Books & Comics

Artists draw Batman with their eyes closed

Mondo Artist rounded up a ton of his illustrator, cartoonist and artist friends to see if they could draw Batman with their eyes closed. They could — kind of — but the results are still hilarious. Tony Cliff Duncan Jones Nan Lawson Jessica Olsen Mike Mitchell Tony Cliff Tons more over on Olly Moss’ site.

The Ultimate Universe is Galactus’ buffet in This Week’s Comics!

As revealed at Comic-Con, Marvel’s Ultimate Universe is in fior some tough times, but its troubles begin tomorrow when the original 616-universe Galactus stops by for a bite. Plus new Mass Effect, new Fathom, and new Army of Darkness comics New Issues Dark Horse: • Gamma: Once the greatest monster trainer in the world, Dusty…

Zadie Smith is writing a science fiction novel inspired by Le Guin

This might be the best news in months. Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth and NW, says she’s writing a science fiction novel. She even describes it as a “romp.” And she cites Ursula K. Le Guin as one of the book’s major influences. Talking to the London Evening Standard, Smith says she’s been reading…

The Biggest and Best Comics News of Comic-Con

Sometimes, despite everyone’s best intentions, actual comic books are discussed at Comic-Con. Heck sometimes comic news is announced, although you can barely hear it over the movie and TV panels. Here’s the biggest actual comic news that managed to come out of this year’s Comic-con. Marvel • Marvel’s next event is the Jonathan Hickman-penned “Infinity,”…

Which science fiction book you would give to a first-time SF reader?

It only takes one great science fiction or fantasy book to get someone hooked. If it’s the right book, that is. When you’re faced with someone who likes to read but hasn’t delved much into science fiction or fantasy, what the “gateway drug” book you offer him or her? What’s the best book for a…

The Greatest Libertarian Novel of the Year… and of All Time?

Cory Doctorow has managed to win the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Prometheus Award for libertarian science fiction for a second time, with his novel Pirate Cinema. He also won this award in 2009 for Little Brother. Meanwhile, Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon won a special “Hall of Fame” award. Here’s the full press release: Cory Doctorow won the…

A Game of Thrones Pop-Up Book Should Tide You Over Between Seasons

If the months of waiting for the next season of Game Of Thrones leaves you curled up in a ball repeatedly muttering “Hodor” to yourself, you’re going to love what Insight Editions previewed at Comic Con this year. Available in 2014, A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros is a lavish 3D book that lets you further…

An unexpected human talent that computers will soon understand

In computer scientist Leslie Valiant’s recent book, Probably Approximately Correct, we discover one human behavior that computers have a hard time emulating: our ability to cope in new environments. But Valiant believes one day computers will master our coping mechanisms. How? We’ve got an excerpt. PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY CORRECT By Leslie Valiant Excerpt from Chapter 1…

How Comic-Con Attendance has Grown, and Other Geeky Infographics

In March 1970, 145 people attended the Golden State Comic-Con, which would eventually grow into the phenomenon now known as San Diego Comic-Con. This is just one of the gorgeous comic book infographs from Tim Leong’s new book Super Graphic. Years ago, Leong ran the magazine Comic Foundry, a culture magazine spanning newspaper strips, superhero…

io9 Book Club reminder: Meeting 7/30 to discuss Odds Against Tomorrow

In July, we’re reading Nathaniel Rich’s near-future novel of climate disaster and corporate insanity, Odds Against Tomorrow. We’ll meet July 30 to discuss it, and we hope Rich will join us later that week for a discussion! What is this io9 Book Club all about? We meet once a month and discuss a book we’re…

20 Great Insults from Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Suppose you really need to put people in their place? Consult the great works of science fiction and fantasy! You need a lot of imagination to concoct a truly bracing put-down, so it’s probably not surprising that speculative fiction writers cook up the best burns. Here are 20 great insults from SF and fantasy novels.…

If you’re a science fiction writer in South Africa,you can get your story judged by Lauren Beuekes and maybe win a cash prize along with publication.

Heroes is getting a fifth, vastly unnecessary “season” via comics

Dynamite Entertainment announced they have snagged the coveted comics license to NBC’s one-time-hit TV series Heroes, a show that stopped being good halfway through the season one finale. The comics will be a direct continuation from season 4, and follow the characters that you loved… unless you saw seasons 2-4, naturally, in which case you…

Bang! Pow! Zoom! Batman ’66 is the retro-king of This Week’s Comics!

As bad newspapers like to remind us every few years, comics aren’t just for kids any more. That’s true, but DC’s fantastic Batman ’66 #1 is for kids, and adults, and probably pets, too. It’s awesome, and it leads off a great week of comics including ninjas, dinosaurs, and so! many! vampires! New Issues Dark…

The Science Behind Discworld’s Flat Earth on the Back of a Turtle

The world is flat, and resting on the backs of four elephants who, in turn, stand upon the back of a giant, space-faring turtle. Welcome to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. How does it all work? Pratchett, along with Professors Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, explain it all in The Science of Discworld IV. Not everything made…

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Books You Can’t Afford to Miss in July

July is ablaze with great stories. There’s a ton of awesome books hitting the shelves this month, many of which make the greatest possible reads for your roadtrip to San Diego Comic-Con (or Worldcon.) Here are a dozen must-read books coming out this month! Top image: Evening’s Empires Evening’s Empiresby Paul McAuley (Gollancz) The author…

What does it mean when people say your story’s “tone” is wrong?

Writers and creative people talk about tone all the time. But what does it mean? Is it just the difference between a comedy and a drama? Is it just light versus dark? When you write a story, how do you figure out your “tone,” and keep it from lurching from one thing to another? Here…

J.K. Rowling quietly published a crime novel—all the way back in April

J.K. Rowling has a new book out—a book that has, in fact, been out for months. Rowling has just been unmasked as the author of the crime novel The Cuckoo’s Calling, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The Times reports that Rowling admitted to being the author of the novel, which was released in April,…

What happens when a closeted superhero falls for a supervillain?

Things are going pretty well for Kyle, the pyrokinetic superhero of Alex Woolfson’s webcomic The Young Protectors. He’s on a successful young superhero team and he’s got himself a great set of teammates. But he’s also gay and very much in the closet. And, on the day he finally pokes his head out of the…

Save 1,100 vintage science fiction books from destruction!

Onondaga Public Library in Syracuse, New York, has an enormous collection of roughly 1,100 vintage books in science fiction, mystery and “other genres.” But apparently, there isn’t enough interest to keep them in circulation. So they’re asking people to propose what should be done with them. The collection is in your hands! Want to offer…