• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 5 copies of Operation Sea Ghost by Mack Maloney. Deadline is February 24, 2012.
• Geek News: DARPA has been working on virtual reality contact lenses. How cool would it be to wear contacts that would project tiny full-color displays and digital images? That’s exactly what these iOptiks lenses do.
• We’ve been hearing a lot about The Wheel of Time lately (especially with the last volume in the series coming out last year) and Tor is offering new deal: For a limited time, you can download Book 1 of the YA version for 99 cents. Available for Nook, Kindle and iPad.
• Do you like thrillers? For a limited time you can download a free Kindle version of a thriller box set – 5 books from 5 authors: Lee Goldberg, Scott Nicholson, J.A. Konrath, J. Carson Black, and Blake Crouch.
• More Geek News: Scientists have used lasers to create an ultraviolet ruler for light. They’re calling it the Extreme Ultraviolet Frequency Comb.
• Do you play the Star Wars: The Old Republic or World of Warcraft MMOs? Or both? Recent news is that The Old Republic is now outperforming WoW with 1.7 million current players.
• How about some music? John Anealio is at it again. He’s offering free downloads of his newest, Steampunk Girl.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away a set of 5 books by best-selling author David Weber. Here’s the link to sign up. Deadline is March 9, 2012.
• Giveaway: Tor is also giving away 10 copies of A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. Deadline is March 1, 2012.
• Here’s something that reminds me of something Michael Crichton would have written. The folks over at KMel Robotics have created nano quad-rotors that can fly in formation. Here’s a less than 2-minute video demonstrating the little devices. So cool.
• It’s time for the Steampunk Chronicle’s Reader Choice Awards. The website is a good place to either make your own nomination(s) or just review others’ favorites.
• More news of LEGO and Lord of the Rings teaming up. Check out new pictures of the minifigures here. Personally, I think Gollum is really creepy. Hopefully he won’t give little kids nightmares!
• Here’s a piece of weird news that absolutely cracked me up. It seems that 33-year-old David Allen Canterbury attacked customers in an Oregon toy store with a pair of lightsabers. He has since been banned from the toy store. Ya think??
• Giveaway: Would you like to win a 50th Anniversary Commerative edition of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle? If so, hurry. The deadline is February 10, 2012.
• And last but not least, I have a video for you. Are you a fan of the game Portal 2? Here’s a full music video entitled This is Aperture, a remake of This is Halloween (by Danny Elfman) from The Nightmare Before Christmas. If you’re a Portal fan, I’m sure you’ll like it.

Now it’s your turn. Did I miss any good ones? Feel free to leave a comment below. I’d like to see what you found.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

In honor on the movie Chronicle, which opens Friday (February 3), the guys over at ThinkModo have been busily working on a new way to market the movie. They built three airplanes shaped like people and flew them in designated areas over New York and New Jersey. Here’s a YouTube video of the sightings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The gist of Chronicle is this: Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

If you want more info, it seems the best place to go is the official Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/chronicle

Are any of you already planning to see the movie?

