Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Organization, the largest of three unions representing the sheriff’s deputies, is detailing what he claims is gross inexperience among the detectives working to find Nancy Guthrie more than six months after her mysterious and disturbing disappearance.

“[The lead sergeant] was placed in [the investigation] nearly immediately. He was promoted to sergeant only in 2023, if I remember correctly, so he very rapidly went inside, from patrol and then was assigned to homicide,” Cross told TMZ in an interview published on Saturday, August 15, describing what he knows of the investigation while clarifying he is in no way in charge of or part of the case.

“I don’t believe he put in for that [assignment] — usually those assignments are made by command,” Cross continued. “So command, for whatever reason despite the fact that he had never been in homicide before, thought he was the right person for that unit.”

When asked to quantify how much homicide experience the detective working to solve the case of Today coanchor Savannah Guthrie’s mom’s disappearance, Cross was clear they all had some experience — just not much.

Related: Former Pima County Official Slams Sheriff’s Actions in Nancy Guthrie Case

Former Pima County Sheriff’s Department employee Dr. Richard Carmona has some thoughts regarding Sheriff Chris Nanos and the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. Carmona recalled being “perplexed” by some of Nanos’ interviews during a recent appearance on the “Brian Entin Investigates” podcast. “We were like, ‘How could you open the crime [scene]? That’s not something […]

“They all had some because they were in the homicide unit, but it was very limited,” he claimed to the outlet. “Three years or less — all of them.”

Cross went on to claim that “novice homicide detectives” is a “fair characterization” of the investigators working on the case.

“It was almost unheard of prior to Chris Nanos winning an election, having someone with that little experience in homicide,” Cross continued. “If they were brought in it would be one person being brought in and the rest of the unit would mentor that new detective to show him the ropes and how to be a homicide detective to show him the ropes and how to be a homicide detective.

He added, “You can’t even call yourself a homicide detective until you’ve been through a trial — so it takes time to learn the ropes.”

After detailing the investigators alleged inexperience, Cross was asked to detail what he believes the authorities’ greatest misstep to date has been in the investigation. (More than six months after Nancy was first reported missing in January, there are still no substantial leads in the case and no suspects.)

“The big misstep, in my opinion and the opinion of many of the detectives and people in the community, is just giving up the scene so quickly,” Cross alleged. “I think the next day it was given back to the family, and there was no reason for that.”

Us has reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for comment regarding Cross’ claims and assessment of the ongoing investigation, but did not hear back at the time of publication.

Sheriff Nanos, who has come under fire for his alleged mishandling of the investigation, including allegations from the FBI that local authorities have not been cooperative with federal agencies, marked six months into the investigation by sharing a message to the Guthrie family directly.

“We’re still here. We’re not going away. If you could just see the team working, you’d see the energy, the concern,” Nanos said in a video shared on August 1. “They’re fired up and we will continue to work this case hard.”

Four months into the case, Nanos addressed the “prolonged” search for the Guthrie family’s matriarch amid public scrutiny.

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Related: Sheriff Says He’s Not ‘Personally’ in Contact With Nancy Guthrie’s Family

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is sharing an update on his communication with Nancy Guthrie’s family. More than 100 days after Savannah Guthrie’s mom was reported missing in Tucson, Arizona, Nanos revealed to People that “I personally am not” in touch with the family. Instead, ongoing contact with Nancy’s relatives is handled through other investigators […]

“These cases are difficult,” Nanos told local Tucson, Arizona, outlet KOLD News 13 on June 1. “Not just this case. A number of our cases come to us where it requires a lot of work from other people. It’s not just a detective who goes out there, talks to somebody, and we can make an arrest.”

Today cohost Savannah, for her part, issued another plea to those who allegedly abducted her mother on the six month anniversary of her disappearance.

“This is our beautiful Mom. Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night,” Savannah, 54, captioned a photo of her mother via Instagram on August 1. “We have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since. Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do, but make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins.”

Batman on the big screen was all but a lost cause in the nascence of the 21st century, with audiences and critics some combination of soured and apathetic toward the Caped Crusader following the glitterbomb travesty of Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin. Nevertheless, Warner Bros. pushed forward in pursuing a reinvention of one of their most valuable IPs. Several directors including Wolfgang Petersen and Darren Aronofsky were considered to take the helm, before the studio finally settled on Christopher Nolan, fresh off critical acclaim surrounding dark, R-rated thrillers Memento and Insomnia.

