The eleventh and newest Star Trek film with its all-new cast posted an all new opening record this past weekend. It brought in more than $72.5 million in ticket sales in its debut weekend - more than the next 19 top-grossing films combined. Additionally, compared to other Trek films, after only three days of release, the film is already the fifth-highest money maker for Paramount. With these numbers, odds are we'll see more Trek in years to come.

In its second weekend, X-Men Origins: Wolverine ticket sales fell more than 68% to $27 million for the No. 2 spot on the Genre Top 10..

the only genre film set to debut next week, the supernatural religious thriller Angels and Demons is the follow-up to the DaVonci Code and is set for wide release.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of May 8-10, 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title - Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (1) Star Trek - $72.5 million | $76.5 million [N/A]
2. (2) X-Men Origins: Wolverine - $27 million | $129.6 million [$150 million]
3. (3) Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - $10.5 million | $30.2 million [N/A]
4. (5) 17 Again - $4.4 million | $54.2 million {N/A]
5. (8) Monsters vs. Aliens - $3.4 million | $186.9 million [$175 million]
6. (20) The Haunting in Connecticut - $0.19 million | $55.3 million [N/A]
7. (21) Battle for Terra - $0.18 million | $1.5 million [N/A]
8. (25) Crank: High Voltage - $0.12 million | $13.6 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo - list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

Teen heart-throb Zac Efron's latest film, the light fantasy comedy 17 Again pulled in enough teen greenbacks to finish in the top spot in this past weekend's box office. . It brought in more than $24 million in ticket sales in its debut- weekend - almost more than the next two top-grossing films combined.

The only sci fi flick to debut this weekend was the Spanish-language Sleep Dealer, whichwas shown only an a hanful of theatres in Los Angeles and New York. It debuted at No. 10 on the genre movie list and No. 37 overall with just over $30 thousand.

The sole genre film set to debut next week: The Mutant Chronicles also is set for a limited release befire going to DVD and a broadcast TV debut on the Sci Fi Channel later this summer.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of April 17-19 , 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title - Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (1) 17 Again - $24 milllion | $24 million [N/A]
2. (3) Monsters vs. Aliens - $13 million | 163 million [$175 million]
3. (8) Knowing - $3.4 million | $74 million [N/A]
4. (10) The Haunting in Connecticut - $3.2 million | $52 million [N/A]
5. (11) Dragonball Evolution - $1.6 million | $7.8 million [N/A]
6. (15) Race to Witch Mountain - $0.7 million | $64 million [N/A]
7. (23) Coraline - $0.2 million | $75 million [N/A]
8. (26) Push- $0.09 million | $32 million [$38 million]
9. optical channel(30) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $0.06 million | $127.5 million [$150 million]
10. (37) Sleep Dealer - $0.03 million | $0.03 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo - list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

OPENS: August 17, 2009
RATING: PG (Fantasy violence)
GENRE: Family, Fantasy

Starring: Robbie Coltrane, Matthew Knight, Eugene Levy, David James Elliott, Ingrid Kavelaars

Director: Wilson Coneybeare

Writer: Wilson Coneybeare

Plot: Willy (Matthew Knight, The Grudge 2 & 3) is terrified about moving into the family's new house. He's convinced it's filled with evil space aliens out to get him. In response to his longing for someone to save him, Gooby (voiced by Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter's Hagrid) comes to life as a big, lovable, scruffy creature who quite possibly may be more frightened of the world than Willy. The two new pals embark on hair-raising adventures and learn about courage and the power of friendship. In the end, Gooby fulfills Willy's wish by bringing Willy and his dad (David James Elliott, JAG) together in a heart-warming and exciting climax.

After spending last week on at the top spot, animated science fantasy flick, Monsters vs. Aliens fell to the No. 2 spot behind the fourth installment fo the Fast and the Furious franchise.

The only sci fi flick to debut this weekend was Alien Trespass, the 50's-era sci-fi comedy spook starring Eric McCormick, which debuted at No. 29 on the genre movie list and No. 29 overall with just over $10 million.

Genre films set to debut next week: Dragonball Evolution is set for wide release.

