Introduction and welcome thread! Showing 1,651-1,700 of 4,412

[Mel (booksandsundry)]

Hi I'm Mel and I've been reading fantasy and a smattering of sci-fi since I was a teenager and I first picked up Anne McCaffery. Found the group through the videos on Geek & Sundry and decided to join up since I can't find a satisfying Book Group in my local area.

[Mike]

Hi all! I'm Mike. I live in the Midwest. I'm a big sci-fi & fantasy fan. I used to read Star Wars & Star Trek exclusively, but have branched out to other series.

My favorite authors are Karen Traviss, George R. R. Martin, & Tolkien.

[Tripp]

Howdy, I'm Seanachie (pronounced Shawn-uh-hee), real name Tripp. I run the website FullyIntegratedGeeks.com where we do our own podcast about all kinds of genre stuff.

Been listening to the podcast for months, loving the YouTube version, been meaning to actually join the group here on GoodReads but kept forgetting.

Loved The Magicians and The Magician King, surprised me how divisive it was in this group.

[Stephen]

Hello, I'm Stephen.
Nice to meet everyone. I haven't always been a reader not until I was introduced to R.A. Salvatorewhen I was 16. I can't wait to read more books with the group. Sword and Laser is awesome!!!

[Ashley]

Hi my name is Ashley

I'm a big Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan, currently reading Wizards First Rule, the first book in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (introduced via the TV series Legend of the Seeker.

I'm also a big gamer and my current main vice is Dragon Age: Origins but I'm also a big Mass Effect fan.

When not doing those things I also make model kits, mainly WWII aircraft.

Favourite authors are the afore mentioned Terry Goodkind, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling and Timothy Zahn

[Mudassir]

Hello, I am Mudassir. I am currently reading A Clash of Kings. I used to turn my nose up at Fantasy literature until I read this series.

[Jessica]

Hello! My name is Jessica and I'm a social worker in "real life". I've always loved fantasy books and recently got introduced to this book club through geek and sundry's youtube channel. I mainly just want to find more books to read that I haven't thought of before and to see discussion on it.
My favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and others along those lines. I love the Fire and Ice series and have a soft spot for young adult series' like Harry Potter or Mortal Instruments.

[Andrew]

Hi everybody. I'm Andrew. I like fantasy a bit more than sci-fi, but I also enjoy a good sci-fi story. I'm looking forward to sharing ideas with all of you, and finding a wider range of books to read.

[Jonathan]

I'm Jonathan. Currently an English Literature grad student. I'm addicted to reading pretty much anything that grabs my attention, which is predominantly fantasy, sci-fi, horror and cross-genre blends that use traits of any of those three genres.

[Logan]

hi I'm logan. I love to read but have a lot going on what with just getting married and graduate school. I hope s&l can help keep me reading

[Tim]

Hi i'm Tim I have been listening to the show since number 30. I love audiobooks because I am always moving and they are great for housework.

[[deleted user]]

Hi I'm Stephen. Finished law school last year and am Just getting back in the groove of reading for pure entertainment. Discovered the podcast a few months back and loved it. Also was so very excited about the youtube show.

[Aki]

Hi, I'm Aki. Joined because why not - fan of all things scifi, fantasy & horror.

[Mark]

Hi HIO!

[Jaclyn]

Hi, I'm Jaclyn.
I love the Sword and Laser show and that is what introduced me to the book club. I think I am more of a sword than a laser, but I love to read both. I am really excited to be apart of the club.

[Daniel]

Hi, I’m Daniel from the Netherlands.
I’ll read anything, but I mostly read Fantasy and Sci-Fi.
I’m dyslectic and used to hate reading anything, reading a small book could take weeks.
When I was 15 my brother gave me “Color of Magic” by Terry Pratchett. This book opened up the world of books to me.
I found that reading a lot actually helps a lot with my dyslexia, that’s why Terry Pratchett will always be my number 1 author.

[Colin]

Hello All,
My name is Colin and I work in video production. Some of my favorite authors include Patrick Rothfuss, Benjamin Hoff, and Neil Gaiman.

[Ali]

Hello! I'm Ali, a teen reader of primarily young adult science fiction and fantasy work, but looking to broaden my horizons and find new books to read. I found Sword and Laser through Felicia Day's Geek and Sundry channel, and am looking forward to participating more here and adding a whole new set of books to my reading lists.

