We focused on big, awesome, brain-eating box sets for this roundup — so, for example, we didn't include too many sets that were just individual seasons of TV series, if we could recommend the series' complete run in one set instead. And similarly, for movies, we tried to find the sets that would make the most impressive gift. But we also have a ton of suggestions for bargain-basement DVD sets that still make awesome gifts, in these trying economic times.

Movies On DVD: The Best New Box Sets And Gift Sets

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Give Your Friends Enough Television To Ruin Them For Real Life

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10 Cheap-Ass DVD Box Sets That Make Good Ironic Stocking Stuffers:

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T-Shirts

Need some giant monsters in your life? Try Shanalogic's line of weird monstery goodness, including a demon-killing woman, the controversial Octophant, and the incomparable Rhinoblaster.

LikeMindedPeople has a nice series of dinosaur tees that I'm particularly fond of, such as this Bronotsaurus tee and this Stego!

Of course, the amazingness that is Threadless is packed with tees for your every nerdy whim. There's a whole collection of space-themed tees, including the crucial Disaster! model. There's also a dirty-minded robot tee, and a shark eating an airplane.

If you want tees with logos for businesses and companies from your favorite scifi movies, try Wake Up It's Time To Die. For $18, you could have a shirt that shows how much you love Encom or the Tyrell Corporation.

Mediocore has a shirt with a good-will slogan for all during this holiday season: "Be excellent to each other."

ReThink has a beautiful space shuttle tee that is a perfect memorial to our favorite soon-to-be-decommissioned NASA experiment.

Retropolis Transit Authority has a delightful line of retro-futurist shirts, and this year has given us a new one: the Space Pirate Career shirt (pictured above).

Coats & Hoodies

Need a scifi-themed coat to keep out the winter cold? You can get the Tenth Doctor's amazing trenchcoat - or his companion Martha's cute leather jacket via AbbyShot Clothiers. Yes, they are exact replicas of the costumes - approved by the BBC and everything! They may be a little pricey, but they look hot.

If you'd like something a little cheaper but still snuggly, why not try an io9 "space porn" hoodie, from Neighborhoodies? It's the perfect way to show your love for our regular feature that shows you the naked universe, from every angle. There are a few other io9 designs at Neighborhoodies too.

Scarves & Hats

Are you feeling zombified? Then how about a skull-and-bones scarf - these beauties are made by Aardvark for kids, but grownups can wear them too.

If you need to keep your head covered up, try this chainmail head accessory at ThinkGeek. Sound too crunchy? How about these soft, adorable cat demon hats from the anime Inuyasha? And then there are three different adorable Naruto hats to keep your head warm and give you additional ears.

Socks

And every nerd needs socks - that's just a fact of life. And there are two amazing places to get nerd footwear. Nothing beats a pair of Diesel Sweeties pixel socks featuring robots, space invaders, or gamer dice.

And if you need socks with anything from UFOs and the solar system, to ninjas and unicorns, you must peruse the merchandise at Sock It to Me. Crucially, Sock It To Me also sells stripey socks of every persuasion.

We've selected ten types of science fiction fans, offering you great gift ideas for fans of the big franchises, this summer's biggest movies, and even something for the steampunks and zombie lovers. You can also check out our fan gift guide from last year, which also includes gift ideas for fans of Battlestar Galactica, Harry Potter, and Batman.

Gifts for the Star Wars Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Star Trek Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Transformers Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the GI Joe Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Doctor Who Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Joss Whedon Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Terminator Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Vampire Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Steampunk Fan (Gallery-free view)

Gifts for the Zombie Fan (Gallery-free view)

Additional gift ideas by Meredith Woerner.

I traversed the city, poking my head in each store looking for what might be gone and what's probably still in stock for you last-minute shoppers. Now, just because some stocks were dwindling in my town doesn't mean it's lights out for Watchmen across the nation. But just in case we've got a list of back-ups so you don't show up to the holiday festivities empty handed. Sorry — there are only so many times you can use the "I bought you Netflix" line, when you simply showed up with nothing.

Video Games:

Sold Out: Gears Of War 2
Instead: First off, ask the clerk. I ran into three lying liar faces that had more copies stashed in the back room. "What you see is what we got" need not apply to most video games, as they churn out these discs like heroin. But should you run into this predicament, there are more video games out there, trust me.
Instead: Try Fallout 3 or Dead Space. Both should be in ample supply.

Sold Out: Wii or Wii Fit. Yearning to try the workout of the future? Too bad. They are sold out — all of them. You will get laughed at to your face by some 16-year-old on winter break. (I did.)
Instead: Flip Camera. Sure, it's not a Wii, but really what is? And at least they'll be ready when the Cloverfield Monster strikes their town. They're reasonably priced (a little over $100) and can hold a lot more video than most of the cell phones out there.

Movies:

Sold Out: Hancock, because apparently a lot of people liked this movie.
Instead: There are two other infinitely better bad good movies that had loads upon loads in stock. I suggest Death Race or Doomsday. They're both action packed and terrible in a good way, and NO WILL SMITH.

Sold Out: WALL-E. I actually found a few here and there shoved in the wrong spots, so keep a keen eye out. Plus, the Blu-ray had a few left over.
Instead: So you can't watch the new awesome robot from Disney? Well, what about the old awesome robots, gadgets and space creatures? Teach others about the great scifi kid movies of our past. Flight of the Navigator, Honey I Shrunk The Kids and Black Hole are all on sale at Best Buy for $5.99. If that doesn't work, go with Enchanted, but seriously if your child/friend/sig. other doesn't like one of those first three, you need to sit them down and have a long holiday talk.

