• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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.”

• Here’s a new take on a somewhat popular Christmas song — a YouTube parody entitled “Vader Did You Know?”
• On Dec. 21, Jedi and Sith descended on New York City’s Times Square in a Star Wars: The Old Republic flash mob in this YouTube video.
• This seems to have been all over the internet already, but in case you missed it, here on YouTube is the official trailer for The Hobbitt, the next installment in the Lord of the Rings movies.
• I just thought this was cool — pictures of the space shuttle cockpit, fired up for one of the last times.
• More cool pictures: In February scientists found a little dragon, probably related to Draco volans.
• Here’s a pattern to make your own Star Wars Hanukkah Droidel. Need I say more?
• Finally, this isn’t a Christmas video, but what’s not to like about an epic Jedi ninja battle. Oh yeah.

But I do have one Christmas video for you. Darth Vader conducting a Christmas Choir flash mob — complete with Santa hat. He he…

Click here to view the embedded video.

And to all, a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Hanukkah!

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.”

• What better place to start than Star Wars snowflakes? Here are some samples with patterns so you can make your own.
• Next up, in keeping with the Christmas tradition, we have SFF-themed gingerbread: a Tardis, the Weasley Clan Burrow, a companion cube, and the Enterprise.
• Giveaway: Speaking of Doctor Who, would you like the chance to win the complete sixth series on DVD? Details here. You know you want to. After all, Doctor Who topped the iTunes 2011 TV downloads chart!
• Casting continues for the motion picture (set to debut in March 2013) based on Orson Scott Card’s wildly popular Ender’s Game novel. Once of the latest negotiations involves possibly casting Ben Kingsley.
• Giveaway: The League of Extraordinary Writers is celebrating their first year by giving away five signed books to one lucky subscriber to their blog. Enter here.
• More Christmas fun! Macy’s has decorated their windows with amazing steampunk displays. Check it out here.
• Giveaway and Kindle deal: Lisa Grace’s Angel in the Shadows is available for Kindle for 99 cents — plus the author is giving away an iPad 2 to one lucky blog subscriber. Check here.
• Giveaway: Speaking of iPad giveaways, it must be the Christmas spirit in the air. The Knight Agency also wants to give one away, complete with 13 free e-reads.
• You might ask what mattress showrooms have to do with SFF. It just so happens that one enterprising entrepreneur has been creating hilarious parody commercials, with themes including Star Trek, Batman, Superman, and more. Tor.com listed some of the best, but if you want to go straight to the source, check out Dodd Furniture’s Youtube channel.
• Last but not least, here’s a holiday video for you: Darth Vader conducting a Christmas flash mob choir. I know. It’s just not right.

Happy holidays, everyone!

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 off with an Amazon freebie: James Rubart’s Book of Days is currently free for Kindle. I’ve read this and it’s a pretty entertaining speculative Christian novel. (Correction: The offer was for a limited time only and has since expired.)
• Cherie Priest’s steampunk Boneshaker is coming to the big screen! Here’s the news article…and here’s what I thought of the book.
• Because I love the stars (after all, what’s SFF without the stars??), here’s a gorgeous picture of the Milky Way taken in the Cook Islands.
• It’s about time somebody put together an SFF survival guide for geeks! Here’s io9′s SFF Ultimate Survival Guide for December.
• Geek news alert! Cyborg insects could be first responders in rescue situations. Pretty cool little beetle they’ve built.
• It’s Christmas — time to shop for that hard-to-please geek in your life. Don’t worry! Just visit http://www.thinkgeek.com/ and your troubles are over. Seriously, the kids and I spent more time than I care to admit browsing through this website, finding things that I never knew I needed until now. How about umbrellas? Everyone needs one, right? There’s the Broadsword handle, the Blade Runner style LED model and, my teens’ favorite, the Samurai sword handle.
• More movie news: Doctor Who is coming, the product of efforts by the BBC and David Yates (who directed Harry Potter). The search is on for screenwriters. Know anyone?
• The anime bucket list: Tor.com brings us Ten Anime Series You Should See Before You Die. As if that wasn’t enough, they also posted Ten Anime Films You Should See Before You Die. That should keep you busy for a while.
• Interested in reading about a cyborg Cinderella? When I put it that way, it sounds rather odd, but the excerpt posted online is really quite intriguing. You can find an exclusive excerpt of Cinder by Marissa Meyer here. I want to read this one.
• How about the U.K. man who got a new prosthetic arm with a smartphone dock built-in?

