The Astonishing by Dream Theater, Legends of Tomorrow Review, The Golden Schmoes Awards, Transylvania Writing Workshop, and the Ninja News!

Dream Theater – The Astonishing Review

There are bands that make music and there are bands that create art. Now, we all know that art is subjective and one man’s treasure is another’s trash. For me, The Astonishing lives up to its lofty title.

This is a two-disc, 2 1/2 hour concept album; a rock opera about a dystopian future where music has been discarded and one man with the gift of music leads a rebellion. Certainly not the most original story, but in this case, the plot fuels an amazing musical journey.

To be honest, the first two listens didn’t click with me but certain elements brought me back for a third listen and that’s when it all came together. This music rewards a patient listener. It’s not instant gratification because the musical intricacy takes time to digest. This is not new territory for the band (listen to 1999’s Scenes from a Memory) but this might be their most accomplished work to date.

If you are a fan of progressive rock and give this music a chance, you may find a true masterpiece that you will be listening to for years to come.

You can also visit The Astonishing web site for cool artwork and a rundown of: Characters, Places, Map, Tracklisting, Videos, and NOMACS.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

When I was a kid, I read DC comics. So for me, it’s very exciting to see my childhood heroes on the small screen. The Flash has quickly (pun intended) become one of my favs and hopefully I will be able to say the same of Legends.

It certainly starts off strong. Time Master Rip Hunter assembles a group of unlikely heroes to help him stop the nefarious Vandal Savage from destroying the world. These heroes include The Atom, Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Heat Wave, Captain Cold, and White Canary.

The effects are good, the pacing is fast, and the story lines are fun. I’m really hoping the show can maintain all this just like the Flash series. Only time will tell. (Time pun also intentional!)

The Golden Schmoes

Voting opens February 8 for JoBlo’s 15th Annual Golden Schmoes Awards! What are the Golden Schmoes? They are the voice of real movie-goers and fans.

From JoBlo’s site:

Thanks to your nominations we have now compiled the final list of nominees for The 15th Annual JoBlo Movie Awards (aka The Golden Schmoes)! Final voting runs from Monday, February 8th through Wednesday, February 24th, with winners to be announced on Friday, February 26th, just ahead of the Oscars!

To note, the Golden Schmoes have been a staple of the site since its inception and we're proud to represent the popular vote and even have our winning results counted in the awards tally at IMDB
 
The full list is posted with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Mad Max: Fury Road leading the nominations. To vote, visit the 15th Annual Golden Schmoes Awards!

Writing Dark Fiction in Dracula’s Shadow

Transylvania workshop lets writers explore the ‘Mecca of Horror’

Writers & Publishers International (WPI) offers writers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a novel or short story in Transylvania, the birthplace of the infamous Vlad the Impaler.

Running from August 7th to 14th, the Horror Writer’s Workshop is the ultimate summer vacation for any writer of dark fiction, from extreme horror to paranormal romance and everything in between. Attendees will dramatically improve their writing skills while exploring the darkness lurking behind the beautiful castles and fairytale villages of Romania.

It’s impossible to remain uninspired while walking the cobblestone streets of Sighişoara, where Vlad the Impaler was born, or while exploring the eerie Râșnov Fortress, where two Turkish well diggers met their doom.

During the month of February, WPI is offering a special two-for-one discount—those who book with a spouse, friend, or family member will get 50 percent off their registration fees. This deal ends on February 29th.

Between visits to some of the region’s most notorious sites, writers will benefit from the experience of instructor Brian Evenson, a multi award-winning horror writer and professor.

If you’re interested, it’s best to reserve your spot with a deposit, as the workshop sold out quickly last summer. Click Here for more information…if you dare.

- JH Moncrieff

Ninja News

Don’t forget articles for the IWSG newsletter are due soon – February 17 for this month and March 2 for next month. Two hundred words or less, and must be a member of the IWSG.
Send a DOC attachment to Chrys Fey at ChrysFey(at)yahoo(dot)com Put “Member Article” in the Subject Line.

I am at the A to Z Blog today with my ‘getting to know your co-hosts’ piece. Clones, Ninjas, and snark included.

Sign-ups for the 2016 A to Z Challenge are open now. Join us for a month of fun and alphabet insanity.


The authors of the IWSG anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here, have set up a Website for it! If you want to meet all the authors, check it out.