Sold Out: Dark Knight. This is hard to replace, I admit, but there are other big releases that should tempt some scifi fans.
Instead: Wanted and the new X Files were in stock but personally if I couldn't have Batman for Christmas a close second would be Bill Murray. There is a Ghostbusters box set with both movies for a mere $15.

Sold Out: Futurama's Bender's Big Score (the best of the Futurama DVD movies)
Instead: Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 4

Books And Comics And Things:

Sold Out: Twilight Book Set
Instead: Teach your Twilight fan about the other work of Stephenie Meyer, The Host. Or go really crazy and pick up the other vampire series, from Charlaine Harris: the Sookie Stackhouse books, which are now HBO's True Blood series. But be careful, these Twilighters are a fickle breed.

Sold Out: Watchmen.
Instead: Y The Last Man in hardcover, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and the Joker hardcover. Our intrepid comics reporter Graeme McMillan has put together a fantastic collection of 10 great graphic novel gifts that would also make a fantastic gifts, if the Watchmen you're looking for is no longer about.

Sold Out: Neal Stephenson's Anathem
Instead: Sly Mongoose by Tobias Buckell, or Karen Traviss' Clone Wars. Need more to go on? Jot down a few of these book gems from Annalee's bookish gift guide.

Sold Out: World War Z by Max Brooks
Instead: Easy — Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide.

Quick Gifts:

Box sets, I'm telling you this is the way to go. Don't get a mere chapter of a series, get the entire collection. The ones that caught my eye was a $10 DVD of BOTH Never Ending Story movies, the Resident Evil Trilogy, and possibly the most amazing thing I've ever seen the Alien Predator Pack, an 8 disc set of every single Alien, Predator and the two AVPs for $55.

But should you have more questions, you can always consult the Ultimate Scifi Gift Guide.

These books are mostly very easy to find, and make for excellent, bargain gifts (nearly all are under $20, and most under $10). More importantly, they all contain elements that are as mournful as the season itself. I've put together a selection of new and classic novels that will help you escape the darkness of winter - by taking you to even darker places.

Note: If you're in Australia or New Zealand, you should go surfing or something and ignore all this northern hemisphere emo stuff.

Released this year:

The Alchemy of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedia (Prime Books)
A most unusual tale of artificial intelligence, this beautifully-written novel follows the tragic adventures of porcelain-faced robot Mattie in an otherworldly industrial city. As a female robot, she neither fits into the scientific community of her maker, nor among the working-class revolutionaries led by her lover. All she wants is to pursue work as an alchemist, and save an ancient race of gargoyles - but her (synthetic) life is being torn apart by a class war that is reducing her city to ruins.

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown and Co.)
The first adult novel by Twilight author Meyer, The Host is straight science fiction about aliens who insert themselves into human brains. They cure cancer and stop war, but the price humans pay is the (literal) loss of their minds. Our heroine and her brain parasite hide out with a human resistance movement, learning more about what it means to be alien and human at once. Of course, having an alien in your head also makes romance sort of automatically like a menage a trois. Did I mention this is an adult novel?

Steampunk, by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer (Tachyon Publications)
While not all the stories in this definitive collection of steampunk-accented tales are dark, many have a kind of gothic industrial flair. Featuring stories from steampunk master James Blaylock, as well as from the celebrated Ted Chiang, Michael Chabon, and Paul DiFillipo, this collection is a must-read for anyone interested in twisted history.

Watermind, by M. M. Buckner (Tor Books)
A nerd family melodrama set against the story of toxic trash that has gained sentience, Watermind is both action-packed and intelligent. As the narrative weaves dizzyingly between several different perspectives, an MIT dropout and her Cajun musician boyfriend chase a Blob-esque monster across the country.

Shadow of the Scorpion, by Neal Asher (Night Shade Books)
This politico-military space opera tells the story of a soldier, Ian Cormac, coming of age in the smoking remains of a war between the human-dominated Polity and the alien Prador. Cormac is the hero of several other Asher novels, but this is a stand-alone book and can be read without knowing much about his universe. What pleases about Asher is that he's not afraid to put his "hyperfit" hero into hideously murky ethical situations - and his casual cynicism is a welcome respite from the usual straightforward military tale.

Pirate Sun, by Karl Schroeder (Tor Books)
While Pirate Sun came out this year, this final novel in Schroeder's Virga trilogy should be enjoyed after reading the first two action-packed tales of life inside a massive bubble of atmosphere floating in space. Filled with evil plots, heroic pirates, absolutely stunning technologies (people live inside spinning cylinders, heated by artificial suns), and a society headed towards revolution. Pirate Sun is ultimately all about how the most precious resources - heat and sunlight - are allocated in a world where neither occurs naturally.

The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard (Ballantine)
Newly released this year as a quality paperback, this collection of classic horror tales by the creator of Conan is packed with amazing tales of pulpy horror. Beloved by his contemporary H.P. Lovecraft, as well as Stephen King, Howard is a master at finding the broody gothic in everything. While these tales range across the world, his very best are set in his home, the United States: His infamous "Pigeons from Hell" is about a haunted Southern plantation.