[Justin]

Hello Veronica and Tom,
My name is Justin and I recently got turned on to your program via Geek & Sundry. I just picked up Hyperion and am excited to participate in that discussion and also to catch up on my sci-fi/fantasy addictions in general. I hope you both are having an awesome weekend, can't wait to dig in.

[Laurie]

Hi all. I'm Laurie an I also got turned on to the group through Geek & Sundry. I'm an avid reader always looking to add new books and authors into my library. Some of my favorite authors are Kim Stanley Robinson, Jim Butcher, Asimov and Gaiman.

[Dustin]

Hello, I'm Dustin.

I am a recovering non-reader. I love Sci-fi and fantasy everything. I play Table Top games at least once a month. Have a box of comics in in my closet, and a dusty shelf full of books. I have copy of sting hanging on a wall next to a poster of Marv from Sin City. About 6 months ago I went on an adventure to find a copy of Ready Player One to find all the book stores in my town had gone out of business. I then ended up opening an audible account and found the joys of audio books. 2 days later the book was done but a hunger for more had grown inside me. Because of the awesome work Wil did as the reader I moved on to John Scalzi's body of work. Due to all that I found about Table Top which in turn brought me to Sword & Laser.

[Patricia]

My name is Tricia and I read all the time. My favorite authors: David Eddings, Robert Asprin and honestly, to many to mention. I joined the group to see what others were saying and to get leads on other awesome books.

[Mark]

hi, I'm Mark.
I wasn't aware of this until the Geek and Sundry Youtube channel.

I don't really have a favorite book, author or genre. If a book keeps my attention and doesn't annoy me I'll generally finish it.

I've always enjoyed Fantasy books originally though.

[Lily]

Erm, took me a while to get that there was a welcome thread. My bad. I'm Greg. Hello. My favorite SF/Fantasy authors are Douglas Adams, Iain Banks, Jim Butcher, Orson Scott Card, Charles De Lint, STEPHEN DONALDSON, Raymond Feist (but less so after his most recent Midkemia novel; if it wasn't for Faerie Tale that last might have been enough to remove him from the list altogether), ADF, Gaiman, Gibson, Goodkind, both Herberts, George R. R. Martin, Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, NEAL STEPHENSON. And I'm sad that Tolkien and Lewis don't make the list. Influential, but no longer favorites.

[Christian]

Hello,

my name is Christian and I joined Goodreads & S&L because of Geek & Sundry. I liked The Magicians very much and just started Hyperion. I usually listen to books because I only have little time to actually read a book. I'm also looking forward to listen to your podcast.

[Noah]

Hi folks - I'm Noah.
Have always loved reading both sword and laser, and really like the vid-show and the idea of a giant public book-club, like a nerdy commons.
Some of my favourite authors are Ursula LeGuin, Philip Pullman, Greer Gilman, Octavia Butler, Terry Pratchett, Orson Scott Card and David Brin. Tons more, tons to explore!

[Jora]

'ello all,

My name's up there ^. I look forward to ranting and raving in an endearing manner; until then, I'm going to use this space for a shout-out for a real space opera: "The Gap Cycle" by Stephen Donaldson. Also, in the name of sword/laser balance I'll also mention that on January 8, 2013, I will squeal with delight when AMOL finally wraps up WoT after all these years!

[Krystal]

Hey y'all.

I was introduced to the group via Geek&Sundry and WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!

I first got into fantasy when I read The Hobbit in grade six for an advanced reading book report. Since then that has been my genre of choice.

I have occasionally read some sci-fi, often when it is an author I already like from the fantasy world or a book someone has suggested to me.

However have been having a hard time finding new books I like because I'm such a loyalist. I find one author I like and I read everything of theirs. Then I get stuck waiting for new books.

I am really looking forward to discussing books and using this as a tool for discovering new books.

[Lucy]

Hi I am Lucy,
Always been a bibliophile. I was always into my fantasy as a kid and started with David Eddings and Terry Pratcheet (which I read in the order I could get them from my local library in Wales), I got into some scifi later (I always liked the movies and t.v. shows)and I looking forward to reading more scifi because of the awsome blog/group.
I am a paper kind of girl because my dyslexia makes long screen reading mess with my head.
Currently working through Game of Thrones books, and waiting for Amazon to magically make the books I want to appear (Gabriels Ghost and Hyperion). It is driving me nuts waiting and ignoring the threads until this months book gets here!
I am lucky that I am a quick study! I was put off reading the Magicians by Veronica's reveiw I figured the main character would annoy me too!

