Books

All the magical Londons. Over at Tor.com, there’s a great roundup of all the fantasy versions of London that have appeared in books, movies and other media, from Gaiman to Rowling. With a ton more brought up in the comments. Top image: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch.

Stories That Lost Their Writers (And Their Plots) Halfway Through

Sometimes it can be confusing to be a fan of pop culture. Sometimes writers leave halfway through a story, and a new writer has to wrap things up somehow. Sometimes a creator gets fired, and the replacement told to change gears in a hurry. Here are 20 stories that changed drastically when the writer left…

Neal Stephenson Inspired Madeline Ashby To Write This Wild, Clever Tale

Tomorrow sees the publication of Hieroglyph, a book of optimistic science fiction spearheaded by Neal Stephenson’s famous call to arms . And we’ve got an exclusive excerpt from Madeline Ashby’s weird, bracing short story, in which she imagines a world without border fences. Top image: “Border City” by Daniel Leivick. You can read more about…

Kim Harrison’s Hollows Series Has Fully Justified Our Love

I’ve been reading Kim Harrison’s Hollows for nearly a decade now, it’s one of the only series I’ve stuck with through the entire run and a large part of that is the fun, fast nature of the novels. And now, with The Witch With No Name, she’s giving long-time fans the satisfying ending we deserve.…

Finally, a Novel That Truly Captures the Intensity of Gaming

Wolf in White Van is a disturbing character study of Sean, a teenager who invents a role playing game that almost destroys him and the people who play it. But it’s also about how gaming is a form of salvation. There’s a dark ambiguity at the heart of this mystery, making it one of the…

A Grisly But Fascinating Tale of the Greatest Medical Revolutionary

Thomas Mütter was a surgeon who would transform the world of medicine. Partly that’s because he invented anesthesia, but mostly it’s because he pioneered the idea of patient-centered treatment. In Dr. Mütter’s Marvels, a fantastic new book by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz about his life, we learn how Mütter transformed a profession known for butchery into…

The Eccentric Polish Count Who Influenced Classic SF’s Greatest Writers

You’ve probably never heard of Alfred Korzybski, but he was famous in the mid-20th century. He didn’t just invent a whole new science, he also had a huge influence on Robert A. Heinlein and a ton of other important science fiction authors. Author Lee Konstantinou brings us the strange tale of Count Korzybski. L. Ron…

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are adapting Good Omens for Radio

Uhh, yes please: the BBC have announced that both Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are collaborating on the first ever dramatisation of their 1990 classic Good Omens. It’s not just happening, it’s happening very soon – this December in fact! The duo will be working with Dirk Maggs, the director who adapted The Hitchhikers Guide…

Prepare For Kim Harrison’s Final Hollows Book With This Amazing Video

The long-awaited conclusion to Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan book series, The Witch With No Name, is coming out this month. To help you get ready, here’s an exclusive video where Harrison takes you into the real-life Hollows — and shows us artwork that gives a hint of what to expect. Witch With No Name comes…

Now This Is a Space Station I Could Get Used To

Look at those luxurious curves and inverted spires. The gravity may not be perfect all the time, but it’s hard to complain with that view of a ringed gas giant lighting up every window. Dylan Cole is an illustrator and concept artist in Los Angeles, and this image comes from his brand-new children’s book The…

What’s Your Favorite Scene Where A Hero Pretends To Change Sides?

Everybody loves a crafty hero. And nothing says “crafty” better than pretending to swap sides. No matter how many times a good guy pretends to betray his/her friends, they always act shocked. But what’s the absolute best “pretending to go over to the enemy” scenes? Please include a picture or clip of this shocking “betrayal.”…

Syfy Turning Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End Into A Miniseries

After weeks of speculating, it’s official: Syfy will turn Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End into a six-hour miniseries. And it’s going to premiere next year. But don’t fret, the folks attached to it give us a lot of hope for this project. Syfy has officially announced via press release that Akiva Goldsman (Lone Survivor, A…

It’s Time To Discover The “Neglected Master” Of Science Fiction

Henry Kuttner’s clever writing had a huge impact on science fiction, and there’s never been a better chance to discover his work. A ton of his work has just been reissued by Diversion Books, and we’ve got an exclusive excerpt from his book The Time Trap, which was just nominated for a Retro Hugo. Ray…

The Science Fiction And Fantasy Books You Must Not Miss In September

September 2014 might just be the craziest month for new science fiction and fantasy books we’ve ever seen. We had a nearly impossible time whittling down our list of the month’s most essential new titles. But here are 23 books that you absolutely cannot afford to miss this month. Consumed by David Cronenberg (Scribner) What…

Read A Brand New Apocalyptic Story By Defenders Author Will McIntosh!

Hugo Award-winning writer Will McIntosh has blown us away with novels like Love Minus Eighty and Defenders — but he’s also shown a unique spin on the apocalypse in his book Soft Apocalypse. And now, he’s written a unique apocalyptic vision for the anthology The End Is Now, and we’re excited to share it with…

The Fourteenth Goldfish Is A Children’s Book You Can Argue About

The Fourteenth Goldfish is a rare children’s book. It presents a message that plenty of people will disagree with – and argues that they should be free to disagree with it. Get ready to argue with your kids about what they’re reading. Today’s books, although rich in high-tech gadgets and youthful rebellion, have begun reminding…

You Won’t Be Able to Find a Book in This Beautiful New Library

You’re looking into Florida Polytechnic University’s new library. Light, bright, beautiful curves and… there’s not a single book on its shelves? Nope, you read that right. The 11,000 square-foot, $60 million, Santiago Calatrava-designed building doesn’t have a single paper book anywhere within it. Sure, it’s a beautiful space for working and reading—it’s just that everything…

World’s Largest Public Archive of SF And Fantasy Receives $3.5-Million

Earlier this month we learned that UC Riverside Library’s Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy – the world’s largest public reserve of SF/F books and materials – has come under threat by new management. Now, the Eaton Collection is the beneficiary of a $3.5-million gift – the largest ever received by the university’s library.…

Read A Lost Chapter From Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

“The Vanilla Fudge Room” appeared as the fifth chapter in early drafts of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel, but was “deemed too wild, subversive and insufficiently moral” for publication. Now, to celebrate the book’s 50th anniversary, the lost chapter can be read in its entirety over at The Guardian. The excised chapter is notable for the…

The Congress Is Your New Favorite Acid Trip

Sometimes the most exhilarating science fiction movies feel kind of hallucinogenic, or logic-resistant. And if you enjoy a trippy journey into wackness, then you should definitely check out The Congress, in theaters today and already available on demand. Spoilers ahead… The Congress is loosely based on The Futurological Congress by Stanislaw Lem. But the main…