Reading science fiction books is something that nerds do for fun. At least that's the stereotypical view, but would your opinion of one of the 60s' coolest rock musicians be diminished if you found out he was a hardcore science fiction fan? It turns out that none other than the Jimi Hendrix, the legendary guitarist, was an avid reader of sci-fi books. One title that supposedly was a big inspiration for him was Philip Jose Farmer's Night of Light. One of Hendrix's biographers claims that the book inspired him to write his hit song Purple Haze. I wonder, though, if science fiction was somehow cooler during the late 60s when space travel was something that humans were actually doing and everyone was trying to "expand their consciousnesses" so sci-fi seemed like a logical sort of medium to accomplish that. I'll bet that there are other big-name celebrities who are closet SF fans. Do you know of any?

Harrison Ford was never a science fiction fan before making the first Star Wars movie. Here he is way back in 1977 talking about the movie which he asserts is not a science fiction film at all, but a science fantasy film, which is what many fans still insist is true today:    It's interesting to hear from one of the movie's principals so close to its original release date and not decades after through the filters of nostalgia. Fans of Star Wars are looking forward to an impending release of the saga on Blu-Ray. In anticipation of the release, George Lucas recently screened a never-before-seen scene from The Return of the Jedi which was cut from the movie that would have made it a very different film. There's no word whether this scene will included in the new release. How long before there is a 3-D version of the series as everyone is predicting?

William Gibson opined recently about the power of Google in the New York Times. He was also interviewed recently by the Wall Street Journal on the future of book publishing. Gibson also sat down not long ago for an interview with Seattlest. Why is Canada's most famous post-science fiction writer suddenly so visible in the press these days? That's right, he's got a new book to plug. It's called Zero History and here's a review of it, although if you're a true Gibson fan you're going to end up buying it anyway. Here's an excerpt if you're not sure.

Every blogger and his brother has penned a top 10 list of their favourite science fiction movies, but when a film critic as respected as the New York Times A.O. Scott makes a list, you have to take notice. Here are his picks. It lists many of the usual suspects, but there are  few curveballs in there. Paired with his list is that of IO9's Annalee Newitz. There is some overlap, but not much. One of the movies that both of them agree on is Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis. Fans of the movie will be able to enjoy the restored version of the film which is due out soon on DVD and Blu-Ray. Metropolis recently closed the Fantasia film festival in Montreal, but what was special about the screening is that it was accomponied by live musicians with a new score. Back on the subject of movie lists for a moment, IMdb has an interesting list of the highest-rated science fiction movies as voted on by visitors to the site. A movie must have at least 1,000 votes to be listed, but wwhat happens is the newest, hot movies top the list and over time the movies with high ratings start to lose points as more people vote on it. I don't know what this statistical phenomenon is, but I've noticed it at a lot of sites that rely on public input. Possibly more interesting that the top movies, is their lst of the lowest-rated science fiction films. They look like quite the bunch of stinkers. I wonder if they qualify as the "so-bad-they're good" variety or if the are simply bad.

I've been travelling in airports lately and have noticed more and more people toting around electronic book readers and it's common to overhear their owners sing the praises of their new devices to curious people inquiring about them. Anecdotely at least, it seems that these devices are starting to gain some traction with mainstream consumers. What is interesting is how the devices are starting to change people's reading habits. This survey found that most people with ebook readers were reading the same amount as before, but a large percentage were reading more now that they had the gadgets in their pockets or purses. That sounds like it would be good news for authors and publishers, but the spectre of book piracy looms. Some think that free copies of ebooks will be good for pushing physical books, but I'm not so sure. There was a time that video files were hard to pirate because internet connections were too slow and the file sizes were too big. Now it is easy to find and download movies and TV shows and e-book files are so laughably small that they could be sent by dial-up connections in no time at all. In fact, it's not uncommon to see torrents of science fiction books that collect thousands of titles in one archive that could be downloaded with ease. How can book-sellers compete with that? The next few years are going to be interesting.

I am struggling through a book right now that is one of the Hugo finalists for best novel. It is Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente and this blogger's review pretty much reflects my own opinion, although  I haven't finished it yet so haven't made up my mind whether or not I like it, but I can say that I have considered abandoning it completely, which is rare for me. I mention it because I read this blogger who complained about what he perceives as the screwed-up priorities of the science fiction writing community to produce books for critics and not for people to enjoy. So far, Palimpsest fits into that category. So that brings up the question as to what makes a book worth reading or not. This Atlantic article looks at why many stories fail, and not just in science fiction. He concludes that bad fiction is a failure of imagination. I must say that the dreamworld of Valente has perhaps too much imagination. I wonder if the book qualifies as "SciFi Strange" a new sub-genre name coined by this fellow, although some comment that it's just another label for new weird. I'm so out of touch, I can't keep track of the labels people keep throwing out there. It's like every generation of writers is keen to pioneer some new strain of science fiction. It reminds me of the ridiculous labels you see in the music field. Electroclash? Wonky Pop? Say, what?  

