Introduction and welcome thread! Showing 1,601-1,650 of 4,412

[Andrew]

Hello friends!

Long time reader/watcher/listener of Tom and Veronica. Currently living in St. John's, NL attending Memorial of University (studying Sociology). Recently really got into reading/audiobooks and looking forward to some discussions!

[Loopy]

Hi all! My name is Jennifer, but my friends call me "Loopy." I caught the first two video episodes on Geek & Sundry and LOVED them. I read constantly and am always starved for new book recommendations - so after digging through the list of books already read on here, I knew I had to join.

My must-read authors include Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, Jacqueline Carrey and Charles Strouss.

[Alex]

Hello, Im Alex and I read any books that have a happy ending. I started of reading Alex Rider/James Bond type books, but have recently otten into fantasy with Narnia, Lord of the Rings and Discworld.

[Dan]

Hey all, I'm Dan. Been an avid reader all my life and even though life keeps getting more and more busy I try to read as often as possible.

Although Sci-Fi/Fantasy is my favorite Genre to read, I also enjoy military memoirs, historical fiction, mystery/thriller, horror and have recently non-fiction crime.

I found out about this site via The Sword and Laser show on Geek and Sundry. Great job Veronica and Tom, look forward to future episodes!

[Chuck]

Hi I'm Chuck!
I am a big Science Fiction and Fantasy fan. I heard about Sword and Laser through Twit and so I've only been a member for a few weeks now but I'm really loving the group. One of my favorite books is Fahrenheit 451. I am currently rereading The Hobbit before the movie comes out.

[Diana]

Hi, everybody. I'm Diana and I found Sword & Laser through Geek & Sundry (via my obsession with all things Felicia Day). I am very excited to start with this month's pick since I'm pretty sure Hyperion was one of my dad's favorite novels. Sentimental of me, maybe, but I dig the connection. I guess I have been reading sci-fi my whole life (Douglas Adams, Ender's Game, etc.) but it's never been predominant on my bookshelf. Two definite themes that I have noticed in my fave fiction are dystopias and strong female leads (think: the Diamond Age). Not that fond of fantasy (yet) but I have a serious love for Patrick Rothfuss. Looking forward to expanding my palate with this book club :)

[Bobby]

Hello! I'm Bobby and like many others I discovered Sword & Laser via Geek & Sundry. I'd actually been searching for a sci-fi/fantasy book review podcast for a while and somehow had not stumbled across this treasure! Love the show in both formats. These days I love Alastair Reynolds and Patrick Rothfuss but I read just about anything fantasy or science fiction I can get my hands on!

[[deleted user]]

Hello all, i'm Deborah I discovered Sword & Laser from Veronica's guest spot on the Tested Octoberkast podcast last year.
I've always been a big reader but was supper closed minded about what I would read (lots and lots of existentialist literature cause i ♥ Kafka) I got into sci-fi and fantasy because of gaming and the song of ice and fire series.
So i'm glad to have found a place where I can be better exposed to these types of books. Also Doctor Who references would be much appreciated.

[Charlotte]

Salutations, I'm Charlotte. I live in Northeast Florida and I'm painfully new to goodreads. I've been reading mostly fantasy for years which started with the Elric Saga in the 1990's. Though I own a few 'Laser' books I have yet to read Sci-Fi. I plan on changing that soon-promise. My rather sad path to The Sword and Laser went something like: WoW Insider -> The Guild -> Felicia Day's FB profile -> Vaginal Fantasy Hangout -> "ooh Veronica Belmont is neat" -> The Sword and Laser. I'm looking forward to following this group, the shows and discovering new books!

[Tiffany]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Tiffany and I was sent here via Geek and Sundry. I have been a sci-fi/fantasy reader ever since I was 13 or 14(I'm now 33). M first sci-fi/fantasy book was Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey. I believe my best friend suggested it to me. From then on I was hooked.
I have a theory about girls that are fantasy fans that they are either horse people or dragon people. I was definitely a horse person and the female characters in Misty's books really spoke to me. The other thing that really appealed to me about fantasy/sci-fi authors is that they tended to write in series which meant that I could immerse myself in the world for much longer than other books.

Some of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi authors besides Mercedes Lackey are George RR Martin, Arthur C Clarke, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Melanie Rawn.

I'm quite excited about this book group since I love fantasy/sci-fi and have been looking for something new to read in the genre while I wait for Brandson Sanderson and George RR Martin to publish their latest books in their respective series.

