The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Hi, my name is Kati, and I also found out about this group on Geek & Sundry and thought it looked like a good place to find some new authors and books! I definitely lean more towards the fantasy side of SF/F. My favorite authors are Tamora Pierce, Garth Nix, Lev Grossman, and Brandon Sanderson. I'm currently reading A Clash of Kings in paper and some random non-fiction on my Kindle :) Really looking forward to the discussion of The Magicians!
Heya. I'm Julie from Denmark. Ive read English books since Harry Potter came out, I simply couldn't wait another half year for a Danish version. I stumbled across Sword and Laser when I was checking out Geek and Sundry, I found the concept of an online bookclub quite appealing. My interests are gaming and reading. I mainly read fantasy and sci-fi. I just finished George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and I needed some inspiration for some new books to read. One of my favorite books is The Traveler which is a part of the Fourth Realm trilogy by John Twelve Hawks. I look forward to read The Magicians and to be a part of the Sword and Laser community!
Hi, I'm Lila. I used to read like mad and in the past several years haven't been as much, but I'm getting back into it these days and I'm looking forward to discovering new books here.I tend to be pickier about what fantasy I'll pick up and a bit less selective about sci-fi, but I love them both. Orson Scott Card and Anne McCaffrey are two of my favorite authors, and they have books in both genres, so there you go. I also like David Eddings, John Scalzi, Ursula K. LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Frank Herbert, CJ Cherryh, and the list goes on.
Hi, I'm Amanda. You can thank Geek & Sundry for sending me this way. I read all the time because I am an English major, but rarely get the time to read anything that interests me personally. I am creating a reading list for the summer though.My favorite sci-fi/fantasy authors are C.S. Lewis, Octavia Butler, James Tiptree Jr., Stephen King, and I am being introduced to Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Hi everyone I'm Kim from North Queensland, Australia. I prefer fantasy to sci-fi though it's a close thing. I'll read almost any genre though and I am never without a book or my Kindle nearby.
Hi, I'm Martin from Austria (the one without kangaroos). I read a lot of Fantasy and Scifi and I am always looking for new Books, so this seems so be the perfect place. I also came here via Geek & Sundry and realy like the idea of the show.
Been reading Sci-Fi and Fantasy since high school, came over here after seeing Sword and Laser on Geek and Sundry. I'm always looking for new books and always seemed to have a lack of recommendations.
Hi, I'm Larry -- I'm currently in the middle of the US. Although I just found the S&L podcast, I've long been a fan of both Sword and Laser since the late 70's. Favorites include: Tolkien, Zelazny (more his short fiction than Amber), Heinlein, LeGuin, Martin, Butcher's "Dresden" series, Bradbury, Vinge. I recently stumbled on Sword & Laser from the Geek & Sundry. Listened to a few podcasts and immediately thought that Lies of Locke Lamorra sounded like just the ticket.
Beyond Sword and Laser, I enjoy reading historical fiction, history, popular science, and "books about dogs". When I'm not reading or juggling life, I'm probably boadgaming, backpacking, brewing or baking bread.
"Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice" -- E.M. Forster
Hi I'm Brendan and came to S&L through Geek and Sundry,I'm a hardcore Stephen King fan but quickly running out of stuff to read so am trying to spread my literary wings a little. Big 'The Flash' fan too.
I read quite a few Raymond Feist some years back and loved them all. Just finished 'A Clockwork Orange' and diving into 'A Scanner Darkly' later today.
Hi, I'm Tanya, and I'm in Austin, Texas.I joined because Felicia Day promoted this book club on her Google+ feed, and a book club sounded cool. I had been hoping it would be more of a live interaction through G+ hangout, but a month-long asynchronous discussion is fine, too.
My favorite books include Terry Pratchett's Diskworld series, Roger Zelazny's Amber series, Spider Robinson's Callahans series, Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series, anything by Kurt Vonnegut, short stories from Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, and a variety of murder mysteries.
Hey everyone! My name is long and difficult so I go by 'J' usually. I love reading fantasy/thriller/suspense but I dip into other pots frequently. A few of my favorite authors are SUSPENSE: David Morrell Lee Child FANTASY: R.A. Salvatore Terry Goodkind but lately I find myself reading new stuff by Indie authors and loving it. It is amazing how much talent is out there.
I myself am an Indie author and have one fantasy book out with a sequal in the works and another suspense that I am trying to finish up within the next few months.
I read any chance I get when writing is not an option. I think I am addicted...and I love it.
Hi I'm Alex.I love reading in general and have just fallen back into reading sci-fi and fanatsy which I read so avidly in my youth. I have recently left univeristy and I find reading a good way to procrastinate before entering the big bad world of employment (reading is sort of like a job right?)
