Books

The Insane Art of Hammer Films [NSFW]

Hammer Films was more than just a studio that put out classic, cheesy horror movies — Hammer was an attitude, a gothic style factory, and a weird cultural icon. A new book, Hammer Vault, ventures into the heart of Hammer, with poster art, script treatments, and other rare Hammerobilia. We’ve got an exclusive look at…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

The most beautiful literary mystery in Edinburgh

Over the past year, Edinburgh, Scotland has witnessed the unfolding of a lovely and enigmatic homage to the written word. In libraries, theaters, and literary community centers, people began finding gorgeous, anonymously-created book sculptures. Each of these detailed artworks depicts a scene inspired by the books they’re crafted from. Above you can see a T-Rex…

io9 Annalee Newitz

The 10 Greatest Spherical Monsters In Science Fiction And Fantasy (NSFW)

A monster doesn’t need limbs or appendages to be great. No, sometimes all the being needs are ample curves to strike fear into the hearts of its foes. Here are ten of our favorite circular beings, and be forewarned that there’s a NSFW creature or two among the bunch. 10.) Clifford Simak’s They Walked Like…

Movies Cyriaque Lamar

The Myth of Multiple Personality Disorder

Fiction has mined the idea of multiple personalities for centuries, but it was only in the 1970s that science followed suit. But many argue that “multiple personality disorder” is not a real psychological ailment. What exactly is the science behind this disorder, and does it even exist? How does it work for people who are…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Lorax trailer! What the hell was that?

We were optimistic when the first trailer for The Lorax popped up (what with the heartstring yanking tunes from The Polyphonic Spree and the decidedly Seussian village). But the latest trailer is simply the last straw. This longer look at the adapted classic has “lifted away” any sort of morality or mood from the original…

io9 Meredith Woerner

Words of Wisdom from Walter Mosley: If publishers tell me which genre to write in, “I go to another publisher.”

Good news! Walter Mosley, best known for his Easy Rawlins novels, will be publishing more science fiction next year — he has a series of SF novellas coming from Tor, whom he describes as “THE science fiction publisher.” They’ll be packaged as one or more flipbooks. A new interview with Mosley in Associated Press is…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

I Could Have Really Used This Children’s Book About Calculus In High School

The road to greatness starts at an early age, and a children’s book dedicated to introductory calculus will put your kid on the right path. Has a Nobel Prize winner ever credited Green Eggs and Ham for their success? Exactly. Written by Omi M. Inouye, a programmer and admitted average math student, Introductory Calculus For…

Books & Comics Andrew Liszewski

Vernor Vinge says that when the Singularity happens, it will be “very obvious”

Last summer I had the pleasure of meeting one of my literary heroes, the author and futurist Vernor Vinge. He’d just published Children of the Sky, his long-awaited sequel to A Fire Upon the Deep, and we had a chance to talk about that book as well as some of the other novels in his…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz

New York Review of Science Fiction may cease print publication in July

The New York Review of Science Fiction has been a major source of insights into science fiction writing and criticism since 1988, with Hugo nominations every year since 1989. (Among many other fine essays, they published Samuel Delany’s essay on racism and science fiction.) Now the Review may be converting to an electronic-only publication, for…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

The Death of Philip K. Dick and the Birth of Cyberpunk

Rudy Rucker was the first author to win the Philip K. Dick Award, right after Dick’s death in 1982. Around that time, Rucker was becoming aware of the new “Cyberpunk” movement and meeting the rebellious authors who were reimagining the union of humans and computers. In this exclusive excerpt from Rucker’s new autobiography, Nested Scrolls,…

Books & Comics Rudy Rucker

Hollywood readies yet another Philip K. Dick adaptation, “Now Wait For Last Year”

Prepare for the mighty future battle between the Starmen and the Reegs! Another production company has gobbled up the rights to yet another Philip K. Dick book. By our count, that makes it about eight PKD films currently in development. In this story, the good people of future Earth have decided to align themselves with…

io9 Meredith Woerner

In 1963, Ray Bradbury sent this letter to explain symbolism in his work

In 1963, science fiction writer Bruce McAllister was 16, taking high school English courses where he was told about a mysterious thing called “symbolism” in literature. Trying to get a grip on what his teacher was talking about, the enterprising McAllister wrote to 150 of the most famous writers of the day asking them about…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Kurt Vonnegut died a bitter man [UPDATED]

Kurt Vonnegut finally got his first major biography recently, and so far everybody who’s reviewed it has been shocked by one thing: just how bitter Vonnegut was, in his last years. Biographer Charles Shields spent a lot of time with Vonnegut while working on And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life. And by all…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Book Cover Art That’ll Make You Wish You Lived on a Space Station

Jonathan Strahan’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year is always a brilliant collection of mind-blowing short stories. But Strahan’s collections also always have the best covers. And Volume Six, which comes out in March, has our favorite cover out of all of them so far, by Sparth. We’re lucky to be able to…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Chuck Palahniuk is Damned in Episode 50 of The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy

Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club and new novel Damned, joins us to discuss chatting with telemarketers, being appalled at Hollywood hypocrisy, and writing stories that make people faint dead away. Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy is hosted by John Joseph Adams and David Barr Kirtley. You can download the MP3 for this episode here,…

io9 Johnjosephadams

9 new Sherlock Holmes clips are packed with copious sexy steampunk sleuthing

Prepare for another round of sciencey crime-solving with nine new clips from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Looks like director Guy Ritchie has upped the action and sexual tension between Holmes and Watson. These clips include your first glimpse of Jared Harris as the nefarious Professor Moriarty. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows hits…

io9 Meredith Woerner

Kobo Scrapes The Barrel and Offers a Free Book Each Month

It’s always amusing to see companies offering crappy offers in an attempt to boost sales. The latest is from Kobo, which is offering a free book every month to new Touch eReader owners. Amazon must be terrified. Clearly an attempt to compete with Amazon’s Lending Library, the deal starts in January and will allow new…

Commerce Jamie Condliffe

How to Use Time Travel to Ruin Your Own Life, in a Dozen Easy Lessons

Time travel opens up all sorts of weird possibilities — especially when you visit your own past. There are paradoxes. There is endless weirdness. The past is a foreign country, so let’s invade it and dump our toxic waste there. And so on. As far as metaphysical novels about time travel go, Evan Mandery’s Q…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

Will Hollywood sentimentalize Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe?

We’re mostly thrilled that Charles Yu’s awesome novel How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe is getting a big Hollywood movie deal. We’re a bit concerned, though, that it’s being spearheaded by Chris Columbus, maker of the first two Harry Potter movies and Percy Jackson, among many other things. Will the film version…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Watch a complete 1990 documentary about cyberpunk, featuring a young William Gibson

This documentary about the booming subculture of cyberpunk, made over two decades ago, bursts with enthusiasm and ideas. Plus then-cutting-edge 3D graphics. It’s a great look at cyber-culture from a generation ago, plus there’s tons of William Gibson talking about making science fiction post-modern and forward-looking, and Timothy Leary holding forth. It’s the perfect thing…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

The Insane Art of Hammer Films [NSFW]

The most beautiful literary mystery in Edinburgh

The 10 Greatest Spherical Monsters In Science Fiction And Fantasy (NSFW)

The Myth of Multiple Personality Disorder

The Lorax trailer! What the hell was that?

Words of Wisdom from Walter Mosley: If publishers tell me which genre to write in, “I go to another publisher.”

I Could Have Really Used This Children’s Book About Calculus In High School

Vernor Vinge says that when the Singularity happens, it will be “very obvious”

New York Review of Science Fiction may cease print publication in July

The Death of Philip K. Dick and the Birth of Cyberpunk

Hollywood readies yet another Philip K. Dick adaptation, “Now Wait For Last Year”

In 1963, Ray Bradbury sent this letter to explain symbolism in his work

Kurt Vonnegut died a bitter man [UPDATED]

Book Cover Art That’ll Make You Wish You Lived on a Space Station

Chuck Palahniuk is Damned in Episode 50 of The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy

9 new Sherlock Holmes clips are packed with copious sexy steampunk sleuthing

Kobo Scrapes The Barrel and Offers a Free Book Each Month

How to Use Time Travel to Ruin Your Own Life, in a Dozen Easy Lessons

Will Hollywood sentimentalize Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe?

Watch a complete 1990 documentary about cyberpunk, featuring a young William Gibson

Even the ‘Avatar’ Fighting Game Is Disrespecting ‘Legend of Korra’

Bluesky Has a New App, and It’s All About AI

Dammit, Jim, He’s a Doctor And an Action Figure!

Whatever Just Happened with ‘Fruit Love Island,’ Nobody Won

AMC Puts a Stake in ‘Talamasca’ After One Season

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

2027 Is Shaping Up to Be a Great Year for Big Sci-Fi RPGs

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

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

Let us help find what you are looking for...

Books

The Insane Art of Hammer Films [NSFW]

The most beautiful literary mystery in Edinburgh

The 10 Greatest Spherical Monsters In Science Fiction And Fantasy (NSFW)

The Myth of Multiple Personality Disorder

The Lorax trailer! What the hell was that?

Words of Wisdom from Walter Mosley: If publishers tell me which genre to write in, “I go to another publisher.”

I Could Have Really Used This Children’s Book About Calculus In High School

Vernor Vinge says that when the Singularity happens, it will be “very obvious”

New York Review of Science Fiction may cease print publication in July

The Death of Philip K. Dick and the Birth of Cyberpunk

Hollywood readies yet another Philip K. Dick adaptation, “Now Wait For Last Year”

In 1963, Ray Bradbury sent this letter to explain symbolism in his work

Kurt Vonnegut died a bitter man [UPDATED]

Book Cover Art That’ll Make You Wish You Lived on a Space Station

Chuck Palahniuk is Damned in Episode 50 of The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy

9 new Sherlock Holmes clips are packed with copious sexy steampunk sleuthing

Kobo Scrapes The Barrel and Offers a Free Book Each Month

How to Use Time Travel to Ruin Your Own Life, in a Dozen Easy Lessons

Will Hollywood sentimentalize Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe?

Watch a complete 1990 documentary about cyberpunk, featuring a young William Gibson

Even the ‘Avatar’ Fighting Game Is Disrespecting ‘Legend of Korra’

Bluesky Has a New App, and It’s All About AI

Dammit, Jim, He’s a Doctor *And* an Action Figure!

Whatever Just Happened with ‘Fruit Love Island,’ Nobody Won

AMC Puts a Stake in ‘Talamasca’ After One Season

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

2027 Is Shaping Up to Be a Great Year for Big Sci-Fi RPGs

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

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

Let us help find what you are looking for...

Dammit, Jim, He’s a Doctor And an Action Figure!