The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Hi, I'm Hector, from the Higlands of Scotland. I was a fan of the Sci-Fi / Fan genres for many years, until finaly the Wheel Of Time series broke me. So apart from the occasional Iain M Banks 'Culture' science fiction novel, I have not actually read much in the Sword and Laser area for about 15 years. However I stumbled across the podcast while looking for some other information, and it has suceeded in re-kindeling (no pun intended) an intrest, if I can find something short and snappy.
Hi, I'm Laurie. I'm a music teacher in Houston, TX. I've been a reader for a long time and a fantasy reader on and off for most of that time. My mom was a big fantasy reader (I remember her waiting for White Gold Wielder to hit the bookstores).I've just recently gotten back on a serious fantasy kick and I'm trying to keep the momentum going. The internet and television sucked my reading focus for a long time and I'm glad I'm getting back into books again. I hope to use the forums and the podcast to find suggestions for new things to read and classics that I missed the first time around.
Hello, I am Kevin I just discovered the podcast via TWIT, and enjoy it greatly. my Favorite authors are: Neil Gaiman, George RR Martin, Poe, Lovecraft, and Clive Cussler (Dont be a hater his stories are very entertaining). Besides the sword and laser I also read a lot of books on science, history and religion. errr... I live in northern California and am an avid outdoorsman, and have been with the same table top gaming group for more then 15 years!
Hi, I'm Robert. I found this podcast after it joined frog pants. I am a gamer. And I've never been a big reader. But I picked up some of the Sookie Stackhouse books after watching True Blood. And, after seeing a few episodes of A Game of Thrones, I signed up to Audible.com and got all the audio books and listened to them all in a few weeks. :D Now I am like What's Next? :)
Hi all :) I've been a scifi/fantasy fan for a long time, but have only recently (within the last batch of years) gotten into reading books in these genres. I am in the same camp as Laurie - listening to the Sword and Laser podcast as well as being on Goodreads more often has helped me read far more in 2011 than I have in the past five years :DI find I like fantasy more than science fiction, and I would have to say my favorite novel is War of the Flowers by Tad Williams - I love the world Williams creates, and the characters are awesome, as well.
Hello I'm Carl and I'm a reading junkie. It all started when I was 4...Lord Foul's Bane is awesome period.
Hi, I'm Graeme.Nice to join the Sword & Laser community. I've been an avid reader of SF and fantasy since I was in Jr. high. Maybe earlier, but I just read everything then. I like Stephen R. Donaldson, Douglas Adams and Stephen King to name but a few. Best wishes.
Ok I'm trying to figure out the spoiler tag and how to mark up my comments with it. Little help?
Shawn wrote: "Ok I'm trying to figure out the spoiler tag and how to mark up my comments with it. Little help?"< spoiler>You put the spoiler in here and there's no space between the < and the s. I'm not sure if that's what you mean but I hope this helps. Also if you click on (some html is ok) there's a whole list of different things you can do.
I'm Eric (aka CireDark) and I'm currently obsessed with Evil Robots.Malevolent AIs bent on Killing All Humans, or just torturing them for all eternity.
HAL from 2001 or AM from "I have no mouth..."
Perhaps the Necron from the WH4k Universe or Skynet and its Terminators.
Corporate Dystopia in Cyberpunk futures are fun too, a'la Snow Crash or "20 Minuets into the Future"
Anything featuring the scrappy and hardened rennets of humanity fighting and hacking against evil Megacorporations or Killer Androids.
Hello, I'm Jess and I love fantasy. Oh and SciFi too, although I'm a bit newer to that genre. I've just finished A Dance With Dragons and I'm busy digesting it, if that's an appropriate word, by writing about it on my blog: skillsforlifescientists.wordpress.com. I just wrote a post about Jon Snow and I'd love some more speculation. I'm a BSc student, hence the name, but it's summer so I'm writing about other things at the moment.
Oh and I love the podcast, I never know what to read next so it's great to have some suggestions.
Howdy,Been reading mainly Sword since the 5th grade, when a friend let me borrow the 1st Dragonlance novel, it has not stopped since.
Love Robert Jordan, Sanderson, Abercrombie, Rothfuss, The Paksenarrion books by Elizabeth Moon, R. A Salvatore (The dark elf is like a warm blanket welcoming you home, even though it rarely suprises you).
