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io9
Popular New Baby Names Of 2013: Vanellope, Kaptain, Tuf, And Kyndle
The Social Security Administration just released its 2013 list of baby names in the United States. And once again, Game of Thrones rules. There were 1135 Aryas, 241 Khaleesis and 67 Daeneryses born in 2013. And 15 Theons and five Robbs. But some new names also came on the scene. For one thing, there were … Continued
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io9
Universal’s New Harry Potter Gringotts Ride Looks Amazing
Universal has been rapidly expanding the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and can now reveal the excellent new ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Behold this massive undertaking, complete with gigantic guard dragon. The ride plunges into the depths of the Gringotts’ vaults, and then the run-in with the dragon (the 60-foot beauty … Continued
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io9
Harry Potter Fans Name Brain-Paralyzing Wasp After Dementors, Natch
The Museum of Natural History in Berlin recently allowed its patrons to name one of its henceforth unnamed wasp species. The name the public chose was Ampulex dementor, either out out of Harry Potter fandom or because the wasp really is the Dementor of the animal world. Seriously! Here’s how Nature World News describes the … Continued
By Rob Bricken -
Tech NewsSploid
If Jedis from Star Wars fought wizards from Harry Potter, who wins?
Star Wars vs Harry Potter. The Force vs magic. Jedis vs wizards. Light sabers vs wands. People born before 1990 vs the kids who come after. Who would win in this epic battle? In this ridiculously enjoyable video with CGI effects of two friends battling for sci-fi fantasy supremacy, we see a Jedi fight a … Continued
By Casey Chan -
io9Books
We Can Now Read About Ginny Weasley’s Post-Hogwarts Career
The epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows told us a little bit about Ginny Weasley’s life after Hogwarts, but it didn’t tell us whether this Gryffindor alum took a job. Now, The Daily Prophet dispatches show what Ginny has been up to in the wizarding world. Over at her site Pottermore (which requires … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
Hogwarts Is Now Offering A Way To Get Your Magical Education Online
This isn’t official, but it’s so very impressive: Hogwarts Is Here is an online LARP in which players basically get an education, just like the students of Hogwarts. There are no battles and no mayhem; just classes to take, digital textbooks to “buy”, and homework to do. Which sounds like a nightmare to me, but … Continued
By Rob Bricken -
io9Movies
What Should Be The Next Book To Be Split Into Two Or More Movies?
Yes, this is a Photoshop contest! The Hobbit is a movie trilogy. Divergent just joined Twilight, Harry Potter and Hunger Games in splitting the final book into two movies. Which makes us wonder: What’s the next book that should be divided into two or three films? Please show us an image for your chosen book-turned-trilogy. … Continued
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io9
Who’s The Worst Student In All Of Science Fiction And Fantasy?
You can’t enter into uncanny worlds without studying the secrets of the masters. Science fiction and fantasy are full of academies, schools, apprenticeships and other places of learning. And they’re also full of awful students, who skip classes, don’t listen and muck everything up. But who’s the worst student of them all? Please include a … Continued
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io9Movies
io9 March Madness Final Four: Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings!
We’re down to our last four competitors in our quest to find the greatest work of science fiction and fantasy ever! Star Wars and Doctor Who are battling it out to represent science fiction in our championship game, while Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are locked in combat to raise the fantasy banner. … Continued
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io9Movies
io9 March Madness Elite Eight: Lord of the Rings vs. Game of Thrones!
We’re down to our last eight competitors in our search for the greatest work in all of science fiction and fantasy. So now it’s time for you to vote on today’s batch of titanic match-ups, as Star Wars takes on Firefly, Doctor Who battles the X-Men, Lord of the Rings crosses swords with Game of … Continued
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io9Movies
io9 March Madness Sweet 16: Star Wars vs. Dune! Buffy vs. Cthulhu!
We’ve reached the Sweet Sixteen in our hunt to find the greatest work of science fiction and fantasy ever. Just four competitors are left from each of our regionals, which means you’ve got some tough choices ahead: Doctor Who or Blade Runner? Harry Potter or Hellboy? Terminator or X-Men? Vote now! Top image: Theamat. All … Continued
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io9Movies
Is The “Young Adult” Boom Dwindling In Books As Well As Movies?
There’s a lot riding on Divergent, which comes out this Friday. Studios are hoping it’ll show there are still audiences for young-adult films other than Hunger Games, after the dismal performance of several other films. But also, says the Wall Street Journal, there’s hope it’ll rescue the struggling young-adult book market. For the past several … Continued
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io9Movies
Science Fiction vs. Fantasy: Dystopia, Mad Science and Magic!
This year’s edition of io9 March Madness is dedicated to finding the greatest, most classic work from all of science fiction and fantasy. Today we wrap up the Round of 64 with the likes of George Orwell, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and the Dread Lord Cthulhu. The competition is fierce! Top image: ZachSmithson. After deciding … Continued
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io9Books
J.K. Rowling has released History of the Quidditch World Cup online!
Folks itching to see J.K. Rowling return to the world of Harry Potter are in for a treat today. The author has released the first part of her two-part essay, History of the Quidditch World Cup, which builds out the universe’s popular sport. The one catch is that, to read the essay, you’ll need to … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
10 Teen Heroes Who Grew Older With Style
This weekend, we’re reconnecting with Veronica Mars, our favorite teenage detective, after a decade apart. And she’s still rocking the camera and sass. But Veronica’s not the only teenage hero who managed to grow up without losing her mojo. Here are 10 other teen heroes who grew up but kept their style. 1) Spider-Man (Marvel … Continued
By Jason Krell -
io9
Who is the most tragic hero in science fiction or fantasy?
Some heroes get covered with glory. Some heroes win and get to live happily ever after. But the heroes we love the most are often those whose path is filled with only suffering, and whose only possible ending is a bleak one. Who’s the greatest tragic hero of all time? Please include a picture of … Continued
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io9
The awesome Harry Potter ending J.K. Rowling didn’t even know she had
Someone had an idea about how the Harry Potter books should have ended and it’s fantastic. And when I say fantastic I mean this is truly, objectively what Harry Potter’s final fate should have been in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and J.K. Rowling screwed it up. Call your editor, J,K. You have some … Continued
By Rob Bricken