io9
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Asian Futurism
When Did Japan Stop Being The Future?
U.S. science fiction used to be fascinated with Japan, from Blade Runner to Neuromancer. Everything Japanese was cooler, sleeker and shinier than our grubby American aesthetic, and Japan was destined to dominate. And then, Japan's futuristic status waned. What happened? More »
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112
Comment by omgwtflolbbqbye: Ah yes, A.I. A movie I hated but learned to love recently. Yes, even with the aliens... 9 Responses | Other threads
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triviagasm
The Composers That Make Space Adventures Epic
Space is silent and vast, but we can't feel the awe and terror of epic space battles without great music. Here's our list of the ten composers without whom science fiction would feel as empty as the void. (With samples.) More » -
blade runner
Blade Runner Is About To Get A Prequel Webseries
Blade Runner director Ridley Scott announced his commercials company, RSA Films, has launched a new division to make Purefold, a webseries set in the Blade Runner universe. And this time around, you'll get to help decide who is and isn't a replicant. More »
5,454
Comment by transbastard: Death, death to everyone involved! Blade Runner is not in any need of sequels, prequels, reboots or reimagining. 8 Responses | Other threads
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exclusive
Duncan Jones' Next Science Fiction Film Has "Unique" Villains
While chatting with Duncan Jones, director of indie darling Moon, we pried for more information about his highly anticipated Blade Runner-inspired film Mute. He cleared up rumors about this Berlin-set future world, and gave us a status update.
More »
4,444
Comment by grime: i hate pretentious fucks like this guy. thanks for keeping sci fi "believable" to mainstream people with no godamn imagination. 7 Responses | Other threads
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triviagasm
Sex Robots Who Kill: Is Anything Deadlier?
As soon as we have convincing(ish) androids and gynoids, we'll create pleasure-droids. And soon after that, those sex-machines will use their super-powerful thigh muscles to try and kill us. Here are 15 examples of the sexy robot death that awaits you in the future. More » -
killer robots
The Scariest Killer Robots Look Like Dead People
We're scared of robots that look almost, but not quite, human... because they remind us of walking corpses. And the deadliest killer robots are often the ones which exploit this zombie fear, before slaughtering us. More » -
do androids dream of electric sheep preview
Do Androids Dream In Thought Balloon Bubbles?
Wondering what the comic version of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (which uses the actual text of the novel as the script) is going to look like? We've got a preview. More »
9,271
Comment by Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: While I applaud them wanting to do a straight version of the book, some of the text seems a mite... 6 Responses | Other threads
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triviagasm
15 Evil Corporations in Science Fiction
If you're looking for a job, here's a list of successful, influential corporations you might want to work for. That is, as long as you don't ask too many questions.
More »
20,938
Comment by OsDavis: Obligatory Doctor Who mentions: "The Company" from the Sunmakers; Tobias Vaughan's company in "The Invasion"; and whatever company it was... 9 Responses | Other threads
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duncan jones
Moon Director Brings Back The Glorious Days Of Blade Runner
Duncan Jones, the director of the engrossing Moon is already looking for his next science fiction movie. And he says he's aiming to recapture the magic of Blade Runner. More »
5,218
Comment by corpore-metal: My theory is that Blade Runner was something that was very strongly a product of its time, the early 1980s,... 13 Responses | Other threads
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red dwarf recap
Red Dwarf Smegs Up Its Comeback
The return of British comedy Red Dwarf was a chance to prove that the show had a future and wasn't an exercise in nostalgia... until they spent most of it recreating Blade Runner. Spoilers.