Classics:

Wieland, by Charles Brockden Brown
This late-eighteenth century horror classic is a precursor to science drama like The Mentalist or Fringe - it's about a family man driven mad by a ventriloquist and con artist. Believing he's heard the voices of spirits, and haunted by the strange religion practiced by his father, the man kills his family. But a little detective work reveals that there is a scientific explanation for all the seemingly supernatural horror. If you love Edgar Allen Poe, you'll be excited to dig into the very first gothic writer to turn America into a haunted place. Plus, it's free online.

From Hell, by Alan Moore (Top Shelf)
This is probably the best version of the Jack the Ripper story ever conceived. Alan Moore's classic graphic novel plunges us into a London ruled by supernatural powers - and all-too-real aristocrats who consider murdering the proles to be just another little amusement.

His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman (Yearling)
Ignore the hideous movie adaptation of The Golden Compass, the first book in this superlative YA trilogy about a parallel Earth ruled by corrupt religious leaders. Instead, pick up the trilogy and plunge into a tale about a young woman and man who pass between several parallel worlds in order to lead a revolt against God and build a democracy in Heaven.

James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice Sheldon, by Julie Phillips (Picador)
This amazing, depressing, and brilliant biography of celebrated science fiction author James Tiptree Jr. explores what drove former CIA intel expert Alice B. Sheldon to take on a male identity and publish stories that blew away the entire science fiction community in the late 1960s and 70s. From her childhood exploring Africa with her mother, to her stints as a psychological researcher and CIA analyst, Sheldon led a fascinating life. Often plagued by depression and self-doubt, she nevertheless found the energy late in life to turn the scifi world on its head by writing about the speculative side of gender - and then becoming an example of speculative gender herself.

Ammonite, by Nicola Griffith (Del Rey)
This is the action-packed tale of a woman astronaut who finds herself adrift on an untamed planet where no men can survive. A native virus attacks only men, leaving many parts of the world to groups of tribal women who take our hero in during the dead of winter - and teach her the true meaning of womanhood. Awesome and brutal, this is a novel you won't be able to put down until the oddly fanciful ending.

Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula Le Guin (Ace Books)
Another tale of winter on an alien world, LeGuin's late-1960s classic is about first contact between a representative of the advanced Ekumen cultures, and the people of the genderless planet Gethen. Our hero winds up trapped in a conflict between two cold warring groups of Gethenians, and must make a long, arduous escape through a frozen winter landscape with one companion - a Gethenian, whose alienness becomes more and more obvious the closer the two become.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
An instant classic, this dark urban fantasy novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars in an alternate nineteenth century England. In this version of England, magic is a lost art that has passed into the realm of non-applied philosophy. Suddenly, two genuine applied magicians appear - the staid, bookish Mr. Norrell and the wild, romantic Jonathan Strange. In an elaborate, memorable tale of war, love, and colonialism, Clarke explores what it means to seek an end to tyranny without becoming a power-hungry tyrant. Haunting, packed with whimsical footnotes, and bibliophilic in the extreme, this novel will keep you warm and melancholy all winter long.

In the Garden of Iden, by Kage Baker (Tor Books)
The first in Baker's beloved Company series about time-traveling cyborg scientists, this is a simple story of first love during an icy cold British winter in the sixteenth century. Of course, things are a little complex when one of the lovers is a reluctant British free-thinker, and the other is a cyborg time-traveler who was almost killed during the Spanish Inquisition - and who was sent to this particular spot in time to gather rare plant species, not to mess around with the natives. Full of well-observed historical detail, wry humor, and (of course) tragic love.

Dark Ladies, by Fritz Lieber (Orb)
If you've ever visited San Francisco, or simply dreamed of it, Lieber's classic novella Our Lady of Darkness (one of two novellas collected in Dark Ladies) will please your brain with its dark figures, strange music, and voluptuous decadence. Set in 1970s San Francisco, where Lieber himself lived at the time, this novel is a glorious melding of urban history and supernatural weirdness. A pulp writer discovers that his residential hotel room is part of an ancient curse set in motion by a group of literary rebels, including Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London. A bizarre mix of hippies, queers, haunted architecture, and pulp lore come together to create one of the greatest works of urban fantasy ever written.

Darwin's Radio, by Greg Bear (Ballantine)
If you prefer not to be haunted by ancient curses, how about being mutated by ancient codes in our DNA? That's the subject of Bear's popular novel about what happens when the so-called junk DNA in our genomes suddenly starts expressing itself in response to the "crisis" of human life at the turn of the century. Slightly silly but nevertheless satisfying and action-packed, Darwin's Radio is a fun take on the idea of superpowered mutants and a society that isn't quite ready for them.

Of course no gallery of scifi-themed shirts could ever be exhaustive, but we've got a nice selection here of whimsical, artistic, and referencey. And of course, don't forget to pick up an io9 t-shirt from our Neighborhoodies collection. All proceeds from our io9 tees go to the Carl Brandon Society.

I love this Twi'lek Pinup [via StarWarsShop] - it's like the dearly-departed Bettie Page crossed with alien sizzle.

And if you're smarting over the recent remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, you'll want to shout your loyalty to the original with this Klaatu Barada Nikto shirt [via Retropolis Transit Authority].

This shirt is called Better Recognize [via MiniCassettes] because you'd better recognize the most evil vector drawing in scifi history. (Hint: You saw it in Tron.)

Three little robots make a nice beginning for your army in a shirt called Mechanical Breakdown [via ReThink].

