With the impending release of Arrival, the new movie based on Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life,” Alasdair Stuart askswhether or not it’s best to always read the original book or story before seeing the screen adaptation . There are strong arguments to be made on both sides of the question: sometimes seeing the movie version first has its advantages, and can enrich the experience of reading after the fact. Your mileage, of course, may vary-but let us know what works best for you in the comments!

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As we wrap up the September edition of the Tor.com eBook Club, we’ve asked Bill Capossere and Amanda Rutter, our intrepid Malazan Rereaders of the Fallen, to look back to the very beginning and discuss their favorite (non-spoilery) scenes and moments from Book One, Gardens of the Moon, as well as offering some helpful advice to first-time readers!

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“There is nothing in this world that I enjoy more than holding a brand new book, flipping through its pages, shoving my nose in there and smelling whatever the hell that smell is that’s inside a book. My kids make fun of me all the time. ‘Dad, why are you smelling that book? Again?'” Author James Dashner writes about the books that you love so much that you’re compelled to buy more than one copy, stocking up on illustrated editions, versions with different cover art, or just to have an extra copy to lend out to friends. Dashner offers five examples of this kind of special book-from authors like Frank Herbert, Madeleine L’Engle, and J.R.R. Tolkien, among others-let us know which books you’ve bought more than once in the comment section!

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After finishing Death’s End, the final volume of Cixin Liu’s Three-Body Trilogy, reviewer Rachel Cordasco considers the trilogy as a whole and its complicated web of physics, philosophy, and history that take us from China’s Cultural Revolution in the mid-20th century through to the end of the solar system and beyond. Calling the trilogy “a masterpiece,” she discusses some of the aspects of the story that will stay with her long after reading…

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Marvel’s Luke Cage premieres on Netflix this Friday; as we eagerly wait to binge-watch the series, Keith DeCandidosets the scene with a look back at the character’s origins , the elements that set Cage apart from other comic book heroes, plus major story arcs, changes, and developments over the years. From his roots in Blaxploitation and the realities of gritty, grimy 70s New York to his present-day incarnation (played by Mike Colter in the new series), Luke Cage has always been one of Marvel’s most fascinating and down-to-earth characters: a regular guy looking out for the little people.

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Many first-time viewers, accustomed to modern serialized shows like Game of Thrones or Orphan Black, might find it difficult to adjust to Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s liberal use of the “reset button” -the storytelling approach which allowed the characters to start each episode anew, usually untouched by the events or after-effects of the previous episodes. But, as Alvaro Zinos-Amaro explains, the reset button (and the behind-the-scenes motives for taking this approach to the series’ continuity) is arguably one reason for TNG‘s success in a number of ways…

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This week’s original fiction is a standalone short story by N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season , the winner of this year’s Hugo Award for Best Novel! In “The City Born Great” New York City is about to go through a few changes. Like all great metropolises before it, when a city gets big enough, old enough, it must be born; but there are ancient enemies who cannot tolerate new life. Thus New York will live or die by the efforts of a reluctant midwife … and how well he can learn to sing the city’s mighty song.

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