> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.andrewliptak.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Participation trophy - URL: https://www.andrewliptak.com/participant-media-science-fiction-newsletter-roundup/ - Published: 2024-04-19T15:59:10.000Z - Updated: 2024-04-19T15:59:10.000Z - Description: Participant Media has announced that it's closing down because of the difficult environment for smaller movies - Author: Andrew Liptak - Tags: Roundup, Streaming Services, Film Here's a bummer of a headline from *Variety* from earlier this week: "Participant Shutting Down Operations After 20 Years." I was sad to see it, because it's the studio behind a handful of films that I've really liked: *Contagion, Good Night and Good Luck, Spotlight, Syriana*, and a whole bunch of others. Some (especially *Spotlight*) are films that I'll randomly throw on to watch when I'm feeling down about the state of the world, while films like *Syriana* had a big impact on how I look at stories and storytelling. [Participant Shutting Down Operations After 20 Years: Film Studio Was Behind Oscar Winners ‘Spotlight,’ ‘Green Book’ (EXCLUSIVE)Jeff Skoll’s Participant is shutting down after 20 years, leaving a library including Oscar winners “Spotlight and “Green Book.”![](https://variety.com/wp-content/themes/pmc-variety-2020/assets/app/icons/apple-touch-icon.png)VarietyMatt Donnelly![](https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/participant.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1)](https://variety.com/2024/film/news/participant-shuts-down-film-studio-1235971644/?ref=andrewliptak.com) According to *Variety* (which obtained a memo from the studio's founder), it's changes in the media landscape that have pushed it to shut down: "the studios are just not making as many movies for adults, especially ones with a conscience." There's a [viral clip of an interview with Matt Damon](https://youtu.be/yaXma6K9mzo?si=UuwwUDhRPMg6MFKE&t=841&ref=andrewliptak.com) in which he explains the reasons behind the changing economics of the film world: the DVD and home release market has collapsed. Where studios could count on some income from a theatrical release *and* from home media releases, they can't any longer. Last year, Best Buy [announced](https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/best-buy-ending-dvd-blu-ray-disc-sales-1235754919/?ref=andrewliptak.com) that it'll no longer be selling physical DVDs or Blu Ray releases, and I've noticed that the film section at my local Walmart has been shrinking. Places where I could reliably find a good film, like FYE, have vanished, at least here in Vermont. As Damon notes in that interview, these forces mean that studios like Participant can't rely on this post-theatrical release income, and as a result, it's hard to justify making the types of films they've been known to produce. [Shelf spaceStreaming shows The Mandalorian, Loki, and Wandavision are getting a physical release![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2023/08/dvds.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/mandalorian-marvel-loki-home-release-physical-media-streaming/) Films like *Syriana* and *Spotlight* don't pull in Marvel-sized blockbuster numbers. They'll do decently and recoup their budgets and get some critical acclaim, but that doesn't seem to be good enough in the theatrical / streaming world that we're living in. It's a shame, because these are the types of films that I think leave an outsized impact on viewers: Participant had a specific social mission with its projects, which I think matters more than ever in 2024\. --- ### Support Transfer Orbit *Transfer Orbit* has been steadily growing in the last couple of months: welcome to the newcomers who've found it! It's free to read, but it does have a cost to produce. There's a small contingent of readers who support this newsletter as paid members, and I'm immensely grateful for that support. My goal with this newsletter is to talk about the state of science fiction, writing, and reading, and how those topics intersect with the real world. So: if you've found this newsletter interesting, discovered a book through a book list, or learned something from it, I'd ask that you consider supporting it. Membership runs $40/year or $4/month, and those supporting subscribers get a handful of pieces directly, as well as access to the TO Slack channel, where I and others drop links to news, discuss books / films, and so forth. [Support Transfer Orbit](https://www.andrewliptak.com/dune-screenwriting-film-production-storytelling/#/portal/signup) Thanks in advance for considering! --- ![No photo description