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It's almost impossible for a fantasy book to not include any tropes or rely on formula, but some authors push themselves to defy expectations and subvert the genre. While there's a reason that tropes are popular, such as the hero's journey and the sword and sorcery formulas, those aspects of these narratives are so synonymous that the time has come for authors to break with tradition. Of course, writers must understand the rules of fantasy to challenge them, so this leads to a deep love of the genre that can be found in so many of these creative works.

Many of these fantasy books have shocking plot twists that readers don't see coming. While a successful twist isn't the only mark of a good book, it does show that the writers understand how to work both within and without the fantasy format. Settings, characters, and plot developments must all work in harmony within the narrative,...

There are some exciting things afoot in the science fiction and fantasy book world, specifically in the anthology space, where a few exciting projects are getting a ton of support from the reader community. On October 1st, long-running genre zine Grimdark Magazine released its 40th issue, which is also its 10th anniversary edition issue. Grimdark Magazine is always a solid read, but this issue is something extra special because the list of authors who contributed stories, essays, or other work to it is mind-blowingly insane.

Don't take my word for it. Grimdark Magazine Issue #40 features works of short fiction from Mark Lawrence, Wendy Nikel, Angela Slatter, Ben Galley, Aaron Dries, Christopher Buehlman, Andrea Stewart, Cat Rambo, Anna Smith Spark, and the first part of a brand newGentleman Bastards short story from Scott Lynch (the second part will follow in the January 2025 issue). On the essay and interview side of things,...

Exclusive: Judd Apatow has attached to direct and Steven Spielberg has come aboard to produce Cola Wars, the film in development at Sony. Spielberg will produce through his Amblin Entertainment banner.

Deadline revealed back in April that the studio bought the project for $1 million-plus as a pitch, telling the true story of Pepsi’s attempt to challenge Coca-Cola’s century-long reign as the world’s top cola. It uncapped the “Cola Wars” of the mid-1980s, which included everything from Michael Jackson’s fiery mishap to the New Coke debacle, as the ultimate underdog tale of history’s most iconic second-place contender (Pepsi) vying for the No. 1 spot (Coca-Cola).

The Cola Wars pitch is being written by Jason Shuman and Ben Queen. Shuman is the co-creator/writer of Apple’s hit show Acapulco and was executive producer on HBO’s Winning Time, and the producer of 2022’s Oscar-nominated indie To Leslie.

Exclusive: Sony has stepped up with a seven figure bid to uncap Cola Wars, a movie pitch that tells the true story of Pepsi’s attempt to challenge Coca-Cola’s century-long reign as the world’s top cola, sparking the unforgettable “Cola Wars” of the mid-1980s. This behind-the-scenes account, from Michael Jackson’s fiery mishap to the New Coke debacle, tells the ultimate underdog tale of history’s most iconic second-place contender vying for the No. 1 spot. Sources said it was around $1.5 million while Sony said it was $1 million, still a whopping deal for a pitch.

It falls into place alongside films about products like the Ben Affleck-directed Air, about the battle by Nike to win Michael Jordan for a shoe line that transformed the company. There were rival bids massing with elements attached, but Sony stepped up. Maia Eyre, the exec who oversaw the hit Anyone But You,...

Universal Pictures has tapped Meera Menon (Ms. Marvel) to direct its film adaptation of the fantasy A Deadly Education — the first title in the bestselling Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik.

Published by Del Rey in September of 2020, A Deadly Education introduces readers to Galadriel “El” Higgins, a sorceress studying at the school of black magic known as the Scholomance, who looks to survive at the storied institution through graduation, while getting a grip on her abilities.

Emily Carmichael (Jurassic World Dominion) and Shantha Susman are adapting the screenplay. Carly Kleinbart brought the project in to Universal and is overseeing development on behalf of Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman, who will produce. Senior Vice President of Production Jeyun Munford and Director of Development Christine Sun are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.

Novik and her Scholomance Trilogy have been on...

Click here to read the full article.

A Deadly Education, the upcoming fantasy adaptation from Universal, has found its director. Meera Menon, the director who has helmed episodes of Ms. Marvel, For All Mankind and The Walking Dead, is stepping behind the camera for the project.

A Deadly Education is the first book in author Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy, which Universal optioned in 2020 ahead of its publication. Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman will produce, with Jurassic World Dominion screenwriter Emily Carmichael penning the script with up-and-coming writer Shantha Susman.

