Space oddities: why the Futurama reboot went from sci-fi to sci-why

The show was axed and remade, moving to Comedy Central and leaving its comedic legacy behindMatt Groening could do no wrong in 1999. The Simpsons was still both witty and money-spinning, and he could get any project he wanted greenlit – even a sci-fi comedy cartoon called Futurama. The show began with New Year’s Eve 1999, when disillusioned pizza delivery boy Philip J Fry fell into a cryogenic vat, only to awaken 1,000 years later in “the world of tomorrow!”. His excitement at his new life was tempered by finding out everyone in the future has a career assigned by the government, and his job was to be a delivery boy for Planet Express – motto: “Our crew is replaceable, your package isn’t!”On board the Planet Express spaceship with the immature and slovenly Fry were cyclops orphan Leela, drunken robot Bender, clumsy intern Amy and incompetent alien medical lobster Dr Zoidberg: a crew of misfits seemingly designed to connect directly to the types of misfits who watch cartoon science fiction. Every mission was an adventure, whether it be discovering a parallel universe in a cardboard box or battling parasites in Fry’s bowels. Present-day celebrities made cameos as preserved heads in jars, which was a lot more satisfying than how The Simpsons handled them. Everyone from Stephen Hawking (“That physicist who invented gravity”) to Al Gore (“Inventor of the internet”) was willing to be decapitated to appear on the funniest show on TV. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-06-10 12:00:09 UTC ]
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Virtual Sci-Fi Book Festival Makes Backlist Sexy Again

Sam Missingham explains how HarperCollins UK's recent Virtual Sci-fi Festival leveraged new platforms to connect backlist authors with new readers. The post Virtual Sci-Fi Book Festival Makes Backlist Sexy Again appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vice Launching Sci-Fi Site

Terraform, Brooklyn-based Vice Media Group's first standalone literary platform, will be dedicated to original pieces of science fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction


HC and BFI to hold virtual sci-fi festival

HarperCollins and the BFI are collaborating to hold a virtual sci-fi festival on 15th and 16th November.   The festival will take place as part of the BFI’s three month celebration of sci-fi, "Days of Fear and Wonder", which takes place at BFI Southbank and venues across the UK until... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ann Leckie wins top sci-fi award for debut novel 'Ancillary Justice'

'Ancillary Justice' is the first novel ever to win the science fiction 'triple crown' – the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Arthur C. Clarke awards – all in the same year. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Humble Bundle, Open Road Launch Sci-Fi Bundle

The pay-what-you-wish digital bundle includes sci-fi autbors Greg Bear, Barbara Hambly and, to mark the 45th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing, a novel by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder Children’s launches e-only sci-fi classics list

Hodder Children’s Books plans to reach new audiences with HodderSilver, a digital-only list... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sci-Fi in China Gains Credibility After Moon Rover Landing

Perhaps it was the result of China landing a spacecraft on the moon, but 2013 was a banner year for science fiction writing in China, says The Daily Beast. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #banner year #daily beast


'The Martian': Author Andy Weir discusses his new sci-fi novel

Weir's debut novel is experiencing good sales and is receiving praise for the scientific detail involved in his tale of an astronaut stranded on Mars. The author says he was inspired by the movie 'Apollo 13,' where it's 'man versus nature... it's all of us against the physical world.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Sci Fi, Fantasy Imprint Gets Name, Logo

The newly dubbed Saga Press will be headed up by Justin Chanda as publisher, working with executive editor Joe Monti and editor Navah Wolfe. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperVoyager signs up sci-fi debut

HarperVoyager has signed world English rights to two sci-fi/fantasy novels from debut author... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Big Publishers Think Genre Fiction Like Sci-Fi Is the Future of E-Books

The future of book publishing is increasingly digital -- and increasingly tilted towards genre fiction.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2013-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Building a Sci-Fi and Fantasy Publishing House from Scratch

Science fiction and fantasy publisher Angry Robot, part of the Osprey Group, is the creation of one man and many minds working in tandem across the UK and the Atlantic. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction #osprey group


New York bookshop launches rescue mission to digitize out-of-print sci-fi titles

Singularity & Co aims to rescue near-extinct 20th century sci-fi titles to ensure they still exist in the next one. Established from a Kickstarter campaign, the small team has already digitized and published A Plunge Into Space and The Torch, both with new cover art, while its third title... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cover art #ars technica #reviving interest #email thiscomments


Sci-fi author Harry Harrison dies

American science fiction writer Harry Harrison, best known for The Stainless Steel Rat and the book that inspired Charlton Heston's classic film Soylent Green, has died aged 87. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Rights Managment to be dropped by Tor and other Macmillan sci-fi books

Digital Rights Management software was originally meant to restrict pirating of ebooks, but many complain because of the restrictions it places on users. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paolini eyes sci-fi for next venture

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Thu, 10/11/2011 - 09:00 Christopher Paolini is likely to turn his hand to science fiction for his next work, as the final book in his epic Inheritance Cycle series is published this week. The series has sold 4.5m in export and UK sales, including... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Full-metal dust jackets and wi-fi in uni's space-age library

WHILE many university libraries are tossing out books that haven't been borrowed for a while, Macquarie University has unveiled a completely new library with a revolutionary storage and retrieval system, and a new design adapted to the demands of modern students. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2011-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gollancz opens sci-fi Gateway to ebooks

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 20/07/2011 - 15:00 Thousands of out of print science-fiction titles will be available digitally, after Gollancz launched the world's largest science-fiction and fantasy library, the SF Gateway. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's Complicated review – 'online space is teenagers' only public space'

This study of teenagers' social networking habits shows that's it's not technology they are 'addicted' to – it's friendship groupsForget the revelations about the NSA: one group in society has been living with surveillance for years. A group whose every move is tracked, whose freedom of movement... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Climate Fiction Author Sarah Ruiz-Grossman’s Favorite Cli-Fi Books

This Earth Day, settle into "A Fire So Wild," Sarah Ruiz-Grossman's debut novel about the societal impacts of climate change. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2024-04-05 09:45:24 UTC ]
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