Thanks I look forward to reading what you have to say in the forums.

Tiffany

[Anna]

Hello, My name is Anna Raftery and I am, as is probably obviouse, a F&SF fan (as well as being a Comic nerd).

I kinda got out of reading for a while, but I'm trying to get more into it so this should help! Most resently I've read Among Others by Jo Walton which s great book and a must read for any person who grew up reading F&SF.

I sarted reading quit late compaired to alot of Fans, being dyslexic and not very confidant. But when I was about 12 or 13 my dad started picking out cool books for me to read, and let's just say Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold changed everything!

[Matthew]

Hey, I haven't introduced myself before starting my tie-in fiction thread.

Hi, I'm Matthew of Malaysia. Last name confidential and please don't believe that silly name I put in my profile. I'm just a 20-something student in the field of Journalism.

Believed it or not, I was led her by Veronica Belmont's interview on the IGN Youtube show, Up At Noon. So Veronica, you should totally thank Greg Miller for that and stop making fun about the fact that his channel has less subscribers than Geek and Sundry =P.

I try to branch out, but I'm currently in a soul-sucking matrimony with Warhammer (both Fantasy and 40K) and Forgotten Realms. I don't update my Goodreads books section anymore because I've too many tie-in novels for me to keep track of anymore, haha.

Pleased to make your acquaintance. May your enemies burn in holy fire.

[Travis]

Hello, They call me Travis Hathcock because that's my name. I definitely fall more on the side of sword but laser is a close second. I joined the forum because of the Geek and Sundry show. I am looking forward to reading and discussing books with a like minded community.

[Jennifer]

Hi, I'm Jennifer, an American ex-pat living in London.

Like many, I found this through Geek and Sundry, and I loved the first two shows. After the first show, I managed to read The Magicians, The Magician King, and Nocturnal. It was so nice to get book recommendations!

I love my Kindle, and have read all genres of literature. However, I've mostly read on the outskirts of sci-fi/fantasy, finally diving into the genre in the past few years. A few of my friends have given suggestions, but I am looking forward to reading this month's book and getting more recommendations!

[Ricardo]

Hello,
I started listening to the podcast after hearing Veronica on Nerdist and it sounded too good to be true. I don't usually read along with book clubs, but I can still get into the podcasted discussions on stuff I haven't read. It's great to hear from some authors too since they don't tend to be the kind that circulate the chat shows.
Top 5 for me (currently) would be: Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks, Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, The Forever War by Jon Haldeman and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
Yay!

[Doug]

Just popped in to say hello all as it only seems polite really *smile*.

The name is Doug, I currently live in South Wales in the UK, am getting scarily close to 50 but still a big kid at heart *wink* Seen the show on Geek and Sundry, like so many of late I think, and decided to follow up on some of the links which lead me here to Goodread’s, as I love to read all types of Sci-Fi & Fantasy it was only logical to join up *smile*. Other interests in said genre includes games, be they on the computer, board games or tabletop and RPG’s, watching films, especially if they contain Dragon’s! The colour Purple, in all shades is also a big part of my life too (live in UK so colour is spelt right *wink*).

Mainly read on Kindle now but do have a good collection of the more physical kind to pick up and blow the dust off when in the need, must confess I am an advocate of e-books, so much easier, especially when getting to the end of one book and need another with you when it finishes, normally in the early stages of a long trip away of course! Score to e-books here as you can carry your library with you or just grab another from the Internet in seconds! *smile*.

Favourite authors, in random order, include, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings, George R. R. Martin and J.K. Rowling to name a few. Looking forward to discovering a lot more through Sword & Laser and Goodreads, thanks all *wave*.

[AnnaBanana]

Hi, I'm Anna. I was raised on reading. My mom read Isaac Asimov alongside Dr. Seuss when I was a child. Though I enjoy regency romance & sci-fi, my first love has been fantasy ever since I picked up The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks.

I am really looking forward to getting some good recommendations! I have already been inspired to try some books that I have passed up pretty regularly, and I am pleasantly surprised. Thanks S&L!

[Patrick]

Hi. I'm Patrick. I like to read, and I love to talk about stuff I read. I'm another new fan who found Sword and Laser from Geek & Sundry. My favorite authors include Haruki Murakami, Lev Grossman, and Neal Stephenson.

