Baby Yoda’s big day out is coming! Lucasfilm has just announced The Mandalorian and Grogu‚ a feature film that will go into production later this year. Notably‚ this is not the Dave Filoni movie that is meant to tie up all the stories set in the Mandalorian era. This film will be directed by Mandalorian mastermind Jon Favreau‚ whose last job as a feature film director was 2019’s The Lion King. Favreau will also produce the film alongside Filoni and Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy. One bit of concept art was released: Image: Lucasfilm A press release notes‚ “The Mandalorian &; Grogu will lead Lucasfilm’s ongoing feature-development slate‚ which includes films helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy‚ James Mangold and Dave Filoni.” Filoni is also developing the just-announced second season of Ahsoka. Lucasfilm has not announced a release date for The Mandalorian &; Grogu‚ but if production begins this year‚ it’s potentially the next Star Wars film we’ll see in theaters. As Variety notes‚ Disney currently has three dates marked for Star Wars films: May 22‚ 2026; December 18‚ 2026; and December 17‚ 2027. At this point‚ no upcoming Star Wars projects have release dates‚ but The Acolyte‚ Skeleton Crew‚ and the next seasons of The Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi are expected to premiere on Disney Plus later this year.  

In this bi-weekly series reviewing classic science fiction and fantasy books‚ Alan Brown looks at the front lines and frontiers of the field; books about soldiers and spacers‚ scientists and engineers‚ explorers and adventurers. Stories full of what Shakespeare used to refer to as “alarums and excursions”: battles‚ chases‚ clashes‚ and the stuff of excitement. Today‚ I’m taking a look at the sequel to E. E. “Doc” Smith’s audacious first novel‚ Skylark of Space. This next book‚ Skylark Three‚ doesn’t rest on the laurels of its predecessor‚ and expands on those adventures in terms of the scope of the science‚ the strangeness of the aliens and their worlds‚ and the brutality of the battles. In fact‚ it expands on everything to what feels like an exponential degree—if you are looking for restraint and nuance‚ you will soon realize Smith is not the author for you. I am embarrassed to admit that while I owned copies of the Skylark series for some time‚ I didn’t start reading them because I thought I lacked the second book of the series. I had The Skylark of Space‚ Skylark Three‚ and Skylark of Valeron. It was only when I read the first book‚ and started doing some research‚ that I realized that the second book was already in my hands. In the first book‚ the original Skylark took the adventurers to the planet Osnome‚ and when it was damaged‚ the Osnomians helped them build the Skylark Two to return home. The second book of the series takes its name from another‚ newer ship dubbed the Skylark Three. Reading through comments on the Internet‚ it’s clear that I am not the first person confused by the second book having “Three” in the title‚ nor do I expect to be the last. Skylark Three‚ which appeared in Amazing Stories in 1930‚ is the first sequel to The Skylark of Space‚ which debuted in Amazing Stories magazine in 1928 (you can see my review here). It was first published in novel form by Fantasy Press in 1948. There were two more sequels after that: Skylark of Valeron‚ which appeared in Astounding in 1934 and 1935‚ and the later Skylark DuQuesne‚ which appeared in Worlds of If in 1965. The copy of Skylark Three I reviewed is a reissue from Pyramid books‚ a third paperback edition published in 1966. The cover features a nicely composed impressionistic painting by Jack Gaughan‚ showing an early scene in the books where the spherical Skylark Two and a similarly shaped Osnomian ally engage with a dirigible-shaped craft piloted by the imperialistic Fenachrone. Gaughan had also illustrated Pyramid’s reprints of Smith’s Lensman series. I’ve previously reviewed Smith’s entire Lensman series‚ including Triplanetary‚ First Lensman‚ Galactic Patrol‚ Gray Lensman‚ Second Stage Lensmen‚ Children of the Lens‚ and Masters of the Vortex. Once again‚ as with the Lensman books‚ I must thank Julie at Fantasy Zone Comics and Used Books for finding this book for me.   About the Author Edward Elmer Smith (1890-1965)‚ often referred to as the “Father of Space Opera‚” wrote under the pen name E. E. “Doc” Smith. I included a complete biography in my review of Triplanetary. Like many writers from the early 20th century whose copyrights have expired‚ you can find quite a bit of work by Doc Smith on Project Gutenberg here‚ including Skylark Three.   Science and Total War There are two major themes at play in Skylark Three. The first is scientific discovery‚ and the second is the concept of total war. I had discussed the scientific element in my review of The Skylark of Space. And some of my favorite sections of the second book are the parts where Dick Seaton is working alongside the Norlaminians‚ providing the scientists of this advanced race with the raw materials they need to put into practice the theories they have been developing over centuries of research. Smith’s excitement is palpable as he considers what scientists might find beyond the boundaries of what they currently knew and understood. However‚ my enjoyment of these passages was tempered by thoughts of how Seaton planned to employ that technology. I was reminded of my recent re-read of The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes (discussed here)‚ and the knowledge that the excitement of scientific discovery and engineering marvels was going to end in the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The idea of war with alien races was a common one in the early days of science fiction. It is not surprising‚ as the genre was born in an era where wars were being waged with increasing intensity and on a greater scale than ever before. Any idea that man had become too civilized for warfare had died in the mechanized slaughter on the battlefields of Europe during World War I. With new technology like poison gas‚ high explosives‚ machine guns‚ tanks‚ and aircraft‚ war had become industrialized‚ and mass casualties were produced with murderous efficiency. The lines between civilians and enemy combatants began to blur. Humanity had always branded their enemies as less than human‚ but new theories like Social Darwinism were used by their proponents to argue that such categorizations were “scientific.” The early days of science fiction were filled with alien races that were more often seen as threats than potential friends. Authors like “Doc” Smith and Edmund Hamilton became known for stories about super weapons that could annihilate entire planets. Their protagonists were often given devices that allowed them to see into the intentions and thoughts of the enemies‚ as if more perfect knowledge could justify their resort to genocide to end threats to humanity. The most chilling thing about some of these stories was not the measures used by the protagonists; it was how little thought they gave to alternate choices‚ or peaceful resolutions.   