I kept hearing about another Alden during the podcast, and figured if nothing else I should say hello to a fellow Alden. :)
Also, I have tried to find this, but been unsuccessful. How do I mark my own comment/reply as a spoiler so it is hidden? Thanks.
Hi my name is William I live in Tennessee.I've been reading Fantasy and some Sci-fi for over 20 years. I'm currently reading and listening to A Dance with Dragons.Some of my favorite series are the Dark Tower, Otherlands, Belgariad, Mallorean, and the Weis/Hickman Dragonlance novels.
I'm Karen, I'm a doctor in Massachusetts. I started listening to S&L on stitcher a few weeks ago. My favorite authors are (today) Ursula Le Guin, Lois Bujold, Tim Powers, Ted Chiang. I scored an 88 on the NPR poll--many years of reading sf and f. I'm in a meatspace sf club too, so probably won't be able to read all the monthly books (still working on DWD). We recently read Feed, which was good, and are always on the lookout for more paperback sf.
Hello! Been a member of the group for a long while but had slacked off listening to the podcast as my reading interests, though highly sci-fi and fantasy orientated, just were not lining up to what I was desperate to currently read. However with the group read of A Dance with Dragons, I've thoroughly enjoyed the recent episodes and found each and every one of the forum posts such a treat to read. Amazing theories guys, you all felt like instant friends, so intelligent and able to discuss without getting crazy. This is my HUGE thank you to everyone, as I have no one in real life to discuss my GRRM obsession with. Well, there's my husband but he's THREE books behind me.
Small good on ya too for Tom and Veronica, I like the addition to the podcast of sharing interesting threads from the forums and the personal shout-outs. You've done a great job of making it a real book club in podcast form. Personal and stimulating. Win.
Hi everyone, another noob here! My name is Kristin and I'm an engineer and a geek, and I live in Kansas City. I've been a fan of both genres for as long as I remember, but there is frankly such a glut of crappy books that I never bothered trying to get into it much beyond LotR, Hitchhiker's Guide, and Ender's Game, (though I will shamefully admit that I was a fan of Animorphs in my misguided youth). I heard about the podcast on TWiT earlier this year, and so glad I did. I used to buy/read maybe 1 book a year, but its been about 10 so far this year. I've been slogging my way through GRRM and am finally almost caught up to ADWD, with an ever-growing queue of other books to read in the future. I am looking forward to reading and participating in some of these fabled discussions I keep hearing about on the podcast!
Cheers!
Hi, I'm Chris. I'm a big sci-fi/fantasy fan. I can't really say which I like more. I just recently got into A Song of Ice and Fire when I heard Tom talking about it on East Meets West. I watched the show and started reading the book. I know I am a little behind so I will try to avoid too many spoilers before I catch up. Also I just finished the latest Harry Dresden book.
Hello, my name is Joel. I found S&L on the frogpants mega stream. Looking forward to loots of enjoyable reading. I just finished the last of the Robin Hobb books and I think I will be starting the dark tower series in a few minutes.
@joel Oh wow, another Robin Hobb fan! which ones did you finish? this summer I tried that newest trilogy and ended up selling them to a used bookstore. i was deeply disappointed after enjoying all her others, especially the Liveship, Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies.
Adrienne I finished the newest one but have read them all. It took me two tries to get going on the first book in this last series but after that it was pretty good.
@joel -- i actually finished Shaman's Crossing, but then had to let them a couple of chapters into Forest Mage.
Mod
I live in Tasmania, Australia and have been listening to S&L for about 2 years (Since "The Wheel of Time").
I don't read every book you select but I have read the majority of them. I am limited to what I can get via the Kindle store and Audible.
Not all titles are available to Australian readers at the time you read them.
I have been a huge SF and Fantasy fan since my early teens back in the mid 70's.
Hello, my name is Heather and I work at a public library in Albuquerque. Even though there are plenty of well respected sifi authors living here in the southwest, I tend to defend the scifi genre almost daily with my coworkers and regular readers. I favor sword only slightly more than laser.
Hi, Scott here! I'm from Montreal, work in sales, and am always looking for highly recommended books and graphic novels.I'm a big fan of fantasy and scifi (which brought me here) but I'm also into other genres as long as they can offer deep characters and interesting stories.
