Charlie Jane Anders

​The Only Book You Need About the History of Doctor Who

Doctor Who is just over a week away from celebrating its 50th anniversary, so this is the perfect time to celebrate the mysterious alien time traveler’s history. A brand new book, Doctor Who: the Vault, will get you up to speed. Below are some exclusive art pages, plus 10 strange facts you never knew about…

Punk Odyssey: A former Gaelic punk singer and biologist won a prestigious literary “first book” prizefor his novel about two musicians who hitch a ride on a rocket to a space station full of anarchists, then steal a “disco-equipped spaceship.”

Guess who’s wearing a fez in the first Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Clip

Can’t wait until Nov. 23 to see worlds collide in Doctor Who’s anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor”? Here’s a sneak peek, featuring a lot of fez action, a mystery involving famous paintings that have a Monty Python-esque problem… and a special guest star. This clip just appeared in the UK as part of…

Too Many Doppelgangers, on The Vampire Diaries

There are a lot of over-the-top supernatural soap operas on television nowadays — which may be why Vampire Diaries is working so hard to raise its levels of crazy lately. Last night featured three Nina Dobrevs — on screen together! — and two Paul Wesleys. Just watch this clip to see Nina working her butts…

What if the Bayeux Tapestry told the history of Doctor Who?

We only just saw the prequel minisode to the Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary, which turned our while idea of the Doctor’s history on its head. So this is a great time to have a refresher course in all things Doctor-related, with a Doctor Who-themed Bayeux Tapestry. This tapestry is the work of Bill Mudron, whose…

Which classic novel did you quit reading halfway through?

The greatest science fiction or fantasy novel is the one that speaks to you at the time you read it. So there’s nothing wrong with giving up on a book halfway through, even if it’s considered one of the genre’s all-time classics. Which acclaimed science fiction or fantasy book could you not manage to finish?…

Ultra is the weakest secret organization ever, on The Tomorrow People

Last week’s Tomorrow People saw Ultra raising its game. The organization dedicated to hunting down super-mutants actually showed some teeth — but this week, Ultra is weaker than ever. To the point where I’m starting to wonder if the boastful name is a case of overcompensation. Spoilers ahead… Seriously, there are moments in last night’s…

​10 Scientists Who Played God (And Didn’t Get Punished)

Fictional mad scientists usually meet a dreadful fate: destroyed by their own creation, or by villagers with torches. After all, we can’t send the message that dabbling in the universe’s secrets is okay. But sometimes, a scientist is just too clever, or lucky, to get burned. Here are 10 mad scientists who didn’t get punished.…

J.J. Abrams’ Pet Peeve: When Futuristic Stories Use Present-Day Jargon

Sunday sees the first episode of Almost Human, the android-cyborg buddy cop show from some of the peeps behind Fringe. Co-creator J.J. Abrams has been doing interviews to promote the show, and he brought up the biggest thing that annoys him in future-set stories: anachronistically present-day references. Talking to Time, Abrams says: I don’t often…

Hear Castiel crooning the Greatest American Hero theme on Supernatural

Supernatural often features brilliant musical moments — but few as hilarious, or as clever, as this one. Castiel, the fallen angel who’s lost his powers, sings the Greatest American Hero theme tune, all about miraculously gaining superpowers. Amazing stuff. This was a really neat episode of Supernatural in general, because it capitalized brilliantly on the…

Who’s the most irresponsible mentor of all time?

We all need a little guidance sometimes. So it’s a good thing there are mentors, who can teach us and shelter us and… generally screw everything up. Because that’s what mentors do. But who’s the most irresponsible or just plain evil mentor in science fiction or fantasy? https://gizmodo.com/what-scifi-teaches-us-about-lying-deceitful-mentors-5020640 Please include a picture or clip (or…

Science Fiction Book Cover Redesigns We Wish We Could Put on the Shelf

Over at Artsy Musings, there’s a great roundup of science fiction book cover reimaginings that ought to be actual book covers. Including this beautiful design by Luke James. Check out a few more of our favorites below. Left: Hannes Beer. Right: Wayne Dorrington. Left: Kevin Tong. Right: Paul Murray. Both images by Kevin Tong. Check…

Own William Gibson’s bomber jacket! Did you covet the Buzz Rickson MA-1 bomber jacket that cool hunter Cayce Pollard wore in William Gibson’s novel Pattern Recognition? Now a similar jacket can be yours, as designed by Gibson, for just $690.

Sean Bean is playing Macbeth in a dark new reimagining

Check out our first look at Sean Bean as the Scottish lord misled by witches, Macbeth, in a brand new movie, Enemy of Man. See also some pictures of James D’Arcy as Banquo. These pictures come via Bleeding Cool, which points out that Michael Fassbender is also starring in a big-screen Macbeth film. Can either…

10 Key Terms That Will Help You Appreciate Fantasy Literature

Fantasy novels and stories cast a spell on readers, with their vivid worlds and complex characters. But just like any other kind of spell, there are different types, and rules. You need a magical lexicon. So here are 10 commonly used terms you’ll need to know, that describe the different sorts of fantasy worlds and…

Thor concept art shows how cool the Dark Elves’ realm could have looked

By Odin, this Thor: The Dark World concept art is amazing. Created by artist extraordinaire Nathan Schroeder, it shows some of the Nine Realms looking even spiffier than they did on screen. Plus there are some amazing animatics from the first movie. Schroeder’s epic concept art is exclusively on display over at Film Sketchr, so…

Young-adult science fiction tackles ethics. We think of young-adult novels as a fun ride, or as a vehicle for exploring alienation. But the American Library Association has a great list of YA titles with thought-provoking ethical questions, from Ender’s Game to Sherri L. Smith’s Orleans.

I’m trying to watch my TV show and you’re being a war criminal

Watching television with your friends can be a lovely bonding experience — unless someone acts like a jerk, and ruins it for everyone. Here’s our helpful rundown of the worst types of obnoxious behavior to avoid when watching TV with your crew. This essay will be structured in two parts: 1) A list of the…

The “Naked Miley Cyrus in Space” Music Video You Didn’t Know You Wanted

Miley Cyrus is some sort of naked alien in the glittery, emo music video for Future’s new song “Real and True.” I’m not sure what’s supposed to be happening here, but it looks like Miley’s sheer levels of body glitter are too much for the space crew that finds her on a planet, and their…

Feminist cyborgs unite! The “feminist science fiction” issue of the open-source academic journal Ada is out now, and it includes essays on Cabin in the Woods, Octavia Butler, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Lois McMaster Bujold.