[Richard]

Hi, I'm Richard & I've been an avid F/SF reader since Jr High. Heinlein was IT as an adolescent boy, but CJ Cherryh is my all-time favorite author as an adult with the likes of William Gibson, Patricia Briggs, & Kim Harrison in the top of the mix.

[Dave]

Hello, my name is Dave.

I've been an avid reader of science fiction (mostly) and fantasy (sometimes) since I picked up 2001: A Space Odyssey way back in high school for a grade 10 book report.

My most read author would be Arthur C. Clarke. I've read just about everything of his, including his scientific journal articles.

My most read book (or books) would be The Lord of the Rings, which I ready whenever I am stressed and/or overwhelmed by life. I've read LotR 36 times.

Latest book finished was A Game of Thrones. Currently reading Memory of Earth.

[Jim]

Hi, I'm Jim. I've been reading Science Fiction and Fantasy more or less since I started buying my own books. With the decline of brick and mortar bookstores, I have found it harder to find new authors; I used to go to multiple stores, multiple times a week and just start at A and browse until Z. I easily recognized new authors and new books by familiar ones. Now, Amazon tends to recommend books and authors I've already read. They have info on new books but I no longer have the wide grasp of things that I used to.

I became aware of S&L because of geekandsundry. I'm hoping that the many viewpoints here can give back some of what I have lost. Also, I've read one or two science fiction and fantasy books. I love it. I hope I have something to contribute as well

[Eric]

Hi everyone,
I'm yet another inductee via Geek & Sundry. My first sword book was Daggerspell, first laser Ender's Game.

I'm in the middle of Wolfe's Epiphany of the Long Sun (which is probably more like a sword with a laser tied to the hilt), and I've stacked all of GRRM's books from Thrones to Dragons beneath it (I will get through them all ... before winter) but right now I'm actually reading The Lies of Locke Lamora. :)

To quote Krystal above: where have you people been all my life?!
Eric

[Robert]

Hi, I'm Robert and I have been reading Sci-fi and Fantasy since I was 12. I carried a book with me everywhere I went. Over the years I've found myself reading up to six books at a time simply because I would keep a different book in each room of the house and one in the car. With e-books becoming so prevalent over the last several years I just keep my iPod in my pocket and my Nook by my bed. Now, I tend to read one at a time sometimes two.

[Dominic]

Hi, I'm Dominic,
I've been reading Science Fiction and Fantasy since I was a kid, and I've recently made the jump from reader to writer. I'm currently working on short stories and submitting them to magazines like Lightspeed, F&SF, and Clarkesworld, and it's been a really interesting experience so far.

I first heard about Sword & Laser via Geek and Sundry, and I've enjoyed the great author interviews and recommendations for new reads.

[Caleob]

Hi! My name is Caleob. I live on a quiet stretch of land in rural Kansas with my wife and children. We all enjoy swords and lasers (in diffenent ratios. I discovered the new YouTube series, and signed up for the audio podcast right away.

The content has been so good that I figured I might as well start a Goodreads account and get in on the discussions. I'm looking forward to good times!

[Thomas]

Hi I'm Tom, I never really enjoyed reading, but then I picked up A Game of Thrones and since then I've always got a book in my bag. I'll read mostly anything I think has a good story and characters but I try to steer clear of more light hearted Good/Evil books. I prefer the grey areas that books like the Song of Ice and Fire series put forward. I'm a new fan of Sword and Laser after seeing the show on Geek and Sundry.

[Scott]

Hello everyone,

I'm Scott and it's been a long time since I was able to sit down with a book and just read something that wasn't a page or two. I always told myself when I found the sword and laser podcast that I would try and get back into reading but so far work and overtime has conspired to derail my motivation.

Now I am determined to jump in on on the books being read in this group. My hope is that this will challenge me to keep up and read a little each day.

[Patricia]

Hi all
I'm Patricia. I've enjoyed reading different genres since a very early age, but life somehow got in the way for the longest time. It wasn't until I got my Kindle back in 2010 that I really got back on the horse. I'm fairly new to the world of sci-fi and fantasy, like a number of you I got here through Geek and Sundry. I watched the Sword and Laser and it got me interested enough to join this group and try something new. Hyperion is the first book I'm actually reading 'with' the group, but I plan to go back and see if I can read some of the books that the group has discussed previously. So far I'd say Fantasy has a bigger pull on me than sci-fi, but really, it's refreshing to read anything that's different from the genres I've been mainly focused on before :)

[Wulfgar]

Hey folks,

My name is Wulfgar. Yes, I'm not kidding.

