First up: Paperback Writer posts Skiffy Ten, ten links about writing science fiction.

I’m somewhat of a stilted writer. I get ideas, I think about said ideas, and then sometimes I write them down, but I hardly ever bring them to fruition. This is a sucky writing habit, and it’s one I’m working at changing (I actually finished some poems this summer! Woo!). But, er, anyway, most of what I think about writing falls under the umbrella of speculative fiction, and PBW’s links are extremely helpful for anyone interested in dipping their toes (or diving headfirst into) the world of spec fic. My favorite links on this page are Bruce Sterling’s lexicon for SF writing workshops and China Miéville’s short essay on world building.

Which reminds me, I really should re-compile my list of world building resources and post it here.

Next! New promo image from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Pardon me for a moment, I need to drool over Hugh Jackman’s biceps and shoulders.

…Okay, I’m good. I’m digging all of the sexy shots of Wolvie, don’t get me wrong. I love the fangirl fanservice, but I keep hoping for official shots of the other characters. I want to see Liev Schrieber decked out as Sabretooth. That not-Native-American woman as Silver Fox. That kid from Friday Night Lights as Gambit. Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, for god’s sake!

C’mon, Fox, toss us a little more than just Jackman in a wifebeater. Though I in no way object to tossing us more Jackman in a wifebeater along the way.

And in very old news, Tom Cruise was approached a few years ago to play Tony Stark in a version of Iron Man that thankfully crashed and burned. Oh dear GOD, can you imagine how horrible that would have been? [clings to Robert Downey, Jr.]

So, I was excited when I heard about the second film. I thought it had the potential to start another franchise along the lines of Indiana Jones (though nowhere near as perfect, Indiana Jones and the Golden Walker 4 notwithstanding), a great little line of archaeology comedies. That makes my little geek heart happy.

And then The Mummy Returns came out. And I began pretending that it doesn’t exist. It’s actually kind of painful to have to mention it here, but I’ll persevere. That Scorpion thingie… we shall never speak of it.

So I’m sure you can imagine my horror when I heard they were making a fourth movie in the franchise, though they’re calling it the third film in the series. Let’s just call it The Mummy’s Trainwreck. First off, they’re again jumping far into the future, like the second film. Second, they’re bringing back Rick and Evie’s bastard of a son, What’s His Name. Only this time, he’s going to be a grown up, and they’re all going to China to battle Jet Li, the Evil Chinese Mummy, and Michelle Yeoh, the Evil Chinese Wizard.

Really, there’s not enough facepalm in the world for this. What the fuck.

But there’s one bright spot in all of this. My beloved Rachel Weisz has gotten the hell out of Dodge. Apparently she found the prospect of more whining from that little craphead kid (in adult form!) as horrifying as I do. Or maybe she was just afraid of having to fight like Egyptian ninja again.