r/scifi • • Oct 19 '25

Community Do not buy T-shirts from any site that's "Powered by GearLaunch"

232 Upvotes

If you purchase from a "Powered by GearLaunch" website:

  • You might receive a terribly low-quality product.
  • You might not receive a product at all.
  • The site is probably selling stolen IP.
  • Don't count on a refund.

We get a few of these scam posts each month.

How the Scam Works

  1. The Bait: The post is a picture of a t-shirt, hoodie, or similar. The OP's account is generally less than a year old and has very little activity.
  2. The Hook: A second account, an accomplice, comments asking where to buy it. The accomplice account is generally less than 3 weeks old with very little activity.
  3. The Pitch: Then the OP links them to a "Powered by Gearlaunch" website.
  4. The Validation: Lastly, another account thanks them and says they bought one. They do this to lend legitimacy to the pitch. These accounts are generally less than 3 weeks old with very little activity.

The domain name is always changing, so you can't tell it's bogus from the link alone. If you click the link, scroll to the bottom. If you see "Powered by Gearlaunch", leave the site immediately.

Do not fall for this scam.

Protect yourself by reading more about it

What to Do

Be mindful that it's possible, though unlikely, the Bait is a legitimate user telling us about their cool new shirt. Use your best judgment.

If you see the Bait, please check the OPs account. If you feel certain the post fits the Bait, please downvote it and report it to us so we know about it.

If you see the Hook, please downvote them and report those to us too.

If you see the Pitch, please downvote, report, and leave a comment warning people away. Report the post and the pitch to Reddit as spam. Thank you, LxRv

Keep your shields up and be safe out there.


r/scifi • • Nov 19 '25

Community How to write an engaging Self-Promotion Saturday post: an ideal example

26 Upvotes

We want to improve engagement on r/scifi, particularly on Self-Promotion Saturday posts. In addition to inaugurating SPS, we’ve made it clear in the subreddit’s rules that AI ‘writing’ and ‘art’ won’t be tolerated. We’ve also had to implement a 250-character minimum for the text body of posts.

While discussing this with my fellow moderators, I mentioned reading a blog post or two where a guest entry made me want to read the book under discussion. Quoting myself:

Hopefully, the 250-character post minimum will be enough to make the content creators realize we’re actually serious about engagement. They should be bursting to tell us, in their own words, what makes their creation special to them (and they hope, to us). I can think of at least a couple of essays I read on blogs where the guest author took the time to tell readers a little about their book—thereby encouraging me to give their book a try. Content creators posting here on Self-Promotion Saturday should want to make similar connections to a potential audience.

Thinking back on that discussion, I think one of those blog posts to which I referred above might serve as a useful example of why taking the time to engage with the audience you seek is worth it. Using myself reading that guest blog entry in 2011 as an example:

  • I had never heard of this author before—in spite of her career beginning in the 1990’s.

  • I didn’t ordinarily read fantasy, but I was intrigued by the fantasy novel for which the guest author wrote the blog entry.

  • I liked that book so much, I purchased and read the author’s entire back catalog, and the sequels to the book which the blog entry was about. I also began reading more fantasy—like some, I had just assumed it’s all medieval sword-&-sorcery. It’s not.

Relevant to this subreddit, that author later pivoted to including more science fiction in her writing, and created everyone’s favorite neurotic cyborg security unit, Murderbot. I speak, of course, of Martha Wells.

To be clear: I am not saying you must write what amounts to a guest entry in a blog to promote your work here. But you should want to. Without further ado, here’s the blog entry that introduced me to Martha Wells 14 years ago:

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/03/15/the-big-idea-martha-wells/


r/scifi • • 4h ago

General There will come soft rains by Ray Bradbury FULL comic published in 1952 with art by Wally Wood

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112 Upvotes

It's a short story written in a 1950 by Ray Bradbury this is full the comic drawn by Wally Wood in 1952 in weird tale magazine it's a story about an automated house still taking care of family unaware that the family from a nuclear war that has annillilated humanity

Themes include: the destructive nature of war and the effects of a nuclear war and nature's indifference to our absence

it was based off of a poem written by Sara Teasdale also called There will come soft rains


r/scifi • • 3h ago

Print Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth is underrated.

