Like military science fiction? Rich Larson’s got a fantastic story in the January issue of Clarkesworld: Extraction Request.

The story follows a group of soldiers who have been shot down, and where they find a bit more than they expected while they’re on the ground.

I love Larson’s voice in this particular story, and how he goes about laying the characters and situation out little by little.

As a point of disclosure, I published a story by Larson in my own anthology, War Stories: New Military Science Fiction.

When they finally shift the transport’s still-smoldering wing enough to drag Beasley out from where he was pinioned, for a moment all Elliot can do, all anyone can do, is stare. Beasley’s wiry arm with its bioluminescent tattoos is near sheared from its socket, and below his hips he’s nothing but pulped meat and splinters of bone.

He’s still alive, still mumbling, maybe about the woman Elliot saw in a little holo with her arms thrown around his neck, back before Beasley’s dreadlocked mane was shaved off and a conscript clamp was implanted at the top of his spine.

“His impact kit never triggered,” someone says, as if that’s not fucking obvious, as if he could have been ragdolled out of the transport otherwise.

“Is the autosurgeon trashed?” someone else, maybe Tolliver, says. Elliot’s ears are still ringing from the crash and his head swimming from what he was doing before it and all the voices seem to blend. He knows, dimly, that he should be giving orders by now.

“An autosurgeon can’t do shit for him. What’s it going to do, cauterize him at the waist?”

Read the rest here.

After he discovered the planet Neptune using mathematics, French astronomer Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier set his sights on a new discovery: the planet Vulcan.

There’s a reason why we included this book on our list of books that we absolutely loved in 2015: it’s a stunning history of the discovery of the solar system, one that examines the hunt for a planet that never existed.

http://gizmodo.com/these-are-the-...

The Hunt for Vulcan... And How Albert Einstein Destroyed A Planet, Discovered Relativity and Deciphered the Universe, is a deceptively small book: Thomas Levenson covers an incredible amount of material in under 200 pages. This is the best sort of ‘secret history’ narrative: ostensibly, the book is about how astronomers, particularly Verrier, discovered discrepancies in Mercury’s orbit. Their assumption at the time was the existence of another planet, one that orbited the sun closer to Mercury. The truth, however, is quite a bit more complicated. Levenson does an excellent job chronicling the events that led up to the hunt for Vulcan, and the personalities of everyone involved.

Vulcan, of course, never existed, and the discrepancies in Mercury’s orbit had another explanation, one that came years later with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

http://gizmodo.com/how-ta-nehisi-...

This could have been a story that mocks early astronomers: look at the mistakes they made! How could they have believed this?! What Levenson does is go back and provide a considerable amount of context for the time, and delves into the personalities that drove the discoveries, and lack thereof.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunt-Vulca...

Along the way, what we really get is a great history of the solar system, and how some of the other bodies were discovered, as well as how figures such as Newton and Einstein helped completely upend everything that we thought we knew.

The Hunt for Vulcan is an excellent work of non-fiction, and it’s a fantastic, accessible entry into how we learned about our home system.

Northrop Grumman scored another win this last year after its Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) concept was tapped for full-scale demonstration. The DARPA and Office of Naval Research-led program seeks to give Navy surface combatants, like destroyers and Littoral Combat Ships, fixed-wing aircraft carrier-like capabilities, albeit on a smaller scale. It’s a move that could change naval warfare, and warfare in general, as we know it.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/northrop-grumm...

The idea of adding a fixed wing unmanned aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically to bolster the sensor range and combat capability of destroyers, cruisers, littoral combat ships and other surface combatants is nothing new. I predicted it would be a future must-have. Now this concept is set to mature into the demonstration phase, similar to that of another Northrop Grumman product, the hugely successful, stealthy carrier-borne X-47B drone.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/bask-in-the-aw...

TERN has evolved steadily through its first and second phase of development, none of which resulted in a full scale prototype, but that is now about to change as the program enters phase three. DARPA describes the program as such:

“The first two phases of Tern successfully focused on preliminary design and risk reduction. In Phase 3, DARPA plans to build a full-scale demonstrator system of a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS designed to use forward-deployed small ships as mobile launch and recovery sites. Initial ground-based testing, if successful, would lead to an at-sea demonstration of takeoff, transition to and from horizontal flight, and landing—all from a test platform with a deck size similar to that of a destroyer or other small surface-combat vessel.”

In other words, TERN is becoming a real thing, not just an idea. And it primarily aims at giving small-deck surface combatants the ability to deploy a semi-autonomous fixed-wing drone, with long endurance, far from the ship.

Once there, it can work as a networking and sensor node, expanding the “sensor picture” and situational awareness of the ship by providing detailed reconnaissance, and being able to relay information to other players far over the horizon. But that is not all TERN will be capable of. Apparently it will pack some serious teeth as well.

The TERN initiative seems to have expanded from a information, surveillance and reconnaissance node to a shooting platform as well, with concept art showing the aircraft toting weapons capable of pinpoint strikes—the latest of which is shown at the top of this story.

This fits perfectly into the Navy’s increasingly high-priority movement to diffuse its combat capability over more assets and larger areas. This is known as Distributed Lethality, and it is becoming a very big deal on multiple levels within the halls of the Pentagon.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/us-navy-lookin...

As far as TERN’s configuration and design goes, it will be a “tail sitter” reminiscent of the Convair XFY-1 Pogo of the 1950s—just with the benefit of almost seven decades of computer technology. The Pogo was very tough to land for pilots as they literally had to do so with their backs turned towards the ground. Trying such a thing on a pitching and rolling ship’s deck? Forget it.

But an unmanned aircraft should be able to accomplish this without much of a problem. Even Space X landed a rocket that had delivered a payload into orbit in a similar manner recently, so the engineering hurdles for doing something similar with a turbine power and highly maneuverable aircraft are not too high.

DARPA describes the TERN design as follows:

“The Tern Phase 3 design envisions a tailsitting, flying-wing aircraft with twin counter-rotating, nose-mounted propellers. The propellers would lift the aircraft from a ship deck, orient it for horizontal flight and provide propulsion to complete a mission. They would then reorient the craft upon its return and lower it to the ship deck. The system would fit securely inside the ship when not in use.

Ideally, Tern would enable on-demand, ship-based unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations without extensive, time-consuming and irreversible ship modifications. It would provide small ships with a “mission truck” that could transport ISR and strike payloads to very long distances from the host vessel. The solution would support field-interchangeable mission packages for both overland and maritime missions. It would operate from multiple ship types and in elevated sea states.”

Much like the X-47B before it, Northrop Grumman will now build TERN for ground and shipboard testing, proving the concept works before the Pentagon commits to bringing a design into production.

