Star Trek 4 is still happening. That’s what Deadline says‚ and that’s what I choose to believe. But that isn’t the only Star Trek film currently making its less-than-warp-speed way to theaters. Paramount has hired Toby Haynes (Andor) to direct a script by Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). And while details are scarce‚ Deadline’s sources say “the project is an origin story that takes place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film.” The last Star Trek film was Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond ins 2016‚ and everyone has their own‚ generally quite strong‚ opinion about that one. (“I like the beats and shouting.”) It is well past time for us to return to their version of space‚ and Haynes is an interesting choice of director. Along with most of Andor‚ he’s directed episodes of Doctor Who‚ Jonathan Strange &; Mr. Norrell‚ and Black Mirror (notably‚ U.S.S. Callister). And this film seems to be set in an unexplored bit of the Trek timeline. “Decades before” the film that introduced Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock could mean Trek Teens‚ but I prefer to believe this is something else entirely. Once upon a time (in 2016)‚ Paramount announced a version of Star Trek 4 that would have Pine’s Kirk meeting up with his father‚ who was briefly played by Chris Hemsworth (in the 2009 Star Trek). That movie seems to have been long since scrapped‚ but there’s always the possibility this is a different Papa Kirk film. Or not! The very few people who know are not forthcoming. At any rate‚ Star Trek was (mostly) set in the 2250s‚ meaning this new film will be set sometime earlier in the 2200s. What this means for the competing Star Trek timelines—the Kelvin timeline of the recent films‚ the Prime timeline of most everything else—is anyone’s guess. Neither of the new Trek movies has anything resembling a release date.

We announced a big change recently—a renaming from “Tor.com” to “Reactor”—and you very understandably have questions! Now that we’ve had some time to field your questions through email‚ social‚ and elsewhere‚ we’ll explain more about the changeover and see if we can answer some of the more frequently asked questions. In summary: Questions.   Why are you rebranding? “Tor.com” is a very confusing name. Rebranding distinguishes us from Tor Books‚ Tordotcom Publishing‚ and even the TOR browser—3 things that we are not! (Although we started at Tor Books and are owned by the Tor Publishing Group‚ and Tordotcom Publishing emerged from the site in 2015. It’s complicated.) Our site redesign kicked off in late 2022 and eventually prompted a re-look at our name. The stars aligned around “Reactor”.   Why “Reactor”? It captures some of what we do: react to genre fiction and related pop culture with articles‚ essays‚ etc. Reactors are components in spaceships‚ which ties in with our beloved mascot‚ Stubby. Having “tor” in the name is a nice bonus. Don’t forget from whence you came!   Is Stubby the Rocket going away? No. We love Stubby.   Is coverage of science fiction‚ fantasy‚ and speculative fic going away? Absolutely not! SFF literature is still the heart of what we do‚ and that’s our priority. We’ll just also be open to related subjects of interest‚ from nonfic to romantasy‚ pirates to gardening‚ and so on. For fifteen years‚ our site has been a place for fans of SFF to gather and discuss old favorites and find new favorites‚ and that’s not going to change.   What will happen to old articles and links? All of our 15+ years (!) of short fiction and articles will be on the new site. Old links will forward you to the new link.   What will happen with the short fiction? Oh‚ that’s not going anywhere. We’ve got an entire year’s worth of great new stories coming!   Are you using/going to be using AI? No‚ and we don’t intend to. All of our articles‚ fiction‚ and art are 100% created by humans. This goes for the content and design of our Beacons links page as well. A Reactor employee is making and updating that. (Why Beacon instead of a Linktree? Lots more formatting options in Beacon. That’s all.)   Why are you creating new accounts‚ instead of renaming the old ones? Social media isn’t always kind to renaming old accounts. We’re excited about a clean slate. You can check out our new accounts here!   When is the change officially happening? January 23‚ 2024. Our Tor.com accounts will remain active until then‚ and while we’ll leave the old accounts up‚ we’ll be switching to the new ones moving forward from that date.   Wait! I have a question about _______! Want to know more? We’re hosting an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit’s r/Fantasy page on January 18. Come over then!

