Granted, that's not always a bad thing. As latter-day ghostbuster equivalents, Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Seann William Scott make a fine comedic trio, and Julianne Moore is equally amusing as a clumsy scientist and Duchovny's obligatory love interest. Despite the meddling of clueless military buffoons, they join ! forces to eradicate a wild variety of rapidly evolving alien creatures that arrived on Earth via meteor impact, and the extraterrestrial beasties (courtesy of effects wizard Phil Tippet and crew) are outrageously designed and marvelously convincing. For anyone who prefers lowbrow humor, Evolution will prove as entertaining as Ghostbusters (or at least Galaxy Quest), while others may lament Reitman's shameless embrace of crudeness. One thing's for certain: after seeing this movie, you'll gain a whole new appreciation for Head & Shoulders shampoo. --Jeff Shannon "Coyne's knowledge of evolutionary biology is prodigious, his deployment of it as masterful as his touch is light." -Richard Dawkins
In the current debate about creationism and intelligent design, there is an element of the controversy that is rarely mentioned-the evidence. Yet the proof of evolution by natural selection is vast, varied, and magnificent. In this succinct an! d accessible summary of the facts supporting the theory of nat! ural sel ection, Jerry A. Coyne dispels common misunderstandings and fears about evolution and clearly confirms the scientific truth that supports this amazing process of change. Weaving together the many threads of modern work in genetics, paleontology, geology, molecular biology, and anatomy that demonstrate the "indelible stamp" of the processes first proposed by Darwin, Why Evolution Is True does not aim to prove creationism wrong. Rather, by using irrefutable evidence, it sets out to prove evolution right.
Evolution is the process that created the terrible teeth of Tyrannosaurus rex and the complex human brain, clever enough to understand the workings of nature. Young readers will learn how a British naturalist named Charles Darwin studied nature and developed his now-famous concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest. And how modern-day science has added to our understanding of the theory of evolution.
Can something as complex and wondrous as! the natural world be explained by a simple theory? The answer is yes, and now Evolution explains how in a way that makes it easy to understand.Unprecedented in its approach, the number and diversity of the species presented, and the quality of the photographs, Evolution is the book on how we came to be what we are. Spectacular, mysterious, elegant, or grotesque, the skeletons of the vertebrates that inhabit the earth today carry within them the imprint of an evolutionary process that has lasted several billion years. This book is the result of a dual approach, scientific as well as aesthetic, rigorous yet accessible. Each chapter is made up of a short text that illuminates one theme of the evolutionary processâ€"repetition, adaptation, polymorphism, sexual selection, and moreâ€"and a series of exquisitely composed photographs of skeletons against a black background. Approximately three hundred photographs of whole skeletons or their details have been made possible by the F! rench National Museum of Natural History. The reader learns, b! y experi encing each text and photograph together, how the structure of every creature has been shaped by its environmental and genetic inheritance.Evolution offers a groundbreaking and definitive view of the extraordinary impact the evolutionary process has had on our understanding of the world around us. Beginning with Darwin s revolutionary theory, this seven-part series explores all facets of evolution the changes that spawned the tree of life, the power of sex, how evolution continues to affect us every day, and the perceived conflict between science and religion. Includes:
Darwin s Dangerous Idea: Interweaving key moments of drama in Darwin's life with current research, Darwin s Dangerous Idea explores why his theory of evolution might matter even more today than it did in his own time.
Great Transformations: From the development of the four-limbed body plan, the journey of animal life from water to land, and the emergence of humans, Great Transformations focuses ! on the important evolutionary changes that triggered the earth s incredible diversity.
Extinction!: Some 99.9 percent of all species that have ever lived on earth are now extinct. Extinction! explores why, then confronts a frightening notion: Are humans causing the next mass extinction the sixth in the history of life on earth?
The Evolutionary Arms Race: Survival of the fittest: Is it raw competition, a level of cooperation indispensable to life, or both? Explore our own spiraling arms race with microorganisms the only real threat to our existence and trace the alarming spread of resistance among pathogens that cause disease.
