Nice list. I am not a huge fan of Inception, but we'll see how things shake out. My own list would include Tarkovsky's Solaris (not the remake, which I never got around to), and perhaps Videodrome (somewhat dated now, but daring great things), Repo Man (ditto), and The Brother from Another Planet

Katniss is just a fantastic literary creation. Her character is realistic in the context of a difficult, overly-responsible childhood, and her instinct for rebellion is rooted in that inherent sense of justice sometimes found in those who grow up in the least just societies. She’s also the very rare fictional…

@Ben_Dale: Thanks for that. I was wondering who the artist was.

@mordicai: me, too. Surprised io9 didn't give it at least a mention.

That's a really good story. Well-written, nicely constructed, makes its point without being too obvious. I liked it. Might even check out more of Mr. Castro's work. Thanks, io9/Annalee!

OK, so which of the episodes did LeGuin write? I'll watch that one.

@hambonegravy: plus, think of the chafing.

@Spikette: Sensible mid heels are comfortable for running? I would argue that running shoes are comfortable for running. Anything with a real heel, even if you can run in it, is going to limit your speed and your balance, and increase your odds of twisting your ankle. Plus, heels have crap treads.

One year does not a trend make, but one can hope, though this also may reflect a move away from fairies and elves and towards nastier beasties. This said, the apparent progress in footwear is particularly welcome. Now, if it could move on to the big and small screens. All those shots of poor Buffy running in heels…

That's quite adorable. I remember having writer crushes in my youth. Not sure Bradbury was ever on my list, but more power to her for remaining true to her desires since the age of 12.

@Starwatcher:

Technically speaking, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan belong in the category of countries that were nuclear and renounced it, not countries that hosted another country's nukes. They were part of the USSR when the nukes were Soviet, and each country was individually considered a nuclear successor state to the USSR…

@stereobot: Yes, in fact. Right.

@notsodarling: One could argue that the new multi-colored Daleks are a further sign of self-actualization. Only the self-actualized want to look pretty! (which is not to say that all of the self-actualized want to look pretty, of course)

I thought it was fun—more fun than it had been up to now. Lots of activity, and even if we had to suspend disbelief (Buckley being grateful to Nick to have his life saved when Nick was really the guy whose fault it was that Buckley got shot in the first place, for example. And how was Buckley's new vamire wife the…

@mopo: I hated Starship Troopers. I read the Forever War about 20 times the year I was 14. I think I only read Ender's Game 5 times. So, I guess I'm an example of your slim odds.

@Mycophage: 2+2=5, for very high values of two. Or, in this case, 2+2+2=20 (for =, read that tends towards thingie that I don't know how to type)

@rotwang: If they don't change her name for the screenplay, however, I'll be really surprised

@mopo: I'm not so sure that's right. Haldeman wrote The Forever War, I believe, partly as a response to the glorification of war in Starship Troopers. And Ender's Game can be read either as glorifying war or condemning it (I read it as the latter. The author, I've since learned, appears to have read it as the…

I am trying to imagine what a Terry Gilliam-directed concert webcast will be like. The exercise is causing little explosions in my brain.