• triviagasm

    6 Characters Who Escaped Virtual Prisons... Or Did They?

    It's the ultimate test for any hero: finding yourself trapped in a prison of the mind, where you can no longer tell the difference between reality and falsehood. Here are six science-fiction heroes who escaped from virtual reality...probably. Spoilers ahead! More »
    06/05/09
    20,574
    106

  • poll

    A Decade On, Which Was Worse?

    Now that we've had some time to think about it, it's time to ask yourself which was worse: the Star Wars prequel trilogy, or the Matrix trilogy? The Oregonian's Shawn Levy thinks it's the latter. More »
    05/30/09
    16,699
    247

    Comment by nathanst: My first question for people that hated the Matrix sequels is "Did you understand them?" 75%-ish of the time the answer... 25 Responses | Other threads

  • killing machines

    Countdown Science Fiction's 10 Most Murderous Robots

    It's one thing to talk about Killer Robots, but which ones have actually managed to really rack up the senseless slaughter? Here are our choices for the ten deadliest robots for you to avoid. More »

    Feature

    05/19/09
    36,636
    46

  • killing machines

    Could'a Been Contenders...

    Wondering where Daleks, Cybermen and the Borg are? They're over in the "Do cyborgs really count as robots?" corner, although it's arguably worth pointing out that Daleks aren't really robots at all, just aliens inside weirdly-shaped suits of armor... that may as well be robots for all we actually care. I'm sure there will be arguments about this, nonetheless. Also missing from the list: The Decepticons, who must've killed many people during their various toy, cartoon, comic and movie reigns of terror, but none that I can remember in "real" continuity (Which is to say, All Hail Megatron doesn't count, because it's intentionally an "alternate reality" story). Also also missing is Brainiac, who has just been retconned again into being as organic as robotic, sadly. More »
    05/19/09
    10,266
    61

    Comment by madnys: Rogue simulants from Red Dwarf? Or how about the Inquisitor from the same show? How many people has he deemed... 3 Responses | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #1: The Manhunters

    How deadly are they? They destroyed all life within Space Sector 666 because of a "programming glitch." How big is a Space Sector? Unknown, although the entire universe is split into at least 3601 of them, and Final Crisis claims that there are "thousands of worlds" within Earth's sector. So let's just say that's a lot of life extinguished. More »
    05/19/09
    21,355
    17

    Comment by NotArthurPDragon: Where's V'Ger from Star Trek the Motion Picture? In the book I think it's said to have taken whole... 2 Responses | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #2: Unicron

    How deadly is he? He eats planets for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. And if they're populated, all the better; it adds texture, apparently. More »
    05/19/09
    21,617
    4

    Comment by Burke: I just can;t get past the cheesy name. Unicron/Unicorn.... I keep expecting a magical rainbow to shoot out his... more » | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #3: The Cylons

    How deadly are they? They destroyed the twelve colonies of humanity, committing genocide on a scale unimaginable to everyone except Glen A. Larson and Ron Moore. More »
    05/19/09
    21,448
    7

    Comment by Allan Drake: Terminators should be #1. Their whole purpose is to eliminate the human race. Thats not true with seperatist battle droids.... 1 Responses | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #4: Separatist Battle Droids

    How deadly are they? Apparently, an unstoppable killing machine that continually causes trouble for the Republic and their Jedi forces during the many years of Star Wars' Clone Wars. Despite their apparent ineffectualness, the war continued for many years, therefore the estimated high kill-rate and higher ranking on this list. Sorry, prequel haters. More »
    05/19/09
    21,480
    10

    Comment by Davio: These were actually really cool in Republic Commando. They were actually bloody scary, very difficult to take down. 2 Responses | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #5: Skynet/The Terminators

    How deadly are they? They took over the Earth and are pretty much trying to destroy all human life, starting with a successful nuclear annihilation of three million people. You've seen The Terminator movies, right? More »
    05/19/09
    21,361
    5

    Comment by Burke: yeah, terminators are pretty badass... until an aging Arnold tries to play one, then they sort of lose something int... more » | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #6: Sentinels (The Matrix)