Why Sex?: Investigate the endless variety of sexual expression and the powerful hold sex exerts over almost all living things. And discover why, in evolutionary terms, sex is more important than life itself.
The Mind s Big Bang: Between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, something happened that triggered a creative, technologica! l, and social explosion, allowing humans to dominate the plane! t. What forces may have contributed to the emergence of the modern human mind?
What About God?: Of all the species on earth, only humans try to explain who they are and how they came to be. Encounter real human stories of people struggling to find a balance between religion and science, realms that play very different roles in assigning order to the universe and a purpose to life.The long, long story of evolution is told very well in this extensive eight-hour series originally shown on PBS. The production begins with a dramatization of the struggles of Charles Darwin in a two-hour film aptly titled "Darwin's Dangerous Idea." Scenes of actors portraying Darwin and his contemporaries are supplemented by interviews with experts such as Stephen Jay Gould. In further installments, various topics related to evolution, such as major transformations of species, the intellectual development of humans, the phenomenon of animal extinction, and even the organized opposition to evo! lutionary theory by religious fundamentalists, are discussed with considerable depth. Interview segments with scholars (and their opponents) are accompanied by extraordinary visuals, including some computer-generated sequences (such as one illustrating how whales left land and evolved in the oceans) that are dazzling. This series, which is narrated by actor Liam Neeson, is a remarkably intelligent and entertaining approach to a fascinating topic. --Robert J. McNamara
Publishers Weekly Top 10 Best of the Year
In her new collection, Story Prize finalist Maureen F. McHugh delves into the dark heart of contemporary life and life five minutes from now and how easy it is to mix up one with the other. Her stories are post-bird flu, in the middle of medical trials, wondering if our computers are smarter than us, wondering when our jobs are going to be outsourced overseas, wondering if we are who we say we are, and not sure what we'd do to survive the coming zombie plague.
Praise for Maureen F. McHugh:
"Gorgeously crafted stories."â€"Nancy Pearl, NPR
"Hauntingly beautiful."â€"Booklist
"Unpredictable and poetic ! work."â€"The Plain Dealer
Maureen F. McHugh has lived in New York; Shijiazhuang, China; Ohio; Austin, Texas; and now lives in Los Angeles, California. She is the author of a Story Prize finalist collection, Mothers & Other Monsters, and four novels, including Tiptree Award-winner China Mountain Zhang and New York Times editor's choice Nekropolis. McHugh has also worked on alternate reality games for Halo 2, The Watchmen, and Nine Inch Nails, among others.
In her new collection, Story Prize finalist Maureen F. McHugh delves into the dark heart of contemporary life and life five minutes from now and how easy it is to mix up one with the other. Her stories are post-bird flu, in the middle of medical trials, wondering if our computers are smarter than us, wondering when our jobs are going to be outsourced ove! rseas, wondering if we are who we say we are, and not sure what we'd do to survive the coming zombie plague.
Table of Contents
The Naturalist
Special Economics
Useless Things
The Lost Boy: A Reporter at Large
The Kingdom of the Blind
Going to France
Honeymoon
The Effect of Centrifugal Forces
After the Apocalypse
Praise for Maureen F. McHugh:
"Gorgeously crafted stories."â€"Nancy Pearl, NPR
"Hauntingly beautiful."â€"Booklist
"Unpredictable and poetic work."â€"The Plain Dealer
“Poignant and sometimes heartwrenching.â€â€"Publishers Weekly
Maureen F. McHugh has lived in New York; Shijiazhuang, China; Ohio; Austin, Texas; and now lives in Los Angeles, California. She is the author of a Story Prize finalist collection, Mothers & Other Monsters, and four novels, including Tiptree Award-winner China! Mountain Zhang and New York Times editor's choice ! Nekro polis. McHugh has also worked on alternate reality games for Halo 2, The Watchmen, and Nine Inch Nails, among others.The apocalypse was yesterday. These stories are today.