Clearly, the stakes are high. If TERN ends up fulfilling its potential, it could radically increase the combat flexibility of its host vessels. Additionally, it could be used aboard other types vessels, such as amphibious assault ships, to work as a companion to the USMC’s F-35B, taking on lower-end tasks and working as a data relay and translator between the F-35 and the “gator Navy” flattop that carries them into battle. We discuss the need for such a vehicle in this post from early 2014.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/7-things-the-m...

This would allow Marine-centric flotilla to exploit the F-35B’s sensor capability by translating and relaying its proprietary MADL data-link waveform and language into one that the ships’ current data links can understand. This is being done today with other disparate platforms over the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq using a flying universal translator of sorts known as BACN. But BACN is not built to accommodate the F-35, nor is its hardware packed into anything that can operate off of a amphibious assault ship.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-theres-a-n...

This is a major issue confronting the Navy and USMC right now as they know the F-35 is capable of greatly enhancing their ships’ sensor picture and situational awareness, but figuring out how to relay that data back to the ship over long distances, and fusing it with other information remains unsolved.

The F-35’s unique data link system and the fact that the Navy and USMC remain unprepared to take advantage of the jet’s information collecting capabilities are detailed in this previous Foxtrot Alpha piece.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/navy-builds-sh...

For use on other surface combatants such as destroyers and Littoral Combat Ships, TERN could accomplish a whole array of missions their embarked MH-60R helicopters cannot. This mainly includes long-range missions that require fixed-wing endurance and speeds to accomplish. For instance, TERN could work as a communications relay and weapons platform to provide armed overwatch for Navy SEALs operating on foreign shores while allowing its host ship to be many hundreds of miles away from that shore.

TERN, being the modular “flying sensor truck” that it is, could also be flown with a radar on-board capable of searching for surface targets in littoral environments, far outside of an cruiser or destroyer’s sensor range. A forward-operating TERN could relay targeting information of enemy ships back to its mothership and provide mid-course targeting updates for incoming missiles.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-navys-smar...

These types of long-range missions really play into the Navy’s need to develop tactics to deal with enemies that possess anti-access/area-denial (AA/A2) capabilities. TERN will allow U.S. Navy ships to standoff many hundreds of miles, outside the enemy’s reach in most cases, while still having a hand in the fight. TERN could also help dismantling the enemy’s AA/A2 capabilities by sniffing out and geo-locating the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile systems and other parts of its integrated air defense nodes.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/heres-russias-...

Fit TERN with a air-to-air capable radar, such as smaller version of the Super Hornet’s APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and the drone could provide engagement quality target tracks of enemy aircraft. These tracks could be data linked back to a ship that fires a missile toward the target without ever seeing it on their own radar. In the future, this data could even be forwarded to ships like the stealthy DDG-1000, or even a submarine equipped with anti-aircraft missiles. These assets could work as clandestine launch platforms while TERN works as the sensor platform that guides the missile towards its target.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/on-first-outin...

Such a capability is only theorized today in the form of large unmanned air combat vehicles like an operational version of the carrier-borne X-47B. But being able to launch a similar, albeit more rudimentary, capability off the back of virtually any Navy ship leaves the enemy much more vulnerable to attack and makes our forces much less predictable. Once again, this leverages the distributed lethality concept.

TERN is also relevant when it comes to land-based operations. Being able to deploy such a capability off of a basketball court sized launch and recovery area opens up a whole new set of possibilities when it comes to forward-deployed unmanned aerial combat. Not only is such a system hard to detect because it relies on little infrastructure to operate from, but it could be adapted quickly to execute multiple missions. A set of say three of these vehicles could allow a small unit to have an aircraft in the air at all times, which is a lot of persistence and a lot of capability considering no runway is needed.

Unmanned airfield being launched off non-aircraft carriers is nothing new to the Navy. In fact, one of the first tactically viable drones did exact that over a half century ago. Currently the Navy has its long in development helicopter drones, the MQ-8 Firescout family of unmanned helicopters, but these systems will be overshadowed in the range and altitude department by TERN. That does not mean they are mutually exclusive. TERN and the Firescout would be a very capable team, with Firescout working the inner ring around the ship and TERN venturing out farther and higher. One could even see them working together for sea-control missions or even providing armed over-watch duties.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/meet-dash-a-na...

The vertical takeoff and landing nature of TERN may also make it an incredibly sought after capability for allied countries to acquire. Deploying such a system even on an aging ship could give that ship greatly enhanced abilities without investing heavily in the ship itself. Additionally, for countries like Taiwan, who fear that their runways may be cratered in the open exchanges of hostilities with China, and thus they could be blinded and cutoff from communications, TERN offers a relevant and survivable insurance policy.

Warfare is not the only medium in which TERN could be well worth the cost of acquisition. The Coast Guard has long sought a VTOL unmanned aircraft, TERN could finally be an answer to their dreams. It could bring C-130 like speeds and helicopter deployability to search and rescue efforts. When not looking for those in distress, TERN could map the movement of glaciers, study fish populations and provide other key environmental data, all off the back of a ship.

TERN represents a fascinating technology that could revolutionize naval combat capabilities on many different levels, and migrate inland to solve other tactical problems and provide solutions to problems that have not even been identified yet. Even better, it is not a hard-wired technology like a new radar system that needs heavy modifications to a ship or a permanent base in order to be put to work. This makes it accessible and adaptable, which in itself represents value.

If TERN’s test phase goes reasonably well, expect the Pentagon to bet big on this technology going forward.

Contact the author at Tyler@jalopnik.com.

Renderings via DARPA

NASA has released a new image from the DAWN Spacecraft orbiting Ceres, depicting the southern hemisphere of the dwarf planet.

It’s a gorgeous image, and it really shows off how pitted and scarred the object is.

This part of Ceres, near the south pole, has such long shadows because, from the perspective of this location, the sun is near the horizon. At the time this image was taken, the sun was 4 degrees north of the equator. If you were standing this close to Ceres’ south pole, the sun would never get high in the sky during the course of a nine-hour Cerean day.

The spacecraft took this image in its low-altitude mapping orbit from an approximate distance of 240 miles (385 kilometers) from Ceres.

“Valse à quatre mains” (“Waltz with four hands”) is a short animated film by a group from Supamonks Studio, which is gorgeous in its music and imagery. The attention to detail is amazing—just look at the cracks in the hair of the violinist!

[via Watermelon Animation]

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones have all proven themselves as worthy entries into Marvel’s pantheon of shared live-action properties. But in a new interview, Avengers and Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon says that the world of Marvel film and TV isn’t quite as connected as it is at first glance.

We covered Whedon’s comments during an Oxford Union Q&A about his departure from the Marvel movies this morning, but the full interview, which you can find embedded below is packed with interesting nuggets of information... information that paints a picture that the connective tissue between the Marvel movies and Marvel TV is a lot sparser than you’d imagined (or, frankly, Marvel would like you to think for the sake of its “all-connected” Cinematic Universe).

