H.G. Wells

How a Crappy Unauthorized Sequel Created All of Science Fiction’s Main Plot Devices

Over at Cracked, there’s a pretty fantastic rundown of all of the science fiction plot mainstays that came from one terrible book: Edison’s Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss. Including ray guns, a spaceship with a working airlock, spacesuits, and epic space battles. As Cracked explains, “A good chunk of modern sci-fi actually comes…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Jul 31

Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Who Lived Abroad

Science fiction and fantasy are all about reaching beyond the horizon — so it’s not surprising that many of the greatest speculative fiction authors have broadened their own horizons. And you can see it in their writing, because the experience of negotiating a very different culture and learning another language reshapes the way you think…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Jun 21

Drugs that Give People Awesome Superpowers

Where would we be without drugs? Half the great musical performances of the 20th century wouldn’t exist. There would be no Mork and Mindy. Walter Bishop would have nothing to inspire his research. But that’s not all that drugs do for us — they also give us amazing superpowers. Here’s a list of fictional drugs…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders and Ben Vrignon Feb 15

Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Who Never Wrote Sequels or Trilogies

Sometimes it seems like science fiction, and especially fantasy, are genres that lend themselves exclusively to trilogies and long-running series. But some of the greatest writers in speculative fiction have only written standalone novels, not series or trilogies. Here are some of the greatest writers in the genre who never wrote sequels to their work.…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Jan 30

Wild 1969 Japanese magazine art imagines the hellhole at Earth’s core

Here’s something that should appeal to fans of Gōjin Ishihara’s profoundly weird children’s art. In 1969. a Japanese magazine published these exceedingly intense depictions of life at the center of our planet. Taking cues from Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Lost World, these drawings and diagrams are the strange remnants of…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Jan 30

Did H.G. Wells do a better job predicting the future of warfare than the Pentagon?

H.G. Wells gave us many of our most beloved science fiction conceits — but did he also foresee how war would develop in the era of airplanes and advanced weaponry? And were his predictions more prescient than some of the Pentagon’s attempts to forecast the changing nature of war have been? That’s the conclusion reached…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Dec 28

10 Science Fiction Books That Changed the Course of History

Many science fiction books imagine strange new worlds — but only a few science fiction books have actually changed the world we live in. A few visionary authors have managed to make such an impression that they left the world a vastly different place. Here are 10 seminal science fiction novels that changed the world…

io9 Gordon Jackson and Charlie Jane Anders Aug 18

Now we really want to see Warehouse 13‘s H.G. Wells spin-off!

You might recall that Syfy gave the green light to development of a Warehouse 13 spin-off starring H.G. Wells a while back. Back when this was announced, we were pretty excited — but that was before we saw last night’s episode, guest-starring Torchwood’s Gareth David-Lloyd. https://gizmodo.com/a-warehouse-13-spin-off-starring-h-g-wells-yes-please-5801409 Spoilers ahead… Last night, Warehouse 13 gave us a…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Aug 9

A Warehouse 13 Spin-Off Starring H.G. Wells? Yes please!

One of the best things about Warehouse 13’s second season was the revelation that H.G. Wells was a woman — and she was a sassy inventor, who rivaled Doctor Who’s River Song in the style department. So it’s exciting news that Syfy has greenlit an H.G. Wells show, which would follow the steampunk adventures of…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders May 12

10 Coolest Time Machines in the Space-Time Continuum

Screw a spaceship, we want a time machine! Time machines rule, because they crack open the mysteries of the past and future. And each time machine has its own weird personality. And if you visited another planet, you’d probably suffocate. Here are the ten awesomest time machines of all time. If it turns out we…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Mar 15

Latest zombie literary mashup: “War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies”

Like the undead, these zombie novel mashups are hard to kill. Next up is The War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies, in which both alien invaders and humankind are forced to fight off the undead. Here’s the early version of the cover art. [S&S]

Books & Comics Meredith Woerner Dec 17

This Age of Power and Wonder (1930s)

Companies of the early 20th century would often include collectible cards with their foodstuffs and tobacco smokes. The New York Public Library has an extensive collection of these cigarette cards available for viewing online, including many from a series by Max Cigarettes called This Age of Power and Wonder. This series from 1935-38 includes predictions…

