Books & Comics

Why Does This Comic Book Hero Appear On So Many New Guinea War Shields?

Lee Falk‘s hero the Phantom made his comic book debut in February 1936, but he also appears on dozens of traditional war shields made by people from the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea between the 1960s and 1980s. Why? The Wahgi people of Papua New Guinea have long made enormous shields from tree trunks,…

A Star Wars Making Of Book That Focuses On Models, Not CG

Computer graphics and digital effects are integral to summer blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy today, but back in 1976 when Lucas created his visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic to help realize the original Star Wars, miniature models were the tools of the trade for special effects—as this limited edition version of Sculpting…

10 Classic Young Adult Novels That Would Make Amazing Movies

Fans have been waiting over 20 years for a movie version of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and we’re finally getting one this weekend. But this isn’t the only classic novel that’s overdue for a movie adaptation. Here are 10 beloved YA novels that would make for incredible movies… and why they probably won’t get adapted.…

Star Trek Writer’s Defense of Diversity in Sci-Fi Is Damn Near Perfect

When a reader wrote in to say that a recent plotline in David Mack’s Star Trek books — one where a Vulcan had an affair with a Klingon spy, and they both happened to be women — meant that they wouldn’t be reading his books anymore, they didn’t expect a response. But they got one.…

Which Animated Series Must Never Get A Live-Action Movie?

Tons of classic animated series have become live-action films, including the Smurfs, Garfield, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And often… it doesn’t work out that great. But which animated series or cartoon must never, ever become a live-action movie? Ever? Please include a picture or clip (or comics panel) for…

Boston police with a pile of “subversive” literature, confiscated during the post-WWI Red Scare in November of 1919. [Getty] For more on the “First Red Scare” in America and how it shaped the post-WWII Red Scare, check out Red Scare: FBI and the Origins of Anticommunism in the United States, 1919-1943 by Regin Schmidt at…

The Biography Of Christopher Plover From Lev Grossman’s Magicians Books

One of the most notable elements in Lev Grossman’s Magicians trilogy is Christopher Plover, the author of the Fillory books which turn out to be a real magical place. But who was Christopher Plover? At long last, Andrew Liptak (with Grossman’s assistance) uncovers the biography of this mysterious figure. The Magical World of Christopher Plover’s…

James Spader On Playing The Avengers‘ 8-Foot Tall Robot Villain Ultron

Robert Downey Jr. called James Spader’s Avengers 2 storyline“the best bad guy plot I’ve ever read.” But what does Ultron himself think? We got a brief interview with James Spader at Comic-Con, and here’s what the actor had to say about his debut as a Marvel’s next Big Bad. How did you get involved with…

A Bonkers Webcomic About A Pregnant Nun—And A Convent Full Of Secrets

Weird things keep happening around the young nun Sister Claire. The blue-skinned angel Gabrielle just told her she’s pregnant with a savior. Her mentor seems to be under a powerful curse. And she’s going to have to unlock the secrets of Nun-Fu in order to make it to childbirth. Elena “Yamino” Barbarich’s Sister Claire is…

How Doctors Simulate Death to Help Bring You Back to Life

Mark is lying on the operating table right in front of me, and it is obvious that his day has taken a turn for the worse. Which is too bad, because his day started out quite well. About three hours ago, this 42-year old scientist and seasoned long-distance runner went into surgery to remove a…

10 Tips And Tricks For Creating Memorable Characters

Science fiction and fantasy are built on cool ideas and fascinating worlds — but those things are only as good as the people who live around and inside them. How do you create compelling fictional characters? It’s a huge challenge. But here are some tips that might make it easier. There’s no silver bullet or…

Sometimes The Future Seems Closer To Fantasy Than Science Fiction

We’ve all heard Clarke’s aphorism that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. But sometimes, it seems like we’re already living it, as our tech acts more like sorcery. Full Fathom Five author Max Gladstone explores our fantastical relationship with gadgets. I live in a low fidelity version of the magic castle from Beauty…

​13 Of The Most Ridiculous TMNT Villains Of All Time

The Shredder has always been the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ most deadly foe, but the TMNT can’t fight an evil ninja every day of the week. It would get boring! So of course their rogue’s gallery expanded to include mutants, aliens, demons and… uh, a guy named Joey. Here’s a baker’s dozen of the TMNT’s…

Hellboy Hamlet‘s Not the Weirdest Take, But It Is the Most Awesome

“Suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”? Yeah, that sounds about right. And before anyone can say it in the comments: Yes. I know that quote’s from a different part of the play. But A) It doesn’t really apply and B) I didn’t memorize that one as part of a project in high school…

Another Legal Victory Keeps Sherlock Holmes In The Public Domain

Last year, a federal judge ruled that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are no longer covered by U.S. copyright law. But, the Conan Doyle Estate continued its litigation — and today, another federal judge issued a blistering statement, saying that the estate might also be violating anti-trust laws. “The Case of the Greedy Estate” is…

All The Amazing Must-Read Science Fiction And Fantasy Books For August

This month’s books really do have something for everyone. There are new books by John Scalzi, Haruki Murakami, Robin Hobb and Lev Grossman. There’s magical realism, far-future adventure, and high fantasy. Here are the 22 brand new science fiction and fantasy books you absolutely must not miss. Lock In by John Scalzi (Tor Books) A…

Tour The Dark Side Of L.A. With Sandman Slim Author Richard Kadrey

Few fantasy series have as strong a sense of place as Richard Kadrey’s L.A.-set Sandman Slim books. And here’s your exclusive first look at a video where Kadrey takes you to the real-life locations where his books take place, filmed by Brady Hall. Plus read a chapter of the next Sandman Slim Book, The Getaway…

These Librarian Reviews Of Children’s Books Are Awesome

Amid the many hidden treasures in the New York Public Library is a huge collection of hand-typed reviews of children’s books. Librarians wrote the reviews to assess the quality of the book collection—and, since they were exclusively for internal use, their opinions were brutally candid. As Jenni Avins at Quartz reports, one of the staffers…

The Biggest Mistakes People Make When They Start A Webcomic

Want to start your very first webcomic? Great! But before you get in too deep, make sure that you avoid some of the most common mistakes that established folks in the field of webcomics see time and again. Top image by the incredibly talented Evan Dahm, creator of the webcomics Rice Boy, Order of Tales,…

A High School Student’s Remarkable Letter To George Orwell

A Library of Congress contest invites young people to write letters to authors (living or deceased). The latest prize goes to Devi Acharya, who tells Orwell, “You shouldn’t have published those books of yours under the guise of fiction — how could fiction be what’s happening outside my very doorstep?” Previous letters, written by students…