50 Upvotes

I've been reading his books in this universe (Flinx series, Icerigger trilogy, Founding Of The Commonwealth, Nor Crystal Tears) and I've honestly been having a blast with them. These books are everything I love about 70's-80's space opera books-breezy, fun, adventurous, imaginative, and not ashamed to indulge in the pulpier side of the genre. This is the first time I've read these-but I wish it wasn't, because 10 year old me would have LOVED these books! (I was born in 2007, long after these books had come out.)


r/scifi • • 21h ago

TV I think it's high time to finally give this show a watch...

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821 Upvotes

For years now, Babylon 5 has been one of my bucket list shows. I've been wanting to put it on and watch for a while now. I've heard great things. I've heard that is very similar to Deep Space Nine in some regards (and yes, I'm aware of the old controversies in which some accuse DS9 of copying, but I try not to pay those stories much mind), and as DS9 is easily my favorite Star Trek series, and one of my favorite shows in general, I've never really had a reason to doubt that I'd enjoy Babylon 5.

I think I've always just kinda struggled with the pilot. But I'm gonna try and buckle down and finally give this series the proper watch it's always deserved. And with the news yesterday that Walter Koenig has sadly passed, I think it's an appropriate time as I know he had a recurring role here.

So... wish me well! I hope to finally dedicate proper time to this show!


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Films Dune: Part Three | Final Trailer

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232 Upvotes

Do not fear the end. Dune: Part Three only in theaters and IMAX December 18. Tickets on sale now around the world.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures comes Dune: Part Three, bringing Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve’s epic trilogy to a breathtaking conclusion.

Dune: Part Three is set nearly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium. Now a ruthless Emperor, Paul must face the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge, and betrayal lurks in every shadow. Haunted by visions of Imperial collapse and the reappearance of his long-lost love, Paul is drawn into a sweeping conspiracy, with Chani at the heart of its unfolding mystery. As rebellion brews and enemies close in, Paul must confront the true cost of power and the fate of those he loves the most.

The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar nominee Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaach de Bankolé, with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling, with Anya Taylor-Joy, and Robert Pattinson, and Oscar winner Javier Bardem.

Villeneuve directs from a screenplay by Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan, based on the novels written by Frank Herbert. The film is produced by Oscar nominees Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve and Tanya Lapointe, and Joe Caracciolo, and executive produced by Joshua Grode, Thomas Tull, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Richard P. Rubinstein, John Harrison and Jessica Derhammer.

Joining Villeneuve behind the camera are Oscar-winning director of photography Linus Sandgren, Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette, Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker, Oscar nominated costume designer Jacqueline West, Oscar-nominated casting director Francine Maisler, and Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present A Legendary Pictures Production, A Film By Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Three, only in theaters and IMAX® across North America on December 18, 2026 and internationally beginning 16 December 2026. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and in China by Legendary East.

[]()


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Print Ender’s Game criticisms: did I misunderstand the book? Spoiler

490 Upvotes

I just finished a reread of Ender’s Game and searched up some opinions on Reddit (and yes, the author is a piece of shit, I already know that). I was really surprised to see the harsh opinions. A lot of old threads think it’s a shallow space battle book and call it a “nerd fulfilment fantasy” (some threads like this one or this one. I personally agree with the top comment on the second one). Like if you read the book at face value, then yeah, I guess. There are some cringe (and mildly sexist) moments, sure, and the battle games do take up a big portion of the story.

