That Marvel Hero We Kept Hearing Won’t Be in Civil War May Actually Be in Civil War

New set pictures and videos give us our best look at Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. Episode VIII already has a code name. Elizabeth Henstridge may have let slip a major Agents of SHIELD spoiler. Plus, the promise of more Earth-2 on Flash, and more 10 Cloverfield Lane mysteries. Spoilers now! Captain America: Civil War Speaking…

There’s Surprisingly Little of Pete’s Dragon in the First Teaser for Pete’s Dragon

If you were expecting to get a good look at the titular creature of Disney’s remake of the classic movie Pete’s Dragon, well… you’re not getting it in this first teaser trailer. You are going to get some Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford though. What this trailer does focus on instead, is young Pete…

This Video Breaks Down The Fellowship of the Ring‘s Score, Reminds Us The Film Is Genius

Everyone loves Lord of the Rings—novels, films, whatever. But for all the visual spectacle and amazing acting that fills up J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic come-to-life, the music is simply a masterpiece. The Fellowship of the Ring has long been my go-to soundtrack for any D&D session, and The Nerdwriter breaks the score apart and reveals exactly…

So You Want To Join The Empire: Oops, I Did It Again

So, the other day, a big brown box arrived on my doorstep. I might have bought another Stormtrooper kit. This one is the latest product from ANOVOS, a company that manufactures “quality in screen accurate uniforms and prop replicas accomplished by the manufacturing and marketing of limited offerings from movies, television and contemporary media.” This…

10 Books That Will Change How You Think About Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are everywhere these days. They rival superheroes at the movies and TV, and novelists rush to create their own darker, more relevant versions. But how well do you really know fairy tales? Here are 10 books that will change how you see the fairy tale. Top image: Fairies by Arthur Rackham 1) Seven…

Donald Trump in Westeros Makes a Disturbing Amount of Sense

Sideshow comedian and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been long-regarded as a political anomaly in the United States. But in Westeros? Well, that actually makes more sense. One enterprising YouTuber created a fantasy world where there are old gods and new gods, dragons walk the earth, and Donald Trump’s politics don’t sound insane, like…

It’s one of the most iconic film props of all time: the Maltese Falcon. For years, collectors have sought them out, but finding the original, screen-used props were difficult. Over on Vanity Fair, Bryan Burrough takes a look at the story behind the statues. Follow the author on Twitter at @andrewliptak

V.E. Schwab’s A Gathering Of Shadows Is a Grand Return to a Magical London

V.E. Schwab created a fantastic series of worlds for her fantasy novel, A Darker Shade of Magic. With A Gathering of Shadows, she’s brought us back for a new series of adventures, which is both exhilarating, but which also doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor. A Gathering of Shadows picks up just a couple…

Rejoice! Pierce Brown Is Planning Another Red Rising Trilogy

Pierce Brown has been making waves with his fantastic Red Rising trilogy, and now that the third book in the trilogy, Morning Star, has been released, he’s announced that he’s writing three more books! Brown’s trilogy takes place in a stratified society, where people are divided into color groups. A Red miner named Darrow is…

Don’t Invite Melisandre To A Baby Shower

Don’t invite Melisandre from Game Of Thrones to a baby shower. It just doesn’t go well. Remember, the night is dark and full of terrors. Especially with toddlers. [Late Night With Seth Myers]

Return To The World Of Dara In Ken Liu’s Next Fantasy Epic, The Wall Of Storms

We really loved Ken Liu’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings when we tore into it last year. He took us to a deeply unique fantasy world in the grips of a fantastic transformation, and we have a long excerpt from the next book in the series, as well as a first look at its…

Take A Trip Through Cinematic History With Every Special Effects Oscar Winner

I’ve always thought that the Visual Effects Academy Award was one of the more important awards out there: after all, it’s championing the technology and approaches to film that makes fantasy into visual reality. Burger Fiction has gone and put together a video that shows every single winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual…

A Scientist Fulfills a Promise To His Dead Wife In Short Film Goldilocks

In this intriguing short film, Goldilocks, Earth has been devastated by solar storms, prompting a search for another home planet for humanity. In orbit, a scientist named Kharon is working hard to adapt plants to a new world, fulfilling a promise to his long-dead wife. There’s some hints of 2001: A Space Odyssey here, and…

Bill Watterson has been notoriously reluctant to license his famous comic, Calvin and Hobbes. So when an artist began mashing up the comic and Frank Herbert’s Dune, the lawyers came out. What happened next might surprise you. Follow the author on Twitter at @andrewliptak

An Amazing Collection Of Stories Make Up The 2015 Nebula Award Nominees

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has released their nominees for this year’s Nebula Awards, and it’s an excellent list with tons of awesome novels and stories. What jumps out right away is that this is a strong, diverse list of works and authors. After last year’s problems with the Hugo Awards, it’s…

Umberto Eco Asked the Hard Questions About the Myths We Can’t Help Believing In

Most people know Umberto Eco as the author of The Name of the Rose (pictured above), a Medieval detective story that caused a sensation. But the postmodern author, who died today, published a slew of novels that questioned the nature of belief and truth. Eco wasn’t really known as a science fiction author, although he…

One of the All-Time Most Important Cult Movies Is Back on the Big Screen at Last

The movie Born in Flames seemed almost outlandishly radical in 1983, when it came out. But now, Lizzie Borden’s movie about a feminist uprising feels even more relevant and challenging than ever. And now, you can see a restored version of it on the big screen in New York. According to the New Yorker, a…

Want to add some fresh excitement to your reading list? Over on Twitter, people are tweeting lists of amazing science fiction and fantasy authors (who happen to be women and people of color) under the #YouDon’tKnowSFF hashtag. As in, you don’t know the whole genre unless you’re reading these folks. Top image: The Vorkosigan saga…

This Is Some of The Coolest Digital Art We’ve Seen in Ages

If you heard a soft thud a few minutes ago, that was my jaw hitting the floor. I just encountered the work of artist and designer Benjamin Nicholas. He has an striking style that blends science fiction with technology, throws in some surrealism, a dash of steampunk, a hint of pop culture, video games and…

What Happens When You Burn Out on Writing?

Elizabeth Bear is one of those authors who seems like an incredible writing machine. She’s put out a huge number of books in the past 10 years, winning tons of acclaim along the way. But in a brave post on Charles Stross’ blog, she talks about the cost of being that prolific. She writes: Between…