GUILLERMO DEL TORO (LEFT) AND PETER JACKSON (RIGHT) ANSWER FANS’ QUESTIONS.

The live Internet chat “An Unexpected Party” between The Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro, producer Peter Jackson and thousands of excited fans lasted only one hour but offered a wealth of information about the upcoming film(s).

Read the rest of this entry »

GUILLERMO DEL TORO (LEFT) AND PETER JACKSON (RIGHT) ANSWER FANS’ QUESTIONS.

The live Internet chat “An Unexpected Party” between The Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro, producer Peter Jackson and thousands of excited fans lasted only one hour but offered a wealth of information about the upcoming film(s).

(more…)

IMAGE COURTESY OF WETA

It’s called “An Unexpected Party” and we’re all invited. The Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro and producer Peter Jackson have asked fans to participate in a Q&A session via live chat on the Internet to discuss the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel.

Read the rest of this entry »

IMAGE COURTESY OF WETA

It’s called “An Unexpected Party” and we’re all invited. The Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro and producer Peter Jackson have asked fans to participate in a Q&A session via live chat on the Internet to discuss the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel.

(more…)

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT KIRCHHOFER/TRIBUNE

After tapping comic books for creative ideas with box office success, Hollywood has turned its attention to anime as a new source of inspiration and revenue. Adapting Japanese animation into live action will definitely pose a serious challenge for filmmakers as American audiences are not used to its nonlinear storylines, fantastic characters and unique visuals.

Read the rest of this entry »

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT KIRCHHOFER/TRIBUNE

After tapping comic books for creative ideas with box office success, Hollywood has turned its attention to anime as a new source of inspiration and revenue. Adapting Japanese animation into live action will definitely pose a serious challenge for filmmakers as American audiences are not used to its nonlinear storylines, fantastic characters and unique visuals.

(more…)

The Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU) is a wonderful place. It takes classic characters from the movies like Chewbacca, Emperor Palpatine and Han Solo and puts them through the ringer as only demented sci-fi and fantasy novelists can — killing some, resurrecting others and putting still others in the position of having a daughter who asks a certain bounty hunter who once had you frozen in carbonite help her kill her brother.

Yes, it’s not much of a secret by now that in the Star Wars — Legacy of the Force series of novels, Princess Leia and Han Solo’s son Jacen (love that name!) has embraced the dark side of the Force and even taken a Sith moniker for himself: Darth Caedus. And his twin sister Jaina Solo has decided to take him out rather than watch all her parents fought for go up in flames.

If you’ve never had the chance to sample the EU, or if you’ve simply lapsed a bit, the gods of tie-in fiction have granted you a reprieve: Now through May 13, when the series-ending Invincible goes on sale, you can download a free PDF, audiobook or eBook of the first volume in the series, Betrayal. See Del Rey for details. Read the rest of this entry »

The Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU) is a wonderful place. It takes classic characters from the movies like Chewbacca, Emperor Palpatine and Han Solo and puts them through the ringer as only demented sci-fi and fantasy novelists can — killing some, resurrecting others and putting still others in the position of having a daughter who asks a certain bounty hunter who once had you frozen in carbonite help her kill her brother.

Yes, it’s not much of a secret by now that in the Star Wars — Legacy of the Force series of novels, Princess Leia and Han Solo’s son Jacen (love that name!) has embraced the dark side of the Force and even taken a Sith moniker for himself: Darth Caedus. And his twin sister Jaina Solo has decided to take him out rather than watch all her parents fought for go up in flames.

If you’ve never had the chance to sample the EU, or if you’ve simply lapsed a bit, the gods of tie-in fiction have granted you a reprieve: Now through May 13, when the series-ending Invincible goes on sale, you can download a free PDF, audiobook or eBook of the first volume in the series, Betrayal. See Del Rey for details. (more…)

Orson Scott Card’s Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel Ender’s Game and its follow-up Ender’s Shadow will be visualized in another medium for the first time by Marvel Comics.

Sci-Fi Wire reports that a limited comic book series based on the first book will hit shelves this fall.

Also, Tor Books will publish a direct sequel to Ender’s Game – called Ender in Exile — late this year.

Ender’s Game is the story of gifted Earth children in the future taken from their parents to train for war when the planet is threatened with another attack from an alien species. One of these kids, Ender Wiggin, becomes Earth’s salvation — but only after a tragic sacrifice.

Read the rest of this entry »

Orson Scott Card’s Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel Ender’s Game and its follow-up Ender’s Shadow will be visualized in another medium for the first time by Marvel Comics.

Sci-Fi Wire reports that a limited comic book series based on the first book will hit shelves this fall.

Also, Tor Books will publish a direct sequel to Ender’s Game – called Ender in Exile — late this year.

Ender’s Game is the story of gifted Earth children in the future taken from their parents to train for war when the planet is threatened with another attack from an alien species. One of these kids, Ender Wiggin, becomes Earth’s salvation — but only after a tragic sacrifice.

(more…)

What does a diehard Star Wars fanatic do when he’s not watching the Trilogies or blogging about the upcoming television series (plural) set in a galaxy far, far away? He curls up with a good Star Wars book, of course!

They have books, you say? Yes! I answer. Star Wars has a long tradition of spin-off media, known collectively as the Expanded Universe, or EU to hardcore fans or hat