Every blogger and his brother has penned a top 10 list of their favourite science fiction movies, but when a film critic as respected as the New York Times A.O. Scott makes a list, you have to take notice. Here are his picks. It lists many of the usual suspects, but there are  few curveballs in there. Paired with his list is that of IO9's Annalee Newitz. There is some overlap, but not much.

One of the movies that both of them agree on is Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis. Fans of the movie will be able to enjoy the restored version of the film which is due out soon on DVD and Blu-Ray. Metropolis recently closed the Fantasia film festival in Montreal, but what was special about the screening is that it was accomponied by live musicians with a new score.

Back on the subject of movie lists for a moment, IMdb has an interesting list of the highest-rated science fiction movies as voted on by visitors to the site. A movie must have at least 1,000 votes to be listed, but wwhat happens is the newest, hot movies top the list and over time the movies with high ratings start to lose points as more people vote on it. I don't know what this statistical phenomenon is, but I've noticed it at a lot of sites that rely on public input.

Possibly more interesting that the top movies, is their lst of the lowest-rated science fiction films. They look like quite the bunch of stinkers. I wonder if they qualify as the "so-bad-they're good" variety or if the are simply bad.

I've been travelling in airports lately and have noticed more and more people toting around electronic book readers and it's common to overhear their owners sing the praises of their new devices to curious people inquiring about them. Anecdotely at least, it seems that these devices are starting to gain some traction with mainstream consumers.

What is interesting is how the devices are starting to change people's reading habits. This survey found that most people with ebook readers were reading the same amount as before, but a large percentage were reading more now that they had the gadgets in their pockets or purses.

That sounds like it would be good news for authors and publishers, but the spectre of book piracy looms. Some think that free copies of ebooks will be good for pushing physical books, but I'm not so sure. There was a time that video files were hard to pirate because internet connections were too slow and the file sizes were too big. Now it is easy to find and download movies and TV shows and e-book files are so laughably small that they could be sent by dial-up connections in no time at all.

In fact, it's not uncommon to see torrents of science fiction books that collect thousands of titles in one archive that could be downloaded with ease. How can book-sellers compete with that? The next few years are going to be interesting.

I am struggling through a book right now that is one of the Hugo finalists for best novel. It is Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente and this blogger's review pretty much reflects my own opinion, although  I haven't finished it yet so haven't made up my mind whether or not I like it, but I can say that I have considered abandoning it completely, which is rare for me.

I mention it because I read this blogger who complained about what he perceives as the screwed-up priorities of the science fiction writing community to produce books for critics and not for people to enjoy. So far, Palimpsest fits into that category.

So that brings up the question as to what makes a book worth reading or not. This Atlantic article looks at why many stories fail, and not just in science fiction. He concludes that bad fiction is a failure of imagination. I must say that the dreamworld of Valente has perhaps too much imagination.

I wonder if the book qualifies as "SciFi Strange" a new sub-genre name coined by this fellow, although some comment that it's just another label for new weird. I'm so out of touch, I can't keep track of the labels people keep throwing out there. It's like every generation of writers is keen to pioneer some new strain of science fiction. It reminds me of the ridiculous labels you see in the music field. Electroclash? Wonky Pop? Say, what?

There are plenty of blog posts listing history's most "under-rated" science fiction television shows, but this is one list that I think stands out. Not only does it list series that deserve to be on the list like Earth 2 and Max Headroom, but it has several other titles which you may have forgotten or never even heard about.

And speaking of Max Headroom, the short-lived, but influential, TV series has finally been released on DVD. Does the show live up to the reputation that has been built up for it by fans over these long decades? According to this reviewer, it does. Best of all, she promises to write episode-by-episode reviews as she works her way through the boxed set.

While shows like the X-Files and Batman are remembered by most science ficion fans, there are many crossover episodes which have been largely forgotten except by die-hard TV watchers. These are instances when characters from one show would appear on another. Do you remember when Millennium met the X-Files or when Batman and the Green Hornet crossed paths. Here's a list of 11 such meetings to get you running to your video collection.

Feeling crafty? Check out some outstanding science fiction papercraft sites that come courtesy of this blog. If you get too addicted to building these, you'll be sure to run out of ink cartridges for your printer before long, but don't worry, you can save up some of those carts to make even more science fiction crafts, like this artist did.

Not good with your hands? How about a bit of Photoshop trickery? This tutorial will help you create your own pulp-inspired poster. That seems like something I need to promote teotu.com.