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• I stumbled across http://www.thetatteredscroll.com this week. There you can find many current fantasy ebook deals, including two RA Salvatore ebooks currently priced at $4.99 (that’s $3 off the usual digital price). It’s nice to have someone willing to go through what’s out there and find the cream of the crop.
• http://www.starwarsuncut.com/ has released a remake of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, comprised entirely of 15-second fan clips. I watched a few minutes and have to shake my head at the originality of some of the submissions.
• I love beautiful artwork. Naomi Novik has posted a beautiful piece of fan art by Daniel Govar, a dragon based on her Temeraire series.
• MIT unveiled In Europe the Hiriko electric car, a windshield mounted car that folds up to take up one-third the parking space of an average size car. A pilot program for the little sci-fi looking buggy is set to begin next year.
• I see Steven Spielberg is considering creating a Moses epic for Warner Bros. Will it going to be more fantasy or faith? I guess we’ll see.
• Last year, Tor Forge gave away copies of Templar One (EVE, #2) by Tony Gonzales. Well, they’re at it again. Five copies are available on Goodreads. Deadline is February 24, 2012. (The book is based on the MMORPG game, http://www.eveonline.com/) For a peek at the action-packed trailer for the game see the publisher’s book page.
• Here’s one that cracked me up: The 10 most undignified deaths in SFF, according to the Facebook followers of io9.com.
• Care to contribute to one man’s attempt to list the family tree of every character in Lord of the Rings? http://www.lotrproject.com/. I wish him luck.
• Giveaway: To kick off the Year of the Dragon, Tor is giving away four copies of the Wheel of Time prequel, New Spring: The Graphic Novel by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon, and Mike S. Miller. Speaking of WOT, the publisher is also offering 10 copies of the first book in the series, The Eye of the World. The deadline for both is February 24, 2012.
• Giveaway: Another offering by Tor on Goodreads — The Stolen Throne by David Gaider, the prequel to Dragon Age: Origins, the role-playing video game from Bioware. Deadline is February 24, 2012.
• Here’s some geek news: University of Washington researchers have created a game, Foldit, where players can decode and create protein shapes to help scientists learn how proteins work and help with drug research for HIV and Alzheimer’s cures. Gamers, go forth and save the world! More on this story on CNET.
• Minecraft and Zelda unite! Here’s a video showing the Hyrule Temple built in Minecraft. Now that must have taken quite some time.
• Want to up your geek-cred points a tiny bit? Tell people you know where to find the video showing the Lego Man in Space, footage shot by 17-year-olds Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad using a weather balloon and makeshift Styrofoam spacecraft to send a Lego man 15 miles up into the stratosphere. To make it easy, here you go:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think that’ll do it for now. Have a great weekend, everyone! If I missed any good links, leave a note in the comments. I love to hear from you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The main character in Behold is Damon, a brain-damaged teenager who repeatedly experiences a unique phenomenon. When he has seizures, his spirit is flung back in history to possess another person’s body. When he lands in medieval France, he is thought to be a demon but in reality, finds himself aligning with a secret society to battle ancient evil and solve the mystery of the seven candlesticks found in the Biblical book Revelation. The supernatural battle of good versus evil extends back before creation to a struggle against an ancient evil entity that now seeks to kill Damon.

Behold opens in Ephesus, A.D. 395, with a young man desperately fleeing for his life from an angry crowd of men sent by the goddess Artemis to destroy him. After a description of this young man’s flight, we find ourselves in the present day, where Damon introduces the story to us. This short section, entitled “The Art of Possession”, opens with:

Essentially, it’s breaking and entering, only more personal. A lot more personal. Instead of being inside someone’s house, rifling through their medicine cabinet and underwear drawer, you’re inside their head, elbow deep in their unspoken secrets, repressed memories, and the traumatic events they’ve kicked into the back corner of the closet of their minds. I avoid the closets. Too many monsters lurking there.

Behold was a thought-provoking read that I breezed through, not willing to lay it down until I was finished. It made me think of the “special kids” my daughter worked with in middle school, of how we tend to feel superior to them, and of what God’s destiny is for each of us — all the while couched in the author’s rich imagination of the supernatural realm.

The book also reminded me of Cavanaugh’s previous Kingdom Wars books — a pair of books that remain among my favorites. If you liked Kingdom Wars, I’m sure you’ll like Behold. It has much of the same flavor in terms of pace, suspense and spiritual supernatural events.

There’s one more thing about the book I want to mention — it’s available in e-book form only. And, it’s only $2.99, at price that to me is well worth the story you will get. As you might know, not having an e-reader is no excuse for not getting the book. You can get Kindle software for your PC or Mac and read it on your computer.

In terms of ranking, I give Behold 4.5 stars out of 5. It will definitely be staying in my library and someday I’m sure I will go back and read it again.

You can purchase Behold from Amazon (for Kindle) or from Barnes & Noble (for Nook). For more information, here are my affiliate links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble. In addition, check out the book trailer below.