But now as an adult reading it, I don’t understand this criticism at all. It’s nowhere close to a power fantasy to me because Ender has absolutely NO agency in his life at all. He’s genetically engineered for it, first of all. Then every single “win” he accomplishes, from bonding with the launchies or pushing back against his bullies, is encouraged or manipulated by the adults around him. Every act of violence occurs because the adults have deliberately made Ender aware that no one will ever help him. I don’t think the author intends for us to derive satisfaction from these moments when the author makes it soooo clear over the novel that Ender has been a victim of so many people making decisions for him. Ender is awfully naive (because he’s still a child) and flawed and I fail to see how anyone could criticise him for being a Mary Sue.


r/scifi • • 1d ago

TV What sci-fi show do you think handled “ordinary people under pressure” the best?

117 Upvotes

One of the reasons I keep coming back to Battlestar Galactica is that a lot of the characters feel competent without feeling invincible. People make bad calls, get exhausted, panic, argue, and still somehow have to keep everything moving.

I like sci-fi with big ideas, but honestly I’m usually more interested in how normal people react when the situation gets completely abnormal.

What show do you think does that especially well?


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Print What are your favorite sci-fi books?

24 Upvotes

I'm nearly done with Children of Dune. The first three books have been fantastic and my first introduction to reading sci-fi. The lore, politicking, religion, subterfuge, and overall world building blew my mind considering these books are from the 60s.

What else are you into and where has sci-fi been since these books came out?

Eventually I'll return to the series but looking to take a break for a bit.


r/scifi • • 1d ago

General Is Stirling's Emberverse series done yet?

17 Upvotes

Decades ago I started reading, but it turned out not to be a trilogy so I was stuck waiting for book 4. That didn't end it either so I quit. Never read a series before it's finished. (Glaring at Patrick Rothfuss.) He kept cranking out books for so long that I forgot this existed.

Now it occurs to me I might like to revisit the series. But **is it done yet?**


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Print Pandora's Star?

18 Upvotes

I've been working through this and have got 2/3rds of the first book done (it's a looong one). I have strong vibes I've read this but at the same times lots of details seem different/new. Is there another book that uses the motile/immobile alien species concept or have I just forgotten all about it in mere decade or two? Some of the characters seem familiar like the sex Barbie kneeing nuts, but she's only got brief appearance so far. I can't remember the conspiracy angle either.


r/scifi • • 2d ago

Recommendations China Mieville Is My Favorite Author

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265 Upvotes

China Mieville. Let’s talk favorite authors. Mieville is such an amazing writer, inventive, engaging and insightful. Embassytown is one of my all-time favorites, full stop. The City and the City? Wonderful. Absolutely in love with just about everything he’s penned.


r/scifi • • 20h ago

Print Is Children of Memory worth finishing?

0 Upvotes

I loved Children of Time and I really enjoyed Ruin for the most part. Memory has some good moments, but for the most part I kind of feel like nothing happens. I'm a bit over halfway through and there have been multiple teases of major plot progressions, and basically none of them have paid off. Is there a pay off at all or should I just read a synopsis and skip to Children of Strife?


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Print How do we feel about fantasy-adjacent novels which have a sci-fi, plausible-ish underpinning?

5 Upvotes

EDIT: thanks for the suggestions everyone, lots for me to check out!

I ask because I read one recently and wondered if anyone knows any books which uses that dynamic.

To be clear what I'm talking about, the book was Hands Tied by Rhys Harper. In it, an AI has taken over the world, and using nanobots has restructured it so that there are mythical creatures, magic, portals, no high tech, etc etc. It's kind of meta lit-rpg.

I don't really like much fantasy anymore because I find the suspension of disbelief to be shaky, but this really worked for me.

Do we know any other similar setups?


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Films iHunt Feature Film

2 Upvotes

I'm honestly not sure if this counts as Sci Fi or not. Its dystopian satire that includes technology... but also vampires and demons and whatnot. Anyway the iHunt feature film was announced this morning and I just wanted to bring it to peoples attention/find out what people thought.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/ihunt-killing-monsters-in-the-gig-economy-movie-1236930441/


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Films Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) hinges on warming to main character, humanoid robot David...but the whole time, I was thoroughly unnerved by the uncanny machine boy

36 Upvotes

Haley Joel Osment gave a great performance as the humanoid robot David. To begin with, it's a strong deliberate performance which has uncanny valley vibes which matches what you'd expect from such a machine boy. Admittedly, he gets more boy-like as the film progresses but I found this even more disturbing.