The interesting comments first appear around the 11-minute mark, when Whedon responds to criticism of comments he made during the press tour for Age of Ultron last year, where he unequivocally said that Phil Coulson—who perished at Loki’s hands in The Avengers, only to be resurrected as the star of Agents of SHIELD—was, in the realm of the movies, dead as a Clark-Gregg-shaped dodo:

You know who loved hearing that was Clark Gregg [audience laughter]. He was super thrilled. I do think that there is an element for somebody who consumes all the Marvel product that it might take the punch out, but generally I feel like the SHIELD audience and The Avengers audiences are not actually the same group, necessarily. No, I don’t regret bringing back Phil Coulson because he’s Clark Gregg, and he’s so bad ass.

That was an aspect of it that became a headline in the internet, because that’s what they do. It was sort of, ‘Oh, that’s the meanest thing he’s said, let’s use that.’ You have to go, ‘Well, okay, if you take it back in TV, does it take it back in film?’ That was the the thing, because it came from, ‘Why wasn’t he in the second film?’ I’m like, ‘Because I have time to explain that.’ It’s like, ‘In addition to introducing nineteen new characters, this guy’s alive again .’ I couldn’t do that, so… It’s an aspect of it, but it’s a small one. It’s not how I feel about it.

Even if you didn’t appreciate the bluntness, Whedon is right—so far, much of the actual sharing between the two halves of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been elements from the films having an impact on TV, rather than the other way around.

Later on in the Q&A, Whedon gets even less subtle, stating that the TV shows essentially get the scraps left over from the films, while revealing that at some point Agents of SHIELD planned on using Loki’s staff as a major plot point:

With a TV show, you just have to... you just have to be careful. Which, unfortunately just means the TV show gets, you know, leftovers. One of the first things they said was ‘We got a great idea! We’ll use Loki’s scepter!’ And I’m like ‘Yeah … um, hold that thought.’

It’s the most tacit acknowledgement of the gap between Marvel film and TV we’ve had so far, but definitely not the first. After all, according to former Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight, the series planned to use the Linda Carter incarnation of the comic character Night Nurse, only to be told that she was off limits (most likely for use in Doctor Strange), leading to the use of Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple instead:

The feature side had plans for her down the road so that was the only time we ran into a conflict. So we just used another name.

And more recently, the Russo brothers discussed the difficult logistics that might leave the Netflix heroes—Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, collectively known as the Defenders—out of a possible cameo in the Avengers: Infinity War duology:

When we start to serialize the telling of stories it’s difficult. You have to have a lot of control and focus on the course of history. The films are controlled by a group led by Kevin Feige, so they function as a unit. Other products, even if they are from Marvel, are controlled by others.

But Whedon has definitely been the most open when it comes to the acknowledgement so far—and outside of official word straight from Marvel, it seems like this will be the most we get on the matter. It’s a shame that it has to be like this, but it ultimately makes sense; to Marvel, it’s the films that are the driving force of their successes. The TV ventures are simply a happy bonus, as much as they might try to (and, in terms of quality, have the right to) position themselves on an equal level.

If you were waiting for the return of the first Firestorm to The Flash, I have some bad news. Technically, that’s not Firestorm pictured above, it’s someone else... someone sinister. You can tell because this Ronnie Raymond is sporting a black jacket, widely accepted as the most evil of jacket colors.

Rumor—and set photos—had it that Robbie Amell’s upcoming guest appearance would be of the Earth-2 variety, and now we have confirmation. Showrunner Andrew Kreisberg told Entertainment Weekly, “You can’t keep a good Firestorm down. Only this time, he’s back with a twist—a deadly Earth-Two version of our beloved Ronnie in the form of Deathstorm.” Entertainment Weekly also provides a full look at the newest Ronnie, part of which is above. (He should also be sporting a goatee, don’t you think?)

It’s a neat way to bring back a character without getting into time travel or resurrection (yet). Plus, we already met the wife of Earth-2’s Ronnie in a promo. It’s Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), as the equally evil Killer Frost!

Top image: Cate Cameron/The CW.

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

A popular ab roller, a cheap 4K TV, and $5 Scott Pilgrim volumes highlight today’s best deals. Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here to learn more.

Editor’s note: Some of you will be thrilled, and others will be outraged to learn that we’re going to start merging media deals and gaming deals back into this main post. We’ll still highlight all of the best deals at the top, and on our Kinja Deals homepage. Happy New Year!

More Deals

Today’s Best App Deals

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Top Deals

$7 Hanes sweatpants? $7 Hanes sweatpants! [$7 Hanes Sweatpants, $7]

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If you didn’t upgrade your TV over Black Friday, there are still some great deals to be had on well-reviewed 4K sets.

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The Nintendo 2DS is your economy class ticket to the 3DS’s deep game library, and you can score a refurb on eBay today for just $60, direct from Nintendo’s warehouse. [Refurb Nintendo 2DS, $60]

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We know you guys like Velcro cable ties, but if you’re interested in a different option for keeping your wires organized, these neoprene zip-up sleeves seem like a great deal. [5-Pack Sumsonic 20” Neoprene Cable Management Sleeves, $12 with code J9AR6PMM]

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It’s highly likely that six bottles of Suave men’s shampoo could last you through to 2017, so stock up for $9 while you can. [6-Pack Suave Men’s Shampoo, $9 after 20% coupon]

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Here’s your chance to score 20 critically-acclaimed Fox Searchlight Blu-rays in one $70 package. There’s no filler in here either; the films were all popular and well-received by critics. Highlights include:

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We’ve posted this before at $100, so $70 really is a steal. Unfortunately, it’s currently backordered, so don’t start making popcorn just yet. [Fox Searchlight Pictures 20th Anniversary Collection (21 Discs), $70]

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If your new year’s resolutions included strengthening your core, Amazon’s here to help with all-time low prices on two pieces of ab workout equipment.

The $25 Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro has a stellar 4.5 star review average from over 2,600 customers, and unlike some other rollers, actually adds resistance as you roll it further away.

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If you like to do crunches, Perfect Fitness’s Ab Arch is also on sale today. The Arch supports your back and encourages better form, and today’s $20 price is $10 off its MSRP.