In her new collection, Story Prize finalist Maureen F. McHugh delves into the dark heart of contemporary life and life five minutes from now and how easy it is to mix up one with the other. Her stories are post-bird flu, in the middle of medical trials, wondering if our computers are smarter than us, wondering when our jobs are going to be outsourced overseas, wondering if we are who we say we are, and not sure what we'd do to survive the coming zombie plague.
Table of Contents
The Naturalist
Special Economics
Useless Things
The Lost Boy: A Reporter at Large
The Kingdom of the Blind
Going to France
Honeymoon
The Effect of Centrifugal Forces
After the Apocalypse
Praise for Maureen F. McHugh:
"Gorgeously crafted! stories."â€"Nancy Pearl, NPR
"Hauntingly beautiful."â€"Booklist
"Unpredictable and poetic work."â€"The Plain Dealer
“Poignant and sometimes heartwrenching.â€â€"Publishers Weekly
Maureen F. McHugh has lived in New York; Shijiazhuang, China; Ohio; Austin, Texas; and now lives in Los Angeles, California. She is the author of a Story Prize finalist collection, Mothers & Other Monsters, and four novels, including Tiptree Award-winner China Mountain Zhang and New York Times editor's choice Nekropolis. McHugh has also worked on alternate reality games for Halo 2, The Watchmen, and Nine Inch Nails, among others.Harriette Madyson is the last woman alive. Twenty years ago her world came to an end when a zombie plague engulfed the population of Earth. At the tender age of seven she found herself in a nightmarish situation where the dead literally returned to life. Left with little to use and nowhere to hide H! arri now finds herself stalked across the frozen desolate land! scape of North America pursued by the former love of her life. All that she has to keep her going is the hope that she can make it home to die in peace.From California to the east coast, it rained across most of the continental United States. From Los Angeles to New York City, residents reported an odd, whitish-grey residue that coated everything.
Cats groomed the residue from their bodies, because that’s what cats do, and then they turned to their feed bowls with increasing hunger.
The most deadly biological weapon ever created had been unleashed. It was one that would effectively pit most forms of animal life against mankind.
Humanity was immune to the growth hormone. However, exposed to massive doses, mankind was not immune to the chemical component of the compound that triggered the hyper aggression, nor was humanity immune to the appetite enhancer.
By mid-February, violent mobs of enraged hungry people were rioting in the streets o! f every major city in the world. In American cities, some of these riots were sparked by angry pet owners who were outraged that the government was supposedly plotting to exterminate all dogs and cats as a preemptive measure to protect the population. Pet owners viewed the mandatory registration of all dogs and cats with government officials by the end of February as a prelude to that extermination effort. Other people, generally those who didn’t own pets, were supportive of the measures. This led to protests and counter protests, which quickly turned violent as the hyper aggressive groups clashed.
In the months that followed, one by one, the governments of the world collapsed under the strain of trying to maintain order. Food production ground to a halt in most of the world as the men and women who’d been feeding the human race succumbed to the effects of massive exposure to the formula.
As the governments collapsed, so did the infrastructures sup! porting the civilization of mankind. Mass transit, power gener! ation, a nd water purification were among the first to fail, but they were quickly followed by oil and gasoline production.
In six months, humanity plunged from the top of the food chain to a position near the center and the world would never be the same.
This is a 112,500 word book that has numerous accompanying photographs to depict the scenes.From California to the east coast, it rained across most of the continental United States. From Los Angeles to New York City, residents reported an odd, whitish-grey residue that coated everything.
Cats groomed the residue from their bodies, because that’s what cats do, and then they turned to their feed bowls with increasing hunger.
The most deadly biological weapon ever created had been unleashed. It was one that would effectively pit most forms of animal life against mankind.
Humanity was immune to the growth hormone. However, exposed to massive doses, mankind was not immune to the chemical comp! onent of the compound that triggered the hyper aggression, nor was humanity immune to the appetite enhancer.