I've been digging the S&L since Geek and Sundry started, so I thought I'd check in during the Hyperion month.

My favorite authors are Heinlein, and Poul Anderson.

My least favorite author is Salvatore (he stole my name from me).

Nicetameetcha.

[Prygrin]

Hello, I'm Prygrin (Pry for short).

I love to read and just purchased my first e-reader.

Some of my favorite authors include Brent Weeks, E.E.Knight, and Anne McCaffrey.

Looking forward to being a part of this group. :)

[Allen]

Hello! Allen here.
I'm new to goodreads and I'm already enjoying the great communities found here. I'm a long time sci-fi/fantasy reader, and I'm also about to publish my own first novel in the same genre. Currently I'm making my way through Simon R. Green's Deathstalker series.

[Robert]

Hello!

My name is Robert. I like the video podcast, and I'm starting to listen to the audio podcast. I read and write SF & F. One quirky thing about me: I don't have favorite authors, as I do favorite books. The some goes for my taste in music; songs rather than artists. I know, I'm weird.

[Christopher]

Hi, I'm Chris. I have been primarily a fantasy fan for most of my life, but I have been looking for a good excuse to dive into more science fiction.

I don't know if I have a favorite author, but Neil Gaiman, Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, and Stephen Lawhead would have to be very high on the list.

[library_jim]

Hi all.

Jim R. here.

Home sick today and just went and watched as much Geek&Sundry as is possible. Actually first head of Sword&Laser from Phil Plait on G+. I loved the "It's like Reading Rainbow for adults" comment on the most recent one.

I'm an elementary school librarian so I have to read kid books (but there are some nice geeky ones) and usually listen to those on audio. I'm in a cool book club, but it's not genre specific, though we do get to some sword/laser stuff (American Gods, Hobbit, Geek Love, Feed, Dune, A Dirty Job, Lamb, a couple of Vonneguts, Jonathan Strange/Mr. Norrell, Golden Compass, Naked Lunch, Doomsday Book, Good Omens, Oryx & Crake, Guards! Guards!, etc).

I personally lean toward popular science non-fiction as well but have always enjoyed sf and am learning to enjoy more fantasy. Going back and reading some of it these days. Had already read Hyperion (the whole series) and The Magician's so feel right at home. The video podcast is great and I plan on following it in the future.

I like the same authors everyone else keeps mentioning including Harlan Ellison, Dan Simmons (well, before he got all right-wing), Fritz Leiber, Carl Sagan, Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller, Asimov, well, you get the picture.

Since I live in the SE I recently (2009) started going back to Dragon*Con yearly since they added a science/skeptical track and it's brought me back in touch with my comic book/sf youth. Great stuff, thanks.

[Cathy]

Hi everyone!

I'm Cathy and I found Sword and Laser & Good Reads via Geek & Sundry! Yay! Some of my favorite authors in Fantasy/Sci Fi are Anne Bishop, Brandon Sanderson, and George R.R. Martin.

[Mariana]

Hello there, nice to meet you all!

I'm Mariana, a portuguese 22 year old, and I'm a huge science fiction and fantasy fan. I guess it all started around 10 years ago with Harry Potter :P

I found The Sword and Laser podcast a few months ago and joined the Goodreads bookclub, but never participated. Now, watching the Geek and Sundry channel by the awesome Felicia Day and all the other sexy geeks, I really felt like joining!
I just bought Hyperion today, for my kindle, and will try to catch up with you!

Hoping to have a good time here :)

[Prisoner-24601]

I've been listening a while and have been enjoying the show but I haven't posted yet, so I'm doing it now so I can hear my name read by Tom or Veronica. :D

[Sam]

Hullo, my name is Sam. I learned about Sword and Laster through Geek and Sundry, and started to follow the podcast as well. I enjoy reading scifi and fantasy, though I haven't read much of the adult stuff out there, mostly living in the YA world. Hopefully Sword and Laser can help expose me to some of the awesome stuff in that area.

Some of my favorite authors are Lois McMaster Bujold, Tamora Pierce, and Neil Gaiman.

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

I'm Ruth. I'm from England. Found this via Geek and Sundry. I love books, especially fantasy, but any good book will do. Also manga.

Currently at university studying Japanese and coming towards the end of a year in Japan.

Erm...and I hate introductions! :P (which, by the way, is really awkward in Japan, where they love them for reasons I cannot fathom)