Tech News Matt Novak Nov 22

Jason Stackhouse’s pulls on the pleather for his superhero film Griff

Jason Stackhouse is a pivotal part of the True Blood team, thanks to Ryan Kwanten’s two greatest assets: his abs and his acting. But can he pull off the role of social outcast/superhero in his latest flick Griff the Invisible? Here’s a collection of stills from Leon Ford’s Australian superhero rom-com. Griff is based off…

Movies Meredith Woerner Nov 22

15 classic science fiction and fantasy novels that publishers rejected

Science fiction’s greatest authors have brilliant ideas, storytelling mojo… and plenty of stubbornness. Many of the field’s greatest writers were buried in rejection slips, before they finally broke in. Here are 15 classic novels that publishers didn’t want to touch. When we were doing our list of 10 science fiction classics that the publishers originally…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs Oct 19

20 mad scientists who turned against their creations

The greatest mad scientists dabble in forces that… wait for it… man (or woman) was not meant to meddle with. And many of them live to regret it. Here are 20 mad scientists whose journeys ended in remorse and despair. Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley) Pretty much the moment that…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Sep 24

New novel will show H.G. Wells grappling with mega-stardom

Amazing news: One of Britain’s funniest, cleverest authors is writing a novel about the life of H.G. Wells, and it comes out next April. David Lodge, author of the Booker-shortlisted Nice Work, will provide “fascinating insight” into Wells’ life. The “fascinating” quote comes from Lodge’s long-time editor, Geoff Mulligan, who adds: Wells emerges from this…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Sep 23

Warehouse 13 proves that its most powerful artifacts are its characters

Last night saw an Earth-shattering conclusion to Warehouse 13’s second season. Inescapable deathtraps, supervillainous masterplans, and tests of both wits and heart. It doesn’t much better than this! Spoilers below. “Reset” was a pretty crackerjack season finale, in which the H.G. Wells arc came to a thunderous — and only slightly out-of-nowhere — end. The…

Television Charlie Jane Anders Sep 22

Seeing the truth of the world via science fiction

Science fiction takes us out of our own time and place, and confronts us with alien objects as well as incomprehensible future artifacts. By doing this, argues Daniel Rourke, SF brings us closer to seeing things as they really are. Mid-way through H.G.Wells’ The Time Machine, the protagonist stumbles into a sprawling abandoned museum. Sweeping…

Books & Comics Daniel Rourke Aug 9

10 SF authors who became fictional characters

The history of science fiction is full of unforgettable characters. So it’s no surprise that famous writers often appear in fiction themselves — either by name, or wearing the thinnest of disguises. Here are our 10 favorite science-fiction writer cameos. HG Wells, Time After Time HG Wells pops up in fiction on a regular basis.…

Books & Comics Kelly Faircloth Aug 5

H.G. Wells short story contest bans science fiction, and gets no entries

What’s the point of having a short fiction contest celebrating H.G. Wells if it doesn’t allow science fiction? That’s probably what a lot of potential entrants in Reg Turnill’s short story contest were thinking. Turnill, a 94-year-old former journalist who once interviewed Wells himself, received a bunch of alien-invasion stories in last year’s contest. So…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Jul 20

How a Crappy Unauthorized Sequel Created All of Science Fiction’s Main Plot Devices

Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Who Lived Abroad

Drugs that Give People Awesome Superpowers

Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Who Never Wrote Sequels or Trilogies

Wild 1969 Japanese magazine art imagines the hellhole at Earth’s core

Did H.G. Wells do a better job predicting the future of warfare than the Pentagon?

10 Science Fiction Books That Changed the Course of History

Now we really want to see Warehouse 13‘s H.G. Wells spin-off!

A Warehouse 13 Spin-Off Starring H.G. Wells? Yes please!

10 Coolest Time Machines in the Space-Time Continuum

Latest zombie literary mashup: “War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies”

This Age of Power and Wonder (1930s)

Jason Stackhouse’s pulls on the pleather for his superhero film Griff

15 classic science fiction and fantasy novels that publishers rejected

20 mad scientists who turned against their creations

New novel will show H.G. Wells grappling with mega-stardom

Warehouse 13 proves that its most powerful artifacts are its characters

Seeing the truth of the world via science fiction

10 SF authors who became fictional characters

H.G. Wells short story contest bans science fiction, and gets no entries

First Statewide Data Center Ban Passed by Maine Legislature

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