So this is the new year‚ Ben Gibbard sings in my head for a number of days (or weeks) around New Year’s Eve. The holiday season means a million different things‚ and to me it is strange and weird and personal‚ not full of gifts but specific‚ meaningful dates‚ a vague feeling like I should do something to mark the solstice‚ and a great pleasure taken in being in bed well before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.  It is a season of traditions‚ and my partner and I have been talking about them: where we lack them‚ where we’ve rejected them‚ where we want to create them. Considering creating a tradition can feel sort of silly‚ at times: Hey‚ I’m just making this thing up! But all traditions were made up by people at some point. A repeated action given meaning‚ resonance‚ value. Something you do to mark the seasons‚ the calendar‚ the turning of the years. An occasion or a memory.  So of course I’m thinking about reading traditions as well as seasonal ones. It has been a very long time since I could commit the time to an annual reread of any sort‚ but when I was a kid I went to Middle-earth every year. There was no hobbit season‚ so to speak‚ but I suspect this was a summer journey‚ taken when the days were long and wistful and mine to spend or waste. This probably lasted for all of middle school‚ if not longer. Would I have done that if I had a constant influx of new things to read? In a small town‚ the local library might not offer as many fantasy books as a kid wants to read‚ and one’s parents’ bookshelves may have a plethora of tales too dense for an 11-year-old brain. I reread the books the way people now rewatch the movies: to spend time with old friends‚ for comfort‚ for experiencing a whole wide range of emotions and adventures without moving from my seat. People reread a lot of things‚ as a cursory Reddit search will demonstrate. I reread Wicked when I need it‚ but is that a tradition or a balm? I have a huge stack of things I would like to reread—books for inspiration‚ books I want to remember better‚ characters I want to revisit—but my time is committed elsewhere.  How else can reading be a tradition? If I had kids I would read them Earthsea‚ and The Hobbit‚ and Prydain‚ and a lot of other books as well; children offer a lot of ways to create reading traditions‚ from what you read aloud to what books you might give on certain birthdays. (Though I strongly believe you should never‚ ever give a kid a book because it is or might be good for them. Give a kid a book because you think they might love it.) But when you are an adult you may have to make your own fun. Everyone online seems to love the idea of Iceland’s Jólabókaflóðið‚ but I would like to know how many people outside of Iceland actually really do open their Christmas presents on December 24th and promptly sit down to read the book(s) they’ve been given. If I did Christmas‚ or presents‚ I would do this. Maybe. I like to think I would do this. But you have to have a full-house buy-in‚ don’t you? Or at least majority rule.  What I recommend‚ if you cannot convince everyone in your Christmas-celebrating household to give and read books (and if you have New Year’s Day off and no one tugging at your sleeve for entertainment)‚ is to start each new year as you mean to go on. Pick the book you most want to read‚ no should or ought to involved; get a toasty beverage and your softest pants; and commit. Stay on the couch. The couch is your island. You only leave your island when necessary. (Bed island is also delightful.) You aren’t just reading; you’re making a choice‚ committing to something you enjoy‚ and staying the hell off the internet. These are all very good goals regardless of the year. You can also do this on your birthday. The primary activity of any birthday can‚ or could be‚ doing precisely what you want to and nothing else; if what you want to do is read‚ to be waited on while you turn pages and nibble petit fours or grapes or Skittles or whatever‚ that can be a tradition. I did this a couple of years in a row with Expanse books‚ but now I’m out of those and will have to come up with something different. (Those books really do lend themselves to sitting down and reading in giant‚ tasty chunks‚ though.) Is reading before bed every night a tradition‚ or a ritual‚ and what’s the difference‚ anyway? I tend to think a ritual has a different kind of intention than a tradition‚ which feels looser‚ less formal‚ inasmuch as anything to do with reading alone in your coziest clothes can be formal.  