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Just remember that these are both part of a Gold Box deal, meaning these prices are only available today, or until swoled out. [Perfect Fitness Gold Box]

Shark might be best known for its steam mops, but its Navigator vacuum cleaner has a 4.5 star review average from over 3,000 customers, and Amazon will sell you one for $100 today, an all-time low price. [Shark Navigator Vacuum, $100]

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The LG Watch Urbane is absolutely one of the best looking Android Wear watches on the market, and you can get your own for $200 today on eBay. That’s $150 less than its original selling price, and a match for the best deal we’ve seen. If you’re on the fence, be sure to check out Gizmodo’s impressions. [LG Watch Urbane, $200]

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Normally, we’re big proponents of cheap, monochrome laser printers (like this one!). But if you really need to print in color, this Xerox Phaser is a fantastic deal. [Xerox Phaser 6022/NI Wireless Color Laser Photo Printer, $135]

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There are two three certainties in life: Death, taxes, and never having enough power outlets. We can’t help you with the first two, but this affordable surge protector can alleviate the third. It even includes USB charging ports for your mobile devices. [ORICO Desktop 6 Outlets Surge Protector with USB Charging Ports Black/White, $18 with code 8ZXTMLFF]

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If you can’t find the time to go to the gym every day, this under-desk elliptical lets you squeeze in some light exercise while you fill out your TPS reports. This sells for nearly $50 more on Amazon, where it enjoys a 4.4 star review average. [Under Desk Elliptical by FitDesk, $105]

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This cheaper alternative doesn’t include a foot massager or a distance tracker for your desk, but if you want to save about $20, it’s also a good option.

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Need a little push to get off the couch and fulfill your new year’s resolutions? The Fitbit Charge HR is the best fitness tracker for most people, and you can get one for just $110 today, which is a match for the best deal we’ve seen on the heart rate-tracking model. [Fitbit Charge HR, $110]

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Don’t care about tracking your heart rate? The standard Charge is also marked down to $90.

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For all those that bow before the altar of Uniqlo’s pantone-inspired creations, you’re in luck: Just about everything is on sale. Running the gamut from cashmere coats to selvedge denim, the sale is perfectly primed for winter hibernation.

Uniqlo’s sweaters, a thing of beauty, are made with 100% merino wool and don’t pill in the wash (truly!). You can find them on sale for both men and women, while denim options are also deeply discounted. And, here’s the best part: If you spend $150, Uniqlo will shave off $20 with the code YOUWIN. We’ve assembled a few of our picks over in this post, but you can just head over to Uniqlo and find your own favorites. [Uniqlo Sale]

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Mpow’s ultra-cheap Swift Bluetooth headphones dominated 2015, and their sequels are on sale and ready to ship for 2016.

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If you shop at GameStop, this gift card deal is basically $5 for free. [$25 GameStop Gift Card + $5 Code, $25]

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Grab a friend and rekindle your Guitar Hero glory days for just $100 on PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U. This deal was available during Black Friday, but if you missed out, or just didn’t get it under the tree like you were hoping, here’s another chance. [Guitar Hero Live 2-Pack Bundle, $100]

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If you’ve never read Scott Pilgrim, you can fix that today for just $5 per (digital) book. The entire series only spans six volumes, and I recommend buying all of them while they’re this cheap. [Scott Pilgrim Kindle/Comixology Books, $5 each]

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If your home movies give you motion sickness, this well-reviewed StayblCam stabilizer is designed specifically for action cams and smartphones, and the results (seen above) speak for themselves. [StayblCam Smartphone Video Stabilizer for Smartphones and Action Cams, $64]

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We’ve seen a handful of sub-$20 Bluetooth speakers, but not many of them can join you in the shower. The Omaker M4 can do just that thanks to its IP54-rated splash resistance, and still deliver up to 12 hours of playtime on a single charge. That’s perfect if you like to sing in the shower, or just need to catch up on your podcast queue. [Omaker M4 Water Resistant Portable Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker, $19 with code M4OMAEKR]

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While it’s obviously no substitute for getting your knives professionally sharpened, this tiny KitchenIQ sharpener can help them maintain their edge for longer. I use this exact model on my beloved Victorinox Fibrox, and I really like it. [KitchenIQ Edge Grip 2 Stage Knife Sharpener, $6]

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Tech

Storage

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Power

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Audio

• Sound Intone I68 Stereo Lightweight Foldable Headphones with Microphone (four colors) ($16) | Amazon | Use code SENR5VGZ
• Sound Intone E6 In-ear Earbuds Sport Headset with Mic & Volume Control (5 colors) ($13) | Amazon | Use code NECVJB8X
• Inateck Lacerta Dual Dynamic Driver In-Ear Noise-isolating Headphones with with A/B Switch Modes for iOS and Android ($20) | Amazon | Use code X3D6HZNK
• Inateck Marsbox Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Speaker with 15 Hour Playtime with 2x 5 Watts Drivers ($30) | Amazon | Use code A2RTOG9N
• [Gen-2 Version] Mpow Cheetah Nano-coating Bluetooth 4.1 Sports Headphone ($21) | Amazon | Use code NIY4PSGK
• Mpow Seals Airflow Sports Bluetooth 4.0 Back Head Headphones ($31) | Amazon | Use code P2EKLO6G
• LEAGY L-58 Home Recording Sound Studio ($53) | Amazon | Promo code OJIWNYGS

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SHF8Q5Q

Home Theater

• Samsung Curved 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (2015 Model) ($998) | Amazon
• VIZIO M50-C1 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD 2160p Class LED Smart HDTV ($628) | Amazon
• Hisense 50-Inch 1080p 120Hz Class LED Smart HDTV ($350) | Walmart
• SCEPTRE X405BV-F 40-Inch LED Class 1080P HDTV ($220) | Walmart
• Epson EX5230 Pro XGA 3LCD Projector ($400) | Staples
• NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV / Gaming System w/ Controller and Remote ($175) | Amazon
• Amazon Fire TV ($85) | Amazon
• [Pack of 5] Sumsonic 20” Neoprene Cable Management Sleeves ($12) | Amazon | Use code J9AR6PMM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013HJ13V0/...

Computers & Accessories

• FREE Mediasonic ProBox HDR-SU3 2.5’ SATA HDD / SSD Hot-Swappble Enclosure | Newegg | After $10 rebate plus ~$3 Shipping
• Celluon EPIC Ultra-Portable Full-Size Virtual Keyboard ($80) | Amazon
• Xerox Phaser 6022/NI Wireless Color Photo Printer ($135) | Amazon
• Refurb Neat NeatReceipts Portable Scanner ($85) | Best Buy
  
• Inateck 2.4GHZ Wireless Presenter PowerPoint Clicker remote control up to 100m ($12) | Amazon | Use code YNZEGDE7
• Inateck 2.4GHZ Wireless Presenter PowerPoint Clicker remote control up to 20m ($10) | Amazon | Use code YNZEGDE7
• Inateck 4-Port USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Hub with 4 BC 1.2 Charging Port Each up to 5V 1.5A ($10) | Amazon | Use code C2XTTIG7
• iClever USB-C to 3-Port USB 3.0 Hub with Gigabit Ethernet Adapter ($15) | Amazon | Use code PF3DOA5O

http://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Wirele...