The shirt called The House that Romero Built [via Mediocore] is pure luxury, with those big zombies emblazoned all over your chest.

I am a huge fan of all the tees from Loyal Army, but Spaceships is the cutest space-themed tee I've ever laid eyes on.

Speaking of cute tees, Dinosaur Attack [via Divine Clothing Co] is the perfect shirt for the person who dreams of dinosaurs and giant monsters.

Wow, it's full of stars. That's right, that gorgeous, award-winning Live Long and Prosper shirt [via MadeByHumans] is basically the loveliest depiction you could imagine of the classic Vulcan greeting.

For booklovers, there's nothing better than Take Me to Your Reader [via Cameesa], an amazing shirt that shows a UFO book showering an innocent Earthling with words.

There's nothing better than a random scientific diagram of holiday-esque trees, which you'll find on the How To Shirt [via Assembly of Text].

Got Space? [via Zazzle] shows a highly-detailed view of the Hubble telescope. Basically, nothing could be more awesome than that.

Vampires Beware, by Ian Leino [via Threadless] depicts all the tools you'd find in a Victorian vampire-killing kit. Show all those Twilight fans how you really feel.

If you're feeling steampunky, tentacly, or just alternative history-ish, Two Guys & An Octopus, by Resist Today [via Shanalogic] might be just the ticket.

Historical detective John Holbo uncovered this heretofore unknown detail about the celebrated nineteenth century naturalist's life, and has released several of Haeckel's long-lost Christmas cards. Holbo writes:

Ernst Haeckel's 1904 "Kunstformen der Natur" [Artforms of Nature] is a classic of biological illustration. What is less generally known is that the artist started as a Christmas card designer. The book was originally simply an album of holiday designs.

"All the sweet things that the Squiddies/Twittering in the dewy spray/Wish each other in the springtime/I wish you this happy day."

During the Victorian era Christmas was indeed regarded as a 'happy' day, but one of uncanny terror; accordingly, cards and ornamentation featured strange creatures with too many tentacles. But then Santa Claus became popular, and many of these older designs 'fell out of fashion'.

Commercially marooned, unable to draw anything except tentacles and congeries of pustules/bubbles, Haeckel wandered into natural 'science' - almost as an afterthought - when he discovered that the stuff he had been drawing actually existed, give or take a tentacle. Isn't that interesting?

You can view the rest of these amazing Xmas cards at Holbo's Flickr stream, or buy reproductions of them from Cafepress. Happy tentacles!

Sky Doll:
This French story about a sexbot who stows away with space truckers to find her true destiny reads like a more enjoyable The Fifth Element, mixing spirituality, sexuality and awkward humor to create a beautifully-illustrated not-so-guilty pleasure.
(Published by Marvel Comics, $24.99.)

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus:
This four-volume series of hardcovers collects all of the various comics that made up X-Men and Fantastic Four co-creator Kirby's 1970s magnum opus about godlike aliens bringing their war to Earth. Ignored and cancelled due to low sales at the time, these have since taken their place as some of the all-time best American SF comics.
(Published by DC Comics, each volume $49.99.)

The Babysitter Collection:
You probably won't have heard of Andy Ristaino's mind-bending story of Setsuko Kagaku, the Japanese schoolgirl who happens to be the world's greatest babysitter, but once you've seen this amazing, mind-bending book that gleefully rewrites the rulebook on how comics work and questions the nature of reality, you'll never be able to forget it.
(Published by SLG, $29.95.)

Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Season 8:
Surely you need no explanation why the official comic continuation of the TV series - overseen and written in part by Joss Whedon, with the other writers including Cloverfield's Drew Goddard - makes this list. If you have to pick just one of the four collections to date, we'd suggest the Brian K. Vaughan-written "No Future For You", which brings back Faith and Giles for some ass-kicking in good ol' Blighty that doesn't rely too heavily on the uber-arc for the season.
(Published by Dark Horse, each volume $15.95.)

Laika:
Nick Abadzis' semi-fictional biography of the First Dog In Space is subtle, beautiful and enough to break the heart of even the most cynical bastard. If you're an animal lover, then you'll probably be in tears by the end.
(Published by First Second, $17.95.)

Scott Pilgrim:
Bryan Lee O'Malley's enjoyable series of graphic novels - Probably my favorite current series, not that that really matters to you - blends twenty-something ennui, surreal humor (Wait until you meet the vegan in the third volume), video game references, and some wonderful artwork to create something that's both timeless and effortless contemporary. Plus, where else do you get to read about a boy who has to fight his girlfriend's Seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends in order to win her heart?
(Published by Oni Press, each volume $11.95.)

All-Star Superman, Vol. 1:
Superhero comics may not get much better than this recently-completed series by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely; pulling the genre away from angst-ridden punchfests, ASS - yes, I know - instead offers a more contemplative and imaginative Superman who falls victim to Lex Luthor's ultimate masterplan and still tries to save the day, every day. This volume collects the first half of the series; a second is due next year, so you can give it to someone this time in 2009.
(Published by DC Comics, $12.99.)

100%:
Yes, I'm stretching the "recent" thing for this 2005 collection of Paul Pope's series about life in a future New York, full of love stories and artists and people in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it'll always be an amazing book, the closest we'll ever get to Robert Altman directing a science fiction Bukowski. Or something.
(Published by DC Comics/Vertigo, $24.99.)

