctor Who: Season 18
• Doctor Who: Season 17
• House of the Dragon: Season 2
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition
• Wheel World
• Foundation: Season 3
• Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
• Doctor Who: Season 16 - The Key to Time

Atlas of Ice and Fire

• A World Map of Carnival Row

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, pleae consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods.

Blogging Roundup: 1 June to 1 September 2025

News

• Updated sales figures for Brandon Sanderson and Sarah J. Maas revealed
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV announced
• First trailer for Fallout Season 2 revealed
• Original planned author of the Dragonlance Chronicles not announced for the very first time (debunked)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel legacy show announces main cast
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 confirmed to be in production
• Mel Brooks to return with Spaceballs 2
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to end with shorter fifth season
• Trailer for Alien: Earth released
• Owlcat developing Expanse video game inspired by Mass Effect
• Mass Effect TV series gains showrunner, moving forwards
• Joe Abercrombie's The Devils optioned by James Cameron

Reviews

• Doctor Who: Season 15
• Doctor Who: Season 14
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• Foundation: Season 2
• Doctor Who: Season 13
• Doctor Who: Season 12
• Doctor Who: Season 11
• Doctor Who: Season 10
• This is Free Trader Beowulf: A System History of Traveller by Shannon Appelcline
• Doctor Who: Season 9
• Doctor Who: Season 8
• Doctor Who: Season 7
• Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
• Doctor Who: Series 15 (Season 41)
• The Alters
• Doctor Who: Series 14 (Season 40)
• The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Doctor Who: Series 13 (Season 39) - Flux

Articles

• Where to Start: Traveller Buyer's Guide
• Franchise Familiariser: Traveller
• RIP Jim Shooter
• Where to Start with Classic Doctor Who?

 

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods.

Blogging Roundup: 1 March to 1 June 2025

 

The Wertzone

News

• Doctor Who springs shocking season cliffhanger
• Wheel of Time TV series cancelled after three seasons
• JV Jones answering fan questions on Reddit tomorrow
• Yellowjackets renewed for Season 4
• Updated version of original STALKER trilogy to be released next week
• Grand Theft Auto VI delayed to May 2026, as was foretold in the ancient texts
• Philip Pullman's final Book of Dust novel, The Rose Field, will be released this October
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered announced and released
• Bethesda to announce The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered tomorrow
• Star Wars: Zero Company announced
• Mighty board game series Command & Colors licences Star Wars
• Iconic fantasy cartographer Karen Wynn Fonstad's maps are looking for a new home
• No Life Forsaken, the new Malazan novel by Steven Erikson, gets release date
• First trailer for Murderbot released
• Doctor Who celebrates 20th anniversary of its revival
• Terry Brooks announces semi-retirement from writing
• JV Jones completes Endlords, the penultimate Sword of Shadows novel

Reviews

• Andor: Season 2
• Doctor Who: Series 12 (Season 38)
• The Rose in Darkness by Danie Ware
• The Last of Us Part II
• Atomfall
• Tactical Breach Wizards
• A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
• Avowed
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Articles

• RIP Peter David
• RIP Jean Marsh

Atlas of Ice and Fire

• Iconic fantasy cartographer Karen Wynn Fonstad’s maps are looking for a new home

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods.

Blogging Roundup: 1 December 2024 to 1 March 2025

 

The Wertzone

News

• SKYBLIVION developers re-commit to 2025 release
• Warner Brothers shuts down iconic studio Monolith Productions
• Akiva Goldsman developing three Irwin Allen reboots for television
• Amazon resurrects CULTURE TV project, based on the Iain M. Banks novels
• Netflix and Wizards of the Coast put FORGOTTEN REALMS TV series into development
• BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER legacy sequel series in development
• Netflix's THE SANDMAN to end with Season 2
• Rebecca Yarros sells 12 million copies of her EMPYREAN series in under two years
• New MURDERBOT editions criticised for poor quality
• Further allegations against Neil Gaiman emerge
• Martha Wells's MURDERBOT DIARIES series gets omnibus editions
• CD Projet Red formally announces THE WITCHER IV
• Glenn Cook to publish four new BLACK COMPANY novels
• Games Workshop & Amazon agree to proceed with a WARHAMMER 40,000 screen project

Reviews

• The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
• Age of Empires II Definitive Edition Chronicles: Battle for Greece
• Exodus: The Archimedes Engine by Peter F. Hamilton
• Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
• System Collapse by Martha Wells
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Wind & Truth by Brandon Sanderson
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
• Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier
• The History of the World Begins in Ice by Kate Elliott
• Fear the Walking Dead: Season 1

Articles

• RIP Michelle Trachtenberg
• RIP Viktor Antonov
• RIP Chris Moore
• RIP David Lynch
• The Longest SFF Novels of All Time (2025 update)

Atlas of Ice and Fire

• Pathfinder: A World Map of Golarion

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods.

I'm on BlueSky!

Yes, I am at The New Place as well.

I remain active on the existing platforms for the time being, but with a huge number of my contacts setting up shop over on BlueSky, it seemed logical to set up an account there as well.