The hiring would prove to be one that completely reinvented and perhaps even defined the studio for years to come. Boldly aimed at adult filmgoers in contrast to its predecessors, movies that were openly designed to sell toys to children, the character-rich and technically astounding Dark Knight trilogy would garner overall splendid reviews from critics, and break all kinds of box-office records between 2005 and 2012. There were multiple iterations on the character before, and there’ve been more since, but for so many, this is the definitive Batman. The following ranks every Christopher Nolan Batman movie from worst to best.

3

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Image via Warner Bros.

As someone who genuinely loves all three of these movies, there’s a lizard-brain instinct to be a contrarian and move the third entry higher—somehow, for some reason. Though it’s juggernaut of cinematic spectacle, tension and pleasure, The Dark Knight Rises is, like, objectively the weakest of these three movies, and by a considerable margin. Part of that is just because its predecessors were home runs, the middle chapter pretty much perfect. On its own merits, The Dark Knight Rises is kind of a mess, but if we were ranking these movies by sheer entertainment value, it might very well be in the top spot.

It’s easy to point out the flaws here: There are plot holes you could fly a BAT through. Tom Hardy‘s accent under the Bane mask sounds silly. The operatic and bombastic nature of the entire thing is a bit jarring following the grounded near-perfection of the 2008 film, but it’s hard to imagine a better or more satisfying direction the filmmakers could have taken than this go-for-broke epic of Gotham under siege.

Anne Hathaway really probably is the best thing about this movie, with several sensational acting beats that linger in memory long after the ending. The action is also truly spectacular, particularly final chase scene through land and air in bright daylight that’s both unexpected for a Batman picture, and symbolic of the end of Bruce Wayne’s character arc—he’s finally done hiding. 2023’s The Flash would attempt to bring Batman to daylight scenes, but let’s face it, Andy Muschietti can’t match Nolan, perhaps especially along the lines of visuals. The garish Flash looks like an episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race, at best.

2

‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Image via Warner Bros.

As previously mentioned, most people had pretty much given up on Batman movies by 2005, and as a result, Nolan’s terrific first blockbuster film was something of a sleeper hit, despite critical praise. The freshest and most unexpected thing about Batman Begins is that it’s actually about Batman and Bruce Wayne. The first act carefully, and in what would become known as characteristically Nolan fashion, non-linearly, established Bruce’s tragic backstory, grief, and pursuit of a higher meaning. It’s about exactly one hour into a 140-minute runtime before we see Batman. He’s far scarier, and obsessed with fear, than general audiences had any reason to anticipate given what had come before.

The achievement of Batman Begins would be somewhat overshadowed by the cultural juggernaut that followed three years later, but time has been good to the original film. Christian Bale received some flack for the exaggerated Batman voice, but really his performance is uniformly terrific across all three movies, and his scenes of dialogue with Michael Caine‘s Alfred Pennyworth give the film a central heartbeat that was entirely missing from even the best of the live-action Batman entries in the ’80s and ’90s. Roger Ebert gave Batman Begins his highest rating of four stars after dismissing previous live-action entries, saying:

1

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Is The Dark Knight a perfect movie? Well, perhaps not on the most technical of levels. There are plot holes and demanded leaps of faith and disbelief here, but pretty much anyone needs to see the film more than once to even notice, because we’re entertained into submission by the filmmaking. This is one of a mere handful of truly monocultural movie events in the 21st century. Released weeks after similarly acclaimed, if tonally disparate, Iron Man launched the MCU, the one-two punch would completely reinvent how the public saw comic-book movies, paving the way for blockbuster filmmaking for years and years.

Though you could poke holes in the narrative if you really wanted to, part of The Dark Knight’s legacy is a stunning emotional and psychological depth that never wanes and isn’t fully matched by anything else in the genre. For all the hype and infamy surrounding it for nearly 20 years now, you can never really say enough about the Heath Ledger performance as Joker. There’s a layer of menace and intrigue that completely blankets the film, even when he isn’t on screen. Surely this would have been the case even if the actor hadn’t tragically passed prior to the film’s release. This is probably the most intense summer blockbuster movie ever made. The filmmaking is surely partially responsible for this, but so much of it comes from the Ledger performance.

Pretty much everyone retroactively agrees this was the best film of 2008. That The Dark Knight wasn’t nominated for Best Picture, much less Best Director, remains an inky black stain upon the reputation of the Academy. There was enough deserved outrage for the top honors category to be expanded beyond five nominations the following year. The Dark Knight is the most influential movie of the 21st century so far, and one of the very best.