PC Parts

• XFX Radeon R9 380 R9-380P-4255 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Double Dissipation XXX OC Video Card ($170) | Newegg | After $20 rebate
• MSI GeForce GTX 950 DirectX 12 GTX 950 GAMING 2G 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ATX GAMING Video Card ($130) | Newegg | After $30 rebate
• PNY CS1211 2.5” 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive ($60) | Newegg
• WD Black 1TB Performance Desktop Hard Disk Drive ($65) | Newegg | Use code ESCAKAR23

Photography

• Panasonic HC-WX970K 4K Ultra HD Camcorder, Built-in Twin Video Camera (PIP) on LCD, 5.1 Audio ($790) | Amazon
• Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 II Lumix Aspherical Micro 4/3 Lens w/ $25 Gift Card ($268) | Adorama
• Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 - Blue Instant Film Camera ($125) | Amazon
• Fujifilm Instax Wide Film Twin Pack ($17) | Amazon
• StayblCam Smartphone Video Stabilizer for Smartphones and Action Cams ($64) | Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015R3WUNO/...

Home

• Samsonite Luggage 5 Piece Travel Set ($85) | eBay
• Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill with Storage ($150) | Sears
• Shark Navigator Bagless Upright Vacuum ($100) | Best Buy
• 6 in. Wavy-Edge Resin LED Candle with Timer ($4) | Home Depot
• Staples Hyken Technical Mesh Task Chair ($130) | Staples
• Up to 40% Off Select Vanities and Cabinets | Home Depot
• G40 Globe String Lights With 27 Clear Bulbs ($18) | Amazon | Use code 93OJ846O
• Kohree 20ft 120 LEDs Starry String Lights ($10) | Amazon | Use code IZ8X25HN
• Kohree Timer Votive Flameless Candles, Set of 12 LED Pillar Candles ($18) | Amazon | Use code EAH6T3JJ
• Etekcity Living Color LED Table Lamp: Touch Control, Color Changing Base, Adjustable Brightness Light ($23) | Amazon | Use code HREXPA9A

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011KI6KE0

Beauty & Grooming

• Conair True Glow Moisturizing Mist Facial Sauna System ($26) | Amazon

Kitchen

• Mr. Coffee Automatic Burr Mill Grinder ($28) | Mr. Coffee | Discount shown in cart
• Cuisinart CSBP-100 3-in-1 Stuffed Burger Press ($10) | Amazon
• Mr. Coffee Advanced Brew 5-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker ($15) | Mrcoffee
• Hamilton Beach 33182A Slow Cooker, 8-Quart ($25) | Amazon
• Ore International Wood Kitchen Cart ($93) | Target | Use code TGTU3ECN
• MIU COLOR Large Portable and Reusable Produce Bags 4 Set ($5) | Amazon | Use code LMNP28YP
• Vegetable Steamer, X-chef Stainless Steel Foldable Food Steamer Basket ($9) | Amazon
• Coffee Pod Holder, Oak Leaf Keurig K Cup Holder Carousel Tower ($13) | Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012A79N5S

Fitness

• Under Desk Elliptical by FitDesk ($105) | Woot
• Refurb Samsung Gear Fit Fitness Watch + Heart Rate ($50) | Best Buy
• Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro ($25) | Amazon
• TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller, Extra Firm (13-inch) ($31) | Amazon
• NordicTrack C 700 Treadmill ($799) | Sears
• NordicTrack T 6.5Z Treadmill ($599) | Sears

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B1N0R6C/...

Apparel

• Mens Wool Blended Comfort Jacket ($50) | Uniqlo
• 40-70% Off Lilly Pulitzer at Amazon
• ASICS Women’s MetroLyte Gem Walking Shoes ($25) | eBay
• ASICS Men’s GEL-Exalt 2 Running Shoes ($35) | eBay
• ASICS Unisex ASICS Poly Logo Fleece Zip ($20) | eBay

Camping & Outdoors

• Byer of Maine Mauritius Hammock ($32) | REI
• OxyLED MH20 LED Headlamp with Motion Sensor ($10) | Amazon
• Black Portable Pop Up Dressing Room Tent ($29) | eBay
• CampMaid Grill & Smoker (3 Piece) ($69) | Amazon
• LOFTEK® Smart Rechargeable LED Flashlight/Lantern ($14) | Amazon | Use code FBC5LSLS

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RF3SLOM/...

Tools & Auto

• DuraHook Wall Kit (24-Hooks, 2 DuraBoards, 54-Piece Mounting Kit, 4-Piece Bin Systems) ($26) | Home Depot
• Etekcity 360° Universal Car Holder Mount ($7) | Amazon | Use code T6VP8PHR
• Etekcity Digital Multimeter/Voltmeter/Ammeter/Ohmmeter ($10) | Amazon | Use code 35CJBXJF
• 2-Pack 7inch 36W 4000 Lumen CREE LED Work Light Bars ($50) | Amazon | Use code HDI46MDF

http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Gener...

Media

Movies & TV

• X-Files Seasons 1-6 Are $15 Each at Target
• Attack on Titan, Part 1 ($23) | Amazon
• Attack on Titan, Part 2 Limited Edition ($39) | Amazon
• Total Recall (Mastered in 4K) ($6) | Amazon
• 4 Film Favorites: The Matrix Collection ($13) | Amazon
• Kill Bill, Vol. 1 / Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (Double Feature) ($8) | Amazon
• The Sword in the Stone (50th Anniversary Edition) ($13) | Amazon
• Fox Searchlight Pictures 20th Anniversary Collection ($70) | Amazon
• Mission: Impossible - The 5 Movie Collection ($35) | Amazon
  
• Horrible Bosses 2 ($10) | Amazon
• Orange is the New Black: Season 1 ($10) | Amazon
• The Last of the Mohicans: Director’s Definitive Cut ($8) | Amazon
• Young Guns ($5) | Walmart
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Classic Series Collection [DVD] ($60) | Amazon
• Alien Anthology and Prometheus Bundle ($21) | Amazon
• San Andreas 3D ($10) | Best Buy

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FC1ZCB4/...

Books & Magazines

• Scott Pilgrim Books [Kindle/Comixology] ($5 each) | Amazon
• The Choice, Nicholas Sparks [Kindle] ($3) | Amazon
• Isaac’s Storm Audiobook ($4) | Audible

http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Pilgrim-...

Gaming

Peripherals

• Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition: Star Wars The Force Awakens Play Set ($25) | Amazon
• LEGO Dimensions Fun Pakcs are $7.50 Each at Best Buy
• Skylanders SuperChargers: Drivers Smash Hit Character Pack ($6) | Amazon
• Skylanders SuperChargers: Drivers High Volt Character Pack ($6) | Amazon

PC

• Tomb Raider [Download] ($3) | Amazon
• Wolfenstein: The New Order ($9) | Amazon

PlayStation 4

• Grand Theft Auto V ($40) | Amazon
• Guitar Hero Live 2-Pack Bundle ($100) | Amazon
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ($30) | GameStop
• Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack ($40) | Best Buy
• Dragon Age: Inquisition ($20) | Best Buy

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVSQ848/...