You can find the author at: http://www.jackcavanaugh.com/

Click here to view the embedded video.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Let’s start with a 19-foot-tall model of Apollo 11 — made out of 120,000 LEGO bricks. Yeah, Legos. Took him 250 hours.
• The ladies over at http://www.geekmom.com always seem to have a few helpful tips for us. One of my favorites is Fitness Week: Geek Up Your Fitness Regime, which covers several things from sci-fi music to SFF Yoga. I also like the list of Rejected Star Wars Projects. What a crack-up. Make sure you follow the link in the article. The Death Star Dartboard is great.
• Any Minecraft fans out there? Did you know the users now number in 20 million? I knew it was popular but…wow, that’s a lot.
• The good folks over at http://www.ifc.com have posted a list of 10 graphic novels and comics that they think should be turned into movies. What do you think? Any of your favs there?
• Time to get ready for those crazy Super Bowl ads. I particularly like The Bark Side from Volkswagen. Apparently this is just a teaser and I think it’s already gone viral. I wonder what else they have planned.

And for the last one, I have a six-minute video entitled Indyanimation. It’s a stop-motion animated, shot for shot remake of the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, created in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary. Thirty years?? Are you kidding me? Where did the time go? Anyways, here it is. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have a good weekend, y’all! If I missed any good links this week, let me know in the comments section below, ok? I love to hear from you guys.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The main characters of Blue Exorcist Clockwise from center front: Rin, Yukio, Konekomaru, Shura, Izumo, Suguro, Mephisto, Renzo and Shiemi.

To some of my readers, the title The Blue Exorcist conjures up all kinds of negative emotions. For others, not so much. As for me, I see pros and cons, both good and bad in this particular series. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the manga or anime (subtitled) series created by writer and illustrator Kazue Kato, here’s a recap of what it’s all about.

Basically, The Blue Exorcist is about a group of teenagers enrolled in the True Cross Academy who are studying to become exorcists through the use of quoting Scripture and using weapons (like holy water bombs) built specifically to combat demons and other evil creatures. The genre is Action, Supernatural, Comedy. Okay. So far so good. From what I hear, The Blue Exorcist is quite popular in Japan and has now made it’s way across the Pacific to the U.S.

The main character, Rin Okumura, was raised, along with his younger twin brother Yukio by Father Shiro Fujimoto. Soon after Yukio leaves to study at the True Cross Academy, Rin learns, much to his dismay, (ready for the big twist?) that he is the son of Satan. Then watching Shiro die trying to protect him, he does what he had promised his guardian never to do — draw the demon-slaying blade Kurikara. In doing so, he releases demonic features (including fangs and a tail) and powers that had been trapped in the sword, including the power to ignite himself into blue flames that can destroy anything they touch. Ironically, he uses these powers to battle evil, hence the title The Blue Exorcist.

The cover of 'Blue Exorcist' volume 1 as published by Shueisha

I can practically see some of you rolling your eyes about now, but stay with me for a bit. Like many popular stories, the key of the plot is the ultimate struggle of good versus evil, about people who are unwillingly pulled into situations not of their choosing. In Rin’s case, he doesn’t want to be the son of Satan, but he obviously has no choice. In exploring these aspects of the plot, writer and illustrator Kazue Kato has thoroughly explored — and accurately portrayed — the depths of human struggles and emotions.

In addition, there is no shortage of action and the artwork in the anime series (I haven’t seen the manga books but can only assume it’s similar) is top class. Also, there is a fair amount of humor, which really helps to break up the seriousness of the storyline. The occasional blue horns aside, Rin is really quite a funny guy and humorous moments and scenes abound.