    How deadly are they? They took over the Earth and keep humans around only as batteries. Which, you know, is potentially an environmentally solution to the whole need for energy (Although they did start out with solar power. More »
    05/19/09
    21,551
    3

    Comment by Burke: Bleh. They were too easy to beat, in the end. more » | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #7: Sentinels (Marvel Comics)

    How deadly are they? They almost eradicated the mutant race, killing millions in one afternoon's work by destroying the island of Genosha. There's also a much-visited future where the Sentinels have taken over the world and killed the X-Men and many other superheroes. More »
    05/19/09
    22,810
    5

    Comment by Burke: I was gonna say, they were the first bad-ass thing Marvel really did well in the 80's. Sounds like... more » | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #8: Ultron

    How deadly is he? He singlehandedly slaughtered the inhabitants of the fictional European nation of Slorernia, before enslaving the alien robot race the Phalanx and taking over countless planets as a result, for his own nefarious ends. More »
    05/19/09
    22,524
    3

    Comment by Burke: What a surprise: Hank Pym screws up. Again. more » | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #9: ABC Warriors

    How deadly are they? As deadly as you want them to be; in the future's Volgan war (When the west goes to war with the fictional Russian-analog "Volgan Republic"), human soldiers are slowly replaced by robots created to fight wars. Slowly enough, in fact, that the ABC Warriors get more than a few kills in before the war ends, at which point they get to kill some more people while - at various times - rebelling against their makers, terraforming Mars, assassinating people for chaos magic rituals and getting involved in other unlikely scrapes. More »
    05/19/09
    23,072
    7

    Comment by Ellusion: The robot pictured had a cameo in Judge Dredd as Armand Assantes sidekick. 2 Responses | Other threads

  • killing machines

    #10: Mechagodzilla

    How deadly is he? He rampages continually against Japan and fights Godzilla on a regular basis, with his laser eyes and flamethrower breath. I'm guessing there's got to be some level of collateral damage going on there. Also, he kills giant monsters, which can come in handy. More »
    05/19/09
    26,118
    5

    Comment by Belabras: Well, he's no Godzilla, but he's destroyed a fair section of Tokyo in his day. 2 Responses | Other threads

  • still more than meets the eye

    Coming Soon in 3-D: All Your Favorite Movies

    Last week's monster opening for Monsters vs. Aliens can only mean one thing: More 3-D movies. But do they have to be new movies? Apparently, Hollywood doesn't think so. More »
    04/05/09
    3,674
    36

    Comment by Arnoldo Cortés: I know most people hate the movie... but can you imagine Speed Racer 3D???? That movie was already jumping off... 5 Responses | Other threads

  • exclusive

    The 3 Laws May Not Be Enough To Guide Robot Warriors

    What does the Pentagon think about a possible robot uprising? Is Star Trek's view of combat realistic? We asked P.W. Singer, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and author of Wired for War. More »

    Feature

    04/01/09
    15,223
    37

  • triviagasm

    The Craziest Space Racists Of All Time

    In the distant future, most our problems will be solved - except racism. Science fiction is full of crazy bigots, who hate aliens, robots and mutants. We list SF's most monstrous racism allegories, below. More »
    03/27/09
    42,038
    149

  • rant

    The 7 Deadly Sins Of Religion In Science Fiction

    Religion is a huge part of science fiction - and it makes the genre better and more fascinating, as Battlestar Galactica proved. But there are seven mistakes SF should avoid in portraying the spiritual realm. More »
    03/26/09
    63,856
    322

  • steal this pitch

    What Should the Wachowskis Do Next?