You could also argue that a ritual is something you do alone‚ and a tradition is something you do with other people‚ but that can be complicated where reading is concerned. Do you want to hang out with strangers and read? I think fondly of Ramona Quimby’s love for sustained silent reading (she preferred the term to “drop everything and read”)‚ but the thing about reading in a classroom is that you’re stuck inside with those people anyway; you might as well get to read. I balk at the idea of going somewhere on purpose to read with other readers. I would rather‚ I think‚ just read in the bar.  Is reading seasonally appropriate books a tradition? Does that mean snowy books in winter or light books in summer? Beach reads or big wintry tomes? Is horror in October “traditional”? Why is it so hard to get away from the idea of rereads? Is it because traditions are often about doing the same thing at the same time? Is reading‚ itself‚ not “the same thing‚” or does it have to be the same story? I have more questions than answers; I have fewer traditions than wishes. I think there must be more readerly ways to mark the passage of time than merely returning to the old and well-loved. Maybe it’s something physical—rearranging‚ reordering‚ sorting and culling‚ digging out old friends and letting go of things you no longer love. Maybe it’s planning what to read next‚ what to take on a trip‚ what to pre-order so you have it as soon as possible. Maybe it’s something I just haven’t thought of yet. What would you do to mark each year in books?  Molly Templeton lives and writes in Oregon‚ and spends as much time as possible in the woods. Sometimes she talks about books on Bluesky.

I’ll save you the math: It has not (yet) been 28 years since 28 Days Later.  The 2002 movie‚ directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland‚ was a surprise hit for many reasons‚ including the facts that a) the speedy zombies were terrifying and b) people really enjoy watching Cillian Murphy on film (see also: Oppenheimer). Now‚ the writer and director are hoping to launch a whole new trilogy of zombie films with 28 Years Later. Very little is known about this potential film or trilogy‚ though The Hollywood Reporter notes that the creators are “expected to hit studios‚ streamers and other potential buyers later this week.” Boyle (Trainspotting) will direct at least the first film‚ and Garland—now also a well-regarded director (Annihilation)—is set to write all three films. Murphy is not officially part of the new project‚ at least not yet‚ though he has spoken about the possibility of reteaming with Boyle and Garland. When NME asked in 2022 if the gang might get back together‚ Murphy said‚ “[E]very time I do bump into Danny or Alex I always mention it. Because I showed it to my kids recently‚ some Halloween about four or five years ago‚ and they loved it. It really stands up‚ which is amazing for a film that’s 20 years old. So yeah‚ I love the idea and it’s very appealing to me.” The Hollywood Reporter writes of this new trilogy‚ “The precedent and touchstone execs are hoping for is 2015’s Fury Road‚ which served as George Miller’s return to the violent and action-packed world of Mad Max after a two decade absence.” If you’re going to plan a return to a fictional world after 20 years away‚ that’s a pretty good touchstone.

One of the biggest complaints right now in The Finals is controller aim assist and zoom speed. It would appear Embark Studios has heard fans’ complaints and focused on fixing zoom issues in The Finals Patch 1.4.1. All The Finals Patch Notes 1.4.1‚ explained With controversy about aim assist rising in The Finals communities‚ it’s great to see Embark Studios react so quickly. With Patch 1.4.1 now live‚ we should see less overpowered aim assist securing kills. It’s a shorter patch‚ but here is the entirety of Patch Notes 1.4.1: Zoom Snapping Angular Velocity now has a max cap‚ preventing unintended rapid 90-degree turns. Camera Magnetism will be reduced to 35% from 50%‚ making player aim less sticky and lowering controller accuracy. Zoom Snapping Time will be reduced to 0.25s from 0.3s. Zoom Snapping will be removed from the SR-84 Sniper Rifle‚ Revolver‚ LH1‚ and all Shotguns‚ as it buffs them more than other weapons. Aim assist will ig...