After a shocking TV death on Will Trent and multiple show cancellations, Scott Foley has booked his new job — and it has him reprising a familiar role.

Foley, 54, appeared in the season 2 teaser for Hulu’s Scrubs revival, which aired at D23 on Saturday, August 15. He previously appeared in the original Scrubs series in seasons 1, 3 and 8 as Sean Kelly, who was a dolphin trainer who dated Dr. Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) and later Dr. Kim Briggs (Elizabeth Banks).

The actor’s return to Scrubs comes after he previously couldn’t appear in season 1.

“I’ve had the good fortune of working with Yana Grebenyuk Bill Lawrence not just on Scrubs, but then I did Cougar Town and I did Undatable,” he said in an interview with Josh Wilding in January. “He and I, we made Whiskey Cavalier in the Czech Republic together. So we’ve had a long history of working together.”

Foley confirmed he was invited to return.

“Zach [Braff] has asked me to come back,” Foley revealed. “I actually got a call right when they were starting production. They had me scheduled for an episode, and we couldn’t work the schedule out. So I’m sure we’ll find the time.”

Foley is known for his appearance on various TV shows, including his work on The Unit, Scrubs, Felicity and Scandal. He has also guest starred on Grey’s Anatomy, Dawson’s Creek and House, though his onscreen arcs have usually been cut short or ended tragically.

After Foley joined Will Trent in 2025, there were concerns that his character, Seth, wouldn’t make it for the long haul. A May episode showed Angie (Erika Christensen) finally giving birth, but her happiness was short-lived as Seth, her husband, died after collapsing in the hospital.

“What a wonderful gift to receive after a wonderful experience on #willtrent,” Foley wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of his name in the show’s title card. “Thanks to the cast and crew, the writers and creators who made the experience so special.”

He added, “This will surely make my wife and daughter say ‘Awww’ each time they pass by and really, that’s enough for me.”

Months later, Foley broke his silence about his latest show’s cancellation. He took to Instagram in July to address Prime Video not renewing his faith-focused series, It’s Not Like That, for a second season.

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“After six or so weeks in Prime Video’s Top 10, I think getting as high as, like, three or four, really great reviews — I think we have like 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes — our little show called It’s Not Like That has been canceled at Amazon Prime,” he began in the video, admitting he was “disappointed” by the news.

“But I’m so grateful for the chance. I get to make — I got to make a show I’m so proud of with people I grew to like a lot, and now we don’t get to make it anymore, and you don’t get to watch it,” he continued. “If you watched it, thank you. I appreciate it. If you didn’t, it’s still on Amazon Prime.”

Foley added, “It’s not going to change the cancellation, but I wanted to thank everybody who took the time to check it out. Whether it was you found it on your own, whether it was a recommendation you saw on social media, it’s appreciated. So thank you.”

Shopping is literally my job, which means I spend a good chunk of every day scrolling through new arrivals, tracking launches and figuring out what’s actually worth your money. This month’s lineup includes everything from beauty products I’ve already been testing to fashion finds, home upgrades and kitchen gadgets I can’t stop thinking about. While I see hundreds of new products every month, these are the August drops that genuinely stood out from the rest.

I’m already loving Drunk Elephant’s new serum foundation, while Croc’s new ballet flats went straight onto my wish list, alongside exciting new releases from BrüMate, Charlotte Tilbury and Ninja. Whether you’re looking to refresh your beauty routine, get a head start on fall fashion or simply treat yourself to something new, there’s plenty here worth adding to your cart. Prices start at just $18, making it surprisingly affordable to shop some of the August launches that earned my editor stamp of approval.

13 Editor-Approved New Arrivals Drops Worth Buying

1. My Favorite: Jelly shoes are having a major fashion moment, and this new arrivals makes the nostalgic trend feel surprisingly grown-up. More than 400 pairs were bought in the past month, and they’re currently 30% off.

2. Hydration Hero: Finding a tumbler that’s both stylish and genuinely practical isn’t always easy, but the BrüMate Resa one checks every box. The leakproof design, oversized 35-ounce capacity and cup holder-friendly base instantly earned a spot on my wish list.

3. Denim Upgrade: Abercrombie keeps proving why it’s one of my favorite places to shop for denim, and these Curve Love Ultra Barrel Jeans are no exception. The flattering fit, crisp ecru wash and on-trend silhouette make them an easy yes for late summer and fall.

4. Grill MVP: YETI knows a thing or two about durable gear, so I’m not surprised the brand is expanding into cookware. This pre-seasoned carbon steel griddle works on everything from stovetops to campfires, making it a smart pick for outdoor cooking enthusiasts.

