Introduction and welcome thread! Showing 1,151-1,200 of 4,412

[Chase]

Hi all, Chase here.

Saw a video about this jazzy place on geek & sundry. Looking forward to being a part of it.

[Frank]

Hey all...just saw this on Geek and Sundry. Forgive me, I didn't know about the podcast though.

Anyways, I'm always reading...something. I tend to gravitate to series but just about anything is good. Going to start the Dune series now but I'm starting with the prequel House of Atreides and work my way through them.

[Mike]

Hello, My name is Mike and I'm new. I love to read fantasy novels. Just finished one by Gabriel Gonzalez called Legend of the Phoenix. Amazing book. Can't wait for the next one. I'm trying to start either Hunger Games or Game of Thrones series. I don't know which one to start though.

[Louie]

Hello, my name is Louie. I just finished getting caught up with the podcast, starting from the beginning, after first hearing about it from the first Vaginal Fantasy Hangout. Both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Can't wait to see the video version of S&L on Geek & Sundry. While I haven't actually read along with any of the picks (having just discovered the podcast two months ago), I find a book club podcast dedicated to the SF genre (albeit, only 50% of the time, ideally) just what I've been looking for. Being a huge Clarke and Heinlein fan, I loved the Childhood's End and Harsh Mistress episodes. Now, if only an Asimov were to be picked, S&L would hit the Big Three Grand Masters of SF, which have comprised the majority of my SF reading. That is one of my favorite things about S&L, introduction to recent SF releases, as well as active SF authors. - And if you couldn't tell from all that, I am definitely a LASER!

PS- I almost Lemmed a different Stanislaw Lem novel, Fiasco. But I powered through it... and vowed to never read Lem again.

[Cy]

Hi, I'm Cy,

I found my way here from the Buzz Out Loud podcast, with a stop at the S&L podcast. I started reading science fiction with Tom Swift Jr. and Edgar Rice Burroughs. I guess my favorite sf authors are Arthur C Clark, Robert Heinlein, and Vernor Vinge. In recent years I've been consuming novels through audible.com, unless the reader is too difficult to listen to (that's only happened twice).

[Nicholas]

Hello, I'm Nick. I just recently found out about sword and laser due to your promo for geek and sundry and good reads for that matter. My favorite authors are Phillip k. Dick, William Gibson, and Chuck Palahniuk. I look forward to the book club and the upcoming show as well.

[Jonathan]

Hi, I'm Jon. I found this podcast after the first Vaginal Fantasy video, and read Lies of Locke Lamora earlier this month on audiobook; unfortunately, I'd already signed up to Audible through the Writing Excuses podcast promotion.

I'm sort of a Sword type, I guess, but signing up here definitely drove home to me how much non-fiction I read.

I wonder if it is out of line to put a link to a video about my cousins' wine import business, and if I may humbly recommend those labels for What are We Drinking? http://vimeo.com/38878726

[Sean]

Good morning all. I'm a Sean and I've been reading this sword and laser type materials for as long as I can remember.

I finally managed to make my way over here after listening to Tom and Veronica for the last few years on many of the 127 other fine podcasts that they work on respectively. I'm armed with an Audible subscription and an iPad to try to get my reading done and am excited to participate in the fun.

[Damian]

Hi--Damian here. Just joined the group, but have been listening to the podcast for a year or more. Love listening to Veronica and Tom chat SF & F. I lean toward the Laser side of things...I like Fantasy, but only when a book really works for me--somehow I'm more forgiving of SF.

[Hunter]

Howdy, I'm Hunter.
I am a senior in Highschool right now and find myself reading crap loads of books since Highschool started. During my early years in highschool I stuck almost completely to Star Wars Novels. Most were great and everything but after a while I wanted to read some different ones.
I jumped right into Si Fi books and after my third or fourth book I realized that I myself want to make one as well. So I began writing a Si Fi novel and as of right now I'm about 15,000 words into my book.
I heard about goodreads from The Sword and Laser Podcast and heard about that Podcast from Scott Johnson on The Morning Stream.

