Global audiences will shortly see its dramatic influences revealed in the ambitious narrative that screenwriters wove into next month's Marvel Studios' "Fantastic Four" flick. Galactus, aka the Devourer of Worlds, arrived on the scene in 1965 in a 3-issue event that ran from "Fantastic Four #48" to "Fantastic Four #50" and is referred to as "The Galactus Trilogy."

Now as "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is inching ever closer to its July 25 release date, like our humongous harbinger of doom, a new novelization of that monumental 60-year-old storyline which introduced the mighty cosmic foe and his Silver Surfer herald to Marvel's First Family is being published on July 8, 2025.

"Fantastic Four: The Coming of Galactus" is a 336-page expanded prose telling of the planet-eating Galactus and the Sentinel of the Spaceways' splashy debut in the Marvel Universe, written by New York Times bestselling author James Lovegrove.

Lovegrove is a fan favorite writer based in the UK, known fondly for his colorful in-universe genre work, including such titles as "Firefly: The Ghost Machine," "Firefly: Life Signs," and the upcoming "Conan: Cult of the Obsidian Moon."

His expanded storyline takes from that seminal core tale from Lee and Kirby, where a hungry Galactus is coming and The Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing) must defend Earth against the immense godlike destructor and his sleek, shimmery servant. Will our planet suffer the same fate as countless other worlds or somehow be spared?

Carrying a cover date of March 1966 but landing in newsstands on Dec. 9, 1965, that special vintage issue of "Fantastic Four," billed as The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!, was written by the dynamic duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack "King" Kirby during their absolute heyday of creativity.

Crisp Mint and Near-Mint collector copies of those three issues, especially "#48," can command prices in excess of $100,000 on the secondary market. This new literary adaptation of that classic piece of comics history is the ideal primer for those interested in the source of Marvel's big baddie, who'll soon be featured in the latest Marvel movie, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."

Titan Books' "Fantastic Four: The Coming of Galactus" lands on July 8, 2025.

From H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine to The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger and "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, time travel has captured our imagination for centuries. The concept is ever-present in all forms of sci-fi entertainment, from time-travel movies like Back to the Future and Looper, to time-looping games like The Outer Wilds, and of course, sci-fi novels.

It speaks to our deepest regrets and desires — the chance to reconnect with someone now gone, to undo mistakes, or to relive our most precious memories. It captures our resistance against time's relentless march forward.

Audiences love time travel

As Executive Producer of "Ready Jet Go", a STEM series on PBS KIDS produced in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I experienced firsthand how time travel concepts resonate with audiences of all ages. Working with outstanding experts in astronomy and physics, we explored the topic of time travel in an episode titled "Jet's Time Machine", where our hero — aptly named Jet Propulsion — builds a device to go back three minutes in time.

This episode sparked my research into time travel storytelling, where I discovered that most stories use one of three approaches:

• The Scientist's Private Machine: A brilliant inventor builds a time travel device in secret—think H.G. Wells' Victorian gentleman crafting his Time Machine, Doc Brown's plutonium-powered DeLorean, or Jet's personal time machine in our "Ready Jet Go" episode. These contraptions stay strictly off-limits to the general public, used only by the inventor or their trusted circle.
• Mystical Transport: Sometimes, characters get sent through time by magical forces. Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" throws Claire Randall back to 18th-century Scotland after touching a magical stone circle. Sleep, ancient artifacts, or unexplained events serve as involuntary time-travel activation switches — no science required.
• Time Portals: A glitch in the universe creates doorways linking specific moments across history. Stephen King's "11/22/63" features a pantry in Al's Diner that drops anyone who walks through it at precisely 11:58 AM on September 9, 1958.

The science: Is time travel possible?

Up until recently, physicists believed that time travel to the past was impossible because it required unusual matter or extreme warping of spacetime. However, physicist John D. Norton has developed a new model based on Einstein's theory of general relativity that shows time travel is mathematically possible.

His model does not rely on strange matter or intense space-time distortion, but uses a simple space-time shape that allows paths to loop back in time. This work suggests that time travel could occur under more ordinary physical conditions than previously thought.

No paradoxes!

The classic understanding of time travel centers on a fundamental problem: paradoxes. If travelers could alter even minor details of the past, the cascading consequences would either rewrite the present or eliminate the traveler's own existence — the infamous grandfather paradox. This seemingly insurmountable obstacle led physicist Stephen Hawking to propose his Chronology Protection Conjecture, which essentially argues that the laws of physics themselves forbid backward time travel by preventing the formation of closed timelike curves.

However, groundbreaking research by Dr. Fabio Costa and Germain Tobar at the University of Queensland challenges this assumption. They've developed a mathematical model showing that closed timelike curves do not automatically create paradoxes. Their revolutionary model suggests that while time travelers can move and act freely in the past, the universe itself maintains consistency—events would self-adjust to prevent any logical contradictions from occurring.

From theory to technology

This revolutionary finding has profound implications. If Norton is right — that time travel won't require exotic materials — and Costa and Tobar are correct — that time travel doesn't alter the future — it opens the door for time travel technology to evolve beyond fictional ideas of secret inventions or unpredictable glitches in the universe. Instead, it could follow the trajectory of other breakthrough technologies—gradually becoming accessible, eventually commercial.

We've seen this trajectory before with space tourism. Companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin have transformed orbital travel from pure science fiction into bookable experiences. Time travel could follow a similar path.

It's not far-fetched. Consider how many "impossible" technologies now shape our daily lives. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, self-driving cars — these were all fictional concepts that have since crossed the threshold from imagination to innovation. Each has reshaped how we live, work, and understand human potential.

If history is any guide, time travel may be next to make the leap from imagination to reality. But what would this reality look like? If Costa and Tobar's paradox-free model proves correct, it fundamentally changes our time travel narratives.

This concept inspired my new novel "The Memory Collectors", which explores what time travel tourism might look like. It features a time travel company called Aeon Expeditions, which allows travelers an hour in their pasts and uses the tagline: With Aeon, you don't change time, time changes you.

A new narrative

If you cannot change the future by traveling to the past, it transforms who would want to go back in time and why. Instead of hoping to change the future, people might travel back to seek answers, relive significant moments, or uncover information that could solve present-day mysteries.

This paradigm shift offers fascinating possibilities and stories. Imagine going to our pasts so we could observe events firsthand. We could catch crucial conversations we'd half-heard, spot warning signs we'd missed, and uncover answers to mysteries that have haunted us for years.

In this way, time travel transforms from a tool for changing history into explorations of memory, truth, and our need to make sense of our own lives.

Perhaps that will be the lasting appeal of time travel — not the ability to change what happened, but the chance to reconnect, relive, and rediscover, and ultimately return to the present changed by what we've learned. The Aeon Expeditions website explores the ways this approach to time travel could benefit everyone.

As physics advances, time travel edges closer to theoretical possibility. The question may not be whether we can journey through time, but when we'll begin taking reservations.

Physical media is making a major comeback these days, whether it's remastered premium vinyl soundtracks of your favorite films or special edition 4K UHD Blu-ray releases of indie gems and Hollywood classics. Star Wars fanatics are going to love this "what’s to come" collection of tie-in novels, concept art editions, blueprint volumes, and reference manuals.

While you're waiting for these to release, you can spend your time playing the best Star Wars Games as well as build the best Lego Star Wars sets and Lego Star Wars helmets.

10 must-have upcoming "Star Wars" books

Now McCandless III has teamed up with acclaimed space journalist and podcaster Emily Carney to offer an informal and informative new volume centered on the history of human spaceflight titled "Star Bound," which arrives Jan. 1, 2025 from the University of Nebraska Press.

This comprehensive book's full name, "Star Bound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between," is a bit of a mouthful, but it arrives as a 296-page encapsulation of our nation's fascination with rockets as they evolved to provide lift for baby steps into outer space, moons missions, dreaming of Mars, and beyond.

We caught up with McCandless from his home in Nacogdoches, Texas to learn more about "Star Bound's" genesis and hear tales of growing up the son of an astronaut.

"Well, I think the impetus for me was reading a book by Colin Burgess called 'Soviets in Space,' which was a sort of overview of the Soviet Space Program," he tells Space.com. "I thought it was really well done. It was smart without being too technical and covered a lot of ground. I wondered if maybe that could be done with the American Space Program. I was surprised to find that there are some really big books, a couple of which are noteworthy but are now out-of-date. But there aren’t so many medium-sized general introductions to the American Space Program.

"There are also a lot of books about particular subjects, and you can go as deep as you want to into all manner of topics including hardware and personalities. We wanted to create something for educated folks who are nevertheless a little bit intimidated by the terminology associated with the program and some of the gatekeeping terminology and people who are so into the 'inside baseball' stuff that it becomes difficult to talk about in a general sense."

McCandless divided up the labor with Carney to create a smooth synthesis of ideas.

"She’s a big proselytizer for the space program and very interested in getting more women involved, and not only in the programs about also as interested spectators and reporters. So we tried to be balanced in that respect. She's got certain affinities and she's a big '70s Skylab fan and familiar with some of the early shuttle stuff.

"She was the co-host of a podcast called 'Space and Things' for three years and did 150 episodes with Dave Giles. They interviewed a lot of folks and the transcripts of those interviews we ended up using quite a bit of for our book. She talked to astronauts and engineers and mission control people, so that provided a lot of raw material."

Growing up in the shadow of Houston's Manned Spacecraft Center provided ample opportunities to become steeped in NASA operations with his father's occupation.

“He was selected for the program when I was five years old,” McCandless recalls. “He was at Stanford doing a PhD at the time and once he was selected we moved from Palo Alto to a suburb of Houston, Texas. So I grew up around the entire Apollo program, then Skylab and the Shuttle. I wasn’t terribly interested in that sort of thing back then, but I absorbed a lot of space history and knowledge by osmosis listening to my dad talk and him discussing projects he was involved in.

"He never got a flight until I was off at graduate school in England, so I didn’t see his first launch. We grew up with this legacy that he’d never quite gotten the shot he deserved and that was one of the reasons I wrote my book, 'Wonders All Around,' back in 2021. He finally got everything he wanted and did really well for himself but we had this perception that he should have gotten one of those Apollo flights and that sort of thing.

"This new book is an informal, pop culture-referencing, sometimes a little bit snarky approach to space history and we’re hoping to rope in some younger folks too."

"Star Bound" will be launched on Jan. 1, 2025. and it is available to pre-order from Amazon now.

Here's the official detailed synopsis:

"'Star Bound' is a book for anyone who wants to learn about the American space program but isn't sure where to start. First and foremost, it's a history — short, sweet, and straightforward. From rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard's primitive flight tests in 1926 through the creation of NASA, from our first steps on the moon to construction of the International Space Station and planning a trip to Mars, readers will meet the people and projects that have put the United States at the forefront of space exploration. Along the way, they'll learn:

• How the United States beat the Soviets to the moon

• Why astronauts float in space (Hint: It’s not for lack of gravity!)

• How fast rockets have to go to stay in orbit around Earth

• How we can "look back in time" through a space telescope

"With technology evolving and humanity's understanding of the universe expanding, we are entering an exciting period of space exploration. Authored by two veteran space writers with unique insights into the topic, 'Star Bound' offers up the story of Americans in space with a focus on the cultural and societal contexts of the country’s most important missions rather than engineering and technical minutiae.

"Vibrant, positive, and humorous, 'Star Bound' is packed with facts and stories for novice space fans. And sprinkled in with the history are lists of the greatest space songs, books, movies, and more — all designed to make space exploration accessible to even the casual reader."

"Infinite Cosmos: Visions From the James Webb Space Telescope" is a 224-page hardback published Oct. 8, 2024 from National Geographic that breaks down the history of this remarkable $10 billion observatory platform from conception to deployment, and reveals the inspired minds responsible for its engineering, construction, lift-off, and inspiring operational record.

Written by astrophysicist and popular online science host Ethan Siegel ("Starts With a Bang") and including a comprehensive introduction by noted science author Brian Greene ("The Elegant Universe," "Until the End of Time"), "Infinite Cosmos" reveals the myriad ways the JWST has altered everyone's perceptions of the night sky with volumes of illuminating imagery straight from our mysterious heavens.

Here's the official synopsis:

"From the years of design and manufacturing through launch and deployment to the extraordinary images and the new science they inform, 'Infinite Cosmos' showcases the revelations coming from the James Webb Space Telescope — the sharpest planetary vistas and the deepest views of the cosmos humankind has ever seen.

"Stars forming in clouds of cosmic dust. Jupiter and its moons sharper than we've ever seen them. Galaxies billions of years old. The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have electrified the world — and astonished veteran scientists with the wealth of information they reveal. In 'Infinite Cosmos,' National Geographic tells the 20-year saga of the telescope's development and the feats of science needed to send it into orbit around the sun, a million miles from Earth. 

"Page after page showcase more than 100 spectacular photographs picturing the cosmos as never seen before, from stardust coalescing in the Eagle Nebula's 'Pillars of Creation' to glittering galaxies, newly discovered exoplanets, deep-space fields of stars, and the planets of our solar system in vivid detail. The definitive printed record of these historic astronomical accomplishments, this is a book that inspires awe and admiration, perfect for space and aerospace enthusiasts, libraries, and anyone who looks up in wonder at the starry skies."

Siegel is well known in the scientific community and with this new JWST book he wanted to provide a more optimistic, alternative narrative to recent documentaries that negatively focused on the project's backstory, setbacks, and struggles.

"Aside from the beautiful images, JWST is really showcasing what humanity can do if we make a sustained investment even for something that we only get one shot at," Siegel tells Space.com. "It was this sustained effort over decades by thousands of people, and in particular I want to emphasize the role of scientists, engineers, and technicians as well as the role of private companies in partnership with NASA, the ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency. This had a lot of different moving parts that had to come together, work together, be checked, and tested over and over again, to ensure that when we get that one shot at launch, and that one shot at deployment, and that one shot at orbital insertion, that this is going to be a success.

"Now in 2024, I'm going to tell you that in just two years into its science mission, we've learned things about the universe that we never expected, and that to me is the big story. Yeah, we built this observatory, we had our goals in mind, but the biggest news are the surprises we found. We built this all-purpose observatory with a larger diameter mirror and a more precise surface, a new set of wavelength capabilities, a brand new technology that enabled us to have a folding segmented mirror and a passively-cooled sunshield, new instruments that were superior designs to any designs before, and the cleanest clean room ever. You put it all together and you have an observatory that can go out and find these things we know how to look for. But you also have an observatory that has discovery potential."

One thing Siegel wished to emphasize in this project is when the JWST was designed, it was calculated that the telescope would only offer up to a decade of longevity.  

"That was based on saying, 'We're going to launch this telescope, we've got to burn it so it gets inserted into orbit, then we hope we have enough fuel left onboard to operate for five-to-ten years," he adds. "When crunch time came, the launch was so perfect that we now expect to get between 22 and 23 years of operation out of it.

"I [...] watched this launch live and got up at like 4 a.m. on Christmas morning in 2021. I cried at one critical moment, when the spacecraft released the telescope and seconds later the solar panels started coming out. It wasn’t a mistake. It was an automated feature that said when you’re on a specific trajectory, deploy the solar panels. That first spacecraft burn that it was expecting to need to do where it would expend fuel to put it on the right course, it was unnecessary because the launch was so good. We didn’t even need to touch the 'steering wheel' at all once the rocket released it. That saved so much fuel that we can spend almost all of it on science operations. The biggest thing I hope to communicate with this book is to help people develop an awareness of what we're learning with the investments we've made.”

"Infinite Cosmos: Visions From the James Webb Space Telescope" is available now.

For quite a while now, Dark Horse Comics, who had the rights to Alien and Predator in the realm of comic books, has putting out several series and one-shots that were well worth our time. With Disney's takeover of Fox's empire, the opportunity to move both franchises to Marvel (also owned by the House of Mouse) came, and things changed for the first time in forever. So far, Marvel Comics' take on both franchises has been interesting to say the least, and you definitely shouldn't overlook the comics they have put out so far.

There's also been some big sci-fi wins on the big screen recently with Alien: Romulus as a much-praised return to form for the Alien franchise, a win that arrives after 2022's Prey did the same for the Predator movie series.

On top of ranking our ten favorite Predator comic books, we had to list the best Alien comic books of all time as well. And then, of course, you'll need to check out the Predator movies ranked and Alien movies ranked too.

10. Batman vs. Predator

• Release year: 1991
• Authors and artists: Dave Gibbons, Andy and Adam Kubert, Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh

Having a Predator face off against a renowned superhero isn't a novel idea. On top of the Yautja species' many crossovers with the Xenomorphs, Dark Horse Comics already ran collaborations with other universes/publishers. According to most Predator fans and comic book readers, chief among these is the original, three-issue Batman vs. Predator series written by Dave Gibbons.

DC and Dark Horse's 1991 collaboration was a great success and spawned two sequels years later. You could say the story almost wrote itself, as having the Predator show up in Gotham City felt remarkably natural. The galaxy's greatest hunter against the world's greatest detective and vigilante? This one was an easy win for everyone involved.

9. Predator: Captive

• Year of release: 1998
• Authors and artists: Gordon Rennie, Dean Ormston

Not every notable Predator comic book is a series. In fact, Predator: Captive continues to be a fascinating one-shot you shouldn't skip. Written by Gordon Rennie, with art by Dean Ormston, it swaps the usual dynamics and has the Predator be at a disadvantage. Long story short: This Yautja has been captured by a billionaire to be studied, but how will that end for the humans?

Predator: Captive is a neat little tale of sci-fi horror and has a premise that could easily be turned into a tense movie. Moreover, it's got a unique art style and plenty to say within a small number of pages. It's the kind of experiment based on a famous IP we wish we could get more often.

8. Predator: 1718

• Year of release: 1996
• Authors and artists: Henry Gilroy, Igor Kordey

Predator: 1718 should instantly ring a bell if you're a big fan of the movies. At the end of the second one, Mike Harrigan receives a flintlock pistol from an elder Predator as a token of honor, with the year 1718 engraved on its side. Prey canonically tied into this little wink that first suggested the Predators had been hunting on Earth for a very long time, but Henry Gilroy and Igor Kordey's original comic book short story still rocks.

Without getting into major spoilers, the story takes place in Guinea in 1718 and follows pirate captain Raphael Adolini as well as the Predator that eventually nabs the pistol. Of course, a 'Predator vs. pirates' story was a cool concept on its own, but, on top of that, it feels poignant and meaningful in the end. There's a lot packed into this one, and it was a great reminder of how powerful one-shot comic books can be.

7. Predator: Nemesis

• Year of release: 1997
• Authors and artists: Gordon Rennie, Colin MacNeil

Predator: Nemesis is another short-ish story (two issues only) that throws the creature into a famous historical period to see what would happen. This time around 19th-century Colonial India and Victorian England are in for a gruesome shock; at the end of one trail of blood, Captain Soames finds a killer that's not from our world.

On top of the obvious callbacks to Jack the Ripper stories, there's a surprising element of mythology and legend thrown in for good measure. The end result is a compelling two-issue tale of horror and intrigue in a setting that no one would've initially thought of for a Predator story. It just works, and the narrative doesn't exactly play out how you'd expect it to.

6. Predator: Primal

• Year of release: 1997
• Authors and artists: Kevin J. Anderson, Scott Kolins, John Lowe, Jimmy Johns, David Nestelle, Dave Stewart

Another two-issue comic book series that you ought to read is Predator: Primal. It's one of the most basic stories published by Dark Horse, yet one that instantly became iconic and perfectly exemplified how flexible the franchise is. Unfortunately, it's not about a Predator hunting a group of primitive human beings, but it's a great time regardless.

Written by Kevin J. Anderson, it pits a Predator against an angry mama grizzly bear – one of Earth's apex predators – during hunting season in Alaska. The mix also includes a lone forest ranger and a fire that spirals out of control. It's tight, explosive, and raw in a way few Predator comic books are.

5. Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species

• Year of release: 1993
• Authors and artists: Chris Claremont, Jackson Guice, Eduardo Barreto, John Beatty, Gregory Wright

We're of the opinion that the Predator IP benefitted from crossovers much more than Alien, perhaps because of how remarkably simple and easy-to-digest the core premise behind the Predator franchise is. That's why several Alien vs. Predator crossovers are very easily among the best Predator comic books of all time, and Deadliest of the Species continues to be a must-read.

The 12-issue series, written by none other than Chris Claremont, takes place after the events of Aliens: Outbreak and its sequels, that is, after Earth was overrun by aliens and later liberated. Much has changed for mankind, and the story follows a genetically engineered 'trophy wife' named Caryn Delacroix as she unveils her past as well as surprising connections to both Yautjas and Xenomorphs.

Deadliest of the Species has everything you'd want out of an AvP comic book, plus it's got a surprising storyline with several crazy twists and even a female Predator known as 'Big Mama' (really).

4. Predator: Fire and Stone

• Release year: 2014
• Authors and artists: Joshua Williamson, Chris Mooneyham, John Lucas, Dan Brown

From 2014 to 2015, Dark Horse worked on an extremely ambitious crossover event which included four separate series: Predator, Alien, Prometheus, and AvP, all using the 'Fire and Stone' subtitle. By and large, it was yet another major Alien vs. Predator event with everything long-time fans had come to expect. However, adding Prometheus' Engineers in relation to the Xenomorphs (plus all the new on-screen lore that came with them) spiced things up quite a bit.

While all four series are well worth reading, it was Predator: Fire and Stone that ignited the biggest celebration, especially as it reached its conclusion. With the addition of the enigmatic Engineers to the movies' canon, the interconnected AvP comic book universe became even more unpredictable and dangerous, and this comic book series made good use of the potential of pitting a Predator against an Engineer.