I live in England so I drink copious a tea and complain about the weather a lot and thats about it really...
My favourite authors are Tolkien, Douglas Adams, Graham Greene and Austen (Man I am a sucker for a romance novel) and I am currently reading Game of Thrones and various graphic novels. Oh and of course The Magicians ;)
Hi my name is Zac, I am an avid fantasy reader (A sword) as well as mystery. I found out about sword and laser through Geek and Sundry. I started "The Magicians" and finnished it in a week. I am very much looking forward to all of the new books I am going to read.If anyone needs a suggestion for a new book to read I think you should check out Wizard's First Rule
Hello all. My name is Bret. I grew up reading a lot of science fiction and fantasy, I’m a gamer and over the years have amassed a respectable movie collection. My favorite movies when I was young were Dragonslayer and the 1982 animated film, The Flight of Dragons.I started listening to past episodes of the podcast a couple months ago and have since been trying to catch up. I’m still in the middle of The Lies of Locke Lamora, but I’m a fairly fast reader and hope to move on to The Magicians in the next few days.
When I was far smaller than I am today, I read everything I could find. What I could find turned out to be mostly kids versions of science books. So I read about atoms and thunder lizards, planets and meteorites. After I had read all of this, someone introduced me to SF&F. I was bedazzled; "wait" I cried, "They write stories about this stuff, too?"My love of reading doubled as I could read neat science/tech stuff and stories about it too!
Not counting Dr. Seuss etc, The Hobbit was my first fiction book, it still owns a piece of my soul. The Dragon riders of Pern came next, just as The White Dragon was published. I was hooked forever after.
I stumbled upon Dungeons and Dragons in its infancy and discovered that my friends and I could take part in the stories too! D&D and The Empire of the Petal Throne had bibliographies that told of even more amazing worlds to read about.
Now we have what would have been Science Fiction when I was little, and can use it to discuss these stories we all love so well.
Hello, I'm Fresno Bob (bonus points to anyone that knows where the name comes from!) I live in San Francisco near Dolores Park, and have been an avid SF and Fantasy reader ever since I got a library card. My favorite authors right now are Alister Reynolds, Tim Powers, Richard Morgan, Joe Abercrombie and Neal Asher.I read a ton, close to 100 books a year, best stuff I've read recently has been Ready Player One, Reamde, The Liminal People, and Soft Apocolypse. Looking forward to some fine book discussion
Hello, I'm Dan. I have been a big fan of SciFi and Fantasy for most of my life, ever since I first saw Star Trek and read the Narnia series. I also enjoy other fiction and classics, some philosophy and poetry, and am rather fond of baseball-related novels. I am looking forward to discovering new novels in the genre and a community to discuss the books with.
I'm Chris Stevenson from Sylvania, AL, and I've been writing for over 30 years. I've published non-fiction books, novels, horror radio plays, and short stories since 1987--seven books published. I'm past member of the SFWA. I write SF, fantasy and paranormal romance, YA and adult thrillers. My latest release is Planet Janitor Custodian of the stars, available on Amazon at a reduced price.Glad to be among such illustrious spec writers and readers.
cheers,
Chris
Hello. I'm Coalton. I am just a resident nerd in the Southern US who loves reading, playing video games, watching TV and movies...basically consuming as much media as possible on a daily basis, when not in class or at work. I also play guitar and can write pretty decently, though I partake in far more of the former.
Hi, I'm Michael from Sweden.I'm a big gaming and sci-fi nerd, and followed the trail of Scott Johnson-Frogpants crumbs to S&L. Which works great since I just recently rediscovered my love of reading and got a Kindle for my birthday (yay!).
I'm usually more on the Laser side of reading, but I have a huge weak spot for Terry Pratchett and have read every single Discworld-book so far (still working on finishing Snuff, but The Magicians kind of got in the way...).
Greetings folks. My name is Jeremy. The bulk of my fantasy and sci-fi reading is centered around the progenitors of the genres. I am here to find contemporary goodies.
Hi All,My name is Wes and I have been a sci-fi/fantasy reader since I was five or six when I started getting into my Dad's book collection. However, I am definitely on the "Laser" side of the spectrum.
I found out about this group and GoodReads in general from watching the first Geek and Sundry episode and felt that I had to check things out as I've been busy and out of touch with what's happening in the world of books these days.
My favourite writers include the likes of Kim Stanley Robinson, C.J. Cherryh, Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks and George R.R. Martin. Although Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz and Clive Cussler have often lived on my night stand too.