[Gary]

Hi, I'm Gary. Been listening to the podcast for awhile (found it through TWIT podcasts), just started reading the books, and thought I should join in. I'm more into the SF side (maybe 75/25) but would like to balance it out with some more fantasy. I also like reading History & Science and historical fiction/alternate history.

[[deleted user]]

Hi I'm Sam,
I've always been a fan of fantasy and sci-fi and i've been watching tom and veronica for years on the twit and revision3 networks. I've known of the sword an laser podcast for along time but I only am just now joining here on goodreads. I usually lean more too fantasy and my favorite series has been Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Lately I've been reading urban fantasy like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Kim Harrison's Hollow's series. I'll be getting The Magicians and reading that this month so I can join in the coming discussions.

Hope to see you all in the forums!

[Jacob]

Hi, I'm Jacob. I have been a big fan of the podcast for a while now. I love both the sword and laser side of fiction and would have a hard time ever choosing a favorite. I work cleaning pools and am able to listen to a lot of audiobooks, which is a big plus. I hope to join in some fun and interesting discussions and get good recommendations from the forums.

[Hai]

Yar. my name is Hai (pronounced as "hi". yeah yeah. Hi Hai)

Anywho, I got reeled in to this podcast from seeing the Vaginal Fantasy Hangout, (I made a Beeker comic out of the 2nd hangout) and I heard a mention of Sword and Laser. After listening to a couple of podcasts, I found that I really enjoyed the back and forth conversations you guys have with each other (not even stuff pertaining to books) so I created a Goodreads account, and joined this group.

As of late, I havent been much of a book reader, but it's something I'd like to change about my life. I just figure that at the end of my life, I'd rather be that book smart old guy that everyone asks advice about than to be that doddering old guy circling a tree in a park somewhere. *shrug*

[Doofendad]

Hello everyone.

My name is Tony. I've been reading scifi since I found a copy of The Martian Chronicles when I was 10. I devoured everything i could find from Arthur C Clarke, the Dune series (when it was only 6 books) and anything else that looked vaguely scifi-y.

Recently i've been trying to mirror the picks of S&L, but they're not always available at the library so i'm a bit limited. I'm excited they are going to cover the Magician's, since its the first book where i'm actually ahead of them (Veronica anyway).

I would normally describe myself as a 'Laser', but retrospect some of my favorites are much more 'Sword-y' (i.e. Game of Thrones, Dresden Files, etc.). I've also recently read 1Q84, but i still don't know what the F it was about, let alone if it was a Sword or Laser.

Later everyone!

btw, if you're wondering about the handle (DoofenDad) its a combo of Doofensmirtz (from Phineas and Ferb) and the fact that i'm a dad (duh). :)

[Philip]

(Hums to himself) Please allow me to introduce myself........Hi, I'm Philip. A printer by trade and a lover of all kinds of fiction, currently residing in the north east of England. Comic books and graphic novels are my biggest obsession with fantasy fiction coming in a close second. Looking forward to being educated in the ways of the laser.

[Tk]

Hello, my name is TK. I've always loved science fiction, especially classic science fiction like; Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and so on, but I still enjoy the current stuff.

[Kaosandorder]

hi, my name is jason aka kaosandorder. I read everything and play some games. my favorite authors are jim butcher, david eddings, brent weeks.

[ob1spyker]

Hello World!

I am ob1spyker, Star Wars junkie and avid podcast listner. I found the Sword & Laser podcast via The TWiT network. Heard this guy Tom mention it a couple of times while doing Squarespace ads so I figured I'd give it a try. I found it quite enjoyable so hence, here I am posting in the Introduction and welcome thread.

I am more of a laser guy myself however, I do love a good fantasy. The Hobbit probably ranks as one of my all time favorite books. The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov is also a perennial favorite of mine, having read the whole series several times. I also have George Lucas set up as an automatic debit with my bank account.