If you’re looking to get ahead in PVP‚ then grabbing the Pain Fruit in Blox Fruits is a great idea. It doesn’t take much to acquire. You won’t be running around on long errands‚ but you will need to get some currency together. The Pain Fruit is loved for its long range and huge combo potential. What you need for the Pain Fruit in Blox Fruits Related: How to awaken fruit in Blox Fruits Image Via Syoct Youtube You’re not going to have to complete a huge array of challenges to get the Pain Fruit. However‚ you will need quite a lot of cash. This unique and powerful fruit will cost you a total of 2‚300‚000 Beli or 2‚200 Robux. There is no way to get it for free‚ so the only grinding you will have to do will be for the cash. Once you have got yourself the necessary funds in Blox Fruits‚ you need to find yourself a Fruit Dealer somewhere on the Blox Fruits map. They are in the usual spots‚ such as the Marine Village. If you are s...

In an era of video games where CRPGs are gaining even more popularity with the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Disco Elysium‚ I jumped into Sovereign Syndicate with uncertain‚ yet high expectations of an experience akin to those two. I left Sovereign Syndicate seeing so much potential‚ yet wanting more out of this Victorian steampunk world. Excellent worldbuilding‚ rich character design‚ and an unfolding mystery are what I’ll remember Sovereign Syndicate most for. But I got the feeling that there could’ve been much more to this story that we didn’t see. Let’s get into my review of Sovereign Syndicate. Screenshot: PC Invasion A mesh of fitting genres Sovereign Syndicate did a great job at melding different genres and twisting certain CRPG aspects into their own thing. It’s set in a Victorian steampunk version of London where humans live amongst fantasy creatures. Dwarves‚ centaurs‚ and even minotaurs exist in th...

Season 1 is almost over! And with it‚ one last weekly piece of gear to unlock. Here is how to get The Etting aftermarket part in Modern Warfare 3. Modern Warfare 3: How to get The Ettin aftermarket part The Ettin aftermarket part for the AMR9‚ attaching a double barrel to the gun. It is the featured unlock for Week 6 of Modern Warfare 3 Season 1. It is the last attachment you can unlock before Season 1 Reloaded arrives‚ and since this is a weekly unlock‚ you pretty much know the drill. To unlock The Ettin you will need to complete five Week 6 weekly challenges. This means that you can complete any challenge type regardless of its type – Multiplayer‚ Zombies‚ or Battle Royale. With that being said‚ Sledgehammer Games is currently investigating an issue with The Ettin which doesn’t allow it to appear. You can still unlock it‚ though‚ so take a look at all Week 6 weekly challenges. Week 6 Multiplayer Weekly Challenges Weekly ChallengeRewardGet 30&;...

In 1403‚ a rebellion broke out in England that would culminate in one of the bloodiest battles to ever take place on English soil. On 21 July 1403‚ King Henry IV with his son Hal‚ the future Henry V‚ went head to head with a Northern traitor – Henry ‘Hotspur’. The Battle of Shrewsbury would pit rebel against royalist. Englishman against Englishman. At stake was the crown of England. The battle culminated in a decisive victory for King Henry IV‚ including the death of ‘Hotspur’ Percy‚ the capture of the Earl of Douglas‚ and the collapse of Hotspur’s rebellion. The lessons learned would also go on to prove crucial at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415‚ one of England’s most important triumphs in the Hundred Years’ War. Here we explore 10 facts about the battle – many of which feature in our documentary‚ The Battle of Shrewsbury‚ where Dan Jones teams-up with Professor Michael Livingston to discover how the battle not only changed the history of England – but put the future Henry V on his own path towards destiny. 