[✿◕‿◕✿Pao]

Ello I'm Paola, just recently found about this awesome book club through geek and sundry. I eat and breath anything and everything fantasy and sci-fi from books to games, tv shows you name it. I mostly read UF, with the occasionally high fantasy read thrown here and there for good measure.

Favotire authors(in not particular order)
JK Rowlling
Jim Butcher
Kevin Hearne
Brandon Sanderson
Orson Scott Card
Stephen king
Ilona Andrews
patricia Briggs
I'm hoping to expand my reading list with this club :)

[[deleted user]]

Hello, I'm Andrew, from Shropshire in the UK. I discovered you via Geek & Sundry but have listened to the all podcasts available and really liked them.

I started reading SF about 9 with the Dr Who Target books and progressed to Arthur C Clarke, Harry Harrison, Douglas Adams, Michael Moorcock and of course 2000AD.

I tend to read on and off, reading a bunch of books and then not reading for a good few months or so. Following a book club might help me find the time to have at least one book on the go all the time, starting with Hyperion.

I'm in a reading phase at the moment so have a Julian May trilogy I've been lent, been given C J Cherryh's The Chanur novels (read the first, love it), halfway through a Conan anthology and listening to the pod casts reminds me I've fallen behind with Neal Stephenson and William Gibson (Up to date with Iain M. Banks though and M John Harrison I think).

Looking forward to my first club book. Keep up the good work with the videocasts and podcasts. Thanks S&L.

[Lauren]

Hi, I'm Lauren. I'm originally from CT and have since lived in NC, IL, and am about to move to AZ. I'm a librarian who reads primarily fantasy and sci-fi (including lots of graphic novels), with a scattering of other books. Favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Guy Gavriel Kay, Jacqueline Carey, Connie Willis, Charles de Lint, Vernor Vinge, Katharine Kerr, and honestly too many others to list. I joined this group because it looked like a gathering of a lot of people following and discussing books that I like to read :)

[Maryanne]

Hi! I am Maryanne, life long sci ti fantasy book reader. I found this group on Geek and Sundry. I didn't read April's book but I have started in on May.

Hope to find new authors to read and new topics to geek out About.

Thanks!

[James]

Hey all, I'm James.

Recent college graduate, as of yesterday. I'm a hardcore gamer and was the director for my universities television studio.

Almost done with Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and about to start The Magicians.

Love both the video and audio shows.

~James

[Mike]

Hello everyone! I'm Mike. I read a little bit of everything but my favorite authors are probably Terry Goodkind, Jerry B. Jenkins and Ted Dekker. I love the show and I can't wait to start reading along with every.

[Mike]

I'm another Mike. I'm a Felicia Day fanboy, and therefore found this group through the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel and decided to see what it was all about.

I tend to be a solo reader--that is, I don't do much (intelligent) discussion with people about what I read. That being said, I'm not sure how deeply involved I'll get with this group, but at the very least I hope to get some great recommendations and suggestions on what to read next.

As for favorite authors? I tend to think more in terms of favorite books/series rather than a particular author. I love the Song of Ice and Fire series and hope it doesn't take another 10 years for the next installment. I'm a D&D nerd, so I enjoy The Legend of Drizzt series. I begrudgingly read the Harry Potter series after my kid sister all but forced me to sit down in front of the open book and wound up glad I did, as I tore apart the whole series in about 2 or 3 months' time and loved them.

[Daniela]

Hi, I'm Daniela. I'm a hardcore fantasy nerd who hopes to someday make the move to writer. Also a seamstress and an anthropology student. My favourite writers include Robin Hobb, Peter S. Beagle and Jacqueline Carey. Looking to catch up on past reads. I found S&L through the vaginal fantasy group and stayed for the magic. Now following both clubs.

[Jasmine]

Hi! I'm Jasmine. I've listened to the podcasts for a couple of months now, and thought it was time to take a look at the forum threads. I mostly read epic fantasy, but recently I've also picked up some urban/paranormal fantasy as well as steampunk. Some of my favourite authors are Robin Hobb, Brent Weeks, Jim Butcher, Douglas Adams, Brandon Sanderson and Anne Bishop.

[Ned]

Hello fellow F&SF fans. I've been a big fan of fantasy and science fiction since I was a little kid.

My first introduction to the genre was discovering Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles in the public library when I was about 7 or 8. That led to The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings shortly thereafter, and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

I've read, continue to read, and greatly appreciate most of the big names (Tolkein, Heinlein, Asimov, Dick, Feist, Gibson, Pratchett, Gaiman, Clarke, Card, Martin, etc.). Beyond the great admiration and respect I hold for the giants of the field, I think an author that has impressed me is Patricia Kennealy and her Keltiad series.