I hope to meet new people here who share similar interests and to rekindle (no pun intended) my love for reading. I also like the added dimension goodreads brings to the podcast and look forward to discovering new favorite epics.

Read long and prosper!

-ob1spyker

[Semora]

Hello! My name is Semora (see-more-ah). I heard about the Sword and Laser podcast a few months back while listening to an episode of Tech News Today (where Veronica was a guest and Tom gently goaded her into mentioning the podcast they did together during the "where else can you find me" show wrap-up). The name of the podcast intrigued me so I searched it out. I've been listening ever since but have just recently joined the Goodreads group.

I was just going to jump in and start posting in a thread, but the first post prompt reminded me I should come introduce myself.

I would probably say I like "laser" more than "sword" though the first books I can remember reading in either genre was The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring trilogy. So I haven't actually read any of the official book selections since I've been listening (though I just read and loved "The Chronological Man" after listening to the Andrew Mayne interview). I'm a big fan of space operas and military sci-fi.

I'm looking forward to diving into the forums and am very excited about the Geek&Sundry video broadcasts that are going to start soon.

[Luis]

Hi, I'm Luis. I'm a big fan of Scalzi, Butcher, and Sanderson. I'm also into a bunch of the classics. Found you through the Geek and Sundry announcement. So excited that you are doing both a podcast and the video show!

[Tracey]

Hi I'm new to this group but have been getting the podcasts for the past couple of months and I love the show. I have around 1500 books mostly scifi/ fantasy in my house so LOTS of bookshelves. I am also in the final year for my Doctorate in education and live in Western Australia. Hi to everyone. Tracey

[Mimsey]

Hi, I've been listening to the podcast for several months and enjoying thoroughly, though have yet to join in on the reading. I realized looking back over my life that I am a fantasy fan...it took some time to fully accept it, but seeing as my first favorite book was Alice in Wonderland, and that over the years I discovered Pynchon's "Mason & Dixon," Ruff's "Fool on the Hill," then of course, the Tolkien books, and then I stumbled upon Game of Thrones (before all the hoopla, though I love the hoopla!). I fully embrace it now and have just started reading Rothfuss "The Name of the Wind." Oh, wait, not reading, listening to...it's an audio book and I want to be specific :).
Mimsey

[Sara]

Hello! I love SF&F, but I don't know anyone else who shares my reading habits. I'm hoping to get some good recommendations out of this group!

My favorite authors are all over the place. I like LMMB's Vorkosigan Saga, Terry Pratchett, John Scalzi, Karl Schroeder, Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson (though, oddly enough, NOT his Mistborn series)....

[Paul]

Hi all! I've been listening to the podcast for a couple months ago and really enjoy it. Finally took the plunge (moved from LibraryThing to Goodreads to join the discussions here).

Mostly on the 'sword' side of things here, especially Epic Fantasy. I'm a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time is still my favorite), Brent Weeks, and Peter V. Brett. Looking forward to participating in the discussions with all here!

[John]

Hi everyone my name is John and I read books.

I am studying for a Computing Degree, and working hard towards a career in web based software engineering. When not doing that I can usually be found hitting stuff (in a samba band)

I read a lot of fantasy books when I was younger, but tend to read more sci-fi these days.

Favourite authors - on the sci fi side Asimov was both a great writer and a visionary, as was Arthur C Clarke. As for modern authors I am a big fan of Alistair Reynolds. On the fantasy side Tolkien of course, and I would like Robert Jordan's masterpiece to finally be finished please.

I came across this podcast / group by way of the TWiT network. What a great idea for a community of book reading geeks. I look forward to joining in :-)

Look forward to getting to know you

John

[Lizzy]

Hello! I'm Lizzy, I'm a complete book addict and work at a publishing house in London. I lean more towards the Sword rather than Laser. That said, it's only because I don't really know where to start when it comes to Laser, so am hopeful of discovering some good recs here!

I read nearly all of Brandon Sanderson's work in the last six months and loved it all. Other favourites are Robin Hobb's Assassin trilogy, Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay, Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody trilogy, Scott Lynch and Patrick Rothfuss.