By mid-February, violent mobs of enraged hungry people were rioting in the streets of every major city in the world. In American cities, some of these riots were sparked by angry pet owners who were outraged that the government was supposedly plotting to exterminate all dogs and cats as a preemptive measure to protect the population. Pet owners viewed the mandatory registration of all dogs and cats with government officials by the end of February as a prelude to that extermination effort. Other people, generally those who didn’t own pets, were supportive of the measures. This led to protests and counter protests, which quickly turned violent as the hyper aggressive groups clashed.
In the months that followed, one by one, the governments of the world collapsed under the strain of trying to maintain order. Food production ground to a halt in most of th! e world as the men and women who’d been feeding the human ra! ce succu mbed to the effects of massive exposure to the formula.
As the governments collapsed, so did the infrastructures supporting the civilization of mankind. Mass transit, power generation, and water purification were among the first to fail, but they were quickly followed by oil and gasoline production.
In six months, humanity plunged from the top of the food chain to a position near the center and the world would never be the same.
This is a 112,500 word book that has numerous accompanying photographs to depict the scenes."3 Years After" is a story about a Special Forces team put together to help our nation in a most fragile time. The post 9/11 world has forced the United States government to develop new ways to fight and counter terrorism. During the initial testing of the latest technological breakthrough, Time Travel, a catastrophic failure occurs. This strands the test team three years into the future. They are greeted by a new world which has been deci! mated by war and infested by zombies.
Will the team and humanity survive?
Do they figure out what happened in time?
This is the new version that has been edited."3 Years After" is a story about a Special Forces team put together to help our nation in a most fragile time. The post 9/11 world has forced the United States government to develop new ways to fight and counter terrorism. During the initial testing of the latest technological breakthrough, Time Travel, a catastrophic failure occurs. This strands the test team three years into the future. They are greeted by a new world which has been decimated by war and infested by zombies.
Will the team and humanity survive?
Do they figure out what happened in time?
This is the new version that has been edited."3 Years After" is a story about a Special Forces team put together to help our nation in a most fragile time. The post 9/11 world has forced the United States governmen! t to develop new ways to fight and counter terrorism. During t! he initi al testing of the latest technological breakthrough, Time Travel, a catastrophic failure occurs. This strands the test team three years into the future. They are greeted by a new world which has been decimated by war and infested by zombies. Will the team and humanity survive? Do they figure out what happened in time? This is the new version that has been edited.In volume one of his epic post-apocalyptic adventure saga, master storyteller John Phillip Backus brings this not-so-distant vision of the future to life with intriguing characters, gifted narrative, believable settings and mythic heroes and villains. Driven by a riveting storyline brilliantly illustrated by Asheville, NC artist, Chad Schoenauer, the author weaves his linguistic magic until the reader is utterly immersed in this brave new world and dare not fail to turn the next page for fear of missing out. On his own in the Wyoming wilderness, fourteen years after the End War and its aftermath nearly wiped out the human race, self-exiled survivor, Hunter Macintosh, is suddenly faced with more than he bargained for-three sisters and a child crossing the uncharted wilds alone. Suspicious at first, Hunter soon discovers they've traveled more than three hundred miles to find him, at the request of their father, Adam Planchet-Hunter's former commander and comrade-in-arms-whose besieged Colorado community is at risk of being overrun by lawless hordes! Honor-bound by a pledge made many years earlier, Hunter agrees to return with Elise Planchet to help turn the tide before all is lost. Set against the majestic backdrop of the North American Rockies, Hunter - After The Fall is an engrossing tale of adventure, betrayal and hope, where the true character of an individual is thoroughly tested and the outcome uncertain at best. Join Hunter and Elise as they battle bands of outlaws, enraged grizzlies, numbing blizzards, armed militias and their own stubborn hearts in an epic tale of good-versus-evil in a potential future all too easy to conceive!
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