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of April 3-5, 2009.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title - Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (2) Monsters vs. Aliens - $33.5 million | 105.7 million [$175 million]
2. (3) The Haunting in Connecticut - $9.55 million | 37.2 million [N/A]
3. (4) Knowing - $8.1  million | $58.3 million [N/A]
4. (6) Race to Witch Mountain- $3.4 million | $58.4 million [N/A]
5. (13) Watchmen - $1.1 million | $105.4 million [$150 million]
6. (19) Coraline - $0.2 million | $74.3 million [N/A]
7. (22) Push - $0.14 million | $31.3 million [$38 million]
8. (23) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $0.13 million | $127.2 million [$150 million]
9. (29) Alien Trespass - $0.04 million | $0.04 million [N/A]
10. (33) Fanboys - $0.02 million | $0.6 million [N/A]

Source: Box Office Mojo - list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

While not as prevalent today as in the past, science fiction, fantasy, and horror (SF/F/H) authors continue to use pseudonyms (pen names). Reasons for this practice include the following: 1) Publishers of prolific authors want to avoid flooding the market with many books by the same author; 2) Magazine editors want to disguise the fact that two different stories in an issue are by the same author; 3) Anthology/magazine editors want to disguise the fact that one or more of the stories they include is by the editor himself/herself; 4) Authors write in different genres and want to have a particular name associated with a particular genre; 5) Authors with names similar to those of other writers use pen names to avoid confusing the reader; 6) Collaborations between (among) authors are disguised by a pen name; 7) A publisher has a series of stories and wants to be able to continue the series without interruption if the author doing the series leaves, so s/he requires the stories to be written under a “House” name; An author wants to disguise his/her sex to make the story more credible; 9) Authors want to disguise authorship because of personal revelations made, the sensitive nature of the story, the quality of the story, to conceal their writing activities from their principal employer and/or their colleagues, etc.

There are some SF/F/H authors whose genre fiction has been published almost exclusively under their pen names (e. g., William Fitzgerald Jenkins writing as Murray Leinster). When felt to be appropriate, the pseudonyms of these authors are indicated as “usual name.”

I have included some SF fans and their pseudonyms, especially those fans who write for publication and are current (or former) members of the National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F, NFFF).

A few prominent SF/F/H comic book authors/artists whose work has been published in book form also are included.

Additions and/or corrections to this compilation of SF/F/H authors/fans and their writing names will be appreciated.

Format reads as follows; Author Names: Pseudonyms

Animated Weinstein film Igor was master of the sci-fi box office this past weekend. The film brought in $8 million in its first weekend, easily outdistancing No. 2 genre flick, Ghost Town, a fellow newcomer which brought in $5.2 million over the same period.

Last week's No. 1, The Dark Knight, fell to the third spot with just under $3 million in ticket sales in its 10th week in release.

Genre films set to debut next week: Blindness, a dystopian thriller starring Mark Ruffalo, Julianne More, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover and Sandra Oh opens in limited release - with a wider release expected over the next few weeks. 

Following are the Top 10 speculative fiction movies in release in North America for the weekend of September 19-21, 2008.

RANK #. (Overall Rank) Title - Weekend Gross | Total Gross [Budget]

1. (4) Igor - $8.0 million | $8.0 million [$30 million]
2. (8) Ghost Town - $5.2 million | $5.2 million [$20 million]
3. (9) The Dark Knight - $3.0 million | $522million [$185 million]
4. (13) Death Race - $1.0 million | $35.0 million [$45 million]
5. (17) Journey to the Center of the Earth - $0.8 million | $99.1 million [$60 million]
6. (18) Babylon A.D. - $0.74 million | $21.7 million [$70 million]
7. (19) Fly Me to the Moon - $0.73 million | $11.0 million [$25 million]
8. (22) Mirrors - $0.47 million | $29.9 million [budget unreported]
9. (23) The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - $0.40 million | $102.2 million [$145 million]
10. (24) Star Wars: The Clone Wars - $0.36 million | $34.4 million [budget unreported]

Source: Box Office Mojo - list only includes science fiction, spy fi, fantasy and dark fantasy/horror titles.

OPENS: September 19, 2008
RATING: PG-13 (Language)
GENRE: Fantasy, Romantic Comedy

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni

Director: David Koepp

Writer: David Koepp & John Kamps

Plot: He sees dead people... and they annoy him.

Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni). That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited results.