io9

Once I Was Your Slave, But Now I Am Your Leader! [Mastery]

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:31:23 -0800

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.

There are many ways to go from desolate to despotic, but there are a few you'll see again and again in the annals of science fiction and fantasy.

Kings From The Pigsty

A classic scenario you find in fantasies and epics is the story of a humble person who rises to the top of his or her civilization. One of the best of the lot is assistant pig-keeper Taran in Lloyd Alexander's young adult series Chronicles of Prydain. Taran literally rises from the muck of the pigsty to become the king of all the land. Similar tales occur in Gene Wolfe's series The Book of the New Sun, in which a lowly, backwoods torturer rises up to become Autarch on an Earth that is slowly dying as the sun loses its power. In Piers Anthony's series Bio of a Space Tyrant a young man named Hope Hubris begins life as an oppressed refugee and eventually becomes Tyrant of Jupiter. And of course Riddick in the Chronicles of Riddick series goes from being a blind prisoner to ruler of the awesomely-named Necromongers.

These stories are not to be confused with the tales of lowly young people who become rulers from Star Wars or even the various tales of King Arthur. In those stories, we have a person of high birth who has been hidden or mistakenly brought low. Their journeys take them back to a pre-ordained "rightful place." That's very different from somebody like Taran or Hope Hubris, who have to earn and claw their way to the top.

I Came With Few Resources From Another World But I Still Rule Yours

Unlike Sully in Avatar, the heroes in stories like these come from other worlds without awesome technologies or giant squadrons of troops and scientists. John Carter, from Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous Mars series, is suddenly and inexplicably transported to Barsoom (AKA Mars). Despite language and cultural barriers, he still manages to become a great leader among the decaying advanced civilizations of the red planet. With just a sword and a few naked Martian ladies, he conquers all. Flash Gordon, like John Carter, is a product of the early twentieth century. He's somehow transported to the planet Mongo, and swashbuckles his way to the top of Mongo society using just his wits and his fists.

The main character in the first few novels of John Norman's bondage-happy Chronicles of Gor series is the nerdy but sword-mastery professor Tarl Cabot, who finds himself transported alone and without resources to the savage world of Gor. And yet he still manages to conquer! You can see the same scenario repeated in the original Stargate flick, where a small band of humans find themselves stranded on an alien world ruled by an advanced spacefaring race. Somehow the nerdy professor and his military pals manage to join up with the local population and bring down the ruling alien just by using their human pluckiness.

A Damaged Mind Shall Lead Them

Sometimes the lowly person is not an alien (or human among aliens), but instead a damaged human who somehow winds up becoming the leader of so-called normal humans. This is nowhere more evident than in Octavia Butler's superlative novel Mind of My Mind (part of her Wild Seed series), where Beverly Hills is taken over by a group of schizophrenics who live in the ghettos of Los Angeles. Turns out that these schizophrenics are actually powerful psychics, whose abilities have driven them mad - until a woman comes along whose psychic power is to organize their thoughts and help them channel their powers. Now they can control the minds of everybody who is rich or powerful, and bend them to their collective will.

On a less serious note, the fantasy of Forrest Gump (it is a fantasy, albeit one without dragons) is that a mentally disabled guy can become a powerful national leader and hero. And then there's the movie Idiocracy, where morons from the present day wake up in a future world where the media have dumbed everybody down so much that even the stupidest people of today are like geniuses.

Out Of The Past And Into The Driver's Seat

Speaking of idiots from the present day who conquer the future, let us contemplate the wonder that is the 1980s TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. An astronaut/football player from the twentieth century is hurled 500 years into the future, and somehow manages to become the most important guy ever even though all his mores and abilities are completely outdated and superseded by everyone around him. Maybe it's just because he looks so awesome in those skintight white pants that people of the future favor.

In The High Crusade, by Poul Anderson, a band of English knights manage to hijack a spaceship and go on to conquer an intergalactic civilization despite their medieval ways. And in the movie version of Battlefield Earth (based on the book by L. Ron "Scientology" Hubbard), humans who have regressed to a pre-technological state manage to outwit and crush their alien slave-drivers, a group of hyper-technological aliens led by John Travolta.

Where Animals Rule

Though humans have ruled over all other animals on the planet ruthlessly for millennia, the other creatures' day will come. And that's exactly what happens in Battle for the Planet of the Apes, when the uplifted ape Caesar has led his enslaved simian brethren to victory over the humans. Eventually he decides to start enslaving humans the way they once did him.

A gentler version of this tale comes in Pixar's animated flick Ratatouille, where a lowly rat turns out to be the greatest chef in France - better than any human. At first he hides his rat nature by directing humans to cook for him, but eventually he comes out as a rat chef and is accepted by even the harshest of food critics.

Hulk has always been treated like an animal by humans, and that's why SHIELD decides to blast him into space so that they can be rid of the green menace. In the amazing Planet Hulk series by Greg Pak, however, Hulk finds himself on a planet called Sakaar where his brutal, animalistic nature makes him the greatest hero its people have ever known. He leads a group of oppressed aliens to victory over their cruel leaders, becomes King, and even takes a super-strong alien babe as his bride.

There are echoes of the "animals rise up" story in David Brin's two Uplift series, as well as in Poul Anderson's Slave Ship and Grant Morrison's comic We3. But in those stories, the animals don't wind up as great leaders of the humans who once enslaved them - they wind up as equals, possibly, or escape from slavery. But they don't really conquer.

Using Technology They Shall Rise

The main character in Iain M. Banks novel Matter, part of his Culture Series, is from a pre-industrial society that treats women like chattel. Luckily, she's adopted by a member of the Culture and rises to become one of the deadliest and most powerful members of Special Circumstances, an elite CIA-esque group whose job it is to affect the outcome of wars and other events on pre-technological worlds. She gets souped up with all kinds tech augmentation, and goes mega-ninja. Eventually she saves not just her own civilization, but all the other civilizations that live with it in a massive "nested world" created by aliens.

Another character who uses technology to become master of a civilization more advanced than his own is the videogame fiend in 1980s schlockfest The Last Starfighter. Turns out the videogame he's been pounding on is actually a test to become a member of an elite starfighting force that will beat back some evil aliens in another part of the galaxy. The master of the videogame is the master of the galaxy!

Neal Stephenson's terrific novel The Diamond Age follows the adventures of a street kid who accidentally finds the most powerful technology of her age: An artificially intelligent "educational primer" that teaches leadership as well as knowledge. Eventually she rises up out of the slums to lead a "mouse army" of other, similarly-educated girls, who may take over the world. And in Linda Nagata's novel The Bohr Maker, a prostitute who lives in a squat discovers a powerful form of nanotechnology, the Bohr Maker of the book's title, and uses it to completely transform the world. The developing world becomes the superdeveloped world overnight, while the so-called developed world finds itself in the ashcan of history.

Thanks to the HC and the humans of Twitter for ideas!

The Greatest (And Wrongest) Spoilers Of 2009 [Io9 2009 Year In Review]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:00:00 -0800

For science fiction fans, the future can't arrrive fast enough. That's why we crave spoilers. This past year, spoilers gave us early glimpses of some crazy developments... and sometimes, steered us wrong. Here the greatest and wrongest spoilers of 2009.

Oh, and it almost goes without saying, there are some spoilers here — including spoilers for stuff that hasn't come out yet.

The Biggest Spoilers Of 2009:

Isabel Lucas is a Desexycon. One of the weirdest moments in Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen comes when the sexy coed who's gone partying with Sam gets him alone... and suddenly has robo-tentacles and stuff. WTF? Turns out she's a robot in disguise. And she's come to try and grab Sam for what he knows about the shard of whatever. Fans were guessing Isabel's actual role early on, but in early January, set video of her stalking across campus as people fled the destruction clinched it. (I honestly can't remember right now which commenter came up with the term Desexycon to describe Lucas, but please let me know who you are, and I'll credit you.)

Oh, and last year we listed "Megatron's coming back in Transformers 2" as one of the wrongest spoilers of the year, because Michael Bay emphatically denied Megatron would be back in the new film. Oh well.

Timothy Dalton is a Time Lord. This one was being rumored on Outpost Gallifrey and other fan forums for months and months... and in mid-June, we got confirmation, in the form of an exclusive leaked picture showing David Tennant, John Simm and Dalton goofing off together. (This was also the first confirmation that Simm was back as the Master.) You can tell the three Time Lords had fun filming these episodes.

We also had a gallery of glimpses inside Matt Smith's TARDIS, and glimpses of the Daleks and Winston Churchill, and set pics of River Song returning. We also had oodles (sorry) of "Waters Of Mars" set pics, including revealing pics of the last scene.

Meanwhile, I still don't know what to make of the set pics we posted, showing David Tennant visiting a bookstore where Verity Newman (Jessica Hynes, the love interest from "Human Nature) is selling a tell-all book about the Doctor. I'm assuming that's in "The End Of Time Part 2," but when? It's a little baffling. Unless this is a deleted scene? See also these set pics, showing Joshua Naismith running out of his house, falling to his knees and looking at the sky in horror. From Part 2, I'm guessing. Also, Donna in a wedding dress, Billie Piper's cameo, Sarah Jane cameo, and appearances by Captain Jack, a Graske, red-and-white aliens, and Midshipman Frame.

Young Scott Summers is in Wolverine. This one's worth mentioning because we labeled it one of the wrongest spoilers of 2008 last year. We were pretty sure it was false, because Fox/Marvel wouldn't be silly enough to overstuff their film with that many irrelevant guest stars... would they? We also had a super-accurate early synopsis of the film. As one commenter wrote, "I want to kick someone in the knuts after reading that."

Yeoman Rand could be in Star Trek 2. At least, we got Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman to talk about the likelihood that there'll be more strong female characters in the second Trek. They said a version of Janice Rand turning up was a definite possibility, since they're going back and re-watching all the old episodes. And maybe Uhura will be more than just a love interest too? We also reported the future destruction of Romulus and past destruction of Vulcan.

Ianto Jones dies in Torchwood, "Children Of Earth". We labeled this a "wild rumor" and said it shouldn't be taken seriously. Shows what we know. We still wish we'd been right.

Juliet dies on Lost. To be fair, it was the bookies that figured that one out. Also, Locke is definitely dead for good. We've also had oodles of details about the filming of season six in morning spoilers lately — almost every post has had new set pics or details of the alternate universe where Flight 815 landed safely.

Arnold Schwarzenegger gets a cameo in Terminator Salvation. But only as a CG face, and not in the flesh. Also, toy pics revealed pretty early that Marcus Wright was a cyborg. It's also worth mentioning that this was the movie where spoilers saved us from a terrible ending — in which John Connor dies and has his face transplanted onto Marcus Wright. After that ending leaked, they changed it to a slightly less terrible one.

