The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Joshua wrote: "Hi, I'm Joshua and I like SF/F. I joined the group so I could know more about the wonderful world of wreading... reading. I like swords combined with lasers, so what's that? Science Fantasy?"It's fantasy In Spaaaaaaaace...
Hello everyone! :D I'm Lena and I read all kinds of books, but lately I'm much more into fantasy. I tend to write more than I read, which also falls into the fantasy genre. I just published my first book, but I'm super excited to find some great new reads here!
Lena wrote: "I tend to write more than I read, which also falls into the fantasy genre. I just published my firs..."Welcome. I'm a newcomer here, also. Have you added your book to the author thread? Is it in the database here on Goodreads?
Hi all! I'm a fan of lots of sci fi and fantasy, but lean pretty clearly towards the fantasy side of things. I like both big fat series and short stories. Favorite authors include Bradbury, Le Guin, Martin, Pratchett, Tolkien, Tad Williams, Frank Herbert, the Weiss-Hickman duo (any reviews of Dragon's Bard!?), Pratchett, Gaiman, Kelly Link, Mary Stewart (for the amazing Merlin series), Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham... okay, so too many to mention and I'm afraid of forgetting someone.
Nice to meet you!
Off to browse the discussions now!
Nice to meet you!
Off to browse the discussions now!
Tarl wrote: "Lena wrote: "I tend to write more than I read, which also falls into the fantasy genre. I just published my firs..."Welcome. I'm a newcomer here, also. Have you added your book to the author threa..."
My book is on Goodreads, but I haven't added it yet on here :)
Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a violin teacher from Texas, about to move to New Mexico. I am definitely more laser than sword. I have recently been trying to read more fantasy, because I couldn't find any science fiction books I liked, until I started Ender's Game, so I am back to Sci Fi.Fab authors:
Isaac Asimov
Carl Sagan
Arthur C Clarke
Ben Bova
Greg Bear
Orson Scott Card
David Brin
Elen sila lumenn omentielvo - sue me if i wrote that wrong!I was a reader of fantasy/sci-fi, then I went away for a long time (or maybe 20 years isnt such a great length), and now i'm coming up to speed again as I realise that much has changed
Hi, I'm Jim. Old broken ex-army gamer dude.
Been reading forever. Helped write the Blue Planet RPG. Been listening to the podcast for a couple of years now and always enjoy it.
Recent reads include;
"A Microsoft Life" by Stephen Toulouse
"A Gathering of Evil" by Micheal Stackpole
"Communion of Dreams" by Jim Downey
"Dances with Dragons" by George RR Martin (after rereading the whole Song series)
HAI, I'm Dan. I came across the Sword and Laser podcast via Geek and Sundry and I decided to read along to Robin Hobb since I've always seen the books in my fave second hand bookstores but never read them.My fave author on the epic fantasy side of things is Jordan. I've always loved Heinlein (Time Enough for Love is one of my all time favourites). Peter Hamilton. I haven't read Feist / Wurts since I was a teenager and I'm thinking I may have to do a re-read.
None of my friends read Sci-Fi/Fan (I'm what you might call a stealth geek) so I thought it time to get back into chatting about books online like I used to at the dawn of the internet.
Hi, I'm Victoria. From New Orleans. Grad student in Spanish literature and reader/writer of fantasy. Nice to meet everyone!
Hello all. I'm Cliff and a computer programmer living in Los Angeles. I'm the father to two boys who I'm slowly introducing to the world of books.I also was turned onto Sword and Laser by way of Geek and Sundry a few months back. I read Assassin's Apprentice with the group and had previously read Tigana.
I've been a longtime reader of fantasy and science fiction. So my favorites tend to show my age a little: Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game (and sequels), Raymond Feist's Midkemia novels, Sheri S. Tepper's True Game series...many more.
I do think I'm more of a Sword than a Laser, but I do enjoy my share of science fiction as well.
I'm Grace; I live in the UK after moving here b/c of a man. (long story - will bore you)my first book to read "all by myself" was "Where the Wild Things Are" and I've retained a love of fantasy and all thing weird and lovely since. I was also "that dork in high school you always saw reading a book" and I'm here b/c of the show on geek and sundry.
