'Annihilation' is an unsettling science fiction fever dream

Writer-director Alex Garland has said that his adaptation of Annihilation isn't a straightforward retelling of the book - instead, he's described it as "true to my subjective response to the novel."

That's a fair warning: The movie's details don't really match the book, which was written by Jeff VanderMeer. What carries over, however, is a sense of dread and unease; readers of the novel and watchers of the film will both feel a pervasive discomfort that they can't quite put their finger on.

John Carpenter's Tales of Science Fiction Vortex #4 review: delightfully disgusting body horror

The team at the mining facility is left reeling from the discovery of Sinclair, the young woman who was a part of Dixon's initial investigation team, still alive. The facility was left decompressed and vulnerable to the deathly cold of space after Dixon and Cheron escaped in the initial visit. Her survival should be impossible. Plus, there are communication problems between the mining facility and the space station.

Science in pop culture

What is first thing that you can think of about dinosaurs?

Where did you learn this information? Was it from a museum, a book, a documentary, or the internet? Or did you learn it from Jurassic Park? Maybe some other fictional depiction?

The problem with Disney trying to turn 'Star Wars' into the Marvel cinematic universe

In case you haven't figured it out yet, we're getting a whole bunch more Star Wars over the next decade. With three films down, two are already spinning up, Solo and Episode IX, and after that, a possible Obi-Wan movie, a new Rian Johnson trilogy and a series of films produced and written by Game of Thrones duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Guessing "series" there is at least three.

On top of that, Disney is cooking up a few Star Wars shows for its coming streaming service, as well.

Solo: first trailer for Star Wars spin-off finally confirmed

News of a Star Wars spin-off film focusing on Han Solo's early life was first announced a long time ago (though not in a galaxy far away). But now fans will finally be able to see the young rapscallion in action, with the long-awaited first trailer for Solo.

'Star Wars' robots wouldn't survive the real world

Beloved "Star Wars" robots wouldn't fare too well in the real-life desert, according to an analysis in the journal Science Robotics - but they may be onto something with their iconic beeping communication. The new monthly column by Texas A&M University roboticist Robin Murphy took as its first subject the beloved droids R2-D2 and BB-8, rolling robots that play a major role in "Star Wars."

'The Flash' Review: "Subject 9"

The focal point of the episode is Izzy Bowin. As with Ralph and the others DeVoe is after, she received her powers on that same bus incident. It just so happens that, as an aspiring musician, Izzy's powers would indeed be sound-based.

Her ability is that to control sound waves and fashion them as weapons. Barry and Ralph experience her power first-hand on their initial attempts to bring her into the fold. Used to being on her own, Izzy is strong-willed, fearless, and focused on making it big.

'Annihilation' is fiction, but the science 'isn't bullshit': Alex Garland's scientific accuracy explained

Doctor Adam Rutherford probably doesn't mean much to you, but if you're a fan of writer-director Alex Garland and his brand of challenging science-fiction, he should.

Garland's directorial efforts "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation" are two of the best reviewed sci-fi movies of the decade, and it turns out they owe a lot to Rutherford, a British geneticist who is Garland's trusted scientific adviser.

The ambitious project Hasbro is undertaking for Star Wars fans

Throughout its franchise history, the Star Wars saga has innovated the way that movie tie-in products are created and marketed. But at the heart of all of those efforts has always been one important and overriding factor: fan satisfaction. It's what's motivated Hasbro to create their new HasLab initiative, a platform with the die-hard collector in mind.
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'Orphan Black' creator boards 'Snowpiercer' as showrunner

Extensive background in the sci-fi genre coupled with his brilliant work behind Orphan Black made him the perfect choice for this series. He is the best conductor to navigate the thought-provoking and delicate themes of the series while bringing this frozen, futuristic world to life."

Executive producer Marty Adelstein added, "I've been a tremendous fan of Graeme's work and his creative vision aligns perfectly with shaping the Snowpiercer world for a television audience."

Best science fiction and fantasy books out this month

The Feed (Morrow), Nick Clark Windo's debut, quickly establishes this is not your typical post-apocalyptic scenario. Readers are introduced to Tom and Kate, a couple living in the very near future; they are trying to establish dominance over the Feed, technology implanted in their brains that allows them instant access to social media and the Internet.

Willis' macabre and amusing science fiction classic

How would we interact with those from the distant past?

By Yang Guo

How might one interact with people from the distant past if one were allowed to time travel there? This was the question posed by Connie Willis in her science fiction novel, The Doomsday Book. The novel is set in Oxford University, at around Christmas time, 2053.

