8 h. ago The best science fiction, fantasy and horror – reviews roundup

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie; The Incandescent by Emily Tesh; Land of Hope by Cate Baum; A Line You Have Traced by Roisin DunnettThe Devils by Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz, £25) Bookish Brother Diaz is stunned to be made vicar of the Chapel of Holy Expediency, whose congregation – a necromancer, a vampire, a werewolf, and an elf – are tasked with escorting a claimant to the imperial throne to her coronation. This is Suicide Squad in a sideways medieval Europe, where instead of the son of god we have a daughter, instead of a cross, a wheel, and instead of Byzantium, Troy. The worldbuilding is one of the novel’s chief pleasures, combining the familiar – crusades, religious schisms and territorial disputes – with strange and alien elements, such as the lost empire of Carthage, which built most of the world’s major cities before succumbing to its own dark magic. Against this backdrop, the sardonic crew of the Chapel make their way through a series of elaborate, violent set-pieces, barely ...

Events

1 week ago Is our universe the ultimate computer? Scientist uncovers a major clue that we're all living in a simulation

For over a quarter of a century, 'The Matrix' has fueled modern fears that life is not all it seems. But according to a scientist, the movie's premise may not be completely science fiction.

Politics

3 w. ago Netflix snaps up dystopian BBC drama dubbed 'breathtaking tour de force of television'

The science-fiction show was first aired as a limited series by the broadcaster back in 2019 and it's perfect for Black Mirror fans.

Events

3 w. ago Why resurrect the dire wolf when existing animals are facing extinction? | Martha Gill

It’s not as sensational as recreating long-dead species, but conserving modern-day fauna is far more pressingThe parable of the Mars mission: we’d rather spend trillions sending ourselves to a yet unlivable planet than look after the one we have. And swiftly on its heels, the parable of the dire wolf. We’d rather resurrect a 12,500-year-old species from the dead than save our existing wild animals. Of course we would. Recycling is boring; doing the very thing 90s science fiction movies warned us not to do is fun.We are not quite on the verge of bringing back ancient species. But last week the PR campaign for doing so began in earnest. Colossal Biosciences – a company known for trying to revive the dodo, the mammoth and the thylacine – has unveiled three large adorable white puppies, claiming it has created “the world’s first successfully de-extincted animal”: the dire wolf, made famous by Game of Thrones. It invited author George RR Martin to look; he duly burst into tears. Continue...

Politics

3 w. ago Make America make again? Trump’s tariffs will only be manufacturing pipe dreams | John Naughton

The president’s gambit to bring the production of goods such as iPhones back to the US ignores huge supply chain complexitiesDonald Trump’s tariff strategy has at least one biblical connection: like the peace of God, it “passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Rival attempts to extract a rationale from the chaos include the idea that he is trying to devalue the dollar, or that he is seeking to “reshore” the manufacturing capacity that the US lost through decades of globalisation. My own hunch is that he just wants to show who’s the big boss around here – or as British science fiction author Charles Stross puts it, that he “expects individual nations to come to him, hat in hand, like terrified shopkeepers pleading for mercy from a mafia don”.Cue the UK’s very own Trump whisperer, Keir Starmer, who, according to Politico, plans “to put a review of online safety rules on the table in trade talks” with the US. Which, translated, means that things such as the Online Safety Act and ...

Economics

4 w. ago Black Mirror’s pessimism porn won’t lead us to a better future | Louis Anslow

A new progressivism, one that embraces construction over obstruction, must find new allegories to think about technology and the futureBlack Mirror is more than science fiction – its stories about modernity have become akin to science folklore, shaping our collective view of technology and the future.Each new innovation gets an allegory: smartphones as tools for a new age caste system, robot dogs as overzealous human hunters, drones as a murderous swarm, artificial intelligence as new age necromancy, virtual reality and brain chips as seizure-inducing nightmares, to name a few. Episodes most often channel our collective anxieties about the future – or foment new ones through masterly writing, directing, casting and acting. It is a must-watch, but must we take it so seriously? Continue reading...

Politics

last month Doctor Who's return branded 'unoriginal and uninspired' as critics blast BBC for 'failing to stick the landing' ahead of weekend's premiere

The much-loved science fiction show will return for its fifteenth series on Saturday night.

Politics