That’s what I liked about it. However, there are some aspects of The Blue Exorcist that make me uncomfortable. In this physical world, and particularly in American culture, there is a definite demarcation between good and evil, with demons on one side of the fence and angels on the other. In The Blue Exorcist, there are good demons and bad demons. I suppose if the story was written by a Westerner, the good demons would be called by some other name, like brownies or mischievous fairies because that is actually how they appear in the manga series. Other things that make me uncomfortable are instances of strong language, some gore and one particular scantily clad female warrior, which I realize can be fairly common fair in manga.

However, the biggest thing I object to is that not only do the exorcists quote Scripture, but they also pray to Buddha for help and summon familiar demons to aid them in their quests. As a Christian, I must point out that it doesn’t work that way in the real world. I’m sorry if some of you consider me intolerant of other faiths, but as the Scriptures teach, there is only one way to God and that is through his son, Jesus Christ. No ifs, ands, or buts. I place my trust in Christ alone.

So there you have it — the good and the bad in The Blue Exorcist. My takeaway is that, as a writer, I hope that I can combine the basics of human emotion and struggle with action and humor as well as Kazue Kato has. I think that skill alone is the biggest reason for the popularity of The Blue Exorcist.

What do you think?

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Looking for something new to read? Forbiddenplanet.com has listed 50 SF books that they think you absolutely must read.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away a few books on Goodreads. The first is Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear. The second is Blowout by Byron L. Dorgan and David Hagberg. The third is Chrysanthe by Yves Meynard. Click on the book title for the entry link. The entry deadline for all of these is February 10, 2012.
• Brass Goggles is a fun steampunk site. Check out this pic of an antique R2D2 droid. And the next time I find an extra $90,000 laying around, I just might buy myself one of these incredible Montblanc pens sure to match any steampunk outfit.
• Calling all gamers! Interested in winning four model ships from the EVE universe? Entry deadline is February 14, 2012.
• Ok, this is just weird. Cyborg cockroaches. I guess robotics labs have to start somewhere.
• Did you know that in the 1950s and 1960s one scientist controlled people’s brains with permanent implants? It’s no surprise that he eventually had to leave the U.S. due to lawsuits.
• Are you a Dungeons and Dragons player? Wizards of the Coast is planning a makeover and this time, they are seeking input from fans. Here’s your chance to be heard!

That’s all for now. You guys have a great weekend — and if I missed any good links, please share them with us below! See ya next week.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I did a quick search and came up with a list over at http://io9.com of the top 55 science fiction and fantasy movies to watch out for in 2011. I encourage you to go over to their website (via the link above) to see summaries of each of these, but in brief, these are the ones that made their list:

• Season of the Witch
• The Green Hornet
• Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
• The Rite
• I Am Number Four
• Drive Angry
• The Adjustment Bureau
• Apollo 18
• Battle Los Angeles
• Mars Needs Moms
• Red Riding Hood
• Suing the Devil
• Beastly
• Limitless
• Paul
• Sucker Punch
• Source Code
• Super
• Hop
• Your Highness
• Thor
• Priest
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• The Tree of Life
• X-Men: First Class
• Super 8
• The Green Lantern
• Rise of the Apes
• Transformers: the Dark of the Moon
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• Cowboys and Aliens
• The Smurfs
• The Change-Up
• The Darkest Hour in 3-D
• Conan 3-D
• Fright Night
• Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World
• Final Destination 5
• Piranha 3DD
• The Apparition
• Now
• Real Steel
• The Thing
• Contagion
• Paranormal Activity 3
• Dibbuk Box
• Immortals
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
• Arthur Christmas
• Hugo Cabret
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
• Sherlock Holmes 2
• The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn

I’m the first to admit I don’t go to the movies much — not nearly as much as I’d like to, at least — so I didn’t see many of these (only Pirates of the Caribbean, Source Code, and Thor) and there are several others I still want to see. One of the most highly anticipated and probably my favorite of the three was Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Here’s the thing — I’d really like to see more of the movies that came out last year and I’m taking recommendations. Which were your favorites? Which one should I see next?