Xbox One

• Xbox One White 500GB Gears of War Special Edition Console Bundle ($299) | Walmart
• Guitar Hero Live 2-Pack Bundle ($100) | Amazon
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ($30) | GameStop
• Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition ($10) | Xbox Live Gold
• Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack ($40) | Best Buy
• Dragon Age: Inquisition ($20) | Best Buy

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZQB740C/...

PlayStation 3

• South Park: The Stick of Truth Grand Wizard Edition ($28) | Gamestop
• Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack ($40) | Best Buy
• Assassin’s Creed Rogue ($8) | Amazon

Xbox 360

• Dark Souls II Collector’s Edition ($20) | Gamestop
• South Park: The Stick of Truth Grand Wizard Edition ($28) | Gamestop
• Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack ($40) | Best Buy
• Assassin’s Creed Rogue ($9) | Amazon

Wii U

• Guitar Hero Live 2-Pack Bundle ($100) | Amazon
• Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack ($40) | Best Buy

3DS

• Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. ($18) | Amazon

Board Games

• 7 Wonders Duel Board Game ($23) | Amazon

Toys

• LEGO City Deep Sea Explorers 60090 Scuba Scooter Building Kit ($6) | Amazon

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Send deal submissions to Deals@Gawker and all other inquiries to Shane@Gawker

As Star Wars: The Force Awakens inches toward becoming the highest-grossing film in history, you’re might be a touch curious about how it came to be. This new video gives us a rare peek behind-the-scenes at the actual making of the film, and specifically how director J.J. Abrams chose the location for TFA’s powerful final scene.

Major spoilers for The Force Awakens follow.

When we say “the ending of the film,” we mean the very ending: The reveal of Luke Skywalker, on a remote island that Rey may or may not have seen in her dreams. Those scenes were filmed on Skellig Michael, an island in Ireland, and in this video you can find out how Abrams discovered the location and watch them do a little shooting there.

What the video doesn’t say about the location is that there were some environmental concerns after filming concluded, and rumor has it—despite Episode VIII director Rian Johnson filming at the location with Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill several months ago—the movies may not be going back.

Nevertheless, the location has undoubtedly become a tourist hot-spot after its inclusion in the movie and it’s wonderful to actually see some footage of how Star Wars: The Force Awakens was made.

[Discover Ireland, H/T MakingStarWars]

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.

The wait is over: Starting 11am EST Wednesday morning, you can preorder an Oculus Rift of your own. The company just made the announcement on its blog. No word yet on pricing or expected delivery date.

Industry analysts—even Oculus founder Palmer Luckey himself—know that most of the folks willing to spend the money on VR will be gamers and tech enthusiasts for the next couple years. In addition to the headset, buying a PC capable of running Rift’s VR software could easily set you back a grand on its own.

Gaming is the most logical arena for VR to first conquer anyways, which is why Rift comes bundled with a video game, Lucky’s Tale, a cartoony platformer, as well as another one for free with preorders: a space dogfighting game called EVE: Valkyrie.

Other tech companies, besides the Facebook-owned Oculus, are looking to enter the virtual-and-augmented reality video game space, too. Microsoft’s HoloLens has introduced gamers to holograms: Put on the headset and zap flying holographic baddies that look like they’re bursting through the wall and swoop around your living room.

While VR will most likely find its footing in gaming, it’s also expected to completely change the faces of several industries, from education to engineering to Hollywood. That’s why other tech giants like Sony and HTC are expected to roll out their own VR headsets sometime this year.

As far as Oculus Rift goes, Luckey is scheduled to do an AMA on Reddit at 9pm EST Wednesday, and hopefully we’ll learn more then.

[Oculus]

Gizmodo’s on the ground in Las Vegas! Follow all of our 2016 CES coverage here.

Contact the author at bryan@gizmodo.com, or follow him on Twitter.

Live-tweeting while watching a TV show is standard practice these days, but BBC America is taking it a bit further: upcoming repeats of Doctor Who will have fan-generated social media popping up during the episodes. Granted it’ll be network-approved, previously posted Tweets and stuff, so don’t expect your erotic Doctor/Sherlock fan art to make it on-screen.

With “The Dark One,” Ash vs Evil Dead has come to an end. For now. Thank goodness the best new show on TV will return for a second season. But for now, we’re still in awe of how well the show captured everything we loved about the Evil Dead films.

Spoilers!

First of all: the obvious and necessary choice of making the show focus on Bruce Campbell’s character, who is uniquely hilarious, brave, and completely frustrating. Without Ash, there’s no Evil Dead—even though we kinda liked the spinoff/reboot a few years ago—and without Campbell, there’s no Ash.

In the show, Ash was there when the Necronomicon first unleashed its terrors, and it’s haunted him ever since. The guilt and fear he’s lived with for 30 years has stunted his personality (though surely he’d have been a wise-ass no matter what), and he devolves from a devoted boyfriend (albeit a boyfriend who’d deploy a fatal chainsaw when necessary) to a sleazy lady’s man who accidentally re-awakens the Deadite menace one drunken night. Most of the show takes place in a universe that’s been shaped by Ash’s inability to get past the event that shaped his life all those years ago—those awesome retro jams that he blasts on his awesome vintage car are not chosen by accident.

The beauty of Ash vs Evil Dead is that it allows Ash—a character who is defined by an incredible lack of self-awareness—to evolve ... sorta. His dual sidekicks Kelly and Pablo help him to realize that he’s missed out on having a family, or even close friends he can count on. But in authentic Ash fashion, he blunders. First, he tries (and fails) to ditch the duo before he gets to the haunted cabin, fearing they might not survive. Then, in last night’s episode, he makes a hell of a devil’s bargain with Ruby—choosing to stand down against “the Dark One,” in favor of saving the skins of his beloved buddies.

Yeah, it’s an obvious set-up for the next season, but it fits the character of Ash perfectly. He’s changed enough to know he wants to save Kelly and Pablo ... but not enough to weigh the consequences of letting Ruby rule all the world’s evil forces “like The Godfather.” Duh, CERTAIN DOOM AWAITS, though Ash would rather pretend that nothing is wrong. He’d rather go fishing in Florida, frankly, than boomstick any more cackling ghouls. It’s not the right thing to do ... but it’s the Ash thing to do.

