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The 2000s left us feeling battered, but the 2010s are looking awesome. Thanks to recent scientific research and an explosion of cultural interest in science fiction, there are at least 15 brilliant reasons to stick around for another decade.
This was a year of extremes: huge CG-heavy spectacles and low-budget gems. Most of all, 2009 made us feel the boundaries of cinema were stretched... for good and ill. Here are the 10 best and 10 worst films of 2009.
More »
Packed with Victorian gadgets, awesome fights, Illuminati-style conspiracies, and lots of incredibly sexy tweed outfits, the new Sherlock Holmes flick is James Bond for the steampunk set. But will you like it if you aren't a tweed fetishist?
More »
Which books do you buy extra copies of on sight, especially if they're used — knowing you'll want to give them to someone else soon? Jo Walton has sparked a great discussion of book hoarding and giving over at Tor.com.
More »
In 1978, the wretched Star Wars Holiday Special introduced us to the Wookiee celebration of Life Day. 31 years later, I recreated the magic, armed with $100 worth of hooch and a willingness to expose my friends to psychological torture.
More »
Arthur C. Clarke's big, famous novels are "dull, slow and passionless," but you have to admire the fertility of his imagination, writes Robert Silverberg. But there's still something to love about an early Clarke novel, Against The Fall Of Night.
More »
Let's face it: Santa Claus just isn't cutting it anymore. In this era of movie superheroes, who wants to see an old fat guy with a beard coming down their chimney on Christmas Eve? Here're some suggestions for possible replacements.
More »
In Avatar, Jake Sully's in a wheelchair, until a magical brain tech turns him into a running, jumping, soaring blue dude. The disabled character who regains the use of his legs is a science fiction mainstay. Here are 20 examples.
More »
Connie Willis talks to Publishers Weekly about her forthcoming time-travel duology, Blackout/All-Clear. And she explains that when she started writing SF, 30 years ago, she was warned she'd come too late to a dying genre.
More »
With so many science-fiction magazines going under, it's a relief that John Joseph Adams and Prime Books are launching Lightspeed. But it's not enough just to fill your need for SF stories: Adams says Lightspeed will find its own niche.
More »
Ten years ago, superhero films and video-game films were both minor genres. You had your Batman Forever and your Mortal Kombat, but not much else. Both genres blew up in the 2000s, but superhero films won much bigger. For now.
More »
Soon you'll venture back into the bosom of your family — who may not have heard of any science-fiction books you've read lately. Fear not: Here are five books with science-fiction influences you can talk to your Uncle Clarence about.
More »
The news that director Bryan Singer is going to return to the X-Men movie franchise with prequel X-Men: First Class has been greeted with excitement across the industry. So why're we convinced it's the wrong move for everyone involved?
More »
How does Tron Legacy's new lightcycle design compare with the 1982 model? Here's a Top Gear-inspired comparison between the two cycles, based on our research.
More »
Critics have called alien epic Avatar a version of Dances With Wolves because it's about a white guy going native and becoming a great leader. But Avatar is just the latest scifi rehash of an old white guilt fantasy. Spoilers...
More »
It's not every day that you get to help out refugees and get your own personalized piece of the apocalypse at the same time. Total Oblivlion, More Or Less author Alan DeNiro has come up with a novel fundraising idea.
More »
Since the late 1970s, a key idea in Western science fiction has been that Japan represents the future. Japan's "weird" culture is a figure for an incomprehensible tomorrow. But commentator Lisa Katayama says this idea reveals common misconceptions about Japan.
