Books & Comics

Why Doesn’t CS Lewis’ Silent Planet Get Compared To Dune Or Foundation?

C.S. Lewis is best known for his Narnia books, and also as one of the most powerful writers of Christian commentary of the 20th century. But he also wrote a beloved space-opera trilogy, beginning with Out of the Silent Planet. And one author argues that this book deserves to be mentioned among the great SF…

Look How Comically Pissed This Injustice Superman Figure Is

The Superman of Injustice: Gods Among Us is meant to be a misguided tyrannical dictator driven mad by the death of Lois Lane, but Bandai’s take on him just looks like he’s about to win first prize in the Metropolis’ ugliest gurn contest. Thank god for alternate heads, eh? Bandai’s latest DC figuarts is the…

11-Year-Old Schools DC About Female Heroes, So They Turn Her Into One

This is kind of awesome. Eleven-year-old Rowan Hansen wrote to DC Comics asking why there weren’t more female superheroes, and why the female heroes don’t wear more practical costumes. They responded with a drawing of Hansen as a superhero. Her response: Thanks, but that’s not what I asked for. Hansen, who appeared on the Today…

This Book Of Countless Cameras Is An Ode to Analog Photo Nerds

If you have that obsession with camera gear that so many of us behold, you’ll want to check out the new book Tokyo Camera Style. It’s based on the website of the same name, which gathers snapshots of everyday folks and their coveted shooter of choice. Published earlier this year by Thames & Hudson, Tokyo…

An incredible deal. The latest Humble Book Bundle, focusing on Subterranean Press, is just chock full of greatness. Including Connie Willis, Dan Simmons, Harlan Ellison, Cherie Priest, Jack Vance, Ted Chiang, and tons more. [h/t Reddit]

If You Love Computers, This Novel Should Be on Your Must-Read List

Liu Cixin’s science fiction novel The Three Body Problem was a smash hit bestseller in China, and has finally been translated into English by Ken Liu. It’s a mind-bending tale of politics, aliens and gaming — and it also contains the most awe-inspiring description of computers I’ve ever read. What’s immediately fascinating about The Three…

The Greatest Comic Book Characters Who Didn’t Originate In Comics

The path of comic book characters making their way onto the big and small screens is a well trod one. But what about the reverse, of characters who started out on-screen and then made their way into the comics? Here are the best comic book characters who got their start somewhere else. In response to…

The Bizarre True-Life Tale Of The Hoax Behind The Book I, Libertine

Have you ever read I, Libertine? The book itself may be less interesting than how the book came to be. Hear the story of the book that started as a hoax. Jean Shepherd, a 1950s radio DJ, was very slightly embittered. He had reasons. He was given the 1:00 to 5:30 slot at his radio…

Why Is Marvel So Fascinated By A Teenage Spider-Man?

Peter Parker is essentially the original teen hero in many comic readers eyes – the balance between his teenage life and the great responsibility of super-heroism is what helped made him into one of Marvel’s most popular characters. But why are Marvel so afraid of moving the character on from that point? According to the…

An Amazing Book About the World-Changing Technology You Forgot

‘Technology’ normally means a gadget — but really, it’s any technical invention that solves problems and improves lives. Often, the most important tech is the one you take completely for granted. Like shipping containers, which are explored in a book called The Box, which is one of the most fascinating things I’ve read in years.…

Someone Is Writing The Ultimate Generic Dystopian YA Novel On Twitter

We love young adult science fiction, but even we have to admit that sometimes, it can feel like dystopian novels are following a bit script. The new Twitter account @DystopianYA is poking a bit of fun at some of the more common conventions of the genre. Writer and comedian Dana Schwartz is behind the @DystopianYA…

The Weirdest Spy Action Novels Ever Published

The “Men’s Adventure” novel is a strange thing. At the height of its popularity, in the late 60s and 70s, it was being written by dozens of peculiar and reclusive authors. But the influence of this weird genre is still felt today. Here’s the strange history of Mack Bolan and his many imitators. This whole…

Finally, A Real Netflix For Comic Books Is Here

If you’ve moved from single comic issues to reading them digitally, you know it can still be kind of pricy. But the online ebook service Scribd has just announced it’s added a massive comics library to its service, allowing users to read all the comics they want for one monthly fee, beginning today. A few…

What You Need To Know About Lord Of The Rings‘ One Ring

You may have read The Lord of the Rings and/or seen the movies, but do you understand what’s going on with those titular pieces of jewelry? This video offers a quick explanation of the various rings in J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe, especially the One Ring. After giving his quick and dirty lowdown on the mythology of…

The History Behind Superman’s Ever-Changing Superpowers

Over the years, Superman’s level of power has fluctuated perhaps more than any other hero’s — he’s gained them, lost them, grown weaker and stronger pretty much from the moment he was created, culminating in the addition of a new power last week. Here’s your guide to the Man of Steel’s power creep. The Not-So-Superman…

A Supercut To Chart The Cinematic Evolution Of Batman

Batman has had almost as long a history of appearances on the big screen as he has had in his 75 years of comic book adventures – and this great supercut by video editor Jacob T. Swinneycharts the characterisation of the Dark Knight across decades of cinematic incarnations pretty succinctly. It’s cool to see the…

DC Comics Begins A New Age Of Diversity On And Off The Page

Marvel isn’t the only one with good news for superpowered diversity today! DC comics has announced that Divergence will follow their Convergence event, less a story event and more a concerted effort to broaden its stable of characters and creators, along with 21 brand-new comics! First of all, let’s get to the new series that…

A Glimpse Inside the Hidden Vault Where Harvard Keeps Millions of Books

Harvard’s flagship library, Widener, is an imposing granite cube built quite literally as shrine to the book. A central alcove cuts through the stacks to show off a prized relic: an original Gutenberg bible. But this is not the heart of Harvard’s libraries. No, that would be its cold storage site, an anonymous concrete building…

Marvel Is Creating The First Ever All-Female Avengers Team!

The Avengers’ roster has been home to many badass female characters over the years, but never before have a team of all-female heroes been assembled under the Avengers banner. That’s changing in the near future though: Meet the A-Force. Announced on The View today — a seemingly absurd place for Marvel to announce big comics…

The Man Who Invented The Science Fiction Paperback

Many of science fiction’s greatest classics were published as paperback originals — and the genre might never have gotten so much widespread appeal without the cheap paperback format. As a new article in Investor’s Business Daily explains, this was the brainchild of publisher Ian Ballantine. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, when America had only…