Meanwhile, the TV show also did a killer job of capturing the horrors of the Evil Dead movies. Not just the blood and gore, which it does magnificently, but also the specific nightmare of seeing a loved one turn into something unspeakably horrible. On the lead-up to the finale, we saw the valiant Amanda Fisher die and become a Deadite; in “The Dark One,” Deadite Amanda meets the business end of Ash’s chainsaw (“Wow, I dumped you at just the right time,” he mutters). And Pablo nearly succumbs when he becomes possessed by the Necronomicon cover that’s attached itself to his face; heartbreakingly, he slips in and out of Evil Pablo mode, begging Ash to kill him when he briefly shakes off its spell.

Plus, there’s the cabin itself. (Who knew that cellar was so huge?) The finale ran with the idea—already showcased by the films—that the structure itself is haunted by the most terrifying entities imaginable. It takes down Heather, the unfortunate hiker, with a mind-fucking preamble involving underpants cockroaches and flying nails; then Kelly actually engages in a full-on, action-hero fight with a house.

The finale did show the influence of more modern horror films—those black-eyed “creepy kids” that Ruby conjures, for instance. But mostly, it hews to the spirit of Evil Dead. It’s gory and brutal, and it all hinges on the actions of a character who still isn’t quite ready to choose saving the world over saving himself.

The big difference is that this time, Ash makes sure Pablo and Kelly are also safe, though they both insist he’s making a big mistake. And the kids are probably right. With the book in her clutches, Ruby—who’s somehow still human enough to drop her guard when Ash asks, “Have you lost weight?”—has all kinds of terrible forces available to do her bidding. And her character was so thinly sketched, we still don’t know if we can trust her to be the gatekeeper that she tells Ash she’ll be. (Likely, we can’t. Duh!)

“I can’t believe you did that!” Pablo exclaims as the trio drives away from the cabin, probably not for the last time. “I can!” Ash crows. Come on, Pablo. Of course he did that! And of course, “normal life, in Jacksonville, the three of us” will last, oh, a week at best, before beasties come a-calling. What will it take to get Ash to break the truce, and get back in the slice-and-dice game? Season two can’t come soon enough.

Photo: Starz

Mark Zuckerberg just announced that his “personal challenge” for the new year is to build an artificial intelligence to help him around the house. Sound familiar? It’s basically the (horrifying) premise of Ex Machina.

There are some spoilers below, if you haven’t seen the movie.

Imagine Zuck as the film’s antagonist, a mad billionaire named Nathan who owns the world’s largest tech company: Blue Book. Sure, the Facebook founder isn’t quite as dark and mysterious as Oscar Isaac, who played Nathan the robot maker in Ex Machina. Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a hard-drinking bachelor with a million acres of remote wilderness where he conducts out weird experiments on sexy fembots—not that we know of, anyways. Zuckerberg is one of the few people on Earth with the resources and the power to create his own personal artificial intelligence. And that’s exactly what the 31-year-old wants to do, too.

Read a few lines from his effusive Facebook post about the dystopian resolution:

My personal challenge for 2016 is to build a simple AI to run my home and help me with my work. You can think of it kind of like Jarvis in Iron Man.

I’m going to start by exploring what technology is already out there. Then I’ll start teaching it to understand my voice to control everything in our home — music, lights, temperature and so on. I’ll teach it to let friends in by looking at their faces when they ring the doorbell.

Sure, Jarvis—or you could also think of it as Ava, the angel-faced android from Ex Machina. Ava is an assistant who can help out around the house and keep you company, and her “brain” uses the data from countless web searches both by and about the people she’s serving. So if she were Zuck’s butler, perhaps she would already know what kind of what kind of music his guests would like to hear or even what beer they’d like to drink.

It sounds fun and futuristic until it’s not. If you haven’t seen Ex Machina, you should probably stop reading now. If you have seen the movie, you’ll remember that Ava is preprogrammed to tap into the search history of the protagonist, Caleb. This makes Ava so powerful that she can outsmart humans without them even knowing it. This power is exactly why so many very smart people are terrified by the possibility of true artificial intelligence.

Now, a real-life tech billionaire is pouring his own private intellectual energy into building a powerful AI. We can assume that he’ll be using his own Facebook data to program preferences into the pseudo-Ava and leverage other data to make the software smarter. Could be fun, right? Well, this is essentially the same premise of Ex Machina, a movie that does not have a fun ending.

Time will tell whether Mark Zuckerberg’s personal AI will make him eggs or take over the planet. For now, we may as well revel in the fact that it takes less than a year for tech tycoons to mimic the ambitions of sci-fi villains in real life.

Contact the author at adam@gizmodo.com.
Public PGP key
PGP fingerprint: 91CF B387 7B38 148C DDD6 38D2 6CBC 1E46 1DBF 22A8

In addition to being the combination space opera/political thriller we’ve been waiting ages for, The Expanse is also home to some gorgeous spaceship and space station porn. And now that we’ve got a look at some of the concept art for the show, we’re awed all over again.

These all come courtesy of North Front Studio, with more available here.

Tycho Station

Crash couch

Hanger of the Donnager

Docks at Ceres

The Knight

Donnager during battle

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

Picking a faction in Fallout 4 is the most agonizing choice in the entire game. Turns out, deciding the fate of the Commonwealth is very difficult when every group vying for dominance is awful in its own, special way.

Let’s look at them one by one, shall we?

The Minutemen

Leader: Cardboard Cutout Masquerading As A Human

Best Quality: Feeding Mama Murphy’s drug addiction can be pretty useful. Did you know she can tell you the Courser recall code? Now that’s an unusual way to complete a quest.

Worst quality: “I’ve found a settlement that needs our help. I’ve marked the location on your map.”

I wanted to back the Minutemen—they seemed like the most sensible option, given that they want to fight for the average Commonwealth citizen. But damn, I couldn’t stomach all those damn settlement quests. They’re so boring! Why doesn’t Fallout 4 give me a choice in accepting them, either? Preston Garvey just automatically gives me new quests, one after the other, without any input. Noooooo, stoooop. Settlement quests are the worst quests in the game.

I found myself getting pissed at how bad some of the locations were, too. Why in the world would you live in a run-down shack that’s right next to a Deathclaw nest AND a Mirelurk den? Cripes. Maybe the average wasteland citizen isn’t worth saving after all.

The Brotherhood of Steel

Leader: Macklemore

Best Quality: That airship is pretty dope. So is the Righteous Authority energy weapon you get when you first help Paladin Danse. Also, the storyline with Danse is pretty good, too.

Worst Quality: The Brotherhood are ginormous dicks. They are insufferable. The Brotherhood acts as if everything in the world is theirs for the taking, and worse still, they have the tech and firepower to enforce that shitty attitude. The Brotherhood can probably secure the Commonwealth and ensure it’s safety...but at what cost?

http://kotaku.com/fallout-4s-bro...

The Institute

Leader: Dad

Best quality: The Institute’s scientific advancements could revolutionize the wasteland. Holy moly.

