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Hello, my little nerdbots! In today’s round-up of recent sci-fi and fantasy links, we’re going to talk about The Neverending Story, computer simulations, Bill Paxton’s sci-fi on-screen deaths, and more!
“All Empires Fall. It is Up to Us to Imagine Their Alternatives.”: On Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story
The amazing Sarah McCarry took the time to revisit the book behind the 1980s movie that traumatized Generation X (“Artax, you’re sinking!”) and shared her thoughts on grief, sadness, and the Nothing. “All empires fall. It is up to us to imagine their alternatives. To live as though the future we are dreaming is already named.” I didn’t know that The Neverending Story was based on a book when I was a kid, because if a book wasn’t on the shelves at our town library, I pretty much didn’t know it existed. But the movie was on HBO a bazillion times a month, and no matter how many times I watched it, I could never understand what Bastian yells into the storm at the end. Ah, the days before the internet. (Free idea: Decorate your home in fuzzy fake white fur and call it Falcore.)
Bill Paxton’s Singular Sci-Fi Movie Honor
Spoilers for decades-old sci-fi films ahead! The late Bill Paxton was in so many memorable movies over his long career, including Weird Science, Twister, Tombstone, True Lies, Apollo 13, and Titanic. He was in so! many! things! and he was always great. Totally random statistics and trivia are one of my favorite things, and this post by film critic Witney Seibold is right in my wheelhouse. He figured out that Paxton is the only actor to have the honor of being killed off in these three huge sci-fi films: Aliens, Predator, and The Terminator.
10 Best Dystopian Sci-Fi TV Shows
The trailer for the second season of Severance recently dropped, which means I will have to go back and watch the first season because it has been so long since I watched it. And on the heels of the news of the second season, ScreenRant made a list of the 10 best dystopian sci-fi shows, which includes Severance. None of these are a surprise, but the list may remind you that you have always meant to watch some of them. I have only seen two of them (Station Eleven and Severance), plus some episodes of Black Mirror, but I really want to check out the number-one pick.
Juno Dawson Has Got Your Goat and Get Ready for More Megan Giddings
And last, but not least, exciting news from two Book Riot favorites! Juno Dawson recently shared the cover for Human Rites, the final book in the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven speculative fantasy trilogy. (Related: If you want to read a fantastic queer book with a goat on the cover that is available now, make sure you get Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash.) And Megan Giddings, author of Lakewood and The Women Could Fly, has two new books headed our way, one of which is a collection of stories! Also, ICYM, she gave a really great interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2022.
Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the BR podcast All the Books! and on Instagram.
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