There are plenty of blog posts listing history's most "under-rated" science fiction television shows, but this is one list that I think stands out. Not only does it list series that deserve to be on the list like Earth 2 and Max Headroom, but it has several other titles which you may have forgotten or never even heard about. And speaking of Max Headroom, the short-lived, but influential, TV series has finally been released on DVD. Does the show live up to the reputation that has been built up for it by fans over these long decades? According to this reviewer, it does. Best of all, she promises to write episode-by-episode reviews as she works her way through the boxed set. While shows like the X-Files and Batman are remembered by most science ficion fans, there are many crossover episodes which have been largely forgotten except by die-hard TV watchers. These are instances when characters from one show would appear on another. Do you remember when Millennium met the X-Files or when Batman and the Green Hornet crossed paths. Here's a list of 11 such meetings to get you running to your video collection.

Feeling crafty? Check out some outstanding science fiction papercraft sites that come courtesy of this blog. If you get too addicted to building these, you'll be sure to run out of ink cartridges for your printer before long, but don't worry, you can save up some of those carts to make even more science fiction crafts, like this artist did. Not good with your hands? How about a bit of Photoshop trickery? This tutorial will help you create your own pulp-inspired poster. That seems like something I need to promote teotu.com. Want to do something that won't use up paper and ink? How about hosting a science fiction-themed dinner party? Check out this example for some inspiration. A friend of mine did something similar ages ago and hosted a pot-luck dinner where each guest had to bring up some sort of dish that was disguised to look other-worldly. Most of it was edible, but some of it was too weird to digest, but all the dishes were original.

I've collected my share of autographs at science fiction conventions, but usually they are of authors I appreciate or want to support. I've never been interested in the bit players from famous movies or TV shows, who often charge a fee for the privilege of collecting their, most likely, worthless signature since they sign whenever and wherever they can to make a buck. This article looks at the fascinating industry of the fan convention designed to bring fans and "stars" together to facilitate the autograph transaction. More interesting is a recent Star Wtars convention that featured speed dating for con-goers. I guess a mutual love for Wookies is a good way to start a relationship. For other con news more local to me, Ottawa's Science Fiction Society is hoping to bring a convention back to that city this weekend and Toronto, already blessed with several conventions, has a new one this November called SFContario. Closer to home, Montreal's Con*Cept has been signing on guests and it looks to be a good time, as usual, although the Montreal Comic-Con is also looking interesting this year. A number of those autograph-for-hire B-list actors will be there.

It sounds like Ray Bradbury beginning to lose it. Either that or he's one of those old guys who's lawn you should keep off of. In the runup to the celebrated author's 90th birthday he gave an interview where he opined on the American government's lack of vision. Instead of fixing the nation's banking system and pulling the country out of bankruptcy and economic ruin, Washington should be sending astronauts to the moon in preparation for our colonization of Mars. Another old guy, scientist Stephen Hawking, also recently spoke of how our biggest priority is to start colonizing the stars in order for mankind to survive. They both sound like two fellow who are disappointed to not see their dreams come true in their lifetimes. Oh yes, Bradbury is also complaining that we've got too many "internets." I'm not the only who think Ray's losing it. Bradbury has also complained about Amazon's Kindle, but he's not the only one, so maybe he's not so crazy. His name was invoked in this article about some interesting technology that could make ebook readers much more useful than they are now. I think I'll go back to rememebering Bradbury and his ilk in the nostalgic days when they were at their prime, such as when they were meeting at Clifton's Cafeteria in Los Angeles, which is still a place of literary piligrimmage for some.

There may be a paucity of genre movies in theatres these days, but don't despair, there is a new crop coming in the fall and winter. Here's an exhaustive list of what to expect in the months ahead. My hopes are high for Tron: Legacy and the next Narnia movie. Another movie I would have great hope for if it wasn't just a rumour is the idea of a Quentin Tarantino directed version of the pulp hero The Shadow. I wonder if he dares take on a well-known character like that given the expectations that would surround it. Another rumour floating around in regards to possible movies is that of a Quantum Leap film. The series certainly had a following during its run on television, but it seems dated today and has sort of dropped off the radar of most fans so I wonder if a movie makes sense. Whatever we'll be watching next, I wonder how many of these films will be in 3D? Some think that the gimmick has already peaked and movie-goers have become more reluctant to shell out extra for the privilege of watching movies while wearing the special glasses needed to view the 3D effect.  