Skylark Three The book opens in the offices of the industrial conglomerate Steel‚ Brookings and DuQuesne‚ a ruthless organization willing to use any means‚ including assassination‚ to achieve their goals. “Blackie” DuQuesne is disgusted with his partners’ efforts to kill his rival‚ Dick Seaton. Not because he doesn’t want Seaton dead‚ but because he knows his rival is in possession of technology from the planet Osnome‚ far beyond that available on Earth‚ and is thus untouchable. DuQuesne is the only other person on the planet with spacefaring technology‚ and plans to get the upper hand in their struggle by going in search of aliens even more advanced than the Osnomians. Meanwhile‚ Dick Seaton‚ observed by his wife Dorothy‚ friend Martin Crane‚ and Martin’s wife Margaret‚ is testing out a new spacesuit‚ experimenting with a new force-field generator that creates an impenetrable field‚ or “zone of force‚” around him that actually slices hemispheres of soil from the ground beneath him when he activates it. They are then visited by an Osnomian spaceship‚ piloted by their friend Donark and his wife Sitar. They have come to Dick for assistance‚ their world having been attacked by fierce invaders from the planet Urvan‚ another planet in the Green System at the center of the galaxy. Dick is glad to help‚ and because of the attempts on their lives‚ he and Martin decide to leave their businesses in the hands of subordinates and take their wives with them on the journey. They board the Skylark Two and head out to help. En route‚ the two ships are attacked by a warship from an aggressive race called the Fenachrone‚ a warship more powerful than any they have ever encountered. The Osnomian ship is destroyed‚ and Skylark Two is only saved by Dick’s employment of his new zone of force projector. Dick then uses the zone of force to destroy the enemy vessel‚ and rescues Donark and Sitar from the wreckage of their ship. Dick has modified the knowledge transfer machine he used to exchange information with the Osnomians so that it can strip information from a being even without consent. He uses it on a Fenachrone prisoner‚ learning about the race’s imperialistic ambitions‚ and decides they are irredeemably evil (and both the author and Dick ignore the ethical implications of that mental violation). Dick must find new technology to counter the weapons of the Fenechrone‚ or all the worlds of the galaxy are at risk. Dick stops briefly to negotiate a truce between the Osnomians and Urvanians‚ threatening them both with annihilation if they continue their conflict‚ and providing both with his zone of force technology. The narrative cuts to Blackie DuQuesne‚ who is voyaging to find advanced technology to serve his evil ambitions. He has a new henchman‚ “Baby Doll” Loring‚ with delicate features of a type often used in pulp fiction to indicate either cowardice or cruelty. Loring serves the author by allowing him to dump all sorts of exposition into “as you know‚ Bob‚” conversations where DuQuesne brings Loring up to speed. They find the wreckage of the Fenachrone warship Dick defeated‚ and DuQuesne decides to cut a deal with the Fenachrones‚ heading off toward their homeworld. Dick travels to the world of the Dasorians‚ an advance race of aquatic humanoids whose planet is so old the land has entirely eroded into the sea. The Dasorians have many scientific advancements‚ but refer Dick on to the Norlaminians‚ an even more advanced race. They are so advanced that they use force beams as tools‚ and can fabricate a customized laboratory within days. They have been prevented from testing many of their advanced theories due to a lack of resources‚ which Dick and company are happy to collect for them with the Skylark Two. The Norlaminians have become overly specialized and mechanistic‚ and are fascinated when Dorothy Seaton performs a violin concert for them‚ which is about the only time in the book the wives get to do anything other than comfort their husbands (despite his vivid imagination‚ Smith has trouble imagining women‚ even those who are green or aquatic‚ who would not conform to the narrow gender norms of his own era). The Norlaminians categorize the waves‚ forces‚ and particles that humans are aware of as first through fourth level rays‚ and together they and Dick begin to explore the possibilities of the fifth level. They are pacifists‚ but after sharing knowledge of the Fenachrone with Dick‚ are willing to help him develop deadly weapons to employ against them. This part of the book almost sings with excitement‚ as chemical engineer Smith imagines the perfect laboratory and how it might be used (that excitement being undercut‚ for this reader‚ by his plans to use the discoveries and tools he develops for war). They build all sorts of advanced force fields and incorporate their devices into a new‚ two-mile-long spaceship‚ the Skylark Three‚ inside of which the Skylark Two is stored as a small auxiliary vessel. They also develop the means to be telepresent across interstellar distances‚ travel at incredible velocities‚ and wield weapons that can destroy entire planets. Dick and his friends then set out to do battle with the Fenachrone‚ first with their mighty space navy‚ and then using the defenses of the planet itself. Despite Smith’s efforts to paint the Fenachrones as ugly‚ nasty‚ and evil‚ I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. And when Dick and company find a ship full of Fenachrone dissidents (with their wives and children)‚ who are trying to escape to a distant galaxy‚ they set out in pursuit. After getting quite a bit of attention during the early parts of the tale‚ DuQuesne’s adventures are ultimately set aside and forgotten. Smith keeps the reader guessing whether the good guys will prevail right up until the end‚ but as I read‚ I couldn’t help thinking whether or not I could still consider them the good guys after all they had done.   Final Thoughts Skylark Three is a sequel that outdoes its predecessor in many ways…perhaps in too many ways. The book throws so many new worlds‚ new races‚ and new ideas into the mix that my brain began feeling like a blender as I read. The novel is certainly difficult to read and enjoy if you consider the impacts and consequences of the total war the protagonists are waging. At the same time‚ it is no wonder Smith stood out from his peers‚ as there are ideas being tossed off left and right in the book that would influence other writers for decades. And now is the opportunity for the rest of you to chime in‚ either on this work in particular‚ or on “Doc” Smith’s work in general. And as always‚ if you have any other space opera adventures you want to discuss‚ the floor is open. Alan Brown has been a science fiction fan for over five decades‚ especially fiction that deals with science‚ military matters‚ exploration and adventure.