Hi, I'm Dwaine and I am a fan of all things Sci-Fi or Fantasy. I started off reading some of the classics by Heinlein and Asimov. I am currently finishing up the last book in the Farseer Trilogy after being totally sucked in by last months read. Robin Hobb is super good!
Hey there, I am Tiago, mostly known by my nick name (Salvador) and I am from Brazil. I am a huge fan of historical novels (like Bernard Cornwell's) and epic medieval fantasy in general.Last books read were Feast of Crows and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Argh. Browser ate my first intro! Arrrgh!Howdy, y'all.
I'm Brian, hailing from MD for the last decade, and CA/SF Bay Area for the prior 40 years. I've been reading more Laser and less Sword (but way more of both than of anything else) for as long as I can remember. My first foray into "serious" SF as opposed to YA was Dune when I was 10 years old. Some of my favorite authors (a long list, and incomplete) are: Pournelle, Niven, Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Gibson, Anthony, Le Guin, Scalzi, Bear, Dick, Brin, Pratchett, Banks, Gaiman, Herbert, Laumer, Card ... My favorite read this year to date is Scalzi's Redshirts.
There was a list not all that long ago from NPR of the 100 best SF/Fantasy books of all time, and from that subjective list, I'd only NOT read the Connie Willis. I've made up for that, since then.
Pleased to finally be joining this group.
Hi, Rob here. I have always loved laser, and in my adulthood have gotten into sword. 'Eye Of The World' being my first big foray into sword.Right now I love Peter Hamilton and Brandon Sanderson. Heinlein has always been my favorite. I just want a place to interact with other readers and get more out of what I'm reading through discussions.
Hi - I'm Marc... currently living in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. I Have been into SF & Fantasy since I was a child. One of my first exposures was being read Lord of the Rings by my Father when I was very small - and I've been hooked ever since.My Favorite authors are Wide Ranging.... From Sword to Laser....
Roger Zelazny
Steven Brust
Eric Nylund
Charles Stross
Neal Asher
Wil McCarthy
Iain M. Banks
Hey guys. My name is Jamie. I'll probably mostly be a lurker around here, but I love sci-fi and fantasy (I probably lean more sword than laser). I'm also a huge fan of comics and graphic novels of all shapes and sizes.Neil Gaiman is a minor deity to me. I also love the late, great Ray Bradbury, George R.R. Martin, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, J.R.R, and Philip K. Dick (though I've not read very much of his work yet, unfortunately).
Hi! I've listened to Sword and Laser since the beginning, but I don't think I've ever posted in the forum. I'm a writer, podcaster, blogger, listener-of-podcasts, reader-of-books...oh, you get the idea. I wanted to let Tom and Veronica know that I took their advice and I emailed Audible, letting them know that I renewed my membership with them so that I could keep up with Sword and Laser!My favorite authors are Philip K. Dick, Garth Nix, Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and Madeleine L'engle. What is it with me and Philips, authors with the middle initial K and French articles? I should change my name to Philola K. L'ariscy.
Lola Lariscy/ceruleanlobster
Hi, I'm Rick. I've been reading science fiction for 40 years (yes, I'm that old). I didn't start reading fantasy until about 32 years ago. When it comes to science fiction, I prefer "hard" science fiction. My favorite authors are the old time writers i.e. Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, etc.
Hey, everyone. I'm Gabe, a long-time bookworm. I am a big-time urban fantasy guy after getting hooked on Dresden Files years ago. I, of course, love the big fantasy names too such as Tolkien and Martin, but usually I like my fantasy less epic. As for sci-fi, I tend towards the cyberpunk and really good characters pieces set in strange futuristic situations. I'm not very well-versed in the big sci-fi names but I am working to fix that. I have been watching S&L ever since it hit Geek and Sundry and I love the show. I hope to participate in the book club eventually. Maybe I'll finally dive into Asimov.