Alan Tudyk is Alpha. Fansites were reporting that Tudyk was playing Dollhouse's mysterious villain/savior for months, and then a photo finally confirmed it. And yay. Although we got confused and thought Tudyk was in the same season finale as Felicia Day — they were actually in two different season finales, one which aired and one which didn't. Also, an "April Fools" video gave away early that Paul Ballard goes from FBI agent to Echo's handler.

We may already have met Iron Man's arch-enemy. The jury's still out on this one, but Faran Tahir, who played Raza in the first movie, started hinting last Spring that his character could turn into the Mandarin, the supervillain with ten rings who's the bane of Tony Stark's existence.

Avatar is Dances With Wolves in space. James Cameron came out and admitted it was true, back in August.

Leonard Nimoy is William Bell. (Yay!) But his storyline will be scaled back drastically to accomodate Nimoy's schedule. (Boo.)

Someone commits suicide on Stargate Universe. Robert Carlyle inadvertently gave away the "murder mystery" in episode six, "Justice," several months early.

The Wrongest Spoilers Of 2009:

The Decepticons try to conquer the universe. If only. A fan reported that a phone survey asked them how they'd respond to a possible storyline for Transformers 2, and it included Starscream raising a giant Decepticon army and setting off to conquer the universe, with only the handful of Autobots to stop them. I'd watch that. Also, Michael Bay said the robots have more personality this time, and you'll be able to tell what's going on in the action scenes.

Also, someone leaked a supposed screenplay for Transformers 3, which was pretty obviously fake. Insert your own joke about how there can't be an early script because Michael Bay films first and writes the script afterwards.

The TNG cast all turn up in Star Trek. We had a strong inkling this was wrong — but one of the writers of the IDW prequel comic (which does feature TNG characters) hinted strongly that the Next Gen crew make a brief appearance in the movie, when we learn about the future that Spock traveled back from. As nice as it would have been to see Picard again, it's probably just as well this movie didn't overdo the cameos. Also, Sulu is the Enterprise's counselor. What?

Brian Blessed is ODIN! BY THE SKY BEARD! I'm still sad about this one. I mean, I love Anthony Hopkins, but you know he's going to phone it in, just like John Malkovich does whenever he's in a genre movie. And Brian Blessed never phones anything in — he brings a megaphone, stands next to your head, and SHOUTS IT IN. Is it too late to have a campaign?

We'll revisit the scary piano basement. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' Brian Austin Green promised that we would get some answers about what on Earth was happening with Derek in the future, with the scary basement with the piano music. And unless I totally missed it, we never went there. (Was Charlie Fischer in the scary basement? Except that didn't happen to "our" Derek.) We need basement answers! We also misinterpreted some comments from Garret Dillahunt to mean John Henry was definitely Skynet. Oh well.

Batman 3's script leaks! Thank goodness, we were pretty sure this was a fake from the beginning. It features "Joker gangs" rampaging across a benighted Gotham which is suffering from power brown-outs, and the police call in their special consultant, Edward Nigma, who speaks in riddles.

Spider-Man 4 features Carnage AND Electro. We really, really hope this one is false. It sounds like it's not happening, based on recent statements by Sam Raimi. But a synopsis for the fourth film, posted by an Australian cinema chain, claimed that both of these villains would be vamping their way through another overstuffed sequel.

Kate's Getting Killed Off On Lost. Rumors were flying that Evangeline Lilly was leaving the island-castaway drama a year early, and the actor was auditioning for new TV pilots. Also dying? Sawyer. These rumors obviously referred to a different timeline, in which the hydrogen bomb went off in someone's car or something. Also, we'll meet Aaron all grown up, on the island, in 2030. (Although this could still happen, I suppose.)

Neil Gaiman is writing for Doctor Who. The same message-board sources who said Timothy Dalton was a Time Lord also said the Coraline author would join the Who writing staff in 2010. Also, Britain's most reliable tabloid, the Sun, reported that 2010's episodes will include a storyline in a museum where the Doctor battles Hitler's stormtroopers, plus rampaging monsters, and an episode based on Mark Gatiss' novel Nightshade. Pretty sure that's not true. Also, we reported a rumor that the specials would include Ice Warriors, fish people and the Doctor's daughter. No, wait. I mean "The End Of Time" will include the Sontarans and the Tractators. Oh, and "The End Of Time" part one ends with the Time Lords arresting the Master, and Donna's eyes burning.

Dominic Monaghan plays Beak in Wolverine. I'm not actually sure whom he played, but it wasn't Beak.

Claire's bio-mom is alive on Heroes. Actor Jessalyn Gilsig said she didn't actually die in that big Primatech fire, and hinted her character would probably be back. And for once, someone actually stayed dead on this show. We also reported Daphne wasn't really dying.

Venkman will be a ghost in Ghostbusters 3. The rumor came directly from Sigourney Weaver, but it's been pretty widely debunked.

Walter plays matchmaker on Fringe. Walter will be trying to get Olivia and Peter together — but they may turn out to be brother and sister. Huh?

The squid is definitely in Watchmen. Okay, so this was a spoiler we reported in 2008, not 2009. We're still annoyed, though.

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

Best Commentary On A UFO Sighting Ever [Paranormal]

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:00:00 -0800

This video was taken late last year, and shows mysterious orbs, sometimes called "foo fighters," tailing airplanes. The best part is the stoned, expletive-laced commentary from the guy with the camera.

[via RealUFOs]

Real-Life Lost Relic Found Over and Over Again [Modern Ruins]

Sonia Zjawinski — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:05:03 -0800

No, we're not tripping through time with Desmond. The derelict and overgrown plane found in Lost has become a prevalent symbol for a deserted island that's anything but. It also seems to be just as prevalent in the real world.

Oobject has a roundup of photos of real abandoned planes that are begging to be sets of yet another mysterious island creature feature.

Here are a few we think we've seen before.

And this may as well be the cockpit Jack and Kate climb into only to come face to face with the smoke monster.
Image: The Digital Mirage
This surely is the heroin hijacker poor Boone crawled into before it came tumbling down.
Image: RoadTransport.com
Image: Maam
This Japanese Fighter Jet looks more like an X-Wing Starfighter than something from our galaxy.
Image: tallshipstales.de

Demons Keeps Buffy's Spirit Alive [TV Review]

Sonia Zjawinski — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

If you're still mourning the loss of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, BBC America hopes to ease your pain. Their new teens-fighting-the-underworld series, Demons, premieres this Saturday in the States. We got a sneak peak.

The premise behind Demons, which aired in the UK on ITV earlier in the year, is much the same as Buffy — cute teenager finds out they have an innate ability to battle evil while balancing school, dating, and driving tests (the latter not so well).

In this version the cute teenager is a boy, but like Buffy, Luke Rutherford, played by Christian Cooke (a Gossip Girl clone) has a mentor who teaches him the ways of demon slaying. Rupert Galvin, played by Philip Glenister of UK's Life on Mars, is a sarcastic American, often referred to as the "colonial". He unfortunately is a bit of a drag on the show as he tries too hard to channel CSI: Miami's David Caruso — and well, no one should do that, not even Caruso himself.

Rupert, who was Luke's dead father's demon fighting sidekick, comes back to town to let Luke know that he's the real-life great-great grandson of Abraham Van Helsing. Yes, the Van Helsing made famous as a vampire hunter in Bram Stoker's Dracula. As a Van Helsing, Luke inherits the task of protecting the regular world from the supernatural evils of the underworld.

In the first episode, we get a glimpse of who these goblins are, and the introduction is stellar. First up is Gladiolus Thrip, a sleazy bounty hunter who wears an engraved beak on his nose and has a bit of a Twin Peaks air to him. Best part: He's played by Mackenzie Crook, Gareth from the UK's The Office. The transformation from geek to beast is worth watching the first episode in itself.

By the second episode we learn that Luke and his crew, which includes his mentor, his mortal non-girlfriend, and a hot blind opera singer who has visions, are in charge of solving every strange occurrence in Luke's Sunnydale — London.

Production quality is decent, though some of the special effects can be a bit cheesy. As with most genre television productions, makeup and costume effects beat out the show's CG. The writing is up to par with Whedon, with witty banter between characters that runs the gamut between dark ages humor to painful teen sexual tension and sarcasm.

Is it a bit too similar to Buffy? Sure. But it's not a total replica. It's more like an extension of its predecessor. Or maybe an alternate, male, Buffyverse. Either way, it's entertaining enough that you can forgive it for ripping off the basic premise.

Demons premieres Saturday, January 2 at 10 PM on BBC America.

Preview The New Predator Comic [Exclusive]

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:45:07 -0800

The Predator civil war is reaching its bloody climax, and we've got a sneak peek at how crazy it's going to get. Dark Horse has slipped us three exclusive pages from the new Predator #4 comic, coming in January.

Dark Horse describes the fourth and final installment of the series: Think that a third-world civil war is messy? How about an off-world civil war? Caught in the middle of a blood feud between rival Predator clans in an east African war zone, private military contractor Thorpe barely makes it back to base with his hide intact after a pitched firefight with a squad of extraterrestrial marauders. But clean sheets and hot chow will provide cold comfort once the alien killers and their lethal technology track Thorpe down, and he has precious little time to marshal the Graham Directive Security crew for a desperate defense. They might have had a chance had they not lost their most potent ally, a lone rival Predator warrior, but now Thorpe and the GDS soldiers are out of options and out of time as they prepare to make their stand-their last stand. A new series, Aliens vs. Predator, launches in January.

12 Books to Help You Become a Superhero in the New Year [Superhero Resolutions]

Lauren Davis — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:15:00 -0800

Some people make New Year's resolutions to lose weight or quit smoking. But if you've resolved to become costumed crimefighter this year, we're here to help, with twelve books that will mentally and physically prepare you for the superheroic life.

The Government Manual for New Superheroes by Matthew David Brozik and Jacob Sager Weinstein: When you decide to become a superhero, there are some basics that you need to attend to. What should your superhero name be? How do you go about making a costume? Where can you find your very own Fortress of Solitude? Should you start out as a sidekick, or try joining a super team? This manual covers all those important topics in the life of a neophyte superhero, and ensures that you won't suffer too much embarrassment in your early days of fighting crime.

Batman/Superman/Spider-Man Training Manuals: From the folks who brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the Ultimate Training Manuals help you tailor your superhero training by modeling it on a particular costumed crimefighter. The Batman Handbook teaches you such all-important skills as throwing a grappling hook, disarming a gunman, withstanding hypnosis, and surviving a poisonous gas attack. The Superman Handbook helps you leap tall structures in a single bound (by pole vaulting, not flying), how to rescue victims from anything from a runaway car to a burning building to quicksand, and how to treat victims of electrocution and radiation. The Spider-Man Handbook teaches you to develop your spider sense, build your own webslingers, survive a fall from a tall building, and live off a superhero's meager income.

