Books

Did Neal Stephenson predict the NSA spying on World of Warcraft?

New leaked documents from Edward Snowden reveal that the NSA and British intelligence have been spying on people in World of Warcraft and other online games. And Neal Stephenson’s epic spy novel REAMDE predicted this whole mess back in 2011. https://kotaku.com/american-and-british-government-may-have-spied-on-wow-a-1479468945 https://gizmodo.com/neal-stephensons-reamde-is-a-high-tech-incarnation-of-t-5849371 Over at Ars Technica, Sean Gallager reports: “Al Qaida terrorist target selectors and…

Charles Stross gives us a sneak peek at his new novel

Today, author Charlie Stross, from this month’s book club selection, joined us for a Q&A, where he filled us his thoughts on how new writers get traction, the skyrocketing of ebook sales (from 1% to 50% of his sales in the last five years), and gave us the first line of his new book coming…

​How to Stop being a Completist

How do you know when it’s time to stop being a completist? For me, the moment came in the mid-1990s, when I saw the above Doctor Who underpants for sale in a London shop — marked “ONLY WORN ONCE, NEVER WASHED.” But everybody hits a wall sooner or later. Here’s how to let go of…

This trailer for Mike Carey’s Girl With All the Gifts will chill you

We’ve been waiting far, far too long for a new book from Mike Carey, author of the Felix Castor books and also writer of such great comics as The Unwritten, Lucifer and My Faith in Frankie. So rejoice in the book trailer for his new book, The Girl With All the Gifts. The Girl With…

Author Charles Stross is here today, answering your questions!

In November, the io9 book club read Charles Stross’ novel Neptune’s Brood. Today from 12:00-1:00 PDT, Stross is here to answer your questions! Ask him about Neptune’s Brood, economic science fiction, or any of his other incredible series and books. Image via ChiCon Just jump into comments and ask questions, and Stross will get to…

What is your favorite book to give as a gift?

Sometimes the enjoyment of a book is in the chance to escape all alone into an entirely different world, and then, sometimes, half the fun is sharing it with all the other readers in your life. Today, we want to know what is your favorite book to gift to others. Maybe it’s a childhood favorite…

What story would be totally different with cellphones or birth control?

We live in an age of wonders. Modern innovations have transformed our world, notably including instantaneous global communication and birth control. Which story do you find yourself watching or reading, and thinking: “if only they could text each other, or use condoms, this would go way differently”? Please include a picture or clip of this…

How to Write Descriptive Passages Without Boring the Reader or Yourself

Describing stuff can be the hardest part of writing prose fiction. You have a scene in your head, with all the dialogue and action, but now you have to fill in what everything looks like. There’s nothing more boring to write, or read, than a long descriptive passage — but here’s how to spice it…

“Rule One: No Complacency”: Inside The Early Years of Pixar

The early Pixar films, like Toy Story, still feel like a miracle. And a new book excerpt shows how much of that early creativity came from a handful of guys, sitting around a pile of toys. They wanted something as different from a Disney animated movie as possible, and they had one rule: “No complacency.”…

Why Smaug Still Matters

This week, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters, introducing us to Peter Jackson’s vision of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous dragon. But in a media landscape overstuffed with dragons, why do we still care so much about Smaug? Top image: Crop from J.R.R. Tolkien’s own illustration “Conversation with Smaug.” “A dragon is no idle…

What’s the best series to give someone who’s just had a messy breakup?

When you’ve broken up with your longtime sweetie, you need to lose yourself in a long, long story. But you don’t want too much romance, to remind you what you just lost. So which book, movie, TV or comics series provides the best distraction for someone with a broken heart? Please include a picture or…

Don’t Miss December’s Most Essential Science Fiction and Fantasy Books!

The cold nights are getting longer, and nothing warms you up like a good cracking read. And luckily, December brings new epic fantasy series, space opera, space romance, and tons of other amazing books. Here are all the science fiction and fantasy books that will make December epic! Top image: Something More Than Night cover…

This is why you are eating more meat

Why are Americans eating more meat than ever? Are we swayed by ads? Brainwashed by the factory farm industry? Not really. The answer, says Maureen Ogle in her latest book, In Meat We Trust: An Unexpected History of Carnivore America, is that the American public has an ingrained, almost unconscious desire for meat. In recent…

Can MTV and Jon Favreau really bring Shannara to life on television?

There’s going to be a Shannara TV series. (Hooray!) And it’s going to be on MTV, which is… interesting. And with Iron Man’s Jon Favreau directing. Can Favreau really recreate our epic-fantasy dreams on basic cable? Top image: Cover art by Keith Parkinson. Deadline broke the news that Terry Brooks’ classic book series will be…

It’s about time. Samuel R. Delany was named this year’s Damon Knight Memorial Grand Masterby the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

Which non-human character does the most to shine a light on humanity?

Science fiction and fantasy are full of aliens, demons, robots and other non-human creatures… who show us what it really means to be human. But which non-human character is the best at illuminating the nature of humanity? Please include a picture or clip (or book cover) featuring this character. Also, the name of the series,…

George R.R. Martin shows what happens when dragons go to war

While you’re anxiously awaiting the sixth Westeros book from George R.R. Martin, there’s something to tide you over. This week, Martin released a new novella set in the past of Westeros, and it shows just what happens when there’s a war with tons of dragons. Top image: Tomasz Jedruszek/CG Society Spoilers ahead… Martin’s story “The…

10 Robot Deaths That Were More Moving Than Almost Any Human’s

When any beloved character dies, it’s heart-rending — but sometimes, the death of a beloved robot (or android) can be the saddest of all. Maybe because we bond so intensely with artificial beings, their deaths can feel like losing a best friend. Here are 10 robot deaths that are more devastating than almost any human’s.…

Watch Bilbo face off with a giant, invisible dragon on the Hobbit set

The latest behind-the-scenes Hobbit video blog is out, showcasing just how difficult it must have been for Martin Freeman to act against the giant nothingness that was Smaug. Plus, check out five clips from the actual film itself. We love these video blogs Peter Jackson puts out, mostly for the insane access they give to…

OK you got us, The Hobbit totally works as Mean Girls

We did not think this mash-up of The Hobbit and Mean Girls would work. But oh my god, does it ever. Thranduil is SUCH a bitch. Created by Only Leigh (well done you guys).