David reminded me so unnervingly of how AI, in this day and age, like Gemini or Chat GPT etc, speaks when you ask it a question or to write something out.

It's unclear how the film wants the viewer to feel about him and concept of AI. It seems at first, we were meant to be unnerved by him. As the film progressed, however, I got the sense we were gradually supposed to be rooting for him. He goes through plenty of scrapes and near catastrophes.

Yet, I found the whole concept of a fake child/little boy robot being used so repulsive that I wanted him to fail or be "obliterated" (as the film puts it) at every turn.

There's a moment where Brendan Gleeson points out how problematic the captured David is as a creation as he's been designed to mirror human emotions - but the crowd turn on Gleeson and David escapes. It seems like the film's "hurrah" moment. But I was finding myself nodding along to Gleeson, and thinking 'quite right' and gutted when that damned fake kid got away again. (I'd have had a great time at that Flesh Fair - seemed a hoot!)

There were also moments where David seemed so unhinged I thought there was going to be some big twist where ended going on a killing spree or end the world, in some way.

So, the ending where the future beings magically bring David's 'mother' back to life left me feeling cold as I wasn't emotionally invested in the character or his emotional climax because I found David thoroughly problematic and off putting.

A few more observations:

The teddy bear genuinely seemed the most intelligent AI bot out of all of them, even David and Jude Law.

Jude Law gave the most incredible performance and best I have seen from him. His physicality. Truly the highlight of the movie. Stole every scene.

Not sure what was going on at the end. Future beings say the mother was brought back to life for one day - but why no questions or concern about her real family?


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Films Sci fi class movie?

46 Upvotes

My 12 grade sci fi kids just finished the gauntlet of Frankenstein and I need the rest of the week to grade

I want to show a film and my school is quite progressive as to what is allowed and I’m considering a few:

Attack the Block
12 Monkeys
Brazil
Get Out
5th Element
District 9

I can make a case for all of them and have access to each…

Help?


r/scifi • • 1d ago

General Question: does anyone examples of sci-fi version of the world fair or world fair like events?

5 Upvotes

I just think the World Fair in general is a cool concept and I was just wondering if anyone had an examples of sci-fi version of the world fair or world fair like events in any form of fiction? Be it books, shows, films, comics, games or any other form of media I forget to list here.


r/scifi • • 2d ago

Recommendations Amazing SciFi series: Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy

68 Upvotes

I'm reading a Kindle sample of the first book in Robert Anton Wilson's Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy. I was reading an article about the Schrödinger's cat puzzle in quantum physics (because I love QP and named one of my cats Schrödinger) and there was a citation pointing to this trilogy.

I have GOT to recommend that you check it out.

It's got parallel worlds.

It's got hilarious depictions of humans, politics, nuclear threats, and other stuff.

There are twists and turns: wait a minute, what just happened??

It's got QUANTUM PHYSICS, but no equations so far. I never got that whole algebra thing and never needed it anyway.

This book is not formulaic. It's not like so many sci-fi books that's basically a soap opera with a war and a hero and a few space ships and maybe some gimmicky glitch in time or space thrown in.

This is complicated and you have to pay attention. I've actually had to go back and re-read some sections. No dozing off with this one.

I've read The Expanse (11volumes), all the Rusch books, the Ancillary series, The Three Body Problem, the Red Rising series, everything by John Scalzi, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jasper Fforde, MurderBot, Asimov's Foundation (sure its a classic but from an old world--at least the TV series had a woman in it), and pretty much every other sci-fi series and book that was highly recommended here.

