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

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

In need of some comfort reading, I've revisited All Systems Red and Artificial Condition and will continue rereading the rest of the Murderbot diaries.

Hmmm. I pre-ordered the ebook of Network Effect, submitted my receipt to the publisher, and they sent me the Murderbot short story, Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory. There was no indication that the hardback had to be ordered, but I did this when it was first announced. I suppose they could have changed the rules.

Like the books, the short is about SecUnit fitting in, trying to find a home.

The link was in Quick Burns. The publisher page doesn't mention hardcover.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Why has no one mentioned this?

https://swordandlaser.bigcartel.com/p...

Update: Tried to order and got "We’re not set up to take payments."

Update 2: The payment link has been repaired and I was able to order a S&L mask.

A very nice diagram of the Solar System as it exists in Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

https://twitter.com/TheMiggoy/status/...

Colin wrote: "If Martha Wells gets tired of writing these, I would totally be up for some spin-off "Sanctuary Moon" novellas. You can tell she's already given some thought to how the stories would go."



ok, not a real book, but I was surprised to learn from an interview with Martha Wells that Sanctuary Moon is based on How to Get Away with Murder

The Tor.com ebook club selection is The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

https://ebookclub.tor.com

Download before 11:59 PM ET, June 26th, 2020.

The show looks interesting. I've only read the small trade paperback Warrior Nun Areala Color Manga #1 which was difficult to read and follow the story. Is there a better way to read the original comics?

Trike wrote: "Did you like the movie without having read the book? Is it bad by comparison or bad on its own?"

The movie is a little schizophrenic. At times, the storytelling seems directed at children, and other times at adults. The writers never made up their minds.

On the other hand, the book unfolds in a much more direct manner. I would have enjoyed the movie if it had told the same story as the book.

I watched the disney+ adaptation, then picked up the first Artemis Fowl book to read. I'd never read any of the books and was kind of stunned at the differences between the book and movie. I much prefer criminous Artemis and pissed off Captain Holly Short from the first novel.

Compelling reason to record and archive video S&L podcasts #1:

Listening/Watching Veronica and Tom sing Teenage Wiccans

The annual Arthur C. Clarke Award is given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year.

The shortlist for the 2020 (34th) Clarke Award is out.

- The City in the Middle of the Night  - Charlie Jane Anders
- The Light Brigade - Kameron Hurley
- A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine
- The Old Drift - Namwali Serpell
- Cage of Souls - Adrian Tchaikovsky
- The Last Astronaut - David Wellington

https://clarkeaward.com

The 2020 Scribe Award nominees have been announced by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. Sword and laser titles abound...

ADAPTED NOVEL–GENERAL & SPECULATIVE
Alita: Battle Angel by Pat Cadigan
Batman: The Killing Joke by Christa Faust and Gary Phillips
Doctor Who: Scratch Man by Tom Baker and James Goss
Godzilla: King of the Monsters by Greg Keyes

ORIGINAL NOVEL SPECULATIVE
Batman, The Court of Owls by Greg Cox
Firefly, The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
Star Trek TNG, Collateral Damage by David Mack
Star Trek Discovery, The Enterprise War by John Jackson Miller
Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson
Warhammer, The Red Feast by Gav Thorpe

Winners will be announced on July 15

https://iamtw.org/2020-scribe-award-n...

Mary Robinette Kowal is live-streaming the audio narration of her forthcoming book, The Relentless Moon.

Streaming begins 10:45 EDT, Monday, June 15th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OJZZ...

We're projecting 50 hours of recording spread over 8 days.

All eight Artemis Fowl novels by Eoin Colfer are on sale for 99 cents each

https://www.amazon.com/Eoin-Colfer/e/...

also on sale at B&N, Google Play, Apple and Kobo

The Kindle edition of The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is on sale for $3.99

https://www.amazon.com/Right-Stuff-To...

D'oh!

I left out a terptalk

4) talking about University of Maryland Alumni topics like donating your retirement fund to the university when you die

Honestly, I don't see V & T doing this, but who knows?

There seem to be three types of TerpTalk.

1) talking with TerpKristin

I think we'd be fine if Sword and Laser became TerpTalk, but TerpKristin would have to make room in her schedule a couple of times a month.

2) talking about University of Maryland sports

The Supremes can talk about the Terps chances for post-COVID-19 NCAA championships.

3) talking about terpenes--organic compounds found in plants, cannabis in particular

Veronica and Tom can Adobe Spark up and discuss the organic chemistry of weed.

I think we need a poll ;-)

Steven Barnes and spouse Tananarive Due have written some entertaining novels.

2020 Locus Award finalists announced

https://locusmag.com/2020/05/2020-loc...

including several S+L picks!

John (Taloni) wrote: "Just finished Network Effect, the latest Murderbot book. Well, that was frickin' fantastic. High point of the past few years. In fact I can't remember any book being this good for s..."

The thematic similarities with Slan hadn't occurred to me, but you're right. And it's been decades since I read Odd John. I should revisit it. I also agree that Network Effect is a remarkable novel, a step above anything else I've read lately, and SecUnit's future looks to be fascinating too.