Tethered by Letters is pleased to announce the F(r)iction Winter Literary Competition. There are three submission categories: 1) short stories of any genre ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words, 2) flash fiction with a word limit of 750 words, and 3) poetry no longer than three pages. Winners of the contest will be published in a future issue of F(r)iction alongside stunning original artwork from TBL’s talented team of artists.

Artist and author Heather R. Holden needs your support: What’s Patreon? It’s a site where you can support creators of all kinds with monthly donations. If you decide to support me, I won’t have to rely on commissions and other odd jobs as much for income. In other words, I’ll have more time to make comics! Anyone who donates will receive fun perks, too. (High-resolution art files, commission discounts, wallpapers, art prints, early Echo Effect updates, and even artwork that’ll never be posted outside of Patreon.) You can read more about these perks here.

New Releases:

A Savage Ghost by Donna K. Weaver
Once part of an anthology, this story has been updated and revised for its solo launch.
Find it on Amazon

Valentine Pets & Kisses
Make your Valentine’s Day tail-wagging and purr-fect with 14 brand-new romances from award-winning and bestselling authors.
Including stories from our very own JL Campbell, Sydney Aaliyah Michelle, and Susan Oloier.
Find it on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Kobo

Anyone else pick up the new Dream Theater? Watching Legends of Tomorrow? Voting in the Golden Schmoes Awards? Want to visit Transylvania for the writing workshop? Interested in the fiction competition? Picking up some new books? And what did you think of the Super Bowl and its commercials?

Since next weekend is Valentine’s Day and a three-day weekend, my wife and I are extending those days and taking a vacation. So, no post next Monday (I don’t like to post when I can’t comment) and you won’t see me around much. Hope you guys have a great Valentine’s Day and I’ll see you here again on February 22!

A to Z Challenge – S – Cult Classics: Suspira, Spaceballs, Soundgarden, and More! Plus The Equalizer Movie Review and Galaxy Quest Series

Today I am visiting the awesome Donna K. Weaver. My topic is - How to Build a Strong Online Presence While Maintaining Privacy

A to Z Challenge – Cult Classics – S

Movies-Music-Sci-fi Book-Bloggers-Dragon Term

Movies –

Suspiria
Directed by Dario Argento, this Italian horror film boasts a unique style and a soundtrack by progressive rock band Goblin. Nominated for two Saturn Awards, this was Argento’s most successful film ever.

Spaceballs 
This 1987 film parodies Star Wars, along with numerous other science fiction films. With an all-star cast, this is Mel Brooks’ most popular film.

Music –

Scorpions – Blackout
This Platinum album gained the band a wider audience and featured the hit No One Like You. It paved the way for their mega-hit album, Love at First Sting.

Soundgarden – Superunknown
Released in 1994, this was their breakthrough hit, producing five singles. It went five times Platinum and won two Grammys.

Science Fiction Books –

Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy – Timothy Zahn
These three books sold fifteen million copies combined and were adapted as comics and role playing games. Their success rekindled interest in the Star Wars franchise.

Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert A. Heinlein
This 1961 novel won the Hugo, was the first science fiction book to enter the NY Times Best Seller list, and was named one of the books that shaped America by the Library of Congress.

Bloggers –

Sarah Ahiers
Want to follow the journey of a writer dedicated to her craft? Someone who absolutely does not give up? Enjoy weird tales and funnies on Friday? Then follow the awesome Sarah and her dog, Yvie!

Sherry Ellis at Mama Diaries
Want to follow the funny stories of a mother? Think you’re smarter than a grade schooler and a German Sheppard? Then you need to follow the delightful author Sherry on her adventures!

Sia McKye
Want to enjoy life in the Rockies? Meet new authors and learn more about writing and marketing? Then stop by for coffee with Sia!

Stephanie Faris
Want a little slice of pop culture humor and observations? Enjoy middle grade books with a happy spin? Then visit the delightful Stephanie today!

Dragon of the Stars Term –

Shadvey
Lt. Shadvey is the squadron leader on board the Ryzell. The son of a Duke, he is an honorable man and cares about the pilots who fly under him. He’s known Aden since childhood and is probably his closest friend.

Dragon of the Stars is out now!
Check out the site What Are the Kargrandes? for clues as to how they tie into the story.

Movie News and Review

A Galaxy Quest series is in development! Visit JoBlo for details.

