The Sword and Laser discussion
March Madness 2022 - Round 1 (Voting Ended March 1st)
Nvm, just realized the voting isn’t starting yet
Small bone to pick, but The Girl with All the Gifts is Laser and Shades of Grey is Sword more or less. A Rivers of London Vs Girl with all the Gifts would have made a fabulous final bracket. I understand the mistake, The M. R. Carey book title is kind of whimsical, leading one to think it has a fairy tale aspect to it. No one needs to change anything . But I think maybe Tom could, in the future, pick another M.R Carey book as a BOM later in the year. The The Book of Koli has the best audio narration this side of the Rivers of London, and M.R. Carey had said in an interview he had intended to write a fantasy until it was not. Plus the book is only a $ 1.99 right now. In fact you can get the whole trilogy for under $10 dollars right now.
If you keep track of your books on Goodreads, here is a list to see which of the March Madness 2022 books you have...https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Mark wrote: "If you keep track of your books on Goodreads, here is a list to see which of the March Madness 2022 books you have...https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1......"
I have 8 of the 16. Pretty good. And I’ve seen the movie The Girl With All The Gifts, so I’m counting that as a 1/2.
Ruth wrote: "She Who Became the Sun didn’t make it 😭"I know, I was hoping that one would make the list too! Akata Witch had only the slightest edge for me over that one when I was choosing which book to nominate/second.
Trike wrote (in the nominations thread): “Some of you nominating books by authors we’ve already read might want to change to someone else. The odds of getting a second book by an author are pretty slim overall, I think.
Project Hail Mary was my top sci-fi pick of 2021 and one of my favorite books of the year, but we’ve already read The Martian, so I think it’s unlikely to make the cut for the initial 16. Same with Becky Chambers.
(He said confidently, thus ensuring that Tom will choose them.😆)”
Cough cough. ;P
Mod
Per Tom:
"The "WC" seed is a wild card. We had a few nominations that were cross-genre, neither sword nor laser. So we each picked one of these for the bottom side, aka the "Wild Card" slot."
I guess I could label them in my post as Wild Cards, but I chose to keep the numbers that match the bracket instead.
Was having a 'Mandela Effect' moment there. Was absolutely convinced that we had read Children of Time as a group already.(It's OK. I know where the wiki is. I now know what the accepted truth in this version of reality is.)
Colin wrote: "Was having a 'Mandela Effect' moment there. Was absolutely convinced that we had read Children of Time as a group already.(It's OK. I know where the wiki is. I now know what the accepted truth in..."
I have the same feeling. It’s Berensteins all the way down.
Colin wrote: "Was having a 'Mandela Effect' moment there. Was absolutely convinced that we had read Children of Time as a group already."Same! It was on my "want to read" list, though. I think it may have made the March Madness list before.
Cody wrote: "https://challonge.com/tournaments/108...Here is my prediction on how things will shake down"
So how do we see our predictions? Am I looking at it and not seeing where to click?
Wow! 24 people have already made predictions at https://challonge.com/swordandlaser2022Does the best prognosticator win anything besides bragging rights?
Mark wrote: "Wow! 24 people have already made predictions at https://challonge.com/swordandlaser2022Does the best prognosticator win anything besides bragging rights?"
You win a date with Lem the Dragon. Any restaurant of your choosing in the tristate area. You have to pay and he will leave early.
Trike wrote: "Cody wrote: "https://challonge.com/tournaments/108...Here is my prediction on how things will shake down"
So how do we see our pr..."
Theres a green button that allows you to make your predictions (im on desktop so not sure how it looks on phone). You can click on the book you want to advance in every bracket and then it will automatically advance. At end there is an option below to pick the final winner and submit it to whoever made the bracket. Im assuming roberator. Then you can take the url and post for people to see.
Cody wrote: "Trike wrote: "Cody wrote: "https://challonge.com/tournaments/108...Here is my prediction on how things will shake down"
So how do..."