The Action Hero's/Heroine's Handbook: Joe Borgenicht co-wrote these indispensable guides for any aspiring action star — with David Borgenicht for action heroes and with Jennifer Worick for action heroines. Despite the titles, their advice isn't entirely gender-specific. The Action Hero's Handbook explains how to take a bullet, wrangle a great white shark, and perform the Vulcan nerve pinch. The Action Heroine's Handbook has some female-specific advice — how to win a high-speed chase in high heels and a bustier, how to give birth under pressure — but also offers tips on fending off the undead, profiling serial killers, and outrunning fireballs.

The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook: Extreme Edition by Joshua Piven: Like other Worst-Case Scenario books, this volume is more focused on the emergencies and disasters you'll encounter in your life as a superhero. Thwart animal and vampire attacks, free your leg from a bear trap, and survive pandemics, all with this handy guide.

Don't Try This at Home by Hunter S. Fulghum: If you need advice on something a bit more ambitious — say, breaking into Area 51, sinking a submarine, forming an independent nation, or capturing the Loch Ness Monster — Fulgham has your back. He lays out the supplies and the steps you'll need to accomplish even the most bizarre and over-the-top super tasks.

How to Be a Superhero by Barry Neville: If, instead of going the Batman route, you've suddenly awaken to find you have superpowers, this might be the book for you. It aims to help you understand your new power — be it flight, magical abilities, or super-strength — as well as choosing an archenemy and polishing you superhero resume. Think you might actually be evil? There's a chapter on that, too.

Wisdom from the Batcave: How to Live a Super, Heroic Life by Cary A. Friedman: Sort of a self-help guide for superheroes and the people who want to emulate them, this book focuses more on the internal life of costumed hero. Written by a rabbi, it explores the values of self-esteem, willpower, hard work, and anticipating consequences that have made Batman such a successful crimefighter — and can help you on your superheroic quest as well.

Supervillains and Philosophy by Ben Dyer: Sure, you could opt for the similar book on superheroes and philosophy, but it's always good to understand your enemy. These essays will help you understand what drives your supervillainous foes — and why people sometimes root for them.

Kick-Ass by Mark Millar: Obviously this is a work of fiction rather than an actual guide, but Kick-Ass does provide some object lessons on what not to do when starting out as a superhero. For example, do not go after a pair of carjackers when you have no plan and no physical training. And it's probably not a good idea to waltz into a gangbanger's den and tell him off. After all, you won't always have a foul-mouthed preteen swooping in to save your ass.

Is Sony Scuttling Moon's Chance At An Oscar? [Moon]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:41:33 -0800

According to director Duncan Jones, Moon isn't being given out as a screener to members of the Academy. If this is true, and it seems so, this greatly hurts Moon's chances on Oscar night.

We're used to science fiction always getting the snub when it comes to trophies. We've endured Battlestar Galactica's many snubs. But sadly for those involved in Moon, they're not even getting a chance to get nominated where they deserve — I personally think Sam Rockwell deserves a nom for best actor. According to Duncan Jones twitter:

"We've knocked heads. they have chosen the films they are backing & we are not in their plans."

"they say it costs too much for our little film as they would need to be water-marked copies as our DVD isn't out yet in the US."

Which means that plenty of Academy Members won't be seeing Moon and won't be able to vote on it. Remember Moon had a very small "select cities" release. And if you haven't seen it by now, tough shit. This is why screeners need to be sent out to the proper people. But, alas it doesn't seem to be in the cards for Moon. Times are hard, we understand, but it's times like these when people should rally around something that is genuinely great. So what can you do? Sign this petition for Rockwell's nomination, which Neil Gaiman and Jon Favreau have already lent their names out to — and tell people about the film.

If Rockwell and/or Jones receive the nominations they deserve, it could mean more opportunities for everybody who wants to create thought-provoking science fiction on the big screen.

[Via Film School Rejects]

Everything Otherworldly In January: The io9 Calendar! [Io9 Calendar]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:30:00 -0800

Don't ring in the New Year until you've prepared, by studying our complete guide to January science fiction. Post-apocalyptic movies, tons of new television, and new Joe Haldeman are just some of the thrills that await.

As always, you can download the whole thing as a printable PDF by clicking here.

Here are this month's conventions, just in case you need more info: Ikkicon,
Sac-Anime, Ichibancon, Anime Los Angles, Arisia, Setsucon, Emiko's Mini-Convention, SoDak Con, Ohayocon, Chibi Ushycon, Animation on Display, Las Cruces Anime Day and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival.

Got any cool events happening in February, or book releases you want to make sure we include? Write to calendar@io9.com.

Research by Cyriaque Lamar. Design and layout by Stephanie Fox.

Outrun Global Warming By Moving 5 Miles North in the 2010s [Mad Science]

Tim Barribeau — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0800

It turns out you can outrun global warming - if you move your ecosystem about a half-mile closer to one of the poles every year. A new study suggests you scoot your farm slightly north or south next spring.

The overall trend of global warming is pushing climate bands gradually further away from the equator, and ecosystems are struggling to keep up with their moving favored temperatures. The research team - involving scientists from Carnegie Institution, Stanford University, the California Academy of Sciences, and the University of California, Berkeley - combined data on the current climate and temperature gradients globally with predictions for the next century, in order to map the "temperature velocity" of the planet. This velocity is a measure of how far and how fast temperature zones are moving across the planet, and how quickly plants and animals will have to move to stay with them.

On average, the shift is 0.42 kilometers (0.26 miles) per year, but this varies with location. Mountainous areas will progress notably slower, but flat regions may exceed a kilometer per year. According to the researchers, nearly 1/3 of the world's habitats can't match this rate, as their plant life would not be able to keep up. The worst hit would be flooded grasslands, mangroves and deserts, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests would be the most protected.

Nature preserves are most likely not large enough to preserve the habitat that shifts, and the study predicts only approximately 8% of protected areas will maintain current climate conditions within their boundaries 100 years from now.

In related news, research shows that we may have massively overestimated the amount of CO2 in the prehistoric atmosphere. The paper is being published in the newest issue of PNAS, and shows that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic was far lower than we thought. This has significant implications for how the temperature of the planet will fluctuate in the coming century, as these prehistoric levels of CO2 are likely to be matched around 2100. The Paleozoic and Mesozoic were a substantially warmer than the present climate, so the question that arises is how the climate will be affected. According to the paper:

The relatively low CO2…during greenhouse episodes suggests that either the Mesozoic warmth was partially caused by a factor unrelated to CO2 or that the Earth's climate is much more sensitive to atmospheric CO2 than previously thought.

So either CO2 doesn't have much of an influence on the climate, or else we're far more susceptible to it than previously thought. The latter situation is slightly scary, given that most of our current knowledge about CO2 seems to indicate that it will lead to a global temperature increase. If the planet is that much more susceptible to carbon dioxide, the next 90 years might be very interesting. If this is the case, then the "temperature velocity" of the planet could be much higher than the research above suggests, leading to an even faster destruction of current environs.

[Via Nature, PNAS]

Classic Fairytales Get a Science Fiction Twist [Concept Art]

Lauren Davis — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:30:00 -0800

Each month, Super Punch holds a geeky art contest. This month, the theme is science fiction fairytales, with entries blending the likes of Battlestar Galactica and John Carter of Mars with Snow White and The Little Mermaid.

Also, be sure to check out Super Punch's previous contests, including Star Wars horror and science fiction nose art.

[Super Punch]

The Little Marmaid by Shane Parker
Snow White and the Seven Techno-Dwarves by Cormac McEvoy
The boy who cried Cylon by Jacob Green
"Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a horticulturist!" by Dean Reeves
Rapunzel in Outer Space by Shannon Reeves, age 11

The Best Of io9's '09 Interviews: Our Favorite Strange Encounters [Year In Review]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:00:00 -0800

This year io9 got to quiz some of the galaxy's most interesting people. We found out what Maurice Sendak didn't like about his Wild Things movie, talked TSCC philosophy with Josh Friedman, and quizzed Zack Snyder about the Watchmen changes.

The One "Wild Things" Change That Bothered Maurice Sendak
When Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers set about adapting Where The Wild Things Are into a movie, Maurice Sendak encouraged them to take a free hand and change stuff. But Eggers and Jonze tell us one change made Sendak nervous.

Anne Dick Talks About "The Search for Philip K. Dick"
Anne Dick, the third wife of Philip K. Dick, still lives in the house she shared with the legendary and mysterious writer. I visited her there to talk about her new memoir, The Search for Philip K. Dick.

5 Things You Didn't Know About District 9
There's a lot more to District 9 than just exploding Tesla guns. Did you know one actor played all the aliens, plus some major scenes were improvised? We list the top things you should know about the new alien epic.

The Real Reason Marlon Wayans Passed On Playing Robin
We talked superheroes with the all-new "real American heroes," Marlon Wayans and Channing Tatum, and found out the real reason Marlon wasn't cast as Joel Schumacher's Robin - and why he couldn't pull off the "motorcycle in the rain" scene.

Joss Whedon On The Dark Secret At The Heart Of His Worlds
How much darker can Dollhouse get, now that we've glimpsed the end of everything? Just how far will Joss Whedon go to explore the themes of searching for identity against impossible odds? We asked Whedon. His answers may shock you.

Zoe Saldana Talks Na'Vi To Us
After Avatar showed off its 3-D bestiary to an awe-struck Comic Con crowd, we cornered the blue Na'vi princess Neytiri, Zoe Saldana herself, and asked her to talk a little native tongue to us. The results were phenomenal.

David Marusek Explains the Final Demise of the Middle Class
David Marusek's intriguing new novel Mind Over Ship explores a post-human future where corporations battle to control the fate of generation ships. We've just interviewed Marusek about the intriguing socio-political world of his novel.

How 9/11 Changed Watchmen
The horrific visions that open the final chapter of Alan Moore's Watchmen haunt you long afterwards. But Zack Snyder's movie tones down that imagery, and screenwriter David Hayter says it's because of 9/11. Spoilers below.

Grant Morrison Tells All About Batman and Robin
With the second issue of DC Comics' Batman and Robin released today, we asked writer Grant Morrison why we need a new Batman, how sane Bruce Wayne really was, and whether Batman is actually sci-fi or not after all.

Duncan Jones Says "Moon" Is Our Real-Life Future
We sat down with Moon director Duncan Jones and talked evil robots, scientific inspirations behind the film and how science fiction needs to catch up to comic book movies. Check out the full video interview and new clips from the film.