5. Beauty Obsession: I’ve been reaching for Drunk Elephant’s new Kamo Triple-Peptide Serum Foundation nonstop lately. It gives me the full coverage I want with a natural finish, and I love that the peptide-infused formula helps my skin look firmer over time.

6. Easy Glam: If there’s one beauty shortcut I can always get behind, it’s an eyeshadow stick. Charlotte Tilbury’s newest launch delivers long-lasting, crease-proof color that looks just as good for everyday wear as it does for a night out.

Related: These ’90s-Inspired Sandals on Amazon Will Be Your New Obsession

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The best thing about ’90s fashion? It never tried too hard. Simple silhouettes, minimalist details and shoes that somehow looked cool with absolutely everything are having a major comeback, and Amazon is quietly full of styles that capture the same effortless energy. We’re eyeing shoe picks like glossy jelly sandals, woven mesh mules and sleek […]

7. Dinner Game-Changer: If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your air fryer, I’d keep this new Ninja launch on your radar. The DualZone design cooks two dishes simultaneously, while the glass containers let you keep an eye on everything as it crisps.

8. Color Saver: I spend good money on my hair color, so I’m always looking for products that help make it last. Amika’s Color Protect treatment promises to preserve vibrancy while strengthening hair at the same time.

9. Candle Crush: If you know me, you know I can never have too many candles. This new Capri Blue launch immediately landed on my wish list thanks to its gorgeous velvet-soft vessel and signature tropical-fruit-and-sugared-citrus scent.

10. Stay Snatched: Contour products can be intimidating, but Tarte’s new Snatch Stick makes the process sound refreshingly simple. Just swipe, blend and you’re left with a more sculpted, lifted-looking complexion.

11. Lash Lift: I’ve been testing Grande Cosmetics’ new GrandeWRAP for the past few weeks, and the results have completely won me over. My lashes look noticeably longer, more separated and stay that way all day without smudging.

12. Soft Skin Pick: I had high expectations for Summer Fridays’ body butter launch, and somehow it exceeded them. My skin feels noticeably softer after every use, and I can’t get enough of the warm pistachio milk fragrance.

13. Balletcore Buy: I never thought I’d call a pair of Crocs chic, but these new ballet flats may have changed my mind. The crisp white shade and slim Mary Jane silhouette make them an unexpectedly cool alternative to traditional flats.

UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping

Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

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Related: 13 Travel Dresses That’ll Keep You Cool, Comfy and Chic — From $15

Nothing earns a spot in a carry-on faster than an easy-going travel dress you can wear almost anywhere. Whether you’re catching a flight, wandering a new city or heading straight to dinner after checking in, the right style makes you look polished without sacrificing comfort. Bonus points if it barely wrinkles! We rounded up the […]

Before Brooklyn Nine-Nine made him the face of the NYPD, the late Andre Braugher took the airwaves by storm as Baltimore Detective Frank Pembleton in the critically acclaimed Homicide: Life on the Street. The ’90s police drama ran for seven seasons on NBC between 1993 and 1999, ultimately rounding out with a feature-length conclusion. For years, Peacock has been the streaming home of this powerhouse procedural, but if you thought it would be that way forever — think again. In less than a week, Homicide leaves the streaming platform on August 18, 2026. No big announcement was made, but eagle-eyed fans who’ve been binging through the ‘90s classic have noticed the sorry truth.

‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Reinvented the Network TV Police Procedural

Homicide: Life on the Street is one of the most cleverly written cop dramas out there. Inspired by the non-fiction book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon (who not only wrote several episodes of the show but would later create The Wire), the NBC program followed several homicide detectives as they investigate routine murders across Baltimore. But where Homicide elevated itself beyond the popular cop dramas of the time was that it always knew how to make both its detectives and those they find on the streets real people with real problems. Rather than spending entire episodes on melodramatic personal subplots, the series wove the personal struggles of Pembleton, Bayliss (Kyle Secor), Howard (Melissa Leo), Munch (Richard Belzer), Giardello (Yaphet Kotto), Lewis (Clark Johnson), Crossetti (Jon Polito), Bolander (Ned Beatty), and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) — the show’s original cast — into every major case, though as an accent that further enhanced the world rather than a soapy distraction from it.

