Happy New Year and happy National Science Fiction Day! Today’s sci-fi focus is due to the grand poo-bah of all things sci-fi Isaac Asimov being born today back in 1920. Asimov’s sideburns run wide and his influence runs deep through all sci-fi books these days as his books remain some of the best of the genre.

If Asimov is new to you, check him out over on LibraryThing to get a better sense of his books. I think it’s great how science fiction is no longer just the domain of the geeks and such. It’s all pretty much gone mainstream. Niffenegger’s The Time Traveller’s Wife was the first book I remember realizing had jumped to the mainstream (back in 2004) and wasn’t considered science fiction, even though the entire story would not have been possible if time travel wasn’t allowed. Now the books are numerous and run across all genres. I think it’s great.

So, in honor of National Science Fiction Day 2015, here are three things worth checking out. It doesn’t matter if you’re a die-hard nerfherder who groks hard sci-fi over breakfast or if you are new and feel like it’s all so alien, it’s all a lot of fun and plenty to think about:

Tor.com – sign up for their newsletter. These guys are great and they totally get what makes the science fiction community tick. Even though their roots are in sci-fi books, they talk TV, movies, games and music. It’s all very fun. It’s a great site, but be sure to sign-up for their newsletter. I always look forward to it.

Singularity & Co. – these guys are on a mission. They find old pulp out-of-print science fiction books, secure the rights and then re-issue them (usually as ebooks). Plus, they now have a physical shop in Brooklyn where you can buy some of the coolest covers from eons past.

Different Engines – this one is a book. It’s a book about the history of science fiction and is very well researched. I share this book as often as I can. It’s amazing how closely tied science fiction and actual science are. If you’re into sci-fi, you probably should have this one on your shelf.