The Battlestar Galactica Finale You Didn't See
The Battlestar Galactica ending you saw last Friday wasn't the one that creator Ronald D. Moore originally had in mind. RDM told us how the show could have ended: with one pissed-off, grudge-holding cylon.

Meet Real-Life Supervillain Society ROACH
Ever since the real-life Allegiance of Heroes of Cincinnati crawled out into the light, we've been patiently waiting eventual rise of real-life Supervillains, and today is that day. Meet ROACH, the finest super villain society.

MultiReal Is Your Dot-Com Nightmare Writ Large
David Louis Edelman's future-business saga MultiReal was one of the books that blew us away the most in 2008. So we had to ask Edelman why his vision of capitalism is so scary.

The Shatner Scene You Never Saw In Abrams' Star Trek
You've heard why Shatner's Kirk wasn't included in Star Trek. (He was dead, for one thing.) But Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman tried to write him in, and they walked us through their Shatner scene.

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.

Josh Friedman Talks The Philosophy Of Sarah Connor
After last Friday's episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles vibrated our brains to pieces, we were bursting with questions for creator Josh Friedman about the show's philosophy and creative process. Luckily, he answered them.

Peter S. Beagle On Unicorns, Golems, and the Law
We Never Talk About My Brother is a newly-released collection of fiction by the celebrated Peter S. Beagle. We recently caught up with the writer to talk books, lawsuits, and life.

Warner Bros. Forced Watchmen's Laurie To Go Cold Turkey
The Watchmen movie pays insane attention to the graphic novel... except the main accessory in superheroine Laurie Juspeczyk's life, her opium-pipe-looking smokes. Why do the movie's supermen get to smoke, but not the superwomen?

Ming-Na On Being The First Lesbian To Step Out Of The Stargate
Ming-Na's Stargate Universe character isn't just stepping through a portal into another galaxy, she's coming out of the closet. She tells us about playing Stargate's first openly gay character, and how this show is about to get a lot sexier.

Cities of the Future, Imagined By The Artist Who Created The Death Star [Retro Futurism]

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:30:00 -0800

John Berkey is famous for doing concept design for the original Star Wars movie, including a breathtaking poster of the Death Star. When he wasn't imagining space battles, he designed cities of the future - on Earth and in space.

Some of these citiscapes are incredibly rare images from Berkey that are rarely reprinted - others are iconic images of space ships that you may recognize. I also love the strange Japanese King Kong game packaging. His King Kong looks almost like he's merging with the building he's scaling. If you're a fan of googie architecture, you'll notice that his cities are all done in that futuristic style which was so popular in the 50s and 60s.

via Pinkoski via SFSignal

Science Fiction's Predictions for the Year 2010 [Triviagasm]

Lauren Davis — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:00:00 -0800

As we prepare to bid farewell to 2009, it's only natural to wonder what 2010 will hold. Will we see amazing technologies? Discover evidence of alien life? Or begin a slide into dystopia? We look at scifi's predictions for 2010.

Alien life will be discovered in our solar system (2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke): In 2010, the spaceship Leonov travels to Jupiter to learn the fate of the Discovery One. But perhaps more significant in the course of history is the ascended David Bowman's discovery of primitive life beneath the ice of Europa and on Jupiter — and the appearance of those alien monoliths signaling the next step in a species' development.

Advanced alien medical technology will render most of humanity sterile (Stargate SG-1 "2010"): In an unrealized future, the SG-1 team has made contact with the Aschen, an alien race with the technological capabilities to repel the Goa'uld. Unfortunately, the miraculous medicines they bring are part of a sinister plot. The Aschen are secretly sterilizing humanity so that we'll eventually die off.

A virus will have wiped out half of the world's population (Absolon): The events of this particular post-apocalyptic movie were set in motion prior to 2010. But by 2010, the remainder of humanity will have to take a special drug to fend off the effects of the deadly plague. And, to make matters worse, only one company controls the drug.

Parisian authorities will wall off their most crime-ridden slum (District 13): In order to deal with rampant violence and crime in one of its poorest districts, the government goes all Escape from New York, walling off the district and depriving its population of basic services. The wall goes up in 2010, and the operation goes precisely as well as you would expect.

The spaceship above Johannesburg will finally depart (District 9): Ah yes, that pesky flying saucer that's been hovering over South Africa since 1982? That will take off in 2010, presumably to return to its home planet. But most of the aliens won't go home with them, and will instead be relocated from District 9 to District 10.

People infected with an AIDS-like virus will live in quarantine camps (The Immortals by Tracy Hickman): Medical science thinks it has hit on a cure for AIDS, only to end up with V-CIDS, a far deadlier and more contagious diseases. By 2010, the US government, panicked at trying to prevent the spread of V-CIDS, has placed infected (and sometimes uninfected) citizens in "quarantine" camps — though the people running the camps may be doing something far more drastic to contain the infection.

A human being will transfer her consciousness into a car (Knight Rider 2010):
Video games that can read your mind are all well and good, but Hannah Tyree, a game developer at the Chrysalis Corporation, has accidentally discovered a way to download her memories and personality into her computer's memory. In 2010, Hannah's body is killed, and the only copy of her personality is in her computer. Naturally, her friend and coworker has the memory installed in his car so they can avenge her death.

A group of Londoners will travel through a wormhole (Doctor Who "Planet of the Dead"): Aliens are always invading London, so turnabout is fairplay. Of course, the Brits traveling that bus don't mean to travel through the wormhole, and the alien planet they accidentally invade is filled with giant stingrays that are probably planning to invade Earth.

The world's population will pass seven billion (Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner): In 2010, the world's population has swelled to unmanageable proportions. The overcrowded and media oversaturated population have to contend with eugenics laws, rampant drugs, and the fear that their fellow sardines will snap at any moment.

Ecoterrorists will plan to save the Earth by destroying humanity (The Last Albatross by Ian Irvine): As the Earth verges on ecological disaster, an engineer develops a mad plan to end humanity's impact on the world by taking the entire race out with a fistful of stolen plutonium. Of course, the world is already built on death, what with suicide game shows, a death lottery, and rival companies poisoning each others' crops.

Tony Blair will be put on trial for war crimes (The Trial of Tony Blair): This drama was a bit late on Tony Blair's resignation — placing it just before the 2010 election. But it also predicts that the International Criminal Court will bring war crime charges charges against Blair and the US leaders for their involvement in the Iraq War. It does not, however, predict the outcome of his trial.

Alien Cheerleaders Marry Sergey Brin: Google Embraces Weekly World News [WWN]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:30:00 -0800

The paper that uncovered Bigfoot's love slaves, Bat Boy and Hillary Clinton's alien affairs, is finally getting its place in journalism history. Weekly World News has been archived on Google Books. Check out the gallery of our favorite outlandish stories.

Google Books has added the black-and-white supermarket checkout aisle mascot to its growing collection of preserved magazines and books. And in its honor, we collected some of the best recent covers. Who knew Bat Boy was such a war hero?

Which Avenger Could Have A Thor Cameo? What Kind Of Underwear Does Post-Apocalyptic Denzel Wear? [Morning Spoilers]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Last spoilers of 2009! We've got confirmation that Marvel at least considered putting a previously unseen Avenger into Thor. And Denzel Washington gives too much Book Of Eli information. Plus Doctor Who, Lost, The Avengers, James Bond, Dollhouse and Daybreakers.

Thor:

Will Hawkeye have a cameo in Thor, in preparation for his possible appearance in Avengers? Marvel was at least talking about it. At least, actor Jeremy Renner said this when addressing rumors he'd be playing Clint:

That was just one of those things that got blown way out of proportion. It was an idea. Those Marvel guys, I'm a big fan of them. They're so smart about how they want to do these things - they have Captain America, and Thor coming around, Iron Man 2, and then I happen to know Zak Penn, who's writing The Avengers. So they thought Hawkeye is an interesting role, and asked me if I knew anything about him. I said no, so they gave me their sort of spiel on what he was, and I thought that it was kind of interesting. The only reason it came out this early, because Avengers is two years away, is that they're thinking okay, we may throw him in Thor, we may not, as a cameo. You know what I mean? So there's truth that we talked about it, but there's no truth to me doing it.

So Marvel was at least considering having Hawkeye pop up in Thor, and they did have some vague discussions with Renner. But sounds like either the cameo's not happening, or it's not Renner. Or both. [Movieline via ComicBookMovie]

Also, Tim Roth says he's eager to return as the Abomination, and he's signed for two more Marvel movies. And he hints that with characters from the different series turning up in each others' films (like Tony Stark in Incredible Hulk), the Abomination could potentially turn up in any movie, not just a Hulk sequel. (Like, say, as a minor villain in The Avengers? Just a thought, especially if Edward Norton is a hold-out.) [MTV]

The Book Of Eli:

Denzel Washington talks a bit more about just what's going on in this movie. His character is walking across the country to deliver a very special book, and he picks up a barmaid (Mila Kunis) and gets into a spat with a small-town dicator (Gary Oldman). The apocalypse happened when Eli was a teenager. Says Washington:

As the story goes, everybody had to stay inside the first year after the war, and he got out and wandered and survived. In fact we just shot the scene. I won't give you the whole scenario but he basically survived and heard a voice that led him to the book and told him where to go and why and he'll be protected. And as he says, for 30 winters he's been walking.

Frances de la Tour and Michael Gambon play Martha and George, an older couple, and "these two old folks that eat people and have tea [also] have this small army," says Washington. At one point, Kunis asks "what are we going to do?" And Martha replies, "I know what I'm going to do," and starts shooting an AK-47 at everyone. And since it's the future and this 70-something couple was young in the 1970s, they'll be playing a song from their youth, like "I Will Survive," all during the crucial fight scene.

So with Eli walking cross country for 30 years after the apocalypse, you're probably wondering about his underwear. Allow Denzel Washington to elucidate:

I never wore underwear. He didn't have any because he wore them out. So it wasn't as difficult, but we did some little cute things like the sneakers. He starts off in sneakers that are all taped-up and beat-up that are actually the latest Lebron James sneakers, but he's a survivalist and he had to travel light. I don't think he had a second set of clothes. I can only squeeze so much in that backpack.

