Charlie Jane Anders, Author at Gizmodo

The Science Fiction Books that Inspired SpaceX’s Elon Musk

Elon Musk is making all of our dreams of independent space flight come true, and he wants to put humans on Mars. He may even succeed. But what inspires him? Some classic science fiction books, apparently. MediaBistro’s GalleyCat asked him which SF books in particular have inspired him, and the answer includes a lot of…

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Who’s your favorite space pirate?

We all love smugglers and starfighters — but space pirates are probably the coolest. Especially if they actually act like regular pirates. From Doctor Who’s captain in “The Pirate Planet” to Captain Harlock, space pirates just always rule. But who’s your favorite space pirate? Share your personal favorites below. Please include pictures, or you may…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

The first few minutes of BBC America’s Orphan Black include the weirdest temptation ever

Check out the opening scene of Orphan Black, BBC America’s new show coming March 30. In which a young woman: A) sees something super-shocking, and B) faces a strange temptation.

Television Charlie Jane Anders

You really don’t want Game of Thrones to last 10 seasons

We were overjoyed the other day to read that the producers of HBO’s Game of Thrones have no intention of having the show last 10 seasons, because that would “strangle the golden goose.” Because they’re right. Here’s why 10 seasons of Thrones would be a very bad thing. Minor spoilers ahead… It’s a crazy miracle…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

Gru learns the most common supervillain mistake, in a new Despicable Me 2 trailer

Despicable Me was a surprisingly awesome film, with a lot of heart and supreme supervillain hijinks. Here’s our first real taste of the sequel… and it looks promising. Love the crucial supervillain lesson — never announce your weapon before firing. Also, yay for Gru actually saving the world this time around. [Apple Trailers]

Trailers Charlie Jane Anders

Wow, this Ice Age horror movie starring Laurence Fishburne looks seriously fun

Got room for one more movie about people running around the shattered wasteland that’s all that remains of our world? Here’s The Colony, a new movie starring Laurence Fishburne as the leader of a colony during a new Ice Age. Are the monsters in this movie Reavers? Mutants? People who’ve just lost their shit? Hard…

Trailers Charlie Jane Anders

50 Great “Doctor-ish” Moments from 50 Years of Doctor Who

Our favorite time traveler is celebrating a 50th birthday this year — which makes it a perfect time to think about all the times the Doctor has filled us with awe or whimsy. Here are our 50 favorite “Doctor-ish” moments from the first 50 years of Doctor Who on television. What do we mean by…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

In the aftermath of the War of the Gods, one man will stop at nothing to get payback

Chuck Wendig wowed us with Mockingbird and Blackbirds, and now he’s creating a brand new fantasy series, with the ultra twisted Gods and Monsters: Unclean Spirits. And we’ve got a brand new exclusive excerpt, right here. Here’s the official synopsis of Unclean Spirits, which promises a backstory full of demonic enslavement, warring gods and deadly…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Oz: The Great and Powerful concept art is lovely in its whimsical simplicity

Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful was a visual feast, full of gorgeous CG imagery — but some of the concept art for the film is more stark, and thus more striking. Check out some more of the whimsical, sweet Oz art below. The above image comes via Dylan Cole, who’s worked on many…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

What’s the worst superhero makeover of all time?

It’s just part of being a comics fan. Superheroes go through midlife crises, they go and get a whole new wardrobe, and suddenly everything looks weird. But what’s the worst superhero makeover ever? Superman’s mullet? Spider-Man’s armor? Batman’s claws? Or something else? Please share your choice for the most revolting superhero revamp below — and…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

This great forgotten 1980s science fiction show is coming back!

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a legendary show, featuring a ton of scripts by J. Michael Straczynski years before Babylon 5. Now there’s a plan to bring Captain Power back as Phoenix Rising, and here’s everything you need to know about the new version. Captain Power only lasted one season in…

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You don’t know all the secrets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer yet

Think you know everything there is to know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer? A brand new book might just prove you wrong. Released for the 15th anniversary of the Buffy TV show, Buffy: the Making of the Slayer by Nancy Holder contains tons of Slayer lore. Here are some things that you might not have…

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The Most Mind-Expanding Lesbian Science Fiction Books

Nicola Griffith wrote the classic novels Ammonite and Slow River, so she’s uniquely qualified to weigh in on lesbian-themed science fiction books. Someone asked her for some recommendations on her blog, and her list is well worth checking out. Including some obvious choices, like James Tiptree, Jr. and Joanna Russ, but also some books you…

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This Week’s TV: One of our favorite animated scifi movies is becoming a TV series!

