Latest news with #scienceFiction
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror
Here and Beyond by Hal LaCroix (Bloomsbury, £16.99)The only realistic way human beings could colonise planets beyond our solar system is if they spent their lives travelling and committed their children and grandchildren to the same fate, so their descendants might have a chance to reach another habitable world. Writers who have taken this fictional challenge, including Robert A Heinlein and Brian Aldiss, have assumed civilisational breakdowns would result, with the survivors coming to believe their ship is the only world there ever was. The author of this brilliant, character-driven debut novel has taken a more optimistic view. On Earthworld, success was measured in terms of expansion and exploitation, but on Shipworld, survival depends on preservation, recycling and austerity. During 360 years of travel to planet HD-40307g, the descendants of the original 600 pioneers never lose sight of the distant goal, along the way meeting unexpected challenges, setbacks and tragedies, but also innovations, insights and moments of joy. It's an imaginative journey that's absorbing, thoughtful and deeply humane. One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford (Tor, £22)In a post-zombie pandemic London, Kesta is a scientist working on a project dedicated to finding a vaccine against the virus that turned so many into bloodthirsty monsters. She is especially driven because her husband, Tim, was one of the last people to be infected. But unknown to anyone else, Tim is still alive: tied to a bed in Kesta's flat, drugged into docility while she tries everything she can think of to cure him. There's enough real science behind the theories of how the disease works to make for a fresh and convincing take on the zombie theme, but this debut novel is especially strong as a gripping, sometimes darkly funny depiction of the grotesque lengths to which love might drive someone in refusing to accept an inevitable end. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz (Vintage, £16.99)Originally published in French in 1995, this short, mysterious novel has recently gained a wide and ardent readership, leading to this new edition. Forty women are kept in a cage underground, where the light and temperature never vary, and time is hard to measure. A changing team of three male guards enforce the rules – no talking to the guards, no physical contact between the prisoners – and provide the bare essentials of food, water and clothing. The nameless narrator is the youngest, called 'Child' by the others, and has no memories of life before the cage; the older women remember families, lovers, work and home life but not how or why they were imprisoned. When they finally have the chance to escape, they emerge into a strange, barren landscape. Are they on Earth, after a nuclear holocaust, or transported to another world? They wander, gather supplies and build new homes. Readers expecting answers may be disappointed. There are a few suggestive clues, but the narrator's experiences and reflections are more than enough to make this a strangely haunting and memorable tale. The Reaper by Jackson P Brown (Del Rey, £16.99)Amy is a young Londoner whose empathic powers, inherited through her Jamaican grandmother, enable her not only to feel the emotions of others, but to recognise the auras of beings who come out at night: vampires, werewolves, wraiths, witches and mages. She encounters the 'Grim Reaper' – Gerald, a handsome young man with skeletal, death-dealing hands who works as an assassin for hire. Amy is so tempted by the chance to learn more about the Downers (so-called because their world is 'downstairs' from London) that she agrees to team up with Gerald and use her powers to track down his victims. The logic behind this unlikely empath-assassin partnership is shaky, and while contemporary London is vividly evoked, the Downer world is made up of too many hand-me-downs from other urban fantasies. Yet Gerald and Amy are interestingly complex characters, and with the slow growth of their tentative relationship this is an engaging and promising debut.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Gosling in Space: All About ‘Project Hail Mary,' Sci-Fi Adaptation
If you've ever been on BookTok (book TikTok), then you've probably heard of the wildly popular science fiction book Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Currently, it has over 800,000 ratings on Goodreads and even won the app's highly coveted Readers' Favorite Science Fiction Award back in 2021. Given all this success, it makes total sense that it's being turned into a movie, starring none other than Oscar-nominated actor Ryan Gosling as astronaut Ryland Grace. But what exactly is it going to be about? And when will the Project Hail Mary movie be released? We have all of that must-know information and more below. Project Hail Mary was originally published in May 2021 by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It follows an astronaut named Ryland Grace, who is the sole survivor of a desperate mission to stop humanity and Earth from perishing. The only problem? One day, he wakes up and doesn't know who he is or what his mission is. Desperate to figure it out, Ryland soon embarks on a mission to figure out what happened and how it could help him save everyone and everything. 