Way more at the link. [Collider]

And I've been seeing billboards and bus ads all over for the film, like this one. [Full image at NEOGaf Forum]

James Bond:

The 23rd official James Bond movie's storyline is "a shocking story," says writer Peter Morgan (The Queen), who wrote the script earlier this year. The film's on hold because of MGM's financial difficulties, but both Daniel Craig and Judi Dench have predicted filming will start in late 2010, with an eye to a late 2011 release. Maybe 11/11/11, one site suggests. And no, there's no more info about what's so "shocking" in the next Bond. [Kurier.AT via IGN]

Doctor Who:

We already knew the Doctor's brown suit was going to take quite a beating in this weekend's episode. See for yourself. It's like watching an old friend fall to pieces. [BlogtorWho]

Lost:

A dead character will "return" without the actor who plays him/her needing to be present. Miles will hear this dead person's spirit talking, and will carry a message from him/her — and it's something important. I'm guessing it's someone who's not available — so maybe Mr. Eko or Libby? Almost everyone else is returning (more or less) in the flesh. [E! Online]

Here are a couple extended promos, with absolutely no new footage. [Lyly Ford and Lyly Ford]

Dollhouse:

Here's what happens in the Jan. 15 episode, "The Hollow Men":

Sacrifices are made when Echo leads her crew to Arizona to dismantle the Rossum Corporation's mainframe.

[SpoilerTV]

Daybreakers:

We brought you a massive gallery of high-res stills from this movie the other day, but now here are some wallpapers. [SpoilerTV-Movies]

Fringe:

Here's what happens in episode 2x11, "Edina City Limits," airing Jan. 14:

THE FRINGE TEAM PURSUES LEADS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL TOWN COVER-UP ON AN ALL-NEW "FRINGE" THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, ON FOX

Following an unexplained attack involving hideously deformed humans, the Fringe team visits the small town in upstate New York to uncover leads surrounding the bizarre case. When it's determined that these deformed people have managed to hide themselves for a while and they'll do just about anything to keep it that way, the investigation takes an unexpected turn.

[TV Overmind]

Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.

There's Nothing Like Sex With Your Armor On [NSFW] [Found Footage]

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:42:15 -0800

The 1980s flick Excalibur, directed by John Boorman, is quite possibly one of the best fantasy movies of all time, thanks largely to scenes like these - full of Merlin's perverse humor and graphic depictions of human carnality and violence.

This is a great moment from early in the film, when King Arthur's father Uther sires Arthur in the worst possible way. After making peace with Cornwall, Uther meets old Cornwall's wife Igrayne and decides he "must have her!" Yes, he's the kind of guy who is willing to throw a peaceful kingdom away for a night in bed with a hottie. So he starts the war again, and persuades Merlin to help him get between the sheets with Igrayne. Merlin agrees, after Uther promises him "the issue" of his lust (i.e., baby Arthur).

Merlin calls the dragon and transforms Uther into Cornwall temporarily, just long enough for a night of lusty rutting while the real Cornwall is killed in battle - something which Arthur's sister Morgana knows in her witchy way as she watches her mother being ravished by a man who isn't her father.

The best part of this scene is the way Uther stays in his armor while getting his lust on. Somehow it's the perfect blend of horrific, beautiful, and cheesy - which is what you could say about this entire film. If you've never seen it, you must. This scene is just one of many incredible and weird moments in a movie that brings the Arthurian legends to life by combining a Martin Scorsese-esque flair for intimate violence with Heavy Metal-ish concept design (Boorman did create Zardoz after all). What I'm trying to say is that this is basically the most awesome movie ever, if you like swords, magic, and, um, swords. With magic.

Excalibur via IMDB

15 Reasons To Live For The Next 10 Years [Futurism]

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:35:51 -0800

The 2000s left us feeling battered, but the 2010s are looking awesome. Thanks to recent scientific research and an explosion of cultural interest in science fiction, there are at least 15 brilliant reasons to stick around for another decade.

Image by Dan Lydersen.

15. Lost returns
Sure, it may not last for the entire decade, but you can start the 'tens right by feeding your confused and delighted brain with the conclusion to JJ Abrams' time-twisting tale of an island that ripped the fabric of space-time. Lost returns Feb. 2 to begin its sixth and final season.

14. Molecular machines
As nanotechnology emerges from science fiction into the laboratory, one of the most promising nanotech applications is the molecular motor - an engineered molecule that can do anything from deliver a payload of medicine to a hard-to-reach part of the body, to crawl up your DNA to repair damage. Molecular motors might serve as cellular "prosthetics," attaching to cells to augment their functioning (yes, you can overclock your cells). We're pretty far from having replicators, but we may have ultra-tiny robots that can zoom through our blood and fix us up far more elegantly than the surgeon's knife ever could.

13. Ridley Scott returns to scifi.
He peeled the top layer off our brains and eyeballs with scifi flicks Alien and Bladerunner, and then went on to make dramas without any spaceships or dystopian future cities in them. At last one of science fiction's greatest cinematic auteurs has pledged to make the 'tens the decade when he returns to the genre. He's got movie versions of Joe Haldeman's The Forever War and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World in the works, as well as a prequel to Alien. Knowing these films are coming from Scott is going to keep us on the edge of our (movie theater) seats for the next ten years.

(image via Pana Stamos)

12. A follow-up to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
With her brilliant literary fantasy novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke changed both fantasy writing and what was considered acceptable in literary circles. She took a novel scientific-historical approach to her story of two magicians who become involved in politics and warfare in England during the Napoleonic Wars. Fans have been waiting for a sequel to the novel for quite a while, and insiders at Clarke's publishing house says she's definitely under contract to write one - supposedly a sequel set in the Middle East and Asia - but there's no deadline for this author who might take up to 10 years to write a novel. Let's assume optimistically that she's already been working on it for a couple of years - that means sometime in the 'tens we'll get to plunge into another of Clarke's amazing tales of magic and geopolitical history.

11. A much-needed population dropoff is imminent.
The US Census recently released its projections for global population expansion and decline over the next few decades. Although the population is growing, its rate of growth is entering a steep decline. Next decade may be the beginning of the end of the population explosion, which is good news for everyone - especially people who will be living on the planet 100 years from now.

10. Green development.
Over the next decade, we'll start to see results from programs designed to foster green development, like Google's major alternative energy initiative RE<C or the US Department of Energy's investments in green resources. Electric cars could come to dominate the roads, and eco-friendly urban developments (like China's delayed Dongtan) could start opening their doors to residents. What happens when old energy is challenged by new energy? Live through the 'tens and you just might find out.

(image via yellow_bird)

9. Dubai skyline.
Pretty much every major construction project and architectural wonder is being planned for the insta-city of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The world's tallest building, the world's roundest building, and the world's most elaborate human-engineered islands are all part of Dubai's future skyline and footprint. Though the Dubai government's investment wing, Dubai World, is suffering a debt crisis, there is still ample time for it to be resolved with a bailout - and many of the region's biggest projects (like world's tallest building Burj Dubai) have continued despite financial setbacks. We can't wait to see what the future looks like in the Middle East's most cosmopolitan region.

8. Joss Whedon conquers the web
After the disasters of Dollhouse and Firefly last decade, Joss Whedon has sworn off television and pledged to take his dark SF/fantasy visions direct to the web. He's already won our hearts with his first web series, Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog. As web series grow in legitimacy, and most people turn to their monitors to watch TV, we anticipate that this may be the smartest move Whedon has ever made. We can't wait to set our phasers to interweb and watch the next thing Whedon's imagination will spawn.

(image via Grrrod)

7. Alastair Reynolds' 10 books in 10 years for Orbit.
A master of smart, intriguing space operas like Revelation Space, Reynolds has become over the past decade one of the most sought-after science fiction writers in the genre. UK publisher Orbit acknowledged his stature by offering the author an unprecedented book deal: £1 million to write 10 books over the next decade - approximately one per year. Reynolds is starting with what he calls an "African inflected" trilogy about how humanity will finally get offworld and start colonizing space.

6. Steven Moffat takes over Doctor Who
Writer of some of the new Doctor Who's strongest episodes, such as "The Empty Child" and "Blink," Moffat is also known for creating the BBC series Jekyll, which wowed critics and viewers with its intense reimagining of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tale. Now that showrunner Russell T. Davies has stepped down, Moffat is taking over running Doctor Who starting in 2010 with the new series' fifth season. Saying that we can't wait is a major understatement.

5. Exploring the asteroid belt with Dawn satellite.
Launched in 2007, the Dawn satellite is due to rendezvous with the large Vesta asteroids and with Ceres, the largest planetoid in the asteroid belt. Researchers believe that these asteroids will be packed with metals like nickel as well as ice. If we ever hope to send missions to the outer planets like Jupiter and Saturn (home to Titan, a moon that might support life), we're going to need a stop-off point with a rich natural store of water (a source of oxygen, among other things) as well as metals. This mission, the first to examine the Vestas and Ceres up close, could help establish the asteroid belt as a massive rest stop for travelers in our solar system.

4. Synthetic life.
Last decade, genome warlord Craig Venter promised - and nearly delivered - an entirely synthetic bacterium, with DNA made from scratch (well, from polymers) in the lab. Meanwhile synthetic biology pioneers like Drew Endy have worked to make the tools of genetic engineering available to everyone who wants to experiment with DNA. Researchers have created DNA-controlled counters and students invented bacteria that can locate buried landmines for the annual synthetic biology iGEM competition at MIT. In the 'tens, get ready for the first synthetic organism, quickly followed by the second through the twentieth. We probably won't be getting pigs with wings any time soon, but we could get bacteria that eat pollution in the ocean.

3. Space opera conquers movies.
With JJ Abrams working on two sequels to his rebooted Star Trek series, Pixar's Andrew Stanton (director of Wall-E) doing his John Carter of Mars movie, James Cameron contemplating other movies set in the Avatar universe, and Duncan Jones (director of Moon) signed on to helm several other scifi projects (including two more movies set in the Moon universe), it looks like space opera might be the new awesomeness in cinema. Instead of mutants and zombies destroying the Earth, spaceships and tales of astropolitics will be expanding our minds. And that's something to look forward to.

2. Finding the Higgs boson particle.
The Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland is just getting started on the many physics experiments scheduled to zoom through its long underground tunnels. By far the most widely-anticipated experiment will (hopefully) reveal the elusive Higgs boson, a particle that scientists believe is responsible for giving mass to every object in the universe. Isolating the Higgs boson could help us understand where mass comes from, and why some particles (like photons) are massless. If discovery is the first step towards mastery, then who knows where the Higgs boson could take us?

1. The Mars Science Laboratory
Set to launch in 2011 and land on Mars in 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory is NASA's latest effort to explore whether life like ours ever existed on Mars - and could be supported there again. The Laboratory is a robot rover called Curiosity, and is like a much larger and more sophisticated version of the two Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity. According to NASA:

The rover will analyze dozens of samples scooped from the soil and drilled from rocks. The record of the planet's climate and geology is essentially "written in the rocks and soil" — in their formation, structure, and chemical composition. The rover's onboard laboratory will study rocks, soils, and the local geologic setting in order to detect chemical building blocks of life (e.g., forms of carbon) on Mars and will assess what the martian environment was like in the past.

So why get so excited about another Martian rover? Because what Curiosity discovers will help bring us closer to establishing a Martian base which could one day become the foundation for a thriving Martian civilization. And that's the kind of future that we live for.