I am currently working (slowly) on my own sci-fi novel and will be posting a prologue up in the writing section as soon as I verifiy my email address with GoodReads.
Thanks and looking forward to reading with you all!
Hello there!My name is Agustí and I am a long time sci-fi/fantasy reader. I have read for as long as I can remember, but my first "serious" read was sci-fi; I think I was around 11 and the book was Frank Herbert's Dune. Needless to say, I was blown away.
At around that same age, I read also The Lord of The Rings. That book also had a MAJOR impact in me.
So there: a balanced diet of sci-fi and fantasy. I managed to mantain it that way until my late twenties; at that point I suffered an acute fantasy indigestion and left the genre for a long while.
However, I have been recently dragged in again by the likes of George R.R. Martin and Pat Rothfuss. It's their fault and we hates thems :)
See you around!
Have been listening to the podcasts for 6 months. Have enjoyed the shows and the new video feed is great! Keep up the great work!
Hi everyone,I'm Bjorn and I have recently become addicted to the podcast. I've been reading fantasy and sci-fi for as long as I can remember. I am looking forward to learn about new authors/books from you guys.
I am actually German, so I have read a lot of stuff in a different language, but started reading English authors in their original tongue as soon as my skills were good enough for that.
I am now living in the UK, which means it's easier for me to get my hands on English books. hooray!
My favourite fantasy book/series of all time is probably the "Magelord" trilogy by Thomas K. Martin. Maybe because the main character's name is Bjorn, but it's also a great story.
Favourite Sci-Fi is definitely "Dune" by Frank Herbert. I devoured the whole series because I loved the mix of action, intrigue and religion I've never seen described in that much detail ever again.
Anyway, see you in the discussions!
Hey all,I'm Marcelo and I tend to wander into different genres a lot. My queue has books from Stephen Hawking to Stephen King, wandering around Terry Pratchett but never settling too close to Neil Gaiman.
I'm really looking forward to geeky discussion here, especially if the first book is The Magicians!
Hey all,I am Mark. I am that pasty nerd that played DnD in hih school and never quit. I make my living playing with high performance compute clusters and read voraciously. I have about three hours a day on the bus to read and lately have been knocking down about a book every two days. I pretty much read everything that involves swords and/or lasers so I figured I find some like minded folks 'round these parts. My current favorite authors are Joe Abercrombie, Ari Marmell, Simon R. Green and too many others to list. Looking forward to taking part in the discussions.
Hello my name is Gonzalo, I´m from a small town in Argentina (no, we´re DOWN Brazil) I have just recently found out about your show via Geek & Sundry and absolutly loved it. I´ve always enjoyed Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but new books from new authors are hard to come by (unless you´re into beeping vampires)so It´s a thrill to hear and watch you guys talk about books. I´ll do my best to get the picks for the month and thanks again. Oh and my favourite authors are R.A Salvatore, Ursula K. LeGuin, Isac Asimov, Leonardo Oyola and a couple more. BTW sorry for any misspels o wrong use of your language we do get a lot of your tv shows.
Howdy, this is Paul from frigid North Dakota. I'm a longtime sci-fi and fantasy fan. Lately I've been reading more non-fiction, but I'm just getting back into the swing of things with some Edgar Rice Burroughs and EE Doc Smith.
Hi everyone, I'm Chuck. I'm a 51 year old geek, musician and sometime writer who makes money working in aerospace since none of those vocations actually pays any bills :) I enjoy science fiction, fantasy, intrigue, and pretty much anything I can find time to absorb. I'm currently finishing 1Q84 only because my OCD won't let me Lem it. Love the podcast and looking forward to participating in the group.
Hi all. David here from Brisbane Australia. Love Fantasy Sci Fi, Horror and Historical Fiction.Love George R Martins Song of Ice and Fire, Frank Herberts Dune series, Tolkien LOTR, Stephen Kings Dark Tower series (does that qualify as both fantasy and sci fi?). Currently up to book 7 of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series and joined up here to get ideas for the next read.
Hi, I'm Katherine!Wish I knew about this years ago! So excited to start, thanks to Geek and Sundry making me aware. I'm almost done with The Magicians, and so ready to chat with you all about it!
Thanks! Ready to read :)
Hi I'm Keith. Always been a fan of Fantasy and Sci Fi, more Fantasy then Sci Fi. Avid player of Magic: The Gathering card game(not very good though). Some of my favorites are Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, Tolkien's LOTR, and the Robin Hobb trilogies (haven't finished all of them yet); Also big fan of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Just finished The Many Deaths of the Black Company by Glen Cook, Which capped off a great series. Hope to get in on the next read.