3. Aliens vs. Predator

• Year of release: 1990
• Authors and artists: Randy Stradley, Phil Norwood, Chris Warner, Karl Story, Robert Campanella

The original Aliens vs. Predator five-issue comic book series opened up a whole new (bloody) universe of crossover possibilities, as both sci-fi horror icons mixed together remarkably well. Even today, the original story arc remains a must-read for any fan of the two creatures, as it perfectly encapsulates all the excitement and surprisingly logical worldbuilding born out of putting the two IPs together.

The main character, Machiko Noguchi, soon became a fan-favorite heroine and eventually an icon after starring in Aliens vs. Predator: War and Three World War too. The story was almost adapted into a movie years before Paul W. S. Anderson's take on the concept. It remains to be seen if Disney and 20th Century Studios will consider a return to the crossover on the big screen, and we can only hope they look at comic books such as this one (as well as some of the killer video games) for inspiration.

2. Predator: Bad Blood

• Year of release: 1993
• Authors and artists: Evan Dorkin, Derek Thompson, Chris Warner, Keith Aiken, Chris Chalenor

Born out of a short story, Predator: Bad Blood dealt with a simple premise that would have a huge impact on the franchise: There are 'bad' Predators and 'good' Predators. Sure, even the 'good ones' hunt dangerous humans for sport, but what if some members of the species simply went rogue and on mindless killing rampages?

That's a bit of an issue for everyone involved, and Bad Blood introduced a psychotic Predator on a mass slaughter rampage in New Jersey before being hunted down by another Predator. The CIA is involved, there's plenty of carnage to witness, and the clash between the two extraterrestrials doesn't disappoint. The concept of 'bad bloods' quickly became a big part of the Predator canon, and 2018's The Predator toyed with that idea (in its own way) as the backbone for its entire plot.

1. Predator: Concrete Jungle

• Year of release: 1989
• Authors and artists: Mark Verheiden, Chris Warner, Ron Randall, Sam de la Rosa, Randy Emberlin, Chris Chalenor

Predator: Concrete Jungle was originally titled just 'Predator' and marked Dark Horse's first-ever foray into the franchise. After all these years, it remains the best Predator comic book series that's been published so far, in our humble opinion. At four issues long, it's well-paced, looks great, and honors the original movie while firmly expanding the canon as an alternative to everything that came after on the big screen.

Much like the original Aliens comic books in relation to James Cameron's masterpiece, Predator: Concrete Jungle was meant to serve as a sequel to the 1987 original movie. It stars Detective John Schaefer, brother of the protagonist of the original sci-fi action/horror flick, though the initial plan was to have Alan "Dutch" Schaefer return as a cop. It was followed by two direct sequels, Predator: Cold War and Dark River. Of course, it also inspired Predator 2's basic plot and shares its name with the overlooked 2005 video game developed by Eurocom.

For decades, it was Dark Horse Comics who had the rights to both Alien and Predator in the realm of comic books, putting out several series and one-shots that were well worth our time. With Disney's takeover of Fox's empire and all its properties, the opportunity to move both franchises to Marvel (also owned by the House of Mouse) came, and things changed for the first time in forever. So far, Marvel Comics' take on both franchises has been interesting to say the least, and you definitely shouldn't overlook the comics they have put out so far.

If you're looking for a refresher before (or after) checking out Romulus, or simply want to watch the entire sci-fi horror series for the first time, our up-to-date Alien streaming guide has you covered. Of course, we haven't forgotten about gamers, and we also have some thoughts on what the best Alien games of all time are. 

10. Aliens: Sacrifice 

• Release year: 1993
• Authors and artists: Peter Milligan, Paul Johnson, Ellie De Ville

Originally published as part of the Aliens magazine, Aliens: Sacrifice is often overlooked, but it’s a killer comic that fans shouldn't skip. The story follows a survivor of a deadly spaceship crash on an unknown desolate planet. There, a village has been terrorized by a Xenomorph, so she's instantly locked into a battle for survival while also facing her own demons.

Paul Johnson's art is a highlight — the exact kind of stuff you don't see much of in big comic books — and that alone gave (and still gives) Aliens: Sacrifice a ton of value, but beyond that Peter Milligan's sharp and emotional writing carry the story. This slim, four-part story is the sort of standalone tale that would've made a fine Alien movie.

9. Aliens: Dead Orbit

• Release year: 2017
• Authors and artists: James Stokoe

Aliens: Dead Orbit belongs to the latter era of Dark Horse Comics' work on the famous franchise. Released as a four-issue limited series in 2017, it's a bit of a riff on the first movie, with the crew of the Sphacteria fuel depot facing off against the deadly species with limited resources.

Completely written and drawn by James Stokoe, Dead Orbit feels like a very personal comic book that just happens to take place in the Alien universe. Sure, some plot beats are a bit too familiar, and the setting isn't exactly refreshing, but the in media res take on the narrative of each issue spices things up, and the striking art gives off the hopeless vibes the story is going for. 

8. Aliens: Outbreak 

• Release year: 1988
• Authors and artists: Mark Verheiden, Mark A. Nelson, Ron Randall, Willie Schubert

After the adaptation of the first Alien movie, which wasn't handled by Dark Horse, Aliens: Outbreak (originally released as Aliens) was the first-ever comic book series based on the property. Even after all these years, it remains an especially compelling follow-up to Aliens, regardless of whether you're a fan of Alien 3 or not.

The original version of the comic book is a direct sequel to Aliens, but, much like its two follow-ups, it was later heavily re-edited to fit with the events of Alien 3 after its release in 1992. The series was a tremendous hit for Dark Horse, still an infant company in 1988, and continued the stories of Hicks and Newt several years after the events of James Cameron's sequel, completely ignoring their deaths (as well as Ripley's) and instead bringing the Xenomorph menace to Earth, as the underwhelming threequel was yet to release.

7. Aliens: Music of the Spears 

• Release year: 1994
• Authors and artists: Chet Williamson, Tim Hamilton, Timothy Bradstreet, Matt Webb, Clem Robins

Music of the Spears could be considered one of the wildest and more off-beat Alien comic books ever released. It follows an under-appreciated composer named Damon Eddington, who wants to hatch a Xenomorph egg to raise the creature in captivity and capture its terrifying sounds to create a musical masterpiece.

Things only get weirder when ninjas get involved (we won't spoil how) and the Xenomorph’s is given the name Mozart. The world-building here is outstanding, going beyond the musical element and Eddington's close environment, painting a dystopian New York City in the year 2124 that's also been influenced by the discovery of the Xenomorph. This isn't your average Alien story, and it found enough success to be turned into a full novel by Yvonne Navarro two years later.

6. Alien: Bloodlines, Revival & Icarus 

• Release year: 2021-2022
• Authors and artists: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Salvador Larroca, Julius Ohta, GURU-eFX, Yen Nitro, Clayton Cowles

Originally titled Alien Vol. 1, Alien: Bloodlines marked the fresh start of Marvel's first three-story arc for the Alien franchise, which was completed with Revival and Icarus. It does kick off like a typical Alien storyline, but things quickly get stranger than anyone expected going in.

Salvador Larroca's art wasn’t to everyone’s tastes, yet Phillip Kennedy Johnson's writing more than makes up for it. More importantly, this trilogy convinced fans from the get-go that new, exciting stuff could be done with the property under Marvel's umbrella, and the mystery of the biomechanical ‘Goddess' is a nice twist on the more psychological and strangely erotic side of the Alien movies.

5. Aliens: Salvation

• Release year: 1993
• Authors and artists: Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola, Kevin Nowlan, Matt Hollingsworth, Clem Robins

Dave Gibbons and Mike Mignola working together on Alien? Did that happen? Yes, and it gave us a killer one-shot comic book. The premise is simple: a crewman and his captain abandon their ship, the Nova Maru, crash-landing on a planet where they soon realize they haven't escaped the ship's terrifying cargo.

The kicker here is that Selkirk, the main character, is an intensely God-fearing man, a trait which informs many of his actions throughout the horror adventure. While the story does tie into the larger Alien mythos, it’s the religious undertones, unique approach to its characters, and Mignola's striking art that elevate this one into the higher league of Alien comic books.

4. Aliens vs. Predator

• Release year: 1990
• Authors and artists: Randy Stradley, Phil Norwood, Chris Warner, Mark Propst, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Stine Walsh, Robert Campanella, Monika Livingston, Pat Brosseau

A five-issue comic book series – preceded by a single short story – Aliens vs. Predator opened up a whole new universe of crossover possibilities, as both sci-fi horror icons mixed together remarkably well. While many more notable AvP comic books arrived in the years that followed, the original story arc remains a must-read for any fan of the two sci-fi icons.

The main character, Machiko Noguchi, soon became a fan-favorite, later starring in Aliens vs. Predator: War and Three World War too. The story is easy to follow, but feels grand and was almost adapted into a movie years before Paul W.S. Anderson's take on the concept.

3. Aliens: Genocide

• Release year: 1991
• Authors and artists: Mike Richardson, John Arcudi, Damon Willis, Karl Story, Arthur Suydam, Jim Massara

While Genocide could be seen as a worthy standalone story, it's actually a follow-up to Female War, the finale of the trilogy that began with Outbreak. With Earth recovering from the Xenomorph infestation, billionaire Daniel Grant leads an expedition to the alien homeworld, which sounds like the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.

Betrayal happens (we won't spoil in which direction or how), Grant’s dark secrets are revealed, and the Xenomorph homeworld is ravaged by civil war going when the humans arrive; the ‘classic' Xenos versus a red variant of the species. Aliens: Genocide has all the good stuff found in the best Alien comics, and continues the ‘alternate timeline' story that began with Outbreak, culminating in a big finale also full of personal stakes.

2. Aliens: Labyrinth

• Release year: 1993
• Authors and artists: Jim Woodring, Kilian Plunkett, Matt Hollingsworth, Ellie De Ville

Aliens: Labyrinth takes place aboard a deep space research station, which is kind of the perfect setting for sci-fi horror stories. Jim Woodring's four-issue series had a far more specific angle, however, since it follows Dr. Paul Church’s studies of the Xenomorph's behavioral responses and how they relate to humans when they're captured. Yes, there's a bit of Alien: Resurrection before Alien: Resurrection in this one, but the story is more character-driven and personal.

There are some connections to past Alien comics in Labyrinth, but this one's largely a standalone tale that gets ‘up close and personal' with the Xenomorphs while digging deep into each character and their clashing motivations. Instead of a bombastic, fan-pleasing rollercoaster ride, Woodring chose to focus on compelling drama that goes beyond the deadly alien species, and that made this series an all-timer.

1. Aliens: Nightmare Asylum

• Release year: 1989
• Authors and artists: Mark Verheiden, Den Beauvais, Roger Casselman, Bob Pinaha, J. David Jackson

Nightmare Asylum is the follow-up to Outbreak and precedes Female War. It lands the top spot on our list because it's a fantastic second act of the post-Aliens storyline which gave Newt and Hicks a future (before Alien 3 came out and killed them off).

It's got Colonial Marines, an Earth overrun by Xenomorphs, and a crazed military figure that still wants to use trained aliens in battle. In a post-Aliens era, what more could you ask for? Nightmare Asylum has the scope and relentless pacing that Female War retained, yet it's laser-focused on the idea of the Xenomorph used as a weapon by humanity's worst, which is an idea that's been suggested time and again in the movies.

Author Greg Eghigian is a professor of history and bioethics at Penn State University who spent nearly a decade delving into the subject of UFOs for this project, which was based on exhaustive archival research, interviews, and newspaper reports swirling around these mysterious aerial sightings. 

Eghigian's illuminating 400-page book chronicles how the phenomenon began right here in America then blossomed into a global obsession over the next few decades up to today's digital age government studies of "unidentified aerial phenomena" (UAP).

Eghigian credits this newest wave of mania as erupting from a New York Times article in December 2017 regarding a secret government program to study UFOS.

"When that dropped, then subsequent films, photos and more stories, that's when it all exploded," he tells Space.com. "As a mainstream media phenomenon, UFOs were kind of dead for a good long period of time and that’s really the thing that ushered it in. The veteran ufologists refer to people as 'seventeeners,' those people who believe that all UFO stuff started in 2017 and have no idea about the past. 

"For me, I began this project around 2013. I grew up on UFOs and loved this stuff as a kid but lost interest in it when I went off to college. I had some time in the summer and I started digging around a digital archive and found all this stuff. No professor of history had written on the subject since 1975, I thought this seemed like it might be worth a revisit. I knew it was going to be a deep dive, and know there were a lot of rabbit holes but I wasn’t completely ready for just how many there were out there." 

Giving the book a solid foundation in history was an important aspect to this comprehensive UFO exploration for Eghigian as he discovered myriad false accounts, unreliable witnesses and semi-established truths.

"What we do in history is ask ourselves how did we get to where we are? And that happens through choices that are made, but also choices that aren't made. There are lots of different forks in the road at various places in time and institutions and people do things for a variety of reasons. So you excavate that whole complicated history of the choices made and not made that inform how things got framed the way they are now. And the extent to which that's reflective of something that represents the reality on the ground versus the image we have of it. 

"What was really missing from the way people talk about UFOs was somebody who approached it from the outside looking in who had no skin in the ontology game. I'm not here to referee or debunk. I'm going to take people seriously here, but I'm not going to just take their word for things."

Eghigian was most unsettled by many of the more outlandish and imaginative explanations out there that all attempt to explain the true nature of these mysterious phenomena.

"I think some of the bigger rabbit holes that I recall are actually the alternative, speculative theories about where the UFOs are coming from," he notes. "The big ones of course are really the two variations: If these things are real they’re secret technology of the United States or, back then, the Soviet Union. Or they're from another planet. But there's lots of other theories that start to come out of the woodwork pretty quickly. These go from that they are ultra-terrestrials from some other kind of space-time continuum or dimension, they are maybe dead people and that they're a variation on ghosts, to arguments about these are beings that live inside the Earth or live underwater. 

"And then there are people who start to see this in Christian theological ways as demons of Satan. I realized if I started to go too far down that road that the book was never going to get completed, so I largely put my focus solely on the extraterrestrial argument.  

"UFOs don't make history. People make UFOs make history. They are a phenomenon beyond just something that is seen. It's a social phenomenon. It's all the different people and institutions who get involved that try to make this thing important, to try to argue that this matters, and that includes debunkers and irrational people who try to use UFOs as opportunities to make spurious arguments that undermine science." 

According to Eghigian, the fact that military intelligence has declared that there's something real there, and not just the result of computer glitches feels like confirmation for a lot of UFO faithful.

"The UFO world is awash in rumor. This stuff has legs within different segments of academia," he adds. "There are serious people like me who are saying, 'Be ready if you really want us to look into this stuff. Because we academics are slow and we are very, very skeptical. It's the way we operate. So just be careful what you wish for. If we do get into this stuff it's likely not going to play out in the way that a lot of people imagine it playing out.

"It's cooling down a bit but there's still a lot of people excited and enthused about it so I don't think it's going away anytime soon."

NASA is hoping to entice space fans of all ages to learn more about the field with ambitious and successful outreach programs, and the latest edition in their "Astrobiology" series of graphic novels is fully fueled with 28 pages of informative storytelling for comics fans and future scientists of all abilities to ingest and enjoy.

The ninth and most recent issue of this graphic history publication was just released by NASA last week. It's an educational volume that explores various career paths found in the fascinating field of astrobiology, which includes the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of all lifeforms in the universe.

Related: What is astrobiology?

Here's the official description of the contents inside:

"The Story of our Search for Life in the universe answers one of the biggest questions of all… 'How do I become an astrobiologist?' Are you curious about the origin of life on Earth and the potential for life beyond our planet? Do you want to answer questions about habitability and life's existence in the universe? This issue talks about the journey to becoming an astrobiologist. Turn the pages to learn everything from what to study in school to opportunities for starting a career as a scientist. If you aspire to become an astrobiologist, this issue is your guide!"

"Astrobiology #9" features the lyrical artwork of Dr. Aaron L. Gronstal of NASA's Astrobiology Program Office, with a story by Dr. Mary Voytek and Dr. Linda Billing. 

As noted in the opening pages, 2010 marked the 50th anniversary of Exobiology and Astrobiology research and discovery at NASA. In commemoration, the Astrobiology Program created this Astrobiology Graphic History project to honor the personalities and formative events that determined the origins of these vital scientific disciplines. 

Previous issues have covered the following intriguing topics: Issue 1: The Origin of Science, Issue 2: Mission to Mars, Issue 3: Missions to the Inner Solar System, Issue 4: Missions to the Outer Solar System, Issue 5: Astrobiology and Earth, Issue 6: Living Beyond the Solar System, Issue 7: Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origin of Life, and Issue 8: Biosignatures.

"Astrobiology #9" is available as a PDF download to your laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile device at NASA's online site HERE, along with the complete series for free.

"Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space" (Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster) is a gripping 576-page chronicle of the shuttle program from its inception before, and in the wake of, the Apollo moon missions, which made a final lunar landing in December of 1972.

Told with a remarkable storytelling flair, Higginbotham's exhaustive volume is a brilliant effort of investigative journalism that stands as a riveting examination of the complex costs of innovation, imagination, political positioning, clashing personalities, mismanagement and a series of fateful internal NASA decisions that partly led to the spacecraft's sudden destruction upon liftoff.

Related: Space shuttle Challenger and the disaster that changed NASA forever

Here's the official synopsis:

"On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of a crew including New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th century history — one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told. Until now.

"Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, 'Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space' follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It’s a compelling tale of optimism and promise undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public.

"Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster as well as the designers, engineers and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger brings to life a turning point in history—and the result is an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember."

No matter where you were on that sad winter day, the monumental loss of the first space shuttle and its valiant crew of seven astronauts is an indelible memory forever forged into our national collective consciousness. With its emotional scope and exacting resonance, writer Adam Higginbotham has truly crafted the ultimate tribute to the Challenger and its place in space exploration history.

"Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space" lands on May 14, 2024.

Tasked with hunting down and eliminating members of the Jedi Order after the declaration of Order 66, these fierce and unrelenting band of assassins have been dispatched across the cosmos to exterminate the remaining members of those noble space knights who were once the guardians of galactic peace and justice.

Marvel Comics is delving further into those dastardly Dark Side hunters with a new miniseries this summer titled "Star Wars: Inquisitors," and we’ve got a first peek at three sinister covers and details of the plot line that will explore more of these stone cold killers operating after the Great Jedi Purge. 

Related: 'Star Wars': Summary of the franchise and its effect on space technology 

Penned by the award winning writer/producer Rodney Barnes ("Killadelphia," "Star Wars: Ahsoka"), with interior art from illustrator Ramon Rosanas ("Star Wars," "The Astonishing Ant-Man"),"Inquisitors" lands July 3 and follows the Empire's merciless minions as they set their sights on a mysterious  Jedi target to destroy.

Here's the official synopsis:

THE JEDI MUST DIE!

"Weapons of the Emperor, sent out into the galaxy to track down and kill any Jedi who survived Order 66, the ruthless Inquisitors are among the most skilled and deadly threats to those who served the light side of the Force. Buried in the annals of Jedi lore is the story of Tensu Run, the Jedi who faced the Inquisitors and Darth Vader! What became of him, and why did the Empire so greatly fear his existence?"

The Force-flinging Inquisitors first arrived on the scene in the animated series "Star Wars Rebels," prior to being showcased in live action for Disney+'s "Obi-Wan Kenobi." These cunning disciples of Darth Vader, who report directly to the Grand Inquisitor, also made their evil presence known in the video game "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order."

"It's such an honor to be writing the very first Inquisitors solo story!" Barnes told StarWars.com. "I love this time period of 'Star Wars' lore because it's the one I grew up on — when Darth Vader and the Empire were imposing their will on the entire galaxy. Plus, I got to create an all-new legendary Jedi with Tensu Run! Truly the best of times!"

Marvel's "Star Wars: Inquisitors #1" debuts on July 3 with a main cover by artist Nick Bradshaw and special variants by Alex Maleev and the great Walt Simonson.

Related: ULA's 1st Vulcan rocket launch looks spectacular in these photos

"I'm sort of a big nerd. And so in thinking about it, how do you tell the story of something that has taken this much time, this much effort and all of these people's intelligence and background to make it successful?" said Wood in an interview with collectSPACE. "It just felt like that superhero moment that needed its origin story told. And a comic book, that's how you tell a superhero's origin story, right?"

ULA's CEO Tory Bruno, who is depicted in "Ignition!", revealed the comic book's existence on social media on Friday (April 5), three days before its physical debut at Space Foundation's Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Attendees were able to pick up a copy while ULA finalizes its plans for making the Vulcan Centaur comic book available to the general public. (A digital version can be found on ULA's website.)

Readers who are unfamiliar with the rocket's history will discover that the Vulcan got its start in 2014, soon after Bruno "with his trusty steed Indigo" was brought in to lead ULA.

"Indigo, we need to get home to meet with the engineers. Our country needs us," declares Bruno in one of the opening panels of the comic book.

Indigo features throughout "Ignition" — as the "rocket horse" did in real life, appearing to his fans' delight on Bruno's social media feed. The comic book also serves as a fitting memorial. "We wish him well as he explores pastures and his engineering expertise on horsepower, from this world and the next. He is missed by us all," reads a tribute on the last page.

Related: Vulcan rocket launches private moon lander, human remains in 1st flight

"We wanted everybody to have a moment in this book where reading it you realize, 'Ah, I remember this,' or 'Ah, I'm a part of this,'" said Wood. "So whether you are an employee and you got a big chuckle out of Tory with the t-shirt cannon or you follow us on social media and you remember Indigo as a part of the story, we wanted to have these little tidbits that different people would identify with."