3-D printed metal antennas are no longer science fiction

The combination of so-called additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, electromagnetic simulation and mechanical design software is enabling innovative antenna and radio-frequency components. Engineers are harnessing these tools to design, fabricate, test and manufacture lightweight, highly complex antennas and radio-frequency products.

The products are an order of magnitude smaller and lighter than what is on the market today, says an official at antenna design company Optisys LLC, West Jordan, Utah. This was not even possible five years ago, reports Michael Hollenbeck, chief technology officer and a co-founder of Optisys.

Oscars 2018: Star Wars' Mark Hamill on why he'd rather watch from home

By Lauren Turner

He's going to the Oscars for the first time in four decades - but Star Wars' Mark Hamill says he'd rather be watching the ceremony in his pyjamas.
Hamill - Luke Skywalker in the films - last attended in 1978 when Star Wars: A New Hope was up for best picture. Speaking at the Oscar Wilde Awards, where he was being honoured, he said it was "much more fun" to watch from home.

The force is strong with these new Star Wars: the Last Jedi Funko pop figures!

Funko knows the power of the Force! A second wave of Star Wars: The Last JediFunko Pop! figures are arriving soon this year, and we need them all. Whether you're on the light side or dark side, we can all agree that these Funko figures are awesome. Check them out:

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Doctor Who' unveils a new logo

This year's new season of 'Doctor Who' brings with it a new showrunner, new companions, and of course, a new Doctor. All told, it's the start of a new era for the venerable series, so what better time to introduce a new logo? And that's exactly what they've done.

Joss Whedon departs 'Batgirl' film

Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn't have a story. I'm grateful to Geoff (Johns) and Toby (Emmerich) and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I... uh, is there a sexier word for 'failed'?"

Science fiction law - still reeling: Minority Report, sixteen years later

Michigan Law Professor Nicholson Price is teaching an interesting seminar this semester merging science fiction and legal analysis. We agreed that his students should write blog posts and that I would publish the most worthy on Patently-O. The first post comes from Lauren Kimmel and is focused on stopping future crimes.

20 stellar science fiction after effects templates

We've assembled a collection of sci-fi After Effects templates most likely to induce awe and wonder and tried to pick ones that show a wide range of visual styles. 2017 was a banner year for science fiction and its popularity is at an all-time high.

More rumours about what could be the next Star Wars show

Get a brief teaser of Zachary Levi's Shazam appearance. Our first look at Terry Gilliam's long-awaited The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is finally here. Some familiar faces will be showing up in Legends of Tomorrow's season finale. Plus, more footage from Ash vs. Evil Dead's return, and new iZombie pictures. Spoilers now!

'Game of Thrones' creators developing new 'Star Wars' films

Lucasfilm has just announced that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who brought the epic world of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones to television, will write and produce a new series of Star Wars films.

These new movies will not be tied to either the ongoing Skywalker saga of the "Episodes" movies nor will they be connected to the trilogy being developed by The Last Jedi filmmaker Rian Johnson.

'Solo' trailer sells 'Star Wars story' like 'Star Trek' reboot

In what was an end to our national nightmare, we got our first look at Solo: A Star Wars Story on Sunday night with that Super Bowl commercial and then again on Monday with a 105-second trailer. The template for the initial pitch is actually pretty logical. Pop quiz (hotshot): What's another successful franchise picture from the last decade that successfully offered a younger/hipper version of an iconic pop culture character defined entirely by the original actor's performance?

Yes, I was struck by how much the first Solo trailer plays like the first two trailers to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek.

The best recent science fiction - reviews roundup

Alastair Reynolds excels at world building - his impressive backlist attests to that - but he's also a master at constructing complex technological, far-future societies peopled by fully rounded characters. In Elysium Fire (Gollancz, £14.99), the Glitter Band is a vast ring of spatial habitats orbiting the planet of Yellowstone.

New study finds thousands of alien asteroids could bring extraterrestrial life to Earth

When it comes to the potential that aliens might land on Earth, an invasion often comes to mind. Science fiction also has a place for the accidental infestation that might occur when an alien craft or asteroid crashes, though, and a new paper suggests the likelihood of this happening belongs firmly in the realm of reality.

Authors of this study estimated the capture rate of interstellar objects by means of three-body gravitational interactions to explore the implications of their model or the transfer of life by means of rocky material.

Altered Carbon may not be the cyberpunk show you're looking for

In the world of Altered Carbon, death is cheap. The human mind is digitized in a transferrable chip called a "stack," capable of being moved from body to body as necessary-or, if you've got the cash for it, as desired.

Bodies have become increasingly uncoupled from the consciousnesses that occupy them. Slang now just calls them "sleeves." The future of Altered Carbon, Netflix's new science fiction series, is one the flesh is just another kind of economy.