    The Matrix was one of the best movies of the last decade, but its director/producer team, the Wachowskis, headed downhill with the sequels, and bombed with Speed Racer. Here's what they need to do next. More »

    Feature

    03/12/09
    17,095
    186

  • dioramas

    5 Dioramas That Actually Tell A Story

    Last week, we featured a full-scale scene of zombie mayhem made entirely out of lego, from the 2008 BrickCon. There's something amazing about an artist creating such a detailed scene, especially when they manage to tell a story at the same time. But zombies aren't the only subject to have been immortalized in an incredibly detailed diorama — there are some amazing miniature epics featuring Halo, Star Wars, The Matrix and Hellboy. Here are five of our favorites. More »
    10/13/08
    5,714
    4

    Comment by WilonaHaest: I just don't get why you didn't use some of Andrew's later, much better work. This certainly tells a story,... more » | Other threads

  • sci fi sports

    Six Sweaty Moments of Geeky Triumph

    If you watch enough high school movies, you'll begin to think that jocks and geeks are always at war. Not so, however: Science fiction is full of triumphant sports moments, and not just the ones that end in death. From Battlestar Galactica's pyramid ball to Futurama's Blernsball to Arthur C. Clarke's outer space sailing, this genre has a lot to offer your gym-minded friends. Whether the stakes are high or low, these six displays of futuristic athleticism are the most energetic bits of nerdery since Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon. More »
    10/11/08
    20,352
    41

  • democracy in action

    Scientists Pick The Greatest Books And Movies Of All Time

    At last, the most important works of science fiction are being determined scientifically. New Scientist magazine is doing a special science fiction issue on Nov. 15, and the magazine is polling its science-boffin readers as to the greatest books and movies in the genre. The magazine's own staff have already voted, and you might not be surprised by the books they put first. But you may have some issues with their most hated movies and books. More »
    10/01/08
    9,293
    59

    Comment by ManchuCandidate: I have no arguments on the literary side. 3001 was an awful piece of shit and I'm a lesser... 6 Responses | Other threads

  • science fiction deaths

    12 Weakest Deaths In Science Fiction History

    The greatest science fiction heroes live on the edge, skimming the jagged maw of death every day. "Scifi hero" is a high-risk profession, so you shouldn't expect your idols to live forever. But at the very least, you can hope your hero gets a good death — a hero's death — instead of going out like a punk. So it's too bad that some of our most favorite space adventurers have been stuck with lame deaths. Here's our list of the 12 scifi hero deaths that made us feel like instead of our heroes cheating death, death cheated our heroes. With spoilers. More »
    09/15/08
    98,604
    175

  • conspiracy theory

    The Best Conspiracies in Sci-Fi

    This week's X-Files 2 release will have everyone wanting to believe in vast government conspiracies. But Cigarette-Smoking Man isn't the only shadowy villain by far. Authors like Philip K. Dick and Margaret Atwood were feeding us conspiracies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before The X-Files was even on the air. We've collected some of the best conspiracy stories in science fiction, just in case you find yourself hungry for more after your dose of X-Files tonight. More »
    07/25/08
    19,537
    23

    Comment by Nivair H. Gabriel: Crap. I blame the lack of sleep and the copious flu medication ... of course, in The Matrix the villain... more » | Other threads

  • chart

    How Does Your Hero Measure Up On Our Wish-Fulfillment Checklist?

    Sometimes you just want to escape into a heroic universe of wish fulfillment, with just the right kind of angst. And let's face it, some heroes do a better job of hitting your escapism sweet spots than others. We've put together a chart comparing the great action heroes, and seeing which ones hit most of the sweet spots of escapism. More »
    07/25/08
    52,358
    81

  • sequelitis

    The Cure For Rampant Sequel-Itis

    We don't need our future-scope to know what the future of mass entertainment holds: more sequels. Every hit movie has to spawn more movies with colons or numbers in their titles. Every awesome book has to become a series. And every great TV show has to go on and on. And on. There's no stopping the deluge of continuations. But it doesn't have to suck quite so bad. Here's our guide to how entertainment can vaccinate itself against the dreaded sequel-itis. More »
    07/22/08
    30,230
    65

    Comment by Plague: Sorry. Spidey 2, Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight were all better than the originals. And that is just off the... 1 Responses | Other threads

  • poll

    Which Alternate Universe Has The Best Science Fiction?

