Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Sci Fi Short Story Magazine – not a scam, just your standard ripoff

A new science fiction magazine called Sci Fi Short Story caught our eye recently. It looks good online, and it’s even hiring editors. Sounds great – a professional market in the making, right? Sure, until you read the fine print. First of all, it turns out that Sci Fi Short Story only pays its writers…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 27

Is polygamy the future for war-torn regions?

According to the BBC, politicians in Afghanistan are proposing to solve the “war widow problem” by bringing back polygamy. Could modern warfare be reviving this ancient institution? Welcome to the polygamous future.

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 27

The Phantom Tollbooth the way you always wanted to see it

Classic kids’ fantasy novel The Phantom Tollbooth is illustrated with amazing line drawings. But these color-saturated concept designs by Lizzie Nichols bring the novel’s crazy places to life – and you’ll wish there was a movie based on them. The Phantom Tollbooth is about the adventures of an extremely bored boy named Milo who receives…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 27

A story about “uncanny wearable computers” and narwhals unfolding on Twitter right now

If you need small bursts of weird diversion, you’ll want to read the short story that author Matthew Battles is finishing on Twitter today and tomorrow. He welcomes feedback on this uncanny tale of narwhals and neural hacking. Battles writes in to tell us: I’m throwing together a microserialized uncanny scifi epic for Twitter. Called…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 26

The spring migrations have already started on colony planet Zarmina

If you bring your ship in just as the sun is rising in spring, you’ll sometimes find yourself flying with a flock of dragons. Well, we call them dragons – but they’re just local fauna here on Zarmina. This illustration by Kerembyit is one of several awesome dragon wallpapers collected by Eric Shafer over in…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 26

The io9 Book Club is in session! Let’s talk about Connie Willis’ Blackout and All Clear

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. This month we read Connie Willis’ linked novels, Blackout and All Clear. Jump into comments to get started talking about them! For those unfamiliar with the io9 book club, here’s how it works: You read the book. We create a special book club post on…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 25

Debunking the pseudoscience behind the “3D can’t work” myth

It’s true that many recent 3D movies have sucked. But now Roger Ebert claims there’s a scientific reason such flicks fail – our brains can’t handle 3D. Now Slate’s Dan Engber debunks the pseudoscience behind this widely-held belief. In a terrific takedown of Ebert’s widely-quoted article about why 3D can’t work, Slate science editor Engber…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 25

10 Movies About Possession Featuring Creepily Sexualized Girl-Women [NSFW]

Every day at 10 AM, we’re going to bring you a list of ten things – maybe they’re cool, or noteworthy, or just plain weird. But they all go together. Welcome to the first Daily 10. Inspired by the impending release of yet another possession movie, The Rite, with a (you guessed it) creepily sexualized…

Movies Annalee Newitz Jan 25

Dubai’s artificial islands are sinking into the sea

The artificial island homes off the coast of Dubai are wonders of the world. Unfortunately, they seem to be eroding. According to Inhabitat: The World was envisioned as the ultimate luxury retreat: for an exorbitant price you could lay claim to your own private island – a corner of the globe to call your own.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 25

Evangelion 2.0 brings giant robot teen angst to America

Anime series Evangelion has mesmerized Japanese audiences since the mid-1990s with its story of angsty teens who fight Earth-destroying “angels” from the cockpits of giant robots. With Evangelion 2.0, its blend of teen drama, techno-action, and apocalyptic mysticism hits Stateside. You don’t have to be a giant Evangelion fan to enjoy Evangelion 2.0, showing in…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 24

Distract yourself with NASA’s “extreme planet makeover”

Want to know what Earth will look like in the far future, after we’ve geo-engineered it to be a lot larger and the sun has gotten a lot colder? Here it is, thanks to NASA’s amusing “extreme planet makeover” app. Just visit the Extreme Planet Makeover site, and amuse yourself during your next coffee break…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 24

The morning space commute

Commuting offworld every day sounds glamorous until you actually spend time in a space elevator, followed by the wormhole train. It’s as if nobody bothers to shower before doing an interstellar jump. My advice? Aromatherapy lip gloss and earbuds. This comes from the work of concept artist Rubén Pérez, who also specializes in fantasy images.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 24

When all else fails…call the Disco Exorcist

The poster says it all. We’ve got a trailer, too. Here’s the news about this fine flick: THE DISCO EXORCIST, a 70’s horror epic full of boogie, blood, and boobs, stars Michael Reed, Sarah Nicklin, Ruth Sullivan, Brandon Luis Aponte, Rich Tretheway, Gio Castellano, and Babette Bombshell as “Bernie Munghat”. THE DISCO EXORCIST was directed…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 21

