I, (Gay) Robot? Radar Rates the Androids

Wired blog: Lucas denies rumors, but maybe he should reconsider

(NEWSER) - Rumors are flying that George Lucas has another Star Wars trilogy up his sleeve. Lucas says it ain't so, but Scott Thill offers five reasons at Wired why he should reconsider:

• Purists are annoying: The first movie came out in 1977, and those who whine about Lucas ruining things "need to step back into the timestream and grow up," writes Thill. Lucas hasn't "sold out our sacred childhood fantasies. He’s the one that built them, and another trilogy will remind us all of that inescapable truth."

Machine could theoretically self-replicate, make Lego-Terminators

(NEWSER) - Could this be the first step toward a robotic apocalypse? A software engineer has created a machine made of Legos that builds objects made of Legos, based on 3D models. The MakerLegoBot (see video in gallery) takes advantage of the brand's new Mindstorms set, which incorporates motors and moving parts. With modifications, the gizmo could theoretically replicate itself, notes Wired . More»

Bruce Willis, in weird wig, tops 'smart' sci-fi flick

(NEWSER) - Critics are lukewarm about Surrogates, the new sci-fi flick starring a surprisingly hirsute Bruce Willis, in which humans command tricked-out robots who do their work and play for them.

• It's a "preposterous movie that luxuriates in its own silliness," says Stephanie Zacharek of Salon. There's a "heavy-duty moral," but the film is redeemed by "not taking itself too seriously."

Wired declares Klingon the king of sci-fi slang

(NEWSER) - Creators of true geek art follow JRR Tolkien’s example and craft fictional languages to populate their worlds. Wired lists the best examples:

1. Klingon. The Star Trek creation is the king of all sci-fi languages, with fully realized grammar and vocabulary.
2. City Speak. Blade Runner’s vision of earth as a mishmash of Western and Eastern cultures was greatly enriched by this language, described as a “mixture of Japanese, Spanish, German, what have you.”

(NEWSER) - Science fiction movies run the gamut from cerebral to "joyful space opera." The writers at Total Sci-Fi run down the 100 best; here's the top 10:

1. Blade Runner: This "masterpiece," with standout performances from Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, is "backed up by a real sense of sadness, fear, and longing."
2. 2001: "The film is as enigmatic as the universe itself," and unlike newer fare, "there is a real depth behind the groundbreaking special effects."
3. Star Wars: "If you haven't seen Star Wars, then, well, you're probably not interested in reading a list about SF movies."