I started a podcast called Netpix several months back where a friend and I reviewed movies available on Netflix, but alas was forced to quit when it became too much of a drag on our schedules. All the same, if you want to hear what I sound like, feel free to check out a back episode. ;)
I'm looking forward to reading all the ongoing discussions and hearing about more and more awesome books as they emerge from the collective consciousness that is this board!
Thanks for reading,
Scott
Hello everyone, my name is Richard and I am a new Nook Color owner:) I love this thing by the way. I have read more in the past few weeks than I have in the past year, school aside. I am a Firefighter in Charlotte NC, I am a member of the North Carolina Air National Guard, and I love me some Sci Fi/Fantasy:) Good to meet you all, Richard.
Hello, I'm Jason.I make video games and read lots of sci-fi (more sci-fi than fantasy, but I read that too).
I actually avoided listening to S&L for a really long time because I figured I'd have to read the book that's currently being discussed. Since I'm almost finished with Dance with Dragons, I figured I'd grab the podcasts, and now I feel silly because the podcast is about more than just the weekly book.
In any event, hello there. :)
Hi All,My name is Matt, and I've been listening to S&L and lurking in the forums for over a year, but now I'm going to try to be more involved in the discussions.
I'm a Math/Phyics teacher in southern Oregon and longtime lover of Sci-Fi/Fantasy books, pretty evenly split between the sword and the laser.
I've been loving the books that have been picked in the group and I'm a huge fan of show. It's nice to meet you all.
--Matt
Hello All, I'm BenI've been reading sci-fi and fantasy books since I was real young. Now, that i'm heading off to college I've been reading other genres of books, but always come back to sci-fi and fantasy books.
I started listening to the podcast only recently, though I'd known about it for years, just never got around to it. I finally started listening a couple months ago, but I didn't make a good reads account until recently.
I used to listen to Buzz Out Loud back when both Tom and Veronica were on it. So getting to hear them again is really fun. And so far all the choices, even looking back from when I started listening, are really good.
Hello S&LI'm Isla (pronounced eye-la). I just started listening to the podcast although I must admit it's been on my list of podcasts to get into for quite some time. I'm currently going through the back catalog of episodes.
I am a long time Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan and have been collecting books for over 30 years (I just did the math and YIKES!) I'm sure it's going to take me a long time to get all my books set up and sorted! Just like in Real Life. *sigh*
Hi, I'm Jay.Ive been reading for more years that i care to remember, since my parents took turns reading to me at bedtime, mom read The Hobbit, dad read Once and Future King. I lean heavy on the sword side of the coin but have several laser favorites as well.
I'm Matt,Loving the podcast and that's what eventually drove me here. Looking for a good group to read with and discuss books. Can't wait to join the fun!
Buenos dias, I'm Xenphi, a longtime listener of Sword and Laser and returning member of Goodreads. I only started reading as a hobby after high school (shakes fist at public education) and lean heavily toward sci-fi, but enjoy almost anything with a well-told story. Sword and Laser has been on a roll lately with its picks and my enjoyment of them and I can't wait to read future picks and favorites from the community.
Howdy, I'm Mitch from Texas (if the howdy didn't give it away)I've been a lifelong fan of sci-fi and fantasy ever since I read the hobbit in the third grade and shortly thereafter saw the original trilogy. Despite reading these genres for 13 years I feel like I've only scratched the surface!
In the past few years I've recently graduated to George R.R. Martin and The Dark Tower (almost finished with the last book!).
Hey there!I am Jon. I am constantly reading a book weather it be at work or at home. There isn't much to do in CNY at least that I am interested in. I started listening to Sword And Laser a couple months ago and REALLY enjoy it. Thanks Tom and Veronica...or is it Veronica and Tom!
Was UpMy name is Armando and I live in NY. I came across the podcast recently through to Mr.Eat my pant Johnson from TMS/Frongpants. I was not a heavy Reader till Recently. I stared out with Catcher in the Rye In highschool, La morte of Author by choice a Tough Read with the old English, but a Fun read. Came back to reading thanks to JK Rollin, then moved on to star wars, star trek, Dan Brown, and now waiting for the next book of A song of Ice and Fire. I hope he picks up the pace this time around.
Hey, I'm Marc and I love both swords and lasers. I am currently reading Game of Thrones to try and catch up with the TV series and am almost done with book number one.My favourite books are Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad/Mallorean and the Ender's Game series.
Howdy AllDiscovered the Sword & Laser Podcast via the frogpants network a couple of weeks ago. I've been devouring past episodes and am looking forward to reading alongside the group.
