Here we go with this weekend's links. Let's go with something from Hawaii for this weekend's picture. That's the lava flow from Mt. Kilauea on the Big Island. And, yes, that's about as close as we could get on foot. It was really spectacular once the sun went down.

DC Comics’s Watchmen Back to Press for 300,000 Copies
Riding a wave of interest and excitement over the new film adaptation of Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbon’s classic superhero graphic novel Watchmen, DC Comics is experiencing a boom in demand for the book, shipping more than 300,000 copies of the graphic novel in the two weeks since the release of the film’s trailer.

Instant Moon Base to Be Delivered by Ares Rocket
When the Ares V rocket lands on the moon next decade, part of its payload will be a full-functioning, instant moon base that will be ready for a several-month long habitation.

The Asteroid that Killed the Martian Magnetic Field
One of the many mysteries of Mars is how the planet lost its magnetic field 4 billion years ago.

The 10,000 Year Clock
The idea to build a monument scale, multi-millennial, all mechanical clock as an icon to long term thinking came from computer scientist Danny Hillis and was published in the form of an email to friends. Later it was followed up with an essay published in the 01995 Wired magazine scenarios issue.

Great Opening Sentences From Science Fiction
You can tell a lot about a science fiction book from its first sentence. Those first few words (or few dozen, in some cases) have to pull you into the story and bring you into a whole alternate world. A good first sentence "hooks" you, pulling you into the story with a quick jolt of action and mystery. But a great first sentence does way more than that — it establishes a tone, it sticks in your mind, and it's like a little otherworldly koan, confounding your expectations.

Five Reasons You Don't Have a Personal Jet Pack Yet
Flying around with your own personal jet engine, strapped to your back, has been one of the hallmarks of futurism for decades. Which sucks, because futuristic stuff is supposed to eventually happen. So why the hell aren't we all flying to work via rocket power?

The Jetpack: From Comics to a Liftoff in the Yard
To rise off the ground wearing a jetpack is to feel the force of dreams. Very, very noisy dreams.

What are the Best Examples of SF/F Worldbuilding?
In keeping with our worldbuilding theme to help out the creative young minds of the Shared Worlds creative writing program, we asked this week's esteemed panelists the following question: Which sf/f story is your favorite example of worldbuilding? Why?