Computers Determine Where To Build Ski Resorts [Mad Science]

Sonia Zjawinski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:19:18 -0800

As we continue to engineer the perfect foods, animals, and children, scientists have figured out a way to engineer the perfect winter resort — by using software to pinpoint the best powder and mountain slopes to build them on.

New Scientist reports that geographers Jordan Silberman and Peter Rees, both professors at the University of Delaware, have developed a geographical information system (GIS) that allows resort entrepreneurs to plug in their resort dream — small and exclusive resort or mega slopes — and the app will geolocate the best conditions and spot for the venture.

Says New Scientist:

The software then homes in on the preferred general region and seeks out those locations with the combinations of available land and humidity levels most likely to produce powder snow. Among many other factors, it also analyses accessibility by road, slope steepness — to work out the risk of avalanches — and the likely erosion from tree felling. A key factor is the ready availability of electricity to power the ski lifts.

Will city Olympic committees use this software to argue their way into becoming the winning town for future Winter Olympics? We can already see the genetically engineered slalom skiers lining up on their perfectly situated ski slopes.

Geo software aims to avoid ski resort eco-disasters [New Scientist]

Image via Freaking News

Michael Jackson's Zombie Musical Honored by the Library of Congress [Zombie Musical]

Sonia Zjawinski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:30:00 -0800

Of all the things the King of Pop was famous for, Michael Jackson's music video for "Thriller" was one of his geekiest contributions. Today, the zombie-themed short was officially selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry.

The 14-minute video, which aired on MTV for the first time on December 2, 1983, is often credited as launching the music video industry we now know, but it was Jackson and director John Landis' vision to honor pulp fiction thrillers that makes this piece of film work so memorable.

The Library of Congress also inducted the 1957 sci-fi classic The Incredible Shrinking Man into the National Film Registry. Go team sci-fi!

'Thriller' lands in National Film Registry [The Hollywood Reporter]

Could a Conjoined Twin Get Away with Murder? [Bioethics]

Lauren Davis — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:14:45 -0800

In a new essay Half Guilty, Nick Kam explores the legal ramifications of a thought experiment: if a conjoined twin commits murder, can the legal system punish them? Could the innocent twin be punished simply for their unusual medical condition?

Kam, a third-year student at the University of San Francisco School of Law, is currently working on the piece, which he has excerpted on his website. He asks to imagine a scenario where a conjoined twin commits murder and the murderer's twin is completely innocent of the crime. This, incidentally, is the plot of the 1951 exploitation film Chained for Life, starring Violet and Daisy Hilton, pictured above, and Kam cites a historical record of such a murder occurring in 17th century Italy. Kam then wonders whether such a conjoined twin could be punished under the American legal system.

The essay looks at the various possible methods of achieving punishment, including execution, incarceration, physically separating the twins, and monetary damages. He explores the effect of the punishment both in terms of the social goals of punishment and how it would impact the innocent twin — and he cites some fairly twisted scenarios, such as trying to execute one twin but not the other by electrocution.

It's ultimately an interesting thought experiment, one that examines the goals of legal punishment and the relative weight our social values. But if medical technology advances to the point where the separation of conjoined twins could be achieved safely and easily — or where one twin could, in fact, be executed — then questions like this could become even more complicated. It would be interesting to see Kam explore the question of whether an innocent conjoined twin would have complete dominion over his or her own body, or whether the legal system could someday forbid them from harboring a criminal on their own anatomically anomalous person.

Half Guilty [Nick Kam]

Best And Worst SF/Fantasy Movies Of 2009 [Year In Review]

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:41:34 -0800

This was a year of extremes: huge CG-heavy spectacles and low-budget gems. Most of all, 2009 made us feel the boundaries of cinema were stretched... for good and ill. Here are the 10 best and 10 worst films of 2009.

Best:

10. The Road

One of the most significant SF-themed literary novels of the past decade, Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic epic, was adapted into an arthouse film starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee. And while the novel's themes didn't quite work as well in a movie format, and we had serious issues with the movie's sentimentality, we still found the movie's post-apocalyptic vision compelling. In an era where the apocalypse strikes inside cinema with alarming regularity, this was the grimmest and most unflinching look at a world where every ounce of green, and almost every spark of human kindness, has been destroyed.

9. Gamer

This film, on the other hand, may have boasted slightly less of a literary pedigree. But if you love over-the-top, crazy exploitation films with a satirical edge — and we certainly do — then this tale of remote-controlled killers and sexbots will surprise you. It's easy to see why Gamer never got its props: It's crude, nasty, and full of day-glo wigs. But its plot, about a new biotech called "Nanex" that can replace your brain cells with remote-control devices that can never be removed, is creepy. And the architect of this evil scheme to own your brain? Is Dexter (Michael C. Hall). Who does a song-and-dance number about how much he enjoys yanking your synapses around. Really.

8. Coraline

Veering back towards literary adaptations, there's Henry Sellick's gorgeous version of Neil Gaiman's Hugo award-winning horror/fantasy book. Forget Avatar — this was the most visually striking use of 3-D this year, and it was in the service of a story that felt like a classic fairy tale.

7. Drag Me To Hell

Thank goodness Sam Raimi decided to take a break from Spider-Man movies and return to his horror roots, with this amazingly snarky, Evil Dead-esque journey into the heart of class insecurity. Charlene, a young loan officer at a bank, is desperate to advance up the corporate ladder and escape her hick past, not to mention impress her boyfriend's snobbish family. So she decides to deny a home loan to an old woman — who turns out to be the wrong person to mess with. As we said in our review, "Like all good horror, Drag Me To Hell takes real-life fears, dresses them up in blood-soaked costumes, and sets them running."

6. Paranormal Activity

As we mentioned, this was the year of low-budget movies that focused on a few unforgettable characters, and this film managed to turn a low budget into maximum scariness. As we wrote in our review, "Nothing ever felt like padding or gratuitous "we're going to amp up the tension with cheap jolts" bullshit. The terror was raw and real - all the more so because it was so understated." But the real horror in this film is the dysfunctional relationship at its core, between a woman stalked by a demon and the boyfriend whose antics wind up making things much worse.

5. Zombieland

This post-apocalyptic comedy swept us away with its cool style points — Columbus' rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse, Tallahassee's creative zombie-killing techniques — but it really won us over with its clever romance between Columbus and Wichita, and the way it conveyed the experience of geeky coming of age against a chaotic backdrop. Like all the best road movies, it's about the journey.

4. Avatar

James Cameron's long-awaited out-of-body-experience movie was everything we were expecting: It was just as clunky and preachy as his original "scriptment" suggested it would be, and the native peoples were just as much of a "noble savage" stereotype as we'd expected. But it was just as beautiful and thrilling as we'd expected, too. People have been in the habit, lately, of saying that Avatar has great special effects and a terrible story — but in addition to the incredible CG world-building, the film also does have some thrilling performances from Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington, in particular. It's not just the cool flying dragons that suck you in — it's the characters.

3. Star Trek

Gene Roddenberry's optimistic space opera needed a long rest after the blunders that were Enterprise and the last two movies. In fact, we weren't sure Trek's tired old saws ever needed to be brought back. But J.J. Abrams somehow managed to make Trek seem fresh again, mostly by giving Kirk and Spock a new backstory. Unexpectedly, we found ourselves caring what happened to these guys again, and the scene where Sarek finally admits he married Amanda because he loved her is surprisingly powerful. For the first time in too long, Star Trek became a universe where anything could happen — even the destruction of Vulcan. Who knew Trek could be unpredictable?

2. Moon

Sam Rockwell brought enough conviction and character for twenty actors to this story of a lonely worker trapped in a lunar mining outpost. His loneliness and brushes with madness are captivating — and that's even before there turn out to be two of him at once. By the time this psychological thriller unravels into a story of an evil corporation treating its workforce as a disposable commodity (literally), we're so wound up into Sam Bell's loneliness and yearning to go home that the fate of both Sams becomes more urgent than the fate of entire worlds.

1. District 9

It's easy to think of this film as just a polemic against Apartheid and the mistreatment of refugees — but the story of aliens herded into shantytowns is much more than that. The story of Wikus Van De Merwe, a total bastard who enjoys watching alien children pop like popcorn, feels uncomfortably like our story. After Wikus gets infected with some kind of alien goo, he starts to discover what it's like to be one of the downtrodden aliens, but this revelation doesn't particularly make him a more noble person, at least not for most of the movie. Brilliant production design adds to this film's sense of stark realism, and even some ugly Nigerian stereotypes fail to detract from the film's unforgettable portrait of human cruelty and alien family values. This was the film, more than other, that stuck in our heads long after watching it.

Honorable mentions: I really wanted to give a shout out to Men Who Stare At Goats and Push, two films that got unfairly panned this past year. Goats is way more fun than people gave it credit for, and had occasional moments of total brilliance, especially from Jeff Bridges. Push is stylishly shot in Hong Kong, full of homages to Wong Kar-Wai, and features world-builiding about mutant powers and secret organizations that feels lived-in and clever.

Worst:

10. Surrogates

This film could have been terrific — based on a brilliant graphic novel written by Robert Venditti, this "shut-ins go out in robot bodies" epic is a potent metaphor for our relationship to technology. Unfortunately, the film version, starring Bruce Willis, is a cluttered, clunky mess. It's every dumb action-movie set piece jammed together with bits of chewing gum, plus an incredibly preachy screenplay that doesn't trust the audience to reach conclusions on its own. And that's really the worst sin a dystopian movie can commit: force-feeding us messages, because the dystopia isn't powerful enough to reach us on its own.

9. The Fourth Kind

Even as Paranormal Activity was making the Blair Witch-style "real-life recordings" vibe seem fresh again, The Fouth Kind was trying to pass off fake alien abduction tapes as real, and unfortunately the film-makers put more effort into trying to hoodwink the press than they did into crafting a compelling movie. The actual film is a mish-mash of bad "archival" footage, unscary alien abductions, and flaky plot twists like the idea that a professor can speak ancient Sumerian because he's seen some texts.

8. New Moon

There's something to be said for a book and movie franchise that has converted so many new people, especially girls, into SF/fantasy lovers. But still, this movie slathered us with cheese and bored us with long stretches of Bella moping after Edward, who's decided they can't be together. Edward starts appearing to Bella, Obi Wan-like, as she becomes an adrenaline junkie and runs around with shirtless Jacob. The moments where the film winks at the audience, or veers into outright self-parody, can't quite make up for the goopiness of much of the rest.

