5 US Presidents Best Equipped To Handle An Alien Invasion

The fourth issue of alien invasion comic Resurrection hit stores this week, introducing President Bill Clinton as a regular cast member. We’ve already seen current-President Obama fighting aliens, but now we’re wondering: Which US President would be best at alien-fighting? We’ve seen many fictional American Presidents fight off all manner of alien and/or monster invasions…

#5: Richard Nixon

I know, you’re surprised. But think of it this way: Not only do we know that he’d have no problem unleashing the entire cast of Watchmen against any alien invaders, he’d also be so paranoid about the very possibility of an invasion that he’d have had a counter-attack planned for years before first contact. You…

#4: Ulysses S. Grant

Called “the greatest hero of the Civil War,” Grant’s the kind of leader we would want if things with the aliens got ugly, guaranteeing victory after victory with the strategic mind that brought the South to both a military and economical defeat way back in 1865. As historian Michael Korda put it, Grant understood topography,…

#3: Andrew Jackson

A veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, Jackson was a harsh (but, apparently, fair) military leader who managed to lead a force of 5000 Americans to victory against 7500 British at the Battle of New Orleans, with only 71 casualties (against the British’s 2037). But, again, it’s his never-say-die-even-when-you-should…

#2: Teddy Roosevelt

Ignore his status as Nobel Peace Prize winner; it’s the man who said “Speak softly but carry a big stick” and led the Rough Riders that we’re interested in. The man who, after being President of the United States, decided that it was time to go on safari in Africa and capture 11,397 animals, just…

#1: George Washington

The first President of the United States was also the Commander in Chief of the American revolutionary forces in 1775, showing that he knows his way around a war. Called “the greatest man in the world” by no less than King George III following the end of the war, he went on to preside over…

Remember When “LO” Wasn’t Necessarily Followed By “L”?

What was the first message sent across the first version of email (and what was it supposed to be)? Who was the first reigning monarch online? These questions and more are answered in A People’s History Of The Internet. Celebrating the “40th anniversary of the first stirrings of the internet,” the British Guardian newspaper asked…

NPH’s Batvillainy Is Music To Our Ears

Neil Patrick Harris and The Brave and The Bold – Two great tastes that taste great together? Judging by the Doctor Horrible-esque musical episode of the Batman cartoon, definitely. We want a rematch (or several) already. A straight plot recap of “Mayhem of The Music Meister!” wouldn’t even scratch the surface of what made it…

Learn Who Not To Expect In Lost’s Final Season

According to co-creator Damon Lindelof, you shouldn’t expect everything to be explained in the final season of ABC’s Lost. In fact, some mysterious characters may be missing entirely from the last set of episodes. Spoilers! Talking to Comic Book Resources during an appearance at LA’s Earth-2 Comics, Lindelof said, I don’t think it would be…

Ghost In The Shell To Be Live-Action 3D Bionic Woman… Kinda

Dreamworks are moving ahead with their plans for a live-action English-language version of manga classic Ghost In The Shell, assigning a high-profile new writer and announcing that it’ll also be in 3D. We’re calling it now: It’s the next Avatar. Variety report that Laeta Kalogridis – newly hot in Hollywood after completing the script for…

Dark Knight’s Goyer To Run FlashForward Solo

ABC’s FlashForward recent full season order from the network came with an interesting addendum, it seems. Producer and co-showrunner Marc Guggenheim is leaving the show, and co-creator David Goyer will be stepping up to take things over. The Hollywood Reporter suggests that Guggenheim’s involvement was always intended to be temporary, and that he was assigned…

Why Do Some People See Ghosts While Others Don’t?

Apparently there are certain kinds of people who tend to see ghosts. A researcher has studied multiple cases of haunting and has come up with a profile of the sort of person most likely to get haunted. Says researcher Marc Micozzi: Our data show that anomalous perceptions parallel other forms of environmental sensitivity, such as…

Delightful – and delightfully awful – clips from movies you may have forgotten. Or may never have known about in the first place.

12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read

Of all the alternate worlds we’re dying to visit, the greatest is that mythical room containing every book that was never written. Here are the dozen unfinished novels by science fiction’s greatest authors, that we wish we could read. The Masks by Ray Bradbury Masks, myths and metaphors” play an important part in much of…

A Tragic Video History Of Male Nudity In Science Fiction [NSFW]

There’s a long history of female nudity in science fiction and fantasy – everything from naked Moon babes to sexy vamp tramps. So why aren’t men stripping down too? Perhaps our history of male nudity in SF will enlighten you. While naked women are used to infuse alien planets with exotic allure, naked men are…

Hulu Shakedown: How Much Would It Take For You To Pay?

We all groaned at the news about Hulu moving to a paid model next year. But what if a pay Hulu was to TV what VOIP is to phone, a cheap way to ditch your cable company without sacrifices? https://gizmodo.com/how-a-paid-hulu-would-work-5388745 What kind of features would you need to see from Hulu before you can consider…

The Shiniest Stories On io9 Last Week

Spend all week hiding under your desk from the the shadow people? Don’t worry we’ve got the best of the week right here. Now come on out and see exclusive Astro Boy stills, the Prisoner trailer, and some freaky dreams. https://gizmodo.com/shadow-people-haunt-the-darkest-corners-of-your-dreams-5385993 40+ Lurid, Bizarre Science Fiction Dream Sequences Science fiction takes place in a world…

John C. Reilly’s Vampire Seduction Is A Love/Hate Experience

Our vampire glut continues with Vampire’s Assistant, which replaces fangs with fingernails and gives vampires “healing spit” powers. The good parts are enchanting, but the copious bad parts will leave a “bad blood” taste in your mouth. Spoilers ahead… This little teen flick is based on a popular YA series by Darren Shan, Cirque Du…

The Year’s Most Important SF Anthology Is Out Now

If you wish science fiction would have a bit more actual science (and focus on the near future instead of the year 5 billion), you’ll be thrilled that When It Changed, an anthology pairing scientists and SF authors, is out. To create When It Changed, editor Geoff Ryman (author of the multiple award-winning novel Air),…

Battlestar Galactica Movie Reveals The Cylons Never Actually Had A Plan

Battlestar Galactica DVD movie “The Plan,” coming out Tuesday, tells the Cylons’ side of the story. It’s about why they attacked the colonies, and what they wanted from humanity. But watching it will leave you with more questions than answers. There are moments of coolness in this movie for fans, especially those of us who…