While the program aired over 30 years ago on network television, it remains one of the most profound pieces of work on the subject. Homicide, especially those early seasons, captures the unsatisfying nature of detective work and how one cannot escape the physical and emotional demands of the job, with many cases left unresolved. “Three Men and Adena” is perhaps the best example of this, as Pembleton and Bayliss attempt to coax a confession out of a local arabber Risley Tucker (played by Moses Gunn in his final on-screen role), who was the last to see Adena Watson alive. Whether you believe Tucker did it or not, it’s the realistic ambiguity, the not knowing, that haunts the viewer when the credits roll. Rather than focus on car chases and gunplay, Homicide spent its energies entirely on the investigation itself, with characters like Braugher’s Pembleton wrestling with the philosophical (and sometimes religious) implications of what he sees every day. Baltimore as a city also becomes a major character, as the on-location shooting of Homicide makes the world feel breathable and lived-in rather than something filmed on a sound stage or back alley — frankly, it’s only improved with age.

‘Homicide’ Is Leaving Peacock in Less Than a Week, So Revisit Braugher At His Best

Magnetic and downright irresistible on the screen, Braugher carried the brunt of the series alongside his equally capable castmates, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become “prestige police television.” Like many of the initial characters created for the show, Frank Pembleton was based on a real-life Baltimore detective, though Braugher’s character departed from his off-screen counterpart over time. By the third season, Homicide began to reinvent itself, but staples like Pembleton and Munch — who would become a television icon — remained with the program for the majority of its run. Braugher left the show ahead of the final season, though he returned for Homicide: The Movie to help wrap things up.

There are plenty of reasons to revisit Homicide before Peacock axes the classic series. Aside from the exceptional work by Braugher himself, who put on a full theatrical display, guest appearances from stars like Robin Williams (among many, many others) result in some exceptionally meaty material. If you’re tired of cop shows and roll your eyes whenever CSI, NCIS, or Law & Order is on, this is the procedural you’re going to want to tune in for instead. Sure, it technically exists in the same world as the latter franchise, but Homicide was always a program that ran on a different level.

Homicide: Life on the Street (and Homicide: The Movie) is available for streaming on Peacock through August 18, 2026.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is over, leaving us with a two-year wait before we can pick up the story of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her struggle for power. As always, some of us will fill the time by re-reading George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire series, or rewatching HBO‘s Game of Thrones for a taste of Westeros. We can also pick up other series, but the world of fantasy is vast, and finding stories that connect with our specific tastes can be a struggle — especially if we want to avoid major spoilers in the process. The five book series below have all the right things in common with House of the Dragon, and they’ll resonate with fans at this point in the story.

Game of Thrones was comprised primarily of political drama and palace intrigue, with most of the warfare taking place off-screen, and the magical, fantastical elements looming as a distant threat. House of the Dragon actually balances these ingredients much more evenly — at this time in Westeros, dragons are a tangible part of every day life, and war is front and center in the story. The series below are similar in that their plots are driven by politics, espionage, and human relationships, without sparing anything in the way of action.

5

‘Between Earth and Sky’ by Rebecca Roanhorse

Image via Saga Press

If you love the idea of flying but hesitate over dragons’ fiery breath and viciousness, Rebecca Roanhorse‘s Between Earth and Sky trilogy is for you. This is an epic fantasy series, but rather than medieval Europe, its setting is inspired by pre-Columbian Native American culture. The story jumps between several point-of-view characters much like Game of Thrones, giving us a wide view of this world and all its wonders without sacrificing personality and heart. We follow a sailor with magical powers named Xiala, a mysterious blind young man named Serapio, and the unlikely young Sun Priest Naranpa as their stories slowly converge.

Between Earth and Sky was published between 2020 and 2024, and is comprised of three books — Black Sun, Fevered Star, and Mirrored Heavens. The series has won several prominent awards, including the Hugo for Best Series last year upon its completion. You can find all three books now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

4

‘Memory, Sorrrow, and Thorn’ by Tad Williams

Image by Michael Whelan via DAW Books

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams was a major inspiration on Martin when he first wrote A Game of Thrones, and the similarities are pretty glaring when you first pick it up. This series follows a teenage boy named Simon who works as a servant in a castle called the Hayholt, the capitol of the most powerful kingdom on the continent. He yearns for adventure, but when he is thrust into it, he finds it to be more than he bargained for.

The scope of the series expands naturally as it goes on, eventually painting an incredibly vivid picture of this fictional land, Osten Ard. Williams is brilliant at introducing a magical power or monster that the reader wasn’t expecting, then undercutting the awe by questioning what exactly this magic can do for the world. Tolkien’s influence is clear in the worldbuilding, as Williams writers dragons more like Smaug and less like Balerion. However, the other magic of this world more than makes up for it, so die-hard dragon fans should not skip this one.