7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

If we had a crane with a camera on it following us around all the time, we would feel tempted to look up at the ceiling and howl as well. Where can we get one of those? The fourth film in the X-Men saga continued X3's slide into mediocrity, with too many random mutant cameos and a campy mutant self-discovery plot that felt instantly forgettable, even without a memory-erasing magic bullet. At no point in this endless film do Logan and Sabretooth feel like brothers, and we don't really care which one of them kills the other. Is there any way that Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool movie can make up for this disaster? We can only hope.

6. The Time Traveler's Wife

We loved Audrey Niffenegger's clever, disciplined time-travel novel just as much as we hated the schlocky, smug movie version. The film excised some of the coolest parts of the novel, and substituted a lot of cookie-cutter romantic-dramedy whininess and angst. What was a classic love story, as well as a insightful look into the way in which we're all time-travelers because we're constantly reliving our pasts and dreaming of our futures, becomes a mindless (and heartless) exercise in pouting as character development. All the more disappointing, because it had such great material to work with.

5. 2012

It's tempting to give this film a free pass, because who expected greatness, or anything other than explosions, from Roland Emmerich's umpteenth disaster film? But it's worth calling out this film for its brain-dead destruction porn and focus on special effects to the total exclusion of characters, or anything really. Bad science, bad writing, bad acting... but most of all, it's kind of boring, and you really have to turn off your brain to enjoy any of it. To quote from some of the comments in our review: "I didn't care who lived or died," "I felt dead inside," "My problem with this movie isn't the rampant destruction, but the boringness in between."

4. Knowing

Making fun of a Nic Cage movie these days almost feels like challenging a dyslexic to a spelling bee. But really. This film was so insultingly bad, that we can't let it slide. Cage plays a college professor, whose idea of teaching astrophysics is to hold model planets and say stuff like, "Hey, man. The sun is like, really, really hot. Did you ever think that maybe things happen for a reason?" It's like stoner astrophysics 101. And then he gets hold of a time capsule from the 1950s that's full of numbers which somehow predict every disaster, including the end of the world. Even if you can ignore coincidences like a plane crashing next to the highway where Cage is driving, you'll be clutching your head by the time this movie's final plot twist is revealed. If this is Knowing, then ignorance really is bliss.

3. Pandorum

Zombies infest a spaceship — how could that be bad? Well, um... how about if it's zombies on a spaceship where Dennis Quaid is doing a crappy pastiche of Fight Club? How then? We never knew space madness could be so boring. Actually, the biggest problem with this film isn't Quaid's endless freak-out, or the random cannibal guy who's diagrammed the entire plot in graffiti, it's the boredom. The makers of the film seem to have mixed up suspense with "nothing happening for long stretches," as our heroes skulk around dark tunnels endlessly. It could have been so much better, if the themes of reclaiming your pride as an officer and sticking together had been foregrounded. Even a cool ending can't save this stew.

2. Terminator Salvation

We debated whether to include T4 among the worst letdowns of the past decade — but there were already so many from 2009 on the list. It's shameful to admit it now, but we expected more from this film, thanks to the reunion of The Dark Knight's star and writer, Christian Bale and Jonathan Nolan. Instead, what we got was the giant head of Helena Bonham Carter delivering exposition. Sam Worthington does his best with the role of Marcus Wright, who discovers he's a cyborg, but he's hobbled by a nonsensical plot. And Bale is a major disappointment as John Connor — it's hard to believe anyone could make us miss Nick Stahl.

1. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

We celebrated this film as the ultimate apotheosis of Bunuel-style surrealism, but if you're expecting it to make a lick of sense, you might as well expect ants to climb out of your hand. Honestly, 2012 only wishes it could be as dumb, as massive — and yes, as boring — as this clunker. These robots can turn themselves into anything — except for compelling characters. And unlike 2012, in which the action set pieces are the punctuation in between long boring sequences, this film's action sequences are the most boring part, because it's hard to tell what's supposed to be going on, and we don't really care anyway. If 2009 was the year that giant CG rainbow showers finally conquered movie screens, then Transformers 2 was the worst offender.

Would You Agree Not to Shoot Your Best Friend's Zombie? [Sketch Of The Dead]

Lauren Davis — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:00:00 -0800

General wisdom holds that, should your friend or loved one get bitten by a zombie, you should immediately apply a bullet to the head before they turn. But what if your afflicted friend would rather be undead than completely dead?

Paul F. Tompkins and Mad Men's Rich Sommer star in Sketch of the Dead, a brief tale of friendship, zombies, and the desire to get away with murder.

Sketch Of The Dead

[via The Huffington Post]

Space Nazi Movie Finally Launches Into Production [Iron Sky]

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:30:00 -0800

You've seen the stunning Nazi Moon base concept art, watched the teaser and fantasized about the star. But when will the lunar Nazi epic Iron Sky finally get made? Right now.

Iron Sky, the film about a secret Nazi Arctic base that launched a team of astro-nazis to the dark side of the moon during WW2, who have been quietly waiting until 2018 to strike, is moving into production. According to YLE, the creators of Star Wrek are ready to roll.

Producers will begin filming the Iron Sky feature film in Frankfurt next spring, and they hope to have the movie finished by the end of 2010...
Iron Sky has around five million euros to play around with. This means they can build real sets.

Fantastic, and perfect for the holidays. We cannot wait to see more from this crew, especially with a screenplay by Tiptree Award-winning author Johanna Sinisalo (Troll: A Love Story).

This Owl Pincushion Is Preventing Space-Time From Fraying [Afternoon Reading]

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Over at Significant Objects, Margaret Wertheim has published a terrific flash fiction story about one of the greatest discoveries in the history of physics: An owl pincushion is responsible for holding the fabric of spacetime together. How can this be?

In a story that's as much a fable as science fiction, Wertheim tells a story of several generations of women who eventually discover why the fabric of spacetime has been ripping apart and San Jose has fallen into a black hole, never to reappear.

She begins:

Dr. Irena Svetskaia still found it hard to believe when she looked at the little pincushion owl that something so mundane could be supporting the spacetime matrix.In 2158 it had been discovered that the fabric of spacetime was fraying. Alarmingly so near the great technopolises of Sant-Angeles-Diego and Mumbai. Dr Svetskaia's father had made the discovery, for which he had been awarded the Nobel Prize. Many relativity experts did not like it at all; it did not please their Platonist hearts that the structure of space and time could be influenced by human activity. But there it was.

This story is one of many published at Significant Objects, including entries from William Gibson and yours truly, which are based on random objects for sale on Ebay. You can actually bid on this owl pincushion here.

Read the rest of Werheim' story here, via Significant Objects.

16 Years Later, The Power Rangers Retire [Power Rangers]

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:30:00 -0800

It's been a long road for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And last week Zordon finally decided that the Rangers were through, forever. The Power Rangers ended their series with the 700th episode. We'll miss Billy and his overalls most.

Last weekend after 700 episodes and 17 seasons, the long-running Power Ranger series came to an end. The karate-miming, putty-patroller-beating group reached massive highs with toy sales and ratings in childrens' television, and also terrible lows with the tragic and dark crime that involved a past child star.

They definitely left their mark on this planet, so with that I leave you with a high kick followed by a karate chop and this trailer from topless robot, in which the Rangers look pretty bad-ass.

Where It All Happened: Rangers Meet Zordon

Dystopias Where We Want To Live [Scifiliving]

Sonia Zjawinski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Science fiction is full of dystopias — and they've got the best interior design. These imaginative interiors and sexy architecture are almost enough to make us want to live in the worst possible worlds, just for the decor.

The Sculptured House, designed by architect Charles Deaton, and located on Genesee Mountain near Genesee Park was featured in Woody Allen's Sleeper. Ironically, while Allen shot the exterior of the house to place the scene, the interior shots were done elsewhere as the interior of the Sculptured House remained unfinished until 2003. You can now rent the fully furnished house by the night, in case you wanted to recreate Allen's famous robot scene.

The movie may have failed to convey the raw emotion of the animated series, but the set producers at least had fun envisioning Æon Flux's dystopian future. We wouldn't mind a top that matched our sexy home décor.

Living the valid life. Gattaca set designers created a near future world where those with the right genes live within the créme de la créme of interior design. From Uma Thurman's floor to ceiling glass living room to Jude Law's modern and spare interior, we'd lengthen our legs and implant someone else's blood in order to clinch a deal with their realtor.

Before Battlestar Galactica's resident scientist got his planet nuked he sure did have a sweet pad. Oh yah, and Six wasn't a bad addition to the décor.

Most of the Batman movies have had amazing set design, but tended to age Bruce Wayne as he sat amongst his antiques. Peter Lando's work on the caped crusader's Gotham digs in The Dark Knight truly reflected Bruce Wayne's playboy lifestyle. How do we get invited over?

While the majority of the architecture and interiors in Blade Runner were a bit depressing, Dr. Eldon Tyrell's penthouse was a beaut, especially when you take into account the side hugging elevators you have to take to get up to the place.

The Island. Bad movie, great future tech concepts like this amazing multi-touch computer monitor as desk.

Sure living in Minority Report means you'll be arrested for a crime you haven't committed yet, but before they caught Tom Cruise was coming home to a sweet pad. Is that a ceiling full of skylights we see?

We mentioned it before and we'll mention it again. If digitizing books means we can make room for the Circuit transporter in Logan's Run we're all for it.

Russia May Knock an Approaching Asteroid Away from Earth [Death From Above]

Lauren Davis — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:30:00 -0800

Are we on the path to a major asteroid collision? The Russian Federal Space Agency fears that the approaching asteroid Apophis could spell certain doom. And it has a plan to knock the asteroid off its current course.

In 2004, astronomers identified Apophis, a 270-meter asteroid heading in our direction. Although NASA initially feared that the odds of Apophis striking Earth in 2029 were 1-in-37, they have since calculated that the asteroid will pass no fewer than 29,450 km above Earth's surface. There is an extremely small chance that Apophis could hit us on a later pass — a 1-in-250,000 in 2036 and a 1-in-330,000 in 2068.

However, Anatoly Perminov, director of the Russian Federal Space Agency, has said that Russia is very concerned about the possibility of a collision with Apophis, and is considering a plan to change the asteroid's course. However, he is a bit vague on his reasons for fearing an impact:

"I don't remember exactly, but it seems to me it could hit the Earth by 2032," Perminov said.

"People's lives are at stake. We should pay several hundred million dollars and build a system that would allow to prevent a collision, rather than sit and wait for it to happen and kill hundreds of thousands of people," Perminov said.

The Space Agency is talking about sending a spacecraft to intercept Apophis, although this won't be an Armageddon scenario. The plan isn't to blow up the asteroid, but to physically push it off course to prevent a close encounter with Earth. Perminov says that, once the project is finalized, NASA, the ESA, and the Chinese space agency will be invited to join the mission.