available.](https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/398176692_842603121199689_7088483700691233521_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=Y9vL0D0m9n4Ab66AauM&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrHve_dQomK1YkkIXma1Skb_luSuyGeOAPlCBnIrPpwQ&oe=66285840) Image: Andrew Liptak ## Current reading It's been a little while since I've done a reading update. I've been a bit slow lately, working my way slowly through a handful of books. I recently re-read Cixin Liu's *The Three-Body Problem* while watching the Netflix adaptation, and really enjoyed it. What I'm currently loving is Alix E. Harrow's latest, [*Starling House*](https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250799050?ref=andrewliptak.com). It's a wonderful gothic mystery about a young woman who's been entranced by a mysterious house in Eden, Kentucky, its strange keeper, and some horrors that are lurking under the surface. Other books on the to-read list are [*Nuclear War: A Scenario*](https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9780593476093?ref=andrewliptak.com) by Annie Jacobsen, [*Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again*](https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781517915230?ref=andrewliptak.com)by Shigeru Kayama and translated by Jeffrey Angles, [*Womb City*](https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781645660569?ref=andrewliptak.com)by Tlotlo Tsamaase, and [*System Collapse*](https://bookshop.org/a/6134/9781250826978?ref=andrewliptak.com)by Martha Wells. --- ## Further reading ### 2024 Hugo finalists Glasgow 2024 announced the finalists for this year's Hugo Awards. Hopefully this year's awards will be less dramatic than last year's. [Here are the 2024 Hugo FinalistsHopefully this year’s awards will be less dramatic than last year’s![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/IMG_6558.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/2024-hugo-award-finalists-glasgow-worldcon/) ### 2024 Nebula Finalists Aaaand, SFWA also announced the Nebula finalists for the year. [Here are the finalists for the 2023 Nebula AwardsHonoring notable works of SF/F from 2023![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/IMG_6353.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/sfwa-nebula-awards-2023-scifi-fantasy-books/) **ALL the trailers**. Studios have been dropping a ton of trailers in the last couple of weeks. Here are previews for [*Star Wars: The Acolyte*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtytYWhg2mc&ref=andrewliptak.com), [*Alien: Romulus*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P357CTDLzU0&ref=andrewliptak.com), [*Beetlejuice Beetlejuice*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yDanmWI1E&ref=andrewliptak.com), [*Doctor Who*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhL5ihOUUcs&ref=andrewliptak.com), [*Furiosa*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVswuip0-co&ref=andrewliptak.com), [two for](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnxB9xZByyQ&ref=andrewliptak.com) [*House of the Dragon*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csSaSrJJPRs&ref=andrewliptak.com) [*The Penguin*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQghiGQi6Lo&ref=andrewliptak.com), [*Rebel Moon: Part 2*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEJuNHOd8Dw&ref=andrewliptak.com), [*Transformers One*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a09yJU-mCI&ref=andrewliptak.com), and [*The Wild Robot*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67vbA5ZJdKQ&ref=andrewliptak.com). There's lots to look forward to! ### Book lists March had a ton of books, so I put together a [second book list for the month](https://www.andrewliptak.com/march-2024-sci-fi-fantasy-book-list-2/). I've also belatedly sent out the first list for April, which you can read [here](https://www.andrewliptak.com/april-2023-book-list-star-wars-cixin-liu-gladstone/). I've got another one coming soon. [17 new sci-fi and fantasy books to read March 2024New books from Peter V. Brett, Harlan Ellison, Stephen Graham Jones, Téa Obreht, Brandon Sanderson, Timothy Zahn, and more.![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/IMG_6367.