I made my predictions last night just after Rob posted, but it’s not letting me see any of them. I’m using iPad.
The predictions page ishttps://challonge.com/swordandlaser20...
Unfortunately, if you didn't save the URL for your predictions when it was presented, I'm not sure if you can them again.
Trike wrote: "Cody wrote: "Trike wrote: "Cody wrote: "https://challonge.com/tournaments/108...Here is my prediction on how things will shake dow..."
I think if you dont save the URL you wont be able to see the prediction again. Not sure if there's another way to see it
Trike wrote: "You win a date with Lem the Dragon. Any restaurant of your choosing in the tristate area. "Which tristate area? There are dozens of them in the eastern US. What about us folks out west?
Mark wrote: "Trike wrote: "You win a date with Lem the Dragon. Any restaurant of your choosing in the tristate area. "Which tristate area? There are dozens of them in the eastern US. What about us folks out w..."
Yes.
Where I live there are only two tristate points:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texhomex
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston...
There are no restaurants at either point, just a marker.
Mark wrote: "Where I live there are only two tristate points:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texhomex
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston...
There are no restaurants at either point, just a marker."
We live in difficult times. Adapt, improvise, overcome.
There's nothing there!https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pre...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tri...
Lem will never show up!
So so glad to see Children of Time here!!! I would have seconded it had I not done another nomination!!
Mod
We have 3 books that have been in previous March Madness and all have made it to a Semi-Final
Rivers of London: 2018 (Out in Rnd 1), 2020 (Semi) & 2021 (Semi)
Children of Time: 2020 (Semi)
Library at Mount Char: 2017 (Semi)
Also 3 authors that we have read before: Naomi Novak, Becky Chambers & Andy Weir
If we don't pick Rivers of London this time we're missing out. It's a good standalone and also the start of a great series.Even better for me was the thoroughly British set of assumptions. Plot points that might be clear to Brits took me a lot longer to get. It was a welcome viewpoint into a related-but-not-the-same culture.
John (Taloni) wrote: "If we don't pick Rivers of London this time we're missing out. It's a good standalone and also the start of a great series.Even better for me was the thoroughly British set of assumptions. Plot p..."
All the shepherd’s pie really threw me, too.
Mod
Why wouldn't you want to read it? 😎
and Everyone should experience the enigmatic delight that is Molly.
Go Rivers 😎
As an Anglophile, I'm now adding Rivers of London to my list, no matter which one wins!
Well I can see there are some I'm voting against, will have to think more on ones I'm voting for.
Tassie Dave wrote: "Great stories, great characters and, arguably, the best audio narrator (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)"Kobna is by far the best audiobook narrator I've listened to (so much so that I don't know whether it is the story or his performance that makes this so great).
Steve wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "Great stories, great characters and, arguably, the best audio narrator (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)"Kobna is by far the best audiobook narrator I've listened to (so much so that I ..."
He is amazing. The only narrator I think is better is Bronson Pinchot.
Tassie Dave wrote: "We have 3 books that have been in previous March Madness and all have made it..."I always get excited when March Madness rolls around because I usually end up adding a few new books to my "want to read" list. I figured that's how Children of Time made it there, lol.
Misti wrote: "I always get excited when March Madness rolls around because I usually end up adding a few new books to my "want to read" list. I figured that's how Children of Time made it there, lol."Same here. Because my TBR isn’t towering enough. :p
I currently have 969 books on my GR Want to Read shelf.
I stopped adding books to my Want to Read shelf. I do still put things on my amazon wishlist, though, so when family is looking for ideas...
Trike wrote: "Mark wrote: "Wow! 24 people have already made predictions at https://challonge.com/swordandlaser2022Does the best prognosticator win anything besides bragging rights?"
You win a date with Lem th..."
Lem is going to want a do it yourself BBQ place.
