The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Howdy,I'm Brian McClellan, author of Promise of Blood out this April from Orbit Books. I spoke with a few people over the weekend at ConFusion who recommended Sword and Laser as a fantastic podcast. I started listening today and was not disappointed, so here I am!
Hello,I am called Fux (phonetic transcription of the german word Fuchs [Fox] which is my last name).
I started to hear of S&L once they started added their videos to geeks&sundry.
I got back into reading 2013 once I started reading japanese light novels (I have watch close to 9% of all anime and cant find new interesting ones anymore :()
Sooo since I am reading a lot anyway, I am also reading a lot of fantasy once again :D
Ill also try joining in reading this february.
HiMy name is Lars Andrè. I´m from Norway. I got introduced to Sword and Laser via Geek and Sundry YouTybe-Channel.
I have always loved sci-fi. And it all started with J.R.R Tolkien - "The Hobbit" when I was about 13 years old.
I give anytihing S&F a try and I`m always looking for good books to read. I´m also a Audible member, so I`m listening to books as well.
Hi! My name is Adam and have read fantasy books as long as i can remember. Favorites is Robert E. Howard, Bob Salvatore and Tracy Hickman.found out about goodreads thru G and S
Hey everyone! My name is Zachary and I live in Gainesville, Florida. I've been a fan of S&L for a while now but only just now found this GoodReads group!
As the usual story goes, I think I was around 9 or 10 when my dad handed me a copy of The Hobbit. I read it until it fell apart and the rest, as they say, is history. My favorite fantasy books are ones focused on character, like Robin Hobb's novels (The Fitz and Fool books have to be some of my favorite books of all time), and historically inspired novels like Guy Gavriel Kay's books.
Looking forward to chatting with you all!
As the usual story goes, I think I was around 9 or 10 when my dad handed me a copy of The Hobbit. I read it until it fell apart and the rest, as they say, is history. My favorite fantasy books are ones focused on character, like Robin Hobb's novels (The Fitz and Fool books have to be some of my favorite books of all time), and historically inspired novels like Guy Gavriel Kay's books.
Looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hi there. I'm into authors with phallic sounding names like Dick and Moorcock. LOTR, Dune (only from Frank!), Ender's Game and Ender's shadow series are my favorites. Wait! I forgot about HHGTTG, I even thought the Eoin Colfer one was okay, I mean, it's still Hitchhiker's Guide, right? Does Vonnegut count as Sci Fi, 'cause I loves me some Vonnegut. Oh yeah, love those pulpy Star Wars books for some good ole escapism.
Hi, I'm Thomas. I mostly read science fiction and fantasy, with some literary fiction. I'm currently reading A Clash of Kings
Hi, David here just joined up to get inspired for some new reads. Currently working through the song of ice and fire saga again.
Hello folks,My name's Daniel and I'm an avid fan of fantasy as well as a bit of scifi now and again. Having said that, I do love the collective talent of the authors that have contributed to the amazing Horus Heresy series!
I really enjoyed The Sword and Laser interview with George R R Martin, keep up the good work guys :-)
Hellllloooooo all,I'm Terry, and if it's fantasy or scifi it's my thing. I do tend to read more fantasy than I do scifi by a fair margin. I do love to watch more Scifi that I do fantasy, though. Why the difference? I haven't the foggiest. Other than that, I game, (had to give up my World of Warcraft addiction though.) and I'm an author three books.
Hi my name is Caleb and I'm a hopeless bibliophile. I found you guys while I was looking for info on Jim Butcher's next book. After watching/listening to a couple of your posts I am hooked. Keep up the great work!
Hiyu,Just found this group thanks to Geek & Sundry. Looking forward to discovering some great books and having epic discussions. I like anything that has a good story, from classics to sci-fi, and absolutely love the Wool series.
Greeting and salutations,I'm Mike and I mostly read science fiction, although I also read quite a bit of non-fiction, or anything else that strikes my fancy at a given moment.
Hi all. Finally signed up here after being given the link a while back. I was watching a number of S&L vids on YouTube, so thought I'd take the next step. I read a wide variety if things, from History to Mystery and a lot of fantasy/ sci-fi stuff. I've read a lot of Heinlein, Lovecraft, Tolkein, and other big names in the genre.