In case you needed reminding on the importance of Star Wars to popular culture, The Christian Science Monitor has come up with a list of how widespread its influence has become. This cute photo gallery of kids dressed up in Star Wars costumes is a tiny example of how persvasive its reach has become. I must admit I have pictures of my own kids in Star Wars garb, one a cute Yoda, the other a not-so-imposing Darth Vader. If you've ever wondered what sparks such devotion by Star Wars fans, this article explores the psychology of "fanboyism." It's actually about video-game fans, but I think it applies to fans of just about anything.

We don't need no stinkin' scientists! We've got Balloon Boy's dad analysing photos of the Mars rovers to prove that there is life on the Red planet. Check this video to see his startling findings: In the video he asks "Am I nuts? Am I crazy?" I don't think he should be asking that question. Spotting things in the rocks of Mars has been going on since the days of the Viking landers in the 70s. Remember the Face on Mars? That was a result of the low-resolution of that orbiter's cameras. Here are some high-resolution image of the "face" that you may not have seen. It sure doesn't look much like a face anymore. Of course, the conspiracy theorists will just say these images are more evidence that the government is trying to supress the truth. To add fuel to their paranoia, the British government recently made public some classified files that indicate Prime Minister Winston Churchill once covered-up a UFO sighting for fear it would cause public panic. The truth is out there.    

Blogging is so easy! Instead of writing something, all you have to do is create a list surrounding a specific theme. For example, here's my list of the top 6 science fiction lists I've read this week. Are you ready? 6. Top 20 Sci-Fi Monsters Perhaps a bit too heavy on the Japanese content, but a solid list of movie monsters. The only drawback is it's in video format so it's not so easy to scan the list. You have to sit through it while listening to Born to be Wild. I kid you not. 5. Top 10 Science Fiction Movies of the 1980s This list is not very accurately titled. It's actually part two of a list that actually has the top 10 sci-fi movies of the 80s and is a much better list. 4. Top 20 actors in science fiction movies Another list in video format, not my favourite way to present this kind of info. I'm not even sure if I agree with the contents. 3. 9 Sensational sci-fi ideas that came true William Gibson was right. We're living in the science fiction future. This list proves it, although I wonder if it's a chicken and egg thing. Did these things happen because someone read about them in a science fiction book and were inspired to invent it? 2. 9 Badasss Cars in Science fiction Normally we associate spaceships with science fiction, but the genre has seen it's share of cool cars. Here's a great list to refresh your memory. 1. 10 SF authors who became fictional characters This tops my list for the reason that it mentions The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, the best Canadian steampunk TV show ever!

I'm in the middle of Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl which is why this interview with him by a Boston weekly was of interest. Not much is revealed in the article other than the fact the first-time novelist is as surprised by the accolades he's receiving as anyone else is. The interviewer even listed the book as this year's Hugo winner, even though the awards won't be handed out for another few weeks. Another author who is in the running for this year's best novel Hugo is China Mieville for The City & the City. He was at Comic-Con recently and this interesting profile resulted. Someone who already has three Hugo awards to his name, although none of them for a novel, is British author Brian Aldiss. What you probably didn't know about him is that he's also a painter. He recently mounted an exhibition of his works in England. If all this talk of science fiction authors has got you into the mood for a bit of reading, here's a review from the Geek Dad blog of a new book called How to Live in a Science Fiction Universe that makes it sound like a decent read. From the title, I thought it was some sort of comedy, but it seems to be serious. For something less sober, check out this list of 50 novels for when you need a good laugh. There's even some science fiction content on the list. Finally, this newspaper has a brief roundup of SF book reviews, including praise for the 11th novel in a C.J. Cherryh series. What is the point of reviewing the 11th book of a series in a mainstream newspaper? Is someone going to say, I'd read that, but first I have to read the previous 10 books?  

Ever wondered how often lightsabers were used in the Star Wars movies? This video compiles each time the Jedi weapon is ignited in the movies, as well as each time one is turned off. The first think you will notice is that the weapon is used a lot less often in the original trilogy than the new films. Either it's because there are a heck of a lot more Jedi in the latest movies or CGI makes it that much easier to use the effect than the old days when it took more work to make something glow on the screen.

