Charlie Jane Anders

Divergent Is A Ridiculously Fun Story Of Social Engineering Gone Mad

At first glance, Divergent sounds like a more contrived version of Hunger Games. In a dark dystopian future, everybody is required to have just one personality trait. Like Smurfs. Or the Seven Dwarfs. But the film version does a good job of revealing how this story is actually about social engineering. Plus, it’s actually fun!…

George R.R. Martin Says Game of Thrones Film Being “Actively Discussed”

As we count the days until Game of Thrones returns to our screens, we’re also obsessing about another ticking clock: How long until the TV show overtakes George R.R. Martin’s books? How can the show end when the story hasn’t ended on the page? And now, Martin says they’re seriously talking about ending it with…

Gorgeous Unused Gravity Posters Almost Represent The Movie TOO Well

Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was an insane thrill ride that made us nearly hyperventilate. And these proposed poster designs, which ended up not being used, really convey the screaming terror that this film inflicted on us. Maybe too well. But they’re also insanely gorgeous. These posters come from Framestore, which designed the final poster which you…

Happy Ninth Birthday Pyr! Hard to believe it’s only been nine years, especially considering how many awards they’ve won.

Which Morally Gray Rogue Is Cooler Than Any Hero Or Villain?

People often say that villains are more fun, or more awesome, than heroes. But sometimes, a morally gray scoundrel who sometimes does the right thing is more badass than any of them. Who’s the most awesome chaotic-neutral character of all time? https://gizmodo.com/why-do-anti-heroes-rule-science-fiction-383876 Please include a picture, book cover or clip showcasing this anti-hero in action.…

Amy Acker Tells Us About The Evolution Of Root On Person Of Interest

Person of Interest has been dealing with some heavy themes lately — determinism, artificial intelligence, surveillance, posthumanity — and the hacker known as Root has been at the center of all of them. We talked to Amy Acker, who plays Root, and she told us what to expect from Root’s continuing evolution. Warning: Minor spoilers…

All Hell Breaks Loose In That New Winds of Winter Chapter

All your favorite characters had kind of a rough time in A Dance With Dragons, the most recent book in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. And judging from a chapter from the next book that’s available today, their lives aren’t about to get any nicer. Some super-vague spoilers ahead… Top…

Mark Hamill Has The “Weirdest, Grossest and Most Bizarre Death Scene”

The YouTube title for this clip from The Guyver calls it the “Weirdest Grossest and Most Bizarre Death Scene Ever.” Did they exaggerate? Poor Mark Hamill!

Everyone’s addicted to killing humans, on Supernatural

Supernatural used to be a show with a pretty clear line between humans and monsters. The Winchesters and other Hunters protected humans and killed monsters. But now, not only are the Winchesters best buds with the one-time King of Hell, they’re also bonding with him over an addiction to murdering their own kind. Spoilers ahead……

Earth to Echo‘s First Full-Length Trailer Shows How It’ll Channel E.T.

Here’s the first full-length trailer for Earth to Echo, a low-budget “found footage” movie about a group of kids who meet an alien who’s stranded on Earth. Yup, it’s E.T. with camcorders. But judging from this trailer, it has a lot of heart as these four friends have to stick together and grow up. And…

Read An Exclusive Chapter From the Novelization of Aronofsky’s Noah

Darren Aronofsky has reimagined one of the most famous stories in the Bible for his new movie Noah. You have to wait until March 28 to see the film for yourself — but you can read the first chapter of the novelization by Mark Morris right now, exclusively at io9! https://gizmodo.com/darren-aronosky-explains-why-noah-isnt-just-for-believ-1545648721 Chapter 1 THE SNAKESKIN…

Who’s the most awesome alien race in the entire universe?

Science fiction is full of alien races who kick all kinds of ass, including tough warrior races and highly advanced super-intelligent aliens. But who’s the greatest race of all? Which race do you wish you could go spend a year or two living with? Who’s most likely to conquer all other races in the multiverse?…

10 Terrible Trailers for Great Movies

Sometimes trailers can be a tad misleading. We’ve all seen trailers that got us all pumped up for films that turned out to be kind of weak. But the opposite happens too: Sometimes a great movie has a horrible, no-good trailer. Here are 10 amazing movies whose trailers made them look dreadful. https://gizmodo.com/whats-the-worst-movie-with-the-best-trailer-1511929755 Top image:…

Could This Be The Silliest “Earthman Hits On Alien Babe” Scene Ever?

Or at least, it’s a strong contender. William Shatner would be embarassed by this amateurish seduction of an alien. In this clip, you’ll see: 1) An alien in a jumpsuit with pom-poms sewn onto her breasts. 2) The alien randomly stripping behind a screen for no reason. 3) Perry Rhodan clumsily putting his moves on…

If you gave up on Tomorrow People, now’s the time to try it again

The Tomorrow People got off to a somewhat rocky start — but the past few episodes have been ridiculously fun. And last night’s episode, in which we learn that Russell inspired a whole slew of superheroes, would make a great jumping-back-on point for people who’ve given up on the show. Seriously, this show is finally…

This Random Hookup Justifies Star-Crossed‘s Existence As a TV Show

There are still a lot of things that it’s hard to take seriously about Star-Crossed. Almost everybody’s an asshole. The main love triangle is kaput. They’re constantly threatening to unleash Dark Cyber. But at least this show is having some fun with its wacky premise. Just watch this random weird sex scene. Spoilers… Seriously, that…

Two Reasons That Explain Why We’re All Obsessed with Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones comes back to television in just a few weeks, and already we’re feeling the imperative: All Men (And Women) Must Freak Out. But why is Game of Thrones such a huge cultural phenomenon, among all other fantasy series? It comes down to two huge cultural trends, that are rooted in our widespread…

U.S. Mint Artist Uses Digital Sculpting to Model Batman and Darth Maul

Most artists would be happy with just creating beautiful images of the U.S. Presidents for the Mint. But staff artist Joe Menna has created a major side career — using digital sculpting and 3-D printing to create statues of Batman and other characters. He’s also creating the world’s largest statue in India. Over at Philly.com,…

This Scene from the French Version of Buffy Will Make Your Day

Seriously, the French answer to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, called Bloody Mallory, is just so jolly and campy, it’s guaranteed to fix your Monday blahs. Just watch this clip where demons are trying to sacrifice the superhero Vena Cava, until her friends free her and she gets her awesome blue wig back. This clip comes…

Is The “Young Adult” Boom Dwindling In Books As Well As Movies?

There’s a lot riding on Divergent, which comes out this Friday. Studios are hoping it’ll show there are still audiences for young-adult films other than Hunger Games, after the dismal performance of several other films. But also, says the Wall Street Journal, there’s hope it’ll rescue the struggling young-adult book market. For the past several…