Win a copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Xbox 360!

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is released on 19 September, and to celebrate we’ve teamed up with LucasArts and Hasbro to give you the chance to win an Xbox 360 copy of the game plus an electronic Star Wars lightsaber from Hasbro, http://www.hasbro.com/starwars.

The Star Wars saga continues in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice” and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi – and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be available September 19, 2008 on Xbox 360™, Nintendo Wii™, PS2™, PS3™, PSP™, and Nintendo DS™.

Two lucky winners will receive an Xbox 360 copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed plus an electronic Star Wars lightsaber.

For your chance to win simply answer the following question:

What is a Jedi information storage device called?

a) Holocron
b) Holostick
c) Holodrive

Answers to scifinow@imagine-publishing.co.uk. The two winners will be chosen at random from those who select the right answer at a later date.
For more information on the game click here: http://www.theforceunleashed.co.uk.

LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2008 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM as indicated. All rights reserved. ‘2’, ‘PLAYSTATION’, ‘PlayStation’ and PSP are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox
logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. NINTENDO DS, Wii AND THE Wii LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

“Hollywood faces the threat of a second, crippling strike as the contract runs out between the biggest actors’ union and studio chiefs,” screams The Telegraph’s website at me this morning, while the news inevitably spreads like wildfire along the veins and conduits of the internet. “Actors strike to ruin Comic-Con!” “It’s happening again!” “Strike Two!”, the headlines ripple across cyberspace and print magazines everywhere, the worst part of it being that the last one was written by me last month. While many are discussing the immediate issues of a potential work stoppage, few are considering exactly what this will do to the tenuous and fractious relationship that already exists between actor, studio and production.

But is there going to be a strike? The AMPTP claims, without detailing exactly how they arrived at the figure, that any industrial action by the SAG would cost Hollywood approximately $23 million (£11.5m) a day. That’s right, more money than most of us will ever see in our lifetimes, down the gaping maw of financial bleed should a table of grown men fail to let go of their pride and hubris, and work out a fair deal. Because that’s what it essentially comes down to, and understanding the history of the current situation is just as important as analysing the subtext in press releases and labour-management banter.

The WGA strikes may have garnered the most media attention so far due to the sensational images of red-boarded picket lines and the cessation of television show production, that opium of the masses that will guarantee even the most ardently a-political non-pundit will eventually have an opinion on the situation. However, the palpable sense of fear that surrounds this current round of sabre-rattling and bad mouthing was absent the last time. The SAG is easily the most powerful union in Hollywood, representing over 120,000 actors in television and motion pictures and the annual gross income of its members exceeds $4 billion. The producers knew this going into the next round of negotiations, and from the reports that are starting to trickle out, they had strategies in place to deal with the labour organisations that were finally beginning to gain confidence after being so thoroughly browbeaten into place during the Eighties. What they needed, it seemed, was a chink in the armour through which they could push their collective swords.

That opening came in the form of AFTRA and Roberta Reardon. After bandying about practically baseless (and most likely premeditated) accusations of member-poaching, the far smaller union, which represents 70,000 members (44,000 of which hold dual membership with the SAG) historically and very publicly split with the SAG and decided to bargain separately. Now, considering the amount of time that it took the WGA to hammer out a deal, and is taking the SAG now, AFTRA was in and out faster than you can say the word “shill”. Let’s not kid around, their contract deal is abysmal. It makes no significant gains in terms of the dreaded New Media residuals, nor does it adequately protect their members against negative industry practices later in the future. I won’t go into specifics, due to the fact that this column is rapidly turning into a dissertation (or rant, if you will) as it is, but the fact is that AFTRA sold out their members, body and soul, on goodness only knows what incentive.

SAG then started their ill-advised campaign of attempting to influence AFTRA members not to ratify the contract in eight days time. The schism between the two unions has now rapidly grown to a vast crevasse that may not be fully healed for decades, and certainly not without a great deal of tears and reconciliation. Meanwhile, the studio moguls and their labour lawyers have been laughing all the way to the bank. SAG now has the dubious distinction of being the only major union without a deal, without a negotiating partner, and isolated in the way that they’ve approached these setbacks.

What this does, now I’m finally back to my original point, is create an air of bitter, bitter animosity between actor and actor, union and union and, of course, between organised labour and management. If anybody trusts the AMPTP after the cunning way they’ve conducted themselves over these labour negotiations, they’re either ill informed or barking mad. Or the head of Disney. Either way, whether there’s a strike or not, the soured relationships will last for years to come. It’s not just bad for Hollywood as a whole, but also for unionism. Strike breaking, going over picket lines, dividing and conquering all leads to one thing that is literally taking place right before our eyes, which is union breaking and the loss of worker protection. New actors won’t be able to rely on their representative organisations as much as was possible before, and will end up being more and more exploited by an increasingly cynical industry.

