The Story Behind Bhen On The Cover Of The Magazine Of Fantasy & Science Fiction

This is a neat little story: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction has produced some fantastic covers over the years, and since the 1970s, they’ve included a little green alien on some of the covers. Over on their blog, they’ve gone back to look at why he was included. But in 1975, when public…

Gavin Rothery’s The Last Man Is A Haunting Post Apocalyptic Short Film

In Gavin Rothery’s new short film, The Last Man, an anonymous soldier is awoken from hibernation, only to discover that the world he knew is gone. The film is a haunting, post-apocalyptic look at what will drive him forward. Fans of Duncan Jones’ movie Moon, will recognize some of the set design: Rothery was on…

In 2014, the King County Library system of Seattle distributed over 21 million items between 48 branches. As library systems grow, they’re increasingly turning to technology to manage the logistics of getting materials to patrons.

There’s always been some level of tension between genre and literary fiction, but according to novelist David Mitchell, avoiding genre is a “bizarre act of self-mutilation”.

Imagination Is The Way To Escape Every Day Drudgery In Tokyo Cosmo

Escaping from everyday drudgery is hard, but in Takahiro Miyauchi’s short animated film, Tokyo Cosmo, imagination is key. I really like this short, and I particularly like his attention to detail, such as when he leaves the action running in the kitchen, letting the viewer take in the mundane elements and objects that make up…

Sierra Leone Celebrates The End Of The Ebola Outbreak

After a year and a half since the first case was reported in the West African country, Sierra Leone has been declared Ebola free, 42 days after the last case was cleared. The announcement is one further step forward in the fight against the 2014 outbreak. Since the start of the outbreak, the virus has…

The Construction Of This Halo Gravity Hammer Knocks Our Socks Off

Man at Arms is a reality-style web series where the folks at Baltimore Knife and Sword build some of the weapons you see in games and movies. This week, they’ve constructed one of the massive Gravity Hammers from Halo. As a somewhat competent amateur when it comes to prop building, the work these guys put…

Watson Will Break All The Bones In Your Body While Naming Them In The New Sherlock Teaser

There’s a new teaser out for the upcoming Victorian-era Sherlock special. In it, Watson will break all of the bones in your body while naming them, because he’s a doctor. What I’ve found interesting about these teasers is that this upcoming special, The Abominable Bride, looks like it’s a bit of the origin story between…

Here’s The Winners Of The 2015 Chinese Nebula Awards!

On October 18th, the World Chinese Science Fiction Association held their 6th annual Xingyun Awards ceremony, the highest award for science fiction in China. Liu Cixin, who just earned the 2015 Hugo for best novel, earned a lifetime achievement award. Launched in 2010, The Chinese Nebula Award is akin to the Hugo Awards, and took…

Sherlock’s Father Makes Recovery Miserable in Season Premiere of Elementary

Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson are back in the season 4 kickoff of Elementary, and it’s all about mistakes, forgiveness, and recovery. Holmes relapsed on heroin in the finale last season, and now he has to cope with the fallout with his daddy issues on full display. Ready to brave the many, relentless spoilers to…

Let’s Break Down The Fantastic Spectacle That is the Warcraft Trailer

At last, after years of teasing, the first trailer for Duncan Jones’ Warcraft movie is here. If you’re familiar with the smash hit video game franchise, it’s packed with secrets, hints and Easter eggs. And if you’ve got absolutely no idea what’s going on? Well, we have you covered to as we take a deep…

One of 2013’s Most Beautiful Stop-Motion Shorts Is Finally Online

Christophe Peladan’s Goutte d’Or is so brilliantly conceived and executed, all other undead pirate stories (looking at you Pirates of the Caribbean) will fall from memory. Warning: mildly NSFW due to naked half-octopus woman. https://vimeo.com/channels/every… [via Everything Animated] Contact the author at [email protected].

Rod Stewart Has a New Song Called “Batman Superman Spiderman” and It’s Driving Me Insane

Just an FYI: Rod Stewart has a song on his new album, Another Country, that is really called “Batman Superman Spiderman.” It’s apparently a lullaby he wrote his 4-year-old kid, which is kind of sweet, until you listen to the song and life stops making sense. I don’t personally listen to a lot of lullabies…

How Scarlet Witch’s New Comic Uncovers The Mystic Marvel Universe—And The Scarlet Witch Herself

Sister of Quicksilver. Wife of Vision. Daughter of Magneto (or not). X-Man. Avenger. We know these facts about Wanda Maxmimoff, but really, who is Scarlet Witch? Ahead of her first-ever solo series, we sat down with writer James Robinson to discuss how he’ll explore what makes Wanda really tick. As well as speaking with James…

How Popular Are Your First and Last Names?

One of the best things about the internet—for those of us obsessed with names and history—is that there are a bunch of tools out there for tracing the popularity of your name. Here are three of my favorites. Fair warning: two of the three of these are US-centric. The Popularity of First Names From 1900…

The Search for a Secret Chamber at King Tut’s Tomb Just Got Interesting

The investigation of King Tut’s tomb to find secret chambers ended today with promising results, according to a statement from Egypt’s antiquity ministry. A team from Cairo University’s Faculty of Engineering and the Paris-based organization Heritage, Innovation and Preservation used infrared thermography to detect the temperature of the walls in the tomb. Preliminary analysis indicates…

Orcs and Humans Clash in the Jaw-Dropping First Warcraft Trailer 

We got a brief teaser earlier this week, but at long last we finally have our first look at Duncan Jones’ highly anticipated movie adaptation of the Warcraft video game series—and it’s jam-packed with gorgeous fantasy goodness. Whether you’re a Warcraft fan that bleeds the blood of the Alliance or Horde, or someone who’s never…

Sleepy Hollow Has Three Strong Showings in the World’s Most Painful Date Contest

“This Red Lady from Caribee” technically wraps the first arc this season, but really it’s simpler: three dates, three disasters. A deadly wasp monster stings Abbie’s boss-ex and that’s still not the worst date this week. Okay look, let’s be honest: This season of the show has been trying earnestly to mop up the blood…

18 of Your Favorite Pop Culture Icons Turned Into Kids Book Covers

No matter what your age, you probably know what someone means when they say “Little Golden Books.” They’re skinny kids books with a gold spine that pretty much everyone owned. Well, artist Joey Spiotto has taken the look of those old books and updated them with takes on classic and current pop culture alike, from…

Hell Yeah It’s Time For a GIF Party!

Your attention for the GIF PARTY! Bring us your best, worst, and weirdest. It is Friday after all. So, whether you’re up to dancing: Or a less subtle mayhem: Let us know. Contact the author at [email protected].