The Doctor returns and, as in days of yore, he’s an older fellow and clearly alien. He finds himself in late Victorian London again, with a dinosaur, some familiar allies, and a very peculiar mystery.
Author Archives: JD DeLuzio
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (and discuss)
The sequel has arrived. Does Frank Miller’s stylized ultraviolence still work for audiences?
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The Definitive Guide to the DC Universe… For now!
And speaking of Darkseid, the Net has been awash with rumors this week that Disney will release the original Star Wars trilogy theatrical versions on Blu-Ray. It’s likely wishful thinking, but we can all revel in this new hope for now….
…at least until it gets shot down as flaming garbage:
The ISS released a garbage-filled Cygnus, which had its swan song earlier this week in earth’s atmosphere.
Loncon 3 (World Science Fiction Con 72) and Gen Con 2014, as seen by attendees, below:
2014 Hugo Awards
The 2014 Hugos have been awarded at the Seventy-second World SF Con, Loncon 3, in London, England.
Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form: Gravity.
Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form: “The Rain of Castamere, Game of Thrones.
Best Novel: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.
Best Novella: “Equoid” by Charles Stross (Tor.com).
Best Novelette: “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor.com).
Best Short Story: “The Water That Falls On You From Nowhere” by John Chu (Tor.com).
Others, after the jump….
Movie Review: “Dark Dungeons”
The ironic adaptation of Jack Chick’s 1984 comic-tract classic receives its premiere this weekend at Gen Con in Indianapolis, and can be purchased and viewed online. We review the short film here.
Movie Discussion: The Giver
Lois Lowry’s influential dystopic novel, The Giver, a middle school favorite now for twenty years, finally makes it to the big screen. Critics haven’t given it the greatest reviews, overall. Did anyone here see it? Read it? Share your thoughts.
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Robin Williams, the gifted comedian and actor who launched to fame playing a sitcom alien, has died of an apparent suicide. R.I.P.
NASA tests robotic refuelling.
They’re not quite transformers, but these MIT/Harvard-made shape-shifting robots, inspired by Origami, are amazing and inexpensive.
Predictably, Disney will be expanding its Star Wars attractions at the Disney parks.
A politician known for getting high blasts into space, and other video, below:
3-D Printable Robot
Intel announced in May that their 3-D printable robot will be available later this year, and then in June Inria Flowers Lab made one available online, with hopes for open-source involvement and modifications. This short video examines the downloadable ‘bot.
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Where no fan has gone before
Star Trek Axanar, the forthcoming fan film, has a kickstarter and a prelude movie.
Why does no one pay heed to my warning?.. When the monster Ghidrah passes, only flaming ruins are left!
Japan is recruiting air force personnel for a Space Force that will protect the earth from alien invaders space debris! Initially, they will be using telescopes and radar.
Still bitter over the Cold Fusion Debacle of ’89
NASA has tested a seemingly impossible engine that could advance space travel significantly. Results look tentatively good, though the possibility of lab error cannot be discounted yet.
There’s a rest of the world?
The Amazon still holds tribes that have had no direct contact with the modern world…
While Forbes reminds us why we need science unencumbered by politics.
Frak Santa! I want my talking raccoon!
Fans attending some premieres of The Guardians of the Galaxy were shown a slightly different film than they expected.
Leonard Nimoy Skypes, and more video, below:
HitchBOT heads out across Canada
hitchBOT, a robot with a body made from found items and the brain of a small computer, is hitchhiking across Canada as a combination art project / social experiment. The contraption, created by professors at McMaster and Ryerson Universities, can only progress by receiving rides. HitchBOT received its first life on Sunday, and its progress can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.