For some reason, studios keep giving him money – M. Night Shyamalan has another movie coming out this fall called The Visit. Read more at JoBlo - trailer to debut on Thursday.

The Equalizer

Based on the television show, Denzel Washington is a man trying to live a normal life until he intervenes on behalf of a girl and goes after the Russian mob.
The movie is very stylish. It has an early Michael Mann feel to it. It’s not a fast paced movie – it’s more character driven than anything else – but when there is action, it’s electric.
Denzel plays Denzel and he does it well.
The villains are a bit too cookie-cutter though, and the film could’ve been twenty minutes shorter.
The best part of the film is when Denzel is interacting with the girl in the diner. Those are very genuine moments. (The girl is played by Chloe Grace Moretz – she was Hit Girl in Kick Ass.)
Overall it was a good film. Recommended as a NetFlix rental.

Spaceballs fan? Listen to those bands? Read Zahn’s Star Wars books? Following those wonderful bloggers? Have you seen The Equalizer? Think Shyamalan needs to stop making movies? And do you want to see Galaxy Quest on television?

Don’t forget to visit Donna K. Weaver!

A to Z Challenge – Q – Cult Classics: Queensryche, The Quiet Earth, Q, and More! Plus Blood, Boobs and Carnage Blogfest and New Releases!

Today I am visiting author extraordinaire and champion of world naked domination, Hart Johnson, who had a few questions for me…

A to Z Challenge – Cult Classics – Q

Movies-Music-Sci-fi Book-Bloggers-Dragon Term

Movies –

The Quiet Earth
This post-apocalyptic film from New Zealand follows three survivors of The Effect and wraps up with an ambiguous ending.

Q
This cheesy 1982 film stared Michael Moriarty and David Carradine and was directed by Larry Cohen of It’s Alive fame. The poster art was painted by Boris Vallejo.

Music –

Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime
This 1988 concept album ‘rock opera’ is listed as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. It went Platinum and the song ‘I Don’t Believe in Love’ was nominated for a Grammy.

Science Fiction Book –

There wasn’t a cult classic among the Q books, so I decided to give you a unique one:

Quinzinzinzili by Régis Messac
Written in 1935 by a French author, this was one of the first post-cataclysmic novels.

Blogger –

Sheena-kay at Queendsheena
Want to tap into an enthusiastic writer and freelancer? Want a dedicated and caring cheerleader? Then visit this ray of sunshine now!

Dragon of the Stars Term –

Queen
The planet of Hyrath is governed by both a Council and a Queen. The Council functions in much the same way as the Senate or House, with the Queen as the deciding factor. Hyrath’s ruler falls to the oldest, whether male or female. When the story opens, Isadora is the Queen of Hyrath.

Dragon of the Stars is out now!
Check out the site What Are the Kargrandes? for clues as to how they tie into the story.

New Releases!

Audio Book:
Torn Canvas by Donna K. Weaver
Narrator: Tristan Hunt

Modern-day pirates took more than Jori Virtanen’s friends; they stole his face…

On tour April 20-24, 2015
Find Torn Canvas on audio - Amazon, Audible, and iTunes

The River of Desperation by Sean McLachlan
Sequel to A Fine Likeness
Find it on Amazon

Blood, Boobs, and Carnage Blogfest!

Hosted by me and Heather Gardner.

Yes, Blood, Boobs, and Carnage!

I’d used that phrase last year to describe an upcoming movie release. It amused many people, including Heather. So naturally, we decided to make it a blogfest.

What falls into that category? Here’s a few examples – Conan the Barbarian, Breaking Bad, Fast and Furious, The Watchmen, etc.

Here’s the details, short and simple:

On May 18, 2015, post about a movie, television show, book, or all three that falls into the category of Blood, Boobs, and Carnage. (Or just Blood and Carnage or other mixture.) It can be any genre that fits the bill – fantasy, science fiction, action, adventure, western, thriller, etc. Post the badge and visit other participants.

Sign up below!

What are your Q words? Seen either movie? Have you seen Queensryche perform that album live? Figured out the Kargrandes? Picking up some new books? And are you ready for some Blood, Boobs, and Carnage?

Don’t forget to visit Hart Johnson!

