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San Francisco, 12:16 AM
Wed Feb 10
25 posts in the last 24 hours

IO9 TEAM

#contest

Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest

Over a week ago, we asked you to describe your favorite bookstore or comic book shop to win a giant box of free books from DelRey/Spectra. Now we've got our winner - and several runners-up. More »

12/01/09

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By Annalee Newitz

#stealthesepitches

Classics Meet SF: The Next Literary Trend?

Unafraid to run an idea into the ground, we've come up with a twist on the Pride And Prejudice And Zombies formula to give it new life: Merge works of classic literature with classic sci-fi movies. How could it fail? More »

11/22/09

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By Graeme McMillan

#bookvortex

How Should SF Magazines Fight Off Extinction?

Print may be dying all over, but is that any excuse to let science-fiction magazines retreat to the internet or non-existence? Of course not! Here's our five step guide on potential ways to save this venerable tradition. More »

11/22/09

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By Graeme McMillan

#escapefromdullsville

Cartoonist, The Internet Vs. The Sad Realities Of Print Publishing

What happens when not enough people know about your book for it to see print? If you're cartoonist Andy Ristaino, you take to the internet to spread the word. Introducing Escape From Dullsville, the kind of thing that comics need. More »

11/21/09

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By Graeme McMillan

#blacksuperheroes

Why James Rhodes Is Comics' Ideal Black Hero

When it comes to superhero fiction, there are certain iconic archetypes; Superman is the iconic whitebread hero, Batman the iconic OCD loner. But did you realize that Iron Man's James Rhodes is the accidental iconic black superhero? We'll explain. More »

11/21/09

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By Graeme McMillan

#freeadvice

How Do You Bridge The Gap Between Two Cool Moments In Your Novel?

What do you do when your novel has a cool moment, followed by another cool moment... but something kinda boring has to happen in between? Your characters have to travel somewhere or make something. How do top authors handle this? More »

11/20/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#holycrapwtf

Cheesiest And Most Inappropriate Book Covers Of All Time

Most of us would have no problem being seen in public reading a science-fiction novel... unless it had a cover so hideous, or so wrong, that you might get arrested. Here are the cheesiest and most disturbing science-fiction book covers. More »

11/20/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#indygiants

Independent Publishers Who Are Reinventing The Future

Genre publishing has taken some hard hits in recent years — but a slew of independent publishers is still out there, charting the unknown regions of book publishing and keeping your reading lists weird. Here are our favorite indy presses. More »

11/20/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#bookreview

Magical Dogs and Detectives Explore Supernatural San Francisco in "Unleashed"

Forthcoming urban fantasy Unleashed (Ace) by John Levitt is the sequel to Dog Days and New Tricks. It follows the exploits of a spell-casting jazz guitarist and his magic doggie. Well, sort of a doggie. More »

11/20/09

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By Grey_Area

#afternoonreading

The Best Places To Find Your Next Free Book Online

You need some science fiction, and you need it now. Unfortunately, you don't have a ton of money to spend. But as long as you have an internet connection, these resources will help you get free books and stories online. More »

11/20/09

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By Annalee Newitz

#books

io9 Book Club, Winter Edition: Jacqueline Carey's "Santa Olivia"

It's time for the io9 book club to meet again. Get ready for some swashbuckling justice with Jacqueline Carey's Santa Olivia, the near-future story of a half-mutant girl who lives in the militarized border zone between the US and Mexico. More »

11/20/09

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By Annalee Newitz

#underthedome

Steven Spielberg To Bring Stephen King's Dome Horror To Life

Last week we learned that Stephen King's brand new book Under The Dome, about a town sealed off from the rest of the world, is getting a miniseries. Now Steven Spielberg has stepped in to make sure it's a success. More »

11/20/09

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By Meredith Woerner

#poll

How Long Do You Read A Book Before Giving Up On It?

Every book has a go/no-go point. If you're not enjoying a book by a certain point, you're never going to get into it. But it's an individual choice: How long will you read a book for, before you give up? More »

11/20/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#art

Rare Dune Concept Art From One Of Space Opera's Greatest Visionaries

A pirate ship slices through space in concept art from the lost Dune movie of the 1970s. Artist Chris Foss crafted covers for some of science fiction's greatest books, reshaping how we see spaceships and robots. Check out our gallery. More »

11/20/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#freeadvice

One Of Your Crucial Characters Isn't Working. What Do You Do?

Your awesome novel is firing on all thrusters... except one. A major character, who's important to the story, isn't clicking. She's dull, or he doesn't play well with others. We asked some great authors what to do about this quandary. More »

11/19/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#triviagasm

Greatest Swashbuckling Heroes From 100+ Years Of SF Books

They swagger, they fight, they laugh in the face of danger. Science-fiction books have given us some of the greatest swashbuckling heroes, cutting a swathe through space and countless alternate timelines. Here are some of our favorite book heroes. More »

11/19/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#celebritycomics

Is Writing Comics the Latest Celebrity Trend?

What do Tyrese Gibson, Brea Grant, and Rashida Jones all have in common? They're all writing comic books; and they're not the only celebrities to do so. Why are so many performers now trying their hands at comics? More »

11/19/09

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By Lauren Davis

#bookreview

Strange Visitors And Broken Hearts Will Restore Your Faith In Short Fiction

If you believe in reading short fiction for pleasure, you're condemned to frequent disappointment. Most short fiction, even the good stuff, is... laborious. So when reading the anthology Eclipse Three, you may be startled at the unexpected sensation of enjoyment. More »

11/19/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#raybradbury

Ray Bradbury's Advice To Struggling Writers: Struggle Harder!

Ray Bradbury has some simple advice to those of you who are struggling to get your science fiction published: Don't ever quit working. Bradbury's following his own advice: He's developing a TV miniseries, a movie... and a new musical? More »

11/19/09

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#podcastedbooks

Six Books Best Enjoyed on Your iPod

Reading isn't just for your eyes any more. Many authors are podcasting their stories long before they ever go to print. If you want to hear what you've been missing, we have a few recommendations to get your ears started. More »

11/19/09

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By Lauren Davis

#conceptart

The Medium Is the Message In Sculptures Made of Books

What happens when one art form becomes the infrastructure on which you create another art form? No, the answer is not Web 2.0. Instead, you get something like Mike Stilkey's incredible sculptures that are both paintings and books. More »

11/19/09

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By Annalee Newitz

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