Hello! My name is Susan, and I love reading a lot of different genres. I am still kind of new to the scifi/fsantasy genre so I am always on the lookout for a new series or author to try. My favorite authors so far are Terry Goodkind, Brent Weeks, Jacqueline Carey, George RR Martin, and Tolkien.
Hi all. I'm Dan. After 35+ years of reading fantasy and sci-fi I can't say that I have a single favorite author. I read about 100 books a year (benefit of 2 hours a day on public transportation). Mostly sci-fi/fantasy but not all. I've been reading quite a lot of Urban Fantasy these days. Dresden of course, but also Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series, Kim Harrison's Hollows series, and Kate Richardson's Grey Walker books.The first fantasy I read was Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe followed by The Hobbit, both in my 5th grade reading class (thank's Miss Teague) in 1976/77.
Hi, I'm Catherine. When I first became an avid reader, I read fantasy like Eddings, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Now, I'm much more into science fiction. I've read a lot of my mom's old Asimov collection, but my favourites are William Gibson and Alastair Reynolds.
I still feel like I have a lot of gaps in my knowledge of sci fi classics (though I have read many Brit Lit classics). I'm hoping to get more of a feel for the contemporary works in the genre, and a better idea of what sci fi books belong on the "mandatory for people who claim to like science fiction" list.
Greetings! I'm Ayelmar (more people, even IRL know me by my chosen name than by my "real" one, so we'll go with that!)I currently hail from Nashville, Tennessee, and my parents got me reading early--I was reading Little Golden Books on my own or to my younger brother even before starting kindergarten--and about age 8 I graduated to my first SF (of a sort), the Tom Swift, Jr. hardbacks by "Victor Appleton II" -- the highlight of Christmas, Easter, and birthdays for me was getting a new (to me) Tom Swift book!
At perhaps 12, I started cutting my teeth on more grown-up fantasy when I found an old copy of The Dying Earth by Jack Vance, and the two genres have run neck-and-neck as my favorite ever since, with the Laser side of the equation holding the lead right now in my life.
My first Heinlein was Have Spacesuit, Will Travel and The Admiral has held a special place in my heart ever since, though other favorites include most all of the classic writers: Asimov, Bradbury, Simak, Clarke, Cordwainer Smith, Doc Smith, Tolkien...too many to easily name. Some relatively newer names among my faves are Spider Robinson, Elizabeth Moon, Walter Jon Williams, Neal Stephenson, Anne McCaffrey...I could go on and on. I've also really enjoyed some YA SF/F such as the Harry Potter books and The Hunger Games -- I'd have been SO sucked into that fandom even more had they been out when I was the age of the intended audience!
Since moving to ebooks as my primary consumption medium in 2010, my already voracious appetite for books has gone into overdrive--I've tried to slow down a bit for fiscal reasons of late, but for a couple of months after getting my Kindle Fire early this year, I was averaging purchasing and reading 1-2 new ebooks a day! Now my "dead tree" purchases are more focused on collecting nice hardcover editions of my favorites to supplement or replace my old, worn-out from re-re-reading paperbacks. (I've been lusting after The Virginia Editions of the Heinlein oeuvre for over a year...but that's a luxury that's just not in the budget any time soon.)
Other than SF/F, I enjoy reading mysteries, SOME popular fiction, and non-fiction, mainly history and science.
And other than that, I'm a major geek, into comics, computers, gaming (board/card, RPG, MMORPG, PC AND console), photography, anime, theatre, and film.
So if you're still reading, c'est moi!
Hello all! Just saw my first episode of Swords of Lasers choosing Foundations as the book of the month. Watching the show made me think how far geekdom has come as a community. It's truly a golden age.
Looking forward to reading Foundations and finding out about all the awesome books I've missed. Here's to making up for lost time.
Hello. My name is Jason Christie. I am an author and armchair Science Fiction and Fantasy reader. I also enjoy reading poetry. I'm enamoured with Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness.
Hey all! I'm Jeff, and yes I'm another author. But I came across the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel and heard an off-handed mention of their Goodreads group, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to both connect with readers like myself and expand my readership. Nonetheless, I have a feeling I will enjoy this group so thank you for having me!