Want to do something that won't use up paper and ink? How about hosting a science fiction-themed dinner party? Check out this example for some inspiration. A friend of mine did something similar ages ago and hosted a pot-luck dinner where each guest had to bring up some sort of dish that was disguised to look other-worldly. Most of it was edible, but some of it was too weird to digest, but all the dishes were original.

I've collected my share of autographs at science fiction conventions, but usually they are of authors I appreciate or want to support. I've never been interested in the bit players from famous movies or TV shows, who often charge a fee for the privilege of collecting their, most likely, worthless signature since they sign whenever and wherever they can to make a buck.

This article looks at the fascinating industry of the fan convention designed to bring fans and "stars" together to facilitate the autograph transaction.

More interesting is a recent Star Wtars convention that featured speed dating for con-goers. I guess a mutual love for Wookies is a good way to start a relationship.

For other con news more local to me, Ottawa's Science Fiction Society is hoping to bring a convention back to that city this weekend and Toronto, already blessed with several conventions, has a new one this November called SFContario.

Closer to home, Montreal's Con*Cept has been signing on guests and it looks to be a good time, as usual, although the Montreal Comic-Con is also looking interesting this year. A number of those autograph-for-hire B-list actors will be there.

It sounds like Ray Bradbury beginning to lose it. Either that or he's one of those old guys who's lawn you should keep off of.

In the runup to the celebrated author's 90th birthday he gave an interview where he opined on the American government's lack of vision. Instead of fixing the nation's banking system and pulling the country out of bankruptcy and economic ruin, Washington should be sending astronauts to the moon in preparation for our colonization of Mars.

Another old guy, scientist Stephen Hawking, also recently spoke of how our biggest priority is to start colonizing the stars in order for mankind to survive.

They both sound like two fellow who are disappointed to not see their dreams come true in their lifetimes.

Oh yes, Bradbury is also complaining that we've got too many "internets."

I'm not the only who think Ray's losing it.

Bradbury has also complained about Amazon's Kindle, but he's not the only one, so maybe he's not so crazy. His name was invoked in this article about some interesting technology that could make ebook readers much more useful than they are now.

I think I'll go back to rememebering Bradbury and his ilk in the nostalgic days when they were at their prime, such as when they were meeting at Clifton's Cafeteria in Los Angeles, which is still a place of literary piligrimmage for some.

There may be a paucity of genre movies in theatres these days, but don't despair, there is a new crop coming in the fall and winter. Here's an exhaustive list of what to expect in the months ahead. My hopes are high for Tron: Legacy and the next Narnia movie.

Another movie I would have great hope for if it wasn't just a rumour is the idea of a Quentin Tarantino directed version of the pulp hero The Shadow. I wonder if he dares take on a well-known character like that given the expectations that would surround it.

Another rumour floating around in regards to possible movies is that of a Quantum Leap film. The series certainly had a following during its run on television, but it seems dated today and has sort of dropped off the radar of most fans so I wonder if a movie makes sense.

Whatever we'll be watching next, I wonder how many of these films will be in 3D? Some think that the gimmick has already peaked and movie-goers have become more reluctant to shell out extra for the privilege of watching movies while wearing the special glasses needed to view the 3D effect.

In case you needed reminding on the importance of Star Wars to popular culture, The Christian Science Monitor has come up with a list of how widespread its influence has become.

This cute photo gallery of kids dressed up in Star Wars costumes is a tiny example of how persvasive its reach has become. I must admit I have pictures of my own kids in Star Wars garb, one a cute Yoda, the other a not-so-imposing Darth Vader.

If you've ever wondered what sparks such devotion by Star Wars fans, this article explores the psychology of "fanboyism." It's actually about video-game fans, but I think it applies to fans of just about anything.

We don't need no stinkin' scientists! We've got Balloon Boy's dad analysing photos of the Mars rovers to prove that there is life on the Red planet. Check this video to see his startling findings:

In the video he asks "Am I nuts? Am I crazy?" I don't think he should be asking that question.

Spotting things in the rocks of Mars has been going on since the days of the Viking landers in the 70s. Remember the Face on Mars? That was a result of the low-resolution of that orbiter's cameras. Here are some high-resolution image of the "face" that you may not have seen. It sure doesn't look much like a face anymore.

Of course, the conspiracy theorists will just say these images are more evidence that the government is trying to supress the truth.

To add fuel to their paranoia, the British government recently made public some classified files that indicate Prime Minister Winston Churchill once covered-up a UFO sighting for fear it would cause public panic.

The truth is out there.