 

So who exactly is "the" sexiest woman in science fiction? No one really knows because it is completely subjective, but that hasn't stopped a variety of websites to post linkbait that ponders that very question. SciFiSizzle, a site that specializes in sci-fi cheesecake has a user-ratings system and have compiled a scoreboard than ranks all of the women it tracks. There are a number of actresses who score perfect 10 including: Grace Park, from Battlestar Galactica Jolene Blalock, from Enterprise and several others. This site nominates Denise Richards from the movie Starship Troopers: Meanwhile, UGO offers up a massive list of 75 hotties and decided to put a cartoon character on the top of its list. They put Ahsoka, although they spelled her name wrong and kind of forget that she's underage at 14, but I don't think they were thinking too hard when they made the list. Ahsoka Tano This site confined itself to TV actresses only and crowned Claudia Christian from Babylon 5: Popcrunch weighed in on the topic and offered up its list of 50 women, but selected from sci-fi and fantasy. On the top of their list is Kate Beckinsale from the movie Underworld: This blog is counting down the top 100, but they are counting backwards and have only made it to 41 so far and she's not so shabby. It's Pamela Hensley from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: You don't have to stick to famous women for a flash of flesh. The many cosplayers of Comic-Con are more than willing to pose for the photographers. This gallery features hundreds of shots for you to admire where you'll see photos of fans like this: and like this: If you don't care for costumes, then head over to New York City for the naked girls reading science fiction series. It's on hiatus now, but should be back in the fall. So who tops your list for sexiest science fiction actress of all time? It it one of the women pictured here or is it someone else?          

I think I understand now why MGM is going bankrupt. Instead of forging ahead with The Hobbit movie, or even the next James Bond film, they are instead working on an Outer Limits movie. Sure, it's a recognizable name, but what exactly do you conjure up in your mind when you think of an Outer Limits movie? I imagine it's different for everyone since the show, both the original and the later series, was an anthology show and each week's episode was completey unrelated. I am thinking it will do about as well as The Twilight Zone movie did in the 80s. I don't think I'm alone in my confusion over this decision. Thankfully, more interesting science fiction films are on the way. Here's a good list of a bunch that are coming down the pike. Further in the future are some intriguing projects from big-name directors. J.J. Abrams is working on an alternate history film based on the inspired book Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel. If it succeeds will we see a rash of steampunk movies? The Wachowski brothers are working on a science fiction film set during the Iraq war and into the near future. It's to be called CN9. It certainly sounds original. Maybe Boilerplate will make an appearance. One film that we won't be seeing is a remake of Robocop. As much as I enjoyed those films, I'm happy to see the franchise put to rest. Some science fiction films should just never be remade. I don't know if Robocop is among the list of untouchables, but I can't disagree with this list that suggests which sci-fi movies should be off-limits from future "reboots."    

Back in the spring, Canadian science fiction author William Gibson gave a speech at book expo. I stumbled upon a link to it today and thought I'd pass it on in case you hadn't seen it. He has some interesting observations about the state of science fiction, the death of the future and the direction of publishing. He even talks about the latest book he's working on. Even though his last two books were purposefully set in modern times and not science fiction, it's hard to tell the difference which was exactly his point about the death of the future. We're living in the future we've imagined all of those years ago. Another author from a different generation who is always interesting to hear from is Ray Bradbury. He, too, is labelled as a science fiction writer, but often writes outside of the genre, but slips back and forth so seamlessly that SF fans don't always notice. There is a recent book out that collects interviews with this literary lion that sound like must-reading for anyone who is a fan of the man. Almost as interesting is news that a long-slumbering musical of Bradbury's is on the way. He's written across many genres, but I never would have imagined him as the musical type. That should be interesting, to put it mildly. I'm always intrigued to hear words of wisdom from just about any author, be he or she famous, infamous or obscure. Not long ago, IO9 served up some pithy quotations from a variety of genre writers that offered advice about life. Some of them are quite good.  

If you're wondering about the next Star Trek movie, the only thing you need to know is you're going to have to wait a while. They're still working on a script, but the writers say they are making significant progress. Word is they probably won't start filming until next year so it's going to be a while before you see Star Trek 2 (or is that Star Trek XII?) in theatres. At this point, the official release date is June 29, 2012, but I'm sure that could change. William Shatner may still be sore that he wasn't in the last film, but he's moved on to another project since and that's a TV series based on the Twitter feed Shit My Dad Says. If you've ever read any of those Tweets, you know that Shatner's the perfect choice for the role. As for a Twitter feed called Shit Shat says, forget about it, he says he's got problems with electronics. If you can't wait until the new Trek movie and are tired of watching old episodes on DVD, try seeing some Star Trek in person. They've got a Trek gimmick at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex down in Florida, but this review argued that it's not so good. To wrap things up, here's a link to 14 things you didn't know about Star Trek. Unless you're a true Star Trek fan, then I'm guessing you already know a lot of them already.