Hello my name is Adam, I read a ton of Stephen King and have a strong classic literary background from my college years as an English major. I am a HUGE Sci-Fi fan and read horror and some fantasy as well. Looking to expand my horizons as a reader and become involved with a community of like-minded people. I stumbled across The Sword and Laser on Geek & Sundry and decided this can be just that opportunity. I'm eager to become involved and make friends but be gentle, I'm old and mostly nieve to the bright and shiny ways of the interwebs (seeriously, I'm not even on facebook)
Hey! Just discovered this on Geek and Sundry while catching up on the latest PAX 2012 D&D game. I just got through Foundation not 3 months ago so I've been dying to discuss! Perfect! Timing!I'm a huge fantasy fan and am currently racing to complete my reading goals for this year, so I'm all over this like hobbits on lembas. On space-hobbits on moon-lembas.
Hi, everyone. I'm brand new to the group and I'm looking forward to checking it out. Looks like there's a ton of members, so I'll bet there are a lot of great discussions going on!
Hi, guys im Nick and i have been listening to the Sword and Laser foor a while now and just got to making a Goodreads account. I am a huge Sci-fi nerd, currently reading The Hobbit sice it is for school. Looking forward to hanging out with you guys.
My name is Dave and I guess I have been a lurker for quite some time now. I have watched every episode of the "video" version of S&L and have enjoyed pretty much all the author interviews.I'm not much of a reader these days, but I am hoping to change that soon. I just purchased (pre-ordered) the new Kindle Paperwhite and am looking forward to "reading" again. I have a pretty decent audiobook collection and have enjoyed listening to books for quite some time, but I felt that it might be time to start reading again.
My favorite authors are:
Anne McCaffrey
Douglas Adams
Larry Niven
Roger Zelazny
Ray Bradbury
Harry Harrison
Stephen King
Issac Asimov
Piers Anthony
Jim Butcher
Terry Pratchett
Stephen R. Donaldson
I'm mostly a Sci-Fi guy, but will delve into the Fantasy world if the book/series is compelling enough.
Looking forward to getting some good reading suggestions out of this group/podcast.
Hi all, I'm TJ. I've been listening to the podcast for about a year now and watching the show since it's start. I'm a PhD in computer science, which messes a bit with both my time to read and my willingness to do so. Lately I've been consuming most of my books in audio book form.I switch back and forth from fantasy to sci-fi, probably about evenly.
My favorite S & L book is probably This Alien Shore although I'm re-reading it now, so that may change.
Hi everyone, my name is Carl and I am a Marvel geek from the UK. My fave sci fi series is The Dumarest Saga by E C Tubb, others are George R R Martin and David Gemmell. I love superheroes and their films, old pulps and E R Burroughs. Reading Philip Wylies Gladiator at the moment.Like other genres such as thrillers and the occasional western.
Hey everyone, I'm Suzie. I have been a podcast listener for awhile, and I look at these forums sometimes but I haven't ever said hello. I love reading, and my favorite kind of books to read have always been Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I have a weak spot for the classics too. Some of my favorite authors include Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Robert Jordan, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I could go on, but the list would get very long.I am pretty much always reading a few dead tree books at a time and listening to something on Audiobook. Sword and Laser has introduced me to many great books so far, and I look forward to more.
Hello all! I've been wishing that I could have a fun book-club for a while now, but all of my attempts had failed. My husband saw the podcast and imediately thought it was a Jennifer thing and introduced me. We were at the library 30 min. later picking up this month and last month's books. I'm much more of a sword person, but I will read a good laser pick too. I'm always open to new types. I had a Kindle for a while and really loved the opportunity to pick up random free downloads and explore something new.
Favorite fantasy books include the Dragonriders of Pern series, Neverwhere, and classics like Narnia, Harry Potter, and Tolkien. Most recently I read the Green Rider series by Kristan Britain.
What I love about fantacy is the creativity of an author inventing an entirely different world with it's own rules, but then making that come alive and be believable within its own system.