The Doctor Who Storybook 2009:
Is this too non-comic-booky? Possibly, but each year in the UK, a Doctor Who Storybook is released for kids, featuring brand new stories written by the TV show's writers (The 2006 edition featured the first version of "Blink," by Steven Moffat; this year, Mark Gatiss, Gareth Roberts and James Moran are all contributing), as well as a "Letter from the Doctor" written by the showrunner (This year is Moffat's first; Russell T Davies has done the last couple). If it helps, there's a comic strip in there too, but I don't think you'll need much more convincing.
(Published by Panini Books, price depending on whatever you pay on import; £7.99 in the UK.)

Any Showcase or Essential Collection:
Help a friend or family member relive their misspent childhood with these black and white phonebook collections of comics from the 1960s and '70s. DC's brand is "DC Showcase Presents", Marvel's is "Marvel Essential," but both offer over 500 pages of reprinted goodness for $16.99; you can find a list of each line here (Showcase) and here (Essentials).
(Published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, $16.99.)

Two Additional Stocking Stuffers That Aren't Really Comics, But Still:
Fables: Covers by James Jean:
All eleven volumes to date of Bill Willingham's wonderful Fables would make ideal stocking stuffers as well, but the pride of place has to go to this stunningly beautiful collection of illustrator James Jean's covers to the first 75 issues (and ten collections) of the series. Breathtakingly illustrated in paint, pencil and digitally, the work contained in this book is awe-inspiring.
(Published by DC Comics/Vertigo, $39.99.)

Thrill Power Overload:
Another import that's well worth tracking down, David Bishop's history of the first thirty years of British comic 2000AD is both salacious and educational, filled with gossip and stories about the creation of characters like Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper and the early careers of creators like Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and even Neil Gaiman. Enjoyable even if you've never read an issue of the comic itself.
(Published by Rebellion Books, price depending on whatever you pay on import; £34.99 in the UK.)

Movies:

The Dark Knight just came out on DVD, and pretty much everybody who doesn't hate movies is going to want to own it. Our sister site Gizmodo just reviewed the BluRay version, and the picture quality on an HD screen is the next best thing to seeing it in actual Imax.
Extras: Nothing to write home about, sadly. No Christopher Nolan commentary track. No outtakes or gaffes, because Nolan doesn't believe in doing that to his actors. The second disc includes those "Gotham Tonight" faux news programs that were on the Internet a while back. Plus some featurettes, like this one:

Wanted is an unrated DVD, which means just a smidge more crazy violence and nudity in this story of a working stiff who discovers he's the super-powered heir to a society of mega-assassins.
Extras: There are tons and tons of featurettes, plus a music video to a song by Danny Elfman. I like this one, about how much fun it is to be beaten up by Angelina Jolie:

This one, about the special effects work behind the spinning train, is also pretty cool:

Wall-E is the best animated movie in years, and one of the best movies of the year. A lone trash-compacting robot is left behind on a destroyed Earth.
Extras: Two short films, Burn-E and the theatrically released Presto Amazing. Some deleted scenes, including this one:

And some featurettes, including this one about why Wall-E doesn't have elbows:

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. One of the best directors working today, Guillermo Del Toro, takes on a second installment of this supernatural superhero story, featuring a deeper look at Hellboy's alienation and tangled relationships.
Extras: There are two commentaries, one by Del Toro and one by some of the actors. Plus tons of deleted scenes. But for my money, the features that make it most worthwhile are the looks inside the making of GDT's amazing creatures, and his personal tours of the movie's elaborate sets, like the troll market:

Plus there's a giant two-and-a-half-hour documentary, "Hellboy: In Services Of The Demon." And a look inside the puppet theater, and a glimpse of Del Toro's notebook.

The Incredible Hulk, Marvel's less appreciated superhero film of 2008, is still a pretty satisfying monster romp, and the DVD gives you more of a sense of how ambitious a project it really was.
Extras: There are featurettes, showing how Ed Norton became the Hulk and Tim Roth became the Abomination. There's the original opening sequence, in a snowy wasteland, where Bruce tries to kill himself and turns into the Hulk. You can see some deleted scenes, which give you a glimpse of the much longer, more introspective movie co-writer Edward Norton wanted you to see. Like this one, where Bruce cries over psycho-babble at dinnertime:

Or this one, where Bruce and Betty look at an orchid together:

Johnny Mnemonic/Omega Doom/Universal Soldier. Yes, you heard me right. Sony just collected all three of these awesome 1990s instant classics and put them onto one bargain-priced DVD set. (As cheap as $14 on one site.) This is a whole day's viewing. You can drink coffee and watch Mnemonic, then get stoned and watch Universal Soldier, and then drink Drano and watch Omega Doom. (You've never heard of Omega Doom? It's Rutger Hauer playing a post-apocalyptic robot who's lost his memory. Okay?)

Extras: Ummm... Thai subtitles. Could come in handy.

Thirteenth Floor/Screamers/Solo. And here's another one. I bet you have a friend who doesn't own any of these movies. Again, going as cheap as $14 on some sites. The Thirteenth Floor was actually a pretty okay movie, part of the cyberpunk mini-boom of the late 1990s. Solo is Mario Van Peebles as a super-cyborg.
Extras: Umm... If you get stoned enough, you can watch these movies more than once.