Worst quality: You never really get a sense of what the Institute really stands for. I mean, yes, they say they want to help the Commonwealth. But why are they spending so much time making synths? Why haven’t they shared any tech with the outside world? What’s with the kidnappings? Why do they treat synths like such garbage, anyway? Why did they give up so easily on human enhancements, given how great they worked out for Kellogg? Why in the world are we still messing around with FEV stuff?!

Nothing about this Mass Effect knockoff of a faction inspires confidence, or helps you understand all the shady shit they’re supposedly involved in. Nevermind Father’s bizarre obsession with making a synth of himself.

The Railroad

Leader: Not Deacon

Best Quality: Following the Freedom Trail is one of the best quests in Fallout 4. The Railroad has some pretty cool people in it, too, including Glory, Deacon, and PAM. Lets not forget that the Railroad gives you access to some of the best armor in the game.

http://kotaku.com/how-to-get-rea...

Worst Quality: There’s so much build-up to this faction. They are the fearless, mysterious group that saves the synths! They’ve thwarted the Institute time and time again! Sounds awesome, right? But then you get there, and they’re just a bunch of people hiding in a cave, pretty much, and as it turns out, they don’t really know what they’re doing.

Arguably, that’s interesting in its own right, but no matter how many quests I did for the Railroad, I found myself underwhelmed. Nothing matched the high of finding the faction in the first place. Everything just kinda went downhill from there, and the one-dimensional politics didn’t really help things.

Last month, we ran a poll asking you guys which faction you thought was the best one. These were the results:

Anecdotally, though, most people I know haven’t picked a faction at all, because they don’t like any of the choices. That’s not inherently a bad thing; you don’t want any faction to seem like The Obvious Right One. But there’s no faction in Fallout 4 that feels like it strikes a good balance between pros and cons, either; no faction feels particularly well-written or interesting enough to want to back it. Every faction in Fallout 4 sucks...but that’s OK, because exploring the Commonwealth is more fun than thinking about its future, anyway.

Galavant—the musical mash-up of Disney, Medieval Times, The Princess Bride, and Game of Thrones Lite—is back! Season two’s first episode is titled “A New Season... AKA Suck It Cancelation Bear,” which exactly sums up the tone of the show: deliberately smug, knowingly cheeky, and forcefully anachronistic.

In keeping with the first season’s scheduling style, “A New Season” aired back-to-back with “The World’s Best Kiss,” and the remainder of the season (10 episodes total, two more than season one) will follow suit.

Galavant has all the calculated gloss of a theme park attraction. Every moment is played with over-the-top gusto, which can be funny but can also be exhausting. Between the choreographed musical numbers and cartoonish characters, it’s got about as much depth as a magic mirror.

But Galavant is not without its endearing moments, which mostly come courtesy of its inspired guest-star casting—like Kylie Minogue, who appears to do a riff on “It’s Raining Men” at the gay bar Galavant and Richard stumble upon in “West Hollow-wood”—and weird asides, like Richard being pursued by a curious unicorn who has ID’d him as a virgin. Or the fortune-teller (played by veteran actor Simon Callow) reaching for a “cootie catcher” to suss out Galavant’s destiny. Or a discussion of the definition of “snarfing,” which is when you barf through your nose. Or a split-second glimpse of John Stamos as Galavant’s longtime rival.

There’s also a certain pleasure in watching tough guy Vinnie Jones, as the newly-crowned King Gareth, bicker with Queen Madalena over throne room decor in a song that contains the lyric “Beer, beer, beer, beer, beer.”

Galavant’s most overriding quality, however, is its supreme sense of self-awareness, which it uses in self-deprecating ways (“You’ll know hell’s freezing if we get decent ratings!”) as well as to wink at the audience repeatedly. The characters may be clueless, but the actors are all very much in on the joke—and so are viewers. If some of the show’s humor is too on-the-nose, such as when Galavant and Isabella’s link-up via magic crystals delivers a glitchy, garbled message, like a poorly-connected FaceTime session, it’s never not trying to please. And that’s actually pretty charming.

Photo credits from top: ABC/Nick Ray; ABC/Angus Young.

The Walking Dead comic book is a relative rarity in the world of modern, mainstream comic, as each issue is in greyscale, rather than the normal full-color palette, making it a comic you could color at your pleasure. But now the zombie series is going to be an adult coloring book anyway

Bleeding Cool is reporting that the Walking Dead adult coloring book will join the likes of Game of Thrones, Outlander, and even a bunch of DC comic covers in May, according to a solicit from publishers Image Comics and Robert Kirkman’s entertainment company Skybound. It is, specifically, the comic version of the franchise rather than the wildly popular TV show, and thus presumably packed with the exact same black-and-white art already featured in the black-and-white comic.

The coloring book will cost $15.99, but I’ll save you some cash. Go purchase any issue of The Walking Dead for like, three bucks, preferably one of the earlier issues that weren’t quite so heavy on greyscale. Open it. Grab some crayons and go buck wild.

[Via Bleeding Cool]

Though it may feel like there’s only one movie currently playing at the theater, there’s actually another. It’s a smaller, fantastic film named Anomalisa, a stop-motion puppet film written and co-directed by mad genius Charlie Kaufman, and here’s why you absolutely need to check it out.

Paramount has released several featurettes on the film (two of which were in Morning Spoilers last week), and whether or not you’ve seen the movie, they’re a must-watch. Each provides a small window not just into the unique, beautiful and mysterious world created by Kaufman and his co-director Duke Johnson, but also the crazy detail and meticulous work that went into creating it.

[Paramount]

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.

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Orange Is the New Black breakout star Laverne Cox was cast as fishnet fatale Frank-N-Furter back in October, but now the Rocky Horror Picture Show remake—which willair on Fox in the fall—has cast the two characters made immortal in the cult film by Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon.

Wide-eyed Brad and Janet will be played by Victoria Justice (a former Nickelodeon tween star) and Ryan McCartan, Deadline reports. They join a cast that (in addition to Cox) already includes Staz Nair, who’ll don the title character’s gold hot pants, and Reeve Carney (of Penny Dreadful), who’ll time warp as Riff Raff. Still unannounced include key fan-fave characters like Magenta, Columbia, Dr. Scott, and Eddie. (Come on, guys. You know you want to bring back Meat Loaf. Just admit it.)

The 1975 Rocky Horror Picture Show, adapted from the stage musical, became one of the first cult-movie sensations thanks to its performances (including Tim Curry as the iconic Frank-N-Furter) and its unique appeal as an interactive viewing experience for audiences. According to the New York Times, the TV remake—which, notably, is NOT a live special—will be executive produced by one of the original film’s producers, Lou Adler, and will be directed, produced, and choreographed by Kenny Ortega of High School Musical fame.