Blogging Roundup: 1 May to 1 September 2024

 

The Wertzone

News

• Brandon Sanderson achieves another Kickstarter success
• New Guy Gavriel Kay novel confirmed for 2025
• Warner Brothers releases trailer for LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM
• BLAKE'S 7 to get Blu-Ray release with new model vfx
• Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter to star onstage in WAITING FOR GODOT
• NBC and Peacock drop BATTLESTAR GALACTICA reboot reboot plans
• Further allegations against Neil Gaiman emerge
• New DOCTOR WHO spinoff mini-series announced
• Robert Downey Jr., the Russo Brothers and Stephen McFeely to return to the MCU in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
• Steven Erikson confirms his Malazan WITNESS trilogy is now a quartet
• Paramount+ cancels HALO TV series
• The time Ronald D. Moore almost adapted Anne McCaffrey's DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN for television
• Deadline reports on DOCTOR WHO's fortunes for the BBC and Disney+
• Marvel tries to lure the Russo Brothers back to the fold
• Neil Gaiman accused of sexual assault by two women
• A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS castmembers announced
• Electronic Arts announce release window for new DRAGON AGE game
• China Mieville completes 1,000-page new novel
• RED DWARF to return (again)
• HOUSE OF THE DRAGON and RINGS OF POWER both get second season trailers
• Warner Brothers announce new LORD OF THE RINGS film for 2026

Reviews

• Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
• Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock - Complete Edition
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan & Cliff Chiang
• Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland
• Homeworld 3

Articles

• RIP Donald Sutherland
• RIP William Russell
• Franchise Familiariser: Homeworld
• RIP Bernard Hill

Atlas of Ice and Fire

• Historical Maps of the Forgotten Realms 08: The Rise of Imaskar, Coramshan and Jhaamdath
• Historical Maps of the Forgotten Realms 07: The Elven Reconstruction and the Era of Skyfire
• Stellar Cartography: Homeworld (revisited)
• Historical Maps of the Forgotten Realms 06: The Fourth and Fifth Crown Wars

Thank you for reading The Wertzone. To help me provide better content, please consider contributing to my Patreon page and other funding methods.

Blogging Roundup: 1 October to 31 December 2022

The Wertzone

News

• YELLOWJACKETS renewed for a third season 
• Amazon to develop multiple WARHAMMER 40,000 projects with Henry Cavill to produce and star 
• Henry Cavill replaced as Superman amidst major DC shakeup 
• THE NEVERS cancelled at HBO 
• DUNE: PART TWO wraps shooting 
• Idris Elba joins CYBERPUNK 2077: PHANTOM LIBERTY 
• Idea for PORTAL 3 floated at Valve 
• Eaglemoss model projects to continue with other companies 
• BBC confirms new DOCTOR WHO companion 
• Netflix releases trailer for DRAGON AGE: ABSOLUTION 
• CARNIVAL ROW Season 2 gets airdate and confirmation it will not return 
• HBO cancels WESTWORLD after four seasons 
• SANDMAN renewed for a second season at Netflix 
• HBO's LAST OF US adaptation to launch on 15 January 
• New DEUS EX video game in development 
• THE WITCHER renewed for a fourth season, but without Henry Cavill 
• George R.R. Martin confirms he was a HOMEWORLD player, confirming status as man of culture 
• CD Projekt confirm a remake of the original WITCHER game is in development 
• James Gunn appointed head of DC films, animation and television 
• George R.R. Martin offers further update on THE WINDS OF WINTER, estimats the book is over 75% complete 
• Amazon release first teaser image for the FALLOUT TV series 
• Disney+ becomes the international home for DOCTOR WHO as part of a major revamp of the franchise 
• Damon Lindelof to write a STAR WARS movie 
• DOCTOR WHO special sets new records and tees up the show's 60th anniversary year 
• Latest STAR TREK: PICARD trailer features a new starship Enterprise 
• Ian Cameron Esslemont's new MALAZAN novel finally gets a release date...and controversial cover art 
• DUNGEONS & DRAGONS to get two new novels to tie in with upcoming movie 
• CD Projekt Red announce multiple new WITCHER games, new IP and CYBERPUNK 2077 sequel 

Reviews

• Midnight Suns 
• Andor: Season 1 
• House of the Dragon: Season 1 
• Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success by Miki Berenyi 
• Into the Narrowdark by Tad Williams 
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Season 1 
• Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons by Ben Riggs 

Articles

• Where to Start With Star Trek? (revised) 
• RIP Chris Boucher 
• RIP Greg Bear 
• RIP Kevin Conroy 
• REM's Automatic for the People turns 30 

Atlas of Ice and Fire

• Nations of the Forgotten Realms: The Full Guide 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 39: Waterdeep 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 38: Unther & Threskel 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 37: Underhome (The Deep Realm) 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 36: Ulgarth & the Utter East 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 35: Turmish 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 34: Thesk 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 33: Thay 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 32: Tethyr 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 31: Sossal 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 30: Sespech 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 29: Sembia 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 28: Samarach, Tashalar & Thindol 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 27: Rashemen 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 26: Nimbral 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 25: Narfell 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 24: Murghôm & Semphar 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 23: Mulhorand 
• Nations of the Forgotten Realms 22: Moonshae