New Star Wars And Marvel Disney Plus Blu-Rays Have Arrived, But You May Want To Order Soon

You Like It Darker, a new collection of short stories by Stephen King, released today (May 21). Published by King’s longtime publisher Scribner, You Like It Darker joins King’s wildly impressive bibliography that already includes over 10 story collections–not to mention the 60-plus novels. If you’re a King fan, you can save big on the new book in hardcover format. You Like It Darker is discounted to $18.90 (was $30) at Amazon, which represents a savings of 37%. The Kindle version is available for $15, and Audible Premium Plus members can use their monthly credit for the audiobook edition.

If you’d rather enjoy the collection as an audiobook, consider checking out Audible. New members are eligible for one month of Premium Plus for free, and it comes with a bonus credit right now. This means you’ll get two Audible credits that can be used to redeem audiobooks from the Premium Plus catalog. Those audiobooks will be yours to keep, even if your subscription lapses.

If you’re a current or lapsed Audible member, you can buy three credits for $38. Not concerned about other audiobooks? The You Like It Darker: Stories audiobook is available for $18 (down from $26).

If you enjoy You Like It Darker and decide to check out King’s other short story collections, here’s a list of King story collections available on Amazon. Or, if you want the complete opposite Stephen King experience, check out The Dark Tower eight-book box set for $77 (list price is $161). The Dark Tower series is King’s longest work, and these eight dark fantasy novels are stellar reads, even if you don’t like King’s traditional horror.

Stephen King Short Story Collections

Just over three decades ago, Midway’s NBA Jam was a monster hit in arcades that rivaled Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II. Arcades have largely fallen by the wayside since the days of NBA Jam’s dominance. However, the spirit of the game is being revisited in NBA Superstars, a new arcade game from Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix that recreates the over-the-top style of NBA Jam. And to further connect the two games, NBA Jam announcer Tim Kitzrow is lending his voice to NBA Superstars as well.

All 30 NBA teams are represented in NBA Superstars, which features modern players including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more. One of the updated changes for this title is that NBA Superstars will feature three-on-three games as opposed to NBA Jam’s two-on-two contests.

The arcade cabinet for NBA Superstars also represents a significant step up from the NBA Jam era. It features a 75-inch screen, marquee lights that simulate camera flashes, and team-specific color-coordinated RGB LEDs. Additionally, players will be able to create their own online accounts that can keep track of their records and statistics via QR codes that can be scanned by the game.

NBA Superstars will be released in arcades this summer. But if you’d rather bring the arcade action to your living room, Arcade1Up’s NBA Jam home arcade cabinet features multiple versions of the classic basketball game. You can currently save $100 on the Shaq Edition at Best Buy. And if you would rather stick to the modern consoles or PC, you should check out, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, a spiritual successor to NBA Jam that maintains the original’s two-on-two action.

Wizards of the Coast just released a new Dungeons & Dragons adventure module that fans of Stranger Things may want to check out. While the Dungeons & Dragons – Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventure book isn’t directly tied to the Netflix series per se, fans of the show will recognize “Vecna” as the name of the big bad from Stranger Things Season 4.

Technically, despite the similarities in appearance, the Vecna in Stranger Things is not the same character as the Vecna from D&D. The tabletop version of Vecna has existed since the ’70s and has become more prominent in the game’s lore in the decades since, appearing in multiple official storylines as a super-powerful antagonist. He even showed up as the villain in Critical Role’s first season. Naturally, since the characters of Stranger Things are D&D players living in the 1980s, “Vecna” would be the perfect nickname for a ghoulish evil creature with sorcerer-like powers.

Nevertheless, while Vecna: Eve of Ruin is not a Stranger Things tie-in, fans of the show who want to know more about the creature’s namesake should give this new adventure module a look. The module is designed for experienced characters between levels 10 and 20–which makes sense, considering Vecna is one of the strongest enemies in the D&D universe and can’t actually die. Vecna may be the star of the show, but the module is a multiverse-hopping adventure that takes the party to multiple D&D settings like Ravenloft and Spelljammer and includes appearances by other well-known characters from classic D&D campaigns. And hey, since it’s a multiverse story, you could always homebrew a Stranger Things connection as you play.

The Vecna: Eve of Ruin D&D adventure module is available now at Amazon for $56 (it was $60). A special Local Game Store edition with alternate cover art is also available for third-party resellers on Amazon (though it’s a bit pricier).

