io9 is a newish blog-like thing with rapid-fire updates, gossip, and photos from the world of science fiction. It’s actually very cool, catering precisely to folks like me: science fiction fans who have grown up, take it semi-seriously, but like the occasional cup of snark. The writers clearly love (and are extremely intimate with) the genre and have lots of cool stuff on the blog (though they seemed to have liked the suckfest that was Pitch Black), and their insider info is impressive.
It’s actually hard to pin down their topics. They have a post on scifi t-shirts, and another on Clinton era scifi, as well as the odd science fact article or two.
All in all I really recommend it. But it’s not for the faint of heart: they update a lot. It’s can be hard to keep up; I missed a week (blogging the AAS) and came home to 140+ posts! Most are easy to scan through, but yikes. But read it if you have the time; it’s worth it.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:25 am
Been reading it since the launch! And they drop a couple astronomy posts here and there too, so it’s mighty interesting.
Unfortunately they’re the ones that drag the less amount of comments. :\
January 21st, 2008 at 9:31 am
I fear the creepy biomechanical head of doom. It look like something Invader Zim might build.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
What’s your problem with Pitch Black? I found it a very fun movie.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:23 am
Sorry, but a movie with Vin Diesel _as well as_ Claudia Black is awesome just on that account.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:24 am
Sorry, but a movie with Vin Diesel _as well as_ Claudia Black is awesome just on that account.
Offtopic: this blog SW you’re using is giving me silt when I try to properly spell my name.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:32 am
Funny… I was in Barnes & Noble a few days ago bemoaning the lack of any really good sci-fi today. Everywhere I looked was fantasy stuff, and vampires. There were rows and rows of that, and you could barely find any Clarke or Asimov.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:13 am
Their logo looks oddly like a take from Tsutomu Nihei’s works.
The Editor, Annalee Newitz is a columnist for the AlterNet. She’s kinda interesting.
And despite Pitch Black was a low budget movie…I though it was well done. Or least I really enjoyed it…despite likely some of it’s gross interpratation of science and how it works.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:15 am
Pitch Black was a very fun movie, even if the setting made no sense from an astrophysical or biological standpoint.
The sequel on the other hand… the trailer looked so mindbogglingly bad I still haven’t seen it.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
Eh, Pitch Black was ace!
Kevin, you should try the Brits. You probably know Ian Banks but people like Iain Macleod, Alastair Reynolds or China Mieville are well worth a look.
And let’s not forget Neal Asher…
January 21st, 2008 at 11:47 am
Very cool, I had the time, and i saw. I would have never learned of “The Curious Dr. Humpps” if you hadn’t posted this. Thank you, BA.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Kevin: Also take a look at Charles Stross. He’s first-rate.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Pitch Black was put together competently enough, but, seriously, was it fundamentally any different from Jason wandering around a park killing teenagers?
I’m one of the few who thought the sequel was better. Not good, but better.
Then again, I liked The Fountain, so what do I know?
January 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
A couple of days ago there was a debate over whether the Enterprise was built in orbit or on Earth. They actually have a post that tackles the topic.
January 22nd, 2008 at 7:41 am
Pitch Black would’ve sucked if it didn’t have Claudia Black in it. Personally, I find the mere presence of Claudia sufficient to offset almost any degree of suckage.