io9
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futurism
The Future Of The U.S. Government, According To Science Fiction
Countless science fiction stories have asked the same question: What will America turn into next? The answers fall into three major categories, some more plausible than others. Take our poll to choose your favorite option.
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Comment by Smeagol92055: R.O.A.C.H.: Corporate feudalism all the way. We at ROACH are happy to welcome you all as our new underlings. We are... 12 Responses | Other threads
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quote of the day
If Politicians Read Science Fiction, We'd Have Avoided The Cold War And Other Disasters
Prolific author Ben Bova has been writing a regular column for his local newspaper in Naples, FL, and his rants are always entertaining. In his latest outing, he explains how reading science fiction could have avoided the Cold War. More »
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Comment by Daveinva: You know what else could have prevented the Cold War? Killing Lenin. Or later Stalin. 4 Responses | Other threads
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alternate history
Hail To The Mirror-Universe Chief: 5 Alternate Presidents
If 24 has taught us anything, it's that the presidential succession can be the stuff of riveting, wildly implausible drama. Here are five presidential might-have-beens that would make for some fascinating alternate history stories.
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Comment by se7a7n7: Alternate universe, distopian near-future story with a McCain/Palin administration is screaming to be made. 8 Responses | Other threads
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chart porn
The Real* Reason Terminator Salvation Flopped
Forget about talk about disappointing writing and McG's choppy direction, there's only one reason why Terminator Salvation failed at the box office, and his name is Barack Obama. Don't believe me? I have a chart. More » -
political science (fiction)
Your Favorite SF Author Is Making The World A Safer Place
Sci-fi writers shaping US national security policy may sound like the stuff of comics, but it turns out that it's also happening in real life, as well. Be very afraid. More »
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Comment by transbastard: I like this. It is the bread and butter of sf-writers to come up with outlandish ideas. Sure, 99 out... 2 Responses | Other threads
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religion trek
Thank God For Star Trek... Literally
You may be thanking JJ Abrams (or even Gene Rodenberry) for the Star Trek movie, but according to one right-wing commentator, you're thinking way too small in terms of who's responsible for the whole thing. More » -
political science (fiction)
Embattled Conservatives Look To Star Wars For Guidance
Conservative website American Daily Review has a new article by Dr. Tony Mangana with the provocative title, "What Star Wars Teaches Conservatives." But does Mangana really understand Star Wars? More »
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Comment by His_Steveness: A political party 60% of whose members don't believe in evolution are going to be relying on science and technology... 41 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Obama Versus Aliens - Your First Look
Barack Obama's first 100 days of US Presidency ended yesterday... and to celebrate, Devil's Due Publishing released artwork from their Drafted special following an alternate Obama's first 100 days of alien invader-killing. Topical! More »
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Comment by LarsThorwald: Yes, I hope the aliens win, because everyone knows that an increase of taxes on the upper echelon of wage... 13 Responses | Other threads
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social control
A Tiny GPS Tracking Device That You Can Swallow
Want to track your boyfriend's every movement? Just slip this GPS tracker into his breakfast, and it will stay in his system for 72 hours - while you track him online. And there's more. More »
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Comment by corpore-metal: Cattle have had subcutaneous GPS and RFID trackers for more than a decade now. It's just going to get smaller... 10 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
NASA's Atmosphere Becoming Unbreathable
Wondering who's in charge of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration these days? Apparently no-one... and that's making everyone over at NASA more than a little concerned about the future of the space program. More »
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Comment by GreyHammer: they can give me a call i will run the CRAP out of NASA. first order of bussiness? get me... 11 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Science Fiction's Presidents Of The 21st Century
Looking to get a jump on the history books? Science fiction already has a complete list of the men, women, and murderous aliens who occupy the White House in this bright new 21st century. More »
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Comment by IraeNicole: So in the next century we will get three female presidents, two of which are black, an openly gay VP... 7 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Obama Comics Keep Coming, Get Weirder
He may have announced a new anti-terror plan, but did you know that Barack Obama can also fight alien invasions - and is a barbarian? New comics due in June reveal our president's hidden sides. More »
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Comment by Syrax: I like this joke better. Over at Jalopnik the joke was that we were getting the Preview Button back. Not... 5 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Chuck Vs. The President?