"So it was easy to take all of Tory's huge, grandiose, fabulous personality and use that social cowboy aspect so that our social followers would get a big kick out of it," said Wood. "It only seemed natural then for Indigo to become a character, too, as we began to step down that road."

Central to "Ignition" is the story of Vulcan, from how it was designed, named, built, assembled, tested and ultimately, launched. That tale includes the ULA rockets that preceded it — the Atlas and Delta — and why the capabilities built into the Vulcan's design are needed by the company's national security, government and commercial clients.

Along the way, the message becomes even clearer. This is Vulcan's origin story, but the rocket is not the only superhero.

"It is really about all of the engineers and all of the effort and time that all of these different heroes throughout our company have pulled together to create such a wonderful vehicle that's coming forth and maybe defining our future. So when we talk about the story or heroes in the story, it's Vulcan, but it's also all of the people standing behind Vulcan to help create her," Wood said.

"Ignition" is Wood's first comic book and she strove to make it a love letter to the art form. She began with pencil sketches, progressed to ink and paint drawings and then scanned those pages to finish the book on the computer. She was also sure to include details all comic book fans would appreciate, including a page of ads (here hawking different aspects of ULA's business rather than 3D glasses and cheap magic tricks) and an all-important detail on the cover.

"We really don't want the comic book to be sold at stores but at the same time, as a kid picking up a comic, you look for the first print, first edition," said Wood. "So the barcode '00111' is the comic you want out of a series. The '001' is a reference that this is the first print of the series. Then the next '1' means it is the first cover art and the last '1' is the first printing of that exact comic."

Which begs the question: will there be an issue '00211'?

"I don't know," said Wood. "Volume One entails our history as a company and as a team, so I think Volume Two has yet to be written. It is still in front of us. But I'm excited to find out and walk with the rest of this team as we figure out where this goes. And maybe, someday, we'll get to tell that story, too."

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2024 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.

To help celebrate the momentous "Star Wars" occasion, Random House Worlds is releasing "Star Wars: The Living Force" from New York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller on April 9. 

The new novel is a sprawling 432-page prelude to the big party. It serves as a nostalgic primer for the anniversary screenings and watch parties sure to spring up, and we've got an exclusive chapter excerpt to share to start kicking things off.

Related: George Lucas' 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' 20th anniversary message to fans

Here's the official synopsis:

"In the year before 'The Phantom Menace,' Yoda, Mace Windu, and the entire Jedi Council confront a galaxy on the brink of change.

"The Jedi have always traveled the stars, defending peace and justice across the galaxy. But the galaxy is changing, and the Jedi Order along with it. More and more, the Order finds itself focused on the future of the Republic, secluded on Coruscant, where the twelve members of the Jedi Council weigh crises on a galactic scale.

"As yet another Jedi Outpost left over from the Republic’s golden age is set to be decommissioned on the planet Kwenn, Qui-Gon Jinn challenges the Council about the Order’s increasing isolation. Mace Windu suggests a bold response: All twelve Jedi Masters will embark on a goodwill mission to help the planet and to remind the people of the galaxy that the Jedi remain as stalwart and present as they have been across the ages.

"But the arrival of the Jedi leadership is not seen by all as a cause for celebration. In the increasing absence of the Jedi, warring pirate factions have infested the sector. To maintain their dominance, the pirates unite, intent on assassinating the Council members. And they're willing to destroy countless innocent lives to secure their power.

"Cut off from Coruscant, the Jedi Masters must reckon with an unwelcome truth: While no one thinks more about the future than the Jedi Council, nobody needs their help more than those living in the present."

Miller is a prolific novelist plying his trade in numerous creative arenas, most notably as the author of "Star Wars: Kenobi," "Star Wars: A New Dawn," "Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith," "Star Wars: Knight Errant," and Marvel's "Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic." His distinguished work in the comic book industry includes headlining gigs within the worlds of "Star Trek," "Battlestar Galactica," "Halo," "Iron Man," "Mass Effect," and "Planet of the Apes."

Related: Best sci-fi books: modern masterpieces & all-time classics

Here's our exclusive excerpt for John Jackson Miller's "Star Wars: The Living Force." 

After collecting intel on increasingly severe pirate activity in a desperate part of the galaxy, Jedi Master Depa Billaba goes undercover to investigate, operating under a secret identity, the thief known as "Hotwire." As she works to infiltrate the pirate gangs, she meets a young thief named Kylah.

Where is that girl?

Depa Billaba didn't know the answer, but it was far from the only question on her mind. The impromptu Jedi Council meeting had given her a lot more to think about. It was the first time she’d ever attended one while seated in the cargo area of a speeder truck. At least now she was in the front seat, though she was still in the dark, both literally and figuratively.

The Slice extended inward from Hutt space, stretching along the trade routes toward the Core like a dagger pointed at the heart of the galaxy. No sensible Hutt would act directly in the region, but all the local privateers seemed to be auditioning for jobs with them, banking on a future without the Republic and the Jedi to interfere. The Hutts were inevitable, the thinking went. It was just a matter of time before the gangs in the region became their subsidiaries.

But tantalizing intel had been developed by a student Depa had once tutored, the late, lamented Xaran Raal. One pirate band in the region alone had no ties to the Hutts at all, overt or otherwise: the Riftwalkers. The newest and, from all reports, the most intrepid of the gangs, led by someone called Zilastra. Most in the local underworld knew her name, if little beyond that — other than that she played for keeps, while also reportedly playing a blisteringly good game of sabacc. 

Depa had committed to remedy that lack of information. There was no question of a single Jedi, even a member of the Jedi Council, bringing a multiplanet operation like the Riftwalkers to justice. But the leader of such a group could not remain a cipher. Maz Kanata, who had ruled from her castle for centuries, had shown that a pirate state was not always the worst neighbor to have. Whether a "Queen Zilastra" would be another Maz was in the vital security interests of the Republic to know. 

And Depa's best connection to find out was twelve years old. And running late. 

Where is she? Depa checked the vehicle’s monitors for the umpteenth time before deciding to stand outside the vehicle. This must be what it’s like to be a parent waiting to pick up a child. 

Then again, the trash-filled backstreet outside the spaceport after midnight was no educational institution, and Kylah was no student — unless larceny was the subject. And the blaster shots Depa now heard signaled that school was still in session. 

"Hotwire!" Kylah yelled. 

Depa saw the girl dashing toward her through the darkness, a big bundle in her hands. Behind her, the alley was lit with red searchlights emanating from the bodies of at least half a dozen droids. They were private patrol units — light on intelligence, heavy on aggression. They shouted in unison, their voices amplified: "Halt, thief!" 

Depa had her blaster out in an instant. The droids disregarded her warning shots, charging ahead while a frantic Kylah raced for the speeder truck. 

Knowing that using her lightsaber would blow her cover, Depa reached out through the Force and brought a wave of abandoned shipping containers into the droids’ paths behind Kylah. The girl didn’t see the feat, but did benefit from it, reaching the hovertruck just as Depa opened its passenger door. 

Kylah shouted, "Go, go, go!" 

"Get down!" Depa yelled. Blaster shots peppered the side of the closed door, which Kylah shrank behind. The Jedi herself was already on the move, making for the driver’s side. Within seconds, the speeder was in motion. 

"Look out!" Kylah yelled as two of the droids blocked their path. 

"Hang on," Depa shouted. Gripping the control yoke, she plowed the vehicle right through the attackers. Red lights pinwheeled as the droids went flying noisily end-over-end. Blaster shots continued to strike the vehicle’s frame — but from behind, as she gunned it forward. 

Doubled over the large cloth sack she was carrying, Kylah cheered. "Whee! That was fun!" 

"Not the word I’d use." Depa accelerated until she could no longer see the droids behind her. "We're clear," she announced. 

The girl looked up — and smiled. "Home. No running lights." 

"Got it." Depa took a breath. Squinting in the darkness, she regarded the bundle in Kylah’s lap. "Get what you were looking for?"

"You don’t need to know." 

Depa straightened. "Whatever you say." 

As the vehicle drove farther from the spaceport, Kylah relaxed — and said a lot more. "I was perfect." 

"You were?" 

"Going in is never a problem. I wait until dark and hop over a fence. Then I shimmy up this post with a rotating security cam—" 

"You climb a post with a cam on it?" 

"Isn’t it great?" Kylah practically bounced in the seat, pleased with her cleverness. “Just below the cam I can hop onto this roof nearby—where there’s a vent that’s about this size.” With her hands, she traced a shape that wasn’t much larger than the sack she was holding. "I slide down, and I'm inside." 

"And you came out with that." 

"Yeah, but I can only grab one in a trip, and there's only ten minutes each day when I can get in the stockroom, during the shift change." 

"Looks like they noticed this time." 

"Only on the way out. As long as I can keep getting in, we’re in business." 

Unsure what the business was, Depa eyed the sack. "Must be worth a lot."

Kylah laughed. "That, you really don’t need to know." 

"You're the boss." 

In the days since Depa’s arrival on Keldooine, the Jedi had insinuated herself into the life of the largest megalopolis. Finding a way into its burgeoning underworld hadn’t been easy. Competition among various pirate bands had driven all of them into defensive stances, making them paranoid about newcomers. Posing as a speeder thief for hire had gotten her no ins at all. The only thing close to a break had come from her chance rescue of a child on the street being chased by bandits. Realizing Kylah was a courier for the Riftwalkers, Depa had made herself indispensable as driver and bodyguard, to the point where Kylah offered to share her hovel with the woman she called Hotwire. 

Depa parked behind it and exited, checking the alley for threats. Before she was done, Kylah bounded out. She worked a lock and let them both inside a darkened flat, abandoned by one of the many residents who had left Keldooine in a hurry. 

As she had after her other nightly forays, the girl carried her sack toward a storage room. “Back in a minute.” 

"Right." Depa locked the door behind them — and quickly slipped next to the opening Kylah had entered. 

She listened—and heard Kylah speak. "Wowee bowee zip zap shoo!" 

Depa tilted her head. It was a child’s phrase, nonsense. But then she heard a mechanical voice from the storage room. "Lock phrase initialized." A light click followed. 

There was no time to think about it. Depa quickly stepped away from the aperture and made a show of double-checking the front door. 

She looked back to see Kylah throwing the empty bag on the floor. "I’m a sweat monster. I’m going to change." 

"You have had a long day." 

After she saw Kylah disappear into her personal space, Depa crept into the storage room. The girl’s apparent prize sat upon a table: a carrying case with an emblem on its side. A chalice inside a star. 

Depa began to understand. It was from one of the passenger lines—Regal Voyager. The case had weight, she found on lifting it, but did not make noise when she shook it. It was also locked tight. She wondered about the contents. Money, gems, weapons? Or something worse?

Examining the mechanism, she understood what Kylah had just done. "Hope I get this right," she whispered, before speaking to the case itself. "Wowee bowee zip zap shoo." 

The lock clicked and the case sprang open. Depa flinched, on her guard—but there was no threat. Indeed, there was nothing inside at all. Struck curious, she lifted the container again. The heft, she realized, came from the interior plating that worked as a countermeasure against scanners.

It took no trained Jedi senses to know Kylah was almost ready to return; the girl made so much noise at home it was hard to believe she was a successful burglar—much less Depa’s best hope to connect with her quarry, the Riftwalkers. Depa quickly shut the case and exited the room. 

Kylah appeared in brighter, lighter clothes than her work garb. "Let’s go eat. They're still serving at Jammah's Place." 

"A restaurant? Kind of expensive, isn't it?" 

"You're buying. I just paid you, remember?" 

Her memory jarred, Depa nodded. "I left the money in the truck." 

"Some pro you are." Kylah laughed as she unlocked the door. "Stick with me. You’ll learn!" 

Depa watched the girl head back into the alley. That had been their dynamic: someone the age of a young Padawan, treating her as the student. But the kid's loose talk had already told Depa a lot, and she sensed that it would pay to continue playing her part. 

Closing up the flat, the Jedi noticed that a message had come in on her muted comlink while they were driving. It was from Mace— a lengthy hologram, the timecode advised. Depa decided to wait to watch it until she was alone again. Odds were it was just more about the closure of the outpost at Kwenn. That was one debate her mind was made up about. She was already seeing what life was like in a place without Jedi. Homes became hovels—and children became gangsters. 

But out here, I can do something about it. 

"You coming?" Kylah called out, already in the passenger seat and holding up Depa’s credit pouch. "Another minute and I'll start emptying this. If I don't eat it first!" 

"On my way." Depa pocketed the comlink and made for the truck.

Reprinted from "Star Wars: The Living Force" by John Jackson Miller. © 2024 by Lucasfilm Ltd. Published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Portrayed by Temuera Morrison ("Once Were Warriors," "The Book of Boba Fett") Jango's coolest moment came on the watery world of Kamino in that 2002 film's "Rumble in the Rain" duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and subsequent spaceship dogfight through an asteroid field. He was later slain by Jedi Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) at the Battle of Geonosis.

Further elaborating on Jango Fett's backstory, Marvel Comics is delivering a rousing new four-part "Star Wars: Jango Fett" miniseries starting on Wednesday (March 20) that enlivens the skilled warrior's past to fill in the timeline prior to his job serving as the genetic template for a secret clone army.

Check out all five debut issue covers in the gallery below.

Related: "Star Wars" movies in order: Chronological and release

Here's the official synopsis:

"Jango Fett embarks on a brand-new mission as seen in 'Star Wars: Revelations!' Ethan Sacks ('Star Wars: Bounty Hunters') and Luke Ross ('Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters,' 'Star Wars: Dark Droids') team up to continue the legacy of one of the greatest bounty hunters: JANGO FETT! A bounty to find! A mystery to solve! A treaty at risk! All this with AURRA SING in the mix!"

Fans of the "Star Wars" prequels who grew up with those earlier films when they were first released from 1999-2005 should be thrilled with this adventurous trip back to that nostalgic era. "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" celebrates its 25th anniversary in May, and the legacy characters of Jango Fett and Aurra Sing fit perfectly into this period of "Star Wars" legends and lore.

With a main cover by artist Leinil Francis Yu, special variants by illustrators David Marquez and Derrick Chew, and a Women's History Month cover by artist Aka, Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: Jango Fett #1" fires up its jetpack on March 20, 2024.

This pioneering educational voice and influential space authority has written many books on the timely topic of Mars and Mars settlement over the years as interest in humankind's role in its ultimate development has risen exponentially. 

Now Zubrin adds to his impressive catalog of visionary volumes about our mysterious planetary neighbor with the recent release of "The New World on Mars" (Diversion Books, 2024), a fascinating and infinitely readable peek into Mars' inestimably rosy future.

Related: Mars Society proposes institute to develop tech needed for Red Planet settlement

Here's the official description:

"When Robert Zubrin published his classic book 'The Case for Mars' a quarter century ago, setting foot on the Red Planet seemed a fantasy. Today, manned exploration is certain, and as Zubrin affirms in 'The New World on Mars,' so too is colonization. From the astronautical engineer venerated by NASA and today's space entrepreneurs, here is what we will achieve on Mars and how.

"SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are building fleets of space vehicles to make interplanetary travel as affordable as Old-World passage to America. We will settle on Mars, and with our knowledge of the planet, analyzed in depth by Dr. Zubrin, we will utilize the resources and tackle the challenges that await us. What we will we build? Populous Martian city-states producing air, water, food, power, and more. Zubrin's Martian economy will pay for necessary imports and generate income from varied enterprises, such as real estate sales—homes that are airtight and protect against cosmic space radiation, with fish-farm aquariums positioned overhead, letting in sunlight and blocking cosmic rays while providing fascinating views. 

"Zubrin even predicts the Red Planet customs, social relations, and government—of the people, by the people, for the people, with inalienable individual rights—that will overcome traditional forms of oppression to draw Earth immigrants. After all, Mars needs talent." 

Always fully armed with provocative opinions, Dr. Zubrin spoke to us on this intriguing new guidebook to learn what keeps him invigorated concerning Mars colonization, and how that planet can be successfully transformed for human habitation and prosperity in the coming centuries.

Space.com: How does this project differ from your previous works on Mars?

Dr. Robert Zubrin: This book takes a longer view than "The Case for Mars," which is really mostly about how we can get humans to Mars and have an effective exploration program there. 

"The New World On Mars" is much more focused on the future. This book says it's evident that people will be able to go to Mars in the near future. The question is what will we be able to create on Mars? What kinds of human societies are likely to emerge on Mars and what do they mean for the human future as a whole?

Space.com: One of the most interesting chapters deals with the psychological aspects of leaving Earth and establishing an identifiable Martian culture with its own customs, rites and rituals and the importance of that process. Can you elaborate on that subject more?

Zubrin: The Mars Society over the past couple years held two contests asking people to design a 1,000-person Mars colony and a one-million-person Mars city-state. And by design we meant not just the technology or the economy, but the social system, political system, what kind of sports are likely to be played, as well as the aesthetics. 

Between the two contests, there were something like 300 entries. The ideas proposed spanned a huge range of political systems from socialist, to democratic and libertarian. Rather than attempt to choose my favorite system for a Martian utopia, I took the point of view that there will be many Martian cities founded by different people with very different ideas on what the ideal state should be, and it's going to be sorted out by natural selection.  

Some of the answers I came up with I like a lot, like human liberty. But this is in contradiction to many visions of science fiction colonies that are totally controlled because no one would immigrate to one. The ones that will outgrow the others will clearly be the ones that are most attractive to immigrants. Freedom is a great attractor. North Korea does not have an illegal immigrant problem. Martian colonies will have to be highly inventive and invention only thrives under freedom. I believe a Mars colony will also require a great deal of social solidarity, so it will not be multi-cultural and will need to have a strong sense of community and common identity.

In my life I haven't had much use for organized sports, let alone organized religion. Yet these are things that help form common identity, and I think they'll be prominent in the successful Mars cities. They will also have to be aesthetically beautiful to attract immigrants, female immigrants in particular, because if you're going to have a population that grows on Mars, you're going to have to attract women to Mars.

The founders of America called it a noble experiment. Mars will be a place where there will be dozens of noble experiments, and that's where you'll get the answers.

Space.com: What keeps you energized and inspired to do your best work with the Mars Society, exploring new book projects, or planning the next lecture, science talk or convention appearance?

Zubrin: I always feel that I need a purpose. That I should be doing something that's going to do some good. What is going on in the world today where I can do some good? In addition to fighting for Mars, I've been writing a lot of articles calling for aid to the Ukraine. 

And I think space is part of the fight for freedom too. By opening space we will prove that it's not true that there are limited resources, and therefore it's not true that there's a necessity for war, which means it's not true that there's a necessity for tyranny. Through my technical work and through my writing, I do whatever I can do.

"The New World on Mars" is available for purchase on Amazon.

Now, a comprehensive new book from DK Publishing titled "The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire" dissects the formation of this harsh bureaucratic regime in a galaxy far, far away and follows its indomitable march of control spreading fear and merciless governance to all known systems. 

Arriving on July 9, 2024, this historical interpretation will serve as the definitive account of the Empire's maneuvers, and the mistakes that ultimately led to its demise. Check out this early peek at the cover for "The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire."

Related: 'Star Wars' movies in order: Chronological and release

Here's the official description: 

"So this is how liberty dies — with thunderous applause."

— Senator Padmé Amidala

"When Palpatine declared the birth of his new Empire, he expected it would stand for millennia. Instead, it lasted only 24 years. This is the story of how a tyrannical regime rose from the ashes of democracy, ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, and then collapsed into dust.

"It is a story of war and heroes, of the power of propaganda and the dangers of complacency. But most of all, it is a story of normal people trying to live their lives in the face of a brutal dictatorship. From the ruthlessness of Darth Vader's campaigns to the horrors of the Tarkin Initiative, this book offers fresh new insights into the dark entity at the core of 'Star Wars.'"

Recent "Star Wars" TV series like Disney+'s "Andor" have steered stories toward the complex inner workings and psychological weapons employed by the Empire, which has created more curiosity as to how this multi-headed monster acquired so much so quickly, only to lose it all. 

"So much of how we think about 'Star Wars' is based around what we see of the rebels. But that leaves a big empty space for the Empire," Kempshall told StarWars.com. "What was their experience of ruling the galaxy and fighting the war? What would people think about the Empire once it was gone?

"I’ve always found the Empire utterly fascinating both as a fan and then as a historian. Working on 'Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy' helped me think really long and hard about what in-universe historians might say about the Empire, but it only gave me a taste. I — much like Anakin — wanted more!

"That's what this book has been for me and Beaumont Kin. The chance to fully and deeply explore the realities of the Empire and to show all of you what it looks like up close. This is my first solo 'Star Wars,' book but it’s one I’ve wanted to write for most of my life."

In this compelling story set before the unfolding events of the premiere season of Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Picard," "Firewall" focuses on the former Borg character of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as she links up with a notorious band of space vigilantes and we have an exclusive chapter excerpt to share below.

Mack is a multi-award-winning science fiction master who's authored 38 novels in the arenas of science fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the "Star Trek Destiny" and "Cold Equations" trilogies. His impressive resume of writing credits includes episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and consultant work on the debut season of the hit animated series, "Star Trek: Prodigy."

Related: Star Trek streaming guide: Where to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows online

Here's the official publisher synopsis from Pocket Books:

"A thrilling prequel adventure based on the acclaimed TV series 'Star Trek: Picard!'

"Two years after the USS Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven—but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she's ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway."

What Mack found most compelling about writing "Firewall" was the need to make a deep dive into the psychology of Seven of Nine during a critical phase of her life. 