    Nobody knows better than science fiction fans that a few minor changes to the timeline can alter everything. And science fiction istelf could have turned out totally differently if just a few things had changed. Which alternate versions of science fiction history would have resulted in a more interesting SF landscape today? More »
    06/18/08
    9,815
    58

  • 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 »
    06/16/08
    3,375
    31

  • wanted

    More Footage Of Wanted's Stupid, Beautiful Violence

    The new Russian trailer for June's super-assassin movie Wanted shows off a level of brain-splattering poetic violence that wouldn't be allowed in an American trailer. Just look at how much it fetishizes the bullet — it's like the bullet-time from The Matrix, except this time the bullet itself is the star. This version of the trailer also shows off more of James McAvoy's story arc, from office dweeb to fate's hand of death or something. Weirdly, it de-emphasizes Angelina Jolie in favor of exploding brains. And yes, it's in Russian. Sorry. [Slashfilm]
    05/23/08
    3,952
    22

    Comment by phatnacky: ya know i didnt want to see the movie...it looked kida stupid with the arcing of bullets,and car-fu going on...but... more » | Other threads

  • weird food moments

    The Tastiest Food Moments in Science Fiction

    A juicy virtual steak convinces Cypher to betray Morpheus, Trinity and Neo in maybe the most famous non-bullet-y scene from The Matrix. When you start paying attention, you notice how important food is in science fiction, whether it's dehydrated Pizza Hut, orgasm inducing desserts or fish biscuits. Even condiments get shout outs: in Dune the special mineral wasn't just Melange, but Spice Melange. That being said, you know that steak tasted like bitter hatred in your mouth After the jump a list of some of the weirdest things stuffed into the mouths of our beloved scifi characters. More »
    05/12/08
    4,537
    55

    Comment by jamescole: "You can't serve space weevil, Kryten. I mean, not even Lister with his single remaining taste bud will knowingly sit... more » | Other threads

  • ask a biogeek

    Where Is My Uterine Replicator (AKA Artificial Womb)?

    Reader Karen asks:
    One of my favourite sci-fi conceits in the Vorkosigan works of Lois McMaster Bujold is the uterine replicator. Sticking a fetus in a regulated jar until it's come full term and I can get my new baby boy, girl or hermaphrodite without all the vomiting, constant peeing, strenuous pushing, pooping on the operating table, and possible endangerment to life, reproductive organs and blood sugar levels sounds like fucking bliss. When can you get that to me?
    Given the risk - and many months of what can charitably be termed "inconvenience" - what are the alternatives to signing up for nine months of incubator duty? Let's find out. More »

    Feature

    05/08/08
    3,196
    32

  • speed racer

    What Would Make Speed Racer Better Than The Matrix?

    I saw Speed Racer last night, and though I can't tell you much about it yet (full review on Thursday!), I can say this: It might actually be better than director/producer pair the Wachowskis previous effort, The Matrix. I know them's fightin' words, but you gotta trust me on this one. Or, better, take our poll below and see if you can guess what makes Speed Racer better than the flashy trilogy that pitted latex-clad hackers against machines who enslave humans in a VR world so they can use our body heat as energy. Honestly, how could a movie be better than that? Take our poll, and I'll tell you Thursday if you got it right. More »
    05/07/08
    7,043
    75

    Comment by X: The Eliminator: btw, io9, thanks for fixing the comments. now i can post from camino! woot! more » | Other threads

  • eradicating camp

    21 Ways To Eradicate Campiness From Science Fiction

    Ever since the first cheesy monster or goofy robot leered out from the cover of a pulpy magazine, science fiction has struggled to shake off a certain tinge of campiness. No matter how hard creators may try to tell cool stories, that slightly ironic silliness is always lurking just outside the frame. And there will always be science fiction which takes those little hints of camp and amplifies them a million-fold. A little campiness may be fun to get stoned and giggle at, but it also stands in the way of telling amazing tales about the impact of technology on humans. Here's a rulebook for rooting out the campiness from science fiction. More »
    05/05/08
    27,733
    94