Star Wars Director News, Box Office, Movie Reviews, Writing Progress, and Ninja News

The awesome Charity Bradford interviewed me and you can read it today. Short and to the point, plus I reveal the best compliment I’ve ever received regarding my writing.

Science Fiction Movie News

Big announcement last Friday – Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars VIII and possibly IX.
Jo Blo posted that while J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars VII, the reins are being turned over to Johnson after that. (Johnson directed Looper and Brick.)
Gareth Edwards (Godzilla and Monsters) is directing the first standalone film, which comes out December 16, 2016. Josh Trank (Fantastic Four and Chronicle) will direct the standalone film that comes out in 2018.

This is how recent science fiction films have fared at the overall world-wide box office:
#61 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - $710.7 million
#64 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - $702.8 million
#69 - X-Men: Days of Future Past - $677.8 million
#160 - Godzilla (2014) - $443.2 million
#418 - Edge of Tomorrow - $255.5 million

Book Progress

On the writing front, I’m now on round three of edits. I like editing SO much more than writing the first draft! Anyone else weird that way?

I had to add quite a few scenes after the first draft was finished, beyond just adding description. (I’m a bare bones writer.) The word count is over 70,000, which stuns me because when I hit the midway point of writing in my outline, it looked like I’d be lucky to hit 50,000 words. So I’m really happy with the current word count. I know, most writers have to cut stuff to hit a word count. Just how I roll.

Maybe some of you roll that way as well…

Ninja News

Today’s Themes That Rocked feature at the A to Z Blog is Bob Miline and his speculative fiction book covers.

Pat Hatt’s latest is out - Cassie and The Wild Cat: A Ball At Cat Hall! Buy it on Amazon

Donna Weaver’s Torn Canvas is also available! Pick it up on Amazon

Carrie-Anne Brownian’s Little Ragdoll is out! If you like epic historical fiction, check it out.

Tara Tyler’s Broken Branch Falls comes out June 24!!

Cover reveal –

Effigy by M.J. Fifield
Release date: July 22, 2014
Cover art by Ravven

The survival of a once-mighty kingdom rests in the hands of its young queen, Haleine Coileáin, as it slowly succumbs to an ancient evil fueled by her husband’s cruelty.

Add it on Goodreads now.


Mark Noce’s story at Every Day Fiction got so many hits, they are doing a special feature on him this week. They also accepted another story of his last week at Every Day Fiction. Congratulations, Mark!

Songs of Summer Blogfest
Armchair Squid, Suze, and Cygnus
On Friday July 11, post your top five favorite summer songs – and why.
(I’ll be posting mine on Monday of that week.)

Don’t forget Heroes of PHENOMENA is now available for free at Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords. It includes my short story, CassaFate, along with stories from a dozen other authors.



And finally, has anyone heard from Fanny Barnes Thornton? She was taking a break at the end of May, but failed to return for the June IWSG as promised. Several bloggers have emailed her with no response. If you’ve heard from her, please let me know!

Quick NetFlix Movie Reviews

The Art of the Steal
Starring Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, and Jay Baruchel
I’d never heard of this film until it showed up on NetFlix. It turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining film! Good heist caper movie that features twists and turns similar to an episode of Leverage.

Anchorman 2
Sorry to say, I didn’t laugh that much. As a character, Ron Burgundy works best in five minute spurts or less. However, if you liked the first one, you’ll like this one.





Picking up some new books or signing up for the blogfest? Heard from Fanny recently? How’s your writing progressing? Seen either of those movies? And what do you think about the Star Wars VIII director choice?

Don’t forget to visit Charity Bradford!

Online Marketing Symposium! Plus Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Movie Review, TV Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

Movie Review

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Staring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, and Keira Knightly
It’s a good start to a reboot of the franchise and takes place in current time. Ryan’s first mission as an operative is to go to Russia to analyze some accounts. He’s an ‘analyst out of water’ as he discovers a terrorist plot to destroy American’s economy and forced to go beyond his job description.
The actors all did a good job and I really like Kevin Costner in the film. Branagh pulls double-duty as both actor and director and does it well.
Not a great film, but a really good action-spy thriller. And certainly one of the best films I have ever seen in January. Shame it didn’t do better at the box office this weekend.(Shame what DID do well this weekend.)
Recommended

Ninja News

Yvonne Lewis has been having issues with commenting on certain blogs and with others finding her blog. So if you’ve missed Yvonne, hop over and follow her new blog.