"Because she and Kathryn Janeway are the only two major canon "Star Trek" characters in the novel, and most of the book is told through Seven's perspective, I needed to immerse myself in Seven's point of view as a queer woman on a journey of self-discovery as well as that of a heroine on an adventure," Mack tells Space.com. 

"It gave me a chance to connect with much of what makes Seven such a great character: her intelligence, her integrity, and also her hidden vulnerability. She is a richly layered person, able to contain seemingly contradictory multitudes, and that made it a joy to explore her psyche during her transition from ex-Borg to a fully empathetic human being."

Here's our exclusive excerpt from "Picard: Firewall" courtesy of Pocket Books:

She switched back to the team's channel. "Everyone! Use the storm as cover!"

The team responded in overlapping transmissions — "Are you crazy?" "Oh, hell no." "You’ve gotta be kidding!" — until a fresh barrage of disruptor pulses from the fighter quelled dissent and spurred them all into powered dives toward the thunderhead.

"Don't cluster! Split up and regroup on—"

Another fusillade of disruptor blasts cut across the strike team’s descent vector—and one tore through Ellory's thruster pack, which exploded in a burst of sparks and shrapnel.

Seven struggled to see past the inky plume of smoke pouring from Ellory's fragged suit. "Ell! Talk to me, Ell! Ell, can you hear me?"

Harper cut in: "Her suit’s offline! No power, no comms! Anyone got eyes on her?"

"Affirmative," Speirs said. "No movement, falling like a rock."

"About to lose her in the clouds," Ballard said.

Seven keyed her suit's thrusters to maximum. "Everyone, get clear. I’m going in." Hands outstretched and pointed ahead of her, she chased after the unresponsive Ellory and speared her way into the thundercloud just a second behind her.

Everything went pitch-black, and then the world flared blinding white—lightning slashed in great forks all around Seven, and entire banks of black cloud pulsed with inner light, all of it followed by crushing roars of thunder that hit her with walls of sonic force.

Her eyes pulsed with green and purple afterimages, and her head spun from the shock of thunderclaps, but she forced herself not to blink, not to pass out, not to pull inward or do anything to slow her dive. Hands first, head lowered, she arrowed through another wall of roiling black and gray vapors—to see Ellory just a hundred meters ahead of her, tumbling wildly, out of control, with no sign of consciousness.

Beneath them, the belly of the cloud flared white with electrical fury.

Seven accelerated directly into Ellory and wrapped her arms around her, and then her legs.

"Computer! Shields!" Her suit's command system activated the low-power shield normally used for extra protection during the most perilous moments of atmospheric entry.

Please be enough—

She and Ellory plunged through the bottom of the cloud as it resounded with thunder and flashed—just for a few milliseconds—with sheet lightning hotter than the surface of a star.

While there's a temporary lull in the action for the eventful world of Mandalorians, now is the ideal time to reflect on the legacy of this enigmatic helmeted tribe of the galaxy far, far away with an all-new reference guidebook. This is the way!

London-based Titan Books has gathered the finest material from the archives of "Star Wars Insider" magazine to create "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Collection," an engrossing look at "The Mandalorian" TV series, its spinoff "The Book of Boba Fett," and the dynamic role these honorable bounty hunters have played across the "Star Wars" universe since first being introduced in 1978's "The Star Wars Holiday Special."

Related: 'Star Wars': Summary of the franchise and its effect on space technology

Here's the official description:

"Prepare for an exciting look at the Mandalorians throughout 'Star Wars,' from Jango and Boba Fett to Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze. This deluxe edition provides a behind-the-scenes exploration of popular Mandalorian characters from film, television, and more with revealing interview material from the creators of 'The Mandalorian,' Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, as well as actors Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin), Temuera Morrison (Jango/Boba Fett), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett from the prequel trilogy), and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett from the original trilogy). Also included are indispensable episode guides for 'The Book of Boba Fett' and all seasons of 'The Mandalorian.'"

This handsome 144-page hardcover collectible is themed specifically around all aspects of Mandalorian appearances in the "Star Wars" empire, touching upon the actors that portrayed these indelible characters, their codes and oaths, culture and customs, and the craftsmanship of their armor and weapons. And yes, there's even a special chapter on that adorable Force-fortified alien we first knew as Baby Yoda, then later as Grogu when its real name was announced to viewers.

"The Mandalorian Collection" is a comprehensive roundup of everything Mandalorian, richly illustrated with concept art, sketches, storyboards, still photography and more. It's also a testament to the creative genius of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni in creating the first live-action "Star Wars" TV series and delivering the old-fashioned charms of George Lucas's original space fantasy that has entertained countless millions around the globe for nearly 50 years. 

"Star Wars: The Mandalorian Collection" arrives in comic shops, bookstores, and online outlets on Feb. 20, 2024.

But despite the urge to forget all about those outdated barbershop blunders, Image Comics is confidently doubling down on retro pop culture and embarrassing fashion fads with a newly remastered collection of writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson's old "Space-Mullet" webcomic that's scheduled to hit bookstore and comic shops on July 9 and July 10, respectively.

Related: Best sci-fi books: modern masterpieces & all-time classics

The award-winning Warren has been on a hot streak lately in the competitive comics industry with his rebooted flagship "Transformers" series for Image selling an astonishing 150,000 copies on its first printing for the premiere issue. He also scored a coveted Eisner Award for Best Teen Publication last year for the well-received wrestling adventure series, "Do a Powerbomb."  

Now Image is resurrecting the prolific creator's cult webcomic, "Space-Mullet," in a deluxe reprinted collection that features remastered lettering and includes a never-before-printed chapter of Warren's gritty project, which began over a decade ago.

Here's the official synopsis of this intergalactic odyssey:

"Ex-Space Marine Jonah and his co-pilot Alphius rove the Galaxy, just trying to get by. Drawn into one crazy adventure after another, they forge a crew of misfits into a family that must face the darkest parts of the universe together. 'Space-Mullet' is a richly detailed, accessible sci-fi world with heartfelt characters and an unforgettable story."

This new trade paperback gives fans of material like "Cowboy Bebop" and "Firefly" a nostalgic glimpse back to the nascent days of Warren's career in comics and offers up a rowdy tale of unlikely cosmic heroes simply trying to survive in the universe without causing too much mischief or damage.

"When I started 'Space-Mullet,' I had just quit my steady teaching job, had no money, and DEFINITELY no work in the comics industry," said Johnson. "This book was me throwing everything I had at trying to prove to the comics world I could make something special. The pages are humble, but are a huge foundation for what made me the artist I am now. See proto-DWJ come to life in these pages!!!"

Image Comics' "Space-Mullet" TPB arrives at local comic book shops on July 10 and at all major and indie bookstores a day earlier.

Now the skilled, purple-lightsabered warrior played by Samuel L. Jackson shines in "Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss," his very own solo novel coming next summer. The book sees Windu taking up arms to complete Qui-Gon Jinn’s last mission in the Outer Rim following the tragic events of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace."

Written by esteemed author and screenwriter Steven Barnes, the man who penned the "Star Wars Legends" classic "The Cestus Deception" and dozens of other sci-fi novels, including the "Dream Park" series with Larry Niven, "The Glass Abyss" hits book stores on Aug. 6, 2024, published by Random House Worlds. Its plot unfolds after Darth Maul kills Qui-Gon and Mace Windu is given a posthumous request from his deceased friend that begins a new quest to fulfill.

Related: 'Star Wars' movies in order

Here's the official synopsis:

"The Jedi are reeling from Qui-Gon Jinn’s sudden death at the hands of a Sith. Jedi Master Mace Windu’s feelings about Qui-Gon have always been complicated, and have not been made any simpler in death. While they often disagreed, Mace valued Qui-Gon's unique perspective, and their shared dedication to the Force made them allies. Without Qui-Gon and his unorthodox views, Mace feels out of balance. 

"While considering his fallen friend’s legacy, Mace is surprised to receive a final message from Qui-Gon, marked to be delivered to Mace on the event of Qui-Gon’s death. The message contains a last request: a plea to help the Outer Rim planet of Metagos. 

"Many years ago, a violent solar flare transformed the surface of the desert planet into a landscape of irradiated glass — as beautiful as it is dangerous. Now most of the surviving inhabitants live underground, where rival clans fight to control the planet’s limited resources. 

"As a young Jedi, Qui-Gon protected the Sa'ad farming clan from the planet’s less scrupulous factions. The Sa’ad practice the art of dream-weaving, retaining their waking minds upon sleep in order to communicate and coexist with the wild creatures around them. Qui-Gon vowed to return if they ever required his aid, but now it falls to Mace to fulfill that promise. The Sa'ad’s leader, KinShan Nightbird, has begged for the Jedi’s help in freeing Megatos from the crime lords who threaten to eradicate her people’s way of life."

Barnes was thrilled to be summoned by Random House to write "The Glass Abyss" and lend his talents to a project exploring more of Mace Windu's "Star Wars" past.

"I was busy with television work…but how could I pass THIS up?" Barnes told StarWars.com. "A chance to wield the purple lightsaber? Hah! So, with the support of a great team, I crafted a story of mystery, adventure, betrayal, and romance on a new planet, Metagos, a seething criminal cesspool that was once a thriving and beautiful world, a place where a single supreme warrior, willing to risk all, can make the ultimate difference.

"Intent on fulfilling Qui-Gon's final wishes, Mace travels to Metagos and infiltrates the enemies of the Sa'ad. But as the Jedi Master investigates the intricate web of adversaries and allies, Mace finds himself pushed to the boundaries of the Jedi code, challenging his beliefs and his relationship to the Force itself."

"At all times, I remembered there is only one goal in writing such a book: to be true to the mythos, and thrill the fans," Barnes adds. "To give them the fun, suspense, and heart-stopping action they've come to expect from one of our greatest mythologies, and create more of an inner world for one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. I can't wait to share 'The Glass Abyss' with the fans. I can't wait to read it myself."

"Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss" releases on Aug. 6, 2024.

To further reinforce that universal truth, a new comic book project from Boom! Studios titled "Man's Best" embarks on a thrilling sci-fi adventure revolving around a trio of cybernetically-enhanced domestic pets marooned on an alien world following their colony spaceship's crash landing.

Written by the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Thai-American creator Pornsak Pichetshote ("The Good Asian") and paired with playful interior artwork by Jesse Lonergan ("Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea"), this tail-waving miniseries arrives beginning on Mar. 20, 2024 with multiple variant covers available by Lonergan, Trish Forstner and Franny. 

Related: Cats in space! New 'Captain Ginger' comic unveils homage to classic 'Star Wars' poster (exclusive)

Here's the official synopsis: 

"'Homeward Bound' on an alien world, 'Man's Best' follows three emotional support pets living on the Starship Horizon — a spacecraft searching for a new home to house a humanity compromised by bad decisions and corporate greed. 

"But after the ship crashes and the crew is captured, these loyal pets are their owner's only hope. Outfitted in outrageous tech, these three best friends must traverse a hostile world to rescue their owners — leaving them the only hope for a humanity that might not be worth saving, in a harrowing adventure that threatens to tear apart their most valuable treasure: their friendship."

Check out our exclusive 4-page peek at the premiere issue in the gallery below.

"It's really weird to say a book about a cat in a mech suit, a golden retriever with a bionic leg, and a French bulldog with a rocket strapped to his back might be my most personal book ever, but … that's kinda what happened?," says Pichetshote. "I've never written anything where I can see recent realizations in my life directly incorporated onto the page as much as this book and have no idea how readers will respond. What I'm a lot more confident in is how much of an honor it is to work with Jesse Lonergan. It's amazing how as a 'professional writer' I still have no words to explain how innovative his art keeps getting with each issue."

Boom! Studios series editor Eric Harburn was "blown away" by what this imaginative team accomplished and stated that Pornsak and Jesse are a dream creative team and a dream to collaborate with. He fortified his position by explaining that "Man's Best" is like nothing readers have ever seen from either of these creators.

"I feel like I've gotten plenty of opportunities to do weird sci-fi stuff, but I haven't gotten the chance to draw as many cute things as I would like," added Lonergan. "So getting the opportunity to work on a book with pets battling across alien landscapes is really a dream come true, and then to have someone like Pornsak bringing a story with real depth and heart makes it that much better. This project has been intense, with the story consistently escalating. I find myself constantly challenged to raise the bar. The lazy part of me keeps telling the rest of me that there should be a section where I ease off and do some 'easy' pages, but it hasn’t happened yet."

"Man's Best #1" bounds into comic shops and onto digital on Mar. 20, 2024.

The vast majority of fundamental scientific research — the kind of science that pushes ever deeper into unknown regions and expands humanity's knowledge — is funded by government organizations. In the United States, that typically takes the form of federal agencies like NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy. Scientists compete for grant funding to support the hiring of students and junior researchers, purchase expensive equipment, and write research papers.

Unfortunately, funding for the sciences has been dropping consistently for the past few decades. While there are occasional spikes of increased funding, there is now less money going to basic research, especially when measured as a fraction of all federal spending, than in over half a century.

Fueling this declining interest in science funding is a declining interest and trust in science itself. While scientists have historically enjoyed a high level of trust among the public, that trust has been consistently dropping, from a high of 75% just before the pandemic to a present-day low of 57%, according to a Pew Research poll conducted between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1.

Related: What is the difference between science and pseudoscience? 

What's more, science is becoming ever more politicized, with left-leaning policymakers more likely than right-leaning politicians to support science funding. Those leaders' votes mostly align with their constituents' views: Respondents who identified as Republican were much less likely to view scientists positively.

With that decline in trust comes a decline in funding, and unfortunately for scientists, that drop in funding creates dysfunctions that lead to even more reduced trust.

The spreading disease 

A reduction in public funding for science leads to three sets of dysfunctional relationships: It affects how scientists interact with each other, with students and with the public.

The competition for grants has grown ever fiercer in the past decade, with scientists spending more of their time fighting it out for fewer research dollars. The typical grant award rate is now below 20%, meaning that researchers have to reapply year after year to get even a small amount of funding, with awards usually not even enough to cover the time spent applying for the grants in the first place.

To judge scientists in this competition for grants, awards and professional opportunities, scientists encourage each other to publish — a lot. Over 3 million journal articles were published last year. The more a scientist publishes, and the more that work is cited, the more likely that scientist will be to win awards and advance in their careers. 

This intense pressure to publish — often summarized as "publish or perish" — has led to a stunning rise in shoddy work. Some of that is downright intentional fraud — a deliberate distortion of the data to get a publishable result. But more often, it's simple laziness, driven by an eagerness to get a paper out sooner rather than later. It's also the responsibility of journal publishers to adhere to a rigorous and thorough peer-review process, which isn't always the case.

Along with that increased competition for funding comes increased competition for jobs. Students are signing up for science majors at record numbers, with some departments seeing double or triple the number of students compared with two decades prior. Universities love this glut of students, because they often bring federal loans to pay for their increasingly expensive education. Yet there is no commensurate growth in long-term positions. Students go on to get doctorates, start short-term positions and then find themselves in their early 30s without a permanent position in science. In some fields, there are 10 new doctorates awarded for every new open position — an untenable situation.

Lastly, scientists are discouraged from communicating their work to the public. Hiring, tenure and promotion committees view public outreach neutrally at best, and with derision and scorn at worst. Despite the critical need for the public to hear about the latest scientific research, scientists themselves are often the last ones to do it. And why should they? If it doesn't help them in their career, it's a waste of time for them.

The rise in fraudulent work, the lack of long-term career options for budding young scientists, and the discouragement of science communication all contribute to a lack of interest in continuing science funding, which starts the downward cycle anew. Thankfully, there's a way out.

The way out 

The lack of funding is causing these dysfunctions within science. But scientists can't just expect to ask for more funding and automatically get it; the public is already becoming ever more disillusioned. So instead, scientists must work within the current funding restrictions and present a new face to themselves, to their students, and to the public. That is the road to rebuilding trust, and with that increased trust comes more secure funding.

First, scientists need to let go of the pressure to publish. There are already too many papers coming out for any researcher to keep up with their own field. Scientists are pretending that they can measure success through publication and citation counts, but this is simply distorting the way science is done. Scientists need to publish less and be given more time to develop long-term research plans. 

Along with that, funding agencies need to offer more high-risk/high-reward programs, favor junior researchers over established ones, and introduce randomness into the selection process so that more researchers get a chance to try out new, innovative ideas.

Second, if we're going to maintain the present science-student population levels, we need to drastically cut the number of short-term postgraduate positions. If there aren't enough permanent positions in science, then students should be trained for positions outside academia and be allowed to exit academic research when they are still young, not after some of their most productive years have already been spent.

Lastly, scientists must communicate with the public, often and directly. Science communication training should be a part of every graduate program and a built-in expectation of every faculty position.

Once scientists tackle fraud by reducing the pressure to publish, lessen disillusionment by being honest about career paths, and make science more personable by working face-to-face with the public, they can start rebuilding trust and regaining funding and, from there, ensure the continued survival of science for generations to come.

Inspired by Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon, Massimino dreamt of being an astronaut since he was six years old. Despite several setbacks, including poor eyesight and a fear of heights, he served as an astronaut from 1996 until 2014 and launched on two space shuttle missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope — the second of which was the final flight to upgrade the telescope in 2009. 

"Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut's Guide to Achieving the Impossible" (Hachette Go, 2023), on sale starting Tuesday (Dec. 5), catalogs important lessons Massimino learned from his experiences in academia, training for (and being rejected by) NASA, and as a media personality — including a short stint on the the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory."

Related: How NASA's Apollo Missions Inspired This Astronaut to Aim for Space

Space.com sat down with Massimino to discuss the book, his advice for overcoming failure and his most memorable moment as an astronaut. Among his secrets to success are perseverance and teamwork, which he urges can be applied to pursuing any passion in life, whether that be on Earth or up in space.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Space.com: This is your second book. What inspired you to tell this story and share the lessons you learned during your time at NASA? 

Mike Massimino: My agent recommended I read Admiral McRaven's "Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life … And Maybe the World," which is about the lessons he learned as a Navy seal. Through the public speaking that I've done, I've found that the life lessons I've learned as an astronaut resonate most with audiences. 

I mean, I am sure they think all the space stuff is cool — what it's like to launch, look [down] at the planet and do spacewalks — but the things that really seem to resonate with people are the lessons on persistence, teamwork, trust, knowing when to pivot or speak up, and how to deal with mistakes. So when I read McRaven's book, I thought there were things that I could share that would be helpful to people, and not only those who are interested in the space program — that was my inspiration to write the book. 

Space.com: Feeling defeated is natural. How did you shift your perspective when faced with obstacles along your journey to become an astronaut; what kept you motivated?

Massimino: It was a deep desire to be a part of the space program. I dreamt about being an astronaut as a little boy after seeing Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Once I had that dream — if I had the opportunity to be a NASA astronaut, I knew that would be my first choice. But if I couldn't do that, I knew I wanted to contribute in some other way, either as an engineer, working in operations or academia. 

I was discouraged because I kept falling short and getting rejected, and the more I learned about [being an astronaut], the more I wanted it. I had to be honest with myself: I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do, but that it might not be possible. [The astronaut program] is really competitive and hard. Only a few people are picked out of thousands who are well-qualified. But I told myself, "I can't control that." What I could control was my willingness to try; doing my best and not giving up when I was told no. 

Space.com: You were rejected by NASA three times before reaching your goal. Was it difficult to share with the world the challenges you faced? 

Massimino: I think that if people are willing to listen to my story and they can get something out of it, then it makes it all worthwhile. When I was medically disqualified for my eyesight and I was trying to get that overturned, I remember thinking there was very little chance that I was going to be able to fix my eyesight — and even if I did, there was no guarantee that they would interview me again or ever pick me — but boy, wouldn't that be a great story! 

When you're in pursuit of a dream, it adds more to the story and the gratitude that you have once you get there if you had to overcome obstacles. It just makes you appreciate the experience that much more. And, persevering to get to [my] goal was very helpful once I got to NASA because the challenges didn't stop. 

Space.com: You knew you wanted to be an astronaut after seeing Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. What about that historic moment fueled your passion?

Massimino: Those astronauts were all my heroes. I wanted to grow up to be like them. The morning that we watched that launch I remember thinking, "This is the most important thing going on right now in the world. This is the most important thing that'll ever happen for the next 500 years." As a six-year-old, I thought that. We learn about stuff that happened 500 years ago, and this is what people 500 years from now are going to learn about. That feeling never left me. Even as I got older and the belief that I could become an astronaut went away, the interest and the belief in the importance of the space program never faded. 

Space.com: Having been an astronaut, how would you describe the feeling of "achieving the impossible"?

Massimino: Overjoyed. Still in disbelief that it all happened. I remember describing to a friend of mine that it felt like my soul was alive. It went from a little boy's dream to something as I got older that I wanted to do as a career and dedicate my life to. It felt right, and I think that is because I had that passion. I had that interest, and that goes a long way. 

When we were sworn in, Bob Cabana, who was the chief of the astronaut office, said something like, "We're all very happy that you're here today, but you need to remember that for every one of you there are thousands of people who are well-qualified that would do anything to switch with you today. You owe it to them to make the most of this opportunity. The only difference between you and them is that you are more fortunate than they are." And I felt very fortunate; very lucky to be given that opportunity. 

Space.com: Humility, patience, determination, collaboration — all of these were key values woven throughout the lessons of your book. How do they help a person, or a team, succeed?

Massimino: All of these things are helpful both for individual success and for a team's success. At NASA, you were judged on how the team did. If you were good at something, your job was to help others who might need help. If you weren't — if you were struggling or you had an injury — you needed to admit that and get help. I think one of the most important things to be successful is to have a culture where people can improve, and humility allows you to improve and take help when you need it. There's no shame in needing help. 