I was in to RPGs from waaay back, which eventually led to reading much of the stuff set in the Forgotten Realms setting, with Ed Greenwood, R A Salvatore, and many others.
Other favorite writers include Spider Robinson, Piers Anthony, Roger Zelazny, Rothfuss, Doyle, and many more.
I don't know if I really have any one or two favorites, but I tend to have favorite settings and read all I can get of those. I've read Zelazny's Amber books several times each, so I'd have to rank that right up there.
That's enough rambling for now. ;)
Hi all, I just discovered Sword and Laser. Got some serious catching up to do. Lol.I'm a sci fi and fantasy fan and aspiring writer. I like a lot of the classic authors and I'm also a huge fan of manga and anime, mostly because of the variety of characters and the humor. Also, the battles are pretty epic. I sometimes nerd out on video games, mostly sci fi or fantasy type stuff.
Also, I wrote a book but I'm still figuring out the forum rules on goodreads about where to talk about author stuff so I'll get back to you on that later.
Nice to meet everyone! :)
Hi all. Brian here. I came across The Sword and Laser via Terry Brooks website. I am currently reading Wards of Faerie: The Dark Legacy of Shannara by: Terry Brooks. My favorite authors are: Terry Brooks, and J.K. Rowling.
I can say after viewing all the web broadcasts and some of the podcast by The Sword and Laser I have been able to create a massively large reading list that may take me a lifetime to read them all.
Hi im Hobgoblin, from Lancaster England, I found Sword and Laser through geek and sundry. I just getting in to fantasy books so thought this would be the group for me.
Hi I'm Ed McKeown,long time SF fan and writer. My biggest influence is Andre Norton followed closely by CJ Cherryh though I love Brunner, Schmitz, Sutton, Niven and other more obscure authors http://edwardmckeown.weebly.com/
Hi! I'm Becky. Longtime sci-fi fan, sometime fantasy reader. Gamer, fun-maker, festival producer, lover of good food and good wine. Met my husband while playing World of Warcraft, solidifying my place in nerdlife. Most recently read Unwind by Neal Shusterman and a week later am still obsessed with and disturbed by the concept. Looking forward to the discussions here!
Hello everyone!I'm Angela. I have always been a reader and, lately, I have a renewed interest in all things sci-fi - thanks to discovering Old Man's War by John Scalzi at my local library. Fantasy has always been of interest to me as well. Some of my favorite authors are Tad Williams, Melanie Rawn, and Connie Willis.
In the future, I hope to read more of the classic authors (Heinlein, etc.) and am looking forward to the next book club pick.
Heya! I'm Cayt, from Maryland USA. I'm a big reader and I'm into fantasy, science-fiction, and historical fiction. My first favorite fantasy/sci-fi books were the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey and they're still some of my favorites. Lately I've been into A Song of Fire and Ice and I'm trying to catch up on reading the books I already have but never get around to. I also enjoy YA fantasy books. I'm also married with two cats.
Hi everyone, my name is Jeremy. I have been a sci if fan for as long as I can remember. I have also been enjoying the fantasy genre as well. Have been reading through the "Dark Tower" series, currently reading "Robopocalypse".
Quick introduction: Hi everyone, my name is Jen, codename Planchette. I like swords; I like Lasers. Space is cool. I used to be an archaeologist, so I dig the past too. Get it? GRRM makes me want to read. The Dresden files made me want to write. Tom Baker makes me want to stay indoors, and Zoo City by Beukes made me want to produce films. Three of those four things will happen this year.
Hi, I'm Becca. I'm a long time sci-fi and fantasy reader. I would have to say I love them both equally. I just finished reading everything by John Scalzi and love his comedic yet still sci-fi tone.
Hi I'm Michelle. Been a subscriber to Geek&Sundry for a while but didn't watch any S&L until I saw Old Mans War on there. Read it about a year ago, loved it and wanted to see what others thought. Thanks for letting me know there are sequels, had no idea. :) About my reading habits, I've been happily addicted for as long as I can remember with no plans to quit. I will read absolutely anything, a quote i first heard in The Stand describes me "equal opportunity reader". I will give anything a try, including the toothpaste box. Not suggesting I will like everything I read, but I am very honest with my thoughts and opinions of books.