Finally, I leave you with a bit of Christmas cheer, SFF style:
The Sith Who Stole Christmas. I love this!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you have a favorite geek holiday moment or link? Please share!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the season.

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.”

• Sony Pictures picks up Assassin’s Creed film rights. Ubisoft Motion Pictures is developing the story into a 3D feature film.
• Giveaway: Tor is giving away 10 copies of Tony Gonzales’ Templar One (EVE, #2) on Goodreads. The final deadline is November 3, 2011.
• Fox and Sony are working on a Zombieland series for TV, which will be a sequel to the 2009 film by the same name.
• Dark Horse Comics has announced a new 5-issue series to be released next May: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison.
• Are you a Christopher Paolini fan? Here’s a YouTube discussion between Paolini and Gerard Doyle, the narrator of the Inheritance audiobook.
• Here’s an interesting article: 10 Words You Might Think Came from Science (But Are Really From Science Fiction). I found some surprising ones on this list.
• And in the latest geek news: Branson opens the world’s first commercial spaceport.
• Giveaway on Goodreads: C.S. Lakin’s The Land of Darkness (The Gates of Heaven #3). Deadline is November 2, 2011.
• Giveaway on Goodreads: Alterant (Belador #2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love. Hurry — the deadline is October 27, 2011.
• Another giveaway on Goodreads: Dante’s Journey by J.C. Marino. This giveaway includes an 11 x 14 print of the book cover on canvas with an oil painting texture. Deadline is December 15, 2011.
• Who doesn’t love Top 10 Lists? Maybe you’ll find something new in this post on http://bestbooklists.blogspot.com: Top 10 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2011 So Far.
• Giveaway on http://www.rantingdragon.com: Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hurry! The deadline is October 23, 2011.

Did I miss any good links or giveaways? If I did, please let me know in the comments section below. That’s for now. Have a great weekend!

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: The giveaways of Brandon Sanderson’s Alloy of Law continue, this one courtesy of http://onlythebestscifi.blogspot.com. I’m not sure what the deadline is, but blog sponsors announced this week they are offering a signed ARC and an audiobook version.
• http://www.graspingforthewind.com is also giving away an audiobook version of Alloy of Law. Deadline is October 21, 2011.
• John Anealio is a musical artist who writes fun music for us sci-fi/fantasy types. You can currently download a copy of his “Stormtrooper for Halloween” classic for free. While you’re there, check out his other work. I can easily spend an hour there browsing — and laughing.
• New movies on the horizon, as reported by http://www.comingsoon.net, include Thor 2 and The Lone Ranger.
• For those of you who wish Darth Maul had gotten more air time in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the television-based animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars is bringing him back this Spring. Here’s the announcement.
• Amazon has launched a new imprint for sci-fi, fantasy and horror — 47North. It’s first list comprises 15 books from authors including Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, Dave Duncan, Arwen Elys Dayton, Aric Davis, Evan Currie, Stephen Leather, Chris Roberson, and B.V. Larson.
• In Star Wars news, Lucasfilm has announced the discovery of Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side. The fragments of five dark side texts were collected by Darth Sidious, along with various objects created by his predecessors. He then wrote his own manifesto and a preface for the compilation. The collection, housed within a mysterious pyramid-like case can be yours for only $99.

That’s it for now. Have a great weekend!

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.”

Star Wars: The Complete Vader is the definitive book on the history, myth, and cultural impact of Darth Vader. From his early development in the first Star Wars film by George Lucas, to the new legends created in comics, video games, and novels, to his ongoing appearances on everything from television commercials to bedspreads, Vader presents a complete view in all his incarnations as the Dark Lord of the Sith. Going beyond the films to cover his further adventures in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the book combines new insight with exclusive interviews and photographs from the Lucasfilm Archives. Interactive reproductions of rare memorabilia fire the imagination, while pages packed with never-seen-before images explore the world’s endless fascination with the notorious Darth Vader.

About the Authors:

Ryder Windham is a former editor of Star Wars comics and has written more then fifty Star Wars books, including Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force and The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader. He is also and instructor and the Certificate Advisor for the Comic and Sequential Art Certificate Program at Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education.

Peter Vilmur is the co-author of The Star Wars Vault and The Star Wars Poster Book, both written with Stephen J. Sansweet. He has written for Star Wars Insider magazine, StarWars.com, and IndianaJones.com, and is currently an editor at Lucas Online.

Here’s the link to the publisher’s page: Star Wars: The Complete Vader

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.”