Charlie Jane Anders

9 Dumbest Ways To Reboot The Marvel Movie Universe

Avengers: Age of Ultron launches Phase 3 of Marvel’s movie universe. Which means even more interconnected stories, and brings us closer to the inevitable time when the universe is crushed under its own weight and has to restart from scratch. Here are the nine absolute worst ways that Marvel could reboot its movies. And yes,…

SMBC’s Starpocalypse Is Just Plain Wrong, And I Can’t Stop Watching

At last it’s online — Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal Theater’s Starpocalypse is here, and your universe will never be the same again! In keeping withthe SMBC webcomic, which we’ve featured many times over the years, this online comedy video is silly, goofy and all kinds of demented. There’s a distinct pantomime sensibility to Starpocalypse, in…

Which Classic Literary Story Deserves A Comeback In SF And Fantasy?

Science fiction and fantasy stories borrow from great works of literature all the time. But sometimes, a classic tale will fall from favor, and we’ll stop seeing it as much. For example, the Phantom of the Opera used to be everywhere, and now he’s just vanished. Which literary trope deserves more exposure in science fiction…

An Exclusive Look At The First Chapter Of Ramez Naam’s Apex!

We praised Ramez Naam’s Nexus for its “persuasively realistic portrait of human enhancement.” Now the third book in his Nexus trilogy, Apex, is out tomorrow — and we’ve got an exclusive look at the first chapter! Here’s the synopsis of Apex: Global unrest spreads through the US, China, and beyond. Secrets and lies set off…

Reminder: Meet Tomorrow To Discuss The Mechanical By Ian Tregillis!

This month, the io9 Book Club is readingThe Mechanical by Ian Tregillis. We’ll meet tomorrow midday to discuss it. Join us! What is this io9 Book Club all about? We meet once a month to discuss a book we’ve all read together, and then we have an online chat with the author — see our…

Last Night’s Game Of Thrones Was Actually Pretty Hard To Watch

Two different groups of scary fanatics went on a rampage in the latest Game of Thrones episode, and it was pretty upsetting to watch, even by Thrones standards. The Sons of the Harpy and the Sparrows both want to restore old traditions, and they both build on the weaknesses of two very different queens.Spoilers ahead……

Which TV Show Squandered Its Potential The Most?

Nobody ever pitches a TV show thinking it’s going to be an epic disaster. People always start out with a good, or maybe a great, idea. And some shows just… go way off course. It’s a complicated process akin to juggling live hamsters, and mistakes are made. Which TV show had the greatest potential and…

First Exclusive Look At The Plague Paranoia In The Last Ship Season 2!

The Last Ship was one of the best surprises last summer — the plague apocalypse tale was basically a fun-as-hell summer movie with heroic scientists, whom we actually see doing science. Plus some neat post-apocalyptic political battles. So here’s a first look at season two, in which there’s a whole new storyline about scary immune…

At Last, There’s A Movie That Makes The Avengers Truly Larger Than Life

The first Avengers movie was the first film to capture the scale and vibrancy of a comic book on screen. The sequel, Age of Ultron, marks a smaller but still significant advance: This is the first movie to make superheroes feel larger than normal people… by getting more personal. Here’s our spoiler-free review. And by…

The Smithsonian Museum Has An Early Draft Of Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center recently received a treasure trove: 85 cubic feet of Arthur C. Clarke’s papers, shipped from his home in Sri Lanka. Including a high-school notebook, where the young Clarke rated the science fiction stories he read. And an early draft of Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Over…

What’s The Most Annoying “Idiot Plot” Ever Created?

We all enjoy watching good-looking, brave people make stupid decisions — that’s why we go to the movies, after all. But some movies push this just a little too far, venturing into “idiot plot” territory — meaning that the plot only works if the characters are idiots. What’s the worst “idiot plot” you’ve ever seen?…

On Person Of Interest, It’s Always A Trap

Last night’s episode of Person of Interest felt ridiculously rushed, with 100 important developments crammed into an hour and a lot of implausible twists. But it still had some really fascinating ideas — including the question of how quick you should be to deem other people expendable. Spoilers! Basically, “Asylum” was about people walking into…

If You Haven’t Been Watching Agents Of SHIELD, You’ve Cheated Yourself

Last night’s episode of Agents of SHIELD was a terrific action movie, a major gamechanger for the TV show, and a prelude to Avengers: Age of Ultron, all rolled into one. But it was also a huge present to those of us who’ve been watching the show since the beginning, proving that it was all…

In Defense Of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Dr. Pulaski

She’s one of the most frequently criticized characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s history. Dr. Pulaski took over as the ship’s doctor in season two, and here’s why she’s better than you remember. There are two strikes against Dr. Pulaski. She only appeared during the worst year of TNG, when the writers’ strike and…

Watch A Ridiculously Fun Clip From The Space Bounty Hunter Show Killjoys

We’ll never forget that Syfy pulled the plug on Farscape and turned down the opportunity to pick up the newly-cancelled Firefly — but at least they’re trying to make up for it, judging from this funny, action-packed clip from the new show Killjoys. Which looks just the way you’d expect a space opera from the…

For the night is bright and full of beauty. Amateur photo of M42, the Orion Nebula, taken by photographer Andrew Kirk. See more of his astrophotos here.

Which Movie Would Be Better If It Was More Kid-Friendly?

Movie buffs tend to equate an R-rating with realness — if a movie is too violent or sexed-up for kids, then that proves the film-makers are keeping it real. A “hard R” equals a real edge. But sometimes, focusing on all the splatter and nudity can just get in the way of the story. Which…

Alan Moore’s Intro To His New Favorite Fantasy Novel Is A Glorious Rant

Alan Moore really, really loves the fantasy novel The Vorrh by B. Catling, which he calls the new century’s first landmark work of fantasy. He’s so spellbound by Catling’s strange vision, he’s written a long, beautifully ranty intro. Read Moore’s intro exclusively at io9 — and listen to him reading it aloud! The Vorrh comes…

10 Obvious Superhero Weaknesses (That Supervillains Hardly Ever Exploit)

We think of superhero weaknesses as being fancy or complicated — radioactive fragments of their old home planets, or the people they love. And that’s why superheroes win. In fact, most superheroes have super-obvious weak points. Here are 10 obvious superhero weakness that villains almost never attack. Top image: Artwork by Tara Jacoby 1) The…

On Game Of Thrones, All The Oath-Breakers Debate The Meaning Of Faith

Many of our favorite Game of Thrones characters have broken sacred vows at this point. Jon Snow slept with a Wildling girl. Cersei made a mockery of her wedding vows. Roose Bolton stabbed his liege lord. But last night, we got to see them solemnly debating the meaning of religion, and what it means to…