1. Rebellion stemmed from the king’s failure to sufficiently reward the Percy family The powerful Percy family from the north of England had supported the first Lancastrian king‚ King Henry IV – helping him seize power when he took the throne from Richard II in 1399. King Henry IV’s 16 year old son Henry‚ known as Hal‚ was invested as the new Prince of Wales. However the kingdom was still bitterly divided‚ and numerous plots to topple Henry IV were being concocted. Head of the Percy family was Henry Percy‚ the first Earl of Northumberland. By 1399‚ he was almost 60‚ so his son‚ Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy took the lead‚ quickly becoming acquainted with war‚ fighting in campaigns along with Edward III and Richard II. Despite the Percy’s being lavished with money‚ titles‚ and land by the new king (and seen as peacekeepers in a new kingdom)‚ they began to feel disgruntled as King Henry IV flexed his royal power. Disagreeing with the king’s governance‚ Hotspur began to think he might make a better king. In October 1402‚ Henry IV called parliament‚ during which he and Hotspur met. It is unclear what was discussed‚ but after this‚ Hotspur rode back north with rebellion in mind. Hotspur had also been successfully campaigning against rebellious Welsh patriot Owain Glyndŵr‚ but had not received payment for his services. Subsequently‚ the Percys formed an alliance with Glyndŵr and others discontent with Henry’s rule‚ including Edward Mortimer‚ with the aim of conquering and dividing-up England. 2. Sir Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy was named after his fiery temperament With his fiery temper‚ energetic leadership‚ and swiftness in approach to battle‚ Henry had been nicknamed ‘Hotspur’. The Scots had also praised his incredible speed on his horse‚ and it was said he must have ‘hot spurs’ on his boots for his horse to run so fast.  (As the Percy family also owned land in the area known as Northumberland Park and at Tottenham Marshes in London‚ Henry’s nickname ‘Hotspur’ helped inspire Tottenham Hotspur Football Club‚ as this land is also where the club played its first games. His name also inspired the team’s famous emblem of a fighting cock.) 3. Upon reaching Shrewsbury‚ Hotspur’s army had grown to around 5‚000 men Shrewsbury in Shropshire was a bustling transport hub and a centre for the wool trade from Wales – strategic to the royal cause‚ and a perfect place for the rebels to strike. Hotspur travelled south to join other rebels and aimed to march on Shrewsbury‚ mustering a rebel army along his way‚ including the Cheshire archers. On 9 July 1403‚ his flag was raised in nearby Chester. Meanwhile‚ King Henry IV‚ having decided to extend an olive branch to the Percy family‚ gathered 1‚000 men to march north to help the Percy’s with a routine summer of campaigning against the Scots. However‚ on 12 July‚ Henry arrived in Leicester and heard about Hotspur’s rebellion. For the next 9 days‚ the three forces under Hotspur‚ Hal and Henry IV headed to Shrewsbury. When Hotspur arrived‚ he found Hal’s flag already raised‚ and the next day‚ Henry IV’s army appeared‚ taking Hotspur by surprise. The rebels retreated to the north‚ while the king’s forces (now numbering 7‚000) also made camp‚ intending battle the next day. 4. The battle only began a few hours before dusk Both King Henry IV and Hotspur were skilled military leaders‚ each with considerable support from nobles and soldiers. Both armies faced each other on 21 July 1403‚ and attempted to negotiate a peaceful compromise for many hours. When this failed‚ the battle commenced‚ with only a few daylight hours remaining. The battle saw fierce fighting between the two sides‚ with both employing traditional medieval warfare tactics‚ including archery‚ cavalry charges‚ and hand-to-hand combat. Plan of the battleImage Credit: Wikimedia Commons / 'Battles and Battlefields in England' / The British Library / Public Domain 5. The Battle was the first time that massed troops of archers faced each other using the longbow on English soil The majority of both armies would have been archers. In the 14th century‚ archers had been the secret weapon of English armies fighting abroad‚ along with their super weapon of the longbow. This was now in the hands of both sides for the first time‚ and the battle highlighted its deadly effectiveness‚ with thousands of arrows in the air at one time. 6. Hotspur held the advantage of higher ground At the battle’s start‚ Hotspur and the rebel forces held a slightly elevated position‚ meaning their arrows were more effective and they did not have to fight uphill. When a gap opened in the right side of the king’s flank‚ Hotspur seized the opportunity‚ prompting his men to charge downhill. This resulted in the two lines crashing into each other‚ descending into hand-to-hand combat. However while this took place‚ Prince Hal saw an opening and demonstrated strategic acumen by employing ‘command and control’ tactics. He directed his section of the line to turn inward‚ attempting to encircle the approaching rebels. In the melee‚ Hal was struck in the face by an arrow. Despite this potentially fatal injury‚ he remarkably pulled the arrow shaft out of his face and continued fighting. This pivotal moment showcased the resilience and leadership of the 16 year old heir to the throne‚ who‚ despite a near-fatal encounter‚ maintained his composure and continued to command his troops. 