In celebration of her upcoming release, 18 Truths, Jamie Ayres is hosting a special blogfest this week and it includes prizes:
Players tell two truths and one lie. The object of the game is to hop around the blogs and determine which statement that each blogger posted is the false one.Anyone who posts for the Can You Handle The TRUTH? blogfest between January 22nd-28th can enter to win a number of prizes donated by 18 terrific people.

Donna Weaver had a special release last week – Hope's Watch. This eBook-exclusive short story includes special excerpts from both A Change of Plans and Torn Canvas, coming April 2014.

Talli Roland revealed the print version of The Pollyanna Plan, coming March 11.


For those of you who are members of the IWSG Facebook Group - remember that promotions are to be posted on Saturday News & Promo Day only. (And I understand the group is over five hundred strong now!)

Jessica Therrien announced a great opportunity and giveaway:
To celebrate our new blog, the authors at Darkly Delicious YAalong with Book Nerd Tours are hosting a huge giveaway, and we’re looking for authors of Young Adult and New Adult (provided there are no graphic sex scenes) to submit their books for the giveaway. The grand prize will be a Kindle Fire HD loaded with all our books. Giveaway will start on March 1st and run through March 17th.

TV Trivia Answers

On The X-Files, what's Mulder's nickname? Spooky
What show starred Michael Landon as an angel? Highway to Heaven
On The Simpsons, who shot Mr. Burns? Maggie Simpson
What was the name of the charter boat that shipwrecked in the 1960s show "Gilligan's Island"? S.S. Minnow
What 80s show is Frasier a spinoff of? Cheers

What Works – Online Marketing Symposium

A blogfest with information you can use! Hosted by Arlee Bird, Yolanda Renee, Jeremy Hawkins, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

We want you to tell us your stories of success (or not so successful) as we present a blogging event that will help us learn. Tell us about a marketing idea that you've used and what worked or didn't work. Your post could describe a campaign that succeeded in a big or small way or one that failed drastically. Tell us about a business campaign, an organizational event, a fundraiser – anything where a bit of promotion was necessary! The What Works.. Marketing Symposium is not limited to authors but also to anyone in a business that has a promotional aspect – online or otherwise!

I’ve seen a lot of blog tours in over four years of blogging (and conducted three of my own) and I think they are still very effective. Based on my experience and observations, here are my tips on how to get the most out of a blog tour:

One tour stop a day. If a blog was nice enough to host you, return the favor by making that the one and only, front and center stop. (It’s just being courteous.)

All guest posts and interviews should be unique. No duplicates.

Announcements aren’t tour stops.

If bloggers are announcing the release of your book (or whatever) try to send something a little different to each one.

Select high traffic stops with lots of followers. (Those with smaller followings can do an announcement for you.) You want to get in front of a lot of people, plus putting together a guest post takes time and effort – make it count.

Avoid weekend stops unless that is the blog’s prime traffic and post time.

Announce each stop the day it occurs on your blog, Twitter, etc. (And once you have the exact link, go back and edit it into your blog post.)

Keep your interview answers and guest posts short. (Just being real here.)

Offer a couple giveaways during your tour.

That’s what I’ve seen work best. And I didn’t mention the use of clones, but those also help!

Visit other participants:


Anyone else see Shadow Recruit? Signed up for those blogfests? Part of the IWSG Facebook Group? Get any of the television trivia right? And what online marketing tip would you offer?

Stop by on Wednesday for the announcement of one awesome contest!

Ender’s Game Movie Review and the iPad Air! Plus What Drew Me into the Wormhole of Science Fiction, New Walking Dead Site, Battle of the Bands Results, and Ninja News

I am visiting the wonderful Donna Weaver today! The topic? What Drew Me into the Wormhole of Science Fiction…

Jeremy Hawkins has a new site - Hate the Captcha, a tribute site to the Walking Dead. So if you are a Walking Dead fan, you need to check it out.
And I’ve been meaning to highlight the fun animation he did for my book in September – here it is:

IPad Air

With so much going on last Friday, I didn’t get to touch upon the release of the iPad Air. I don’t have mine yet, but I will be ordering it in the next week or two. Here’s the quick facts:

The iPad Air is the fifth generation of iPad. It’s only .29 inches thick and weighs one pound. The iOS 7 added many new features, although difference isn’t as noticeable as with the iPhone. Where you will notice a big improvement is with certain apps, especially game apps. It also comes with iLife and iWork apps for free.