If Chuck doesn't get renewed for a third season, there may be a new person to blame, according to NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman. But does this particular buck really stop in the White House? More »
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Comment by Arashan: Didn't anyone else think the 3-D episode was one of the weakest Chuck episodes? It was gimmicky and when the... 4 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
21 Years Until Armageddon
The good news? The world isn't going to end in 2012, according to British professor John Beddington. The bad news? 2030 will see "the perfect storm" of disasters that'll make you wish otherwise, he claims.
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Comment by Garrison Dean: R.O.A.C.H.: 2030? Not if I can help it. I learned an important lesson last night and have spent the morning... 4 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Superman And Batman Take On The White House In New Cartoon
For those who like their politics to include meteors and punching, your day has come; Warner Animation have confirmed that their next DC Comics adaptation (following Green Lantern) will be the ridiculous Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. More »
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Comment by jesustonighter: i always found the batsy supes team ups to lopesided at best.Bats doesnt do galaxy spanning adventures and supes is... 13 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
The Men Who Make Battlestar Galactica Feminist
A recent article in Slate calls Battlestar Galactica a safe haven for "chauvinist pigs." But all you have to do is look at representations of men in this show to see its feminist side. (NSFW) More »
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Comment by Dr Emilio Lizardo: Excellent post Annalee. I like Slate. I usually find it to be much more reasonable and less hysterical than most of... 14 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Blame The X-Men For California's Prop 8
Before you accuse writer Matt Fraction of ripping off California's Proposition 8 anti-gay-marriage controversy for his new X-Men story surrounding the anti-mutant Proposition X, wait just a minute; you've got all it backwards, apparently. More »
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Comment by Jamal Dominic Barr: They're all confused, the mutant issue originally had nothing to do with homosexuality and everything to do with black and... 11 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Marvel: This Is Not The President You Are Looking For
Here's a surprising development for everyone who bought last week's issue of Thunderbolts from Marvel Comics: That President of the United States who looks and acts like Barack Obama? Not necessarily him, says Marvel's spokesman. More »
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Comment by blackoak: Could some folks at Marvel be backing off a little because they are worried about possible negative feedback that might... 4 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Fox News Only 40 Years Too Late In Calling For Black Superheroes
Has President Obama paved the way for black superheroes to achieve prominence? That's the claim made by Fox News... but on the day where we see a Black Superman, have they missed the boat? More »
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Comment by DaiWalka: I'm a black person and I have to say to everyone that tries to incorporate "more black people" into anything... 20 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Is The Recession The Robots' First Strike Against Us?
Sure, you may think that basic human greed and incompetence is behind the global economic collapse, but according to one British journalist, there's a much more sinister reason for our financial ruin: Blame the computers. More »
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Comment by Ghost_in_the_Machine: Try reading the linked article instead of just the selective quoting above. His point is that people who should... 5 Responses | Other threads
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satellite porn
History From 423 Miles Up
Popular Science posted this amazing satellite image of Barack Obama's inauguration, two million people captured in amazing crispness by commercial satellite GeoEye-1. There's another fantastic pic at the link. [PopSci]
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Comment by Kevin Frushour: They're going to carry away the Washington Monument. It'll feed them for a year. 5 Responses | Other threads
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books
Newt Gingrich Should Go Back To Writing Science Fiction!
With a new era of Democratic governance dawning, poor old Newt Gingrich is more irrelevant than ever. So now's the perfect time for him to write the long-awaited sequel to his cheese-tastic alt-history thriller 1945.
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Comment by TomAll1978: Have there been many alternate history movies where the Nazis won the war? 9 Responses | Other threads
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poll
Is The New U.S. President An Android Or A Vulcan?