More »
11,906
Comment by twDarkflame: First part was slow, but I absolutely loved the rest. The Zoom-in bit was hillerious I thought, as was cats diving... 4 Responses | Other threads
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found footage
It's Like Blade Runner, By Way Of Uwe Boll
We need more terrible movies like The Gene Generation, this instant classic - newly on DVD - about a Dark Future [TM] where fetish-wear-clad assassins stalk "DNA hackers." And Faye Dunaway grows tentacles! More »
7,862
Comment by PalinFreeborn: What's funny about this article is that, in the next few months, Blade Runner is being re-released as "Blade Runner:... 5 Responses | Other threads
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blade runner
Blade Runner's Original Ending: Yes, Deckard's A Replicant
A few precious pages from an early screenplay for Blade Runner have turned up online, and they're radically different than the version you saw on screen. They end with Deckard realizing he's a Replicant. More »
14,342
Comment by Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H.: There is nothing more irritating than the arguments I've had with people claiming he isn't a replicant so hopefully... 16 Responses | Other threads
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franklyn
Franklyn's Alternate-History Superhero Tale Has A Satisfying Payoff
"It's a somewhat arty science fiction romance thriller." "It's a genre of no genre." "It's an urban fairytale fantasy drama, with a parallel-world aspect to it." Even the people making Franklyn struggled to explain it. More »
9,319
Comment by WiseGuy487: Saw the trailer, and it looks like an interesting concept. Love the whole parallel universe thing mixed with the whole... 10 Responses | Other threads
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triviagasm
The Most Famous Building In Science Fiction
There's one building in Los Angeles that screams "retro-futuristic gothic," and it was built in 1893. The Bradbury Building featured heavily in Blade Runner, but it's starred in tons of other stories. Here's a list. More » -
independent film-makers
A Young Filmmaker's Journey From Trek Fan To Blade Runner Acolyte
Emily Yoshida became addicted to Star Trek: The Next Generation at age four, and now she's making her own science fiction films. Yoshida's 12-minute virtual-reality film Abigail, premiering this weekend, pays homage to Blade Runner. More »
4,107
Comment by Alexis Brown: Aspiring Nerdy Fem Sci-Fi Writers. We need more of you. 3 Responses | Other threads
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jive tarkin
Olmos Human, Olmos Not the Man: Why I Quit BSG
I’m not that smart of a guy. I can’t tell you what a categorical imperative is, or how to hot-wire a motorcycle, or what the Singularity is going to look like. But I can guarantee you one thing: If we ever face a real Robot Threat and I have anything to say about it, I will not put Edward James Olmos in charge of dealing with it. How did I reach this admittedly controversial conclusion? It all started back in April, when I asked you, my fellow io9ers, about Netflixing the new Battlestar Galactica. I took your advice and, when the DVDs came in the mail, the missus and I watched up until almost the end of the second season - and then I had to quit. I’ll explain why. More »
11,864
By MoffComment by jbq: Thanks for that, Moff, it needed to be said. But however, I'd like to point out that the replicants of Blade... 11 Responses | Other threads
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blade runner
Blade Runner Started, And Ended, As A Comic Book
Ridley Scott's Blade Runner has claimed inspiration from many sources, but these mid-1970s panels by legendary French illustrator Jean Giraud (pseudonym Moebius) from his collaboration with Dan O'Bannon for The Long-Tomorrow are particularly evocative of the final product. Scott's artistic talents also emerge in the brilliant storyboards for the film, and Sci-Fi-O-Rama collects both here. More »
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Comment by iCurmudgeon: There was actually a novel called Blade Runner back in the late '50s or '60s. Ridley Scott stole the title... 1 Responses | Other threads
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blade runner
Stop Blade Runner 2 Before It Starts!
When I first saw the words "Blade Runner 2," I imagined it was somebody's zany comedy pitch, along the lines of Hamlet 2. I pictured Steve Coogan running around, exploding in a creative frenzy as he figures out the space-time warp that could bring back Roy Batty — maybe there could be a whole half-hour sequence where Roy Batty stands in the rain and lists more stuff he's seen! — and Sexy Jesus could turn out to be a Replicant. Sadly, Blade Runner 2 is not a joke, it's a real project that apparently has one of the original Blade Runner producers involved. The good news is, no studio has yet signed on. Update: Apparently it's definitely not happening. Yay! More »
5,223
Comment by Mathmos: Anyone read the sequels written by Michael Jeter? 4 Responses | Other threads
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tragic heroes
Tragic Heroes Who Are Cooler Than Anakin
The whole time we're watching Star Wars: Clone Wars in theaters and on television, we'll be knowing that Anakin Skywalker is destined for a horrendous end. But the true tragedy of Anakin is that he's kind of a pale reflection of the truly great tragic heroes of science fiction. Seriously, here are like a hundred tragic heroes who are more awesome or terrible than Anakin. Okay, not a hundred. But a lot. Spoilers for old books and movies ahead. More » -
urban decay
Why Does My City Scream?