There are four books in the original Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, but Williams has since completed a sequel series called The Last King of Osten Ard, with the last volume published in 2024. All of them are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

3

‘The Realm of the Elderings’ by Robin Hobb

Image via Spectra

Whatever you love about the fantasy genre, there’s something in The Realm of the Elderings series for you. This 16-book-long epic by Robin Hobb is actually a collection of four trilogies and one quadrilogy, all following related stories in the same setting over the course of years. The first trilogy, Farseer, follows a royal bastard named FitzChivalry growing up in Buckkeep Castle. He’s not exactly allowed to be a part of the court — or the royal family — yet he’s not allowed to stray too far either, lest he become a threat. All the while, a bizarre wave of naval incursions grows, until Fitz finds himself coming of age in an all-out war with magical powers he doesn’t quite understand.

The story is heartbreaking but impossible to put down, even when it drastically changes perspectives in subsequent trilogies. Hobb has a gift for writing about nature, trauma, and the inner lives of her characters. She utilizes various forms of psychic links between humans and animals throughout the story, and much like Martin, her magic comes at so high a cost it may not be worth using at times. This is a must-read for fans of dragons, but also fans of fantasy politics and the optics of power. All 16 books are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

2

‘Elric of Melniboné’ by Michael Moorcock

Image via Simon & Schuster

Die-hard fans of A Song of Ice and Fire should put the Elric of Melniboné series on their TBR lists simply because it was one of the biggest influences on Martin growing up. The series was written by Michael Moorcock, but it did not begin as a set of door-stopper novels. Elric first appeared in a story published in 1962 in the magazine New Edge Sword and Sorcery, and his stories were scattered across other magazines, novelettes, and novels for years. Fortunately, now is a great time to pick up the series, as it has been collected into four volumes published by Saga Press in 2022. They are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.

The titular hero, Elric is the 428th Emperor of Melniboné, an island nation of advanced sorcerers, dragon-riders, and despots. For generations, Melniboné has preyed on the surrounding nations of ordinary humans, but Elric is uncharacteristically sympathetic to their plight. Born anemic and physically weak, Elric needs magical drugs to stay alive and project strength to seize the throne, and his enemies never stop scheming against him. Enacting reforms will be nearly impossible in this world of entrenched violence, even if Elric is willing to sacrifice his health and lifespan to make it happen.

All that may sound a bit familiar. Martin’s extinct dragon-rider civilization Valyria clearly took a lot of cues from Melniboné, and there are several prominent Targaryen characters modeled after the tragic hero Elric. In his memoir Dreamsongs, Martin drew a distinction between “high fantasy” like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and “heroic fantasy” like Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian. Elric falls somewhere in the middle, and arguably, A Song of Ice and Fire does as well.

1

‘The Green Bone Saga’ by Fonda Lee

Image via Hachette Book Group

Finally, Fonda Lee‘s trilogy The Green Bone Saga is a must-read for fans of fantasy that balances power with authentic politics. The three volumes of the series — Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy — were published between 2017 and 2021, introducing fans to the island of Kekon and its magical jade. Those with the right genetic predisposition can gain enhanced physical abilities by wearing jade, but tradition mandates that they go through intense training first, then swear themselves to a clan.

At first glance, this setting has little in common with House of the Dragon. It’s an industrial world which recently weathered a “Many Nations War” analogous to World War II, and the isolationist island of Kekon is clearly inspired by East Asian culture. However, the struggles for power within jade clans and between them would resonate with any Targaryen claimant, and the impossible choices these characters face would make any Hand of the King blanch.

The Green Bone Saga trilogy is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats, along with a prequel novella and a collection of short stories set in the same world. The A Song of Ice and Fire series is available now in all three formats as well, and House of the Dragon is expected to conclude with one more season on HBO and HBO Max.

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Release Date

August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

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Showrunner

George R.R. Martin

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Directors

Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel

Writers

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Gabe Fonseca

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• 
• 

  Fabien Frankel

  Ser Criston Cole

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Many celebrities have shared some spooky supernatural stories based on their encounters with the paranormal.

Succession star Sarah Snook said she spotted a ghost in London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket while performing Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray in 2024.