Patience is important because things don't always happen right away. Pursuing my astronaut dream was over 10 years in the making until I got picked and then it was another six years until I flew in space. I think you have to understand things — particularly things that are significant — don't necessarily happen right away. Then, determination and perseverance is really important because the road is going to be tough. You're going to get hit with obstacles. 

A common trait that successful people have is not that they never failed, but that they never let failure stop them. By definition, if you're trying to do something difficult, it's not going to be easy — even if you're really good at whatever it is you do. There are going to be all kinds of obstacles that show up and you have to figure out a way around them. 

Collaboration, I think, is so important because it takes some of the pressure off of the individual. You have a team around you and together you guys are stronger than you are individually. When there's a mistake, you stick together. You make mistakes as a team and you succeed as a team. I think that's the only way you can truly have a successful organization. 

Space.com: How do the lessons of your book apply to people seeking a career in space, or who want to go to space? 

Massimino: I think the lessons I learned apply to anybody wanting to do anything. Working in the space program, for example, I think teamwork is especially important … trusting in your teammates, trusting yourself, trusting your training. Knowing when to speak up because sometimes it is the new person who has a fresh perspective or idea, and people should be able to speak up without being told to be quiet. I talk about that [in the book] when there was a time that I did not raise a concern and I learned that it's better to speak up and be wrong than to stay silent and have something bad happen. 

And, if you're on the management side, you want to listen. Hopefully ["Moonshot"] is a guidebook to help people who want to join the space program but also anyone — whatever it is that you want to be — I think that all of the lessons still apply. 

Space.com: What about the Artemis program? How might the lessons of your book help NASA reach their goals to return to the moon and eventually land humans on Mars?

Massimino: As far as NASA, I think that teamwork and knowing when to pivot is really important. NASA did a really good job of starting the commercial crew program, understanding that it would be good to help private companies develop the capability to launch and that that would help the economy, but also help NASA and its pursuits. They're embarking on Artemis and then hopefully going to Mars, and that's not going to be easy. So, persistence and teamwork is going to be important, but also knowing that if one path isn't working, try another and pivot when necessary. 

Space.com: One in a million is not zero — there is always a chance. What would you say to someone who is struggling to get their (moon)shot? 

Massimino: I would say, keep trying. In my case, I felt that if I never became an astronaut, I could still have a happy life, but I wanted to at least keep trying. In the pursuit of a dream, it might not happen right away — it might not happen at all — but as long as you're working toward that goal, I think you're setting yourself up for happiness, even if that goal is never attained because at least you can say that you gave it your best shot and kept trying so you don't have regret. 

Space.com: If becoming an astronaut hadn't worked out, what do you think you would have done with your career?

Massimino: I felt like teaching suited me and it gave me a chance to do research and help young people and still contribute to the space program. So, I think that's what I would have done. But who knows? That's the other thing about having a goal … it can lead to other things. 

Space.com: You shared many of your experiences throughout the book. If you had to choose only one, what was the most impactful, or memorable, part of your astronaut career journey and why? 

Massimino: I think the most important, impactful and special to me was being part of the final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. I felt that what we were doing was really special and I was very fortunate to be a part of it. When I think about my time — when I dream at night or when I think about my best memories — it's not necessarily being in space. 

When I first left NASA, I dreamt of being in space again, one more time. Now I dream about working with the engineers and the instructors and the rest of my crew; figuring out things at the Goddard Space Flight Center in the clean room or working with the mission control team. That really was, for me, the highlight: Planning and executing my second mission in space.

"Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut's Guide to Achieving the Impossible" goes on sale starting Tuesday (Dec. 5)

"UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There" comes from Garrett M. Graff, the New York Times bestselling author of "Raven Rock," "The Only Plane in the Sky," and a distinguished Pulitzer Prize finalist for "Watergate: A New History." "UFO" spans the period from the Atomic Age to the Cold War and into the Digital Age while trying to distinguish fact from fantasy amid the historical hysteria to offer more grounded explanations of UFO encounters.

The book is a comprehensive exploration of the U.S government's 75-year subterfuge regarding the existence or non-existence of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) since the flying saucer fervor began in summer of 1947 with the infamous Roswell Incident.

Related: NASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial origin' for UAP sightings

Here's an excerpt from the official description:

"Drawing from original archival research, declassified documents, and interviews with senior intelligence and military officials, Graff brings every moment of this extraordinary quest to life, transporting readers from secret military meetings and congressional hearings, where the validity of the search is debated, to the cluttered offices of UFOlogists and hoaxers determined to see the truth revealed, remote observatories where astronomers monitor the stars, and even the halls of the White House, where staffers and presidents alike eagerly await answers. Filled with twists and turns, and populated by an unforgettable cast of characters, 'UFO' is a thrilling story of science, national security, the secrets of space, and the enduring mysteries of the universe."

Space.com: What set you off on this UFO quest down an uncanny rabbit hole?

Garrett Graff: This really began for me in December of 2020, when John Brennan gave an interview for "Radar" in D.C. He said that, "Yeah, there's some weird stuff up there flying around and we don’t know what it is." That stuck out for me because John Brennan is someone who'd spent a decade at the top of the U.S intelligence community. He'd been CIA director, White House homeland security advisor and a career intelligence officer. There can't be too many things in his life that are mysteries. The fact that he was puzzled by all of this made me interested in diving into this subject more. This was in the midst of the reporting by The New York Times and Politico around the Pentagon's UFO work. It seemed like there was a moment worth looking into about the truth behind the government's hunt for alien life.

Space.com: With logical explanations behind most UFO sightings offered by qualified experts, why do people still rush to fantastical reasons for seeing strange lights and unknown aircraft?

Graff: The vast majority, whether that's 90%, 99% or 99.9%, of these things are explainable with more or better data. A huge percentage of UFO sightings over hundreds if not thousands of years are simply the planet Venus or a meteor shower or a satellite coming up over the horizon. But, at the same time, there's some chunk that are truly unexplainable, either because we don't have the science yet to understand them, or because there's some secret or mystery shrouding the sighting. The government itself is stumped by a chunk of this, and, to me, interest in this topic lies in that tiny fraction that's not an easily explainable case of mistaken identity.

Related: NASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial origin' for UAP sightings

Space.com: What are any revelations you discovered researching this book?

Graff: Part of what was so fascination writing this book was realizing how much of the story of UFOs and flying saucerdom is the story of early anxieties of the Cold War and the Nuclear Age. It's so intertwined with political and security anxieties, decade by decade, generation by generation, and the way that shapes the government's reaction. Many of those flying saucer and alien invasion movies of the 1950s are basically invasion allegories of the Cold War. What's fun to me about this topic is understanding just how much of the story of UFOs is the story of people on Earth.

A big part of the challenge about writing a book about UFOs is the question everyone has when reading a book on UFOs: Is this something or nothing? It's challenging as a writer to try to tackle a story where at the core of it you don't know if some of these witnesses are telling the truth. Is everyone lying? Is everyone mistaken? 

I think the answer is a little bit of everything.

Space.com: How did writing this detailed retrospective change you as an author and a person?

Graff: I came into the subject with an open mind, and I finished the research and conversations I had around it being open to a much wider range of possibilities than I thought going into it. The science in so much of this is new and evolving and changing that I think we have a lot more to learn to figure out how much is a secret and how much of it is a mystery. We have to be humble about the limits of our current human knowledge and the weirdness of the universe beyond.

I dedicated the book to my son. He's two. I hope that the book inspires curiosity and wonder. The parts I was most excited about writing and researching are the ones that most stretch our understanding of our place in the universe, the size and scope and scale of the universe. I'm hoping readers will come away inspired by the miracle and fragility of life and the possibility, or probability, that life exists elsewhere. 

"UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here — and Out There" will be released on Nov. 14.

Two years ago this month, "The Expanse" authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey) released the ninth and final book of their Hugo Award-winning military space opera series with the arrival of "Leviathan Falls." 

We've got a first look at the beautiful Daniel Dociu cover of "The Mercy of Gods" alongside a detailed breakdown for fans of the novel series and SYFY's and Prime Video's acclaimed six-season TV adaptation which wrapped up Jan. 14, 2022.

Related: The Expanse streaming guide: Where to watch The Expanse online

In a 2021 interview with Space.com, Abraham teased this project by stating, "It's kind of the far end of space opera from 'The Expanse.' It's lots of aliens and a huge galactic empire and huge galactic war and a lot of the philosophical things you can engage with at that scale that are really fun. I'm really looking forward to this one."

"The Mercy of Gods" tips the scales at a hefty 560 pages and begins what's being called "The Captive's War" trilogy when it lands in stores on Aug. 6, 2024 from Orbit. 

Here's the official synopsis:

"From the NYT bestselling author of 'The Expanse' comes a spectacular new space opera that sees humanity fighting for its survival in a war as old as the universe itself. How humanity came to the planet called Anjiin is lost in the fog of history, but that history is about to end.

"The Carryx – part empire, part hive – have waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy.  Now, they are facing a great and deathless enemy. The key to their survival may rest with the humans of Anjiin.  

"Caught up in academic intrigue and affairs of the heart, Dafyd Alkhor is pleased just to be an assistant to a brilliant scientist and his celebrated research team. Then the Carryx ships descend, decimating the human population and taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society away to serve on the Carryx homeworld, and Dafyd is swept along with them.

"They are dropped in the middle of a struggle they barely understand, set in a competition against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure.  Only Dafyd and a handful of his companions see past the Darwinian contest to the deeper game that they must play to survive: learning to understand – and manipulate – the Carryx themselves.

"With a noble but suicidal human rebellion on one hand and strange and murderous enemies on the other, the team pays a terrible price to become the trusted servants of their new rulers. Dafyd Alkhor is a simple man swept up in events that are beyond his control and more vast than his imagination. He will become the champion of humanity and its betrayer, the most hated man in history and the guardian of his people. This is where his story begins."

From the detailed description, this ambitious new series that's unconnected to their previous works seems somewhat more intimate than the sprawling military space opera found in "The Expanse," with its massive cast of characters and protomolecule plotline, but we'll have to wait until next summer to absorb it all and compare. 

Orbit Books' "The Mercy of Gods" will be published on Aug. 6, 2024.

In the aftermath of NASA's Apollo program, which ended over 50 years ago with the return of Apollo 17 astronauts Harrison Schmidt, Gene Cernan and Ronald Evans, a certain Danish toy company — renowned for their beloved plastic brick building sets — lit the way for creative space enthusiasts. This is when Lego developed a whole new product line, focused around outer space exploration.

Lego's initial launch into spacecraft and space mission products specifically began in 1978 with the first of many dedicated sci-fi construction sets. The company had spawned an entire division of craftsmen and researchers aimed at delivering recreations of things like far-out spaceships, mobile rocket launchers, moon bases, lunar buggies, shuttle craft, giant robots, astronaut minifigures and, of course, all accompanying exploration gear.

Related: Best Lego space sets pre-Black Friday: NASA sets, spaceships and more

Now, a new 200-page full-color hardcover reference book from author Tim Johnson and publisher Dark Horse Books, titled "Lego Space: 1978-1992," arrives in stores on Nov. 14 to tell the whole story of the company's space origins. It chronicles the first 15 years of Lego Space as they fit into an era obsessed with science fiction — following the stratospheric success of films like "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as well as network TV shows like "Battlestar Galactica" and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

Here's the official description:

"Perfect for Lego fans of all ages, this oversized hardcover volume explores the latter half of the 20th century through the lens of Lego Space — illuminating the brand’s own history alongside the popular culture and world events that helped to shape it. This collection includes statistics and trivia for each set from across nearly two decades, fascinating insights of the Lego Group as a company, and celebrations of the talented designers who helped to create each incredible model and their bricks, elements, and accessories." 

Most illuminating in this new deep dive into the Lego Space lineup are interviews with some of the company's lead designers and marketing thinkers who, through much trial and error and many midnight brainstorming sessions, helped create and manufacture dozens of space-oriented playsets and kits to inspire millions of future star voyagers.

For the Best Lego space-centric sets check out our list of hot deals in our guide to the best space Lego sets.

Dark Horse Books' "Lego Space: 1978-1992" touches down in bookstores on Nov. 14, and in comic shops on Nov. 15.

The prolific publisher hosted a panel that revealed a road map for the next few months of "Star Trek" comics, and there's a lot of stuff in the works — including a brand-new "Lower Decks" graphic novel that will let you play through an original story.

IDW's NYCC 2023 panel, "Star Trek: Boldly Going with IDW Publishing" took place on Oct. 13 and included writers and artists from a variety of "Star Trek" projects. Heather Antos, group editor of licensing at IDW, hosted the proceedings, where she spoke with writers Collin Kelly and Christopher Cantwell, colorist Marissa Louise and artists Joe Eisma and Rachael Stott.

Related: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' takes center stage at NYCC 2023

New announcements

Based on fan response at the fan panel, "Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way" is possibly the most Trek project that IDW plans to put out in the next few months. NYCC 2023 marks the first time we learned about the book, but Antos promised some additional information between now and its release date in Fall 2024.

For now, we know that Ryan North and Chris Fenoglio will collaborate on the book, which will put readers (or perhaps "players") in the standard-issue boots of Lt. Becket Mariner. Throughout the graphic novel's 182 pages, players will have to make choices, thinking like Mariner, to overcome threats such as tribbles, the Borg and even Khan Noonien Singh. Antos promises that the adventure will function like a real game, complete with a win condition, which players can achieve through smart, Starfleet thinking.

"Sons of Star Trek" is a more traditional comic book project, coming courtesy of creative team Morgan Hampton, Angel Hernandez and Nick Filardi. Slated for launch in February 2024, "Sons of Star Trek" is one of those "exactly what it says on the tin" titles, which will shine a spotlight on some of "Star Trek's" most famous sons: Jake Sisko, Alexander, Nog and Q Junior. Antos didn't reveal many plot details but did hint that some other famous sons from the currently airing series could show up, too.

The team also discussed the "Star Trek: Defiant Annual" from Cantwell, Ramon Rosanas and Lee Loughridge, which will come out in January 2024. This intriguing time travel story will focus on fan-favorite characters Tasha Yar and Cmdr. Sela. Fans will finally get a chance to learn the full mother/daughter backstory, and whether the snippets that Sela told Capt. Picard about her past really represent the whole truth.

Ongoing series

The rest of IDW's panel focused on ongoing "Star Trek" comics, starting with "Star Trek: Day of Blood." This crossover comic follows Worf and Capt. Sisko (temporarily freed from the Prophets' wormhole — it's a long story) as they try to prevent the Klingon emperor Kahless from committing a galactic genocide. The first issue is available now. 

"Day of Blood" ties in with "Star Trek" (which the writers refer to as "Star Trek: No Colon"), in which Sisko leads a dream team of Starfleet officers during the gap between "Voyager" and "Nemesis." The series' third arc, A Savage World of Glass and Bone, is about to begin. Sisko and his crew will confront one of Starfleet's most mysterious adversaries, the Tzenkethi. Issue #13 from Jackson Lanzing, Kelly, Marcus To, Loughridge and Clayton Cowles came out on Oct. 25.

"Star Trek: Defiant" is another ongoing series, which the writers described as "Dirty Dozen set in the 'Star Trek' universe." Worf, B'Elanna Torres and Ro Laren use the titular ship to hunt down some of Starfleet's most dangerous enemies. The book's second arc, Another Piece of the Action, is in progress, and issue #8 is available now.

In October, IDW also released the "Star Trek: Holo-Ween" miniseries. As the title suggests, things go awry on the holodeck for the Next Generation crew, recasting the bridge crew as versions of classic movie monsters. Issues #1, #2, #3 and #4 are all currently on sale. Longtime fans will be pleased to hear that Redjac, the noncorporeal entity that manifested as Jack the Ripper and threatened the TOS crew, plays a role in this one.

While the "Picard" TV series is done, the comic book world has "Star Trek: Picard's Academy" from Sam Maggs, Ornella Greco, Charlie Kirchoff, Jeff Eckleberry and Sweeney Boo. This prequel series follows Picard during his Starfleet Academy days, before he was the even-tempered diplomat that fans know and love. The first issue is already out, and the series is ongoing.

Finally, there's "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Scorpius Run," from Mike Johnson, Ryan Parrott, Hernandez and Filardi. This series sees the crew of Capt. Pike's Enterprise in a deadly race against hostile aliens, set in one of the most dangerous regions of space. The first two issues are currently out, with three more on the way.

Related: 'Star Trek:' History & effect on space technology

Future imperfect

While IDW discussed eight different projects at the NYCC 2023 panel, the company played coy about some of its other plans. While fans asked whether we'd see more choose-your-own-adventure graphic novels, Antos pointed out that they'd have to see how well "Warp Your Own Way" sells first. She was similarly noncommittal about future one-shots with "Lower Decks" characters, or comics that would depict the adventures of Capt. Seven of Nine aboard the Enterprise-G.

Whatever the case, Kelly reminded the audience that each one of these series has a defined endpoint in mind, as IDW would rather provide satisfying endings than let the stories peter out over time. Once the current crop of comics is done, it's safe to say that we'll probably see a whole new batch of 23rd- and 24th-century adventures.

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" is zipping through its fourth season on Paramount+ and the comedic animated series is becoming increasingly popular across the streaming frontier and beyond with its colorful antics and sharp humor depicting the chaotic lives of junior officers aboard the starship U.S.S. Cerritos.

With the season finale arriving on Thursday, November 2, 2023, loyal fans of this hyperactive sci-fi show can fill in the gap left by the "Star Trek" series' temporary absence with a new informative manual from Titan Books titled "Star Trek: Lower Decks - U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook" arriving in our galaxy on Dec. 19, 2023.

Related: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' creator shares how to find humor in Starfleet

This 176-page manual written by pop culture journalist and bestselling author Chris Farnell offers new Starfleet recruits assigned to the U.S.S. Cerritos a comprehensive guidebook covering nearly everything a jubilant young star voyager would want to learn about their swift interstellar vessel and its complex inner workings.

Here's the official synopsis:

"A funny and illuminating guide to life on the U.S.S. Cerritos from 'Star Trek: Lower Decks,' through the eyes of the beloved lower deckers themselves. Join the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos as they seek out new life and travel where people may, or may not, have been before!

"Based on the hit Paramount+ animated series 'Star Trek: Lower Decks,' Mariner, Boimler and all their friends offer advice and insider knowledge to new crewmembers. This hilarious and informative handbook will help you come to grips with the ship, your duties, and your fellow lower deckers, especially as they've generously left comments throughout."

Created by Mike McMahan ("Rick and Morty," "Solar Opposites") and animated by the talented artists at Titmouse, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" features a stellar vocal cast that includes Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler) Noël Wells (Ensign Tendi), Eugene Corder (Ensign Rutherford), Dawn Lewis (Captain Carol Freeman),  Jerry O’Connell (Commander Jack Ransom), Fred Tatasciore (Lieutenant Shaxs), and Gillian Vigman (Doctor T'Ana).

Titan Books' "Star Trek: Lower Decks - U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook" lands on Dec. 19.

Related: NASA's space shuttle program in pictures: A tribute

The result is "Space Shuttle Stories: Firsthand Astronaut Accounts from All 135 Missions," published by Smithsonian Books. In addition to a foreword by former space shuttle program manager Wayne Hale, "Space Shuttle Stories" devotes a couple of pages to each flight, pairing personal recollections with a gallery of more than 600 hand-picked photos.

collectSPACE spoke with Jones about "Space Shuttle Stories," how he brought together so many different astronauts' memories and why such a record is important for the future of space exploration. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

collectSPACE (cS): Did you set out to talk to all 355 people who flew aboard the space shuttle, or what was your target number for the book?

Tom Jones: My goal was to talk to one person from every shuttle mission. I knew I couldn't talk to every person who had flown on the shuttle—  that was just impossible, impractical. But I thought I could get one voice from every one of the 135 missions. That seemed something I could get my arms around, given enough time.

I just started at the beginning, STS-1, and started to ask for 45 minutes of people's time so I could get their stories down on paper. That was a delight because I never had a chance to talk one on one with so many interesting people.

cS: Other than those who have died, were there astronauts you wanted to talk to for the book but couldn't for whatever reason?

Jones: Out of the 130-plus interviews I did, there were certainly crew members where I tried to contact them and just was unable to reach them for an interview. They either declined or said they were too busy.

Take [shuttle pilot and commander] Pam Melroy, for example. She's a good friend, but she's [now] the deputy NASA administrator and I just could not carve 45 minutes out of her calendar to get her story. That's my fault, it's something I am sorry about, but of course there are other people on her shuttle missions who I could talk to. So rather than pull Pam away from something very important in her job, I talked to her colleagues, and that's how I solved that problem.

cS: In the book, it is noted that you used previously conducted oral histories or press interviews to include the voices of astronauts who died on the two space shuttle ill-fated missions, STS-51L on Challenger in 1986 and STS-107 on Columbia in 2003. Did you use the same approach for any other astronauts?

Jones: A good example of that is STS-4, which was Mattingly and Hartsfield. So, Hank Hartsfield's gone, but TK [Thomas Ken] Mattingly is still alive. He's an Apollo astronaut and then he flew on the shuttle. He's now of a certain age where he's not participating in interviews anymore. So I contacted him and got an answer, but he was reluctant to talk about STS-4 just because he's done it so many times before. I think he was just talked out.