A Deadly Education centers on El Higgins, a girl with unmatched power who enters a school for the magically gifted. Once you enter the school, there are only two ways out: graduation or death. The New York Times best-selling series also includes The Last Graduate, which won the Lodestar Hugo Award, and The Golden Enclaves, which was released in September.

Exclusive: Fox is continuing its adult cartoon push and is looking at new ways to move the storyboard.

The network is set to launch a number of high-profile animated series over the coming months including Dan Harmon’s Krapopolis and Jon Hamm-voiced Grimsburg as part of a four-show, two-hour animated block on Monday nights from May 2023.

Fox Day @ TCA: Deadline’s Complete Coverage

But it’s also got a couple of other irons in the fire including a push on animated drama series, a slew of animated comedy projects in the works and is in the middle of renewal talks over its long-running series The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers.

Krapopolis, the ancient Greek comedy from Rick and Morty co-creator Harmon, is to launch with a preview on November 27 ahead of its full roll-out next May. The series, which is Fox’s first fully owned animated series, centers on Tyrannis,...

It is known that George R.R. Martin often takes inspiration from medieval and early modern history for his stories about Westeros. Part of the inspiration behind A Song of Ice and Fire (televised as Game of Thrones) was the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in late medieval England which saw the houses of York and Lancaster battling over the English throne. It’s no surprise, then, that the prequel series House of the Dragon (based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood) also takes some inspiration from English medieval history – specifically, from an earlier set of civil wars fought over the English crown known to historians as the Anarchy.

George R.R. Martin himself spoke about this at the recent Sdcc panel on House of the Dragon, explaining that “I pilfered from real history,” and briefly outlining the series of events that led to the Anarchy. Showrunner...

Universal has won the film rights for Naomi Novik’s Ya novel Scholomance Random House series, putting the first novel A Deadly Education into development with Mandeville Films’ Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman.

The first book takes us into a dangerous school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death. There are no teachers, no holidays, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival are never equal. Once you’re inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or you die. El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school’s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions – never mind easily destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school. Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too.

Novik is the author of several New York Times bestselling fantasy novels and...

In a competitive situation, Universal Pictures has picked up the film rights to Scholomance, an upcoming fantasy book series from Naomi Novik, the award-winning author behind the Temeraire book series.

Mandeville Films' Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman, whose recent credits include Beauty and the Beast, Wonder and The Aeronauts, will produce the feature translation, which will kick off with the adaptation of the first novel, A Deadly Education. Random House is publishing the title this fall.

The book centers on a heroine named El Higgins, a girl with unmatched power who enters a school for the magically gifted, where failure means certain death. And ...

In a competitive situation, Universal Pictures has picked up the film rights to Scholomance, an upcoming fantasy book series from Naomi Novik, the award-winning author behind the Temeraire book series.

Mandeville Films' Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman, whose recent credits include Beauty and the Beast, Wonder and The Aeronauts, will produce the feature translation, which will kick off with the adaptation of the first novel, A Deadly Education. Random House is publishing the title this fall.

The book centers on a heroine named El Higgins, a girl with unmatched power who enters a school for the magically gifted, where failure means certain death. And ...

Natalie Zutter Feb 3, 2020

New editions of The Lunar Chronicles has author Marissa Meyer looking back on inventive cosplay and forward to new fairy tale retellings.

Upon glimpsing the dynamic covers for the new paperback editions of Marissa Meyer’s reimagined fairy tale series The Lunar Chronicles, one can’t help but notice there’s something familiar about them—especially the gorgeous stepbacks that feature Cinder in a ballgown and Cress staring wistfully in the opposite direction of the strapping Thorne, silhouetted by moonlight. They bring to mind… Sailor Moon.

Meyer laughs when this comparison is brought up, considering her background as a Sailor Moon fanfiction writer, but says that it was not intentional: “I think that’s just Tomer [Hanuka]’s style.” However, when her publisher Macmillan sent along the artist’s portfolio, she was certainly struck by Hanuka’s work.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why I was so drawn to him,...

Kayti Burt Oct 3, 2019

Here are six speculative fiction books we're exciting about this fall season...

This book guide originally appeared in Den of Geek's Nycc 2019 magazine.