'Ryland Grace, it's not a story of him trying to survive. It's much more about finding a way to solve this problem that has afflicted our sun,' Weir, the author of both Project Hail Mary and The Martian, turned into a movie in 2015 starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott, told Penguin Random House. 'I am very aware of the similarities between The Martian and Project Hail Mary. We have an isolated scientist far from Earth, doing a lot of problem solving, but I didn't want to have a re-run of any of the stuff from The Martian, so the problems that Ryland faces are completely different." 'For instance, he's got plenty of food. He's fine on the food and, with a few very minor exceptions, his ship works correctly. All of his equipment works, never breaks down and does what it's supposed to, because unlike Mark, who is stranded on Mars using equipment that's supposed to last for 30 days and has to live there for two years, Grace is on a ship that was made for this purpose.' Shortly after the book was released, it was announced that Project Hail Mary would be turned into a movie by MGM studios with Gosling (The Notebook and Barbie) set to take on the role of Ryland. The film will also star Sandra Hüller (Toni Erdmann and Anatomy of a Fall). It will be directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who previously collaborated as filmmakers on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), and written by Drew Goddard, who also wrote the screenplay for The Martian in 2015. Weir is expected to work on the film as a producer. 'It's an insanely ambitious story that's massive in scope, and it seemed really hard to make, and that's kind of our bag,' Gosling said about the film at CinemaCon, per Variety. 'This is why we go to the movies, and I'm not just saying it because I'm in it. I'm also saying it because I'm a producer on the film.' Project Hail Mary is coming to theaters on March 20, 2026, and you can watch the official trailer for it below! For more entertainment news, keep scrolling! 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Trailer and Dates Are Here—and It's Going To Be an Epic Final Ride 'Wicked: For Good' Trailer Details You Might've Missed—Like That Glinda Wedding Scene! 'Maxton Hall' Season 3 Is Official! Cast, Plot, Release Details and All the Behind-the-Scenes Drama
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jurassic Park And The Negative Perception Of Lawyers
The lawyer is the first to succumb to the terror of the T-Rex. On July 2, 2025, Universal Pictures Released 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' Another In A Series Of Science Fiction Movies Based On Michael Crichton's Novel. Known as the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, seven movies have been produced that focus on the regeneration of dinosaurs. Previous movies in the franchise had grossed $6 billion. Capitalizing on the franchise's historical success, Universal had projected that 'Jurassic World Rebirth' would be equally profitable. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' similar to its predecessors, focuses on the miracles of science bringing back extinct dinosaurs and the ethical considerations of exploiting these creatures that struggle for existence in a 21st-century world. The technology of regeneration utilizing DNA brings mixed if not tragic results. The dinosaurs revert to instinct and viciously attack humans, thereby creating chilling suspense for audiences. While opinions vary, the most probative movie of the Jurassic series has been the original, 'Jurassic Park.' With a stellar cast that includes Sir Richard Attenborough, this original film explores the rationale behind bringing these creatures back into existence. The movie also exposes the confluence of human curiosity, commercialism, and the ethics associated with forcing these long extinct creatures to function in a modern world. The first spellbinding scene in the original 'Jurassic Park' features a Tyrannosaurus Rex, commonly referred to as 'T-Rex,' pursuing a Jeep containing four actors. One of the actors portrays a lawyer who has been hired to facilitate the establishment of a park that displays these creatures to the public. The scene of the T-Rex chasing the Jeep becomes particularly memorable because it is the first in which humans are victimized by a dinosaur. In a moment that is almost cliché, the lawyer is the first to succumb to the terror of the T-Rex. Immediately after the dinosaur devours the lawyer, audiences in the theaters cheer uproariously. In many ways, the scene of the lawyer meeting his demise in 'Jurassic Park' underscores a menancing problem for the legal profession. Society has stubbornly clung to a social construct that lawyers tend to be unscrupulous, sometimes to the point of being predatory. This perception has spawned much humor. Lawyer jokes remain pervasive, with many lawyers themselves enjoying what they consider to be meaningless tropes. The negative perception of lawyers constitutes a lingering problem for both the profession and society at large. In a modern society in which the rule of law has increasing significance, those who practice law become the vanguards of legal stability and democracy itself. The image of the 'shyster lawyer' however, describes