So I was in a quandary for a few days, but then I thought of the Johnson Space Center oral history program. And sure enough, there's a nice long interview from TK about STS-4. The interview was conducted 20 years ago, but it is all public domain material, and I was able to tap into that so I could include at least one voice from that mission.

Related: Space shuttle Challenger and the disaster that changed NASA forever

cS: How did you decide when to insert your own voice? For example, for your first and last flights, STS-59 and STS-80, yours are the only accounts. For STS-80, you contributed only a brief anecdote and you did not add to the entry for STS-68. What drove those decisions?

Jones: It was my prerogative to structure the book the way I wanted to, and I thought I had some pretty good stories from both STS-59 on STS-98. I was a first-time flyer on STS-59 and I was quite excited by the whole experience of blasting off into orbit for the first time and getting to see Earth from the space radar lab perspective.

I thought I'd stick myself in a couple of the places, but I didn't want to dominate those four flights, and I wanted to give my other crewmates, who I'm good friends with, a chance to get their perspective on those flights into the book. So that's how I balanced that out. It wasn't because of a lack of participation from other crew members. I just wanted to insert myself in a little bit to tell my favorite stories on those two flights.

cS: How many of the astronauts' stories in the book are ones that you hadn't heard before? How many do you think are appearing in print for the first time?

Jones: For me not hearing the stories, that was about 90%. These were people who I worked with and walked the hallways with and were in simulators with and flew jets with, but I just never had a chance to hear of their favorite experiences. So it was all brand new and very rewarding for me and a really fun exercise.

There are probably a couple of dozen people out of the 135 [who contributed to "Space Shuttle Stories"], who have written books or published articles where their stories have appeared before. I think the rest [of the accounts] are all new to printed material. There is no doubt that some of the stories have been told in public audiences, but I haven't been around for those, and I think the readers will really enjoy hearing some voices that they haven't been exposed to before.

cS: What does the astronaut-perspective capture that differs from what others who worked on the space shuttle program can share?

Jones: Others can talk to different facets of the shuttle program and human spaceflight — in particular, the mission controllers and flight directors about how they solve problems on the ground. Astronauts can share how those solutions were implemented, and the shuttle crew member voices provide a good spectrum of the reaction to problems or unexpected situations in space.

As we go forward, returning to the moon, going into deep space and establishing a presence off planet, I think that the kinds of problem solving techniques will be very useful. Everything that we know how to do well in space today, we learned on the space shuttle, so letting folks talk about their own problem solving techniques is helpful.

cS: The book not only presents anecdotes and stories from each mission, but also photos from each. How did you select what photos to use?

Jones: I asked the interviewees for their favorite four or five photos from their flight and to give me shots that would explain or illustrate the experiences that they talked about on the mission.

I also tapped into the IMAX archives to use frames from their films. They are really superb, and I was glad to get their cooperation to use those images.

cS: Finally, if you were to recommend just one astronaut's entry to get a sense of what the book has to offer, what contribution would that be?

Jones: The drama and the risk is represented by STS-27 [in 1988], when the shuttle's heat shield sustained a tremendous amount of impact damage from insulation falling off of the right-hand solid rocket booster's nose cap. That debris came back and shredded about 600 or 700 tiles to varying degrees. In fact, there was one tile that was completely missing after reentry.

Hoot Gibson and his crew were aware of all this damage while they were in orbit, but they had no solution. They had no way to repair those tiles. They had to come home with what they had. So I think that was a really dicey moment for Gibson to pilot the reentry and then not know whether the heat shield would survive. That is what I would point to as representing the anxiety and fear that the risk of flying the shuttle could generate from time to time.

On representing the joy, I would look at Laurel Clark's note from aboard Columbia that I used to represent the voices of the [ill-fated] STS-107 crew. The joy in her voice is present in the email she mailed back to her family and friends on Earth. It captures the entire crew at the end of their mission, and I think really speaks well of that team.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.

Following previous projects that saw iconic Marvel Comics characters stripped down to bare hues in "Black, White & Red" and "Black, White & Blood" anthology titles starring Deadpool, Darth Vader, Wolverine, Marvel Zombies and more, the iconic publisher has now turned its minimalist palette to the realm of the xenomorphs with "Alien: Black, White & Blood #1" coming to comic shops and digital on Feb. 7, 2024.

Written by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Ryan Cady, and Stephanie Phillips, this debut installment of the fearsome four-issue series attacks the marketplace accented with arresting artwork from Michael Dowling, Devmalya Pramanik and Marcelo Ferreira. 

This bloody-good miniseries comes from a partnership between Marvel Comics and 20th Century Studios and showcases illustrations brought to life in beautiful black, white, red — and, perhaps a startling splash of green.

Related: Alien streaming guide: Where to watch the Alien movies online

Here's the official synopses for the premiere issue detailing how the horror unfolds:

"Superstars Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing ("Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty," "Guardians of the Galaxy") and brilliant artist Michael Dowling ("Black Cat," "Amazing Spider-Man") kick off 'Utopia,' a generations-spanning saga that will be told across all four issues! Soaring through space to find a perfect world, a society descends into darkness as they're shaped by their fear of the xenomorphs!  

"Fan-favorite writer Ryan Cady ("Winter Guard") and Marvel newcomer Devmalya Pramanik explore the limits of compassion in 'Maternal Instincts.' On a deep space vessel, a small child is the sole survivor of a xenomorph slaughter and her only hope for salvation is the ship's comforting and guiding AI computer unit.

"Rising stars Stephanie Phillips ("Capwolf & the Howling Commandos," "Cosmic Ghost Rider") and Marcelo Ferreira ("Moon Knight: City of the Dead") deliver a tale of guts, glory and the most exhilarating of games in 'The Hunt.' Xenomorphs become the main attraction when Weyland-Yutani gives wealthy thrill-seekers a chance to hunt down the galaxy's deadliest species."

Marvel's engaging new "Black, White & Blood" release is offered in the perfect format to give avid fans a stark take on those deadly acid-spewing killing machines first introduced in director Ridley Scott's original 1979 classic, "Alien." Game over, man! 

Marvel Comics' "Alien: Black, White & Blood #1" invades Earth on Feb. 7, 2024.

Case in point: Fictional astronaut Callie Rodriguez advances her outer space exploration mission as the first woman to step onto the moon in a brand-new issue of NASA's "First Woman" digital graphic novel series, "First Woman: Expanding our Universe."

In this second installment, available now at the "First Woman" website, readers will discover how Callie and her fellow astronauts work together as a unit to overcome various obstacles while trying to install a next-generation telescope on the far side of the moon.

Related: NASA's 1st interactive graphic novel 'First Woman' tells of one girl's dream to walk on the moon

Currently published online in English and Spanish, "First Woman: Expanding Our Universe" chronicles the activities of Callie and her team of diverse crewmates as they confront the unknown, make scientific discoveries and accomplish their specific mission objectives.

"Diversity is at the core of NASA's missions, and the reason we continue breaking the boundaries of what's possible. 'First Woman' embodies the rich history of countless women who broke barriers and continue to lead NASA to the stars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement on Thursday (Oct. 26). 

"So much of what NASA does is to inspire future explorers, because each member of the Artemis Generation should feel represented in our missions," Nelson said, referring to NASA's Artemis program of lunar exploration. "Callie's story reminds us that we will do what has never been done before — land the first woman on the moon, and it will inspire the world."

In 2021's "First Woman" premiere installment, "Dream To Reality," Callie and her trusty robot RT were holed up safely inside a lunar lava tunnel. Fans can dive back into the moon-based adventure by hopping onto the redesigned "First Woman" website, which also features a new Spanish-language option, or NASA's upgraded "First Woman" app that can be downloaded on Android and iOS.

"Callie is an inspirational character for underrepresented communities and, as a person of Indian descent with young children, I deeply understand the power of a diverse fanbase seeing a place for themselves within our ambitious missions. To solve the many challenges of sustainable lunar exploration, we need innovative ideas from diverse sources and non-traditional communities," Prasun Desai, acting associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in the same statement. 

"We continue that aspirational theme with our second issue, diving further into the crew's complex mission and personal backgrounds while expanding a wealth of interactive, multilingual science, technology, engineering and mathematics content across our digital platforms," Desai said.

Adding to the lunar lunacy is Image Comics' "Moon Man," a new sci-fi comic book series launching in January of 2024, written by Grammy Award-winning musician Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi and Eisner Award-nominated co-writer Kyle Higgins ("Radiant Black," "NO/ONE").  Onboard this spacey project are rising star illustrators Marco Locati and Igor Monti ("Inferno Girl Red," "Deep Cuts") with letters by Eisner Award-winning artist Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou ("Midlife"). 

"Moon Man #1" hits the marketplace on Jan. 31, 2024 courtesy of Image Comics, Black Market Narrative and Mad Solar with an extra-long premiere issue and companion Kid Cudi mixtape.

"This might be one of the top three coolest things I've ever been a part of. This story is something that took a lot of love from everyone involved, and I'm so excited for the world to finally experience 'Moon Man,'" said Mescudi in press statement. "I promise you this comic will be unlike anything you've read before. To each and every person that picks up a copy and shows support in January—I love you more than you can imagine. Thank you!"

Here's the official synopsis:

"'Moon Man' follows Ramon Townsend, a man ready for a quiet life after gaining unexpected celebrity status for steering his ship and crew safely home from a near-disastrous moon mission. Whatever went wrong on that failed moon mission, whatever happened in the missing minutes the cameras didn't capture, all Ramon really wants is to settle down back home in Cleveland. But those missing minutes hold an Earth-shattering secret — and, with all eyes turned to him, Ramon will soon find himself becoming something the world has never seen before."

"'Moon Man' is a book about What's Next — what's next for Ramon Townsend, for superhero stories, for humanity. In the face of corporations that seek only to possess and control, the ideals that make up our best heroes have never been more relevant," Higgins added in the same press release. "This is a series that will explore not only what it means to come into great power, but also what it means to discover the truth about the world — and the universe — around us. What kind of change is Ramon willing to make?"

Blasting off with a variant cover collection by industry luminaries like Rod Reis ("Winter Soldier") and Matt Taylor; Eisner Award winners Sanford Greene ("Bitter Root") and Christian Ward ("Black Bolt"); alongside legends Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz, Image Comics' "Moon Man #1" lands on Jan. 31, 2024.

Panel participants revealed news of a trio of new "Star Wars" comic book series centered in the galaxy far, far away and starring the popular characters of Thrawn, Mace Windu, and Jango Fett arriving next year.

Lucasfilm Publishing creative director Michael Siglain was joined by many project creators, who gave fans a colorful sneak peek at 2024's slate of titles for Marvel Comics' impressive "Star Wars" offerings.  

These announcements included a four-part adaptation of Timothy Zahn's #1 New York Times best-selling "Thrawn: Alliances" novel, a Mace Windu miniseries landing to help honor the 25th anniversary of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace," and a dynamic Jango Fett limited series.

Related: 'Star Wars': Summary of the franchise and its effect on space technology

First out of the gate and and launching on Jan. 24, 2024 is "Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1." This offering sees Zahn uniting with writer Jody Houser and artists Andrea Di Vito and Pat Olliffe to adapt his engaging initial chapter of Thrawn's saga for Marvel Comics. 

Per Marvel's description, we'll "witness the tactical prowess of the galaxy's most dangerous mind in action as Thrawn begins his legendary rise to power and forges a lasting and deadly partnership with Darth Vader." 

Next up, on Feb. 7, 2024, is the four-issue "Star Wars: Mace Windu #1," featuring the fearsome Jedi Knight first seen in 1999's "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace." Written by Marc Bernardin and drawn by Georges Jeanty, the title's storyline finds Windu attempting to stop an explosive secret from entering enemy hands. 

Here's a more detailed synopsis from Marvel:

"Even in the years before the Clone Wars, Mace Windu was known for his discipline, determination and combat skills. When a scientist's discovery threatens the balance of the galaxy, Mace is led down a treacherous path of mystery and action. The series will also introduce Azita Cruuz, a pirate with a deadly secret, who the Hutts and the Republic will stop at nothing to control!"  

Finally, on March 20, 2024, veteran writer Ethan Sacks teams up with artist Luke Ross for more riveting tales from the seedy underbelly of the galaxy in "Star Wars: Jango Fett #1." This project finds the infamous bounty hunter on a daring mission to hunt down a lucrative payday during a tense treaty dispute, alongside an appearance by the skilled sniper and assassin Aurra Sing.

"I'm very proud of Marvel's 'Star Wars' lineup in 2024 and grateful for the positive reaction the announcements got at the con," Senior Editor Mark Paniccia said in a statement. "This isn't the half of it, though. I really wish I could tease more of what's coming, but Vader would have my throat!"

For a special look at these series and more Marvel Comics "Star Wars" surprises, avid fans can grab a copy of this year's "Star Wars: Revelations #1" on Dec. 20, 2023.

"Rebel Moon," Netflix's ambitious two-part space opera from director Zack Snyder ("300," "Man of Steel," "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice"), is coming to the streamer on Dec. 22, 2023 with "Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire." The conclusion, "Rebel Moon: The Scargiver," is slated to arrive on April 19, 2024. 

"Rebel Moon" revolves around a mysterious outcast named Kora (Sofia Boutella) who gathers a crew of cutthroat mercenaries, assassins and freedom fighters to help protect her planet from a ruthless invasion orchestrated by an Imperium warlord called Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee).

The newly announced prequel, called "Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe," is coming in January 2024 and will be crafted using an original story by Snyder. "Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe" is a four-part companion miniseries penned by the Eisner-nominated Mags Visaggio ("Transformers vs. The Visionaries") with artwork from Clark Bint ("Murder Most Mundane") tastefully accented with atmospheric colors by Francesco Segala.

Related: What is Rebel Moon? Everything we know about Zack Snyder's new Netflix space opera

Here's the official synopsis:

"Set five years before the events depicted in 'Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire,' the comic 'House of the Bloodaxe' provides backstory for the characters of Devra and Darrian Bloodaxe, leaders of a band of outlaw revolutionaries (played by Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher), and their formidable family's history. 

"As war is looming on the horizon on the planet Shasu, the leader of the Bloodaxe family is conflicted between living up to his father's domineering legacy and maintaining the peace. It's up to him to settle conflicts within himself, and his family, before the entire planet erupts in war."

Check out a first look inside the premiere issue in the gallery below:

This prequel project will be the perfect dessert after ingesting Netflix's "Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire" this holiday season, as it adds more expansive details to the legends and lore of Snyder's entire "Rebel Moon" universe. 

"I'm excited to collaborate with Mags to explore the rich and complex backstory of the Bloodaxe siblings," said Zack Snyder in a Titan statement. "In 'Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe,' fans will get to discover their motivation, as well as the genesis of the rebellion."

With enticing covers by Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau, Rafael Albuquerque, Baldemar Rivas, and Andrea Olimpieri, Titan's "Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe #1" debuts in comic shops and digitally on Jan. 10, 2024.

"Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek" is a four-part miniseries hatched from IDW’s Eisner-nominated flagship "Star Trek" series and "Star Trek: Defiant" title.

Written by Morgan Hampton ("Cyborg") with artwork by Angel Hernandez ("Transformers," "Star Trek Resurgence") and a main cover courtesy of illustrator Jake Bartok, "Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek" centers around Jake and Alexander, the spacefaring sons of Benjamin Sisko and Wolf, as they encounter a curious dimension of unexplored possibilities populated by offspring of other "Star Trek" luminaries.

Related: 'Star Trek' movies in order: Chronological and release

• Want to watch Star Trek on Paramount Plus? Here's a free trial
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Here's the official synopsis:

"In the aftermath of Kahless' harrowing Day of Blood, Jake Sisko struggles to find his place in the universe now that his family has been reunited and his father, Benjamin Sisko, has once again saved the galaxy.

"Meanwhile, Alexander Rozhenko is recovering mentally and emotionally from his time as one of Kahless' devout followers. Although his father, Worf, was able to break him away from the Red Path cult, Alexander is haunted by his actions during the bloody coup and is unsure of his ability to atone for the devastation he caused.

"Jake and Alexander find their stories intertwined as they're thrust into an alternate universe where they followed their father’s footsteps into Starfleet stardom. As officers aboard the U.S.S. Burton, Jake and Alexander encounter alternate versions of other children of Starfleet legends who show them they all may have a bit more in common than it would seem."

Writer Morgan Hampton was one of the participants in the Milestone Initiative Talent Development Program, which led to his first major DC project rebooting Cyborg.

"'Star Trek' is a franchise that has rewired my DNA and provided me a sense of comfort amongst its characters and stories," said Hampton in a statement. "I'm so excited to pour some of that energy back into this world. Angel and I are creating a story full of shock, excitement, and wonder led by characters not usually in the spotlight. Fans new and old will find that familiar 'Star Trek' charm at the heart. It's a dream come true to be able to add a wrinkle in the fabric of this incredible universe!"

"Star Trek: Sons of Star Trek #1" kicks off the alt-dimension action on March 13, 2024.

Related: French Astronaut Thomas Pesquet's Amazing Photos from Space (Gallery) 

collectSPACE spoke with Pesquet about the challenges of photographing Earth from space, the psychological importance to being able to see our planet out the window and how he selected the photos for "The Earth in Our Hands," now in stores from Firefly Books. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

collectSPACE (cS): What would you say separates "The Earth in Our Hands" from other astronauts' collections of Earth photography, such as Terry Virts' "View From Above" or Don Pettit's "Spacebourne"?

Thomas Pesquet: I'm familiar with their work, especially Don Pettit's, Don is the one who actually (re-)invented space photography, almost. Their books were an inspiration. For some of my shots, I started from what Don was doing and then I tried to give it a personal take.

I think the biggest difference is probably night pictures. Those other guys did some night pictures, but mostly shot in the day, I think. I did a lot of night pictures, which I really enjoyed, starting from time lapses and extracting some really nice frames. So I think my book maybe has more night pictures.

Also, one thing that I did that I think none of those other guys did is photo collages. Instead of taking just one shot [of a target]. I took hundreds of shots as the ISS flew over and then I stitched them back together. It's computer assisted, but I stitched them together to give me the highest magnitude over a very wide area. So I could map the whole city of Los Angeles or the whole state of New York, which does not fit in just one shot at that high a magnitude.

I ended up needing NASA's help. Those guys [on the ground] were sometimes the ones stitching the pictures back together because we don't have the computing power up there on the space station, nor the software. But I think that's something that sets my photography apart.

cS: How did you go about culling 200 of your favorite photos from among the more than 245,000 you took during your second mission?

Pesquet: I did the work during the mission.

So, for example, given the inclination of the orbital plane, there is this one really good pass when you go diagonally from northwest to southeast across France. along Italy, through the Mediterranean along the Red Sea. This is a goldmine [for photography]; there's everything in that orbit, at least for a European.

On a day, some Sunday afternoon, when you get such an orbit, you end up with possibly 10 SD cards with 200 to 400 pictures on each and then you have to sort through them. If you postpone everything until after the mission, then you'll never do it because there's just way too many pictures and that's way too much work.

So every evening, I would go through my SD cards, downlinking everything to NASA like you're supposed to, but then hand picking the pictures I liked to save for myself on my ISS laptop. And then on the ground after the mission, I uploaded everything to Flickr, organizing albums geographically like North America, South America, Europe, Africa, etc., or night pictures or EVA [extravehicular activity or spacewalk] pictures and then I tried to tag them all, which was also a lot of work, but then only 4,000 to 5,000 pictures made the cut.

So when we sat down and selected the pictures to create the book, we started from my Flickr account where the pictures are nicely sorted out and that was a huge help. For the few pictures that were missing or when we needed the highest resolution, then I wrote to the the imagery folks at Johnson Space Center in Houston and they were always so great, sending me back exactly what I wanted.

cS: How far apart would you say is the experience of seeing Earth on the pages of your book, as compared to seeing it out the window of the space station's cupola?

Pesquet: There's something that cannot be captured [by the camera]. The way sometimes I've tried to explain it is the blue of Earth is not only a color, it's also a light — it actually glows. And that's really what it is; it's just a reflection of the sunlight. But it glows a bit like a Bluetooth LED, which is blue, but that is a very weak comparison.

So everything is a little bit like that and it's hard to capture in a picture. Night photography is especially hard because you see stars and auroras and then when you click on your digital camera, which are only as good as their sensors, more often than not you got a black or mostly black frame with only some hint of the real color. It takes a lot of tampering with the camera's settings to actually get a decent picture of an aurora or sights like that.

It's also a matter of investing your time and hard work. If you look at the pictures from the beginning of my first mission, they're horrible. And then they get slightly better over the course of my first mission and I picked up where I left off on the second mission. I only like the pictures from the end of my second mission, which is after 400 days in space taking pictures. I only then finally got to kind of like the pictures I took.

So I would say with hard work, good cameras and also some post processing, because the pictures you get, they are a bit hazy. There's a grayish tint to the atmosphere and you eyes don't really see that but the camera captures it. So the colors are less flamboyant, less contrasted then they are in real life. So it takes a little bit of adjusting your pictures [to match what you see].

If you do those three things right, which we tried to do in the book, then I would say you're only missing 10 percent. But if you just click a picture out the window and then post it on social media without anything, it is going to be gray, the colors are going to be horrible and then you're missing at least 50 percent of what your eyes actually did see.

cS: From what you write in the book and how you you talk about Earth photography, there is a sense that having the ability to look out the window at our home world is an important factor, psychologically, for being able to stay in space for long durations. On a trip to Mars, however, there's going to be a large swath of time where Earth is going to be too small to see and all you are going to have is the blackness of space out the window. How hard do you think that is going to be if you don't have Earth photography as a pastime to fill the months it is going to take to get to Mars?

Pesquet: I think it's gonna be super hard honestly.

