Books

The Final Discworld Book Is Bittersweet For Many Reasons

The latest Discworld book, The Shepherd’s Crown, doesn’t just have the task of wrapping up the story of Tiffany Aching, trainee witch. It’s also the very last Discworld book, since author Terry Pratchett sadly passed away earlier this year. The good news is, this is a solid ending to both stories. Some minor spoilers ahead…

Some of the Greatest Writers of Dialogue (And What We Can Learn From Them)

It’s a sad fact that, in fiction, characters occasionally have to speak. That speech can be stilted, boring, and utilitarian, or it can be something that the readers look forward to. There are ways of making it the latter, and we’ll look at authors who have mastered them. Garth Ennis: Making Each Character Sound Different…

Which Character’s Vacation Ended Up Being the Biggest Disaster?

With Labor Day traditionally comes the end of summer vacation and the start of the school year. And in order to stave off any sadness about that, we say, “Remember how vacations suck?” It’s never fun to end up working when you’re supposed to be relaxing. But it’s even worse to find yourself forced to…

How The TV Show of Octavia Butler’s Dawn Will Stay True to Her Incredible Vision

Making Octavia Butler’s novel Dawn into a television show sounds like kind of a foolhardy idea. It’s a post-apocalyptic storyline, in which the Earth is basically on the brink of destruction, and the last humans are offered salvation by aliens… who want to mate with us and change us. How do you put that on…

Get the inside scoop on Star Wars’ hard-working model-makers! In honor of Force Friday, we’re hosting a giveaway of two copies of Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop. To enter, you just have to sign up for the Insight Editions email list, and two winners will be chosen. Good luck, and may…

Congratulations Don DeLillo! The indispensible author of postmodern/slipstream novels (with the occasional foray into straight-up science fiction) is receiving a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Foundation. To celebrate, here are Noma Bar and Dutch Uncle’s DeLillo cover designs. Contact the author at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @CharlieJane.

Despite What Ignorant People Say, Terry Pratchett Is Destined For Enduring Fame

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer probably won’t be read 100 years from now, argues The Prestige author Christopher Priest. But Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have a decent shot at posterity. Also: Terry Pratchett, whose final Discworld book just came out, has an excellent chance at sticking around. Priest’s blog post is worth reading in its…

What Happened When I Set Out To Celebrate Science Fiction From Around the World

It’s hard to put my finger on the exact moment the idea for the Apex Book of World SF series first crystallised, but the seeds for it were sown long before. I grew up on a kibbutz in Israel, and even as a child I was drawn to fantastical works, many translated from Europe: not…

The 10 Most Unfilmable Books (That Absolutely Must Be Made Into Films)

One of the best parts of science fiction and fantasy books is that they let our minds go to places where reality can’t follow. Recently creators havetaken an interestin visually showing us these impossible places, and we love it. Here are 10 books that we think can’t be put on film, but we’re hoping that…

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Books You Can’t Afford to Miss in September!

The summer beach reads are finished—but the book party is just getting started! This month’s science fiction and fantasy must-reads include Terry Pratchett’s final Discworld novel, plus new books from Stephen Baxter, Seanan McGuire, Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood. And Star Wars and Star Trek! Xeelee: Endurance by Stephen Baxter Baxter has been busy with…

When Book Research Means 250 MPH Winds, A Crash Helmet and Goggles

You know that moment where you feel like a good breeze could lift your feet from the ground? You lean into it a little. You might even unbutton your coat to let the wind fill the cloth. Sometimes you see a bird circling the drafts (it’s usually a buzzard, or a hawk) and if you’re…

In Jonathan Franzen’s New Novel Purity, the Internet Is the Villain  

Is Jonathan Franzen trolling us? The Great Literary Curmudgeon famously detests the internet, and in his latest novel, Purity, the internet plays a central role to the pulpy plot: It’s the villain. (Spoilers ahead. A lot of them.) Franzen’s protagonist is a capital-M Millennial called Pip. (Full name: Purity. I know.) She’s recruited to work…

The Battle of the Books: Gulp vs. Gut

If you want to know everything that happens to a piece of food between the grocery store and the toilet, these are the books you want to read. But in a fight between Gulp, by Mary Roach and Gut, by Giulia Enders, which will come out on top? The Contenders Ice Man Gut is the…

A Critical Look at Where Classic Mythology and Science Fiction Collide

I know in the Venn diagram of “science fiction lovers” and “classic Greek and Roman literature,” there’s not exactly a ton of overlap. But for those like myself who are fans of both, or for those who enjoy taking a more scholarly examination of scifi, have I got a book for you. It’s Classical Traditions…

io9 Book Club Is In Session: Let’s Talk About Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora!

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. This month, we’ve read Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. Jump into comments to get started talking about it! What is this io9 Book Club all about? We meet once a month to discuss a book we’ve all read together, and then we have an online…

The Final Lessons From This Year’s Hugo Awards Clusterfrak

The Hugo Awards are over, and the result was a dramatic rejection of the two “Puppies” campaigns to pack the ballot with a narrow selection of authors. But what does it all mean, and what happens now? Some of science fiction and fantasy’s leading lights have been offering their opinions. If you’re still not up…

Fantastic Science and Tech Books that Will Reboot Your Brain for Fall

Summer is slipping away fast, but there’s still time to spend a long weekend devouring a book on the beach. And it doesn’t have to be the trashy romance variety: We’ve collected a bunch of great science and tech reads that’ll entertain you while getting your brain in shape for school — or just get…

Harry Potter’s Kid Starts at Hogwarts Today and Death Is Coming for Us All

We are mortal and every step we take brings us one step closer to the grave. We know this because today—September 1st, 2015—is the day that Harry and Ginny Potter (née Weasley) send their first son to Hogwarts to begin his wizard education, according to none other than J.K. Rowling herself. Yes, if you’re one…

Under The Dome Has Been Canceled! In Related News, Anyone Want To Hire a Dome?

The great colonnades of Rome have lasted for centuries, through political upheaval and some really questionable fashion choices. But for some of us, glory is more fleeting. CBS, because genius is never recognized in its time, has decided to pull the plug on my show, Under the Dome. In other words, I’m looking for work.…

RIP Oliver Sacks: 7 Must-Read Books and Stories About Our Beautiful Brains

In the past day you may have seen the internet lighting up with appreciations for the writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks. He died yesterday at age 82, leaving behind a lifetime of illuminating writing that helped us to understand our own brains as beautiful, imperfect machines. Here are a few of our favorite books and…