First, it’s interesting to compare Robert Charles Wilson’s Bios with Avatar. Both stories are about an alien Gaia ecosphere, and both are about Gaia violently rejecting human invaders. But here the similarity ends. Unlike Avatar, Bios cannot be characterized as, “What These People Need is a Honky“. No, in the world of Bios, insufficiently advanced honkies (and non-honkies) hemorrhage and dissolve into goo. Take that, imperialists!

Second, there’s no doubt that James Cameron’s amazing special effects technology is pretty amazingly amazing. I’m hoping it will be licensed soon. After all, if you want a movie with:

• Fantastical terrain
• Giant proud alien warriors
• Nasty multi-limbed beasts
• Nearly-naked space babes
• Swashbuckling adventure
• One brave honky saving the world

Then why the heck are we bothering with Avatar? Onward to John Carter of Mars!