Books

Cloudy 2 isn’t quite as spicy a meatball as the original

Cloudy with a Change of Meatballs made me cry. A lot. I cried in the theater, cried on the way home, cried on the phone with my Dad where I tried to explain how a mind-reading sweatband (previously owned by a monkey) brought a father and son together. Unfortunately, the sequel does not deliver the…

What’s the biggest missed opportunity in science fiction history?

Science fiction’s past is full of possibilities that never quite materialized. Movies that didn’t get made. Crossovers that didn’t happen — like the Doctor Who/Star Trek: Enterprise crossover that was talked about. But what’s your most tantalizing “might have been” from science fiction history? https://gizmodo.com/the-doctor-who-star-trek-crossover-that-never-was-5199817 Please include a picture or some kind of audiovisual indicator…

A Counting Pop-up Book That Appeals To Toddlers and Designers Alike

Even if you already boast a mastery of counting to ten, a refresher course is never a bad idea—particularly when it’s this beautiful. Marion Bataille’s Numero is a pop-up counting book, chronicling the numbers one to ten with simplistic layered shapes that are sure to entertain and educate kids, while also inspiring designers. Available mid-October…

Godborn author Paul S. Kemp discusses antiheroes and whiskey

The Godborn is the second novel in the Sundering series, which is reshaping the Forgotten Realms and bringing back a number of classic Realms characters. Author Paul S. Kemp revealed antihero Erevis Cale’s true origin and favorite bourbon. When we last saw Erevis Cale, he was trapped in a hell dimension. The Godborn, which will…

Amazing line-up. If you’re anywhere near Williams College from Oct. 22-24, you should make a beeline to the David Hartwell ’63 Science Fiction Symposium, featuring Samuel R. Delany, Kim Stanley Robinson, Elizabeth Kolbert, Paolo Bacigalupi and tons more.

10 Best Science Fiction Stories Where Humans Are The Monsters

Humans are capable of immense greatness and largeness of spirit — but we can also be total horrible bastards, sometimes. And science fiction is full of stories where we terrorize and mistreat innocent creatures. Here are the 10 best stories where humans are the villains. Top image: The Day The Earth Stood Still. 1) The…

Who’s your favorite fictional deity or demon?

Literature and films are full of fictional versions of gods, devils and demons. Whether people are meeting the Supreme Being or selling their souls to Satan, religious icons turn up a lot in fiction. But who’s the greatest God or Devil (or angel or demon) in fiction? Please include a picture or clip of your…

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. To celebrate, Star Wars historian J.W. Rinzler has created another of his gorgeous coffee-table books, chock full of never-revealed secrets about the making of the film. We pored over his tome, and discovered 10 things you never knew about Jedi. Just like…

The io9 Book Club is in session! Let’s talk about Lexicon.

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. In September, we read Max Barry’s Lexicon. Jump into comments to get started talking about it! For those unfamiliar with the io9 book club, here’s how it works: You read the book. We create a special book club post on io9 when the meeting is…

A Phone Book You Won’t Immediately Toss In the Recycling Bin

Haven’t found the perfect drawing or note-taking app to replace the hard covered notebook you still carry around? Who says you have to give it up just because you have a smartphone? Not the designers at KBme2, who want your app-laden iPhone to play nice with its new Phone + Book cahier. https://gizmodo.com/lego-adapter-turns-your-iphone-into-a-touchscreen-brick-511883543 Opening the…

Minimalist book cover art brings a new spark to these book classics

Even if you’re tired of the “minimalist art” fad, these book covers are worth celebrating. For one thing, writer and graphic designer Nicolas Beaujouan has picked many of the greatest classics of science fiction and fantasy to illustrate anew. For another, there are some very clever choices here. Beaujouan chose 23 classic books for his…

Princess Leia fights alone in a brand new Star Wars book

As readers of the recent Brian Wood Star Wars comics know, Princess Leia is no pushover. And now she’s getting her own standalone novel — to be followed by solo adventure novels starring Luke and Han. We’ve got an exclusive excerpt, right here. Razor’s Edge: Empire and Rebellion by Martha Wells is out today, and…

Your Daily Recommended Dose of Steampunk Murder!

Remember that steampunk finishing school on an airship, where proper young ladies are taught to curtsey, spy and occasionally assassinate? It’s back! Gail Carriger is publishing the second book in the Finishing School series, Curtsies and Conspiracies, and we’ve got an exclusive excerpt. https://gizmodo.com/the-finishing-school-on-the-airship-where-they-teach-y-5973004 “We are lowering for a refuel and groundside layover. Students will…

What’s the happiest happy ending of all time?

Sometimes a dark ending just makes sense. Sometimes you enjoy a bittersweet, melancholic twist. And sometimes, you just want a full-on heart-swelling happy ending where everything is lovely. What’s your favorite happy ending from science fiction or fantasy? Please include a picture or clip, so we can bask in the rosy glow. And mention which…

Now You Can Read the Very First Cyborg Novel Ever

HiLo Books has just reissued a long-forgotten science fiction classic, E.V. Odle’s 1923 novel The Clockwork Man. It may be the first cyborg story ever published. It’s also the first book to explore the idea of uploads, and the technological Singularity. Plus, it’s also about liberated 1920s women! Cover design is by Tony Leone, cover…

What’s your comfort read?

You’ve had a bad day, and your brain is fried. You could descend into alcohol, food, or passive-aggression, but instead you reach for the bookshelf. What’s the book you read when you need something comforting? We all know that life is nothing but a mad dash to read all the books in the world. Sometimes,…

These Steampunk detectives are going to darker places than ever before

George Mann has helped revitalize steampunk fiction with his detective novels featuring the duo of Newbury and Hobbes — and now, his new story collection, The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes, takes the detectives to weirder places than ever. Check out an exclusive excerpt right here. Mann’s Casebook is being published by Titan Books, and…

Harry Potter Wedding Spoiled by Failed Owl Delivery Service

Hiring the Owl Post to act as the official ring-bearer is a great idea for a magical, Harry Potter-esque wedding is a wonderful, romantic idea. Unless that owl turns out to be a total dick. One couple had the cute idea to hire an actual owl and falconer to fly their wedding rings down the…

A new crop of literary novels explores our internet dystopia

Not long ago, it seemed like every literary author was doing a book about the apocalypse, possibly involving zombies or werewolves. But now, there’s a new wave of beloved authors tackling our bewilderment with the internet-dominated world we live in. Top image: Ed Yourdon/Flickr. The literary wave may have started with Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad…

Which Science Fiction or Fantasy Character Deserves a Spinoff?

There are some great supporting characters — and then there are supporting characters so awesome, they deserve their own TV show, movie or book series. Who’s your favorite supporting character (or set of characters) who should star in a spinoff? Please include a picture or clip of your chosen character. And mention his/her name and…