Foundation (Foundation Series #1)

It’s been a rough winter in the U.S., particularly if you live in the northeast—upstate New York was buried, and no one’s seen Boston for weeks. It’s time to get out of town, but then there’s the problem of navigating the hassles of winter travel. No worries: If you’re of a mind to get away from […]

Science fiction history has its share of disputes and disagreements, but there’s only one that left a plane crash, untold awards ceremony speeches, and the world’s first combination war treaty/book dedication in its wake. Today, in honor of the light-hearted tomfoolery April Fool’s Day inspires in us all, I’m taking a look at the rivalry […]

Science fiction can be a harsh mistress: what is incredibly futuristic idea today might seem quaint and ridiculous by tomorrow. The term “zeerust,” coined by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd in their delightful book The Meaning of Liff and codified by TV Tropes, is defined as, “datedness of something originally intended to seem futuristic.” In practice, it refers […]

The megacity: an urban sprawl so huge, so monolithic, that it eats up most of continent —or a planet. It’s a familiar concept in sci-fi, and has been at least since the days of Fritz Lang and his titular Metropolis. One reason the megacity remains so prevalent is simple: while it seems futuristic and exotic, the fact is, the […]