Books

These Librarian Reviews Of Children’s Books Are Awesome

Amid the many hidden treasures in the New York Public Library is a huge collection of hand-typed reviews of children’s books. Librarians wrote the reviews to assess the quality of the book collection—and, since they were exclusively for internal use, their opinions were brutally candid. As Jenni Avins at Quartz reports, one of the staffers…

Books & Comics Mark Strauss

10 White People Who Inexplicably Became Ninjas

Ninjutsu, the art of the ninja, is an ancient, closely guarded tradition of stealth, martial arts and assassination that is only taught to the most skilled of Japanese warriors… and pretty much any white dude who happens to be in the neighborhood. Seriously, it’s like ninjas have their own version of Affirmative Action just for…

Movies Rob Bricken

A High School Student’s Remarkable Letter To George Orwell

A Library of Congress contest invites young people to write letters to authors (living or deceased). The latest prize goes to Devi Acharya, who tells Orwell, “You shouldn’t have published those books of yours under the guise of fiction — how could fiction be what’s happening outside my very doorstep?” Previous letters, written by students…

Books & Comics Mark Strauss

Back In 1937, People Worried That Science Fiction Was Going Downhill

Most of us have been seeing convention panels about the “Death of Science Fiction” for years now — it’s become sort of a jolly cliche. Everybody laments the loss of some earlier, greater age for the genre. But back in 1937, British fans were pretty worried that SF was in permanent decline. Top image: Thrilling…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Medieval Manuscripts Depict A Terrifying Tale Of The Walking Dead

And you thought zombie comics were a recent idea? Over the centuries, medieval artists applied their talents to illustrate a mysterious tale of animated corpses who tormented the living. As the British Library explains: The precise origins of the “Three Living and the Three Dead” are still somewhat mysterious, but there are many versions of…

Books & Comics Mark Strauss

A Book of Tweets By People Claiming They’re Working on Their Novels

Novels aren’t going to write themselves, you know. But when they don’t, their would-be authors simply turn to Twitter. A new book features tweets by people who are totally working on their novels, but had to stop working on their novels so they could post something to Twitter about working on their novels. Working On…

Books & Comics Alissa Walker

The Real Reason Why Joss Whedon Named His Space Western Show Firefly

Nathan Fillion auditioned unsuccessfully for the part of Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And years later, he had five troubled auditions for the role of Mal on Firefly, before he finally clicked. That’s just one of the amazing facts from a new biography of Joss Whedon. Read an exclusive excerpt below. Joss Whedon: The…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

What’s The Greatest “F*@% Yeah” Moment Of All Time?

We root for heroes who are underdogs, who suffer unimaginable setbacks and misery. But sometimes, we root the hardest for heroes who bounce back and do something incredibly awesome. Philosopher/sage Dave Campbell calls this the “F*@% Yeah” moment. But what’s the greatest fist-pumping scene of all time? Please include a picture, clip, book cover, comics…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

Fun New Harry Potter Covers Look Like Concept Art For A Cartoon Series

The Harry Potter series is getting a new British edition with a new series of color illustrations. And these gorgeous new covers evoke the adventure of the books with a look that would be perfect for an animated series. Bloomsbury just released the cover images for the new “children’s” editions, which will hit stores on…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

24 Must-Read Books About Space Travel

Last month, we asked you to name your favorite book about space travel and explain why. Hundreds of you replied with awesome, succinct, and sometimes very funny explanations of your favorites. Below, find two dozens of your best recommendations, from childhood favorites to Mars colonization to, yes, alien sex. And be sure to comment below…

Books & Comics Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan

Comic-Con Wrap-Up: The Shiniest Things We Saw In San Diego!

Comic-Con 2014 was chock full of amazing costumes, cool art, mind-blowing TV pilots and fascinating encounters. Because even a weak Comic-Con is better than most other events. Here’s our complete roundup of all the most incredible things we saw last weekend. Superheroes As usual, Comic-Con was full of amazing superheroes. Including a glimpse at Avengers:…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

In Jeff Vandermeer’s Authority, Even the Desk Jobs are Weird

Authority, the gripping second installment in Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach trilogy, has a very different vibe than its predecessor, Annihilation. Where Annihilation took an expedition deep into the mysterious Area X, Authority shows us the bureaucratic apparatus aimed at studying it. And everything we know is turned sideways. Spoilers ahead… As readers of Annihilation will…

Books & Comics Andrew Liptak

Who Started As A Love Interest, But Then Became A Fully Fledged Hero?

