Charlie Jane Anders, Author at Gizmodo

At last, Steven Moffat succeeds in making Doctor Who a “dark fairy tale”

When Steven Moffat took over as head writer of Doctor Who in 2010, he said that he wanted to make the show a “dark fairy tale.” Hence the Girl Who Waited, and the Last Centurion, and all that. But I have to say, I haven’t ever felt the fairy-tale vibe from Moffat’s Doctor Who quite…

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Amazon won’t sell a self-published memoir that has Star Wars in the title

I have a bad feeling about this. Just after we heard Amazon stopped selling someone’s novels because they contained the allegedly trademarked phrase “space marine,” the online book retailer has also pulled a memoir whose title mentions Star Wars. https://gizmodo.com/games-workshop-gets-someones-book-yanked-from-amazon-fo-5969092 Talking to Boing Boing, author Gib Van Ert explains: Amazon has decided to remove the…

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The 12 Most Epic Action Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy

It’s Boxing Day, which means it’s the perfect day to celebrate action. We love a cerebral hero, who thinks five thousand steps ahead and sets careful traps — but there’s something to be said for an action hero, who goes on huge car chases, gets into massive fight scenes, and survives by the skin of…

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R.I.P. Gerry Anderson, Creator of Space: 1999 and Thunderbirds

Some of the coolest spaceships ever filmed came from Gerry Anderson, who died today after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Anderson did more for space opera on television than almost any other single creator, launching space show after space show from the 1960s to the 1990s. From Fireball XL5 in 1962 to Space Precinct…

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Why Damon’s Latest Storyline is One of The Vampire Diaries‘ Best Ideas Ever

Rewatching the most recent batch of Vampire Diaries episodes, we were struck with a couple of thoughts. Spoilers ahead! 1) If Julie Plec were a dude, people would be comparing her to Joss Whedon. On both Vampire Diaries and Kyle XY, she does things with character and plot that are immensely difficult, and she makes…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

If you weren’t scared of Doctor Who as a child, you missed out on a crucial experience

There are a lot of differences between British and American fans of Doctor Who. But chief among them might be the fact that most Americans watching Doctor Who now didn’t grow up on it the way so many British people did. The way I did. And if you didn’t watch Doctor Who as a child,…

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J.J. Abrams turned down directing the new Star Wars movie

When Disney bought Lucasfilm, there were tons of rumors about who might be directing a new Star Wars film — and one name that was brought up a lot was Star Trek director J.J. Abrams. And now, it turns out there was some truth to the rumors. Top image: FooDogTenchi/Deviant Art. Talking to Empire Magazine,…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

An Exclusive First Look at Timothy Zahn’s New Star Wars Novel, Scoundrels

Yes, you read that right. Timothy Zahn is returning to the Star Wars universe — and this time, he’s telling a story about just the scoundrels. The rogues. The ne’er-do-wells. This tale of a heist gone wrong stars Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, and some newer characters. And we’ve got an exclusive excerpt right here!…

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Top 10 Dumbest Evil Geniuses Of All Time

Attention evil geniuses! Do you know the ten terrible mistakes that can doom your brilliantest imbroglios to bitter failure? Study the examples of the ten most moronic super-geniuses of all time, and avoid their dreadful fates! Don’t fear the spoilers… 1) Dr. Horrible from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Okay, we hate to diss Dr. Horrible,…

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Did John Milton invent science fiction?

He’s Khan Noonien Singh’s favorite poet — but is Milton also the creator of science fiction? Milton met Gallileo, and worked lots of sciencey details into his work, and Paradise Lost hints at life on other planets. There’s also Milton’s “obsession with secret, all-powerful technologies.” Check out Slate for all the details.

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Weirdest and Sexiest Costumes from the Original Star Trek

Star Trek has broadened our visions of the future in so many ways — but most of all, the original Star Trek took us to the final frontier of fashion. And beyond. Some of the costumes that people sported in William Shatner’s day remain classics today — and some of them are just… I don’t…

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A third Roger Rabbit novel is coming!

We may or may not ever get to see a movie sequel to the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit — but there’s definitely a new Roger Rabbit novel in the pipeline. Gary Wolf, the author of the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit (which became the movie, under a slightly different title) has a new science…

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Brand new Star Trek Into Darkness photos include Cumberbatch in bondage!

We’ve pored over the Star Trek Into Darkness trailer screencaps — but there hasn’t been a lot of official photos just yet. Until now. Empire Magazine has a special Trek issue coming out, and they released a dozen official pics, including these two collector’s covers showing a resolute Kirk and John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) in…

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This Week’s TV: The Doctor Who-Related Event You Never Expected to See This Christmas!