I only discovered Sword and Laser a few weeks ago (via Felicia Day/Geek and Sundry) and look forward to catching up on the old podcasts while following the new video updates.

[Richard]

Hi folks

I'm Richard. Like a few others here, I discovered Sword & Laser through the new Geek & Sundry YouTube channel and am setting about working back through a few of the podcasts next.

I'm predominantly interested in science fiction but have a soft spot for fantasy that is set in urban locales.

My favourite authors are Iain M Banks and China Miéville.

[Raymond]

Hi, I'm Ray.

I've been reading sci-fi, watching sci-fi, playing sci-fi based games for many years. I even started writing some myself. I'm mostly interested in the military sci-fi sub-genre and I'm looking forward to everything this group has to offer.

[Anthony]

Hello folks, I'm Anthony.

Like many of the group's more recent members, I found it via Geek & Sundry. I'm looking forward to reading along.

Some of my favourite authors are Iain M Banks, Peter F Hamilton and Haruki Murakami.

[Ryan]

Hello all, I'm Ryan.

I can't remember when I started to really get into sci-fi/fantasy, but I think it was in middle school. Anyway I'm still very much a fan of the genres (obviously), but try to strike a balance between other genres and non-fiction.

I just finished up A Short History of Nearly Everything and a ton of graphic novels...I found that my local library has a veritable treasure trove of awesome graphic novels that I'm working my way through.

[Graflan]

Hello folks, I'm Michael aka Graflan.

I've been reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy since early seventies and started gaming in 76. My largest fault in my reading is I tend to re-read my favorite books/authors to death.

[Rod]

Greetings, I am Rod. I have been an avid reader since I was a young kid. My love of fantasy was kicked into high gear when I was 12 and bought The Hobbit. Since then I have read fantasy and sci-fi as much as I can.

I found Sword &Laser through Tom and Veronica's work on TWIT.TV. I look forward to participating and reading with you all.

I do have one question looking at the list of what has been read so far.....Is it true that the group has not had The Hobbit as a pick? :)

[Andrew]

Hi everyone. My name is Andy and although I've only recently begun reading sci-fi and fantasy, I truly love it. I recently found the Sword & Laser audio podcast while browsing the itunes store.

Some of my favorite authors are
Philip K. Dick, China Miéville, and Steven Erikson.

[Bryan]

Hi everyone. My name is Bryan and I've been reading fantasy, with a little Sci-Fi and Mystery thrown in. I found this and Goodreads through the S&L show via Geek&Sundry and am hoping to kick-start my reading hobby again by joining a community - so we'll see.

My favorite authors include: Robert Jordon, Jim Butcher, Terry Goodkind (his earlier SoT novels), Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman.

[Anne]

Hi! My name is Anne and I found out about Sword and Laser after Felicia promoted it on the Vaginal Fantasies Hangout video. I'm halfway in love with Veronica and the VF gang already and have been enjoying Tom's work on CNET for a while, so this seemed like a book club I might actually READ for!

I try to read more widely than just the SF&F genre (having grown up reading almost exclusively SF&F), but it's my favorite.

Currently reading China Miéville's Perdido Street Station. Other favorites include: Elizabeth Moon, George R. R. Martin, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jane Austen,David Weber, Jim C. Hines, geez, I could go on and on. The more I look at other people's posts, the more I want to add... Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman. I just need to stop listing!

Glad to be here amongst friends!

[Daniel]

Hello I'm Daniel,
My favorite Laser type books include: Out of the Silent Planet, Ender's Game, 1984 and Jurassic Park.
My favorite Sword type books include: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Going Postal, and A Song of Ice and Fire.
I would consider myself more of a Laser than a Sword.
My favorite book in any fiction genre is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

[Matt]

Hello everybody, I'm Matt. I love lamp

[Jaseriand]

Hello everyone. I'm an Artist and Geek and I'm finally getting on this Good Reads train. I've been meaning to for years. Over the last few years I've been drifting away from dead tree editions to Kindle/iPad. Currently reading:
The Strain
The Gun
Night Watch

[[deleted user]]

Hi there, I'm Till and I live in Berlin.

