Charlie Jane Anders, Author at Gizmodo

This Week’s TV: A Harvard professor explains why the zombie apocalypse is “plausible”

That’s right: The zombie apocalypse is quite possibly real, and a Harvard Medical School professor is among those explaining why, in a new special. What else does television have in store for you this week? A tribute to Marie Curie and the Speedy Weenie! The season finale of Haven and a key turning point on…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

Best of the Week: December 8-14, 2012

LOOK OUT BELOW | The Geminid meteor shower, photographed by Tommy Eliassen from Hemnes, Norway. See more beautiful Geminid photos here. https://gizmodo.com/our-favorite-photos-from-this-years-geminid-meteor-show-5968421 The Hobbit is a lot better once you realize it’s a war movie https://gizmodo.com/the-hobbit-is-a-lot-better-once-you-realize-its-a-war-m-5968455 The Hobbit has officially joined the ranks of franchises like Star Wars that are so eagerly anticipated that they…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

The Amazingly Demented Monty Python Tribute from Last Night’s Fringe

This was by far the best moment from last night’s Fringe episode — the acid-tripping Walter Bishop goes into a Terry Gilliam-inspired Monty Python animated fantasy, complete with giant foot. Especially love Walter riding on Gene, and his three companions becoming weird creatures. In general, “Black Blotter” felt like a pretty run-of-the-mill episode, in which…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

This is clearly the best moment from any Christmas episode of any TV show ever

The trick of juxtaposing extreme, crazy violence with sugary, happy music is as old as the hills — I would have said The Prisoner perfected it in the series finale — but last night’s Vampire Diaries breathed new life into it, with this scene of Klaus ripping apart his rebellious hybrids to the strains of…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

Fringe‘s Seth Gabel explains what Lincoln Lee is probably doing right now

Tonight sees a brand new episode of Fringe, in which many of our questions will probably be answered. But there’s one question that Fringe won’t be tackling, tonight or any other time: What happened to Lincoln Lee after he went to live in the other universe at the end of season four? We spoke to…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

What comes after the end of factory farming?

Factory farming only really began 40 years ago, and it seems unlikely to continue for another 40 years in its current configuration. Even leaving aside the massive, huge ethical problems with abusing our fellow sentient creatures, the logic behind factory farming is based on some assumptions that won’t be true for much longer. So how…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Must Watch: China Mieville explains why science fiction is not superior to fantasy

Back in 2009, China Mieville gave a talk at Kansas University about the divide between science fiction and fantasy. And he explained just why the widespread perception on the internet that science fiction is smarter than fantasy, or superior to fantasy, is overblown. The whole thing is on Youtube, and here’s the first part. It’s…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Cirque de Soleil Founder on Photographing Earth from Space: “So fragile in this universe”

Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberté spent 11 days at the International Space Station in 2009, taking photos of our planet with a Nikon D3X camera. And now he’s got an exhibition opening at the Marlborough Gallery in Manhattan, featuring 40 of his best space photos. Over at ARTINFO, there’s a great interview with Laliberté…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

10 of the Most Insane Death-Defying Stunts from Science Fiction Movies

Science fiction and fantasy movies are full of amazing visuals — but the coolest thing about any SF film is usually that there’s a real live human being in the middle of all that overwhelming strangeness. We want to see ourselves, in all our human frailty, juxtaposed with the danger and mystery of fantasy —…

Movies Amanda Yesilbas and Charlie Jane Anders

Your First Look at Jeff Bridges as a Wizard! Plus Julianne Moore as Witch and Nicholas Hoult as a Giant Killer!

Yup, that’s Jeff Bridges as a wizard. We didn’t even know he was doing that — but it’s your first still from Seventh Son, a fantasy movie coming out Oct. 18. Warner Bros. released some promotional stills from their 2013 releases — a few of which we’ve seen before, but now they’re in ultra high…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

What’s your favorite giant robot or mecha design?

The Pacific Rim trailer is full of tantalizing glimpses of massive Kaiju trashing the world’s cityscapes. But the star of the trailer is probably the massive human-controlled mechas, which are shown off in their full battling glory. https://gizmodo.com/all-the-best-monster-punching-closeups-from-the-pacific-5968062 Which made us wonder: What’s your favorite design for a giant robot or mecha from before Pacific…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Gene Wolfe’s Out of Print Classics Now Available as e-Books

Gene Wolfe was just named the 2012 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master. But that’s not the only excellent news — Tor Books is reissuing 19 of Wolfe’s classic books, which were out of print, in e-book formats. Including The Urth of the New Sun. And Peace, which has a brand new afterword by Neil Gaiman.…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Do we already know the plot of the Justice League movie?