7. Hotspur was killed when he was shot in the face by an arrow after opening his visor The key to the battle for the rebels remained the king. After initial success‚ including bringing down the king’s banner-man‚ Hotspur launched forwards alone‚ and was struck and killed. Word of Hotspur’s death quickly spread‚ abruptly concluding the battle as the rebels’ morale crumbled without their leader. Death of Henry “Harry Hotspur” Percy‚ from a 1910 illustration by Richard Caton Woodville Jr.Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Richard Caton Woodville Jr. / Public Domain 8. Most rebels were killed during the rout Casualty numbers were high on both sides‚ with an estimated 1‚500 royalists and even more rebels‚ including prominent nobles and knights‚ losing their lives. Whilst the initial battlefield clash caused significant casualties‚ the disorderly retreat of the rebels in the rout proved even more deadly. (The rout was the most dangerous part of any battle.) As they fled the battlefield attempting to avoid being cut down‚ the pursuing royalist forces engaged in a moving massacre‚ leaving no room for captives as there was no-one to sell them to or ask for a ransom – these men were traitors and rebels to the kingdom. King Henry IV’s forces emerged victorious‚ successfully quashing the rebellion. To dispel rumours of Hotspur’s survival‚ his body was quartered‚ and various parts were displayed across the country‚ with his head was impaled on York’s north gate. However‚ despite the apparent consolidation of Henry IV’s authority‚ the Battle of Shrewsbury did not completely eliminate opposition to his rule‚ and further challenges and conflicts persisted during his reign. 9. Hal‚ the future King Henry V‚ received innovative life-saving surgery After the Battle of Shrewsbury‚ royal surgeon John Bradmore was entrusted with saving Prince Hal’s life by extracting the arrowhead lodged in his face. Bradmore documented the entire operation‚ revealing that the wound was 6 inches deep. Although Hal had pulled out the arrow shaft during the battle‚ the arrowhead remained lodged in his face near his spine. To extract the arrowhead‚ Bradmore devised ‘tents’ using elder rods wrapped in linen‚ soaked in a mixture of honey and rosewater (which served as an antiseptic to prevent infection). Bradmore began with a thin rod‚ gently easing it into the wound‚ progressively using wider rods to reopen the wound. After several days‚ he employed a specially designed tool – essentially long smooth tongs with an internal screw mechanism – which he invented and sketched for the records. This tool gripped the arrowhead from the inside‚ allowing Bradmore to successfully extract it‚ and in doing so‚ saved Hal’s life. 10. Lessons from the battle were later deployed at The Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Shrewsbury had a profound impact on Prince Hal‚ later known as King Henry V. The brutal lessons learned in this battle influenced his tactics in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Remembering the effectiveness of the longbow‚ Henry V brought a higher ratio of bowmen to infantry than any previous army. Additionally‚ he included a medical corps‚ recognising the importance of medicine based on his personal experience after Shrewsbury. Henry’s experiences at Shrewsbury also shaped Henry’s personal approach to battle. At Shrewsbury‚ he had been a bold‚ risk-taker‚ and the fact this paid off and he survived a potentially fatal wound reinforced his belief in a divine purpose for his life. This spiritual conviction fuelled his sense of destiny to become king. Without the lessons learned at the Battle of Shrewsbury‚ there might not have been a Henry V or subsequent victory at Agincourt – a triumph that helped establish England one of the strongest military powers in Europe.

European Farmer Protests: Farmers Are the Canaries in the Climate Change Initiative Coal Mine