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Category Archives: Sci-Fi Book News

Robopocalypse Novel

Book Review: Robopocalypse (by Daniel H. Wilson)

Nix July 28, 2012

What happens when we make our robots too smart and they develop self-awareness? Naturally they try to kill us. Anyone who has seen any amount of sci-fi movies knows that. So yeah, Daniel Wilson’s “Robopocalypse” is nothing you haven’t seen or read before. Hell, there’s an entire movie franchise called “Terminator” based entirely around this exact same premise. Nevertheless, “Robopocalypse” is still one hell of a story, and should make a fantastic movie.

Old Man's War Novel Cover

Book Review: Old Man’s War (by John Scalzi)

Nix March 13, 2011

John Scalzi’s 2005 sci-fi/war novel “Old Man’s War” made news recently when it was optioned by Paramount Studios, with director Wolfgang Petersen (“The Perfect Storm”) attached to direct. While it has shades of Joe Haldeman’s “The Forever War”, Scalzi’s novel is, for the most part, a wholly original work that will both intrigue and entertainment with its fictional, but very well-realized future. In the far future, our hero, John Perry, is 75 and retired; the love of his life, his wife Kathy, is dead, and he’s very lonely. Without much of a future left, he signs up to join the Army. Well, not really the Army, but the space army, if you will. The Colonial Defense Force, which exists entirely offworld, hidden away from Earth’s populace. Everyone knows that the CDF exists, that its singular goal is the advancement of the human species at all costs, and most important for men like Perry, the CDF have incredible technology, one of… Continue Reading »

SW-Millennium-Falcon

Giveaway: Star Wars Millennium Falcon 3D Book

Nix November 8, 2010

Who doesn’t love Star Wars? Or 3D? (Okay, I can do without every single one of my movies being turned into 3D, but that’s another gripe.) Now, books in 3D — that’s kinda cool. Thanks to the good folks behind the “Star Wars Millennium Falcon 3D” book, we have three copies of the book to give away to three lucky winners. Head on below for details. Get the keys to the most famous ship in the galaxy! Explore the Millennium Falcon layer-by-layer, from the clandestine cargo bays to the highly guarded secrets to its speed. Not to mention all the laser cannons, cockpit controls, and circuitry bays you can handle—plus expert notes on those “special modifications” from the master of the Millennium Falcon himself, Han Solo. A must-have for any Star Wars fan. How to Enter: Pretty easy. Leave a reply in the comments section below, and one week from now, on November 15, 2010, we will draw three lucky… Continue Reading »

Star Wars Millennium Falcon 3D Owner's Guide 2

Book Review: Star Wars — Millennium Falcon 3D Owner’s Guide

Joseph Savitski October 22, 2010

Remember how cool it was to be a “Star Wars” fan in the late 90′s, that gloriously heady period between 1997 and 1999? Between the special editions raking in cash hand over fist in theaters and the flood of anticipation over the new film, fans who had over a decade of famine suddenly had more than they ever dreamed of. That all vanished like the morning dew at first light when “Episode 1″ unspooled, and fandom spent the remainder of the summer taking anti-depressant and making frequent calls to the local suicide hot line. There really hasn’t been any product that captured the quicksilver sparkle of that period, but the “Millennium Falcon 3D Owner’s Manual” comes pretty close. Granted, it’s a coffee table book with no actual plot or characters to speak of. But it’s an elaborately done piece of work, creatively constructed with everything you’ll ever need to know about everyone’s favorite Corellian starship. The writing by Ryder Williams… Continue Reading »

All You Need is Kill Novel Cover

Book Review: All You Need is Kill (by Hiroshi Sakurazaka)

Nix August 28, 2010

In a lot of ways, Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s “All You Need is Kill” reminded me of John Steakley’s “Armor”, one of the very first sci-fi novels I ever picked up (completely on a whim, natch), and ended up enjoying the hell out of. There is a lot of “Armor” in “Kill”, in that both books deal with futuristic warriors in, essentially, personal “mecha” suits (in “Kill” they are called “Jackets”, but they’re essentially the same things), and the enemy is, quite literally, an alien infestation that refuses to yield, negotiate, or indeed, communicate. The difference? “All You Need is Kill’s” big detour is that it’s also a time-travel movie of sorts, a “Groundhog Day” with sci-fi war action, if you will. The first 100 pages of the novel is told from the first-person point of view of the young, fresh-out-of-high-school Keiji Kiriya, a Japanese recruit in the UDF — United Defense Force — fighting back the alien infestation known as the… Continue Reading »

David Goyer’s Heaven’s Shadow Trilogy Lands at Warner Bros.