Heya. I'm Jonathan. To the left, you'll see a tiny photo of my wife and I. We are attached at the face.Some favorite authors
- Jorge Luis Borges
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Lois McMaster Bujold
How I read
I tend to bank my anticipation and spend it a couple of times of year, reading 5-10 books back-to-back. Until 10 years ago, I read non-stop; college and career have since dulled my appetite with field-specific content.
Why I joined this group
- To read with greater regularity
- To find informed curators
- To expand my experience of speculative fiction
- To participate in the S&L community
My to-read shortlist
- Anansi Boys
- Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood
Hi! I'm Emily. I've been a huge reader since my librarian/mom got me started at the age of 2. I'm not sure if C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien got me started in fantasy/sci-fi, but I definitely grew up loving the Zelazny Roger books on tape, the Star Wars novels and Diana Wynne Jones's books.I love all the Frogpants podcasts and recently got into Sword and Laser via the Geek & Sundry YouTube as well. Tom & Veronica keep me company during my daily commute.
Recently, I've taken to reading Kindle books on my iPhone during downtime and before bed, but my husband & I's apartment is full of paperbacks as well. Right now, I'm particularly enjoying Robin Hobb and Andrea K. Höst.
Glad to be here!
Hi, I'm Chris.I'm a standard geek, living in Salem, MA (Witch City) with my wife (who is also a geek, yay me!).
We are into pretty much the whole gamut of the usual suspects, gaming (mostly board and card games, with video games mixed in as time allows), TV/Video including Eureka, BSG, BVTS, WH13, SW, ST, etc etc etc. We are both also rabid readers of all genres. My favorite authors include: Terry Pratchett (I'm a bit obsessive about Terry and have a rather large collection of stuff), Douglas Adams, Joseph Heller, Jim Butcher, Christopher Moore, Tim Dorsey, Richard Dawkins, Mary Roach, Tolkien, Baum, Orwell, Huxley, etc etc etc.
I have no idea how I have missed this group/podcast for so long! I discovered it through Geek and Sundry and am very happy to become a part of the community. I looked through the list and have read about 30% or so of the books on it and am looking forward to reading through all of it!
I tend to lurk in online communities but this just might be one that I'll actively participate in!
Hi I'm Matt out of Southern California. Love the sword genre and have occasionally dabbled in the laser genre. This is my first book club so I'm looking forward to reading along with everyone. Is there a reading schedule other than the start and end times? I would like to see a recommended reading schedule, like chapters whatever thru whatever this week or something to that effect.
Hello. I'm Dustin from Richmond, VA. I'm not a big scifi/fantasy reader but I do get in there. Maybe 1 in every 5 books I read is a SciFan. Even so, I've been listening to the podcast for a little while now. Veronica and Tom are really charming and I've enjoyed the discussions. I wish there was a podcast/group for literary fiction with the same personality, but there isn't one that I'm aware of. Regardless, I like the cut of your collective jib so I finally decided to drink the koolaid and jump in here.I probably won't read every book the group reads (I already buy books faster than I can read them), but I hope I'll read some new stuff and I always want to talk about a book after I've read it to help decompress and filter everything so this should be great.
For scifi I loved the Ender's Game/Shadow series and of course the Hitchhiker's Guide series. I've also really enjoyed what Arthur C. Clark I've read. I really loved Solaris. For fantasy, the Discworld series is great although I've only gotten about half way through it. I liked your Harry Potters and Golden Compasses. I was reading and enjoying the Wheel of Time series but I dropped out 5 or so books in. Outside of SciFan, I like Herman Hesse, Dumas, Rand, Dostoyevsky, etc...
Oh! I'm a big supporter of audiobooks! If it wasn't for audiobooks I would only have "read" probably less than a third of the books I've "read" so far. So I'll keep an eye out for the resurgence of that debate.
Non-book related details: I program for money, do improv comedy, and play video games. That's pretty much it.
That was longer than necessary (I even just cut out a bunch). Anyway hello nice to meet you.
I'm Michelle from Northern Virginia. I have always been a fantasy lover...science fiction is taking a concerted effort by me to get into. Playing Mass Effect and loving it made me want to read books like the story I was playing out (but I've always been a fan of Star Wars too...)I am not the best at reading books at the same time they are assigned to. Usually, I get to it a month after but I am going to try to do better.
First read Forever War in an attempt to get into science fiction, but have since enjoyed Hyperion, The Downbelow Station...all thanks to this club!
My favorite books include Uprooted, The Archived, His Majesty's Dragon, Outlander, the Redwall series, Harry Potter, and the Dragonriders of Pern series...though there are so many other good ones out there that I enjoy so much...I'm just not very good at remembering all of them!