The trip is going to be uncomfortable. It's not going to be the ISS flying to Mars, it is going to be a much smaller volume. I usually call it, and it's not exactly accurate, but it's 500 days in a Fiat 500.

It's also going to be challenging because you will have to keep busy, right? If you are not busy with work or photography or whatever, then you start thinking about your family. You start thinking about what you're missing. I've seen it happen.

There was a Progress launch mishap just after our Soyuz launch on my first mission. The Progress blew up, so my Russian colleagues they didn't have all of the cargo, all of the science experiments and everything that they needed to follow at work. So for a few weeks, their workload was actually really low, or much lower than what it usually is, and those guys were taking naps, watching movies and things like that and they hated it. That's when they began to speak about their families and we saw how they missed them.

So do you don't want that on a mission to Mars

The view of Earth, which is more specific to the question, is, at the same time, I think psychologically reassuring. It's home. It's where everybody is that you know, where your friends and families are, but it is also about safety, right? We on the ISS, even though we are really super high, 400 and some kilometers, we are still very close to Earth. If something goes wrong, you can come back down.

When I saw the pictures from the Artemis I mission behind the moon, with the capsule in the foreground and the moon a few dozen thousand kilometers underneath and then Earth like 384,000 kilometers [240,000 miles] behind it as a really tiny ball, I was thinking, "Wow, there's a good amount of risk involved." Because if something goes wrong, your navigation system better be working, your propulsion system better be working because you're not going to glide all the way back to the planet.

So I think, "Now we're in deep waters." Now whatever happens, whether it is days or weeks or months from a return, it's going to be something to deal with. Those guys and ladies who we send to Mars, they're going to need to be psychologically strong. They will be busy. We'll figure out a way, but it's going be a different kind of animal from just flying on the ISS.

cS: So with in mind, do you want to be in a position to write a sequel to "The Earth in Our Hands"? Maybe something like, "The Moon Beneath Our Feet: Photos from the Lunar Gateway"?

Pesquet: I would love to do that, absolutely. I think for the moon, though, it will be mostly black and white. I have to up my black and white game. I tried to take some black and white shots on the ISS, but I think Earth is so beautiful and so colorful, it's actually a shame to take black and white pictures of the planet.

But yeah, we are so lucky to live in an age when there's an Artemis program and we are going and Europe is part of it. Hopefully, European astronauts — fingers crossed — but maybe it's not me, who knows? There's a handful of candidates right now. But yeah, before 2030 hopefully one of us is going to be on the surface of the moon.

And now photography is part of the job. That's the way I see it. You have to share your view, you have to bring back some pictures. It's like the internet, if there are no pictures, it doesn't exist and it does exist so we need to bring back some good pictures.

I've actually done three weeks of [lunar] geology training, the last one of which in Lanzarote, which is a volcanic island. It looks like the moon on Mars with very barren landscapes. If you squint your eyes, you think you're on the moon. I got to play with the camera that NASA is planning to equip crews who will step on the moon. It's digital camera-based, but its frame, some of its buttons and its firmware have been upgraded to make it usable with pressurized gloves on the moon.

It was exciting to give my feedback as an ISS Sunday photographer and to get my hands on the camera, walk around and picture myself on the moon. Hopefully it happens one day, but if I am not going, somebody better bring home some good pictures so that I can feel like I was there, too.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.

"Sew Sister: The Untold Story of Jean Wright and NASA's Seamstresses" (Tilbury House Publishers, 2023) follows the story of how the space shuttle program was served by experts in threading needles and sewing machines. One of those experts was Jean Wright.

Wright was the last "Sew Sister" hired during the space shuttle program and today serves as a Kennedy Space Center (KSC) docent, a program for former NASA employees who support KSC outreach programs and share their stories with the public. Her story intrigued author and illustrator Elise Matich; the two first met in 2019 at the space shuttle Atlantis exhibit where Wright regularly works.

Wright spoke with Space.com about the message she has for the kids reading this book, key NASA projects she helped with, and what it meant to join NASA after so many years of wanting to work at the agency.

Related: Space Shuttle: The First Reusable Spacecraft

But Chewie has a lot more to reveal in "Star Wars: Secrets of the Wookiees," a new book arriving on Nov. 28, 2023 (just in time for the holidays!) in a handy guide format shining an informative and entertaining light on the exotic world of the Wookiees. The book is written by the Eisner and Harvey Award–nominated writer and editor Marc Sumerak and matched with vivid artwork from illustrator Alberto Buscicchio.

This is the third entry in Insight Editions' series of all-ages "Star Wars" canon reference books, with each comprehensive volume centering on a particular corner of the galaxy far, far away. So far, the roster has included 2022's "Star Wars: The Secrets of the Bounty Hunters," 2021's "Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith," and 2019's "Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi."

Related: 'Star Wars' fan favorite Lando Calrissian is getting his own movie on Disney+

Here's the official synopsis:

"Readers of all ages will discover the untold stories of Wookiees, from Chewbacca to Burryaga, in this interactive, beautifully illustrated guide. Journey to the forests of Kashyyyk and learn the lore of the galaxy's most storied species in 'Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees.' 

"Young fans will uncover fascinating stories about famous Wookiees across galactic history, all accompanied by incredible artwork and interactive features, including pop-ups, booklets, and lift-the-flap inserts. You'll delve into Chewbacca's journeys with Han Solo and Rey, Wookiee history and technology, and more.

"'Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees' contains beautiful illustrations that will enthrall both child and adult readers alike. Complete with a frameable 11 x 17 poster of the cover art, this book is the ideal gift for any 'Star Wars' fan."

Since being first introduced to Chewbacca, Han Solo's 200-year-old co-pilot equipped with a lethal crossbow and torso bandolier that Princess Leia referred to as a "walking carpet" in 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope," these ill-tempered giants have generated endless interest from legions of "Star Wars" faithful regarding the beasts' forest homeworld, customs, habits and culture.  

Covering movies, television shows, books, comics and video games, this engaging manual highlights the galaxy's greatest Wookiees—including Chewbacca, Tarfful, Krrsantan, Burryaga, Gungi, and all others who call Kashyyyk their birthplace.

Insight Editions' "Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees" releases on Nov. 28, 2023.

The effort revolved around a refreshing roster of intertwined young adult books, adult novels, and comic books with narratives taking place 200 years prior to "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” 

Phase I of this multi-pronged marketing strategy launched in January 2021 with an impressive collection of authors including Charles Soule ("Light of the Jedi"), Justina Ireland ("A Test of Courage"), Claudia Gray ("Into the Dark"), Cavan Scott (Marvel's "The High Republic" comic), and Daniel José Older (IDW's "Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures" comic).

Phase II just covered the period of time 150 years before Phase I. Now, Marvel's next chapter of the "The High Republic," known as "Trials of the Jedi," has landed. 

Related: 'Star Wars: The High Republic' writers discuss the Jedi Order's finest hour (exclusive)

Written again by Cavan Scott and showcasing art by Ario Anindito and Jim Towe, the flagship story picks up after the pivotal events of that Phase 1 outing as Jedi Master Keeve Trennis strives to reform the Jedi Order to bring hope to the whole galaxy.

Here's the official synopsis:

"Complete with new heroes, mysteries, and threats, 'The High Republic' stories take place centuries prior to the events of 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,' taking fans into a previously unseen period where the Jedi were at the height of their glory! Marvel's 'Star Wars: The High Republic #1' [Phase III] will continue to reward readers already immersed in the world of 'Star Wars: The High Republic' and serve as a perfect jumping-on point for those venturing into the mythos for the very first time!

"A year after the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Marchion Ro and the Nihil stand victorious! The galaxy is in turmoil: The once mighty Jedi are outclassed, the Republic is on its knees. On the edges of the galactic frontier, Jedi Master Keeve Trennis leads a desperate assault against an invading force. The odds are stacked against her, but a Jedi always clings to hope. The Force is always with her…right? Not so fast!"

Check out the first five pages of the premiere issue in the gallery below:

Phase III's storytelling sandbox offers a constellation of "Star Wars" books and comics spawned from the era where the Jedi were guardians of peace and justice.

"I'm over the moon to be returning to our original 'High Republic' characters as we reach the climatic final phase of the publishing initiative," Scott told StarWars.com. "I'm particularly excited to be working with Ario Anindito again, as well as to welcome Jim Towe to the art team. Their work is truly stunning! I can't wait for readers to see it for themselves!"

"Star Wars: The High Republic #1" lands Nov. 8 with Phil Noto's main cover, variant covers from Annie Wu, David Baldeon, and a full connecting variant by Mico Suayan.

At the age of 83, the acclaimed actor has finally paused to pen a comprehensive portrait of his astounding stage and screen life, a new autobiography called "Making It So: A Memoir."

Released on Oct. 3, 2023 by Gallery Books, this addictive 480-page volume chronicles everything from the distinguished performer's early days growing up in Yorkshire, England, to his formative time with the Royal Shakespeare Company, to his trek to Tinseltown in the 1980s, where he eventually took the center seat in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" before advancing into "Star Trek" features prior to playing Professor Charles Xavier in the blockbuster "X-Men" movies.

Related: Why 'Picard' symbolizes hope for 'Star Trek's' Patrick Stewart

According to an exclusive book excerpt featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Stewart had a troubled beginning settling into his first syndicated TV series on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." He was trying to make a mark for himself by remaining gravely serious in his endeavor playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard. 

Co-stars such as Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby and Brent Spiner frequently teased him or chuckled after goofing their own lines, a habit that Stewart didn’t like at all.

"I could be a severe bastard," he writes. "My experiences at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre had been intense and serious … On the 'TNG' set, I grew angry with the conduct of my peers, and that's when I called that meeting in which I lectured the cast for goofing off and responded to Denise Crosby's, 'We've got to have some fun sometimes, Patrick' comment by saying, 'We are not here, Denise, to have fun.'

"In retrospect, everyone, me included, finds this story hilarious. But in the moment, when the cast erupted in hysterics at my pompous declaration, I didn't handle it well. I didn't enjoy being laughed at. I stormed off the set and into my trailer, slamming the door."

Stewart continues by explaining how Frakes and Spiner visited his private trailer to smooth things over after the abrupt episode.

The duo "acknowledged that yes, there was too much goofing around and that it needed to be dialed back," he notes. "But they also made it clear how off-putting it was — and not a case study in good leadership — for me to try to resolve the matter by lecturing and scolding the cast. I had failed to read the room, imposing RSC behavior on people accustomed to the ways of episodic television — which was, after all, what we were shooting."

Stewart told The Hollywood Reporter that the amusing anecdotes and behind-the-scenes tales found in "Making It So: A Memoir" are 100% true.

"Absolutely nothing is made up. Not at all. It's all for real. And, I must say, surprised about how many recollections I had and how vividly some of the recollections were experienced."

"Making It So: A Memoir" is available now at book stores and online outlets.

One glance at this Scottish creator's edgy, unsettling pencils found in books like "Batman: The Black Mirror," "Wytches," "Detective Comics," and "Snow Angels" and it's immediately obvious why he's perhaps the most sought after talent in the world.

Now Jock is debuting the first 48-page installment of a premium format sci-fi series, "Gone," on October 25. It's his first independent project acting as both writer and artist, conceived with the new creator-owned publisher DSTLRY that he helped co-found and we've got a provocative 5-page peek into the premiere issue to share.

Here's the official synopsis:

"On an impoverished and distant planet where menial workers scratch out a living resupplying starships, the best place to be is GONE… and that's exactly where 13-year-old Abi wants to be. Along with her street-tough friends, Abi stows away on a colossal luxury space-liner, hoping for a better life. Unbeknownst to her, Abi's 'friends' are not who they seem, and she suddenly finds herself branded a saboteur as she desperately struggles to evade the ship's deadly crew to stay alive! As the young heroine confronts betrayal, discovers her true allies, and fights against all odds, Abi will soon realize that nothing is farther away than…home."

Here's our exclusive 5-page preview of the debut issue in the gallery below:

In addition to Jock's stratospheric comics career soaring across multiple publishers over the past two decades, he's also known for his distinctive work in Hollywood, where his concept artwork and character designs were used in movies such as "Ex Machina," "Annihilation," "Children of Men," "Dredd," and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." 

"Gone" represents the culmination of 24 memorable years in the business and showcases the superstar's unique ability to infuse each panel with an electrifying pathos, energy, and emotion. The premise of this absorbing narrative display was first introduced in Jock's riveting short-story "The Stowaway," a fascinating entry found in DSTLRY's kickoff release, "The Devil's Cut."

With a formal presentation and preview by DSTLRY at this year's New York Comic Con, "Gone #1" lands in comic shops and online outlets on Oct. 25, 2023.

Life Day was first introduced in the abysmal "Star Wars Holiday Special" television show that aired on Nov. 17, 1978 and has been relentlessly mocked across our entire galaxy ever since it aired. 

Since then, Life Day has gathered a bit of steam in the real world despite its inauspicious beginnings on that cheesy program that those of us of a certain aged were cruelly subjected to nearly 45 years ago. It's a day replete with remembrance, thankfulness, gift giving, holiday foods, and honoring Wookiee culture that places an emphasis on the blessings of family, joy and harmony.

Related: 'Star Wars:' Summary of the franchise and its effect on space technology

Now, Marvel Comics is getting into the spirit of this affirming "Star Wars" tradition. Next month, the publisher participates in the Life Day revelry with a collection of four all-new variant covers composed by the hands of veteran artists. 

Here's the official description of these holiday accompaniments: 

"Gracing the covers of 'Star Wars,' 'Star Wars: Darth Vader,' 'Star Wars: Doctor Aphra," and 'Star Wars: Bounty Hunters,' the four new Life Day Variant Covers come from artists Mike Del Mundo and Rod Reis and feature characters from throughout various eras of 'Star Wars' storytelling, including nods to the original 'Star Wars Holiday Special.' 

"Fans can enjoy heartwarming moments like young Anakin Skywalker sharing a meal with his mother Shmi, Han Solo and Chewie decorating, Chef Gormaanda whipping up a delicious feast, and Doctor Aphra and Krrsantan reuniting for the season!"

Check out the rundown on the release dates for these four joyous Life Day variants:

"Star Wars #40" (Nov. 1) with cover artwork by Mike Del Mundo; "Star Wars: Darth Vader #40" (Nov. 8) with variant cover from Rod Reis; "Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #38" (Nov. 15), also by Rod Reis; and "Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #40" (Nov. 22), again courtesy of Rod Reis.

Dust off your ceremonial robes, grab your afterlife orbs, and enjoy Life Day 2023!

Diamonds Everywhere, from astronomer Tom Kerss, is an instant must for experienced space lovers and anyone curious about the unknown. The book arrives packed with astrophotography and over a thousand facts about the universe.

For anyone in the habit of getting a head-start on their yearly Christmas shopping, add this to the list for that friend or family member who can’t seem to shut up about how awesome space is. This book is for them. 

The book’s beautiful pages are filled with intricately detailed astrophotography of everything in the sky from the Moon and Mars, to far away nebulae spanning light-years across. Passages of easily digestible information accompany the magnificent imagery inside Diamonds Everywhere, adding context and substance to photos throughout the book. A quick flip through its photos will reveal wondrous facts, such as the Andromeda Galaxy’s destined collision with the Milky Way, or that sunsets on Mars are blue, and a thousand more.

Diamonds Everywhere is a truly inspirational curation of space imagery, it’s hard to turn away from its pages once they’ve been opened. There are a few other books, however, that you might also want to take a look at while you’ve got your sites set on the stars. For anyone feeling the astro-urge to get a jump start with your 2024 skywatching plans, Collins Astronomy’s 2024 Guide to the Night Sky and the Night Sky Almanac 2024 are the perfect companions to help you map out next year’s celestial highlights.

If the wonderful photos in Diamonds Everywhere just aren't enough, this year's upcoming publication of Astronomy Photographer of the Year will complete your stack of amazing space photo collections not to miss. Finally, if you’re looking to learn more about our neighboring star, The Sun has all the information you need to observe it safely from your own back garden.

However, all that might change after you see the frightful foursome of themed covers for IDW Publishing's bold new holiday comics offering, "Star Trek: Holo-Ween."

Written by seasoned writer Chris Sequeira ("Justice League Adventures," "Sherlock Holmes: Dark Detective") and featuring haunting interior artwork from Eisner-nominated illustrator Joe Eisma ("Morning Glories," "Engineward"), the intrepid crew of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" encounters a monstrous force emanating from the holodeck in this superb four-issue miniseries starting Oct. 4.

Related: 'Star Trek:' History & effect on space technology

Here's the official synopsis:

"After enduring an anxiety-ridden passage through a solar storm, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise take to celebrating Halloween to reset the mood. But while the Earth holiday involves sweet treats and other festivities, they soon learn that fear is in season when crew members begin to go missing one by one."

One of the atmospheric highlights of this spine-tingling series is the selection of striking covers that masterful Italian horror illustrator Francesco Francavilla has conjured up. 

His signature color-saturated style has earned the acclaimed artist numerous international accolades for his work on dozens of titles over the years, including "The Black Beetle," "Batman: The Black Mirror," "Afterlife with Archie," "Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle," and, most recently, DC Comics' "The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing."

These four Halloween-style covers by Francavilla reveal Redjac as a terrifying Jack the Ripper/Borg hybrid and monsterized versions of "The Next Generation's" crew. There's a mummified Deanna Troi, for example, a werewolf Commander Riker, Captain Jean-Luc Picard as Mr. Hyde, Worf as an amphibious Klingon Mkr'an, and Data as a stitched-up Frankenstein's monster. 

Anyone for a live-action rendition based on this concept?

IDW's "Star Trek: Holo-Ween #1" emerges from the shadows on Oct. 4 and continues as a weekly series throughout the entire month.

NBC's pioneering sci-fi show ran from 1966 to 1969. But its essence continued in 1973's "Star Trek: The Animated Series" and ran through a half-dozen "Star Trek" big-screen feature films, which rolled out in theaters between 1979 and 1991.

The iconic series — which broke many boundaries involving race, sex, politics and religion — has had a tremendous resurgence lately, in the form of IDW Publishing's "Star Trek" comic books, Paramount+ offerings such as "Star Trek: Discovery," "Star Trek: Picard," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," in addition to animated fare including "Star Trek: Prodigy," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and bite-sized "Short Treks." And don't forget the dynamic new gaming options like "Star Trek: Resurgence!"

Related: 'Star Trek:' History & effect on space technology

To reflect on the complex origins of it all and pay homage to Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train To The Stars," London-based Titan Publishing is delivering a new 96-page hardback volume tracing "Star Trek's" deep imaginative roots in "Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast."

Here's the official description:

"The story of 'Star Trek' as told by the people who know it best: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and the cast and crew! This lavishly illustrated oral history of the 'Star Trek' phenomenon covers the exploits of the original crew across three seasons of live action television, two seasons of animated adventures and the six movies.

"Featuring interview material with all seven regular cast members — William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols — this volume also includes contributions from guest stars, writers and directors."

This upcoming release pulled straight from the glossy pages of "Star Trek Explorer" magazine is a reference manual that could help refresh your memory regarding the genesis of "Star Trek," as explained by the wealth of talented creators of this influential and inspiring sci-fi media franchise.

"Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast" lands on Dec. 12. 

The founder and CEO of SpaceX not only leads the most revolutionary and active spaceflight company on the planet, but also heads the electric car company Tesla and social media giant X (formerly known as Twitter), to name just a few of Musk's many endeavors.

Biographer and journalist Walter Isaacson spent two years with Musk in order to write "Elon Musk," a new, best-selling biography that explores what makes the entrepreneur and innovator tick.

Thanks to publisher Simon & Schuster, Space.com has an exclusive excerpt of the book that describes the sometimes-tense atmosphere at SpaceX as Musk oversaw a 2021 surge at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas in order to get its massive Starship rocket ready for its first test flight. 

Related: SpaceX completes required 'corrective actions' ahead of 2nd Starship flight, Elon Musk says

Chapter 59: Starship Surge

Mechzilla

[Musk's son] X, then fifteen months old, toddled on top of the white Starbase conference table in Boca Chica, opening and shutting his outstretched arms. He was mimicking the animation on the screen showing the arms of the Boca Chica launchpad tower. The first three words he had learned to speak were "rocket," "car," and "daddy." Now he was practicing a new one: "chopsticks." His father paid little attention, and the other five engineers in the room that night were practiced in pretending not to be distracted by him.

The story of the chopsticks had begun eight months earlier, at the end of 2020, when the SpaceX team was discussing the landing legs being planned for Starship. Musk's guiding principle was rapid reusability, which he often declared was "the holy grail for making humans a space-faring civilization." In other words, rockets should be like airplanes. They should take off, land, and then take off again as soon as possible. 

The Falcon 9 had become the world's only rapidly reusable rocket. During 2020, Falcon boosters had landed safely twenty-three times, coming down upright on landing legs. The video feeds of the fiery yet gentle landings still made Musk leap from his chair. Nevertheless, he was not enamored with the landing legs being planned for Starship's booster. They added weight, thus cutting the size of the payloads the booster could lift. 

"Why don't we try to use the tower to catch it?" he asked. He was referring to the tower that holds the rocket on the launchpad. Musk had already come up with the idea of using that tower to stack the rocket; it had a set of arms that could pick up the first-stage booster, place it on the launch mount, then pick up the second-stage spacecraft, and place it atop the booster. Now he was suggesting that these arms could also be used to catch the booster when it returned to Earth. 

It was a wild idea, and there was a lot of consternation in the room. "If the booster comes back down to the tower and crashes into it, you can't launch the next rocket for a long time," Bill Riley says. "But we agreed to study different ways to do it."