“I do feel like I saw one. I saw somebody get up, and I was, like, ‘Oh, cool. They’re getting up and leaving. They must need to go to the toilet.’ But I look back and they were not there,” she told The New Yorker in an interview published in March 2025. “They were in a very white, kind of Victorian play-dress, a big floofy white dress and a bow. I did ask the people who run the theatre, and they said that it’s haunted, but they’ve never seen that ghost.”

And breakout country star Dasha, whose song “Austin” went viral on TikTok earlier that year, claims she not only had a brush with a ghostly apparition – she actually grew up with a spirit in her house.

Speaking to “Taste of Country Mornings with Wood and Nicole” in July 2024, the singer explained that her family once rented a “super haunted house,” which bore a tragic history.

“This family had died like 200 years ago when it was built of, like, some crazy fever, and this little girl had died in my room and I had no idea,” she related.

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Although Dasha herself never saw the child’s ghost, her stepsister reportedly did, describing her as wearing “a white nightgown” and sitting on Dasha’s bed. She even claimed the little girl turned and looked at her.

Luckily for Dasha, her stepsister did not reveal this spooky information until the family moved out. “Thank God,” noted Dasha. “Or else I never would have stepped foot in that room!”

Scroll down for more stories about stars encountering the unexpected:

Hayden Christensen loves to spend time with his 11-year-old daughter, Briar Rose, no matter the activity.

“I have a young daughter, and I love watching shows with her,” Christensen, 45, told MTV UK at the 2026 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Friday, August 14. “Her favorite ones right now are Liv and Maddie and Henry Danger, so I enjoy getting to watch those with her.”

Christensen, who shares Briar with ex Rachel Bilson, also deviates from the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon when his little girl isn’t present.

“I recently got into The Agency with Michael Fassbender,” he gushed on the red carpet of the hit Showtime series. “It’s really good.”

Related: Hayden Christensen Makes Rare Appearance With Daughter Briar Rose

Hayden Christensen might have played one of the most infamous fathers in movie history, but he’s also a real-life dad to a tween of his own — who looks just like her mom! On Friday, August 15, Christensen, 44, stepped out at a Chicago Cubs game with Briar Rose Christensen, his daughter with ex Rachel […]

Christensen stepped out on Friday to reveal his upcoming role in season 2 of Ahsoka. Disney confirmed during its annual fan expo that Christensen will play Force ghost Anakin in the Star Wars series.

Christensen, of course, famously played Anakin Skywalker, a young Darth Vader, in the intergalactic franchise, though Briar hasn’t caught up on the Star Wars films yet.

“She’s not aware that her dad is one of the biggest villains of all time,” Bilson, 44, exclusively told Us in 2020. “When that [time] comes, I don’t know how that’ll probably fare in school because nobody will mess with her!”

Two years later, Christensen revealed that Briar was finally aware of his Star Wars past because she was his “first lightsaber training partner” for Disney+’s Obi-Wan.

“She knows Daddy’s Darth Vader, [but] she’s never seen Daddy as Darth Vader,” he revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2022. “I’m still waiting a little bit, you know, until that happens. I might show her the prequels soon, but still, there’s some scenes we might have to fast forward through.”

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Christensen and Bilson dated from 2007 to 2017, welcoming Briar in 2014 before their eventual split. The now-exes have since remained committed to amicably coparenting their daughter.

“Ours is, like, a unique version of it. We do a lot of stuff together — a lot,” the Hart of Dixie actress said on a January episode of the “Let’s Be Honest” podcast about her dynamic with Christensen. “We have been able to keep it very copacetic and nice for [Briar]. We weren’t ever married so we … figured out our own way. [My advice for other coparents] is communication and sometimes you have to compromise a lot.”

Bilson continued at the time, “I’m really close to his family and it’s been almost 19 years or something, which is a long time [ago]. It feels like [water under the bridge].”

Gwyneth Paltrow and her 22-year-old lookalike daughter, Apple, are soaking up the summer in style.

“Summer, so far so good,” Paltrow, 53, wrote via Instagram on Friday, August 14, sharing a carousel of the mother-daughter duo’s sunshine-filled getaway.

The Oscar-winning actress rocked a plunging black one-piece while lounging on a sun deck with Apple, who sported a red-and-white striped bikini.

Paltrow, who shares Apple and 20-year-old son Moses with ex-husband Chris Martin, and her daughter have always shared a close bond.

“It’s been a major transition. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew it would be hard because Apple and I are so close and were together all the time,” Paltrow exclusively told Us in October 2022 before her firstborn went off to college. “But I had no idea. It was like the worst heartbreak I’ve ever [felt]. I felt like the love of my life broke up with me for weeks. It was terrible.”