Nix August 23, 2010

David Goyer knows a thing or two about genre writing, but he’s usually kept his talents to the big and little screens, doing everything from “Superman Returns” to the “Batman Begins” films with Christopher Nolan to producing the ill-fated “FlashForward”. Goyer’s latest (with co-writer Michael Cassut) is a new trilogy of sci-fi books, starting with “Heaven’s Shadow” in July 2011, which will be followed by two more, “Heaven’s War” and “Heaven’s Fall”. The book’s premise: The trilogy begins when an object is discovered heading for earth. Initial panic gives way to a competition between governments to be first to intercept what they believe is a breakaway meteor. What the astronauts discover leads to an encounter with alien forces that are a threat to humanity. And now Warner Bros. has snapped up Goyer’s trilogy as a possible movie franchise in a seven-figure preemptive deal. Who says there’s a recession going on? “Heaven’s Shadow” lands in print from Penguin imprint Ace Books… Continue Reading »

The Hunger Games Book Cover

Book Giveaway: Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games

Nix June 29, 2010

With Suzanne Collins’s “The Hunger Games” set to be released on paperback July 6th, and a movie version of the first book due out from Lionsgate sometime in 2011, we have five copies of the book in paperback and a $25 Visa Cash Card to give away to one Grand Prize Winner. Head on below for the details. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capital is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor to his or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capital wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rules. Sixteen-year-old… Continue Reading »

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A Celebration of Fan Love — Firefly: Still Flying Book Review

Dedpool June 7, 2010

I’m a fan of Joss Whedon’s sci-fi space western, “Firefly” and the follow up movie “Serenity,” but I am by no means a “Browncoat.” That is the preferred name for the uber fans of the franchise that, even after cancellation and a movie to tie things up, are still rabid for more. “Firefly: Still Flying” gives them what they asked for. It’s the third companion book to the series published by Titan Books, and this time is more about the experiences, and memories of the cast, crew, and writers of the beloved series. To me the show was instantly likeable. It was superbly written, wonderfully acted, and was a nice take on the sci-fi genre. It was futuristic but not so far way from where we are and where we’re headed. It was smart, funny, and most of all fun. And the characters, I mean what’s not to love about Mal, Zoe, Wash Jayne, and the rest of the crew… Continue Reading »

Trailer For Stephen King’s Under The Dome

endymi0n November 2, 2009

Stephen King isn’t a good Sci-Fi writer, he’s a great Sci-Fi writer. In what I’m hoping will be a fantastic return to his epic and massive early “The Stand” period, we will soon be enjoying “Under The Dome”, a story of a small Maine town that gets bubbled by forces unknown. The bigger Steve’s books get the better they get. For Stephen King to do his best work requires him to get really excited and over the top. “Under The Dome” will be 1088 pages and is going to be a great and juicy read. Book trailers seem to the latest marketing thing and I have to say I like them. It can be useful in visualizing what you’re in for or pushing you over into Amazon or Barnes if you’re on the fence. Here’s the book trailer for Dome, enjoy.

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Book Review: Under the Dome by Stephen King

Joseph Savitski October 16, 2009

The town of Chester’s Mill, ME is changed forever on October 21st, when an invisible force field materializes to quarantine it from the rest of humanity. Not truly a dome as the title suggests, the mysterious barrier is more like a capsule that fits exactly over the town’s borders. The “dome” is 47,000 feet high, and extends far below the town as well. Pollutants begin to gather on the barrier, eventually giving it the look of a dirty windshield as the story progresses. Near its base, the “dome” emits a low level electronic frequency that gives anyone with a pacemaker a nasty surprise when it explodes in their chest. The barrier is as strong as it is thorough, it can withstand aircraft and cars collisions; rifle shots and cruise missiles tipped with bunker buster warheads are equally ineffective. The military forms a perimeter around Chester Mills, and further cuts off the town from the rest of the world by shutting… Continue Reading »