But I've never encountered anything as non-linear and idea-packed and cynical and funny and just-plain-deranged as this. So... I don't know how far I'll get with this series. I get bored easily now and if it turns out to be too affected or ostentatiously complicated I'll bail. But I got excited reading the first two chapters (in which the author is actually a character, quite confusing at first) and I wanted to tell you about it.


r/scifi • • 2d ago

Films What is your least to most favourite Alien film and why? I am including the series as well.

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156 Upvotes

Alien
Aliens
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection
Alien vs Predator
Alien vs Predator: Requiem
Prometheus
Alien: Covenant
Alien: Romulus
Alien Earth

I enjoy watching the original Alien followed by Aliens, Alien 3. Prometheus was such an awesome movie in my opinion… had the studio allowed Ridley to continue his vision to explore the Engineers world rather than k!ll them right in the beginning of Covenant would have been such a treat.

Unfortunately, we never got to see that world. Instead we got another Alien: Romulus which frankly was not amazing.

Alien Earth is visually nice but it lacks something. Curious to know your ratings and thoughts!


r/scifi • • 1d ago

Recommendations Bad Slavery Allegory

0 Upvotes

Hey, I'm really interested in when sci fi can be used to discuss difficult social issues. One of my favorite books that does this is Kindred. But I'm also trying to think of some books that attempt to do so but miss the mark. So I'm trying to think of some sci fi novels that are poorly done, very transparent allegories for US slavery. So just literally: here's blue people and they're slaves, here's red people and they're in charge. The sillier and more transparent the better, thanks!


r/scifi • • 2d ago

Recommendations Beach reads

18 Upvotes

I've been on a tear lately of space operas, hard sci-fi and prose that transcends the genre. I need a break. I need something lighter, funnier and more easily digestible. I need a sci-fi beach read. I like the salvagers series by Alex White and some of the Scalzi one-offs like Redshirts and Kaiju Preservation Society. What else do you think will give me the feel good vacation I'm looking for?


r/scifi • • 3d ago

Recommendations SciFi books for fantasy fan

50 Upvotes

Hello!

I’ve been reading fantasy my whole life. I love *The Book of the New Sun* and *The Malazan Book of the Fallen*. I’m also a fan of weird fiction. Currently, I’m reading *Stations of the Tide* by Michael Swanwick, and I’m looking for something with a similar vibe—something with an immersive atmosphere. I’ve also read *Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?* by Philip K. Dick. I’d appreciate any recommendations.


r/scifi • • 3d ago

Films A movie of endless quotables

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182 Upvotes

One of my favorite scripts in sci-fi history, just quote after quote after quote, this is one of the most emblematic pieces of media this genre has ever seen. The slow labored pacing in the first two acts is perfect however leads to the final act feeling rushed in sections. Other than that, in my view, this is a near flawless movie.


r/scifi • • 4d ago

Original Content My cyberpunk book Tapeworld sold 140 copies in its first month!

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3.3k Upvotes

It reached 5th on the Hot Upcoming New Cyberpunk releases on release week too!

Tapeworld is a new cyberpunk book series with a twist on cyberspace: you access it by sticking a strip of duct tape on your temple.

There's elements of sci-fi, dystopia and more. If you love Dark Matter, The Peripheral or The Matrix, there's something in this book for you.

Plot:
A kickboxer / climate change activist meets a VR sports star / cyberspace jockey. When she realises his life is in danger, she'll go through tech corpo hell to make sure he's safe.

The book is available right now on Amazon, and it's also available in 2 bookstores.

Tapeworld is a labour of love, born from my passion for all things virtual reality, cyberpunk, and sci-fi.

Hope you love it!

The photo is me at my first indie author event.

I'm so grateful for the community, who has received me as a new fiction author so positively.

EDIT:
Zero AI was used! The cover is human designed by J Caleb Design. He's amazing at this 3D modelling render style and you can find his work online easily. The book was written by me over many years and many revisions. I had a developmental edit, a line edit, a final proofread, all professionally.

Thank you so much everyone here for your support!