We were so inspired by this morning's inauguration, we went scouring the internet for otherworldly images of our new president. And we found tons of Vulcan Obama and "Robama" images. So wait, which is he? More » -
political science (fiction)
Obama Brings Disharmony To The Comic Book World
Was Marvel Comics plagarizing when they put Barack Obama in The Amazing Spider-Man? The creator behind Savage Dragon thinks so, and has sparked off a war of words with the publisher. Whatever happened to "hope"?
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Comment by Doctor Who?: There is something seriously wrong with Spiderman in that picture on top. 5 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Obama En Route To Becoming Most Popular Comic Book Character Ever
Yet another superhero comic is co-opting President-Elect Barack Obama to gain some extra publicity, sales and a claim to being hip to the political beat. Us, we're wondering when enough will be enough already. More »
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Comment by Paul Wesley Dunn: I can see why there is an upsurge of gay characters in comics now, with all the leg tingling slobbering... 7 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
What Can Barack Obama Learn From Superheroes?
Not content with sharing comic covers with Spider-Man, Barack Obama is now being called America's "Last Action Hero" and given tips about being a better superhero. Has this preemptive hero worship finally gone too far? More »
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Comment by Klebert L. Hall: Yes, it's gone too far. Between this sort of over-hype idiocy and the reaming that he's been getting from the... 5 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Spider-Man Muscles In On History
The day that Barack Obama has waited his entire life for is almost here. I'm not talking about his inauguration, however; a week before that, Obama will guest-star in an issue of Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man. More »
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Comment by GreyHammer: i like how the man hasn't done anything in office yet and people are putting him on currency already. 31 Responses | Other threads
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io9 2008 year in review
The 10 Most Talked About io9 Posts Of The Year
During the first year of io9, we've reported stories both close to our hearts and far out in the universe, but one thing has remained constant: You always wrote. Here are our most commented posts.
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Comment by Meirelle: Decepticon: It wouldn't be io9 if everyone wasn't opinionated and ANGRY. Unleash the Nerd Rage. 15 Responses | Other threads
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captain america
Is Obama The New Captain America?
Barack Obama's presidential win wasn't just have been a milestone for race relations in America, it may have changed the tone of the Captain America movie, as well. Is there nothing this man cannot do?
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political science (fiction)
A Vote for the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Vote for Al Franken, Say Minnesota Authorities
In the ongoing drama of the Minnesota recount, a few controversial write-in ballots have surfaced. One, which we reported on a few weeks ago, included a vote for liberal candidate Al Franken along with a write-in for "Lizard People." Another vote for Franken included a write-in for the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Today Minnesota Public Radio reports that the Lizard People ballot was ultimately discounted by the State Canvassing Board as an "over vote." The Flying Spaghetti Monster ballot, however, was allowed as a vote for Franken. What, no love for my Lizard People? [via MPR]
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Comment by Kishi: Forget Franken or the FSM- my question is how can anyone not vote for a person named El Tinklenberg? 7 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Please Stop With The Obama Already
The Savage Dragon may have been the first superhero to publicly endorse (and later, meet) our new President Elect, but with the appearance of another Obama PR stunt, we ask: Can you stop now? Please?
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Comment by WarOperationPlanResponse_GitEmSteveDave: That's like syaing to a church, "Enough with the Jesus already!". 10 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
US National Intelligence Council Predicts Decline of America in New Report
Lefty types have been predicting the demise of America for the last century, but in 2008 even the most conservative elements of the US government are predicting it too. Every four years, the US National Intelligence Council issues a future-looking report about global trends, and this year one of those trends is the decline of American power in the world. More »
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Comment by Damienf519: I read about this over at the Infidel Bloggers alliance awhile back. I sincerely hope the national intelligence report... 29 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
I Voted for the Lizard People Too!