Cheers!
Halfway through Dance with Dragons and an avid listen to other Frogpants Studio productions, I recently added Sword and Laser to my listening list. It may be a major mistake as my 'to read' list is growing by leaps and bounds. Jim Butcher, Laurell K Hamilton, Anne Bishop, Ann McCaffrey fan. But working full time and going to school full time cuts into my reading time.
Hello, all, my name is Cindy. I love reading and writing, but I am currently attending college online, so I'm a bit behind. Case in point: I just started Game of Thrones. I also read to my husband when we are in the car, and we are working on Changes by Jim Butcher. I'm enjoying this group very much, even when opinions are totally opposite to my own. It makes things more interesting that way. I also listen to the podcast, spoilers and all. I don't really mind; I forget the spoiler by the time I get to it, anyway. My favorite authors are Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Butcher, Ursula Le Guin, J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts (don't knock her: she makes me laugh), Jacqueline Carey, and probably many others who I will kick myself later for not including.
I'm happy to join this group, especially for the announcements of what's new in sci-fi/fantasy. Maybe someday I'll graduate from school and actually have time to catch up with everyone. But if not, I'll still enjoy reading what everyone has to say. Happy reading!
Hello! I'm Jenny. Kevin invited me because I have intersest in reading Flashforward. Hopefully I'll be able to join in on the discussion this month! I love sci fi & fantasy. I've never listened to the podcast, but I'll have to check it out!
Jenny wrote: "Hello! I'm Jenny. Kevin invited me because I have intersest in reading Flashforward. Hopefully I'll be able to join in on the discussion this month! I love sci fi & fantasy. I've never listened to ..."Thanks for mentioning me!
Kevin wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Hello! I'm Jenny. Kevin invited me because I have intersest in reading Flashforward. Hopefully I'll be able to join in on the discussion this month! I love sci fi & fantasy. I've neve..."Thank you for inviting me! I tried to thank you on your profile but unfortunately the computer I'm on sucks and loves to freeze on Goodreads. This group looks great.
I'm George. My reading is split between Audiobooks and Kindle. Really prefer the audio books when authors get creative and invent names.I buy them faster than I can read them so there are quite a few books in my backlog. With electronic versions I don't have to look at the piles.
GS
Hi, David here. Found Sword and Laser through TWiT. Reading mainly Fantasy lately, but also enjoy an easy mystery/thiller and biographies.
Hello all, my name is Roy. I love to read, obviously, just about anything by anybody. I pride myself on the fact that I have never started a book that I didn't finish....though I have spent months trying to read the most boring book ever written. Mostly I read fantasy and sci-fi, usually series.
Hello, my name is Carlos. I'm a fan of sci fi, fantasy, and thrillers. I'm into gaming and technology. I actually started listening to sword and laser after Tom mentioned it on Tnt. I'm currently reading Flashforward and Storm of Swords.
Hello, my name is Stephen. I used to work in a bookstore for a while, and I love books. SF and Fantasy are my favorite genres and I can never seem to get enough.
Hello, I'm Paulo, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm 37 years old, married, two small daughters, and I work as an IT project manager. I've enjoyed reading ever since I was a kid, and as soon as I've learned English as my 2nd language, I started reading fantasy books from authors i really like in the original language, like Tolkien and Robert Jordan.
Until i discovered The Sword and Laser podcast, I had a really hard time finding out other really good sci-fi/fantasy books, having to rely on those already widely acclaimed. Now I am the one that always have a new book to recommend on my circle of friends. So, thank you Veronica and Tom!! You've made me be more popular!
Hi I'm Andrew,I work as a Mechatronic Engineer in Sydney, Australia. I got a Kindle about a month ago and now I'm actually reading again rather than only listening to audiobooks when I'm driving
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
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Shadow & Claw (other topics)
A Canticle for Leibowitz (other topics)
A Canticle for Leibowitz (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Wade Garret (other topics)Gene Wolfe (other topics)
John Scalzi (other topics)
Richelle Mead (other topics)
Brandon Sanderson (other topics)
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I'm been a member of the forums for a while although not an active one :(. A Zombie. But i always listen to the podcast and really enjoy it.
Hope to be more active and return to the living.
Jonathan of Penang
Land of Rambutans
p.s. you know the hairy red fruit :)