only a minuscule of those in the profession. In fact, many lawyers engage in practices that assist both clients and individuals who cannot afford counsel. More than 500 years ago, Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England in the 16th century, espoused that lawyers have an ethical obligation to discover ways to uplift the societies in which they live. Today, many lawyers comply with More's mandate. Pro bono, which connotes free legal services, has become a universal imperative in the profession. Many bar associations promote pro bono engagement and reward lawyers who devote significant hours to voluntary service. Major law firms attract young lawyers through their sponsorship of pro bono initiatives, many of which have become key facets of their practices. One heartwarming case of altruism in the legal profession centers on the law firm of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Years ago, Kilpatrick adopted Cook Elementary School, an inner-city elementary school in Winston-Salem. Lawyers in the firm voluntarily mentor students. The firm also invites students to programs that acquaint them with the profession as well as provide guidance relevant to social etiquette and academic studies. The results have been profound. Cook Elementary has experienced improved test scores. Perhaps equally noteworthy has been the effect that the firm's efforts have had on the students themselves. Many have expressed how meaningful their experiences with the Kilpatrick attorneys have been with others now aspiring to do what it takes to succeed. Other lawyers nationwide have devoted countless hours to pro bono activities. The bar associations in most states encourage lawyers in their districts to provide free legal services and often trumpet the good deeds of lawyers in their jurisdictions. Lawyers, similar to professionals in other disciplines, have committed their share of transgressions. Any profession may have individuals who act opportunistically and violate rules of professional responsibility. Most professions, and in particular the legal profession, self-regulate with a plethora of ethical rules and sanctions when those rules are violated. Violations of lawyers' rules of professional responsibility often come with penalties ranging from reprimands to expulsion or debarment. To ensure public confidence in the justice system, the legal profession must augment its regulatory function with a concerted and deliberate effort to educate the public about the salience of lawyers in a modern democracy. This educative strategy should include highlighting the many ways that lawyers selflessly give back to their communities. If the legal profession accepts the charge of heralding the good deeds of lawyers, public perception of lawyers could improve and reinforce the efficacy of the justice system. Perhaps then, when audiences witness the demise of a lawyer in an entertainment medium, their reaction may be more reflective of sympathy rather than satisfying delight.
Digital Trends
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Ryan Gosling soars into space to save the world in Project Hail Mary trailer
In the official trailer for Project Hail Mary, Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) makes one thing clear: He is not an astronaut. Yet this middle school science teacher is humanity's only hope. The sun is dying, and because of Grace's background in molecular biology, he might be 'the only scientist' who can save Earth. Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) recruits Grace to join Project Hail Mary, a mission to explore a star 11.9 light-years away that could provide the answers humanity needs to ensure its survival. 'If we do nothing, everything on this planet will go extinct,' Stratt tells Grace. Set to Sign of the Times by Harry Styles, the trailer features Grace waking up from his coma in space. Eventually, he remembers his mission and forges on. Along the way, Grace even encounters an alien. Project Hail Mary is not Gosling's first time playing an astronaut. The multi-time Academy Award nominee played Neil Armstrong in Damien Chazelle's First Man. Project Hail Mary also stars Milana Vayntrub and The Bear's Lionel Boyce. Project Hail Mary is based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir. If Project Hail Mary gives off similar vibes to The Martian, that's because Weir also wrote the latter. The Martian was adapted into a 2015 feature film starring Matt Damon. Directed by Ridley Scott, The Martian was a giant success, grossing over $630 million worldwide and garnering seven Oscar nominations. From Academy Award® winning filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller comes #ProjectHailMary, starring Academy Award® nominee Ryan Gosling. Only in theaters and IMAX – 3.20.26 — Project Hail Mary (@projecthailmary) June 30, 2025 Phil Lord and Christopher Miller helm Project Hail Mary, their first directed feature since 22 Jump Street. Lord and Miller have been working mostly in animation for the last decade, most famously on the Spider-Verse trilogy. Lord and Miller won Oscars for producing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Drew Goddard, who received an Oscar nomination for writing The Martian, wrote the Project Hail Mary script. Project Hail Mary opens in theaters and IMAX on March 20, 2026.