Looking for a spooky read, a cozy title, or just the best new speculative fiction to hit the shelves? Here are six new or upcoming selections for your reading pleasure...

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring, Now Available — Imprint

Debut author Sara Faring bursts onto the literary scene with a gothic Ya horror inspired by her Argentinian heritage. When teen protagonist Mavi agrees to teach English at an elite girls school in remote Patagonia to escape the military regime that disappeared her mother, she soon learns that not all dangers are earthly. Vaccaro School is haunted, and Mavi must solve the mystery of the missing tenth girl before it is too late.

Read our interview with Sara Faring here.

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz,...

Megan Crouse Sep 17, 2019

From the obscure to the well-known, we break down the 10 best dragon books and series of all time.

Dragons in fantasy can be many things. Predatory shapes in the sky. Warships. Animal companions. People: rulers, refugees, friends. With so many books and so many types of dragons to choose from, it can nevertheless be difficult to find a book about unique dragons. For this list I’ve pointedly ignored Game of Thrones, because Daenerys’ brood are the default mold of today’s fantasy dragons. Rare, powerful fire-breathing animals, they’re intelligent but not quite people. You probably know already whether you like them or not.

This is a list about dragon books that do something different. Whether that’s a change in physiology or behavior, or a particularly detailed look at day-to-day life with giant reptiles, you’ll find a variety here.

(Another notable exception: I haven...

Kayti Burt Apr 2, 2019

Nominees include Black Panther, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, The Expanse, Doctor Who, and more.

The Hugo Awards are amongst speculative fiction storytelling's most prestigious honors. Given out annually since 1953, the Hugos are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (aka WorldCon), and are presented at the annual event. This year's WorldCon, WorldCon 77, will be held in Dublin on August 15-19.

Earlier today, the Hugo Awards finalists for 2019 were announced—alongside the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and the 1944 Retrospective Hugo Awards nominations.

read more: Den of Geek's Best Fiction Books of 2018

If you're a fan of inclusive science fiction, the nominations are pretty exciting—which hasn't always been the case in recent years.

Finalists included some of the books, TV shows, and movies that Den of Geek has written about over the past year,...

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has announced the nominees for the 54th Annual Nebula Awards, including the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book, and for the first time, the Nebula Award for Game Writing. The awards will be presented in Woodland Hills, CA at the Warner Center Marriott during a ceremony on the evening of May 18th.

2018 Nebula Award Finalists

Novel

The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager Us; Harper Voyager UK)Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (Ecco; Orbit UK)Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Macmillan)Witchmark, C.L. Polk (Tor.com Publishing)Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga)

Novella

Fire Ant, Jonathan P. Brazee (Semper Fi)The Black God’s Drums, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)The Tea Master and the Detective,...

Kayti Burt Sep 12, 2019

Here are the best new fantasy books in September 2019.

There's so much to look forward to in our speculative fiction future. Here are some of the fantasy books we're most excited about and/or are currently consuming...

Join the Den of Geek Book Club!

Best New Fantasy Books in September 2019 The Mythic Dream

Type: Anthology

Publisher: Saga Press

Release date: 9/3/19

An all-new anthology of eighteen classic myth retellings featuring an all-star lineup of award-winning and critically acclaimed writers.

Madeleine L’Engle once said, “When we lose our myths we lose our place in the universe.” The Mythic Dream gathers together eighteen stories that reclaim the myths that shaped our collective past, and use them to explore our present and future. From Hades and Persephone to Kali, from Loki to Inanna, this anthology explores retellings of myths across cultures and civilizations.

Featuring award-winning and critically acclaimed writers such as Seanan McGuire,...

Jane Roberts Jul 21, 2017

When times are tough, it's not a bad idea to binge the things you love...

‘Every single night the same arrangement, I go out and fight the fight. Still I always feel the strange estrangement. Nothing here is real, nothing here is right.’ - Buffy the Musical, Going through the Motions.

You may have noticed that things have gotten a bit crummy recently. Not the last few tasty cheesecake crumbs that you chase round the plate with a finger crummy. More full on soggy digestive biscuit dunked in coffee gone wrong crummy that sticks to the back of your throat.

See related Netflix's Stranger Things: Shawn Levy interview Netflix's Stranger Things: spotting the movie references

There seems to be a contagious outbreak of web forum combativeness and general aura of discontent permeating geekdom discussions (and beyond), often in a very unpleasant way. Combine that with very real,...