More »
15 Reasons To Live For The Next 10 Years
The 2000s left us feeling battered, but the 2010s are looking awesome. Thanks to recent scientific research and an explosion of cultural interest in science fiction, there are at least 15 brilliant reasons to stick around for another decade.Best And Worst SF/Fantasy Movies Of 2009
This was a year of extremes: huge CG-heavy spectacles and low-budget gems. Most of all, 2009 made us feel the boundaries of cinema were stretched... for good and ill. Here are the 10 best and 10 worst films of 2009. More »Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Book Critic Says The Books Critics Hate Are Often The Most Important
Sherlock Holmes Brings On The Steampunk Tweed Hotness
Packed with Victorian gadgets, awesome fights, Illuminati-style conspiracies, and lots of incredibly sexy tweed outfits, the new Sherlock Holmes flick is James Bond for the steampunk set. But will you like it if you aren't a tweed fetishist? More »The Books You Hoard In Order To Give Them Away
Which books do you buy extra copies of on sight, especially if they're used — knowing you'll want to give them to someone else soon? Jo Walton has sparked a great discussion of book hoarding and giving over at Tor.com. More »True Life (Day) Story: I Held Chewbacca’s Christmas Party
The Ultimate Movie Cliche: The Wall Of Newspaper Clippings
Whether it's homage or insanity, the best way to skate over tons of movie backstory is with newspaper clippings, on a wall. We've collected the best and the worst of this cliché, so you can decide: worthless, or worth it? More »Was Arthur C. Clarke An Amateur Writer?
Arthur C. Clarke's big, famous novels are "dull, slow and passionless," but you have to admire the fertility of his imagination, writes Robert Silverberg. But there's still something to love about an early Clarke novel, Against The Fall Of Night. More »William Gibson Explains The Secret Of SF Writing Success To Paolo Bacigalupi
Which Superhero Should Be The New Santa?
Let's face it: Santa Claus just isn't cutting it anymore. In this era of movie superheroes, who wants to see an old fat guy with a beard coming down their chimney on Christmas Eve? Here're some suggestions for possible replacements. More »20 Science Fiction Characters Who Got Their Legs Back
Connie Willis Explains How Science Fiction Came Back From Its Near-Death Experience
Connie Willis talks to Publishers Weekly about her forthcoming time-travel duology, Blackout/All-Clear. And she explains that when she started writing SF, 30 years ago, she was warned she'd come too late to a dying genre. More »SF Magazine Publishing Will Be All About Niches
With so many science-fiction magazines going under, it's a relief that John Joseph Adams and Prime Books are launching Lightspeed. But it's not enough just to fill your need for SF stories: Adams says Lightspeed will find its own niche. More »The Decade That Superhero Movies Beat Video-Game Movies
Ten years ago, superhero films and video-game films were both minor genres. You had your Batman Forever and your Mortal Kombat, but not much else. Both genres blew up in the 2000s, but superhero films won much bigger. For now. More »Science Fiction-Themed Book Classics You Can Safely Namedrop At Home
Soon you'll venture back into the bosom of your family — who may not have heard of any science-fiction books you've read lately. Fear not: Here are five books with science-fiction influences you can talk to your Uncle Clarence about. More »Your Picks For The Sensational Character Find Of The Decade!
Why Bryan Singer's Return To The X-Men Is A Bad Idea
The news that director Bryan Singer is going to return to the X-Men movie franchise with prequel X-Men: First Class has been greeted with excitement across the industry. So why're we convinced it's the wrong move for everyone involved? More »Tron's Lightcycles: 1983 vs. 2010 Model Comparison
When Will White People Stop Making Movies Like "Avatar"?
Critics have called alien epic Avatar a version of Dances With Wolves because it's about a white guy going native and becoming a great leader. But Avatar is just the latest scifi rehash of an old white guilt fantasy. Spoilers... More »Give Generously, And Bring Home Your Own Personal Vision Of Hell
It's not every day that you get to help out refugees and get your own personalized piece of the apocalypse at the same time. Total Oblivlion, More Or Less author Alan DeNiro has come up with a novel fundraising idea. More »Why Do Westerners Fetishize Japan's Futuristic Weirdness?
Since the late 1970s, a key idea in Western science fiction has been that Japan represents the future. Japan's "weird" culture is a figure for an incomprehensible tomorrow. But commentator Lisa Katayama says this idea reveals common misconceptions about Japan. More »