My views may seem overly pro-union (which to be fair, as a union member myself, they are), but I have a personal stake in it as well. My sister is currently about to begin her theatrical training at one of the best institutions in the world, and undoubtedly afterwards she’ll work on American productions. I want her to have the best kind of labour protection that she can have, and I’m not the only one. Behind actors there are families, and dependents, and children aspiring to be the next big thing. Union breaking, which is what’s happening now, can only have serious and far-reaching consequences that extend beyond whether or not Transformers 2 will be released in May or December, ones that can have a very real effect on how hundreds of thousands of people live their lives. We should be far more concerned about that, rather than actors appearing at a convention at the end of July.

Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Publisher: Macmillan
Price: £8.99

The Dreaming Void is the first novel in The Void Trilogy from Peter F Hamilton – one of the world’s most popular sci-fi writers and creator of The Commonwealth Saga. The Dreaming Void is set in the same universe – the Intersolar Commonwealth – and, subsequent to the events in The Commonwealth Saga, the human race has become one of the most technologically advanced species in the galaxy. Unfortunately, a massive black hole has been discovered at its centre. The void is an artificial boundary rumoured to guard a legacy billions of years old. Some claim there is an entire universe inside. The void is now slowly devouring all the other stars in the galaxy – and unless someone stops it, the galaxy will die prematurely.

Iniga has a dream to Pilgrimage with his millions of followers to the universe hidden within the Void. The opposition, the Raiel, fear that this mass exodus will cause the Void to expand. They have vowed to prevent this Pilgrimage, to the death if necessary. Aaron is a man on a mission – unknown to himself. Daily, he learns more of his skills and his quest to find Iniga and stop the Pilgrimage.

An intriguing first chapter to The Void Trilogy, Hamilton throws you straight in at the deep end with this epic novel, and hits you hard and fast with complex narrative twists and interesting characters. Space Opera fans will be delighted and tantalised by the cliffhanger ending.

After nearly sixty years as an actor, William Shatner has become one of the most beloved and recognizable entertainers in the world, finally he reveals the man behind some of those unforgettable moments in one of the most entertaining autobiographies this year.

To celebrate the UK release of the autobiography, Up Till Now, we have five limited edition ‘Shat Happens’ mugs and five copies of William Shatner’s autobiography to give away – all you have to do is answer the following question to be in with a chance:

Where was William Shatner born?

1. Britain
2. America
3. Canada

The competition closes on 30 June 2008. Answers to scifinow@imagine-publishing.co.uk.

You can also read an exclusive extract and buy the book at www.panmacmillan.com.

Release Date: 2 May 2008
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: John August, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Arthur Marcum, Matthew Hollaway
Creators: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, Jack Kirby
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges

Based on the popular metal-clad Marvel character, Iron Man follows the story of Tony Stark, the hyper-intelligent scion of an enormously wealthy weapon manufacturing family and the heir to the multi-billion dollar company that his father built. Irresponsible, rash, amoral and something of a womaniser, his life is turned upside down when he’s captured by the not-Al-Qaeda forces of terrorist supremo Raza, who wants Stark to build him a devastating weapons system that will enable him to wage war on a catastrophic scale. Needless to say, Stark has other ideas and ends up making himself into a walking tank that decimates the prison. His return to the USA sees him vow to take on people who would cause massive suffering to others, and perfect his design of a suit that will turn him into the Iron Man.

Although the film can drag at points, a witty, refreshing and entertaining script breaks up any threatening tedium during the points between the jaw-dropping action sequences. However, the lead actor is what makes Iron Man transcend the Fantastic Four stable of effects and humour, and launches it into its very own league. If there’s ever a man that embodied an action hero, it’s Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark. This film proves that he should have been one of the great actors of his generation – a consummate performer that not only makes the film, but also carries it on all levels. Unfortunately, the supporting cast isn’t as impressive. Gwyneth Paltrow seems out of sorts in a film of this kind, and while she certainly has chemistry with Downey, her character, Pepper Potts, changes quickly from being a strong and focused female lead to being another one of Tony’s floosies. As a result, we disengage too completely with her to ever fully sympathise towards the end. Likewise, while Jeff Bridges does put in a decent performance as a distasteful corporate veteran, his rapid transformation to homicidal villain is not as convincing as it could be.

A few minor flaws with casting and pacing aside, the real joy of Iron Man is its humour. Laughs are frequent and widespread and overall you get the sense that this film is one that knows exactly what it is, exactly what it wants to achieve, and has a real go at it without ever taking itself too seriously. Yes, this may not appeal to the post-Killing Joke crowds who may be more in tune with a Nolanesque vision of comic book films, but for those of us who just want to see Tony Stark being Tony Stark in the most sophisticated armoured vehicle known to man, Iron Man is our film.

As some of you may know, issue twelve of SciFiNow hits shelves today.Twelve issues…wow! Although we technically have thirteen a year, and we don’t celebrate our official anniversary until April, it’s still quite an achievement for a new mag in such a niche market as science fiction. I joined SFN during the production of issue three and as a result have watched it grow into the form it’s taken today. Magazine creation in itself is a fascinating process, from the initial drafting of the flatplan, to the research, to the (slightly hellish) job of spending hours on Mac Mail and the telephone trying to secure check discs for that one review, or that lead image for a feature that can’t go to design without it. But I can’t complain at all, I love this magazine, I love science fiction, and seeing it come back from press is always a thrill that never really fades.However, what we’re really interested in is what you think of the mag. We have an active group of readers on our forums who provide endless entertainment and some really great feedback for every issue, and having had the opportunity to meet several of you, I can honestly say that you’re some of the most intelligent, kind and pleasant people I’ve known. We believe that SFN is built around quality content, but also around the community of people who read and enjoy it on a monthly basis - we listen to you guys, because we value your opinions.So, issue twelve isn’t just a milestone for us, but we’ve tried to make it as solid as possible for you as well. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it, and I’ll see as many of you as possible at the anniversary celebrations in London, 22 March. See the Off Topic forums for more details.

Today started off as any other day. I came into work, stuck on a particularly pleasant Chieftains/Sinead O’Connor song that I’d heard at the beginning of a Dropkick Murphys gig the other day, and opened up Word. What I wasn’t counting on was the Deputy Editor of HD Review coming over with a slightly haunted look in his eyes, asking if I’d heard the news regarding HD DVD.I hadn’t, since although I’m interested in high definition and freelance for that magazine, I don’t keep up to date with it on a daily basis.Anyway, it seems that it’s the season for resolution of conflict, with the WGA reaching an agreement with the AMPTP, and now, Toshiba dropping HD DVD from their production schedules and long term plans. In a press release, the CEO of Toshiba stated that they “carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop”.So in other words, Warner Bros  and WalMart really screwed us over, and we’re cutting our (substantial) losses while we can?How this’ll affect the company remains to be seen, but what we’re really worried about is how it affects us, let’s be honest. The single format is probably a good thing for high definition in the long run, however it does mean an end to the competition in terms of price cuts that have littered the battlefields of this conflict of late. While Sony and their consortium of Blu-ray supporters still have to win over standard definition users, don’t expect the same kind of bargains that you may have been nabbing recently.Personally I think that competition is a good thing, but the HD war did go too far. Warner Bros essentially made HD DVD users second class consumers by releasing enhanced Blu-ray discs, while Sony practically told early adopters to like it or leave it when they upped the profile of the format. Hopefully this won’t lead to a monopoly over high definition, particularly as there are some great releases coming out soon (both old and new, having had the pleasure of checking out I Am Legend and The Omega Man/28 Million Miles To Earth recently), but at least we can finally put that Blu-ray/HD DVD argument to bed and focus on what’s really important - who’s going to get the chop at Toshiba?I’m kidding. What’s important is The Sarah Connor Chronicles premiering this week. Watch it!

I’m sitting here, desperately attempting to make sense of the maelstrom of press releases, past issues and books that is my desk, and it occurs to me slowly that I haven’t actually seen the HD trailer for Indy IV yet. I’ve seen the bootleg, don’t get me wrong, but the relatively good quality of it can’t disguise the fact that it is filmed on a dodgy camera.Having now watched it, my opinions are still mixed about the film. I don’t like the fact that half of the trailer is just footage from the previous offerings in the franchise, and I do think that Cate Blanchett’s character design is just far too cartoonish for my liking.Also, seriously, when did Indiana Jones become John McClane? The guy falls backwards into a jeep windshield without even flinching, quips, and elbows the soldier next to him right in the kisser. So there’s no spinal damage, or at least mild bruising? Hmm.I remain firmly skeptical about Indy IV. But I suppose that’s good, because it leaves me open to being pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be excellent.