This week, Gizmodo is becoming a television show. And Erik Estrada is fighting chupacabras. Also, learn the truth about the end of the world, the God Particle, and the Mars rover. Plus one of the funnest animated films of the past few years is becoming a TV series… but will the television version ruin it?…

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This Tea Party science fiction movie trailer is better than both Atlas Shrugged movies put together

This fake trailer for a conservative science-fiction movie just premiered at CPAC, the big right-wing confab, and… it’s a thing of true beauty. It contains more awesome scenes of socialist oppression, and a few heroic people fighting back, than both Atlas Shrugged movies. And the acting is truly epic as well, especially the woman who…

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Vampire Diaries really needs a killing spree, or twelve

The Vampire Diaries remains unironically one of my favorite TV shows — the previous episode, where Elena grieves for Jeremy, was genuinely powerful and a rare serious look at death on a show that’s generally cavalier about it. But last night’s episode underscored a serious problem: This is a show about remorseless killers, and they’re…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

A video that shows the one crucial flaw in being an anti-dead tree bigot

So we’re living in the future now, right? And there’s no need to use dead trees for anything ever again. At least, that’s what the somewhat supercilious chap in this short but hilarious video thinks. Until he runs into a crucial exception. [via William Gibson]

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What happens when Game of Thrones runs out of books to adapt?

This is the biggest question everybody’s wondering about. With George R.R. Martin toiling away on book six of A Song of Ice and Fire, what happens when the Game of Thrones TV show runs out of material to adapt? The good news: they’re not going to slow down the TV show’s hectic pace, or pad…

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The 10 Greatest Personality Tests in Science Fiction and Fantasy

By Katharine Trendacosta and Charlie Jane Anders. When you explore the darkest reaches of the space, you find out just who you really are. But why wait? Most science fiction heroes find out about their own inner psyches long before they ever leave home, thanks to the genre’s huge range of personality tests. Why not…

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Why is it so hard to create a good science fiction movie romance?

Some of the coolest science fiction movies of all time are love stories — Eternal Sunshine, Brazil, and plenty of others. Combining big ideas with an epic passion just makes sense. But why do so many films fail to pull off this combination? Watching the new movie Upside Down, which fails so spectacularly as a…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Charlie Jane Anders

The Science Fiction Books that Inspired SpaceX’s Elon Musk

Who’s your favorite space pirate?

The first few minutes of BBC America’s Orphan Black include the weirdest temptation ever

You really don’t want Game of Thrones to last 10 seasons

Gru learns the most common supervillain mistake, in a new Despicable Me 2 trailer

Wow, this Ice Age horror movie starring Laurence Fishburne looks seriously fun

50 Great “Doctor-ish” Moments from 50 Years of Doctor Who

In the aftermath of the War of the Gods, one man will stop at nothing to get payback

Oz: The Great and Powerful concept art is lovely in its whimsical simplicity

What’s the worst superhero makeover of all time?

This great forgotten 1980s science fiction show is coming back!

You don’t know all the secrets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer yet

The Most Mind-Expanding Lesbian Science Fiction Books

This Week’s TV: One of our favorite animated scifi movies is becoming a TV series!

This Tea Party science fiction movie trailer is better than both Atlas Shrugged movies put together

Vampire Diaries really needs a killing spree, or twelve

A video that shows the one crucial flaw in being an anti-dead tree bigot

What happens when Game of Thrones runs out of books to adapt?

The 10 Greatest Personality Tests in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Why is it so hard to create a good science fiction movie romance?

Trump Says He’ll Sign Order to Pay TSA

Deadpool Will Deface ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Classics for a New Secret Lair

Apple’s Siri Isn’t Just Going to Use One Chatbot. It’s Going to Use All of Them

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Is the Key to the Rest of the Series

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Early Wildfires Are Surging Across the US—and Trump’s New Fire Agency Isn’t Ready

INIU Brings Another Power Bank to the Spring Sale as SnapGo Keychain Portable Charger Drops to Its Lowest Price

Attorney Hit With Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases

Travelers Experiencing the Longest Security Lines in TSA History

Could There Be a ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sequel?

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

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

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees