Books

On Game Of Thrones, Remaining True To Yourself Is The Worst Lie Of All

A few characters face terrible choices in this week’s Game of Thrones. They pretty much all choose expediency over principle. In the midst of all this, one character says these choices should be easy as long as you remain true to yourself. But that’s the most insidious lie of all. Spoilers ahead… The character who…

The Original Star Wars Saga Is Getting “Re-Imagined” In Three New Novels

Now, now, put down your space-pitchforks and stop having flashbacks back to the special editions; it’s not that bad. Three writers are returning to the original Star Wars trilogy to retell those well-worn stories through the eyes of the characters that experienced them — and it sounds like it could be a cool idea. Disney…

The Science Fiction And Fantasy Books Everyone’s Talking About In June

Looking for some awesome beach reads? Science fiction and fantasy have you covered. There’s a new Shannara book, a brand new Laurell K. Hamilton, and an Alistair Reynolds novella. Plus Scalzi’s next Old Man’s War book, and Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter’s Long Utopia. Here are all the books you can’t miss in June! The…

Get a Sneak Peek at XKCD Creator Randall Munroe’s New Book

We’re big fans of xkcd here at Gizmodo (who isn’t?), and also of learnin’ about things, so we’re pretty excited for Randall Munroe’s upcoming book of explainer drawings, THING EXPLAINER: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words. We’ve got a sneak peek for you, below. The book is a series of annotated blueprints that explain everything from…

10 Reasons The Velociraptors Are The True Stars of The Jurassic Trilogy

Everybody loves Jeff Goldblum. And the T-Rex’s roar and water ripple in Jurassic Park are iconic for good reason. But there’s only one true star of the Jurassic trilogy: the Velociraptors. They’re the best villains, and what the stupid people in the park should fear most of all. Here are 10 reasons that Velociraptors steal…

You KNOW You Want An Evening Of Erotic Jurassic Park Fan Fiction!

Don’t even try to deny it. There’s a void in your life that can only be filled by hearing erotic tales about the characters in Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park novel, written by brilliant authors and read by the amazing Baruch Porras-Hernandez. And now, if you’re in San Francisco, you can get your wish. Shipwreck is…

Who’s Your Favorite Creator Who Wears Their Influences On Their Sleeve?

Everybody has influences. You can’t create without borrowing from those who went before, and building on their work. Earlier today, we saw Tarantino’s films compared with his source material. But who’s your favorite creator whose influences are incredibly easy to spot in their work? Please include a picture, poster, clip, book cover, comics panel, or…

The Major Character George R.R. Martin Wishes Were In Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin laid out five characters he misses from the books when he sees the show. While a few have had their plots given to others, one big one stands out. Huge spoilers ahead! Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Martin says that he misses a warrior in Daenerys’ entourage, Strong Belwas, and Jeyne Poole, whose…

ABC’s The Whispers Entirely Misses The Point Of Ray Bradbury’s Story

ABC’s latest science fiction drama, The Whispers, is loosely based on a short story by Ray Bradbury. But as our guest recapper — author Ellen Kushner (Swordspoint) — explains, this formulaic horror/procedural show misses what’s great about Bradbury’s original tale. Spoilers ahead… I cannot believe I let Charlie Jane talk me into doing a Recap…

The Biggest Question About “Diverse Books”: Diverse To Whom?

The #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag and campaign have sparked some amazing conversations recently. There was a panel at BookCon (which Tor.com summarizes), aroundtable discussion at Book Smugglers, and a BEA Panel (which Cecilia Tan summarizes.) And one participant brings up an excellent question: Diverse from whose point of view? Talking to Book Smugglers, M. Sereno says: I…

If you’re in San Diego tomorrow evening, you should stop by this evening of “strange collisions and alien transmission,” featuring a talk by Jeff VanderMeer!

Ask The Dark Net Author About the Internet’s Underworld, Here Right Now

The darknet is often sensationalized as a digital haven for crooks, perverts, freaks, and anarchists, but it’s also a crucial tool for privacy advocates, political dissidents, and journalists. Few people are as familiar with the subcultures and nuances on the internet’s fringes as Jamie Bartlett. Bartlett, the author of The Dark Net: Inside of the…

io9 Book Club Is In Session: Let’s Talk About Station Eleven!

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. This month, we’ve read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. 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…

One Thing the Game of Thrones TV Show Does So Much Better Than the Books

As an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, the Game of Thrones TV series will always be compared to its source material. Given how beloved the books are, the show can usually only match them, more often falling short. But there’s one way that the show is kicking…

Nemesis Games is James S.A. Corey’s Empire Strikes Back

There comes a point in any long running book series when things start to get stale. But that’s not the case with the latest entry in James S.A. Corey’s Expanse series, Nemesis Games. In it, the gloves come off and the balance of power in the solar system is turned upside down. This is Corey’s…

Roger Moore Explains The Key To James Bond: He Doesn’t Enjoy Killing

James Bond is known for racking up a pretty high body count, and for having a great quip every time he puts someone in the ground. But Roger Moore, who played the role for a dozen years, says he thinks the key to Bond’s character is that he dislikes killing. We’re stoked to feature an…

Take A First Look At Ernest Cline’s Armada… And Win A Signed Copy!

Ernie Cline took the world by storm with his video game epic Ready Player One. Now he’s back with a brand new novel Armada — with a premise that will sound very familiar to fans of The Last Starfighter. Read the first chapter, right here — and we just gave away 40 signed copies! Cline’s…

Which Villain Steals The Show From The Hero To A Crazy Degree?

Villains steal the show — it’s pretty much their main job. But some villains are just too over the top and insane, and the heroes aren’t up to the task of standing up to them. Which villain steals the show to such a ridiculous extent, you barely even remember the hero at all? Over the…

Behind the Sordid World of Online Assassination Betting

I have heard rumors about this website, but I still cannot quite believe that it exists. I am looking at what I think is a hit list. There are photographs of people I recognize—prominent politicians, mostly—and, next to each, an amount of money. The site’s creator, who uses the pseudonym Kuwabatake Sanjuro, thinks that if…

On Game Of Thrones, Recruiting Followers Is Hard…Unless You’re A Wight

Last night’s Game of Thrones was a welcome return to form. It was also a weirdly structured episode: Half a series of vignettes about faith and learning to read people, and half a rip-roaring apocalyptic action movie. But it was all tied together by the contrast between single-minded zombies and undependable humans. Spoilers ahead… In…