The podcast was recced to me by somebody at work and I'm working my way through some back episodes at the moment. Looking forward to the show on geekandsundry!

[Jack]

Hello, I found out about S&L from the Gweek podcast. I'm currently reading Reamde. I have recently decided to go back and re-read some stuff from when I was a youngster, so I may be delving backwards to things like Elric and Riverworld...

[Robert]

Hello, I am a huge fan of the podcast. I'm not the biggest reader, but decided it would be a frugal and time consuming pleasure. I love epic fantasies and sci-fi novels. Hope to join in on the discussions!

[Emma]

Hello! I'm Danielle. I found S&L through Veronica's other book club, Vaginal Fantasy Hangout. I tend to lean towards sci-fi and fantasy novels anyway, so I thought I could find some good recommendations over here.

I look forward to joining in on the discussions.

[Ron]

Howdy, I'm a long time Tom and Veronica fan, and was looking for a book club type thing. Even though my first one here was The Magicians (not a fan) I'm looking forward to the next pick.

[Viktoria]

Hello. I'm Viktoria. I'm with Danielle. I found out about this book club through Veronica's other book club. I love sci-fi and fanasty books. They are my favorite. I'm always trying to find new interesting books to read.

[Stephanie]

Hi, my name is Stephanie. I was excited to discover this group through the Geek & Sundry announcement. I have always been a huge fan of speculative fiction. I read both Sword and Laser, but I have read more Sword lately.

I read the Magicians (and the Magician King) earlier this year, so I probably wont read along again for the book club -- but I look forward to the participating in the discussions!

[Patrick Louie]

Hey! I'm Patrick, a Psychology sophomore with a love for all things that tickle your brain (minus zombies).

With no more high school english teacher to tell me what to read, I took to Classic literature (e.g. Aeneid, The Odyssey, etc.) I hope that The Sword and Laser will help me expand my metaphorical horizons.

[Helga]

HI I'm Helga aka helga666 form chat-realm. I have been listening for 2 months and finely got around to joining the forums. I have already started The Magicians, and i look forward to the nest Lazar.

[Jeremy]

Hey, I'm Jeremy. I'm into "out there" books. I lean toward the Sci part of Fi. Haven't read any of the big series, but would like to one day. Well, not in one day.

Hello.

[Jason]

Hey, I'm Jason. I'm a big S&L fan, leaning a little more heavily to the sword part. Just picked up the podcast a couple of weeks ago, but I'm glad I found it. Found the group (oddly enough) by following a couple of random links from The Guild website.

It's nice to be able to see what other folks are reading, and what they think. I'm looking forward to the upcoming discussions.

Favorite Authors: George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie , Tad Williams, Terry Brooks (his older stuff) , Orson Scott Card, and Stephen Pressfield.

[Alexander]

Hello! Like Sarah, I found out about this through the V*ginal Fantasy hangout -- actually through the mishap vid, then the rest of the hangout vids on YouTube -- and made the trek through Twitter and the Websites to this group!

I'm currently in Laser mode, trying to complete Iron Sunrise. But I do shift between Laser and Sword mode.

In fact, once I finish, I'll be hunting down an Ysabeau S. Wilce book to read.

The Lies of Locke Lamora was a fun read from last year, hope to see what comes up next.

Are we supposed to vote for books that we want to read, or want others to read in the monthly polls?

[Melody]

Hello, hi there. I'm Melody. I'm 15.

Reading was my favourite thing in the world as a child, but, somewhere around sixth or seventh grade, I grew obsessed with music, and books all but disappeared from my life.

I'm mostly interested in television now, but near the end of last year I decided that I needed to get back on track with my book-reading. Months later, when I was several books ahead of my book-per-week reading goal, I discovered S&L through the A.V. Club's Podmass column. I figured that a reading club certainly wouldn't hurt, and here I am now.