Minnesota Public Radio has a great feature on contested ballots from the recent U.S. election. Here is everybody's favorite, which opponents of liberal candidate Al Franken challenged as an "overvote" since the person voted for Franken AND wrote in a vote for Lizard People. [via MPR]
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Comment by Erinaceus: As a Minnesotan...I'm surprisingly not embarassed, but rather amused. It shows that we do have a sense of humor afterall,... 10 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
President Elect Obama Now To Govern Comic Books As Well
He was one of the first superheroes to get political this year — and now Erik Larsen's The Savage Dragon has become the first superhero to shake hands with our new President Elect. The page from an upcoming issue of the Image Comics series was released to the Chicago Tribune's Geek To Me blog in celebration of Obama's victory — and the Dragon's return to the Chicago Police Department after twelve years. View the whole thing below. More »
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Comment by RAHfanboy: They went so far to make Obama handsome that he's virtually unrecognizable. Other than the gratuitous shot at Cheney, and... 4 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Zombies are Red, Vampires are Blue
Could it be that the Democrats are responsible for the rise in vampire tales on TV and the big screen of late? In the wake of Obama's election, the San Diego Union Tribune's Peter Rowe asks whether vampires are the monsters of Democratic eras, and zombies of Republican ones. He talked to a bunch of cultural critics (including yours truly!) about this idea, and got some pretty interesting answers. More »
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Comment by D'Amicos one good year: I'm worried about the Creature from the Black Lagoon vote, personally. 3 Responses | Other threads
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io9 Ourobouros
No We Can't
If there's one thing that this past week has taught us here at io9, it's not that a historic election can get everyone excited about the future. It's not that people are hopeful in a way that's changed the very atmosphere of a country overnight (albeit a night that many of us spent watching more CNN than is potentially healthy - they had holograms). No, it's that a lot of you really don't like it when we talk about politics. As in, "Screw you guys, I'm going home" don't like it. More »
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Comment by radcap (acct terminated by Annalee): "Calling yourself a socialist in the United States is, to a lot of people, like calling yourself a fan of... 93 Responses | Other threads
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clinton era sf
The Return Of Clinton Futurism?
The last time the Democrats controlled the White House and both houses of Congress, Gillian Anderson wore pants. There were two Star Trek series at once, which promoted women and minorities and looked at the dark side of the Federation. Cyberpunk reigned supreme. The future was a shiny place — but with dread lurking just beneath its polish. Now that the Democrats have finally scored another grand slam, are we going to see the return of sunny-but-questioning science fiction? More » -
political science (fiction)
Future Historians Explain the Success of the Obama Administration
Now that Barack Obama has been elected president, reports are pouring in from the future to let us know what to expect from the next four to eight years. While some of these posts from the future depict Obama’s America as a big government, anti-Christian nightmare, others assure us that the new administration will usher in a post-racial, pro-technology utopia. Has the Obama election brought us a new brand of optimistic near-future science fiction? More »
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By Lauren DavisComment by Harrison_Bergeron: There's nothing new about Obama besides being the first African American president. He's not as radical as a lot... 21 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
British Libertarian Party Fights Surveillance with George Orwell
Over 400 years ago today, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators placed 20 barrels of gunpowder beneath the British House of Lords. Today, the Houses of Parliament are getting a much more peaceful, but perhaps equally incendiary, delivery. Chafing beneath Britain’s widespread surveillance and increasingly restrictive laws, the Libertarian Party UK is sending each Member of Parliament a warning shot on the direction of their nation: a copy of George Orwell’s anti-totalitarian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. More »
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By Lauren DavisComment by twDarkflame: *yawn* I think 1984 has done more damage to libbertys then good, because people use it to scare-monger, normaly at the... 9 Responses | Other threads
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political science (fiction)
Right-Wing Futurists Are Already Predicting the Liberal Dystopia
A little over a week before the election, an astonishing work of near-future science fiction started circulating on the internet. Called "Letter from Obama's America," it's an epistolary short story written by a person living in 2012 and suffering under the horrors of the Obama Regime. Pornography is proudly displayed in gas stations, and private ownership of guns has been outlawed. Filled with political anguish, "Letter" is the first work of protest scifi to come out of the new America that got voted into reality last night. And it turns out the author of this anonymous work is poised to affect US politics. More »
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Comment by Harrison_Bergeron: Fear mongering is a political specialty and both sides fall back on it with clockwork regularity. I think the... 11 Responses | Other threads
political science (fiction)
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Fri Jul 3
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Transformers blows up this weekend. Need to know more? io9 gets down and dirty with the superbots.
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