With the Spy x Family crossover arriving to Street Fighter 6‚ you may be wondering how to unlock the special items. This event will run from January 9 to 31. Since this is a limited-time event‚ be sure to check out some of the free and purchasable items! Here’s how to gain access to everything. Street Fighter 6: How to unlock Spy x Family crossover items The beloved Spy x Family anime is having a crossover event with Street Fighter 6. This will allow you to dress up as the two main characters Loid and Yor‚ who are both skilled fighters. Screenshot: Capcom First off‚ I think everyone wants free items before seeing anything that’s costly. You can get 11 free character stickers‚ four titles‚ and three avatar frames by following these steps: Select “News” on the Multi Menu. Go to the “SPY x FAMILY Collab” post. Select “View Items” then “Accept”. Related: Street Fi...

World of Warcraft Classic has been undergoing one of its best stretches in its history‚ and it happens to coincide with the recent release of Season of Discovery. While the hype has dwindled a bit since the release‚ players are going to be ramping back up for Phase 2 of SoD‚ which now has a release date! WoW Classic SoD: Phase 2 Release date confirmed Season of Discovery has been the first major change to the vanilla edition of WoW since it was released in 2004‚ and most of this has come in the form of Class Runes. These have allowed players to experiment with new roles such as a tanking Warlock. While the level cap is only 25 at the onset of SoD‚ this has been a good starting point for most players‚ but it’s quite obvious the fandom is yearning for more content‚ and it’ll be coming soon. Blizzard has now announced that SoD Phase 2 is going to go live on February 8‚ and it’s also going to implement a ton of new features for play...

To welcome in the New Year‚ Adopt Me! was benefited by the Aussie Pets update that included the Ultra-Rare Jellyfish pet. If you want to get your hands on the adorable thing‚ then thankfully there are two ways you can do so. Claiming the Jellyfish in Adopt Me! The Jellyfish is introduced as the Ultra-Rare pet in the latest update‚ as the cute poster-child for the update‚ being on the game’s featured image. Right now‚ you can claim the Jellyfish pet as long as you purchase 5 UGC accessories‚ all of which that cost Robux. Screenshot: PC Invasion Head on over to the Accessory shop in-game‚ pictured above‚ and head inside to find the UGC (user-Generated-Content) shed. At the end will be a sign‚ and after you press “start”‚ you’ll see your progress. Once you’ve bought 5 of these accessories‚ you can claim the Jellyfish pet. Each accessory costs 59 Robux‚ so buying five will cost 295 Robux. The lowest bundle of Robux you ...