  • energy scavenging

    Coming Soon: Recycled Electricity

    What if, instead of using energy once we could recycle it? A new way of generating electricity from truck traffic at the Port of Oakland in California is doing just that, a promising step toward the coming electricity cycle. Nature is defined by cycles — the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and so on. Humans have messed both of those up severely of course, but water still evaporates, turns to rain, and then empties into the ocean or gets sucked up in plants, where it repeats the process. The Port of Oakland experiment might help save civilization by creating an electricity cycle, harvesting electricity from cars, trucks even people (like the AI in The Matrix, except without the human enslavement). More »
    04/30/08
    1,343
    37

    Comment by Moff: Could we at least try it with the human enslavement? Because I have a list of names here. 1 Responses | Other threads

  • monday awesomeness

    Scifi And Kung-Fu: The Ultimate Team-Up

    Science fiction and martial arts totally belong together. After all, they both involve a deep introspection and awestruck contemplation of our place in the universe. Oh, and nothing improves a story about robots and aliens more than people kicking each other in the head. Yet, shockingly enough, scifi and kung-fu only really found each other pretty recently. What took so long? We investigate — with our fists of blood. More »
    04/28/08
    3,336
    43

    Comment by laughingacademy: I've heard that in the Batman/Green Hornet TV crossover, Kato was supposed to lose a fight to Robin. Bruce Lee... more » | Other threads

  • 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 »
    04/25/08
    9,642
    88

    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

  • joel silver

    What If Every Single Joel Silver Movie Took Place In The Same Universe?

    Some movie producers are as identifiable as directors — just think of Jerry Bruckheimer and his splodey-boom school of film-making — and their oeuvre forms a coherent statement. One producer who doesn't get the props he deserves is Joel Silver, who's produced everything from the cheese-plattery Xanadu to the paranoiac Matrix trilogy. Silver's movies all share a certain demented logic — and in fact they fit together so well, they could all take place in one unified Silververse. Here is the history of that shared universe of craziness. More »
    04/22/08
    9,385
    33

    Comment by Charlie Jane Anders: @tmp00: Good point! I'm going to fix it now... more » | Other threads

  • deus ex machinas

    The 5 Types Of Scifi Deus Ex Machinas

    The awesome thing about science fiction is that anything can happen — including the occasional incredibly convenient miracle. Sometimes circumstances become so desperate and dire in a science fiction tale that even the "reset button" can't fix them — and that's when the "deus ex machina" shows up. The term, meaning "God from a machine," comes from classical theater, where a wheel-and-pulley deity would literally show up to sort everything out. And in science fiction, god literally can come out of a machine. Bow your head before our taxonomy of the most unlikely miracles in scifi history. More »
    04/22/08
    21,342
    131

  • interview

    Speed Racer Designer Explains Future City's "Carchitecture"

    Owen Paterson designed the bleak cityscapes of the Matrix movies and V For Vendetta, and now he's creating the candy-colored neopolises of Speed Racer. Not to mention concept cars with wheels that can turn a full 180 degrees. We tracked him down in Sydney, Australia and asked him about the visual influences behind Cosmopolis, the city where Speed races, and the cars which Speed and his opponents drive. Along the way, he dropped a surprising amount of backstory about the alternate world of the Wachowski's Speed Racer, coming in May. More »
    04/03/08
    6,966
    19

    Comment by kurtdaniel: this is a very nice work of art,, as if the photos were taken from a futuristic movie and a... more » | Other threads

  • scifi machines

    Eight of the Oddest Inspirations for the Coolest Science Fiction Machines

    Some of the most awesome science fiction machines ever conceived for film, like the turbo-tank AT-ATs from Empire Strikes Back, were inspired by things the concept designers saw every day. You may already know that George Lucas was allegedly inspired to create the AT-ATs by these cargo lifters at the Port of Oakland — but did you know the T-1000 "liquid metal" Terminator was inspired by chocolate fudge? Find out which strangely ordinary items inspired eight of the coolest science fiction machines, and be humbled. More »

    Feature

    03/13/08
    69,994
    65