Just as Americans are going to the polls in November, a mass media campaign will be ramping up that depicts cities as both dangerous and wracked with torment. "My City Screams!" It could be a slogan for The Dark Knight. Or any of a host of other movies, TV shows or books. But it's actually the tagline for The Spirit, the new comic-book movie by noir master Frank Miller. We love to imagine cities as hazardous, smelly alien worlds, even as real-life U.S. cities are becoming safer and safer. Why is genre entertainment's portrayal of cities trapped in an era of tenements? More »
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Comment by barnesm: Thanks for that, I really enjoyed reading that piece "It would take a whole separate blog post to discuss... more » | Other threads
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blade runner
Ridley Scott Admits Little Orphan Annie Inspired Blade Runner
Last weekend in Los Angeles, Blade Runner director Ridley Scott and writer Hampton Fancher spoke at a benefit screening of the digitally-remastered film. Special effects artist and blogger Mojo was there, and gives a great recap the evening, including a brief but friendly spat between Scott and Fancher over whether Deckard is a replicant. Apparently Scott always believed Deckard had to be a replicant to enhance the paranoid feeling of the film; Fancher thinks the question has to be left unanswered. But the best part of the evening was when Scott admitted that Blade Runner's dark look was inspired by a very unlikely comic strip. More »
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Comment by Torley: The BR movie poster always reminds me of how (1) it doesn't look quite like Harrison Ford; the eyes are... more » | Other threads
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dystopian science fiction
Dystopian Science Fiction Can Save The World, According To You
If you want to save the world, you should study worst-case scenarios for the future, according to 20,000 science fiction fans. The Sci Fi Channel did an online poll, through its Visions For Tomorrow initiative, to find out the top "things to read, watch and do to save the world." And the winners were dark tales of a world gone to hell, including Blade Runner, 1984, Firefly, the new Battlestar Galactica and The Matrix. An exclusive first look at all the winners, below the fold. More » -
inhabited island
Death In The Shadow Of The Mind-Control Towers
Here's the first trailer for Russia's biggest science fiction epic ever, Inhabited Island. It's a Blade Runner-esque post-apocalyptic satire, based on a 1971 novel about astronaut Maxim Kammerer, who lands on a planet devastated by nuclear destruction and ruled by five "Unknown Fathers" who use mind-control towers to subdue the populace. Click through for a gallery of stills. More »
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Comment by Ben Zvan: The main character's name is Maxim Kammerer? I guess I don't expect good things from a lad-mag title followed by... more » | Other threads
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dystopia
LA to Become Blade Runner-esque Dystopia
Sonny Astani is a big-time real estate developer in Southern California. He's also obsessed with Blade Runner. He recently unveiled plans to hang a 14-story LED billboard on the facades of two 33-story condos a la Blade Runner. More »
2,862
Comment by Grey_Area: @jbq: Thank you, now I know .And knowing is half the battle. more » | Other threads
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anti-heroes
Why Do Anti-Heroes Rule Science Fiction?
The first time I ever read the word "anti-hero," it was in an article about science fiction, and it's always seemed a very science fictional type of word — like anti-matter, or anti-gravity. Science fiction has its share of one-dimensional white hats, but the characters who capture our imagination are usually the morally blurred rascals, who have their own best interests at heart. You never quite know what an anti-hero will do next. Here's our guide to the roots of science fiction's greatest anti-heroes. More »
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Comment by note the sarcasm: Brilliant list [seeing Mal, Gully Foyle, and Spider Jerusalem in one list is Made Of Win]. Only complaint: Where's... more » | Other threads
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blade runner
Massive Attack Makes Blade Runner Melt Down
Mixing 1980s SF dystopia with electronica, this year's Meltdown Festival in the UK will include a couple of performances that may be of interest to fans of Philip K. Dick, Ridley Scott or DJ-friendly orchestras. The annual festival, this year curated by Massive Attack, coffee-table favorites and creators of the House theme music. Plus the festival will give fans even a special one-off IMAX screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut along with a hipper, younger version of the soundtrack. More »
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Comment by RAHfanboy: @pkittie: "They are NOT androids (in the movie)! Man, I hate it when people make that mistake." Thank you. It... more » | Other threads
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pinnochio-bots
The Greatest Pinnochio-Bot Of All Time
When Summer Glau's Terminator started ballet dancing for no particular reason in a recent episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, it totally made sense: She's just another android/robot who wants to be human. Like the guy in this classic Johnnie Walker Scotch ad. It's like the fourth rule of robotics: The more autistic and socially clueless an android is, the more he/she/it will crave humanity. Click through to see clips of the greatest Pinnochio-bot of all time, plus a gallery. More » -
concept art
The Jazz Album Cover That Became Blade Runner
Syd Mead's concept artwork for Blade Runner has always looked a bit like a jazz painting. It's meant to portray a saturnine view of downtown Los Angeles in the future, but the only things in it that are even slightly futuristic are the armored-looking dumptruck on the street, and the hulking mega-skyscraper in the background which is probably meant to be the Tyrell corporation. Besides that, the image is a wash of signage, mostly featuring Asian text. All it needs is an accompanying saxophone track and this could serve as the cover image to an album, circa 1963. More »
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By Kevin KellyComment by tamoko: This film has such legs. The industrial design and concept art still feels so fresh. On the topic of jazz,... more » | Other threads
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triviagasm
Now You're Cooking With Tachyons: The Best Scifi Kitchen Gadgets
According to 1950s newsreels, the wonders of our age are supposed to include a dream kitchen that uses ultrasonic waves to clean our plates, automatically cooks our food for us and does all the shopping. But so far, all the best kitchen toys are still in science fiction. Check out our roundup of gadgets from the kitchens of the future that we want to see in our homes today. More » -
triviagasm
All the Best Futuristic Guns for Your Holster
Science fiction has three iconic images that definite the genre: aliens, rockets, and rayguns. Whether due to our obsession with phallic guns, or the idea that a laser pistol is just too cool to pass up, the scifi gun has endured since H.G. Wells introduced them as a "Heat-Ray" in 1898's War of the Worlds. As good old Han Solo would later say, "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." Read on for our list of the best things that go PEW PEW PEW! More » -
triviagasm
The Best Sampled Lines from Scifi in Music
We've already told you about the scifi-themed songs you might be entertained (or tortured) by if you end up stranded on Asteroid B17-X. But the music-scifi relationship goes both ways: music has been sampling your favorite scifi movies and shows for years. When a musician decides to include a line from Solaris (the original, not the Clooney remake) in their work, that frightens us. Sometimes though, they get it right. We've got a list of the most-sampled scifi in the world of music. More » -
sex robots
Hottest Sex Robots Of Science Fiction
Reiko is a pleasure bot, designed to go out and collect sexual experiences for her corporate masters to sell as virtual reality recordings, in the cyber-porn movie I.K.U. She goes to sex raves and transforms from android to human form. Or she hangs out in a glowing pink web, spangled with dildos. Some of the coolest robots in science fiction are designed only for carnal pleasure. We have a roundup, with sexy but work-safe images and one clip, after the jump. More »
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By charliejaneComment by Agata: To my mind Japanese cyberpunk is the most craziest and interesting. Please share your opinion and links on this theme... more » | Other threads
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super cars
What's The Fastest SciFi Super-Car?
