The Star Wars Experts At Wookieepedia Answer YOUR Geekiest Star Wars Questions

A few weeks back, we asked the io9 readership to come up with their geekiest Star Wars questions. No topic was too taboo, no idea too nerdy, and you did an amazing job. We then picked our favorites and now, we have the answers. Note: There are no spoilers for The Force Awakens here. Below,…

Where Marvel’s “All-New, All-Different” Universe Stands Right Now

It’s been nearly three whole months since we bid adieu to the Marvel comic universe of old, and said hello to the world of “All-New, All-Different” Marvel. In many ways, a lot has changed, and in some frustrating ways, barely anything has. Not been reading along? This is how it has shaped up so far.…

The Inside Story of Manhattan, the Best TV Show You Haven’t Been Watching

WGN America’s Manhattan ended its critically acclaimed second season with a bang — the detonation of the first nuclear bomb on July 6, 1945. As the series awaits news on whether it will be cancelled or renewed, io9 caught up with creator Sam Shaw to find out how he turned real history into drama. Spoilers…

There Was Plenty of NZT to Go Around on Last Night’s Limitless

Well, damn. Limitless, the freshman series that won my heart as an unapologetically off-kilter comedic serial with episode-long Ferris Bueller homages and made-up ailments like “micropenis,” took an intensely dark turn for its winter finale. It shifted the focus from Brian to the rest of the characters—and what happens when they take NZT. Spoilers ahead.…

The Pitch Letter That Created the Star Wars Expanded Universe

For nearly 25 years, the Star Wars Expanded Universe seemed like an unstoppable juggernaut of books, comics, and video games. But in 1988, nobody was even thinking of doing new Star Wars books. Until one publisher decided to write a pitch letter, out of the blue. Over at Barnes & Noble’s B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy…

The Paranoid Optimist: How to Have Faith in the Future Even Though We’re Doomed

I have an absolute total unshakable faith in the future of humanity, and in progress. But I’m also sure that awful, terrible things are going to happen, the environment is going to be screwed, and everything is going to hell. How do you reconcile these wildly opposing viewpoints? When I was asked to give a…

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the best films of the year. So says the American Film Institute who put the anticipated sequel on their top ten films of 2015 list along with Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian and others. Here’s the list. The Big Short Bridge of Spies Carol Inside Out…

How Star Trek Beyond Questions the Federation’s Philosophy

Fans have complained that the recent Star Trek movies don’t do enough to explore the philosophical issues that were at the heart of classic Trek. But Justin Lin, the director of Star Trek Beyond, told us the new movie is all about debating Starfleet’s philosophies. io9 was among a handful of outlets that spoke to…

Tom Hardy’s Really Upset About Losing All That Sweet Suicide Squad Money 

You know when you say something in a joking manner, but it’s really a mask for dropping a semi-stealthy truth bomb? Yeah, that’s what Tom Hardy did when he was asked about having to drop out of Suicide Squad. In an interview with Variety, the fact that delays on Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant forced…

The Trinity Rises Up On a New Set of Gritty Batman v Superman Posters

When a big movie is released in theaters, all the other studios take advantage of the attendance bump with new trailers, posters and more. One of 2016’s biggest films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, already has the trailer and now there are posters too. The official Batman v Superman Twitter account posted these simple,…

He’ll Be Back—Terminator 2: Judgment Day Returns to Theaters Next Year, and in 3D

Next year is already scheduled to have a bunch of great blockbusters. One, however, you’ve already seen, just never like this. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is been re-released in 3D for the film’s 25th anniversary. Cameron has been working on the conversion with a company called StereoD and will release the brand new 3D version…

The Expanse‘s Second Episode Delivers on the Promise of the First

In “The Big Empty,” The Expanse is mainly concerned with introducing characters that got the short shrift in the premiere and making strong connections between our three plots. They also make a huge change from the books. Spoilers for both the show and Leviathan Wakes follow. One of the best details in “The Big Empty”…

Why Ahsoka Tano Is the Best Thing to Happen to Star Wars in 20 Years

Tomorrow, Lucasfilm will release final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Netflix*, but the season won’t include an arc centered on one of the show’s main characters, Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan Ahsoka Tano. That’s a shame, not just because Ahsoka’s growth has been one of the most compelling aspects of the series, but also…

Ancient Egyptian Divinity Geoffrey Rush Explains the New Gods of Egypt Trailer

It’s not often that a trailer actually makes me snort. But once Geoffrey Rush’s Ra (yes, that is an Australian playing Ra in this thing) exhorts the “god of the air” to “protect the mortals,” that was it for me. If you did a shot at every cliché featured in this trailer—which clocks in at…

Robert Silverberg Wrote a Survey of Drugs in Science Fiction for the Federal Government

Back in the mid-1970s, the U.S. government was worried that the kids were getting too high. Drugs like marijuana and LSD were at their peak—and meanwhile, the government noticed the kids were also really into science fiction. So the National Institute on Drug Abuse hired Robert Silverberg, author of Dying Inside (pictured above), to do…

Even though only the first two episodes have aired on TV, Syfy has put the first four episodes of The Expanse upon its website.

The io9 Photoshop Contest: Create the Most Bizarre Star Wars Tie-In Merchandise You Can Imagine!

Happy Star Wars eve, everyone! We might all be waiting for The Force Awakens to finally premiere, but it won’t be the movie that overwhelms us going forward— it’ll be the tie-in merchandise. There’s so much of it out there already, but we thought we’d add to the fun with some of our own—and that’s…

Here and There Is a Thrilling Quantum Mystery that the Reader Must Solve

It’s meant to be a simple demonstration. For years, quantum cryptographer Kerek Reidier has been developing teleportation technology in his top-secret, DARPA-funded lab, and he’s already performed dozens of successful trials. Some people see teleportation as the ultimate weapon; to others, it’s the gateway to immortality. But The Reidier Test changes everything. The last thing…

Watch the VFX of Doctor Who Season 9 Come Together

Doctor Who’s ninth season gave us some fantastic images: gorgeous vistas of alien cities, weird and creepy aliens, the whole shebang. Now you can get a little glimpse into how the show’s VFX artists brought it all together in this nifty compilation video. Milk Visual Effects recently released this short reel highlighting its work on…

The Overlords’ Sinister Plans Begin to Take Shape on Childhood’s End 

“It is now the year 2035,” Milo explains at the start of “The Deceivers.” It’s been 19 years since the Overlords rolled in, and four years since the world realized their alien buddies look a lot like Lucifer. Things are going great on Earth… but the price of utopia will soon be revealed. Spoilers follow!…