Mark’s Comments (group member since Apr 13, 2012)

Mark’s comments from the The Sword and Laser group.

I joined in April 2012, when the first season of the video show premiered on the Geek & Sundry channel. I think I'm one of many who joined about the same time. The first pick I read with the book club was The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

Just finished a rewatch of Babylon 5. I watched it with considerable enjoyment when it was first broadcast. Two decades and change later, it holds up really well. The remastered version streaming on HBO MAX looks terrific. While watching I found myself looking up many of the actors in IMDB, including those that played secondary characters, to see what else they appeared in. I'll be rereading the B5 comics next and maybe some of the novels.

Tassie Dave wrote: "The Audible version of Rivers of London I own has it marked as 'Whispersync for Voice-Ready'

I would assume you'd get the same version (Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)"

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Question: If I own the Kindle version of a Rivers of London novel and add the Whispersync audio, is it the same audio as if I had bought the Audible version of the book?

and many more...

Rick wrote: "Kadrey will do well with that. Sounds cool. If you want to read his take on a hitchhiker story ,check out his Suspect Zero."

I have it in my TBR pile! When Kadrey was here in Santa Fe for a booksigning at GRRM's movie theater, the evening began with a screening of The Hitcher. He's definitely fascinated with this motif.

Richard Kadrey, author of the fantasy book series “Sandman Slim,” has written an original screenplay called “Dark West” that will be adapted into a movie. Kadrey is also working on turning “Dark West” into a graphic novel.

“Dark West” is a vampire revenge thriller set on the highways of Texas that follows two car thieves who accidentally T-bone a pair of vampires in the middle of the night. The story is in the vein of the classic ’80s horror films “The Hitcher” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Near Dark.”

https://www.thewrap.com/wyrmwood-dire...

Finalists Announced for the 26th (2021) Audie Awards

https://www.audiopub.org/uploads/pdf/...

Science Fiction

Aliens: Phalanx, by Scott Sigler, narrated by Bronson Pinchot, published by Blackstone Publishing
Axiom's End, by Lindsay Ellis, narrated by Stephanie Willis and Abigail Thorn, published by Macmillan Audio
The Deep, by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes, narrated by Daveed Diggs, published by Simon & Schuster Audio
Heaven's River, by Dennis E. Taylor, narrated by Ray Porter, published by Audible Originals
Ruins of the Galaxy, by J.N. Chaney and Christopher Hopper, narrated by R.C. Bray, published by Podium Audio
Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, by Timothy Zahn, narrated by Marc Thompson, published by Penguin Random House Audio

Fantasy

The City We Became, by N. K. Jemisin, narrated by Robin Miles, published by Hachette Audio
The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune, narrated by Daniel Henning, published by Macmillan Audio
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab, narrated by Julia Whelan, published by Macmillan Audio
The Last Smile in Sunder City, written and narrated by Luke Arnold, published by Hachette Audio
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, published by Blackstone Publishing

Winners to be revealed at the Audie Awards Gala, being held virtually and streaming live to the public on March 22, 2021

UPDATE: There are more genre titles among the other categories. If you're looking for recommendations, download the PDF above and take a look.

Humble Book Bundle: Supermassive Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror by Tachyon Publishing

Your purchase will support Electronic Frontier Foundation and Carl Brandon Society.

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/su...

Pay $1 to unlock:

Bigfoot and the Bodhisattva by James Morrow
Sea Change by Nancy Kress
She Walks in Darkness by Evangeline Walton
The Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar

Pay $10 or more to also unlock:

Nucleation by Kimberly Unger
Peter Watts is an Angry Sentient Tumor
The Fate of Mice by Susan Palwick
The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg
The Hotel Under the Sand by Kage Baker
The New Voices of Science Fiction edited by Hannu Rajaniemi
The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer
The Secret City by Carol Emshwiller

Pay $18 or more to also unlock:

Adventures of a Dwergish Girl by Daniel Pinkwater
Booklife by Jeff Vandermeer
Dreams of Distant Shores by Patrica A. McKillup
Driftwood by Marie Brennan
Kitty's Mix-Tape by Carrie Vaughn
The Bible Repairman by Tim Powers
The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen
The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn
The Midnight Circus by Jane Yolen
The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers

Pay $28 or more to also unlock:

Ancient Rockets by Kage Baker
Apocalypse Nyx by Kameron Hurley
Beyond Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen
Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein
Meet Me in the Future by Kameron Hurley
Pirate Utopia by Bruce Sterling
Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology
Slipping by Lauren Beukes
Stable Strategies and Others by Eileen Gunn
Starlings by Jo Walton
Steampunk III: Steampunk Revolution
The Apes of Wrath edited by Rick Klaw
The Asylum of Dr. Caligari by James Morrow
The Best of Michael Moorcock
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
The Last Tsar's Dragons by Adam Stemple and Jane Yolen
The Monstrous edited by Ellen Datlow
The People's Republic of Everything by Nick Mamatas
The Sword & Sorcery Anthology edited by Jacob Weisman and David Hartwell
The Very Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan
The Wall of America by Thomas M. Disch
Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar
We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory

that's a lot of books!

Tom's Daily Tech News Show podcast is haunted!!!

Tor.com’s eBook of the Month Club is back!

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Download before 11:59 PM ET, March 5th, 2021

https://ebookclub.tor.com/

Thru March 1:

Sword 4/30
Laser 8/30
Comics 6/24
Shorts 3/24
2021 23/100

on sale today

Lovecraft Country
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UG61LNS
Gods of Jade and Shadow
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDX5NTF
A Little Hatred
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MJ656W9
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003RRXXMA

The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher is on sale for a short time at $3.99

https://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Spires-...

all the Sword & Laser March Madness lists at a glance

2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016

So, The Lesson is a science fiction title hidden among the March Madness fantasy contenders.

Most are new to me too. I've only read Rivers of London and I have a copy of Gods of Jade and Shadow.

Which books do you already have?

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

If you keep track of your books here on Goodreads, use this list to see which of the 2021 March Madness books are in your TBR.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Assignment Earth has a website all its own...

https://www.assignmentearth.ca/

I think the only thing not covered at this site is the recent Star Trek Year Five story arc.