Flying cars are dime-a-dozen in science fiction. But they don't all look as cool as Harrison Ford's cop car does in Sid Mead's original concept art. And some of them have cool extras, like voice-controlled color or a built-in ATM . But what you really want to know is, what's the fastest super-car in scifi? We rank them by speed (with a gallery) below. More » -
blade runner
Yep, I'm a Replicant
Ridley Scott's dystopian sci fi classic Blade Runner was released in a special edition DVD this week called The Final Cut, and he answers once and for all the age-old question, "Was Deckard a replicant?" The answer: yes. That is until Blade Runner: The Really Final Ultimate Last Cut comes out in a capsulized ingestable form in 2019. -
jules verne adventure film festival
io9 Talks to Malcolm McDowell at The Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival
The Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival "where Science meets Fiction" started this weekend in Los Angeles, and io9 was there. This is only the second year the festival has been in the United States (they've been running it for several years in France), but they've managed to draw a host of science fiction talent from Ray Bradbury to Buzz Aldrin. Check out our interview with festival host Malcolm McDowell after the jump. More » -
holiday shopping dvd blitz
Top Six SciFi DVD Sets of the Season
Like a mutant virus that wipes out most of humanity, the holidays are upon us once again. If you've been slipping into the Grinch-like ease of just picking up gift cards for everyone at your local supermarket instead of putting real thought into your gift giving, then you need to buck up and give some quality items this year. In fact, we'll make it easy for you. Whether you're picking something up for the scifi fan in your life, or you're spreading your own geeky love, these brand-new DVDs are well worth getting, or giving. More » -
movies
Science Fiction Movies Sold Out In 1982
The decade that began with 2001: A Space Odyssey was the heyday of smart, socially relevant science fiction, writes Grady Hendrix in the New York Sun. Back then, science fiction films looked down on The Man. But today's corporate sci-fi spectaculars are The Man. The turning point came in 1982, when the candy-munching E.T. crushed the dark thriller Blade Runner at the box office. [NY Sun] -
blade runner
Exclusive New Clip From Blade Runner: The Final Cut
Blade Runner: The Final Cut is coming out on DVD next month, and packaged with it is a feature-length documentary about making the movie called Dangerous Days. Everyone is in this doc, including Ridley Scott and the ever-elusive Harrison Ford. After the jump, check out io9's exclusive clip from the documentary where writer David Webb Peoples talks about writing Rutger Hauer's famous speech as his character is dying at the end of the movie. More » -
blade runner 2
Blade Runner Sequel Rumors Start Replicating
Blade Runner is enjoying a resurgence in popularity — the new cut hit theaters last month, and a five-disc ultra edition coming out on DVD next month. Now, rumors have it that Hollywood may churn out a sequel to this classic about rogue androids and the reluctant "Blade Runner" cop (Harrison Ford) who tracks them down. Author Paul Sammon, who has made an entire career out of talking about the movie, says that Director Ridley Scott is "not loathe" to the idea of a sequel to the classic 1982 film. But a sequel would be a disaster. More » -
syd mead
Put Futurist Syd Mead On The Hot Seat
Syd Mead has had a hand in designing everything from Ford automobiles, to V'Ger in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, to the Sulaco ship design in Aliens, and even the look and feel of the cities in Blade Runner and Tron. He's definitely a giant in the field of future design, and if you could ask him any question, what would it be? More »
blade runner
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Fri Jul 10
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