Warner Bros. won a heated bidding war for the movie rights to Uprooted, the new fantasy novel from Hugo Award-nominated Naomi Novik, the author behind the dragon-laced Temeraire book series. Making a rare foray into features with the tome is Ellen DeGeneres, who will produce the adaptation with Jeff Kleeman. Kleeman, her partner at A Very Good Production banner, identified the book and brought it to DeGeneres. Warners beat out Lionsgate and Fox 2000 for the book, with dealmaking happening over the weekend. With Uprooted, which was released on May 21, Novik taps into her Polish roots to

read more...

Warner Bros. Pictures has won a heated bidding war for the film rights to Naomi Novik's Hugo Award-nominated fantasy novel adaptation "Uprooted".

The story centers on a young woman named Agnieszka who lives near the border of an evil wood. Only a wizard who seems to keep the danger at bay, and the price for his protection is that a woman from the village is sent to serve him for ten years with Agnieszka being the latest candidate.

Making a rare foray into films, Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Kleeman will produce the adaptation with Warners beating out Lionsgate and Fox 2000 for the project. Novik also penned the dragon-laced Temeraire book series which Peter Jackson optioned to adapt a decade ago.

Source: Heat Vision...

2012 will be the first year that GeekTrant will invade WonderCon, mostly due to the fact that it was moved down to Anaheim, CA this year which is right in our backyard. We're all pretty excited about attending this year, as we've heard it's a much smaller more intimate version of San Diego Comic Con.

WonderCon is set to open on Friday, March 16th and run through Sunday, March 18th at the Anaheim Convention Center. If you plan on attending let us know, and maybe we can meet up and hang out for a bit!

I've put stars next to the panels we are interested in attending. Check out the schedule, and let us know what you are looking forward to seeing most!

Friday March 16th

12:30-1:30 Idw Presents: The Idw Panel!— Chief creative officer Chris Ryall and sergeant of marketing Dirk Wood, give out prizes, make announcements, and evade questions!

By this time next week the 2011 New York Comic Con will be wrapping up for another year, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves -- there are panels to see and toys to buy first! Here's a look at the horror highlights along with a few other genre-related appearances that should be of interest to our readers.

Thursday, October 13th, is void of horror (might be a good shopping day) so this list just covers the 14th-16th. It is, of course, subject to change so if you're going, keep your eyes on the official New York Comic Con website.

Friday, October 14th

10:30 am - 11:30 am

Once Upon a Time Exclusive Screening and Panel

American Airlines Theater, 1A06

Calling all “Lost” fans – join creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (“Lost” and “Tron: Legacy”) as they introduce you to the magical story of two...

I spent several hours with Gene this morning. He wasn’t under the influence of any pain killers so he was lucid and jovial, but grew short of breath several times—and every now and again he’d grimace in pain. The attending nurse finally had no choice but to put him back on the morphine and that was it—Gene was fast asleep.

Despite his legendary optimism, Gene’s situation is tenuous. His family hopes he can undergo a procedure early this week that may alleviate his pain. Regardless, it’s unlikely that my pal will be drawing for anyone anytime soon.To continue generating what might become much-needed funds, we are selling off the last of Gene’s artwork, as well as some books and comics. Gene hopes to continue signing comics for the Cgc Signature Series. If you have comics that you would like to put through this process,...

Interview by Alan Kelly

Charlaine Harris is the bestselling author of The Sookie Stackhouse books. A collection of stories adapted for the small-screen by Six Feet Under's Alan Ball which has since become phenomenally successful, quickly becoming both a critical and a commercial success and probably the best genre show since Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

Unfairly compared to Twilight (a bit like comparing Sigourney Weaver to Megan Fox), the books and the show are closer in style and substance to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Full of Southern Gothic soap operatics, massive bloodshed, betrayal, psychotic Maenads, twisted Were-bitches, Sapphic vampire queens, malevolent faeries and an endearing, cute-as-a-button telepathic waitress with a hard edge. Harris talks exclusively with us about her work and the TV series.

I've always been curious about The Great Revelation - what first gave you the idea to write about vampires integrating into society?

I thought...