Unlike the latest iPhone, it doesn’t come with the TouchID fingerprint sensor. (However, the next iPad Mini will feature Retina Display.) There are no huge jumps in technology except an increase in memory and storage – there’s now a 128GB iPad for $799. (Definitely the one I will purchase!)

My wife wants a new one as well. I’m thinking Christmas gift. Of course that will mean we have several extra iPads.

If my goal is an iPad and a guitar in every room of the house, I’m well on my way…

Ninja News

Sean McLachlan is this month’s featured Challenge participant at the A to Z Blog. His theme was the Civil War and Wild West history, and it was a lot more wild than you’d imagine!

Medeia Sharif signed a contract with Prizm Books for an edgy YA novel entitled Vitamins and Death. You can add it to Goodreads HERE. Congratulations, Medeia!

The Fussy Librarian is a great site for book recommendations – and if you are an author, you can list your books there if they have enough favorable reviews. (CassaStar and CassaFire are both on the site, but I moved too slow with CassaStorm and now have to wait until November 30.)

Mark Koopmans is doing something really special this coming Christmas – the 50 States of Pray Event. Check out his site for details on how you can participate!

Catherine Stine accepted an offer from Inkspell Publishing for her new adult romance novella, Model Position. It will come out early next year in eBook form and she’s using the pen name, Kitsy Clare. Congratulations, Catherine!

Susan Gourley’s latest is now available from Crescent Moon Press - First Dragon, book #1 of The Morbunda Saga. And look at that wicked cover! Congratulations, Susan.

Roland Yeomans’ Sounds of Voodoo is now available in audio book and Lucifer’s Orphan: Battlefield Hell is free on Amazon. Congratulations, Roland!

Joylene Nowell Butler announced a special on her mystery thriller, Dead Witness. The eBook is marked down from $5.95 to $1.99 through November 16. See her site for all of the participating retail sites.

Dark Visions Volume 1 is now available from Grey Matter Press, and it includes a story by Milo James Fowler, along with a dozen other creepy tales. Milo asks: Have you ever considered submitting to a themed anthology? It's a great way to introduce your work to a broader audience, and it's always cool to share a table of contents with some of the more well-known names in any genre. Congratulations, Milo!

Coming Soon!

Diamonds and Dust by River Fairchild
Coming December 9, 2013


Magic is real. So is betrayal.
Two heirs. A Kingdom of dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all….


Diamonds and Dust is available for pre-order here: Apple, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble


Find River - Blog, Twitter, and Facebook

Battle of the Bands Results

In the battle of Pink Floyd’s Welcome to the Machine remakes, the votes were:

Shadow’s Fall – seven
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – seven

It’s a tie! I guess it depends on whether you like the traditional version or one a little more creative. (And I contributed to the tie, as I voted for the more unique Lucassen version.)

Movie Review

Ender’s Game
The director did a good job capturing the cold tone of the book. Subplots were discarded and everything was condensed for time. (The very ending is different, but it would’ve taken too much time to set up.) Asa is good in the title role, although he spends half the movie either crying or about to cry. Ford plays the character exactly the same as the book – he’s just in a lot more of the movie.
The special effects are amazing. I think this movie would’ve really benefitted from 3D.
The book is of course better, because you’re in Ender’s head. There were many things the movie just didn’t explain.
The downside – if you’re not a fan of the book, this movie won’t change your mind. It’s an interesting science fiction film, but no better than that. The cold, impersonal tone of the book is really stark on the screen. (My wife hadn’t read the book and she really didn’t like the film – she didn’t buy the premise, didn’t like any of the characters, and was put off by the cold tone. And she normally digs science fiction films.)
If you’re looking for a fun romp, this isn’t it. Go see Thor this Friday instead.
If you want to support science fiction films so they’ll keep making more, then you could do worse than spending an afternoon watching Ender’s Game. (You could watch Prometheus instead – the horror!)

Anyone pick up the new iPad Air or place it on your Christmas list? Excited about all the great news today? Who else saw Ender’s Game? In the US, did you enjoy an extra hour of sleep? Ready for the IWSG on Wednesday? And who else is STOKED for Thor: The Dark World this Friday?

Be sure to visit Donna Weaver!