David Lynch: The Lime Green Set. The notoriously wacky director has just put out a box set, including a remastered Eraserhead, plus Elephant Man and Blue Velvet. It also includes some new-to-DVD apocrypha, such as Wild At Heart's "Industrial Symphony No. 1" and Dumbland. And there are some early short films, like "Six Men Getting Sick."
Extras: There are never-before-seen Elephant Man DVD extras, plus a fancy booklet and a new sound mix for Velvet.

TV box sets:

Lost: The complete fourth season. Relive the season when this island-castaway show started getting exciting again, thanks to the flash-forwards and the saga of the Oceanic Six getting off the island.
Extras: There's a pretty hilarious Oceanic Airlines safety card, plus two whole discs of bonus features. You've got that wacky feature about flash-forwards that we showed you recently, plus the mockumentary about the hoax of the Oceanic Six. Documentaries cover topics like filming on location, creating that massive freighter set, and all the guns that everyone carries. Plus bloopers, which are never as funny as you think they'll be. And deleted scenes, like this one:

Jericho: The Complete Series. For your friends who just don't get why you were so pissed off that CBS axed this series about the town in Kansas that survives a massive act of nuclear terrorism.
Extras: Supposedly this set has everything the first and second season sets had, plus some bonus features. Including a wacky list of 100 reasons why you should watch Jericho, which include "Funny Arms Skeet." And a documentary showing a table-read for the script for season two, episode one.

The 4400: The complete series. This show about 4,400 people being abducted and given weird superpowers turned out to be a lot more bizarre and complicated than it looked at first, with a weird cult and Summer Glau as a psychopath with mind powers. And Jeffrey Combs as a mad scientist. Yay. And now here's the complete thing, for only about $66 on Amazon.
Extras: I think you basically get what you would have gotten with each of the separate season box sets.

Doctor Who: Series Four. In many ways, the end of an era for the BBC's time-travel action-comedy-soap. The last full season starring David Tennant and under the stewardship of Russell T. Davies, plus the final (probably) end of the story of Rose, the time-travelers most besotted companion. It's not the best season of the RTD years, but contains some real gems, like "FIres Of Pompeii," "Midnight" and "Turn Left."
Extras: I love the DVD menus, which feature the usual view of the TARDIS set, until you select something — then the Titanic crashes through the wall. There are the usual Doctor Who Confidential mini-documentaries for each episode. The "Time Crash" mini-episode, featuring two Doctors, is included, and there's also a David Tennant video diary. Plus commentary tracks. And deleted scenes, like this one:

And this alternate ending:

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary. Has it really been twenty years of the guy on the space station watching bad movies with robots? Huh. In any case, this is a comemorative tin box set with four of the show's most popular movies: First Spaceship on Venus (1960), Laserblast (1978), Werewolf (1996), and Future War (1997).
Extras: The oral history of MST3K (sounds unhygienic.) A Comic-Con reunion panel. All six versions of the theme song. Four fancy lobby cards, plus a Crow T. Robot figurine.

Star Trek: Season Three remastered. Your friends may already have the seminal space opera on DVD, but do they have the fancy-schmancy remastered version? Now you can watch the show slide downhill into oblivion in better picture quality, with restored special effects.
Extras: There's a new version of the show's original pilot, "The Cage," with improved effects. And footage of the cast and crew goofing around, from home movies. And footage of makeup tests.

Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection If you're going to mess around with Transformers Energon, it might as well be the ultimate version, dammit. This was an animated series running from 2004-2005, most notable for featuring a lot of Unicron, the evil robo-planet formerly voiced by Orson Welles.
Extras: None that I can find out about.

Bubblegum Crisis 2040: Complete Collection. There's already been a "Perfect Collection," but now there's a "Complete Collection," which sounds even better. In the aftermath of a huge earthquake, an evil corporation wants to take over Tokyo using genetically engineered monsters. Oh noes! Luckily four super-powered women stand in their way, in this anime spinoff.
Extras: None that I can learn about.

Voltron Volume 6 A totally new Voltron is constructed to battle the Drule threat in this new DVD box set. This covers episodes 73-90 of the 1980s series.
Extras: Featurettes include "Vehicle Voltron Pilot," "Vehicle Voltron Fans Unite," "Vehicle Voltron Featurette," "Team Up Clips" and "Episode Synopses With Original Air Dates."

Wild Wild West: The Complete Series. If your own exposure to this weird steampunk excursion was the Will Smith movie, now's your chance to discover it in full.
Extras: It includes the two later TV movies, which weren't included with previous box sets. There are also audio interviews with creators like Fred Freiburger, John Kneibuhl, music composer Richard Markowitz, and special effects creator Tim Smyth. And you get to see one of star Robert Conrad's Everready battery commercials from the late 1970s, plus a network promo reel.

Other:

Thomas Pynchon - A Journey Into The Mind Of [P]. This 2002 documentary about the writer of The Crying Of Lot 49 and Mason & Dixon is finally out on DVD as of November. The Dubini brothers, Italian-German film-makers, try to unravel the mystery of the reclusive Pynchon through the use of photographs and archival films, plus tons of interviews with random Pynchon admirers and hangers on. Some reviewers have been a tad underwhelmed.
Extras: None that I'm aware of.

Timewave 2013: The Future Is Now Odyssey Two. Honestly, I would get this just for the title. Your friends will never look at you the same way again. It's the sequel to the acclaimed 2012 the Odyssey Armageddon Is Not What It Used To Be. Says the blurb:

This is definitely an adventure into the nature of time itself, with some of the world's foremost metaphysicians, sages and experts lending their wisdom. Buckle yourself in for a breathtaking ride! The experts in this film reinforce the notion of continual change, inner change and the amazing opportunities presented by the advent of the galactic alignment in December 2012.