Russia may send spacecraft to knock away asteroid [Mail via reddit]

The Thing With A Thousand Young Is Not Amused [Cthuliana]

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Many moviemakers have tried to recreate the weirdness of HP Lovecraft's horror stories on film, but few have succeeded. Steve Daniels tried a novel approach in his short Dirt Dauber, using paper cutouts and half-seen imagery. Behold Shub-Niggurath!

In this short film, which you can see a preview for above, two men go in search of "the thing with a thousand young," an insectile fertility god which the critics at Undead Backbrain suggest is probably the Old One known as Shub-Niggurath. In real life, "dirt daubers" are a kind of wasp that build cells of mud for their eggs.

The 35-minute short played at this year's Lovecraft Film Festival and Grim Reviews summed it up nicely:

Viewers eavesdrop on a creepy conversation between a strange, crude driver and his exponentially weirder passenger. Visceral imagery centering around a fish hatchery, an old railway tunnel, and a backwoods drive promotes a Lovecraftian atmosphere . . . Daniels' interpretation of HPL's cosmic fertility horror is refreshingly new. The director wisely shies away from explicit appearances by the chief monster itself in favor of cultivating an overarching atmosphere of weird horror. Further, the revelation of Dirt Dauber's main mystery at the end is far more unsettling than any CGI generated depiction of Shub-Niggurath could be. With that said, it should be noted that monsters do appear in several forms. The passenger's murky origins are quite monstrous from the movie's outset, long before Daniels resolves the mystery of his existence. Meanwhile, the driver's macabre worldview presents him as a dark creature in his own right, a boisterous horror who haunts the fish hatchery universe he relates in dialogue throughout the film.

Apparently there is also a subplot involving the sinking of the Titanic and outer space. Why isn't there a full version of this film available on YouTube?!

In the meantime, if you want to see some of filmmaker Daniels other movies, check out his YouTube channel.

Thanks, Avery Guerra!

Massive Gallery Of Daybreakers' "Newly Evolved" Vampires [Daybreakers]

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:40:00 -0800

The entire gallery of our future vampire selves from Daybreakers has been released in sexy high quality. It's so real you can almost see the chunks of human flesh between their mangled teeth.

Daybreakers, which comes out in theaters January 8th, is set in the future, when almost all humans have turned vampire. But with the increase in the vampire population comes the decrease in their food supply — in other words, the vampires are running out of humans. The shortage of human blood has lead to heavy dilution in the vampire blood banks, and a slow and painful vampire evolution into the fanged ugly you see above. Now it's up to vampire scientist Ethan Hawke to buck the system and find a peace between vampires and the living.

Plus if you want a good scare check out Daybreakers latest evolution trailer. Warning, it's a little loud, but still pretty creative.

You Can Help Spider Robinson Just By Reading (And Buying) New Science Fiction [Spider Robinson]

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:20:00 -0800

Now's your chance to help of science fiction's most entertaining writers, and get yourself some neat fiction into the bargain. Spider Robinson's wife Jeanne is battling cancer, and science fiction authors and readers are uniting to help out.

Dec. 30 is a "blog rally" for the Robinsons, and author Larry Santoro has agreed to donate all the proceeds from sales of his novella "Lord Dickens's Declaration," to the Robinsons' cause. Here are the details, from The One-Thousand:

Science Fiction author Spider Robinson's wife Jeanne is fighting cancer and they're both fighting to pay the bills. 100% of any money used to purchase Larry Santoro's excellent e-book, "Lord Dickens's Declaration," will go directly to the Robinsons. Here's the link:

http://www.starshipsofa.com/shop/lord-dickenss-declaration/

Dec 31st is the last day that people can buy Larry's story. I'd like to end the fundraiser with a bang. Let's get the word out all over the web to let people know on December 30th, there's only one day left to help. Why December 30th? Because if there's only one day left people won't put it off and say, "I'll do it later. I still have time." Make sure you link to the purchase page!

More info at the link. [The One-Thousand]

The Space Age Isn't Over, As Long As We're Making Cool Art [Space Art]

Sonia Zjawinski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:00:00 -0800

The 1950s were a decade when science, space, and concepts of the future were celebrated within fashion, architecture, and design. Artist Mark Weaver takes advantage of the fantastic imagery and aesthetics produced during this era to inspire some breathtaking artwork.

The series found on Weaver's Flickr account is part of a worldwide project between graphic designers started by Olly Moss, the same guy who turned those famous video games into old Penguin book covers.

On January 1st, Moss issued a challenge to artists worldwide to "Make Something Cool Every Day." Hundreds of artists and designers heard the battle cry and got to work uploading their results to Flickr.

Weaver, who has worked for Wired and Paste magazine, uses vintage photographs to create his works. "People have called them 'refined collages' and 'retro futuristic collages,' which I think are pretty good descriptions," he told Tokion magazine. "I'm inspired by things like mid-century architecture, vintage space images, clean typography, old photographs — I'm a very nostalgic person, and I think that's reflected in my work."

"Planet of the Apes"
If the Charlton Heston led movie were mashed together with The Endless Summer.
Image: Mark Weaver

"Untitled"
Image: Mark Weaver

"Logic Memory Center"
Image: Mark Weaver

"Transmission"
This one has a bit of a Dario Argento feel to it.
Image: Mark Weaver

"Earth"
Image: Mark Weaver

"Star Rangers"
Image: Mark Weaver

"Self Portrait"
Image: Mark Weaver

"80"
Image: Mark Weaver

"Space Race"
Image: Mark Weaver

"Chapter 12"
While we know Thundercats the movie has been scrapped, can't you almost see this as part of a guerilla marketing campaign for the movie? Thundercats, HO!
Image: Mark Weaver

Mark Weaver (2) [Sci-Fi-O-Rama]

The Real, Shameful Reason We'll Explore Saturn's Moons [Webcomics]

Lauren Davis — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:30:00 -0800

Exploring the moons of Saturn and Jupiter could show us habitable worlds, liquid water, and perhaps even alien life. But webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal suggests that the real reason we'll visit Enceladus won't be for scientific exploration.

[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal via reddit]

Solving The Mysteries Of Cancer Fighting Parasites [Mad Science]

Tim Barribeau — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Could a Chinese fungus provide a crucial missing link to new cancer treatments? Scientists have struggled for decades with one major drawback of the Cordyceps, a parasitic mushroom — but now they may have cracked the riddle.

Cordyceps are parasitic mushrooms grow that on insects-often caterpillars-attack the host and replace its tissue. In some cases, the mushroom alters the behavior of the host, so that when the body dies, the spores can easily spread.

Cordyceps are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and has been investigated in western medicine since the 50s. The problem? They degrade too quickly in the body, limiting their effectiveness. Drugs gathered from coryceps were shown to inhibit the growth and division of cells at low doses — and at high doses, the drug stops cells from sticking together, both invaluable effects to help prevent the spread of cancers.

Now, researchers at Nottingham University have discovered a way to pair Cordycepin with other drugs to substantially increase its lifespan in the body. That gives us the opportunity to understand which cancer types it will target effectively, and how to create other drugs that function similarly.

[via Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council]

Don't Get This Skirt Wet After Midnight [Sci Fashion]

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:30:00 -0800

It's the age of the crotchbomber, and we need to gird our loins against terror. That's why you'll want to put on this amazing skirt with Gizmo's face on it. As long as he doesn't go gremlin, you're protected!

With a $2100 price tag, you won't be bringing this pet home any time soon. But there's still something awesome about the idea of wearing the little guy from Gremlins on your skirt, even though he does make an odd protuberance. Designer Brian Lichtenberg recommends pairing the skirt with that weird t-shirt with the pyramids sewn into the shoulders. So you can have Stargate spaceships on your shoulders and 1980s mini-monsters on your crotch. Sounds like the perfect outfit to me.

via Alex and Chloe and Today and Tomorrow

Golden New Stills From Shyamalan's Last Airbender [Airbender]

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Now that we've gotten to know Avatar, it's finally time to rediscover Avatar: The Last Airbender, the live-action version. Here's a brand new look at the bald bad-ass Aang, getting his airbending on.

Empire Magazine released a few new stills from The Last Airbender, some even with completed FX, looking golden. Slashfilm managed to get their hands on a few scans from the issue and here's the Aang money shot — he looks both tiny and deadly, perched a top a tiny piece of wood.

Check out Slashfilm to see the additional images from the magazine. The Last Airbender will be out July 2, 2010.

A Hidden Star Trek Treasure Chest Found Online [Star Trek Art]

Sonia Zjawinski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:30:00 -0800

Star Trek is one of those shows where the sets and costumes are just as larger than life as Captain Kirk. What would the series be without the Enterprise, after all? Forgotten Trek gives the show's production values their due.

The site, started by Nick Ottens, features loads of extensive behind-the-scenes info on the Gene Roddenberry franchise, including interviews with production staff like Syd Mead, who worked on Star Trek: The Motion Picture before he put his touch on Blade Runner and Tron.

Aside from an oral history of the show, the site has a an impressive library of concept art, sketches, and photos from the making of the original show up to Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. It's a visual resource every Trekkie should bookmark.

Here's some of our favorite stuff:

Ever wonder what Matt Jefferies's rough drafts looked like of the Enterprise? Forgotten Trek has 'em.

The Enterprise went through a few face lifts before it became the ship we all know and love.

This version from Jefferies has an eerie Death Star vibe to it. Interesting since, when Jefferies made the illusrations, Star Wars was still 11 years away.

An illustrated model of the space glider that became a symbol of sci-fi gone mainstream.

In this rendering of the Enterprise's interior, the ship has way more leg room than what was screened on televisions nationwide.

The sick bay. We're not entirely sure what's going on here. A gynecological exam?

A section of the sick bay, re-envisioned by Andrew Probert, senior illustrator on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Fred Phillips works on Leonard Nimoy's Vulcan extreme makeover.

Enterprise seats clearly inspired by Eero Saarinen's Tulip Chair.

Storyboard of Spock's spacewalk in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as imagined by David Negron.

Ghostbusters 3 Shooting This Summer For A 2011 Release [Ghostbusters 3]

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Director Harold Ramis finally coughed up some semblance of a schedule for Ghostbusters 3. In fact, they may even start filming this summer. And yes, both new and old busters are expected to be in this feature. [Heeb]

Play Along At Home: Doctor Who "End Of Time" Bingo Cards [Doctor Who]

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Nobody knows what will happen in David Tennant's final Doctor Who installment this weekend. But at least you can be prepared, and possibly win prizes — with these handy Who bingo cards, created by reader Troy aka bluehinter.

Why do I feel, reading these, that I'm looking over Russell T. Davies' script notes? I am so going to ace this. I bet they also work as a drinking game as well.

Here's a second one:

[Thanks to bluehinter!]