I'm kind of a geek, so I learned about you on geek & sundry. I don't read as much as I would like to, because I'm busy with my professional a cappella pop group, gaming and having friends. But I really enjoy your show and I will definitely follow it. And when I'm done reading the sookie stackhouse novels and "A Song of Ice and Fire", I will read some of the things you suggest. Like in a year or so. ;)

Thank you for your great show, I will recomment it to my friends!

[David]

Hi, I'm David from Glasgow, Scotland.

I've cottoned on to Sword & Laser through the Geek and Sundry channel and have enjoyed the vids. I've been reading sf/f for nearly 30 years now, dunno why it's now being referred to as speculative fiction, I despise the term but can't really say why!

I've read most of the greats in both genres and have way too many favourites to list...

Currently reading Bitter Seeds and listening to Angels and Demons. I've recently been branching out to more mainstream fiction but in rotation with sf/f.

Hoping to read more with the book group, tried The Magicians and really wanted to punch Quentin! I read Hyperion many years ago and recall enjoying it but not much else so I'm looking forward to giving that a go...

[Benjamin]

Hello all!

My name is Ben and I have really gotten into reading sci-fi over the past few years and I am trying to get into the "swords" genre. Some of my favorite authors include: Allistar Reynolds, Arthur C. Clarke, Greg Bear, and many others. I'm very much looking forward to taking part in this thriving community!

[Charles]

Greetings! I'm Charles from the UK.

I arrived here courtesy of Wil Wheaton's blog, which I've been reading for some time, and Tabletop on Geek and Sundry.

I have been writing a Sci-Fi novel on and off for the past six years. It will be completed some time!

I've just finished reading The Hunger Games Trilogy. Some of my favourate authors include: J.R.R. Tolkien, Raymond E. Feist, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke

[Anthony]

Hello, my name is Anthony.
I am a long time listener that has finally made the leap on to this thing called internet discussion. I love fantasy, Sci-Fi, Comics, and Games. My favorite story of all time is actually in a video game. The Zodiac Brave Story witch takes place within the game Final Fantasy Tactics is simply brilliant. Second is The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

[Darin]

Greetings and felicitations, all. I was hunting for new SF/F podcasts when the Wheaton/Geek & Sundry tide hit. After snorfing down two months' worth of episodes in two weeks, I decided this forum sounded like it was full of humans (instead of just people) and wanted in.

I've been trying to figure out when I started reading SF/F lately, and I think it was when I tried to read A Wrinkle in Time when I was maybe eight.

Favorite authors include Robert A. Heinlein, Douglas Adams, and William Gibson.

[Rachel]

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel and I have been listening to the podcast for a whole now and decided to finally get a goodreads account.

Just like most people here, I have been a huge fan of science fiction for a while--since I have first been able to read.

I love most of the classics that most people have mentioned: Gaiman, Asimov, Bradberry, Martin, and so on. I have always found it difficult to get good science fiction suggestions (probably I just don't know enough people who love the genre) and I am hopeful that I can expand my love of science fiction/fantasy to books I might not have known to pick up.

Now if only I can get enough time to actually read for fun...

[Siddhartha]

Hi there, my name is Siddhartha (yep, Buddha's name) and I'm from Brasil. I got here through geek and sundry , and I'm already in love with Ver..., humm, I mean the Sword and Laser podcast/show/group thing.
I'm a fan of Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Terry Goodkind, etc, and I hope to get to know other authors here in the group.
Recently, I got a kindle, and it is giving the opportunity I always wanted to have access to sci-fi/fantasy books, and I'm really enjoying this!
Finally, I hope to listen to Veronica trying to say my name on the podcast. I think I will enjoy that very much too :-)

[Sam]

Hey, I'm Sam. Like a number of other people I discovered Sword and Laser from Geek and Sundry/Felicia Day. I am also a member of the Vaginal Fantasy book club and I'm loving both of these groups.

I have a B.A. in Literature and a Master's in Library and Information Science so it is safe to say that books are my life. I'm a fan of far too many authors to even try to mention them all, most (practically all) in the genres of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Currently I am reading the book picks for both of my book clubs...so Hyperion for S&L and Gabriel's Ghost for VF.

[Sandra]

Hi I'm Sandy and I've been reading Sci Fi and Fantasy since 1977 when my college roommate loaned me her copies of Heinlein's The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and Tolkein's The Hobbit.

A few years later I joined the Science Fiction Book Club and for a long while what I read was largely shaped by what they offered in sets along with the occasional featured selection and whatever I could find at the local library.

I majored in English Lit so I read widely and enjoy most genres.