We already reported the rumors that the Justice League movie’s villain will be Darkseid, the DC Universe’s closest equivalent of Thanos (the likely villain of Avengers 2.) But now Latino Review, which was the source of the Darkseid rumor, has gone one step further — and their sources claim to know exactly which comic book…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

George Lucas cut female X-wing pilots out of Return of the Jedi at the last minute

The original Star Wars trilogy isn’t really known for having a lot of roles for women — but it turns out that the third film, Return of the Jedi, featured some female pilots in the Battle of Endor. Two of these fighter pilots are featured among the deleted scenes and extras on the recent Blu-ray…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

The Dumbest Apocalypses That Hollywood Has Dreamed Up

There are many ways the world could end in real life. We could get whacked by an asteroid or nuke ourselves to hell. But there’s no way the end of the world could be as bizarre as some of the scenarios that Hollywood has already filmed — or put in the pipeline recently. https://gizmodo.com/9-ways-humanity-could-bring-about-its-own-destruction-5967660 Here…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

All the Best Monster Punching Closeups from the Pacific Rim Trailer

A giant robot actually punches a giant monster in the face! The first trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim broke our brains with its kaiju-powered insanity. The monsters are a perfect blend of Gamara, Cthulhu, and Del Toro’s favorite look: fat horns with jagged teeth. As for the giant robots known as Jaegers? Imagine…

Movies Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders

Monsters vs. Giant Robots in the First Trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim

We’ve been waiting months and months, and now here it is — your first look at Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro’s brand new movie about giant monsters and the equally giant mechas that battle them. At first glance, the carnage truly does look glorious, and more than lives up to del Toro’s promise to give…

Trailers Charlie Jane Anders

The History of the Marvel Movie Universe, in Concept Art

2012 saw the culmination of “Phase One” in Marvel Studios’ plan for universal domination, with the release of The Avengers. It’s pretty amazing to look back at 2008 and see how Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk created an unstoppable juggernaut. And along the way, the Marvel crew has created huge amounts of breathtaking concept…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

The Avengers concept art!

Concept art poster by Ryan Meinerding Helicarrier designs by Nathan Schroeder Helicarrier concept art by Steve Jung Helicarrier concept art by Steve Jung Raj Rihal painted several of the medical and military interiors Raj Rihal painted several of the medical and military interiors Raj Rihal painted several of the medical and military interiors Raj Rihal…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Captain America Concept Art!

Concept art by Ryan Meinerding Concept art by Ryan Meinerding Concept art by Ryan Meinerding Concept art poster by Ryan Meinerding Concept art by Nathan Schroeder via Deathfall, more at the link Concept art by Nathan Schroeder via Deathfall, more at the link Concept art by Nathan Schroeder via Deathfall, more at the link Concept…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Charlie Jane Anders

This Week’s TV: A Harvard professor explains why the zombie apocalypse is “plausible”

Best of the Week: December 8-14, 2012

The Amazingly Demented Monty Python Tribute from Last Night’s Fringe

This is clearly the best moment from any Christmas episode of any TV show ever

Fringe‘s Seth Gabel explains what Lincoln Lee is probably doing right now

What comes after the end of factory farming?

Must Watch: China Mieville explains why science fiction is not superior to fantasy

Cirque de Soleil Founder on Photographing Earth from Space: “So fragile in this universe”

10 of the Most Insane Death-Defying Stunts from Science Fiction Movies

Your First Look at Jeff Bridges as a Wizard! Plus Julianne Moore as Witch and Nicholas Hoult as a Giant Killer!

What’s your favorite giant robot or mecha design?

Gene Wolfe’s Out of Print Classics Now Available as e-Books

Do we already know the plot of the Justice League movie?

George Lucas cut female X-wing pilots out of Return of the Jedi at the last minute

The Dumbest Apocalypses That Hollywood Has Dreamed Up

All the Best Monster Punching Closeups from the Pacific Rim Trailer

Monsters vs. Giant Robots in the First Trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim

The History of the Marvel Movie Universe, in Concept Art

The Avengers concept art!

Captain America Concept Art!

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

INIU Portable Power Bank Is Small in Size and Smaller in Price for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (45W, 10,000mAh)

Humans Were Already Dog People 16,000 Years Ago, DNA Suggests

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