OK, fine. No sword and sorcery!

[Veronica, Supreme Sword]

So you guys are sick of castles and magic and shit. What DO you want to read for Sword?

[Trike]

Superheroes. Natch.

[Trike]

(For the record, I think the Fantasy selections have had a decent variation to them.)

[terpkristin]

I say keep it coming as is. I'm not tired of it.

If we read some stuff like what Saladin Ahmed writes, though, I wouldn't be sad, either. :)

[Dustin]

I refuse responsibility for this. I wanted more sword, not less. It's all those Lasers who are to blame. There's no theme or plot Fantasy can't portray if not better, then as well as a Sci-Fi story. Plus we have dragons. All they have is space elves, I mean Spock.

Revolution!

[Lindsay]

What about Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear?

It's the first book of a completed trilogy that has had some fantastic reviews. It's set in a fantasy world based on the Mongolian steppes.

(I've also been meaning to read it for ages so there's some self-interest here ...)

[Stephen]

I'm very happy with magic and castles and shit. :)

[Joe Informatico]

Hey, I love sword and sorcery! It's epic fantasy that's hit or miss for me.

That said, Saladin Ahmed is in the top 10 of the Sword List.

[Phil]

How about some Terry Pratchett?

[Phil]

Or The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony, or A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore (or anything else by him) are all good non sword and sorcery choices.

[Rob, Roberator]

I'm fine with the picks, but how about Alif the Unseen? Ms. Wilson was on the show awhile back and it's pretty different. Set in the modern middle East.

[Lindsay]

I don't think Sword and Laser has read any China Miéville. The City & the City, Perdido Street Station, Kraken or Railsea would all make great non-sword and sorcery sword picks.

[Lindsay]

Rob wrote: "I'm fine with the picks, but how about Alif the Unseen? Ms. Wilson was on the show awhile back and it's pretty different. Set in the modern middle East."

I thought that one was really good too. The author is a western convert to Islam so it's a positive spin on that religion that we don't get to see much.

[terpkristin]

I do believe S&L read Perdido Street Station back in the day.

I've read--and really loved--Alif the Unseen and would love to see it as a pick. I didn't love Ahmed's book as much but it was different and given that both authors have been on the show, it's about time we gave them some love. :) If Ahmed's book is selected (drawing a blank on title), I'd read it again. Maybe not Alif but I read it a lot more recently so I'd still talk about it.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Castles and Magic (and shit ;-) ) is why I love Sword.

I think the sword selections have had a good mix of sub-genres so far.

Just to stir the pot, I want more grim dark sword action.
How about Joe Abercrombie's Half a King ?

[Rob, Roberator]

Half a King isn't grimdark.

[Rob, Roberator]

terpkristin wrote: "I do believe S&L read Perdido Street Station back in the day.

I've read--and really loved--Alif the Unseen and would love to see it as a pick. I didn't love Ahmed's book as much but it was differe..."


Wait. We agree on a book?

[terpkristin]

It happens every now and then. More often with swords than lasers. ;)

[Rob, Roberator]

terpkristin wrote: "It happens every now and then. More often with swords than lasers. ;)"

That settles it. We have to read it now. :-P

[Rob]

Something non-western or something non-medieval would be wonderful!

And I agree with the above sentiment that the fantasy selections seem to have had a wonderful broadness to them.

[Sean]

Clive Barker's novels (Imajica, The Great and Secret Show) are great examples of fantasy that doesn't rely upon recycled tropes. Or there's Peter Straub's Shadowland, about a couple boys who become apprentices to a magician who, it turns out, really does magic.

Or we could go Japanese with something like Dragon Sword and Wind Child, Brave Story, Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime, or even something more on the horror side of things like The Ring.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Rob wrote: "Half a King isn't grimdark."

Oop. :-? I assumed all Joe's work would be. ;-)
It's still one I want to read.

BTW, we haven't read any China Miéville for S&L.

Of the books suggested, so far, I'd like to read Alif the Unseen, Throne of the Crescent Moon or Railsea

[Tamahome]

One of Robert Jackson Bennett's books might be a good alternative fantasy pick.