Heroes need sidekicks, enemies and mentors — but most of all, every hero needs a love interest. And sometimes, the love interest helps out here and there. But which love interest shook off that role and managed to become a completely formidable hero in her or his own right? Please include a picture, book cover,…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

What Secrets Are Hidden In The Wildlings’ Costumes On Game Of Thrones?

Here’s some concept art showing Sam and Gilly approaching the Wall from the North, exclusively at io9. It shows the scale and the magnificence of the Wall — and how daunting it is to climb. This comes from the book Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones, and we’ve also got an exclusive look at the Wildling’s…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

Author Melissa Marr Is Here To Answer Questions About Wicked Lovely!

Author Melissa Marr is here to take your questions! Ask her about her bestselling series Wicked Lovely, what we might expect to see in its movie adaptation, or her brand new novel, Made For You, which she’s also going to be revealing the brand new cover design for! Top image: Cover art from Made For…

Books & Comics Ria Misra

A Dragonriders Of Pern Movie May Finally Happen!

Warner Bros. has optioned Dragonriders Of Pern. With The Dark Knight series done, Harry Potter over, and The Hobbit winding down, it’s only natural for Warner Bros. to be searching for the next big franchise. Cross every single finger you have for this one, people. Warner Bros. has a proven track record with book-to-film adaptations,…

Movies Meredith Woerner

Joe Abercombie’s Half A King Is A Coming-Of-Age Tale Soaked In Blood

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to check out acclaimed fantasy novelist Joe Abercrombie, then his new novel Half a King is probably the perfect jumping-on point. It’s short, with a sympathetic main character, a fast-paced plot, and plenty of neat world-building. Highly recommended. Spoilers ahead… In Half a King, Prince Yarvi is…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Which Character Was Supposed To Be Badass, But Ended Up Being Just Ass?

Sometimes, when it comes to making everybody think a character is supercool, less is more. Overkill just feels like overcompensation. And sometimes, creators spend so much time making a character cool on the surface, they forget to work on the other stuff. But which supposedly badass character fell the flattest? Please include a picture, clip,…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

Get Lost In A Brand-New Trailer For The Maze Runner

Get it? Maze? Get lost? Oh, fine. This second trailer for the movie based on the best-selling post-apocalyptic YA novels reveals a bit more about the mysterious world of the maze, more of lead character Thomas’ interactions with his fellow lost boys (including Jojen Reed), and a few more of the maze’s secrets. I mean,…

Trailers Rob Bricken

Why Bran And Arya No Longer Want To Be Rescued On Game Of Thrones

Season four of Game of Thrones contained some major departures from the books — and some of them underscored just how much Bran and Arya Stark no longer want or expect to be rescued. We caught up with Isaac Hempstead-Wright and Maisie Williams at Comic-Con, and they told us why things are only going to…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

These Librarian Reviews Of Children’s Books Are Awesome

10 White People Who Inexplicably Became Ninjas

A High School Student’s Remarkable Letter To George Orwell

Back In 1937, People Worried That Science Fiction Was Going Downhill

Medieval Manuscripts Depict A Terrifying Tale Of The Walking Dead

A Book of Tweets By People Claiming They’re Working on Their Novels

The Real Reason Why Joss Whedon Named His Space Western Show Firefly

What’s The Greatest “F*@% Yeah” Moment Of All Time?

Fun New Harry Potter Covers Look Like Concept Art For A Cartoon Series

24 Must-Read Books About Space Travel

Comic-Con Wrap-Up: The Shiniest Things We Saw In San Diego!

In Jeff Vandermeer’s Authority, Even the Desk Jobs are Weird

Who Started As A Love Interest, But Then Became A Fully Fledged Hero?

What Secrets Are Hidden In The Wildlings’ Costumes On Game Of Thrones?

Author Melissa Marr Is Here To Answer Questions About Wicked Lovely!

A Dragonriders Of Pern Movie May Finally Happen!

Joe Abercombie’s Half A King Is A Coming-Of-Age Tale Soaked In Blood

Which Character Was Supposed To Be Badass, But Ended Up Being Just Ass?

Get Lost In A Brand-New Trailer For The Maze Runner

Why Bran And Arya No Longer Want To Be Rescued On Game Of Thrones

Do ‘Disclosure Day’ Prep With a Spielberg Sci-Fi Marathon

How to Watch the F1 Japanese GP 2026 on a Free Channel

Ranking 2016’s Superhero Debuts, 10 Years Later

Fourth Most Populous Country in the World Bans Most Social Media for Kids

How to watch UFC Fight Night Adesanya vs Pyfer live this Saturday

‘Steel Ball Run’ Will Return This Year…Eventually

‘The Mummy 4’ Is Getting the Family Back Together

JD Vance Says UFOs Are Actually Demons

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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