Extras: You'll discover that the end of the Mayan calendar isn't really the end of time. Sort of.

Even if you don't know any children, it's a fair bet to say that you've at least been tempted to spend some money on an action figure or two, even for yourself. Whatever the reason, we're saying that it's definitely the time of year for toys for all girls and boys - and here are some picks that we hope you find in your stocking on the day.

Star Wars - The Ultimate Lightsaber Kit: Yeah, yeah; you could play that Wii lightsaber game and have a lot of fun, but those of us with the bigger midichlorians know that building your own lightsaber is where it's at. This kit lets you do that very thing, providing all the pieces that you need to become your own padawan. Just try not to slice your own hand off in some Joseph Campbell-esque maneuver whether by accident or in a misguided attempt to emulate your childhood idols.

Star Trek Phaser And Communicator Set: Along the same lines, these replica phasers and communicators from the original Star Trek series would let you get your William Shatner and/or Leonard Nimoy on, like the gentlemen in the picture. Insignia-ed t-shirts not included. Alternatively, the Dueling Kirk And Spock From "Amok Time" figures have the uniforms and sexy tears in shirts to influence hot slash action.

Anything From LEGO's Mars Mission Range: When I was a kid, LEGO's space sets consisted of a moon base and a few dull grey repurposed planes. Now, the rebranded LEGO Mars Mission sets are multicolored blocks of imagination, accompanied by aliens and heroes with stubbles and smirks. Ignore LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Batman; these are the blocks you're looking for.

A Breakdancing Robot:

I'm sorry, is there something else I need to say? (Alternatively, Robotic Pugilists. If that doesn't appeal, then good day, sir. I said good day!)

Twilight Action Figures: They may not be released until mid-2009 - way to miss the boat, toymakers - but they are available for pre-order right now; it'll be just like the Star Wars Early Bird Offer all over again! You know that you want to see the face of your favorite emo relative almost display an emotion when they open the IOU envelope for this baby on Christmas (or whatever day you deem appropriate) morning.

Risk Transformers Cybertron Edition: Update the depressing game of strategy from your youth by adding in the wildcard of robots in disguise, and their home planet - filled with countries that you have no idea about. Let the youngsters in your life experience the same hours of frustration and disappointment when they, too, realize that the game may be coherent and technically accurate but also endless and much less fun than playing with an actual Transformer, no matter how many times you tell them that the cardboard box transforms into an educational experience.

The Superhero Action Figure Of Your Choice: You can't go wrong by giving a small plastic representation of your loved ones' favorite defenders of truth and justice. Me, I'm rather partial to the original Firestorm, complete with puffy sleeves, but that may be my nostalgia overpowering my taste (Although, you know, if you really want to buy it for me, that's perfectly alright). Alternatively, you could go for a prop replica of something to do with your favorite Marvel superhero. You may scoff, but I don't know anyone who doesn't secretly want to put on Iron Man's helmet and pretend to be Tony Stark.

Alien Kubricks: Yes, there are Kubricks for almost everything, but our favorites are the ones based on Ridley Scott's 1970s classic SF horror movie. Surely, we're not the only people who find the sight of an overgrown LEGO dude with an alien bursting out of his chest to be the perfect representation of Scott's intentions with the original film. And the Kubrick Ripley's hair perfectly captures the hair of the previous Sigourney Weaver. See? Now you understand.

Pleo, Robotic Lifelike Dinosaur: Yes, we could take exception to the description of this overly cute robot as "lifelike," but we'd rather point out that anyone who really wants a lifelike dinosaur in their house - especially as educational tools for their children, as Pleo is supposed to be - is fucking insane. It would eat your child! And then you! Seriously, this Disney-esque version is a much, much better idea; and much safer, as well. For those less brave and/or rich, I'd like to suggest the (much cooler, let's face it) Miniature Godzilla that you can get from Giant Robot because, well, why not?

Deathbot Lederhosen Edition: Call me old fashioned, but the holiday season always makes me want to strap on a pair of lederhosen and dream of snowier climes. With this festive limited edition killer robot from Tim Biskup's Gama-Go, that gets that much easier. Get high on a hill with this murderous goatherd after triming the tree.

We've covered every zone of fandom possible - just click the links to find out what will make gift-giving day the Best Day Evar for the scifi nerds of the world.

Gifts for the Star Wars Fan

Gifts for the Star Trek Fan

Gifts for the Battlestar Galactica Fan

Gifts for the Doctor Who Fan

Gifts for the Batman Fan

Gifts for the Harry Potter Fan

Gifts for the Whedonverse Fan

Gifts for the Twilight Fan

Gifts for the Steampunk Fan

Gifts for the Zombie Fan

Obsessed with Star Wars: This book of Star Wars trivia will not only educate you on the Star Wars universe, it will test you on your knowledge. A built-in electronic game quizzes you on 40 randomly selected questions and may prove that you're not as obsessed with Star Wars as you think. Available for $23.96 from Amazon.

Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet: Imagine that you're battling the forces of General Grievous with this helmet. Available for $29.99 from Amazon.

Mimobot USB Flash Drives: The 1-8GB flash drives store your data in style. Choose your loved one's favorite character or assemble a small army. Available for $39.95-$109.95 (depending on capacity) from Mimobot.

