Neil Peart, the legendary drummer and brilliant lyricist of Canadian rock trio Rush, died in Santa Monica, California on January 7, 2020 of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67. After going strong for over 40 years and releasing 19 studio albums, Rush retired at the end 2015. Peart, meanwhile, reportedly had been quietly battling his illness over the last three and a half years.

Here’s the official statement, which was posted to Rush’s official social media accounts, from bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.

The end of the year — and the decade! — is coming and with it is the holiday gift-giving season. And as we always say, books make a wonderful present for all your gift recipients! This year sees many selections to choose from for fans of properties like Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones, and Stranger Things, with some very intriguing themed cookbooks, storybooks for the youngsters, and memoirs, as well as titles by authors like Jonathan Maberry, Seth Grahame-Smith, Dave Hill, and Greg Cox, along with reissued illustrated classics.

Check out here below our Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2019 for Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks for our favorite holiday gift picks for the readers in your life.

Galaxy Quest
Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Steelbook Blu-ray
Best Buy Exclusive
Directed by Dean Parisot
Story by David Howard; Screenplay by David Howard & Robert Gordon
Cast: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Enrico Colantoni, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long
Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date: September 21, 2019

Back in 1999, Dean Parisot made a little movie called Galaxy Quest, a scifi-adventure comedy starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman, which at first glance seemed like a parody — and a poke at — scifi franchises like Star Trek. There’s the cast of a cancelled 1970s science fiction television series forced to eke out a living at science fiction fan conventions and grand opening store promotions 20 years after their heyday. Said cast resents the show’s main star, a scene-stealer who takes credit for their successes and often makes paid appearances without them. And there’s the rabid, geeky fans at the convention who seemingly can’t differentiate between an actor and the role he played.

But while Galaxy Quest is humorous in its parody of all those stereotypes, it turns out the film is actually a loving homage to science fiction and its loyal fans. And it’s perfect in every way.

Star Trek: Picard Movie & TV Collection
Blu-ray
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell, Alice Krige, James Cromwell, Alfre Woodard, F. Murray Abraham, Anthony Zerbe, Tom Hardy, Ron Perlman
Paramount Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 15, 2019

CBS is readying to launch in January a new streaming series, Star Trek: Picard, featuring Patrick Stewart‘s famed Starfleet officer Jean-Luc Picard. The actor led the cast of TV’s Star Trek: The Next Generation as the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise for 7 seasons beginning in 1987 and then in 4 theatrical films, the final being in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis. To familiarize viewers with Jean-Luc Picard and the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe, CBS and Paramount have released Star Trek: Picard Movie & TV Collection, a new Blu-ray box set centering around the character.

The 6-disc Blu-ray set includes all four feature films starring TNG cast — Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis — as well as the scifi television show’s 2-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds.” If you don’t already own one of the previously released movie Blu-ray box sets, then this new Picard-centric package is the way to go as far as what you get for the price — and you get a lot.

For Your Consideration: Keanu Reeves
For Your Consideration (Book 2)
Paperback | Kindle Edition | Audio CD
Written by Larissa Zageris and Kitty Curran
Interior Illustrations by Ben Mounsey-Wood
Cover illustration by Mercedes deBellard
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: October 15, 2019

He’s a wealthy A-list actor who’s a total babe, but yet is still seemingly approachable; he’s kind and generous, even giving up part of his salary for a film crew; he’s like a regular person riding the NYC subway system, except he actually offers up his seat to others. You know him, he’s the Internet’s boyfriend, Keanu Reeves! And now he’s the subject of For Your Consideration: Keanu Reeves, a new book composed of critical essays and tidbits about this Hollywood superstar and all-around nice guy.