Stephen King’s Under The Dome Cover Art

endymi0n September 21, 2009

If you are like me and dream of someday stalking Mr. King until, desperate to expunge his nightmares of my torment he is forced to write a book about me, then you too are eagerly awaiting his soon to be bitchin new novel “Under The Dome”. Under The Dome will be, I am told from excellent sources (gophers) a ridiculously awesome story of a town rendered isolated by a giant dome of crazy Sci-Fi origins. Inside are the usual frightened small town group of folks Mr. King writes about so well. The book is going to be huge and stressy, along the lines of The Stand. A book that really floated my boat. I look to Under The Dome for further boat floatage. Steve has been kind of aiming his pitches lately, he needs to get back to basics and for him that means, epic, weird and long. I am the faithful reader ladies and gentleman of the Sci-Fi community,… Continue Reading »

Nerd Read: Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction

Basil Murad August 30, 2009

Hello nerds, geeks and poindexters of the world. Hold on to your pocket protector and thick rimmed glasses held together with tape because there is cause to rejoice. In case you didn’t know already, Oxford University Press release the first ever science fiction dictionary entitled Brave New Words in April of this year. The first thing that hits you is the title and how it is in itself a clever play on words. Lovely. Here are some of the features; * First citation-based dictionary of science fiction terms * The first historical dictionary devoted entirely to science fiction, illustrating the significant effect that the language of science fiction has had on the English language as a whole * Each entry includes both definitions and extensive historical citations of the word’s usage * The New England Science Fiction Association has provided editorial oversight through an advisory board * Contents include more than 3,000 terms, short notes about groups of related terms,… Continue Reading »

Starlog the Magazine Shuts Down, Goes Exclusively Online

Nix April 13, 2009

I was never one of those guys who devoured sci-fi magazines like a fat kid and cake, so I can’t really say I’m all that bothered by this news that sci-fi magazine Starlog has decided to cease publication of its print version and will instead go exclusively online. Hey, why not join the party, right? But I’m sure this will be a disappointing to those of you who have read the magazine through the years. Here’s the news from Starlog itself earlier last week: STARLOG.com has relaunched in beta! As a part of our massive digital initiative, STARLOG.com has returned to the web to bring you the best original content pertaining to the worlds of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Comic Entertainment. With daily news, reviews, features, and more, STARLOG.com is your home for sci-fi on the web. In addition, our new Digital store (launching next month), available on our network of online sites including STARLOG and FANGORIA, will soon feature beautifully… Continue Reading »

Stephen King’s Next Sci-Fi Epic “Under The Dome”

endymi0n April 9, 2009

Let me preface this post with the following warning. I am a huge fan of Stephen King. I grew up with his books, reading many of them many times. I think I learned a great deal about how to be a better man from the voyages into the weird that I followed him on. Though the subject matter might have disturbed my grandmother, it was Mr. King’s descriptions of small town life and practical guy ethics that juiced the overhead light-bulb for me. Mr. King has written some great science fiction. The Stand is the best post apocalyptic novel of all time in my estimation and Tommyknockers is among the very best close encounters books ever. According to Stephen’s website, we are about to be treated to another epic. Here’s the official synopsis direct from his official site. On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mills, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest… Continue Reading »

Your Post Apocalyptic Reading List

endymi0n March 26, 2009

There’s nothing tastier for the hardened Sci-Fi lover than a bracing dose of Apocalyptic literature. For me and my inner nerd, these books occupy the dual roles of entertainment and potential skill training. Like nerds everywhere, I am always on the watch for the Not-Known. If you can’t be handsome, you might as well be handy. Handy requires a nerd to be attentive to his or her due diligence with respect to studying many things post Apocalyptic. With your best interests and education in mind, please find below your reading lists for your brain hemispheres labeled fun or functionality. The first link is a super comprehensive listing that goes back all the way to 1885. The second link reviews 4 newer guides to a myriad of fictional doomsday scenarios. Will there be a test? If a Nerd isn’t ready, who will be? Big Bad List Of The Apocalypse Recent Visions of Doom

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