Twisting Genres is a panel of eight novelists, each of whom has published hybridizations of different genres. The participants, lovingly cut and pasted from the program guide: China Mieville (Kraken), Justin Cronin (The Passage), Naomi Novik (Tongues of Serpents), Daryl Gregory (The Devil's Alphabet), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (Cold Black Hearts), Robert Masello (Blood and Ice), Keith Thompson (The Leviathan trilogy), and Scott Westerfeld (The Leviathan trilogy).

China Mieville is one of the stories here, shaved head, earrings and biceps worked like a bored inmate's. The guy's got a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and has published academically in addition to his fiction. He even ran for Parliament. There's a sense as the panel starts and the other authors give their two cents that he sinks into himself a little bit, the smart kid noticing that the table he sat down at is filled with...

The first dizzy glimpses of Tron are unveiled, authors relate the values of peanut butter confectionery to writing, and Angelina sticks to her script. It's a successful first day at Comic-Con

In pictures: the sights of Comic-Con 2010

So there we all were, on our first full day at Comic-Con, packed into the black-curtained, dimly-lit, 6,500-capacity Hall H, which is like outer space only bigger and, less generous observers might say, further from sentient life. We had queued. Oh, how we had queued. And that was just to cross the road (I'm not exaggerating). It was the promise of exclusive footage from Tron: Legacy that had drawn us to Hall H. Never mind easing fans in gently, this was like kicking off a meal with a knickerbocker toffee fudge longboat. Surely everything that followed would resemble braised cabbage by comparison?

Well, yes and no. The Tron event was entertaining, thanks largely to the panel's moderator,...

The departure of Guillermo Del Toro from The Hobbit has left co-writer/producer Peter Jackson in a tricky situation. The project needs a director, but who’s eager to get on board a project whose start date is indefinite? Speaking to New Zealand’s The Dominion Post [via The Playlist], Jackson said that they’re unable to find a suitable director, then he might have to step into the director’s chair: “If that’s what I have to do to protect Warner Bros’ investment, then obviously that’s one angle which I’ll explore. The other studios may not let me out of the contracts.”

His manager told Toh that Jackson is unable to direct The Hobbit because he has obligations to other projects. He continued that Jackson “will turn his attention to Tintin 2 in the new year.“ Hit the jump for more on the projects that are also on Jackson’s plate.

Peter Jackson has been busy over the past year, readying Tintin, directing The Lovely Bones, producing District 9, and adapting The Hobbit, but the filmmaker is already looking ahead to his next projects.

While promoting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 The Lovely Bones, Jackson sat down with AICN's Quint and was asked about his proposed adaptation of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series -- historical fantasy novels about the Napoleonic Wars where fire-breathing dragons are used as a living air force.

Jackson still wants to translate Temeraire into live-action, but a movie may not be the best option. "I can't see any degree of common sense in trying to mount them one at a time as feature films," Jackson told Quint. "To me the stories, having read the first ones, already work as this continuing, on-going saga, so I'm thinking 'Is there a marketplace out there yet for a large budget mini-series?...

The New Zealand newspaper Dominion Post is reporting that Peter Jackson, whose new movie The Lovely Bones made its limited U.S. debut Friday, is now at work on “secretly” adapting Phillip Reeve’s quartet of Mortal Engines fantasy novels for the big screen.

The paper reports the project is in early development, with work on a movie about the first of four books under way and Weta Workshops “believed to be” working on the giant mobile cities that populate the novels. None of this was given any further verification than “industry sources say,” and a spokesman for Jackson told the newspaper only “any comment should come from Peter.”

So, what are the books about? They take place in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a nuclear showdown called the “Sixty Minute War.” To avoid the earthquakes left in its wake, the world becomes divided into immense mobile cities known as Traction Cities,...

Director Peter Jackson is rethinking plans to turn dragon adventure books Temeraire into a money-spinning movie franchise, because he's convinced the stories would be better told as a TV series.

The King Kong filmmaker purchased the rights to author Naomi Novik's fantasy novels in 2006 with a view to turning the stories into movies. Five of the books have already been released, while Novik has promised a further four tales to wrap up the series.

But Jackson is having second thoughts about the daunting project and could take Temeraire to the small screen instead.

He tells movie website AintItCool.com, "I can't see any degree of common sense in trying to mount them one at a time as feature films. To me the stories, having read the first ones, already work as this continuing, on-going saga, so I'm thinking 'Is there a marketplace out there yet for a large budget mini-series?'