I also really like Mystery. With Agatha Cristy's Hercule Poirot being my favorite and Janet Evonovich's Stephanie Plum novels being my most recent read.
Okay, I kind of feel like I'm at one of those awkward self help groups. I'm Maurine and I'm a book addict! I first found out about Sword and Laser because they had a George RR Martin interview THEN they talked about Tigana!!! I was in love. Tigana is my favorite Guy Gavriel Kay, though admittedly I haven't read them all. And Assassin's Apprentice this month!! These people clearly read the same books I do.
Maurinejt wrote: "Okay, I kind of feel like I'm at one of those awkward self help groups. I'm Maurine and I'm a book addict! I first found out about Sword and Laser because they had a George RR Martin interview TH..."Maybe we read minds.. Or you pick really good books.
Hello, I'm Mike and I just recently discovered Sword and Laser through Geek and Sundry. I am also a book addict (and luckily for me, my wife is as well) and a tabletop gamer. I lean more towards the laser, but will read really good sword books as well. I have a science background and really enjoy authors that use plausible science in their works.My favorite science fiction authors include Neal Stephenson, Isaac Asimov, and Philip K. Dick, among many others.
My favorite fantasy series include LoTR, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Death Gate Cycle.
I look forward to learning about new books and sharing thoughts on books that we have all read.
Mod
It could be both..
Hello, I'm Matt and I live in Minnesota. I arrived here through Geek and Sundry and am pretty stoked. I've always been a Sci-fi/Fantasy fan but have increased my novel reading recently due to a change in my commute situation. I'm currently reading Heart of Veridon but I'll start on Cloud Atlas for the book club. I look forward to some great discussion.
Greetings all!My name is Vedran.
I am a heretic and a freethinker. I enjoy reading, watching or anything else which shows me a glimpse of Real Truth. More often than not, I find it in Science Fiction and Fantasy where writers are free to show us how they think and feel, typically without reservation. I worship at the altar of Greg Bear. IMO, one of the preeminent writers of our time. I also like Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis, Timothy Zahn, Tolkien, J.R.R, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Michael A Stackpole and Aaron Allston. (the last 2 are very funny)
Hi Everyone, I'm Adam.I am a computer engineer, and an avid reader of both "swords" and "lasers," (I really like those tags). Lately I've been reading Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman. My favorite way to learn about books is from recommendations by other readers, especially when I can tell they were really into the story. What I'd love to get out of this group is that kind of real exchange with people.
Hi, I'm IeshaI read a little of everything and have always had a love of books and stories. These days a majority of my books are ebooks. After having a room full of rubber bins of books and still didn't have room for new book on my book shelves I decide it was finally time to part with a majority of my paper books. Though I do miss the paper book from time to time I do love having 90% of my library with me at all times.
I'm here because I caught the show on GeekandSundry.
My name is Virginia, and I discovered Sword & Laser via Geek and Sundry. The last book I finished was Plague of the Dead by Z.A. Recht. I still have a number of books I want to catch up on, but I wanted to jump in now before to get some great recommendations. I'm currently reading Games and Thrones and Les Mis, but my favorite genre is YA distopian
hey,im jordi i enjoy fantasy/si-fi and fairy tales
some of my favorite authors are David Clement-Davies ,C.S Lewis,James Patterson, J.K Rowling and Christopher Paolini oh and some Terry Brooks
some of my favorite authors are David Clement-Davies ,C.S Lewis,James Patterson, J.K Rowling and Christopher Paolini oh and some Terry Brooks
Hi everyone, name's Christina. I read a bit of everything but mostly read fantasy.
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)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Wade Garret (other topics)Gene Wolfe (other topics)
John Scalzi (other topics)
Richelle Mead (other topics)
Brandon Sanderson (other topics)
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I used to always have a book with me, but had gotten out of it in the past few years. I stumbled upon Sword & Laser when I subscribed to Geek & Sundry. I'm hoping to get back into reading through this book club and I'm glad I found it. Some of the notable books I've read include most of the Drizzt series and more recently H.P. Lovecraft.