Space's The Expanse is thrilling, intelligent, and emotional sci-fi

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

One of my latest obsessions of late has been James S.A. Corey's The Expanse series of sci-fi books as well as its lavishly produced TV adaptation The Expanse on the Space channel (Syfy in the US). The Expanse is many things, it is a noir detective mystery set in space, it's a tale of a band of misfits uncovering an overwhelming conspiracy as well as the emergence of an awesome and mysterious new threat.

Now on its second season (season one is now available on Blu-Ray). The Expanse, which is shot and produced largely in Toronto, Canada, offers some of the most visually stunning set designs and special effects we've seen on TV. There's a neat mix of Blade Runner's gritty cyberpunk aesthetic, the immensity of space as shown in films like Gravity and Interstellar as well as an almost Kubrickian poetry to the ways of life in future Earth, colonized Mars and the powder keg of characters in The Belt.

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Tri-Coastal Games introduce ‘Dystoria,’ a retro-inspired 3D shooter

Love the retro-looking games? A new sci-fi arcade shooter is now available on Steam. Tri-Coastal Games launched Dystoria on the service. Dystoria is a 360-degree axis shifting space shooter. You will need to navigate a precise route to capture or destroy your enemies. At the same time, you will be collecting orbs. The game features moving platforms, switches for doors, deadly moving lasers, destructible blocks with hidden areas of valuable pickups, and many more. It has an ‘80s game feel to it that those growing up in that age would appreciate. If you want to try it out, the game retails for US$14.99 but is currently on sale for US$10.04 (approx. CA$13).

YouTube releases Oscars movie trailer leaderboard

With the 89^th Academy Awards upon us, YouTube thought it best to share what has been getting the most attention on its platform. And we share with you the highlights here. Collectively, the nine trailers for all the Best Picture nominees have gotten three million hours of watch time on YouTube, which is said to be equivalent to 25 million viewings of the Oscar-nominated animated short Borrowed Time. Among those nine trailers, La La Land is the most popular. We’ll list down the films in order below.

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Disney & Lucasfilm to bring back ‘Star Wars’ Force Friday this September

It might be many months away but Disney and Lucasfilm want to confirm that Star Wars Force Friday II is happening. This global event celebrates the launch of new products that are inspired by the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi film. The packaging of the products will include leading heroes: Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. The sale of these toys, collectibles, apparel, books, etc. will start at 12:01 a.m. on September 1^st and will have stores around the world have weekend-long celebrations for all things Star Wars.

Back in 2015, fans all over the world welcomed Force Friday and toys from the new line, including the Sphero BB-8, were revealed via an international livestream unboxing event, which happened over 18 hours, 15 cities, and 12 countries. Details about Force Friday II will be released as the events draw closer so keep your eyes peeled for that.