A few weeks later, just after Christmas 2020, the team gathered to brainstorm. Most engineers argued against trying to use the tower to catch the booster. The stacking arms were already dangerously complex. After more than an hour of argument, a consensus was forming to stick with the old idea of putting landing legs on the booster. But Stephen Harlow, the vehicle engineering director, kept arguing for the more audacious approach. "We have this tower, so why not try to use it?" 

After another hour of debate, Musk stepped in. "Harlow, you're on board with this plan," he said. "So why don't you be in charge of it?" 

As soon as he made the decision, Musk switched into silly-humor mode. He began laughing about the scene in "The Karate Kid" where the karate master, Mr. Miyagi, uses a pair of chopsticks to catch a fly. The tower arms, Musk said, would be called the chopsticks, and he dubbed the whole tower "Mechazilla." He celebrated with a tweet: "We're going to try to catch the booster with the launch tower arm!" When asked by a follower why he didn't just use landing legs, Musk responded, "Legs would certainly work, but the best part is no part." On a hot Wednesday afternoon in late July 2021, the final segment of Mechazilla with the movable chopstick arms was put in place at the Boca Chica launch site. When his team showed him an animation of the device, Musk got excited. "Kick ass!" he shouted. "The viewership on this one is going to be huge." He found a two-minute clip from "The Karate Kid" and tweeted it out from his iPhone. "SpaceX will try to catch largest ever flying object with robot chopsticks," he said. "Success is not guaranteed, but excitement is!"

The surge 

"We need to stack the ship on the booster," Musk told the impromptu meeting of a hundred workers gathered in a semicircle in one of the three hangar-like tents in Boca Chica. It was a brutally sunny day in July 2021, and he was focused on getting FAA approval for Starship to fly. The best way, he decided, was to stack the booster and the second-stage ship on the launchpad to show that they were ready. "That will force the regulators to get off their butts," he said. "There will be public pressure getting them to move to approval."

It was a somewhat pointless but typical Musk move. Starship, as it turned out, would not be ready to fly until April 2023, another twenty-one months away. But creating a maniacal sense of urgency would, he hoped, light a fire under everyone, including the regulators, the workers, and even himself.

For the next few hours, he lumbered along the assembly lines, his hairless arms swinging, his neck slightly bent, pausing occasionally to stare at something in silence. Increasingly, his face got darker, and his pauses took on an ominous feel. By 9 p.m., a full moon had arisen out of the ocean, and it seemed to be transforming him into a man possessed. 

I had seen Musk get into this demon-mode temperament before, so I sensed what it portended. As often happens—at least two or three times a year in a major way — a compulsion was swelling inside him to order up a surge, an all-in burst of round-the-clock activity, like he had done at the Nevada battery factory, the Fremont car assembly plant, and the autonomous-driving team offices, and would later do in the crazed month after he bought Twitter. The goal was to shake things up and "extrude shit out of the system," as he put it. 

The storm clouds building in his head burst when he and a group of his top managers went down the road to the launchpad site and didn't see anybody working. This might not have seemed unusual to most people on a late Friday night, but Musk erupted. His immediate target was a tall, mild-mannered civil engineer named Andy Krebs, who was in charge of building the infrastructure at Starbase. "Why is no one working?" Musk demanded. 

Unfortunately for Krebs, it was the first time in three weeks he didn't have a full night shift working on the tower and launchpad. Soft-spoken with a hint of a stutter, he was tentative in his answers, which didn't help. "What is the [expletive] problem?" Musk demanded. "I want to see activity."

That's when he ordered the surge. Starship's booster and second stage, he said, should be rolled out of the manufacturing bays and stacked on the launchpad within ten days. He wanted five hundred workers from around SpaceX—Cape Canaveral, Los Angeles, Seattle—to be flown immediately to Boca Chica and thrown into the breach. "This is not a volunteer organization," he said. "We are not selling Girl Scout cookies. Get them here now." When he called Gwynne Shotwell, who was in bed in Los Angeles, to figure out what workers and supervisors would come to Boca Chica, she protested that the engineers at the Cape still had Falcon 9 launches to prepare for. Musk ordered them delayed. The surge was his priority. 

Shortly after 1 a.m., Musk sent out an email titled "Starship Surge" to all SpaceX employees. "Anyone who is not working on other obviously critical path projects at SpaceX should shift immediately to work on the first Starship orbit," he wrote. "Please fly, drive, or get here by any means possible." 

At Cape Canaveral, Kiko Dontchev, who won his spurs when Musk ignited a similar frenzy after seeing almost no one working on Pad 39A one night, began rousing his best workers to fly to Texas. Musk's assistant Jehn Balajadia tried to get hotel rooms in nearby Brownsville, but most were booked for a border-control convention, so she scrambled to make arrangements for workers to sleep on air mattresses. Sam Patel worked through the night figuring out the reporting and supervising structures they would put in place — and also how to get enough food to Boca Chica to feed everyone. 

By the time Musk got back from the launchpad to the Starbase main building, the video monitor by the front door had been reprogrammed. It read, "Ship+Rocket Stacked T –196h 44m 23s," and was counting down the seconds. Balajadia explained that Musk does not let them round off into days or even hours. Every second counted. "We need to get to Mars before I die," he said. "There's no forcing function for getting us to Mars other than us, and sometimes that means me." 

The surge was successful. In just over ten days, the booster and spacecraft of Starship were stacked on the launchpad. It was also a bit pointless. The rocket was not yet capable of flying, and stacking it did not force the FAA to rush its approval. But the ginned-up crisis pushed the team to remain hardcore, and it provided Musk with a bit of the drama that his headspace craves. "I feel renewed faith in the future of humanity," he said that evening. Another storm had passed.

Raptor costs 

A few weeks after the surge, Musk turned his attention to Raptor, the engine that would power Starship. Fueled by supercooled liquid methane and liquid oxygen, it had more than twice the thrust of the Falcon 9's Merlin engine. This meant that Starship would have more thrust than any other rocket in history. 

But the Raptor engine would not get humanity to Mars simply by being powerful. It would also have to be manufactured by the hundreds at a reasonable cost. Each Starship would need about forty of them, and Musk envisioned a fleet of scores of Starships. Raptor was too complex to be mass-manufactured. It looked like a spaghetti bush. So in August 2021, Musk fired the person in charge of its design and personally took on the title of vice president for propulsion. His goal was to get the cost of each engine to around $200,000, a tenth of what it then cost. 

Gwynne Shotwell and the SpaceX CFO, Bret Johnsen, arranged a small meeting one afternoon with the person in the finance department in charge of overseeing Raptor costs. In walked a studious looking young financial analyst named Lucas Hughes, whose slightly preppy appearance was mitigated by his hair being scrunched into a ponytail. He had never directly interacted with Musk and wasn't even sure Musk knew his name. So he was nervous. 

Musk began with his lecture on collegiality. "I want to be super clear," he began. "You are not the friend of the engineers. You are the judge. If you're popular among the engineers, this is bad. If you don't step on toes, I will fire you. Is that clear?" Hughes stuttered a bit as he assented. 

Ever since he flew back from Russia and calculated the costs of building his own rockets, Musk had deployed what he called the "idiot index." That was the ratio of the total cost of a component to the cost of its raw materials. Something with a high idiot index — say, a component that cost $1,000 when the aluminum that composed it cost only $100 — was likely to have a design that was too complex or a manufacturing process that was too inefficient. As Musk put it, "If the ratio is high, you're an idiot."

"What are the best parts in Raptor as judged by the idiot index?" Musk asked. 

"I'm not sure," Hughes responded. "I will find out." This was not good. Musk's face hardened, and Shotwell shot me a worried glance. 

"You better be [expletive] sure in the future you know these things off the top of your head," Musk said. "If you ever come into a meeting and do not know what are the idiot parts, then your resignation will be accepted immediately." He spoke in a monotone and showed no emotion. "How can you [expletive] not know what the best and worst parts are?" 

"I know the cost chart down to the smallest part," Hughes said quietly. "I just don't know the cost of the raw materials of those parts." 

"What are the worst five parts?" Musk demanded. Hughes looked at his computer to see if he could calculate an answer. "NO! Don't look at your screen," Musk said. "Just name one. You should know the problematic parts." 

"There's the half nozzle jacket," Hughes offered tentatively. "I think it costs thirteen thousand dollars." 

"It's made of a single piece of steel," Musk said, now quizzing him. "How much does that material cost?" 

"I think a few thousand dollars?" replied Hughes. 

Musk knew the answer. "No. It's just steel. It's about two hundred bucks. You have very badly failed. If you don't improve, your resignation will be accepted. This meeting is over. Done." 

When Hughes came into the conference room the next day for a follow-up presentation, Musk showed no sign that he remembered reaming him out. "We are looking at the twenty worst 'idiot index' parts," Hughes began as he pulled up a slide. "There's definitely some themes." Other than wringing a pencil, he was able to hide his nervousness. Musk listened quietly and nodded. "It's mainly the parts that require a lot of high-precision machining, like pumps and fairings," Hughes continued. "We need to cut out as much of the machining as possible." Musk started smiling. This had been one of his themes. He asked a few specific questions about the use of copper and the best way to do stamping and hole-punching. It was no longer a quiz or a confrontation. Musk was interested in figuring out the answers.

"We are looking at some of the techniques that automakers use to keep these costs down," Hughes continued. He also had a slide that showed how they were applying Musk's algorithm to each of the parts. There were columns that showed what requirements had been questioned, what parts had been deleted, and the name of the specific person in charge of each component. 

"We should ask each of them to see if they can get the cost of their part down by eighty percent," Musk suggested, "and if they can't, we should consider asking them to step aside if someone else might be able to do so." 

By the end of the meeting, they had a roadmap to get the cost of each engine down from $2 million to $200,000 in twelve months. After these meetings, I pulled Shotwell aside and asked for her assessment of how Musk had treated Hughes. She cares about the human dimension that Musk ignores. She lowered her voice. "I heard that Lucas lost his first child about seven weeks ago," she said. "He and his wife had a baby with birth problems who was never able to leave the hospital." That was why, she felt, Hughes had been flustered and less prepared than usual. Given that Musk had a similar experience when his first baby died, sending him into months of grief, I suggested to Shotwell he should be able to relate. "I still need to tell Elon," she said. 

I didn't mention this to Musk when I talked to him later that day, because Shotwell told me it was confidential, but I did ask him whether he thought he was too harsh with Hughes. Musk stared a bit blankly, as if he wasn't sure what I was referring to. After some silence, he answered in the abstract. "I give people hardcore feedback, mostly accurate, and I try not to do it in a way that's ad hominem," he says. "I try to criticize the action, not the person. We all make mistakes. What matters is whether a person has a good feedback loop, can seek criticism from others, and can improve. Physics does not care about hurt feelings. It cares about whether you got the rocket right."

Excerpted from "Elon Musk" by Walter Isaacson.  Copyright © 2023 by Walter Isaacson.  Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

The prequel exposes exactly what Shaxs' earlier involvement was in the clash against the power-hungry Emperor Kahless II and his Red Path Klingons before signing aboard the USS Cerritos in "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

As avid fans know, Shaxs is the former Bajoran Resistance fighter and current chief of security for the Cerritos in that popular animated "Star Trek" series now airing its hilarious fourth season on Paramount+.

Here we're offered a taste of the character's fearsome warrior past as it concerns a conflict of epic proportions and monumental consequences to turn the galactic tide of interstellar fascism and its chaos-seeking death cult.

Related: God killers target Sisko and Worf in IDW's 'Star Trek: Day of Blood' story arc

Check out the official synopsis:

"You've seen Captains Benjamin Sisko and Worf with their crews of the USS Theseus and USS Defiant stop the fascist, god-killing clone Kahless II from declaring war on non-followers across the galaxy in a brutal battle on Qo'noS. But you haven't seen it from the eyes of the man, the myth, the legend, Lieutenant Junior Grade Shaxs!

"From the writer behind the best-selling 'Lower Decks' comics series, Ryan North, with esteemed artist Derek Charm ('Jughead,' Marvel's 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl'), comes a 30-page standalone tie-in to the 'Star Trek: Day of Blood' crossover event ('Star Trek FCBD 2023,' 'Day of Blood #1,' 'Star Trek #11-12,' and 'Defiant #6-7') detailing the Bajoran's beast-mode brawl and showcasing all the behind-the-scenes Klingon-zealot butt-kicking in full animated glory!"

As the mad Klingon tyrant ramps up his homicidal campaign to exterminate all the god-like entities in the "Star Trek" universe, he becomes obsessed with hunting down a sacred Bajoran weapon called the Orb of Destruction. Shaxs is called upon by Captain Sisko to enlist on the USS Theseus due to his expertise in rare Bajoran artifacts and aids the dauntless crew in defeating Kahless.

With a vibrant variant cover courtesy of "Lower Decks" animator Robby Cook, "Star Trek: Day of Blood - Shaxs' Best Day #1" was released on Sept. 27. 

It's a question we've all wondered. Given all of the advances in space telescopes, robotic missions to other planets and even the wild headlines related to UFOs and possible extraterrestrial visitation these days, the question can seem more pressing than ever. And for children, the question can feel frightening, fascinating and everything in between, given some of the sensationalism that surrounds the subject.

To help sort out fact from fiction, author and podcast host Laura Krantz has written "Is There Anybody Out There?: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, from Amoebas to Aliens," a new book from Abrams Books for Young Readers coming out on Oct. 3, 2023. The book takes a rational look at the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the flyby of interstellar object 'Oumuamua and even well-known examples of UFO lore like the July 1947 crash of either a flying saucer or a secret U.S. military balloon outside Roswell, New Mexico,

Space.com spoke with Krantz to learn about the book, her take on the UFO buzz these days and even some tips on how to talk to kids about aliens.

Related: The search for alien life

Space.com: First off, I have to say that this is a beautifully illustrated book.

Laura Krantz: I just love it. I love the colors. I love this sort of like blocky illustration style. I just I think it turned out really, really well. [Illustrator Rafael Nobre] has a good sense of humor, too. Like he's able to incorporate some of the funnier stuff into like, great photos. Like there's the scene of an alien trying to cook life, I just I love that one.

Space.com: What was the inspiration for the book?

Krantz:  The book is really a spin-off of the Wild Thing podcast. When I started doing the podcast, I wasn't really thinking about kids at all, I was thinking about adults. And I started getting letters from parents who were listening with their kids, teachers who were using elements of the podcast in their classroom to talk about like, evolution, DNA evidence and the scientific method. And I started talking to my agent, and she suggested doing a middle-grade nonfiction book, because that is really an area where teachers love this kind of information and resources for kids. 

But it's interesting to write this kind of stuff. Because when you're doing it for an adult audience, you assume they know what DNA is, they know what evolution is. They know what all these sort of terms mean, at least sort of obliquely. But when you're writing for kids, you're like 'Crap, I have to understand what this actually is, and be able to explain it in plain language!' So it was like getting a crash course in science education.

Space.com: Why do you think it's important for young people to read this book?

Krantz: I think one of the most important things about it is that [the question of alien life] kind of sits firmly in the gray area. There's no answer to the question "Is there anybody out there?" Just like there's no answer to the Bigfoot question. It's like, this is an area to explore. This is an area to think about things scientifically and wonder and hypothesize. And guess what? We don't have a solid answer. 

And in some ways, it's like teaching kids to be comfortable with the idea that there's no answer, because I think we are in a society now where things tend to be pretty black and white, good or bad, right or wrong, one side or the other side. And with this, you just kind of have to be like, 'There might be aliens out there; I can see both sides of this argument.' I can see all different ways this might go. And I still don't know for sure. And I think that that's valuable. 

And then I think the other thing, too, is it's helpful to help. It's helpful for kids to see how science works, that science has such a long timeline, that the work that was done in the '50s and '60s and '70s on space science, many of those scientists aren't around or won't be around to see where the sort of seeds that they planted end up. And I think that that's sort of important for kids to understand — that science is constantly building on itself and revising and resubmitting, and trying to figure it out as best as it can using the evidence at the time. I think those are two really valuable things. 

And then, also, space is cool.

Space.com: I read in your introduction like you were not familiar with the UFO topic before getting into this, right?

Krantz: What really caught my attention was, firstly, the 'Oumuamua story, which I just thought was fascinating. I mean, we guessed that there were things coming in from outside our solar system. But we hadn't really been able to say that for sure. And this is the first moment we were like, 'This thing is from very far away.' And I think that that's just kind of a cool thing to think about — like, this moment in time, we have this realization of just how big the universe is, and what kinds of things are traveling through it. 

And also seeing photos coming out of the James Webb Space Telescope. And granted this that was after this project was mostly finished. But it's hard not to look at those photos and just have your jaw drop with, you know, how amazingly beautiful and yet, kind of terrifyingly awesome they are. A lot of those photos make you feel very small and insignificant, which is, I guess, kind of a good reminder of our place. And in the grand scheme of things.

Space.com: What do you make of the current UFO buzz in the U.S. government?

Krantz: I saw how, like, crazy, everybody went over the AATIP program [an alleged U.S. Department of Defense UFO study program]. And when the announcement came out about that, like, people lost their marbles; the headlines on that were just constant. And so that was the moment where I was like, 'There's something to be done here on this' and sort of take my glancing interest in it and pull in these threads where it's obvious that this is a question that people think about a lot, even if it's not something we're talking about day to day.

I think that it's a perfect opportunity to apply some rational thought. So, for instance, the whistleblower who testified in front of Congress, he said that people told him that they had recovered bodies, but he hadn't seen them for himself. So that to me is the first red flag. It's like, if you're the whistleblower, you need to have been seeing some of the stuff, you can't just use hearsay. Generally, that's not admissible in court, from what I understand about legal proceedings. So I think that should be a rational thing. And in science, too, and in scientific inquiry.

I don't doubt that there's some weird stuff up in the sky, and that pilots are seeing things. I do think there needs to be a recording process for that, that does not have a stigma attached to it. 

Related: UFOs and UAP: History, sightings and mysteries

Space.com: What do you hope kids take away from the book?

Krantz: That wonder is a huge asset. I think it's so valuable. And I think we kind of beat the wonder out of people as they become grownups. It's like, there's these boxes, you have to check in these things you have to do and the wonder kind of slips by the wayside. But wonder is so important, because it gets you figuring out how your world works. And it gets you thinking about things from different perspectives. And scientifically, like the first step of the scientific method is, it's about wonder. Ask a question; what are you wondering? And I think that that is a really valuable thing for kids. 

And I also think it's a valuable thing for adults to wonder about the world around you, to wonder about what life is like for other people to just sort of have this curiosity and questions and continuing to maybe question your own thoughts on things and beliefs. And, you know, it extends beyond science. I think wonder is a skill that we sometimes lose as we get older.

"Is There Anybody Out There?: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, from Amoebas to Aliens," is currently available for pre-order and will be released on Oct. 3, 2023.

Created by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Carrie Beck, the fun "Star Wars" series was set between the events of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars: A New Hope." "Star Wars Rebels" aired for a total of four seasons encompassing 75 episodes total before it finally ended its popular run in 2018.

2024 will be the stage for "Star Wars Rebels" and its daring clan of galactic freedom fighters' milestone 10th anniversary, and Marvel Comics will recognize this momentous occasion by releasing a special collection of variant covers courtesy of esteemed artist Caspar Wijngaard. 

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These celebratory covers showcasing fan favorite 'Rebels' space adventurers will roll out with Marvel's flagship "Star Wars" and "Star Wars: Darth Vader" comic book titles from January to April. 

"It was such an honor to be involved in the 10th anniversary for 'Rebels,' having recently revisiting the adventures of the Spectres in preparation for Ashoka, this opportunity was perfect timing," Wijngaard told StarWars.com. "We've been absolutely spoiled with 'Rebels' content these last few weeks and I'm glad in could be a part of it in some way."

Check out the fantastic artwork on all eight in the gallery below:

Here's Marvel's description for this special series of "Star Wars Rebels" covers:

"Set before 'Star Wars: A New Hope,' the hit animated series chronicled the early adventures of the Rebellion and starred Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger, pilot Hera Syndulla and her loyal astromech droid Chopper, Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren, and many more. The series also continued the saga of Ahsoka Tano and brought back Grand Admiral Thrawn to the 'Star Wars' mythos. Since ending, 'Star Wars Rebels' continues to impact 'Star Wars' storytelling from appearances in comic books and novels to the new 'Ahsoka' series, which catches up with many of the show's central characters as they embark on exciting new journeys. Fans can also return to the 'Star Wars Rebel's era by enjoying the complete series on Disney+."

Characters featured in this comic book cover series are The Grand Inquisitor, Ahsoka, Jarrus and Zeb, Ezra Bridger and Chopper, Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Thrawn and Agent Kallus.

Watch for these "Star Wars Rebels" anniversary covers splashed across Marvel's mainline "Star Wars" and "Star Wars: Darth Vader" books beginning January 2024.

The retired NASA astronaut cites her father, Benjamin Smotherman, as a large influence, and shares both of their stories in a new book: "Air Born: Two Generations in Flight" (Ballast Books, 2023). It details her father's military service across several chapters before diving into Davis' own life.

Davis is a veteran of three space shuttle missions: 1992's STS-47 (a Spacelab science mission between the United States and Japan, which also flew the first Black woman astronaut, Mae Jemison), 1994's STS-60 (which flew a Russian cosmonaut for the first time) and 1997's STS-85 (a science-heavy mission that included robotic arm operations.)

She spoke with Space.com about her family, her book and how being a resident of Huntsville, Alabama during the early years of the U.S. space program influenced her life as an astronaut.

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This interview has been edited and condensed.