James Gunn has posted the table of contents for the premiere issue of Ad Astra magazine:

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Filmmaker Eric Solstein has uploaded the first two parts of a larger tribute to Science Fiction’s Grand Masters presented at the 2000 SFWA Nebula banquet at the installation of Brian Aldiss. There’s wonderful footage of so many SF legends, including Jack Williamson, Frederik Pohl, Isaac Asimov, James Gunn, William Tenn, Clifford D. Simak, Joe Haldeman, Philip Jos@eacute; Farmer, Norman Spinrad, Damon Knight (for whom the Grand Master Award is now named), Julie Schwartz, Gene Wolfe, Hal Clement, Poul Anderson, Samuel R. Delany, Barry Malzberg and Brian Aldiss.

There’s a longer follow-up video after the break…

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• Tim Powers confirms earlier rumors: “I can now say that Disney optioned On Stranger Tides and will use elements of the book in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.” On Stranger Tides is about a pirate named Jack who goes in search of the Fountain of Youth
• Interviews & Profiles:
  • Alethea Kontis interviews Cherie Priest, author of the fun-filled Boneshaker.
  • Agony Column podcast-interviews Nalo Hopkinson.
  • @io9: Richard K. Morgan.
  • @The Dragon Page: Robert J. Sawyer.
• Forrest J. Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland has been revived as a website. Like the magazine, the new website, Famous Monsters of Filmland “pays tribute to the monsters of old while keeping up with all things current in the world of genre.”
• Paul Di Filippo reviews new volumes by Roger Zelazny. [via Locus Online]
• Articulate stumbles upon the cool illustration of The Librarian who is made out of books, drawn by DeviantArt use amartinsdebarros.
• Listen to Louisville, KY’s 89.3 WFPL radio broadcast of The Subversive Side of Science Fiction, which features Amy Sturgis and James Gunn. [via Geekend]
• EVENT: A reading of Poe: 19 New Tales, with Editor Ellen Datlow, Gregory Frost and John Langan – Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.in the Poe Room of the Enoch Pratt Central Library in Baltimore, MD
• The Mad Hatter’s Bookshelf has a fascinating gallery that shows The Evolution of The Martian Chronicles Book Cover (1950-2009).
• Tron Guy will make an appearance in Comedy Central’s Tosh.0.
• SuperPunch points us to some cool photos of Johnny Lightning’s 1950′s Batmobile Diecast model, a post in the Batman collectors’ blog Under the Giant Penny. Cool name. Get the reference?
• Real Science: The Cassini takes really pretty pictures of Saturn. [via Stone Dead Parrot]
• Lists:
  • SciFiNow: Top five: sci-fi vehicles.
  • @SciFi Wire: The NSFW list of 30 Memorable SF Shower Scenes. [via Slice of SciFi]

• Interviews and Profiles:
  • Here’s a video interview with Charles Coleman Finlay (The Patriot Witch)
  • @Rescued By Nerds: Jeff Somers (The Eternal Prison).
  • @Fantasy Magazine: Nancy Kress.
  • BLDGBLOG interviews Jeff VanderMeer about Science Fiction and the City.
  • In 2006, Ken Hollings profiled Philip K. Dick on a radio show. The audio recording is now available. [via Boing Boing]
• On September 22 at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central, Baen author Travis S. Taylor will appear on the History Channel special, 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth . [via Baen Books]
• Ellen Datlow has posted photos of the September 16th KGB reading .
• Paul Graham Raven reviews Reading Science Fiction edited by Edited by James Gunn, Marleen S. Barr and Matthew Candelaria.
• John Scalzi Examines SciFi’s Special Extended Director’s Cuts.
• Mary Robinette Kowal says Precogs and Ray Guns Have No Place In True SciFi: “Here are some of the red flags that will let you know you’ve trespassed into the heart of science fantasy turf….”
• This Robot can jump a 25 ft. fence! Looks more like an RC car, though.
• Did you know Law Enforcement Targets come in Zombie flavor? [via Boing Boing]
• Slice of SciFi asks Are 3-D Movies a Victim of Their Own Success?
• Lists:
  • @ScifiSquad: The Top Ten Killer Sci-Fi Chicks.
  • @Innsmouth Free Press: Top 10 Female Vampires.
  • @Topless Robot: The 10 Greatest Time Travel Movies Ever.