Attribution for Image above: By DoktorMandrake [CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Giveaway: Let’s start with a giveaway: thecozyreader.com is offering to some lucky winner a copy a Cinder, a steampunk Cinderella story written by Marissa Meyer. This is a book I have my eye on. The excerpt I read looked fascinating. Deadline is January 11, 2012.
• Speaking of steampunk, Tor.com has listed steampunk events for January 2012, including art exhibitions, conventions, and a musical murder mystery in SoHo.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away four copies of Kristen Simmons‘ Article 5, a dystopian teen novel. Deadline is January 11, 2012.
• Another Giveaway: Tor.com is also giving away a copy of The Isis Collar by Cat Adams. If you like paranormal urban fantasy including ghosts, vampires and mages, you might want to try this one. Deadline is February 10, 2012.
• Here’s a little bit of movie news: Chris Columbus, the director of Harry Potter has signed to write a fantasy adventure trilogy named House of Secrets. The co-author is Ned Vizzini.
• And a bit of true geekdom: Someone has actually built a Minecraft village using a 3D printer. The detail is incredible.
• Just when you thought the old Star Wars Christmas special from years ago was buried for good, Fox and Lucasfilm are kicking off their 3D Phantom Menace film with a very bizarre ad campaign for food items, including Brisk Iced Tea and a French burger chain. Really? Come on guys. This a ridiculous (and humiliating for Star Wars fans). Watch the video at this link. You won’t believe your eyes.
• For those who love Legos and steampunk, here’s one for you: a Lego Pegasus automation. Pretty cool.
• If you love old fashioned space opera, I want to guide you toward http://www.raygunrevival.com/. RGR publishes four original short stories every month, along with book reviews, occasional movie reviews, genre-related columns and artwork. And you can read some for free! What a deal!
• How about a surfing stormtrooper? The Surfing Trooper is traveling the world, looking for the best waves. Huh. I don’t know what to say about that one. (Story compliments of http://www.wired.com/geekdad/.)

That’s it for now! Y’all have a great weekend!

Did I miss any of your favorite links? If so, please post them below. I’d love to see them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel set in an area that used to be Appalachia — in the book, still one of the poorest districts in Panem, the nation that used to be the United States. The districts that waged war on the Capitol lost the battle and have since been locked down by the nation’s rulers. One way to remind each district of their subjugation is that they are forced to compete in the annual Hunger Games competition. Each district is required to send two of their children, one boy and one girl, to fight in the games until only 1 of the total 24 contestants is left alive — something akin to the ancient Romans’ gladiator games but set in an arena that covers a large area that forces the children to survive a fight not just their enemies but the elements as well.

When Katniss’ little sister is chosen to be a contestant, this 16-year-old girl volunteers to take her place. Enter Peeta, the boy chosen from Katniss’ district. Peeta is unique because rather than adopting the cold attitude of competition that the others have, he is intent on holding on to his humanity, even if he loses. He holds this attitude not only to maintain self-respect but also to prove that those in authority don’t own him. Katniss finds this vulnerability hard to accept in the face of being forced into an event that has become a pop culture mainstay of their society, something that the entire nation follows on reality television in great detail.

The reason I ask if the movie will be able to live up to the book is because the original work written by Suzanne Collins combines so well themes of communism, personal freedom (or lack thereof), defiance, and most of all, the struggles that exist inside the emotions and psyche of the main character. Traditionally, I find that movies have trouble accurately depicting a character’s inner struggles nearly as well as an author can in the pages of a book. Here one can explore these emotions and thoughts in great detail.

That said, I am greatly intrigued by the movie trailer and wonder if in this case the screenwriters and directors may have done just that. We’ll never know, however, until we get to see the movie. When that time comes I’ll be curious to hear what y’all have to say. I give Hunger Games 4 stars out of 5.

For now, though, what do you expect or hope to see from the movie? I’d love to hear from you! Just leave me a comment below.

The official movie trailer is posted at: http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com

You can find the author, Suzanne Collins, at http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

If you want more information about the book, here are my Barnes & Noble and Amazon affiliate links.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”