Fortnite is an always-evolving game‚ and Epic has innovated over the years by adding new and unique weapons and other in-game mechanics. Now‚ we’re a little bit halfway through Chapter 5 Season 1‚ and they’ve gone ahead and added a familiar weapon for players to obtain in the Lock-on Pistol. Fortnite: How to get the Lock-on Pistol The loot pool within Fortnite is currently all the brand new weapons Epic introduced during the onset of Chapter 5 Season 1‚ with some recent additions such as the Enforcer AR. While all of these new weapons have been a blast to figure out‚ we’re always open to using familiar ones‚ and this is what we’re going to be using today with the addition of the Lock-on Pistol. The re-addition of this weapon is a surprise. We can assume that looting this weapon is going to be the same process as it was before in Chapter 4 Season 2‚ and this involves looting it via ground loot‚ chests or from eliminated pla...

It’s not too often we get a brand new mainline Yakuza title‚ and Infinite Wealth will catapult off the turn-based combat introduced in 2020’s Like a Dragon. Now‚ with the game releasing soon for players worldwide‚ we’re eager to dive in‚ but there are some questions about whether or not the game is on Xbox Game Pass. We will run over this below‚ as we know the question is difficult to figure out. Can I download Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on Xbox Game Pass? Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio‚ the developers behind the Yakuza titles‚ has long been one of the most trusted developers in the gaming industry‚ and for good reasons. They’ve delivered on all fronts with their recent releases‚ and in 2023 we had two releases‚ Ishin! and Gaiden. These two releases eventually made their way over to Xbox Game Pass‚ where numerous other Yakuza titles are currently available. Gaiden is the perfect bridge between 2020’s Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth sinc...

A federal appeals court on Monday shot down the Biden administration’s efforts to repeal existing regulations on dishwashers and clothes washers. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a legal battle between 11 red states and the federal government over the Department of Energy’s efforts to impose energy- and water-efficiency standards for dishwashers and clothes washers that asserted it “is unclear that DOE has statutory authority to regulate water use in dishwashers and clothes washers‚” according to the opinion’s text. The Biden administration has attempted to push new standards for both appliances since coming into office in 2021 as part of a wider push to nudge the market toward more energy-efficient appliances‚ which in some cases are generally less effective than their other models‚ the court asserted in its opinion. In March 2018‚ the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) proposed standards for dishwashers that allow the sale of models that run faster cycles‚ using more energy and water than standard dishwashers in the process. The Trump administration then adopted similar guidelines as policy in 2020‚ but the Biden DOE repealed those standards in 2021 before advancing its own standards in May 2023 that crack down on the faster models advantaged by the Trump administration’s rules. (RELATED: Biden Admin Fires Next Salvo In War On Appliances) “But even if DOE has water-usage authority over the relevant appliances‚ the Department (b) failed to adequately consider the negative consequences of the Repeal Rule‚ including the substitution effects of energy-and-water-wasting rewashing‚ prewashing‚ and handwashing‚” the opinion states. “In promulgating the Repeal Rule‚ DOE stated that its energy conservation program must promote ‘water conservation’ and regulate ‘water use.’ … But it is unclear how or why DOE thinks it has any statutory authority to regulate ‘water use’ in dishwashers and washing machines.” The court’s opinion also points out that there is “ample evidence” to support that DOE’s dishwasher standards actually accomplish the opposite of their intent‚ stating that “they make Americans use more energy and more water for the simple reason that purportedly ‘energy efficient’ appliances do not work.” Beyond clothes washers and dishwashers‚ the Biden DOE has also sought to impose energy-efficiency regulations for items such as water heaters‚ furnaces‚ and pool pump motors. The administration has also spent hundreds of millions of dollars on helping state and municipal governments pursue building codes. “In this opinion‚ the court has forced DOE to follow the law and even noted that one of the positions DOE took in this suit ‘borders on frivolous.’ This decision allows manufacturers to build better dishwashers‚ not be encumbered by counterproductive federal regulations‚” Devin Watkins‚ an attorney for CEI‚ said of the opinion. The DOE did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Dishwashers-CA5-OpinionDownload Originally published by the Daily Caller National Foundation Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Federal Court Throws Cold Water on Biden Admin’s War on Dishwashers‚ Washing Machines appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A Philosophy to Help Us Through Difficult Times

Managing Your Water Supply When the Taps Turn Off