Hello, I am Sherry. I learned to read when I was 3 and haven't stopped since. I love sci-fi/fantasy, YA, mystery/suspense, historical, just about anything really.I found this club through Felicia Day who I found through Wil Wheaton.
Hey y'all! I'm Amber. I have to admit that I was always a true crime/British chick lit reader, until my husband of 5 years has finally turned my head to this wonderful genre of literature! I now game and am looking forward to delving more into the sci-fi/fantasy. Thanks for being kind to a newbie - and LOVE the podcast & new show!
Hi, I'm Rhys I hated reading until started reading Harry Potter back in 1998 since then I have broadened my reading to sci-fi, non fiction science and a small number of biography's. At the moment I am reading the Jobs book Spinward Fringe Frontline and If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens ... Where Is Everybody?: Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestrial Life. My favorite authors are Raymond E feist, JK Rollings, Naomi Novik, Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony and Douglas Adams, My favorite Book would have to be The hitch Hikers guide to the Galaxy or The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin and my favorite short story is The Last Question: multivax.com/last_question.html
I found this through TWIT back at episode 20 after a plug by Leo.
Hi guys--I'm MeiLin. If I'm not reading 19th century classics or books set in the 19th century, I'm reading fantasy and science fiction books set in the 19th century. Or writing them. Or so it seems.
Anyway, occasionally I do manage to escape the orbit of Anthony Trollope, Jane Austen, Susanna Clarke, Patrick O'Brian, Georgette Heyer, MK Hobson and Cherie Priest. Occasionally.
Hi I have been a listener since the beginning but never posted on Goodreads. I really enjoy the show and I appreciate all the hard work you two put into getting the show ready weekly. I read just about everything. Last novel was The Hunger Games. Keep up the good work and I also love the smoke growling Dragon.
Hi there! I'm one of the newest members to Sword & Laser, and my name is James. My wife and I have joined this group thanks to our newest addiction to the new show from Geek & Sundry. I'm sure she'll post her own introduction, so for now I'll pretend she doesn't exist!I live in Battle Ground, WA and work in Portland, OR. I am probably 66% Laser and 34% Sword (sorry Veronica!) In addition to picking up The Magicians recently from AbeBooks.com, I'm also currently reading The Drawing of the Three.
I've never been a part of a book club before, but I'm pretty sure I've started with a great one. Talk to you all later!
How's it going everyone! My name is Robert and I just joined Goodreads and Sword and Laser. I first got into Sci-fi/fantasy later in life with Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swords series and have been hooked ever since. I've always read books solo and have never been part of a book club or discussion forum and am kicking myself now for missing out on all the fun all this time. I'm looking forward reading with you guys (and gals).
Hello. My name is Jonathan. This is the first book club/ forum i have ever joined. I'm looking forward to getting good book recommendations. I'm more of a sword guy my self, but a i like to read a good laser book once in a while.
Hi, I'm Melissa.I learned of this lovely little place from Geek and Sundry. I have been reading avidly since I was little, and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. :)
This is my first book club, and I absolutely cannot wait to get started!
Hey y'all! I'm Amy, from St. Louis, Missouri. I have been buried in a book for most of my life, and I still do summer reading club with my local library. Did you know some libraries have adult summer reading clubs? They do - WITH PRIZES.I found The Sword and Laser via Geek & Sundry. I'm not a video gamer, nor do I care for comic books/graphic novels. But I am appreciative of all things geeky. My geekitude comes from my love of reading fantasy and my interest in all things trivia/religious/philosophical. I am an Anglophile. I am obsessed with anything Medieval. I am just getting into Letterboxing. I was a Girl Scout (still am at heart). Oh, and I may have played Magic: The Gathering at one point in my life...
I am looking forward to reading along with all of you. I tend to reread books over and over, so it will help me expand my horizons!
A few favorite books/series:
The Dark Tower Series
The Lord of the Rings
The Hawk and the Dove Trilogy
A Morbid Taste for Bones
Harry Potter
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Ghosts of the Scattered Kingdoms (other topics)The Sword of Shannara (other topics)
Shadow & Claw (other topics)
A Canticle for Leibowitz (other topics)
A Canticle for Leibowitz (other topics)
More...
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)
More...
My name is Phil. I'm a new-ish fantasy and sc-fi fan I suppose. I read much more when I was younger and it dropped off for a long time. I jumped back in thanks to series like A Song of Ice and Fire.
I found the Sword and Laser podcast also thanks to the fantastic Geek & Sundry channel on YouTube. I thought I should jump on with the reading of The Magicians, since usually my reading is very erratic and I wanted to try and be more focused. So why not do that with a host of others.