[SF/F/H Link Post] A.I. Anxiety; Star Wars Passes $1 Billion Mark at Box Office; Steampunk 101

Interviews & Profiles

• BlogCritic interviews Russell James, author of Q Island.
• Examiner interviews Kipjo K. Ewers, author of EVO UPRISING.
• LivinLavidaLatina interviews Inejiro Koizumi, author of This Little Piggy.
• Space.com interviews James S. A. Corey, author of The Expanse.

News

• Disneyland Is Making Room for Star Wars Rides, hopefully Ewok-themed.
• Star Wars Becomes Fastest to Pass $1 Billion at Box Office.
• Used-book stores continue to thrive despite (and because of) Amazon.

Events & Event News

• Writer/artist Shane Davis (Superman: Earth One) appears at Third Eye Comics in Annapolis, MD on Saturday, January 16, 2016 from 11:00 AM till 1:00 PM to celebrate the launch of AXCEND! RSVP on Facebook
• Writer Gregg Hurwitz (The Dark Knight, Moon Knight) appears at Barnes & Noble in San Jose, CA on Wednesday January 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM to sign his new thriller Orphan X!

Crowd Funding

• Mechcraft – A teen with a dark secret in his DNA. Fringe Nanotechnology unleashed. Shadow government factions. A sinister enemy. And the struggle for a godlike power. The Matrix meets Harry Potter in this fast-paced sci-fi thriller.
• Time Fragility (Time Riven Series: Volume 2) – I want to publish the second book in the Time Riven series. In Volume 2, Daniel Macon races to stop a time-based attack.
• The Zarien Syndrome – A sci-fi novel – A science-fiction novel. Travel to a world beyond the four elements of life.

Articles

• Book Review: Paul Di Filippo reviews The Thing Itself by Adam Roberts.
• Movie Review: J.J. Abrams Awakens the Force.
• The A.I. anxiety: Big-name scientists worry that runaway artificial intelligence could pose a threat to humanity. Are we fully in control of our technology?
• Abaddon goes Shakespearean with Monstrous Little Voices.
• Doctor Who’s Most Controversial Character Just Got Even More Confounding.
• First Order’s Star Destroyer May Have Larger Ramifications on Star Wars Universe.
• Here are the only Star Wars Books considered canon: Weep for your wasted youth.
• Here’s How Captain Phasma Got Her Silver Armor.
• iHorror on 10 Horror Movies To Get Excited For In 2016.
• A Little Post-Doctor Who Christmas Special Gift: The Life Of River Song In Order.
• The Nerdist picks their 8 Favorite Star Wars Background Characters.
• Reading Recommendation from Brenda Cooper: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson.
• Screen Rant picks the 12 Best Movie Remakes of All Time.
• Screen Rant on the 15 Most Anticipated Horror Movies of 2016.
• Sir Terry Pratchett remembered by his daughter, Rhianna Pratchett.
• Star Wars 7: Knights of Ren Mystery Solved – By Ewoks? Star Wars fans are still wondering what to make of the Knights of Ren – but we have one tragic theory…
• The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Guide to Good Franchise Marketing.
• Steampunk 101: From Sci-Fi Sub-genre to Cultural Phenomenon. (Via)
• Transhumanists as “Overlords” – thoughts on the TV adaptation of Childhood’s End.
• We can program you to live forever: The Register Winter Lectures, 2015.
• Will Barnes And Noble Save Itself By Selling Alcohol? A better question would be does Gaiman pair better with a Cabernet or a Zinfandel?

Art

• An Artist Painted Incredible Tiny STAR WARS Portraits on Pumpkin Seeds.
• Concept Art Imagines DUNE as an Animated Film.
• Go To Mars With These Fantastic Scenes From Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars.

More Fun Stuff

• 15 Best Trailers for Movies in 2016.
• Here’s How Complicated It Is To Don A Kylo Ren Costume.
• A Journey into Sound: The Origins of 25 Classic Sound Effects.
• Star Wars Fan Spends A Year Building The Best LEGO Millennium Falcon Ever.
• The Walter Day Collection: Commemorating the history and culture of the science fiction genre as found in art, film, and literature.
• Watch a teaser for ORPHAN BLACK Season 4.
• Watch a trailer for Legends of Tomorrow at it Goes Full Guardians of the Galaxy.