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In Avatar, a man from an industrial society joins a low-tech tribal culture and becomes its leader. But the reverse happens too: Somebody from a disadvantaged group becomes a leader of the supposed masters. And here's how they do it.
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In science fiction cinema and TV, creators need to draw audiences into their world seamlessly. One way to do this is the tracking shot, an immersive one-take journey through a scene. Here are 8 of the best.
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There are leaders, and then there are masters. You've got the archetypal Master in Doctor Who, but masters include anybody in a black cape whose minions say "yesssss, master." How can you get some master action? Let us show you.
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In Avatar, Jake Sully's in a wheelchair, until a magical brain tech turns him into a running, jumping, soaring blue dude. The disabled character who regains the use of his legs is a science fiction mainstay. Here are 20 examples.
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James Cameron has talked a great deal about how he designed Neytiri, Avatar's main female character, to be incredibly sexy. But is she really the sexiest blue woman you've ever seen? We take a look at the competition.
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The busier you get, the more stuff you forget, and navigating that mental clutter can be worse than steering through an asteroid field. Luckily, lots of intrepid galactic heroes have faced faulty memories, and created some handy techniques for remembering.
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A decade ago, the world was braced for the Y2K bug and everyone was prognosticating about the 21st century. Ten years into the new millennium, we look back at those predictions and decide which still seem likely - or not.
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Thursday is Thanksgiving in the US, a time when families gather around the table and chow down on tasty treats. But, when it comes to being eaten, some foods are less agreeable than others; some would rather eat you.
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They swagger, they fight, they laugh in the face of danger. Science-fiction books have given us some of the greatest swashbuckling heroes, cutting a swathe through space and countless alternate timelines. Here are some of our favorite book heroes.
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Superheroes can escape almost any trap... except for 50 years' worth of backstory that's dated, self-contradictory or gets in the way of a story. So what do you do? Reach for the retcon! Here are 15 examples of retcon fail.
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The most frustrating, annoying thing about the opposite sex is that they're not you. Why can't you just meet your exact duplicate — except for sex? You'd be a perfect match. Luckily, science fiction suggests 3 ways it could happen.
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So, the world probably won't end in 2012, but that's the date for plenty of imagined apocalypses. We look at the various ways the world ends (or at least radically changes) when the Mayan Long Count Calendar runs out.
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Horror isn't always slimy and grotesque; some of the most frightening monsters come in the cutest packages. We list the fluffy, wide-eyed, and downright adorable critters that want to scare you, eat you, or enslave you for all time.
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When you're a brain in a tank, you've got a lot of time to think about stuff. And one of the things you ponder is: how many kinds of disembodied brains does science fiction have? The answer: six!
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Still stumped on a Halloween costume idea? Maybe you can take your cue from these Halloween-loving characters from science fiction and fantasy. Check out what these folks wear to celebrate the season of horror.
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When you've got amazing technologies or strong magical powers, death doesn't have to have the final word. But is bringing the dead back to life always a good idea? We look the reasons it's better to say no to resurrection.
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Nathan Petrelli died on Heroes, but that hasn't stopped Adrian Pasdar from being one of the show's mainstays. He's joining a long line of actors whose characters vanished, but they still stuck around. Here are our favorite zombie TV stars.
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Last week, humanity saw two minutes of our future, in the FlashForward series premiere. But can they alter their fates, or are they set in stone? We look at other premonitions and flashforwards from science fiction for clues.
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If there's one thing that this week's premieres of Heroes and Smallville collectively proved, it's that television really shouldn't try and tackle superheroes. Here's even more proof why - as well as some rare examples of when it does work.
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Once I Was Your Slave, But Now I Am Your Leader!
In Avatar, a man from an industrial society joins a low-tech tribal culture and becomes its leader. But the reverse happens too: Somebody from a disadvantaged group becomes a leader of the supposed masters. And here's how they do it. More »8 Mesmerizing Sci-Fi Flavored Tracking Shots
Become A Master In 10 Easy Steps
There are leaders, and then there are masters. You've got the archetypal Master in Doctor Who, but masters include anybody in a black cape whose minions say "yesssss, master." How can you get some master action? Let us show you. More »The Ultimate Movie Cliche: The Wall Of Newspaper Clippings
Whether it's homage or insanity, the best way to skate over tons of movie backstory is with newspaper clippings, on a wall. We've collected the best and the worst of this cliché, so you can decide: worthless, or worth it? More »20 Science Fiction Characters Who Got Their Legs Back
Who is the Sexiest Blue Woman in the Universe?
James Cameron has talked a great deal about how he designed Neytiri, Avatar's main female character, to be incredibly sexy. But is she really the sexiest blue woman you've ever seen? We take a look at the competition. More »How To Jog Your Memory, The Science Fiction Hero Way
Millennium Predictions That Got Things Right - and Those That Didn't
Tasty Foods That Would Rather Eat You for Dinner
Greatest Swashbuckling Heroes From 100+ Years Of SF Books
The 15 Dumbest Superhero Retcons Of All Time
3 Ways To Meet (And Get Nasty With) Your Opposite-Sex Duplicate
The most frustrating, annoying thing about the opposite sex is that they're not you. Why can't you just meet your exact duplicate — except for sex? You'd be a perfect match. Luckily, science fiction suggests 3 ways it could happen. More »Seven Ways the World Could End in 2012
Adorable But Horrible: 26 Cute Critters You'll Want to Avoid
Horror isn't always slimy and grotesque; some of the most frightening monsters come in the cutest packages. We list the fluffy, wide-eyed, and downright adorable critters that want to scare you, eat you, or enslave you for all time. More »The 6 Types Of Brains In Jars
What Science Fiction Characters Wear for Halloween
Still stumped on a Halloween costume idea? Maybe you can take your cue from these Halloween-loving characters from science fiction and fantasy. Check out what these folks wear to celebrate the season of horror. More »10 Reasons Not to Bring Someone Back from the Dead
Relive 10 Forgotten Cartoon Heroes Of The '60s
TV Stars Who Don't Let Death Slow Them Down
Once You Glimpse The Future, Can You Change It?
14 Reasons Why TV And Superheroes Don't Mix
If there's one thing that this week's premieres of Heroes and Smallville collectively proved, it's that television really shouldn't try and tackle superheroes. Here's even more proof why - as well as some rare examples of when it does work. More »