From NPR.ORG More than 5,000 of you nominated. More than 60,000 of you voted. And now the results are in. The winners of NPR’s Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy survey are an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles. Over on NPR’s pop culture blog, Monkey See, you can find one fan’s thoughts on how the list shaped up, get our experts’ take, and have the chance to share your own. So, at last, here are your favorite science-fiction and fantasy novels.
#1 The Lord Of The Rings
#46 The Silmarillion
Other fantasy novels of note include: Game of Thrones Boxed Set, A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, The Princess Bride, Wheel of Time and many many more..
Actor Andy Serkis talks to Metro about hanging out with chimpanzees in Rwanda, how The Hobbit is coming along, and why he’s not surprised the London riots happened. More..
Weta Workshop’s mastery is to come to horrifying life in a TV drama depicting the 1953 Tangiwai train disaster.
The frightening scene, when the train, with 285 people on board, plunges into a swollen river just minutes after a volcanic lahar knocks out the rail bridge, was recreated in one-sixth scale at Makara, west of Wellington.
Keen train buff and Weta founder Sir Richard Taylor oversaw the creation of a finely detailed scale replica of the original Ka Class steam locomotive and 11 carriages, complete with lights, blinds and dolls. The scene, shot over two nights last December, posed a series of challenges – the biggest of which was the low $3 million budget, director Charlie Haskell said. More..
Andy Serkis has admitted that he is frustrated performance-capture is not taken as seriously as conventional acting. The actor is currently reprising his role as Gollum in The Hobbit, the prequel to the fantasy franchise Lord of the Rings. He told The Daily Telegraph: “I am a bit evangelical, I know, but performance-capture is still misunderstood. “Ten years down the line, people say, ‘Oh, so you did the voice of Gollum?’ Or people go, ‘You did the movements for Kong?’ It’s frustrating, because I play Gollum and I play Kong. It is acting.” More..
“DO you have hairy feet?” asks Steve Michaels, proprietor of the Hobbit House, when a reporter calls about his pet project. “Bilbo Baggins gets off on hairy feet. Hobbits have hairy feet. They also have hairy bellies. They eat about six times a day.”
If you are a J. R. R. Tolkien fan, this information is old news. But if your reaction is closer to “Hobbit? Short, some kind of elf, annoying. Bilbo? Bilious? Rocky Balboa?” it is a new world.
And thanks to Mr. Michaels, you can spend the night in it. No need to bring slippers: a big hairy pair await you. Also a wizard’s hat, belonging to someone named Gandalf. How to get there? It’s a long, long journey, because wherever you live, it is not close. More..
A very special inside look at the often ridiculous events that take place during a normal taping of Hobbit in 5. Meet the crew, see more of Rebekah and understand what really goes during the production on this fan favorite. Let us know your thoughts, comment and send us your feedback regarding all things H5.
Weta Workshop’s mastery is to come to horrifying life in a TV drama depicting the 1953 Tangiwai train disaster.
Andy Serkis has admitted that he is frustrated performance-capture is not taken as seriously as conventional acting. The actor is currently reprising his role as Gollum in The Hobbit, the prequel to the fantasy franchise Lord of the Rings. He told The Daily Telegraph: “I am a bit evangelical, I know, but performance-capture is still misunderstood. “Ten years down the line, people say, ‘Oh, so you did the voice of Gollum?’ Or people go, ‘You did the movements for Kong?’ It’s frustrating, because I play Gollum and I play Kong. It is acting.” 
“DO you have hairy feet?” asks Steve Michaels, proprietor of the Hobbit House, when a reporter calls about his pet project. “Bilbo Baggins gets off on hairy feet. Hobbits have hairy feet. They also have hairy bellies. They eat about six times a day.”