"...I'm thinking is there actually a market out there that'd give us the budget to do this properly and allow us to shoot this as a six, seven or eight part series where we have freedom, we have great production values and are able to tackle it as the epic saga that it deserves?"...

Ain’t It Cool News has a short interview with Peter Jackson about the Temeraire series that he had optioned the rights to years ago. Temeraire is an ongoing series of novels by Naomi Novik – there are five so far and potentially nine planned. Its story is an alternative history about dragons during the Napoleonic wars. If that doesn’t excite you, then Ain’t It Cool describes it as Master and Commander with dragons. I haven’t read the books, so I can’t vouch for whether any of them have the same sterling and impeccable character development as Master and Commander (I presumed that this was referring to the naval combat aspect, but then again the article makes specific mention of a character driven story), but the concept sounds interesting, even if dragons are kind of prosaic and played out at this point. In the interview, Jackson talks...

With 2009 being a very busy year for Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson (directing The Lovely Bones, developing The Hobbit, overseeing Tintin and District 9), it’s hard to believe the man has had any time to sleep, much less think about More projects. But apparently that’s exactly what’s he’s doing, with an adaptation of the fantasy book series Temeraire on his mind.

Ain’t It Cool News got a chance to interview Jackson while he’s doing the rounds promoting The Lovely Bones, and one of the things he talked about was his planned adaptation of Naomi Novik’s book series, Temeraire. We haven’t covered this before now, so if you only read Screen Rant for your news (and we’d be flattered if you did ) then this will be completely new to you.

Firstly, here’s a little overview of the Temeraire series:...

Peter Jackson has had a busy old 2009 between The Lovely Bones, shepherding District 9, co-writing The Hobbit and overseeing Tintin. But now he's started to look again at future projects and has pulled out dragon adventure Temeraire as a possibility for his next project.Ain't It Cool chatted with the man, and he revealed that the adaptation of Naomi Novik's book series, which reimagines the Napoleonic wars with dragons, could finally be making its way to a screen - just not necessarily the cinema.Jackson nabbed the rights to Novik's swashbuckling novels (five are currently on the shelves and the director says she's planning nine in total) back in 2006 and since then he's been slowly developing the stories and commissioning design work.But as he's started to think about making them work on screen, his feelings have shifted from a film series to a miniseries. "I can't see any...

The first time, and only time, we've ever written about this Temeraire adaptation was way, way back in 2006. It was announced back then that Peter Jackson would be adapting Naomi Novik's Temeraire series of novels. But since then its been three years and we haven't heard anything about this adaptation until now. Quint from AICN caught up with Jackson and asked him for an update. He describes the Temeraire novels as "Master and Commander with dragon attacks." It's a character driven action fantasy, the perfect kind of story for Jackson to bring to life on the big screen soon (while Guillermo del Toro is directing The Hobbit). Before getting into some ideas, Jackson suggested that he'd love to see Temeraire made as a "large budget mini-series." He explains: "I can't see any degree of common sense in trying to mount them one at a time as feature films. To...

It's beginning to look like e-publishing may be changing attitudes to pricing within the industry, as an analysis of Amazon practices shows up an interesting trend: If you want to sell e-books, then giving some away for free is the way to boost sales.

The Associated Press has an article using novelist James Patterson's experience to prove the theory. To promote sales of his young adult books in the Maximum Ride series on the Kindle, Amazon's been giving away thousands of copies of the first book in the series, The Angel Experiment, which is four years old. The aim is to boost sales of the remaining books, and it's definitely working. Scott Channon, publisher of Del Rey/Spectra even notes that by offering the first book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire fantasy series for free, sales of the remaining novels rocketed up a "stunning" 1,000%.

In part, it's thanks to...

Rumors have been running rampant around the internet that Peter Jackson will be announcing casting news for The Hobbit, but it seems that won't be the case. Empire caught up with Jackson who said they aren't quite ready to announce who will play Bilbo Baggins in the film.

"No, we won't be announcing Bilbo for a little while," he said when we asked about a Comic-Con announcement. "We're starting to think about casting, but we're knee-deep in the script right now. And when we do go to actors, they're probably going to ask to see a script, so we're powering ahead with getting the first draft done."

It was rumored that Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy and David Tennant were in the running for the role, but it seems that talk might be a bit premature. The site also asked him what his next directorial plans are after The Lovely Bones.