The last time we saw him, Doctor Who’s heroic time traveler was helpless, and alone. So this year’s Christmas special, “The Snowmen,” comes with a huge question: Can the Doctor get his mojo back? (And can “The Snowmen” be more like Matt Smith’s first Christmas special, the amazing “Christmas Carol,” and less like last year’s…

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Best of the Week: December 15-21, 2012

BLACK VELVET PLANET | An amazing photo of Saturn, backlit by the sun, from the Cassini Space Probe. More details here. https://gizmodo.com/this-rare-view-of-saturn-is-among-the-most-awe-inspirin-5969581 Best and Worst Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies of 2012 http://io9.com/5969645/best-and-worst-science-fictionfantasy-movies-of-2012 This was a pretty good year to be a fan of genre movies. More and more low-budget movies had the courage to tackle science…

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On Fringe, we’re laughing at the superior intellect

When Fringe first showed us the Observer-dominated future, in “Letters of Transit,” there was a lot of emphasis on fighting to survive against an unstoppable, implacable foe. It’s the kind of situation that brings out the best and worst in people, and I was excited to see more of Walter blowing up shit and facing…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

io9’s Ultimate Gift Guide for 2012

Amazing Last-Minute Gifts That You Can Buy Or Make Right Now https://gizmodo.com/amazing-last-minute-gifts-that-you-can-buy-or-make-righ-5970528 Still haven’t finished your Holiday shopping list? Here is a list of items you can purchase online right here, in the stores of make in your home right now. Don’t get deflated by “sold out” signs, this is a list of goodies we…

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Actually, THIS might be the worst movie of 2012

Our list of the worst science fiction and fantasy movies of the year doesn’t include films that practically nobody saw — for example, we left out Branded. Otherwise, a strong contender for inclusion would have been Red Lights, the weird paranormal thriller that has an A-list cast: Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy.…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

They’re really making a live-action movie about Wile E. Coyote’s favorite supplier, the Acme Company

We’d heard reports about an Acme Company movie ages ago, but now it’s apparently really happening. And producer Dan Lin explained to Collider that it’s not an animated film, it’s a live-action comedy — and Acme’s most famous customer, Wile E. Coyote, won’t be in it. Said Lin: We’re not going to use Looney Tunes…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

ABC exorcises 666 Park Avenue from its schedule

ABC already canceled the real estate snuff porn show 666 Park Avenue, but now it turns out the final episodes of the first season have actually been pulled off the network’s schedule. If any of you were hoping that 666 could get a last-minute reprieve if the ratings improved this spring… stop holding your breath.…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

Charlie Jane Anders

At last, Steven Moffat succeeds in making Doctor Who a “dark fairy tale”

Amazon won’t sell a self-published memoir that has Star Wars in the title

The 12 Most Epic Action Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy

R.I.P. Gerry Anderson, Creator of Space: 1999 and Thunderbirds

Why Damon’s Latest Storyline is One of The Vampire Diaries‘ Best Ideas Ever

If you weren’t scared of Doctor Who as a child, you missed out on a crucial experience

J.J. Abrams turned down directing the new Star Wars movie

An Exclusive First Look at Timothy Zahn’s New Star Wars Novel, Scoundrels

Top 10 Dumbest Evil Geniuses Of All Time

Did John Milton invent science fiction?

Weirdest and Sexiest Costumes from the Original Star Trek

A third Roger Rabbit novel is coming!

Brand new Star Trek Into Darkness photos include Cumberbatch in bondage!

This Week’s TV: The Doctor Who-Related Event You Never Expected to See This Christmas!

Best of the Week: December 15-21, 2012

On Fringe, we’re laughing at the superior intellect

io9’s Ultimate Gift Guide for 2012

Actually, THIS might be the worst movie of 2012

They’re really making a live-action movie about Wile E. Coyote’s favorite supplier, the Acme Company

ABC exorcises 666 Park Avenue from its schedule

‘Butt Birth’-ing Rhinoceros from Ace Ventura Sequel Sold at Auction for a Whopping $60,000

The Ryan Gosling Sci-Fi Streak Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Study Challenges Popular Theory on Why Primordial Bugs Were So Darn Huge

Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway’s Mystery’s Sci-Fi Film Has Its First Trailer

Scientists Just Found the Salt Limit That Pushes Your Heart to the Breaking Point

White House Social Media Just Had Its Covfefe Moment

Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Is Now at Its Lowest Price, but Only During the Spring Sale Window

This $450 Semi-Dumb Phone Is Barely Even a Phone

Startup Successfully Ignites World’s First Fusion Rocket

Shokz OpenDots One Earbuds Hit Their Lowest Price Yet Across All Color Options, Including the New Ones

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