She continued at the time, “Now, I’m getting more used to it and it also helps to see her happy and well-adjusted. That makes a huge difference. And she just came home for October break, so that was good. I’ll see her for Thanksgiving.”

Apple, who has since graduated from Vanderbilt University, has even been fortunate enough to borrow her mom’s most iconic wardrobe pieces.

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Related: Gwyneth Paltrow and Daughter Apple Show Off Their Matching Rain Boots

Courtesy of Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram Apple Martin got her style from her mama, Gwyneth Paltrow!  The 50-year-old actress took to Instagram on Monday, August 21, to share a carousel of photos of her “summer” style, which included a twinning moment with her 19-year-old daughter. In one of the snaps, Paltrow and Apple could be seen smiling […]

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“I’ll sneak into her closet and steal little things,” Apple admitted to Interview magazine in April 2025. “My absolute favorite stuff is her old Calvin Klein from the ’90s. I have a lot of it and it’s the best thing in the world. Going into her archive closet is just heaven on earth. She lets me steal stuff because she’s like, ‘I saved it all so that you could steal it.’”

Apple further noted, “Then she’s always like, ‘You have to be so careful.’ [Back in the day, she would wear] a cheetah print coat, hair clips, sunnies and some cool wedged sandals. I love that.”

Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber, is looking back on her allegedly haunting childhood — literally.

“My mom gave me holy water to go to set,” Gerber, 24, began during a Friday, August 14, interview on the “Mitch Churi Chat Show,” referring to her stint on American Horror Story season 10. “She was like, ‘I don’t want you to get possessed.’ I was told I was possessed as a child.”

Kaia, the daughter of supermodel Crawford, 60, and husband Rande Gerber, further claimed that she was “haunted [her] whole life.” (Crawford and Rande, 64, also share son Presley, 27.)

“I do feel I attract beings from other dimensions in a very casual and chill way,” Kaia quipped, alleging that she “actually did” have an exorcism to ward off alleged evil spirits. “Do you know how they did the exorcism? They played a didgeridoo all over me! That’s how they did the exorcism. … That actually did happen. I’ve never talked about it, but it actually did happen.”

Related: Kaia Gerber Doesn’t ‘Deny’ Being a ‘Nepo Baby,’ Gets Career Advice From Mom

Kaia Gerber knows she’s privileged. The supermodel shared her perspective on the “nepo baby” conversation and revealed how her famous mom, Cindy Crawford, has shaped her career.  “I won’t deny the privilege that I have,” Gerber, 21, said in her February 2023 cover story for Elle magazine, which was published online on Tuesday, January 24. […]

Kaia added, “I’m all healed.”

Kaia, who did not further address her apparent childhood possession, has since followed in her mom’s footsteps in Hollywood. After finding her own success as a model, Kaia made the leap to acting with roles in Palm Royale and Ryan Murphy’s AHS and The Shards.

“Fame was something that I was born into, so I didn’t experience what it was like to become famous,” Kaia told Vogue in a profile published earlier this month. “I, kind of, thought that my way of being raised was the most anonymous it could get under the circumstances, and then I met Homer [Gere]. Like, there are no photos of him as a child online, whereas my entire childhood and teenage years are on the internet. I can only imagine. I’m 24 but…very interviewed.”

Homer, Kaia’s costar in The Shards, is the son of exes Richard Gere and Carey Lowell. (Richard, 76, was famously married to Crawford from 1991 to 1995.)

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Related: Cindy Crawford’s Family Guide: Meet Her Husband, Siblings and More

Cindy Crawford has always put her family first on her way to becoming one of the industry’s most legendary models. Crawford and Rande Gerber, who tied the knot in 1998, share son Presley Gerber and daughter Kaia Gerber. Both children have followed in their mother’s footsteps. “I could help guide her and help her navigate,” […]

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“Twenty minutes into knowing each other, I was like, ‘Should we just acknowledge the fact that our parents were married?’” Homer, 26, recalled to Vogue of meeting Kaia on set of The Shards. “She was like, ‘Yeah. Cool.’ And that was it.”

As for Kaia, she immediately noted how similar Homer was to his character.

“I think Homer has Robert’s charisma without his cruelty. I looked around [at the cast when we met], and I said to the group, ‘You guys are all so much like your characters. That’s so interesting, since I’m nothing like mine,’” she said. “They all looked at me, and they go, ‘Hmm. No, I don’t think you’re the exception.’ Susan is a lot more like me than I want to admit.”