Oil drilling is getting even more extreme and dangerous

You’d think that blowback from the Deepwater oil disaster would make companies more cautious about drilling deep into the Earth in search of black gold. But a terrific article by Discover’s Mac Margolis reveals drilling is only getting more extreme. The article is wide-ranging, looking at the technologies for extreme oil extraction as well as…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 21

Your brain will never turn into software on a supercomputer

Getting ready to upload your consciousness into a brain-emulating computer in a decade or two? You’ll be waiting a lot longer than that. Princeton computer science researcher Timothy B. Lee doesn’t think we’ll ever upload our brains. Here’s why. Image via marema/Shutterstock. Lee says we won’t ever be uploading our minds into computers that “simulate”…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 21

She could convert the bike to a jetpack in 15 seconds flat

Game art designer Thomas “HOON” Hong brings us a glimpse of tomorrow’s motorcycle otaku. But she’s just one of his many studies in cyborg life. Check out this gallery of human/machine hybrids. HOON has illustrated for companies like Atari and White Wolf, and has worked on comics for Slave Labor Graphics and Darkhorse. Here’s the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 21

Incredible video of a cheetah hunting at top speed

This classic video of a cheetah hunting down gazelles is an edge-of-your-seat, intense story about the power that can be packed into a single tetrapod’s body. And it even has an unexpected twist ending.

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 20

A Portrait Of Hyper-Urbanization: Shanghai 1990 vs. Shanghai 2010

Compare these skyline views of Shanghai in 1990 vs. last year in 2010. It’s amazing how quickly urban structures can evolve. (via Nils Gilman)

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 20

Read an excerpt from “Deathless,” Catherynne M. Valente’s Soviet update of Russian folklore

Scary figures from Russian folk tales cruising around in Soviet-era Russia, wreaking political and magical havoc? Only Catherynne M. Valente could write that story, and she has – in her new novel Deathless. Read an excerpt! Here’s what publisher Tor says about it: Deathless is the highly-anticipated new standalone novel by award-winning speculative fiction author…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 20

The t-shirts you’ll need for your trip to alternate Earth

I am in love with the t-shirt designers at Enclothe, and not just because they made this shirt to celebrate the return of Fringe tomorrow night. Check out their Jules Verne-inspired designs, plus haunting weirdness and a steam-driven Buddha. All these tees are available at Enclothe, plus many more, for $20 or $21 a pop.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 20

Annalee Newitz

Sci Fi Short Story Magazine – not a scam, just your standard ripoff

Is polygamy the future for war-torn regions?

The Phantom Tollbooth the way you always wanted to see it

A story about “uncanny wearable computers” and narwhals unfolding on Twitter right now

The spring migrations have already started on colony planet Zarmina

The io9 Book Club is in session! Let’s talk about Connie Willis’ Blackout and All Clear

Debunking the pseudoscience behind the “3D can’t work” myth

10 Movies About Possession Featuring Creepily Sexualized Girl-Women [NSFW]

Dubai’s artificial islands are sinking into the sea

Evangelion 2.0 brings giant robot teen angst to America

Distract yourself with NASA’s “extreme planet makeover”

The morning space commute

When all else fails…call the Disco Exorcist

Oil drilling is getting even more extreme and dangerous

Your brain will never turn into software on a supercomputer

She could convert the bike to a jetpack in 15 seconds flat

Incredible video of a cheetah hunting at top speed

A Portrait Of Hyper-Urbanization: Shanghai 1990 vs. Shanghai 2010

Read an excerpt from “Deathless,” Catherynne M. Valente’s Soviet update of Russian folklore

The t-shirts you’ll need for your trip to alternate Earth

Someone Finally Took a Good iPhone Photo of the Moon. Good Luck Copying Their Trick

In Letter, OpenAI Reportedly Says Elon Musk and Meta Are Coordinating ‘Attacks’ Against It

Artemis 2 Day 6: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Anonymous Sources Detail Sam Altman’s Alleged Untrustworthiness in New Report

Steven Spielberg Still Wants to Make a Horror Film ‘Someday’

Waymo Has Stopped Testing Its Robotaxis in New York City and No One Knows What Happens Next

Samsung Pushes Monitor Deals Further, the 34″ ViewFinity Hits a Record Low at Nearly 40% Off

The Best Anti-Meta Smart Glasses Are About to Have Tough Competition

The Artemis 2 Mission Is Leaning in on the ‘Project Hail Mary’ Love

Here’s How Many Americans Have Ever Thought About Shooting Someone Else

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound