I’m always down for a They Live reference. Especially when it’s from someone who truly understood the point of the film.

Check this masterpiece out:

If there’s a group that embodies the aliens in John Carpenter’s second best film, it’s the Kardashian clan. They’re also the perfect spokespeople for productized corporate surveillance, since their brand is exhibitionism and conspicuous consumption. Spying is what you want when people are paying to watch your tedious life and you can afford to lawyer up if things get too intense.

And if there’s a #2 company when it comes to missing the point of science fiction, it’s Meta. Their eyewear-for-complete-weirdos project is yet another step in Silicon Valley’s quest to create the Torment Nexus.

But Eric, you’re asking, if Zuck & Co are #2 (yes, they certainly are) who’s on first? Who’s the best at misunderstanding sci-fi?

The primary target of the folks that created that wonderful billboard: Elon “Galaxy Brain” Musk.

The group called Everyone Hates Elon (EHE) is a reliable source of amusement for me. They’re the folks that hung a picture of the Andrew formerly known as Prince in the Louvre.

They also staged stirring welcomes for J.D. Vance and Donald Trump when they visited the U.K.

But, returning to that billboard, this isn’t the first time the cosmetics mogul and nepo-baby has been compared to They Live. Back in 2017, LitReactor published a column about the film. The essay’s opening refers to another ad campaign she did, that time for Pepsi. It seems like Kylie’s got a bit of a tin ear.

The column compares the film to the short story it’s based on. It also covers the comic, which Marvel’s Epic line did a few years before the movie.

The Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy published the original short story by Ray Nelson, Eight O’Clock in the Morning in November 1963. It’s not easy to find. (But I might be able to help you out if you asked...)

If you’re interested in old-school science fiction or are a fan of the movie, it’s worth a look. But the writing style and the way the character conducts himself, are very much a product if its time. The LitReactor review is pretty much spot on.

You can read more about the billboard and EHE here.

Fantastic Freebies

If you are looking to expand your digital library, check out this month’s Free Books Friday promotion. This curated collection offers a wide range of indie sci-fi and fantasy stories and they’re free. You can dive into intriguing titles like Flashing Blades by J.T. Evans, or pick up an expansive fantasy collections like the Moon Over Marisol Omnibus Vol 1 by Dennis Santaniello. Whether you prefer space operas, military science fiction, or epic magical quests, this giveaway provides a quick, painless way to download your next favorite read directly to your preferred e-reader device.