Associated Press
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Sam Sammane Named Finalist in 2025 American Fiction Awards for Sci-Fi Mystery 'Republic of Mars'
Sam Sammane's Republic of Mars named finalist in the 2025 American Fiction Awards, marking his first major fiction honor after a string of nonfiction accolades. 'Fiction lets us ask questions without forcing answers. I'm grateful Republic of Mars resonated enough to be recognized—especially in a category that values deep ideas.'— Dr. Sam Sammane, bestselling author of Republic of Mars ANAHEIM, CA, UNITED STATES, June 18, 2025 / / -- Dr. Sam Sammane has been named a finalist in the Science Fiction: Post-Apocalyptic category at the 2025 American Fiction Awards, hosted by American Book Fest. The honor highlights Republic of Mars, Sammane's most recent publication and first foray into fiction after receiving multiple recognitions for his nonfiction debut. American Fiction Awards Recognizes Literary Innovation Now in its eighth year, the American Fiction Awards recognizes excellence in literature across independent, hybrid, and mainstream publishing. Judged by a panel of editors, writers, and publishing professionals, the program celebrates both genre innovation and literary merit. Finalists were selected from a wide range of entries spanning traditional storytelling and emerging themes. A Psychological Mystery Set on Mars Republic of Mars, released in May 2025, has been described as a psychological mystery set on a self-sustaining Martian colony where societal stability conceals deeper questions about autonomy, memory, and control. Distinct from the typical tropes of interplanetary warfare or survivalist fiction, the novel approaches science fiction through philosophical restraint—raising questions not through spectacle, but through silence. In a society where everything works and no one remembers why, the story unfolds with quiet unease. Commercial Success Meets Critical Recognition The novel was an early commercial success, quickly reaching #1 on Amazon in both the Mystery & Detective – New Releases and Solar System – Best Sellers categories. It has since drawn attention for its thought-provoking narrative structure and thematic continuity with Sammane's earlier nonfiction work. From Philosophy to Fiction While this marks Sammane's first fiction recognition, it follows a series of literary honors for The Singularity of Hope: Humanity's Role in an AI-Dominated Future. His nonfiction debut—published in 2024—has been recognized across several categories including history, education, and inspirational literature. Among its accolades are awards from Literary Global, PenCraft, American Book Fest, and the International Impact Book Awards. The book continues to gain attention for its interdisciplinary approach to artificial intelligence and human agency, offering a philosophical counterbalance to polarized tech discourse. A Continuation of Core Themes In The Singularity of Hope, Sammane argued that the future of AI is not about the machines themselves, but about the human decisions that shape their purpose. That human-centered framework carries into Republic of Mars, albeit in a different format. Where the earlier book posed its questions through systems theory and historical reflection, the new novel imagines a future where those very questions have stopped being asked—because memory itself has been quietly erased. Author, Technologist, and Systems Thinker Dr. Sammane's transition from nonfiction to fiction reflects a broader thematic throughline: both works explore how systems—technological, social, or political—can influence identity, belief, and decision-making. Rather than warning of dystopia through obvious oppression, Republic of Mars examines what happens when control becomes indistinguishable from convenience. A systems thinker by background, Sammane is also the founder and CEO of TheoSym, a California-based company focused on the ethical application of AI and Human-AI Augmentation (HAIA). His work, both literary and technological, centers on a core premise: that human dignity must remain the anchor in a world increasingly structured by algorithms and efficiency. His writings have been cited in academic publications, business discussions, and policy frameworks exploring how emerging technologies intersect with timeless human questions. A Career Rooted in Ethics and Education Sammane's educational background includes advanced degrees in Applied Physics and Nanotechnology. He has held leadership positions in engineering and systems design, and remains an active voice in conversations around innovation and ethics. He is also engaged in philanthropy, particularly initiatives that support STEM education and the development of human-centric technologies. Reflecting on the recognition, Sammane stated in previous commentary that his goal as a writer is not simply to entertain or inform, but to invite pause and reflection. 'The book was written to spark thought,' he has said, 'not just to turn pages.' Stories That Invite Reflection His writing approach, both in nonfiction and fiction, is defined by accessibility without simplification. The Singularity of Hope has been described as a text that bridges readers across backgrounds—equally readable by educators, engineers, and general audiences. Republic of Mars adopts a similar mindset, embedding dense ideas into a readable narrative without relying on exposition or jargon. A Growing Voice in Public Thought With this latest honor, Sammane continues to build a profile not only as a writer, but as a public thinker whose work engages with systems thinking, memory, governance, and the role of technology in reshaping how people define themselves. Republic of Mars is currently available worldwide in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover formats, and is also accessible through Kindle Unlimited. The full list of winners and finalists for the 2025 American Fiction Awards is available on Sam Sammane TheoSym email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