I definitely prefer Laser over Sword, because of the writing style of most Swords—though, of course, it all depends on the individual book. The only novel I've read so far from here was Rule 34, which I loved. I'm looking forward to finishing The Lies of Locke Lamora (which I'm sure I will, since what I've read of it has been excellent).

Anyways, thanks for reading my undoubtedly very boring intro. Happy reading.

[Liam]

Hi! I've posted on other threads and have listened to the cast for a year or so now... but I realize I've never introduced myself.

I'm Liam. :) I'm a gihugic Philip K. Dick and Steven Brust fan. Live in the Ozarks (...for now...) and just started a Kickstarter for my own debut novel, SINGULARITY DEFERRED.

I like the SF most, which is odd since for the first half of my life, I was all about the fantasy. My one regret: I don't have the time to read all the S&L picks in order to keep up with the podcast! Waahh!

[Kara]

Hello! My name is Kara. I read every genre I'm not very picky but I LOVE Scifi/Fantasy the most. It started with Harry Potter but my most recent love is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

[Johnnymnu]

Hi, I'm Christopher.
I enjoy whiskey, long walks, cheese and of course books.
Really happy to join this group and be flung into the outer reaches of human imagination.

[Heather]

Hello everyone! Found you guys via an announcement about Geek&Sundry. Have been cranking through the recent podcasts and am looking forward to watching the show! (Also excited about TableTop!)

I've been a fan of Fantasy and Scifi since my Mom bought me a Xanth book when I was 9. Have been hooked ever since! My favorites are generally swords, but I've been known to read a laser now and again.

I'm currently reading the Dresden Files (almost done w Dead Beat) and am enjoying the heck out of them!

See ya 'round the forums!

[Sean]

Hi. I've kept an eye out for a good community site to talk about books and am hoping this is the one. I've used other places like Shelfari, librarything, Anobi, etc. but this one seems to have decently active discussions!

I've wandered over here to try this out because I tried out the podcast after missing seeing Veronica on the PSN. That, plus the Geek & Sundry thing reminded me too :).

[Joel]

Greetings. I honestly am not sure what I'd want to get out of a group like this, but it sure sounds interesting, I'm definitely a sword & laser kind of person (tend more toward the sword side, though). Figured I'd roam about and check things out.

[Kevin]

Hi, I'm Kevin. I've been a laser fan for most of my life, but oddly enough I've not ventured much into the sword (except Lucas' laserswords... heh).

I hope this book club can help introduce me to a new genre. :)

[Tric]

Hi, I'm here the same way as many others, via the announcement of Geek & Sundry. I've been meaning to try a nice book club type thing, so I hope this works out. It seems like a fun place. :)

[Budd]

Hi, I'm Budd. Longtime SciFi/Fantasy reader. I heard about the Sword and Laser Podcast and this forum from the Buzz Out Loud podcast when Tom was still on the show. I have discovered some great new reads from Sword and Laser and now even more reading choices from this forum. I enjoy the whole genre but have a special fondness for the wonderful novels of Terry Pratchett, they cheer me up when I am worn down by the world.

[Josh]

Howdy, I'm Josh from Austin. I cut my teeth on Tolkien and Heinlein and have been a big fan of both "Sword" and "Laser" ever since.

I've been following Tom and Veronica ever since Buzz Out Loud days, but was waiting on joining the group until after I finished all the back episodes. I have decided that's nigh impossible, given my allergy to spoilers, so here I am. I'm going to pick up the latest book, can't wait to join the discussions that T&V refer to in the podcast.

Josh

[Tim]

Hey, I'm Tim.

I'm an Australian Graphic Designer, I also game a fair bit and I am totally in love with anything Fantasy or Sci-Fi.

I'm almost solely a Sci-fi/Fantasy reader, I started out young with Deltora Quest, The Icemark Chronicles and Eragon, being a few of my favourite titles. Nowadays I'm into a wide variety of authors.

I came to join this group after participating in all of the Vaginal Fantasy meet ups, I love Veroinca, Felica and Geek and Sundry and I'm really keen to get on board for it's video feature!