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/march-2024-sci-fi-fantasy-book-list-2/) **The future of *Star Trek***. *Variety* ran a [big cover story](https://variety.com/2024/tv/features/star-trek-future-starfleet-academy-section-31-michelle-yeoh-1235952301/?ref=andrewliptak.com) about the immediate future of Star Trek, with some hints at what's to come with the [Section 31 movie](https://www.andrewliptak.com/star-trek-section-31-streaming-service-experiments/) and new series *Starfleet Academy*. Looks like it's [time to update this timeline](https://www.andrewliptak.com/paramount-new-star-trek-film-timeline/). **Genre contract**. Miciah Johnson wrote one of my favorite recent books, *The Space Between Worlds*, and has an [excellent essay](https://crimereads.com/genre-communicates-a-contract-with-the-reader/?ref=andrewliptak.com) up on *Crime Reads* about the limitations that genre puts on art, and some of the things that it does well. ### Goods made to last I recently picked up and blew through Steven Kurtuz's book *American Flannel*, an interesting look at the efforts that a handful of entrepreneurs are making to reshore the US textile industry. Here's my review: [Goods made to lastSteven Kurutz’s American Flannel is an intriguing look at the challenges of reshoring America’s lost textile industry![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/IMG_6516.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/american-flannel-steven-kurutz-textile-history-book-review/) **Grossman newsletter**. Author Lev Grossman recently launched a newsletter ahead of his next book, *The Bright Sword*. You can subscribe [here](https://levgrossman.substack.com/), and read his [first issue](https://levgrossman.substack.com/p/the-silence-of-arthur). **Iain M. Banks Exhibition**. The University of Sterling has [announced that it'll be hosting an exhibit about Iain M. Banks](https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2024/march-2024-news/iain-banks-personal-archives-on-exhibit-as-university-of-stirling-shares-work-of-its-famous-alum/?ref=andrewliptak.com), running from April until August. ### Machine revolt Read this excellent speech by Martha Wells. [Machine revoltRead this fantastic lecture by Murderbot author Martha Wells![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/04/IMG_5005.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/murderbot-martha-wells-jack-williamson-lecture/) ### Movie mecha Netflix has a new film coming soon called *Atlas*, which looks like a lot of fun. [Who doesn’t love giant mechs?Atlas begins streaming on Netflix on May 24th![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/Untitled.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/atlas-movie-netflix-trailer-watch/) ### Remembering Vernor Vinge Author Vernor Vinge, author of *A Deepness in the Sky* and *A Fire Upon the Deep* passed away earlier this month. My obit: [RIP Vernor VingeAn immense figure who helped transform how we see the future![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/IMG_6416.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/vernor-vinge-singularity-science-fiction-author-obit/) ### Revealing Karin Lowachee's *The Mountain Crown* Karin Lowachee is one of my favorite authors and people, and I had the opportunity to interview her about her new book, *The Mountain Crown*, which comes out later this year. [Revealing Karin Lowachee’s The Mountain CrownA Q&A with one of my favorite writers![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/03/81qrBwRQQjL._SL1500_-1.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/the-mountain-crown-karin-lowachee-cover-reveal-interview/) ### RIP Caitlin Thomas Some sad news from the SF fandom world. [RIP Caitlin ThomasThere’s some sad news out of the SF/F field this week: Caitlin Thomas, the daughter of Uncanny Magazine founders/editors Michael and Lynne has passed away. Michael reported the news on Twitter yesterday: Dear Friends and Family of Caitlin: Caitlin passed away at 1 am this morning in the![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/jeremy-perkins-uhjiu8FjnsQ-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/rip-caitlyn-thomas/) ### *Rogue Squadron* isn't dead yet A glimmer of hope for those wishing for *Star Wars'*s *Top Gun*. [Wings up?It looks like the Rogue Squadron film still has some life in it![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/Rogue-One-A-Star-Wars-Story-X-Wing-at-Scariff-Shield-Gate.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/star-wars-rogue-squadron-patty-jenkins-development-update/) Something Good. TO reader Mark Slutsky has an excellent newsletter called Something Good. He recently moved off of Substack and over to Buttondown, and has an [interesting post up about Christopher Priest](https://www.markslutsky.com/archive/something-good-97-inversions/?ref=andrewliptak.com). ### Scary Stories I interviewed Michael Dirda about his Folio Society collection *Weird Tales*. [Scary storiesAn interview with Michael Dirda about his Folio Society collection, Weird Tales![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/03/IMG_6153.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/weird-tales-horror-folio-society-michael-dirda-interview/)