In order to play, you will also need the D&D Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual, all of which are available at Amazon individually or in a multi-book bundle for $99 (normally $170). And if your characters aren’t high enough level to take on the new Vecna adventure, or if you’re just starting out, there are several lower-level campaign books and starter sets on sale as well.

Vinland Saga’s gorgeous new deluxe editions are on sale for their lowest prices yet at Amazon. Volume 1 of the superb historical manga, which released in February, is discounted to only $33. You can pair it with Volume 2, which was published in April, for $43. These hefty hardcover editions of Vinland Saga are 600-700 pages each and carry list prices of $55. The third and fourth volumes release in the coming months, and you can get a 10% discount on your preorder.

Vinland Saga Deluxe Editions

If you’re looking to explore Nordic culture, you can get information andentertainment out of Vinland Saga, a riveting tale of revenge that’s loaded with authentic details. While you might be familiar with the anime series adaptation on Crunchyroll or Netflix, the manga source material makes for some excellent reading.

Written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura, each deluxe hardcover contains three volumes of the manga and come with several extras. These deluxe editions are in line with similar manga releases, including Berserk, which has 14 beautiful deluxe editions. The big draw here is the presentation, as you’re getting the chaos of the Viking war for dominance over England compiled in elegant hardbound books that eclipse 600 pages each. Unsurprisingly, the deluxe editions are much larger than the regular paperback collections, so you can really admire the fine detail of Yukimura’s elegant art, while the faux leather covers feature Viking runes in their design.

On top of that, the new edition features all of the content of the original release, exclusive bonus illustrations, interviews, and new behind-the-scenes content.

These make for pretty great gifts for the manga and anime fans in your life. It’s a classy collection of exquisitely violent art and introspective storytelling anchored by Yukimura’s adaptation of several ancient Viking stories.

SteelSeries and Bungie announced a new line of Destiny 2-themed SteelSeries gaming accessories to go along with Destiny 2’s upcoming The Final Shape expansion. The new collab collection includes a special edition variant of the Arctis Nova 7 wireless headset and accessories you can use to customize other SteelSeries headsets, keyboards, and more.

Limited edition SteelSeries products often sell out pretty fast, so Destiny fans shouldn’t wait too long to place their orders, especially since Destiny 2: The Final Shape is set to release June 4.

While you can pick up all these new Desinty 2 edition items online, you should act fast if you want them. This new line of Steelseries and Bungie collaboration gear is the second time the companies have teamed up to make Destiny 2-themed accessories. The pair previously launched Destiny 2 editions of the Arctis 1 headset (which is no longer available), Rival 5 mouse, and QcK Prism XL mouse pad.

If you still need to preorder your copy of Destiny 2: The Final Shape, you can save some cash on PC preorders right now.

Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth, who starred in Marvel and Avengers movies over the years, are coming back together again–but not for another entry in the superhero saga. Deadline reports that Ruffalo and Hemsworth are in talks to star a crime movie based on the Don Winslow novella Crime 101 for Amazon MGM Studios.

The story is focused on heists that take place along the Pacific coast that are linked to Colombian cartels. The main character, detective Lou Lubesnick, is trying to put a stop to it.

Bart Layton (American Animals) is directing the movie, and he also wrote the script alongside Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). The movie has been in the works for some time; The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal was in talks to star in the film alongside Hemsworth, but the project did not go ahead with Pascal.

In 2023, it was reported that Netflix and Amazon MGM Studios were locked in a bidding war for the rights to Crime 101, but Amazon MGM Studios ultimately won out.

The official plot synopsis for Crime 101 the novella can be seen below, but note that the movie is an adaptation and might not follow the story of the novella exactly. The plot synopsis reads:

“A string of high-level jewel heists up and down the Pacific Coast Highway has gone unsolved for years, mostly because the perpetrator has lived by a strict code he calls ‘Crime 101.’ Police attribute the thefts to the Colombian cartels. But Detective Lou Lubesnick’s gut says it’s the work of just one man. Now the lone-wolf jewel thief is looking for that fabled final last score and Lou breaks all the rules of Crime 101.”

Hemsworth will be seen next in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, while Ruffalo is attached to star in a new HBO drama series from Mare of Eastown’s Brad Ingelsby.