There are 50 predictions over at https://challonge.com/swordandlaser20...Untitled has made 10 predictions so far ;-)
I note, for whomever cares, "Rivers of London" was also published as "Midnight Riot" (I refuse to make the The Prefect/Aurora Rising error a 2nd time ;-) )
The Kindle edition of Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson is $3.99https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Does the cost of a book affect the odds?
Mark wrote: "The Kindle edition of Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson is $3.99https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Does the cost of a book affect the odds?"
I would have thought the several major trigger warnings and the fact that it is another brick of a book would be bigger factors. After Hamilton this is another very long series of very big books.
Iain wrote: "Mark wrote: "The Kindle edition of Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson is $3.99https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Does the cost of a book affect the ..."
It's been a very long time since I read this book, but I remember the author being very skilled. This means that his description of beautiful landscapes stays in your mind decades later - but so does his description of horrific incidents, one of which occurs pretty early on.
Yes, this is certainly a book to be approached with caution.
Yeah, I don’t care how cheap the kindle book is, I’ll be voting against Lord Foul’s Bane at every opportunity and if it wins I will not be reading it. I don’t like Donaldson’s style and I don’t want to read a book where the “hero” is (view spoiler).
Ruth wrote: "Yeah, I don’t care how cheap the kindle book is, I’ll be voting against Lord Foul’s Bane at every opportunity and if it wins I will not be reading it. I don’t like Donaldson’s style and I don’t wan..."I second that, Ruth. When I first read it as a teenager, it really f'd me up. How was I supposed to take that, as a teenage girl?
T.T. wrote: "I second that, Ruth. When I first read it as a teenager, it really f'd me up. How was I supposed to take that, as a teenage girl?..."I just can't imagine what it would have been like for you as a teenage girl.
I read it as a young teenage boy (12/13 I think). As I have a sense of decency it really messed with my head, stuff happens that is wrong,. The adult who recommended it to me got me to stick with it as it "was really good". Looking back I do worry what kind of impact it would have had on a young lad with less of a moral grounding. Unlike most books I read at that age, I have never reread it because of those twisted moments where, as Ruth mentions, you are seeing things from the "hero's" perspective things that, for lack of a better way of putting it, are just...No.
As an adult now I would certainly suggest anyone who hands this book to a child is seriously making a mistake.
William wrote: "T.T. wrote: "I second that, Ruth. When I first read it as a teenager, it really f'd me up. How was I supposed to take that, as a teenage girl?..."I just can't imagine what it would have been like..."
It is one of the earliest examples of GrimDark fantasy. But unlike a lot of recent ones it isn't played for laughs. At least the bad things that are done have far reaching and profound consequences..
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Theft of Swords (other topics)Amongst Our Weapons (other topics)
Midnight Riot (other topics)
Way Station (other topics)
Rivers of London (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Scott Hawkins (other topics)Stephen R. Donaldson (other topics)
M.R. Carey (other topics)
Lindsay Ellis (other topics)
Ben Aaronovitch (other topics)
More...
https://challonge.com/swordandlaser2022
Round 1 will be February 23rd - March 1st 11:59PM EST
Sword Bracket
---------------------------------
Match 1:
(1) Rivers of London / Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
vs.
(16) The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (Wild Card)
Vote Here
Match 2:
(8) Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
vs.
(9) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Vote Here
Match 3:
(4) Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
vs.
(13) The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Vote Here
Match 4:
(5) A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
vs.
(12) A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Vote Here
---------------------------------
Laser Bracket
---------------------------------
Match 1:
(2) A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
vs.
(15) Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (Wild Card)
Vote Here
Match 2:
(7) The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach
vs.
(10) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Vote Here
Match 3:
(3) Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
vs.
(14) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Vote Here
Match 4:
(6) Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
vs.
(11) Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis
Vote Here
Per Tom:
"We had a few nominations that were cross-genre, neither sword nor laser. So we each picked one of these for the bottom side, aka the "Wild Card" slot."