Books

If I Stay Trailer Forces A Teenage Ghost to Choose Life or Death

Young love, sad pop songs, and horrible death scenarios — the movie If I Stay is putting in a strong effort to be your big cry movie of 2014. Thankfully the lead ghost is played by Chloë Grace Moretz. Check out the first trailer. Based on Gayle Forman’s book, If I Stay focuses on a…

Who’s The Most Annoying “Funny” Side Character Of All Time?

Almost every TV, movie or book series has to have them — the comic relief characters. The silly nerd who sits in the corner and makes in-jokes. The bumbling weirdo. But who’s the most annoying “funny” supporting character in all of science fiction or fantasy? Please include a picture or clip, or book cover, showcasing…

Is Google Aiming Too Low By Planning A “Science Fictional” Future?

That new profile of Google X, Google’s mysterious futuristic project, includes the intriguing detail that all of Google X’s projects must have “a component that resembles science fiction.” That sounds ambitious and thrilling. But the Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer says that’s actually too narrow a view of the future. Meyer’s essay is worth checking out in…

Hey Googlers in Mountain View! I’m doing an Authors@Google talk today 4/16 at 1 PM. Come say hi, learn about the history of mass extinctions and the future of humanity — and ask questions! I’ll be in building 40.

Was Star Trek Ever Really Intelligent, Grown-Up Science Fiction?

Star Trek fans proclaim their favorite series to have been sophisticated and mature — and, above all, brimming with huge philosophical questions. But was Star Trek ever really that smart? A Trek fan asked over at TrekBBS, and the responses are illuminating. One thing about the exchange at TrekBBS: it may not convince you that…

What Scalzi’s Old Man’s War Sounds Like In Chaucer’s Middle English

We’re used to hearing Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales translated into modern English, but what do modern stories sound like in Middle English? Medieval scholar Michael Livingston translates John Scalzi’s novel Old Man’s War into the language of Chaucer. Livingston took a section of Chapter Nine of Old Man’s War (or Old Mennes Werre by Iohannis…

What’s The Absolute Worst Tie-In Video Game Of All Time?

Video games based on movies, TV shows and other media are notoriously terrible, as a rule. There’s just something about a game based on a story from another medium that befuddles game designers. Or maybe it’s the tight deadlines. But what’s the worst tie-in game ever released? Please include a picture, video clip, game cover…

North American Lake Monsters Is Weird Horror Fiction At Its Best

North American Lake Monsters by Nathan Ballingrud may seem like a slim volume, but don’t let the size fool you. Each one of these nine stories has the capacity to seduce and terrify you like any of the most heavyweight horror authors out there. Ballingrud has been publishing his fiction sporadically since 1992 with “Memories…

William S. Burroughs’ Wild Ride with Scientology

You probably knew that William S. Burroughs had experimented with some unusual ideas during his time — but did you know he joined the Church of Scientology? Pop Apocalypse author and English professor Lee Konstantinou reveals the secret history of how Burroughs almost became an Operating Thetan. In 1959, the same year Olympia Press published…

The Secret Author Of Czech Science Fiction Bestseller? The Chief Rabbi

You think your day job doesn’t leave you enough time to pursue your dreams of becoming a science fiction author? Gaze upon the example of Rabbi Karol Efraim Sidon, the Chief Rabbi of the Czech Republic, and feel ashamed. He authored a bestselling science fiction novel, the first of a four-book series. Rabbi Sidon wrote…

What Should Be The Next Book To Be Split Into Two Or More Movies?

Yes, this is a Photoshop contest! The Hobbit is a movie trilogy. Divergent just joined Twilight, Harry Potter and Hunger Games in splitting the final book into two movies. Which makes us wonder: What’s the next book that should be divided into two or three films? Please show us an image for your chosen book-turned-trilogy.…

Game Of Thrones: This Changes Nothing

Was last night’s Game of Thrones cathartic for you? It seems to have been for a lot of other people. But don’t get too excited — the huge event at the end of last night’s outing changes nothing. Because the episode goes out of its way to show that we’ve only dealt with a symptom,…

Author Jeff VanderMeer Is Here to Talk to You About Annihilation

In March, the io9 book club read Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation. Today, from noon – 1:00 pm (PDT), VanderMeer will be joining us to answer your questions about Annihilation, weird fiction, and anything else! Just start asking your questions in the comments section now, and VanderMeer will answer as many as he can this afternoon. Please…

Cast Your Vote For the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories of 2013

Every year, the science fiction and fantasy trade journal Locus asks the public to select from its editors’ picks for the best science fiction and fantasy of the previous year (or write in your own nominations). The ballot for the 43rd Annual Awards is now open online – go cast your vote! Here’s more info…

Good News! Parts Of The Giver Film Will Be In Black And White After All

Everyone relax: The Giver movie is going to be in black and white after all. Bullet dodged. Back in March everyone (justifiably) lost their damn minds about The Giver trailer lacking any sort of black and white scenes. People were so mad, they re-did the entire trailer in black and white just to rectify the…

Is There Such A Thing As A Story Without Plot Holes Or Hand-Waving?

When you’re a fan of science fiction and fantasy, you learn to turn a blind eye to certain… lapses in logic. Plot twists that make no sense, people making bizarre decisions, or a setup that falls apart. But what’s the one story that holds up, no matter how much you poke holes in it? Please…

Divergent’s Final Book Allegiant Will Be Split Into Two Movies

There is no need for this. Deadline is reporting that Lionsgate will be slicing the final book in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series in half, and making it into two separate films. And if you’ve read the books, you know that’s a pretty big stretch. One can only assume that this is all about the dollar…

The 100 Continues To Kill Off Small Children

This episode of The 100 was called “Murphy’s Law,” which is an adage that means anything that can go wrong will go wrong, which makes sense because a lot of really bad things happen in this episode to a guy named Murphy… I’ll just pause to let that sink in… But if I had to…

“This Isn’t Just A Movie Or TV Show, It’s A Whole Philosophy Of Life”

Some movies and TV shows (and books and comics) are thrilling and engaging and let you lose yourself in an adventure. But some stories do more than move you — they speak to you. Which book, movie, comic or TV show is more than just a story, but a whole philosophy and way of life…

Meet Your Fellow io9ers Tonight, 4/10, in Cambridge, MA!

io9 editors Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders are hosting a cocktail hour meetup tonight in Cambridge, Mass. This will be followed by Annalee’s appearance at Harvard Book Store. Details below! io9 Meetup! 5:30-6:30 PM, at Charlie’s Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, near Harvard Square. Charlie Jane and Annaee will be the ones with pink and…