[Paolo]

Tassie Dave wrote: "BTW, we haven't read any China Miéville for S&L."

Lindsay wrote: "I don't think Sword and Laser has read any China Miéville."

I would be totally onboard for China Mieville, Perdido Street Station especially.

[disastercouch]

I have honestly been cringing at the sword picks lately and would welcome a change of scenery. This Alif the Unseen sounds intriguing. What about Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor or The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker ?

[D]

I think you need more sword and sorcery...

You are lacking in it.

[Trike]

Say it with me: Super. Heroes.

You know you want to.

[Paolo]

Trike wrote: "Say it with me: Super. Heroes.

You know you want to."

Steelheart!!!

[Veronica, Supreme Sword]

Alright, my choice has been made.

[Paolo]

:o

[Trike]

Paolo wrote: "Trike wrote: "Say it with me: Super. Heroes.

You know you want to."

Steelheart!!!"

No, no, a good one. Like Devil's Cape or Prepare to Die!

[Lindsay]

Veronica wrote: "Alright, my choice has been made."

Wow. Ghostbusters Gozer flashback. If the next book is about marshmallows I blame Trike.

[Paolo]

Seems like it's Alif the Unseen.

[Rob, Roberator]

Paolo wrote: "Seems like it's Alif the Unseen."

Win! I hope everyone likes it as much as I do, but of course some won't given the size of the group.

[Roger]

Veronica wrote: "So you guys are sick of castles and magic and shit. What DO you want to read for Sword?"

Seems I'm late to the conversation but I'm definitely not sick of castles and magic, though a good dose of superheroes sounds good to me

[Scott]

Castles and magic and shit are why I read Sword - don't take away my castles!

[Tamahome]

Next month we listen to Hendrix's Castles Made of Sand.

[Joanna Chaplin]

Maybe a fun meta fantasy, like The Fairy Godmother. It's about The Tradition, which makes things happen like they do in stories, and trying to direct events so that the tragic stories happen less often.

I am also most interested in fantasy stories in settings that have a little less common with fantasy England in terms of environment and culture. They can still have swords, sorcery, monsters, and quests. Has there ever been one of those set in, say, one of the old African kingdoms?

[Michele]

Crap, I didn't get a chance to recommend The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. Oh well, Alif gets a second chance from me I guess. (I started it once and put it down - maybe I wasn't in the right mood)

[Leesa]

I just finished The Golem and the Jinni. I thought it was fantastic.

[Ken]

Lindsay wrote: "I don't think Sword and Laser has read any China Miéville. The City & the City, Perdido Street Station, Kraken or Railsea ..."

bingo

[Ctgt]

Tamahome wrote: "One of Robert Jackson Bennett's books might be a good alternative fantasy pick."

I concur. And I have had no problems with the monthly picks.

[Will]

I'm not sick of castles and magic yet. I also loved Alif the Unseen. I also loved The Rook, but I can't remember if that was a S&L pick or not.

[Keidy]

Shoot! I'm not online for one day and I miss something like this! >.<

Well, I don't think S&L has done any Margaret Atwood yet. I would have recommended The Handmaid's Tale. Oh well. Maybe next time.

[Art]

I don;t think I could every get sick of castles and magic, bit I am in a bit of a fantasy slump after my overload from World com.

China Mieville's Perdido Street Station is sat on my shelf waiting to be read so that would be a great choice!

But Veronica, don;t just say your choice has been made and not tell us! Now I want to know!

[Rob]

It's alif the unseen, apparently. I'm excited!

[Lindsay]

Keidy wrote: "Well, I don't think S&L has done any Margaret Atwood yet. I would have recommended The Handmaid's Tale."

More of a laser pick anyway.

[Keidy]

Lindsay wrote: "Keidy wrote: "Well, I don't think S&L has done any Margaret Atwood yet. I would have recommended The Handmaid's Tale."

More of a laser pick anyway."

Ah then... I didn't miss much. ^_^;

[Nathan]

HP Lovecraft anyone? Call of Cthulhu and Shadow over Innsmouth would be good as a combined pick.

[Tamahome]

Or Alan Moore's Neonomicon trade paperback comic.