Serenity Complete and Official Map of the Verse: Plan your smuggling route with this map of the multi-star Serenity Verse. Perfect for learning more about the Verse, roleplaying, or just to hang on your wall. $26.95 from Quantum Mechanix.

Buffy and Serenity Comics: For those who miss Buffy, they can get caught up with the Season Eight comics. The most recent collection, Wolves at the Gate was released last month, following the events of The Long Way Home and No Future for You (You can get all three books from Amazon for $42.18). The second Serenity comic collection Better Days was also released this fall, and takes place between the Firefly television series and the Serenity film ($9.95 from Amazon).

Serenity Ornaments: Tree-having Browncoats can appreciate these Christmas ornaments, which depict the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. $17.99 from Entertainment Earth.

The Zombie Survival Guide Deck: A handy pocket-sized version of Max Brooks' classic book, these cards offer a quick and easy reference that should prove vital in the even of a zombie outbreak. $12.55 from Amazon.

Dismember Me Plush Zombie: Practice dismembering the undead from the comfort of your desk or home. Tear off the limbs, head, and torso of this zombie toy, and he'll just come back for more. $12.99 from Think Geek.

Brain Gelatin Mold: You may as well practice eating brains with this brain-shaped gelatin mold. The mold creates a gooey, lifelike brain and includes instructions on how make a sugary gray matter substitute. $6.99 from Think Geek.

Cylon Toaster: Celebrate BSG's favorite racial slur each morning. This handsome appliance burns a Cylon centurion head into one side of your toast and the phrase "Frak Off!" into the other. $65.00 from NBC.

BSG Themed Tees: The BSG store at NBC offers a wide range of Galactica-themed apparel, or you can head over Enclothe to grab a "Baltar is My Homeboy" t-shirt. Of course, Neighborhoodies offers these stylish "Cylons are for Lovers Hoodies" designed by your friends at io9.

Cylon Action Figures: If you've got $8590 to spend on your BSG-loving loved one, you could drop it on this life size Cylon Centurion. But an 8" New Caprica Centurion is much more economical ($14.99 from Think Geek), as this Head Six action figure ($20.00 from NBC; also available in Caprica, Apollo, and Hot Dog) and BSG MiniMates ($9.00 from NBC).

Steampunk Anthology: Edited by io9 contributors Jeff and Ann VanderMeer, this anthology features steampunk stories from Neal Stephenson, Michael Chabon, and Michael Moorcock. $10.17 from Amazon.

Extraordinary Engines: Another steampunk themed anthology, Extraordinary Engines also includes stories by Michael Moorcock and Jeff VanderMeer, as well as Stephen Baxter and Ian MacLeod. $7.99 from Amazon.

Handmade Crafts: Handcraft site Etsy is a veritable treasure trove of steampunk-style handmade goods, so you're sure to find something to suit your favorite steampunker. Various prices from Etsy.

Star Trek: Alternate Realities: This five disc set collects 20 episodes from all five Star Trek series that deal with alternate realities, parallel lives, and, of course, the popular Mirror Universe. Available for $27.99 from Amazon.

Phaser and Communicator Set: Put on your primary-colored tunics and put together your away team with this set. These full-sized replicas light up and emit sound effects from the show. Available as a set for $39.99 from Think Geek.

Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon: The webmistress of Harry Potter fansite The Leaky Cauldron, Melissa Anelli traces the history of Potter fandom and tries to explain the meteoric rise of Rowling's books. $10.88 from Amazon.

Varsity Quidditch Apparel: Now that Quidditch has become an intercollegiate sport, players and fans will need to display their allegiance to their favorite team. Gryffindor supporters can pick up their t-shirts and hoodies from CafePress.

The Time Traveller's Almanac: This handy, fully illustrated guide to time-space teaches you all you need to know to about the species, places, and notable figures of the Doctor Who universe, as well as little known "facts" from Earth's own history. $21.94 from Amazon.

Doctor Who Laser Battle Set: Reenact the Doctor's battles against the Master with this set of screwdrivers. Choose the Doctor's sonic screwdriver or the Master's laser screwdriver and try to hit your opponent five times before they hit you. $59.99 from Think Geek.

Dalek Voice Changer Helmet: Have your friends and colleagues cowering behind the sofa by donning this helmet and yelling "Exterminate!" The death beam lights up, but will not actually disintegrate your coworkers. $79.99 from Think Geek.

Batman Gotham Knights: Six animated adventures reveal the further adventures of Bruce Wayne. Batman battles Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Deadshot, and uses high-tech weapons and ancient techniques to defend Gotham City. The two-disc collector's edition is available for $19.99 from Amazon.

LEGO Batman: Explore LEGO Gotham City as minifig Batman and Robin, capturing Batman's foes and putting them in Arkham Asylum. Then play as the villains, committing crime and mayhem while dodging the dynamic duo. Available for Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS.

Batman: The Complete Animated Series: The complete boxed set of what many people consider the definitive representation of the caped crusader includes all 109 episodes of the animated series, commentaries on 12 episodes, eight featurettes, and a new documentary on Batman's animated evolution. $75.99 from Amazon.

Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan: A Japanese publisher acquired the rights to the Batman character and for a year, published a Japanese version of Batman and Robin's adventures. Translated and collected for the first time here, the comics show a Batman influenced by the culture of 1960s Japan. $37.80 from Amazon.