I have a long list of books I want to read but I fear some day I'll run out so that list must keep growing. Hoping to find some suggestions through this group.
I have an ereader but I can't get used to it, probably because it was a cheap one. I prefer the feel, smell and weight of a good ole fashioned paper book. Sorry trees! :)
Hi there. I'm Bryan.I'm a wanna-be novelist hoping to self-publish my first novel this year.
I'm more of a "sword" myself, but I've been trying to branch out and read more Sci-fi. I also love graphic novels of any kind, particularly manga.
My favorite book is Fahrenheit 451. Perhaps due to nostalgia, but I do reread it once a year.
Hi all, Cassie here!
Let's see, not really sure what to put here. There's some basic stuff about me I'm happy to share, like being a French teacher (I really like languages ^.^ ) as well as being absolutely proud of being a bit of a nerd. I feel like I have to say 'a bit' despite having read fantasy books (more of a Sword as far as my reading preference is concerned, heh) and having watched a good deal of Star Trek TNG because there seems to be plenty I haven't experienced yet, but I hope this book club will help in that regard!
My favorite authors... oh gosh. I adore Jim Butcher, but I also grew up loving Anne McAffery, Tokien, and Rowling. Orson Scott Card's writing also fascinates me, as does that of Dean Kuntz. That should give anyone a bit of an idea of what I enjoy reading! Hope to talk to many of you soon!
Let's see, not really sure what to put here. There's some basic stuff about me I'm happy to share, like being a French teacher (I really like languages ^.^ ) as well as being absolutely proud of being a bit of a nerd. I feel like I have to say 'a bit' despite having read fantasy books (more of a Sword as far as my reading preference is concerned, heh) and having watched a good deal of Star Trek TNG because there seems to be plenty I haven't experienced yet, but I hope this book club will help in that regard!
My favorite authors... oh gosh. I adore Jim Butcher, but I also grew up loving Anne McAffery, Tokien, and Rowling. Orson Scott Card's writing also fascinates me, as does that of Dean Kuntz. That should give anyone a bit of an idea of what I enjoy reading! Hope to talk to many of you soon!
Hi, I'm Noah. I've read a huge amount of fantasy books, but I'm really enjoying dipping my toe in to the Sci-fi genre. I'm teaching English to college students in China, and I have a lot of time to read.
My name is Liam and I have been a fan of SF + F since I read the lion the witch and the wardrobe back in elementary school. I have been looking to expand my library, as I took a break from reading and am trying to get back into the swing of things and restock my "shelves" (physical copies might take up room I don't have to spare, so I am grateful for ebooks)
Hi, I'm Adam. Live here in Baltimore, a little taste of the dystopian before we actually get there. No, I'm not a Raven fan. I'm a Colts fan, so please don't mention those spawn of the devil from Cleveland. I'm big into sci-fi and sometimes fantasy. I'll try to behave, just don't push Asimov down my throat. I like a little more character development in my sci-fi, so back off.
Hi, my name is Massimiliano and I'm from Italy. I've been following Sword and Laser on Youtube for a while and finally decided to join this group. I'm more of a sword than a laser and I could name specific authors or genres to give you an idea of what I like but the truth is I read everything. My reading habits are just like the feeding habits of rats, they know very few limits :D
Hi I'm Sarah, I'm just about to start reading the game of thrones books. I love reading as my numerous overflowing shelves can attest to. Favourite authors include, Jim Butcher, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman (comics and novels), Alan Moore, Mike Mignola, Jasper Fforde and Robert Rankin to name just a few
Hello! I'm Andrew, and I'm a London-based reader, writer, actor, and publisher. Not always in that order.I read as widely as I can, and favourite writers for the purposes of this forum include (in no particular order): Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Philip K Dick, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, John Scalzi, Jasper Fforde, Neil Gaiman, Toby Frost, Paul Cornell, Paul Magrs, China Mieville, Alastair Reynolds, William Gibson, and Tolkien.
I'm also fluentish* in French, and love Bernard Werber's stuff. I'd be really interested to see how he comes over in translation at some point.
Looking for reading buddies and some new recommendations, and I'll also probably plug my inevitable self-published short story collection at some point in the appropriate subfolder. Sorry about that.
*ish in that I don't think I'm fluent at all, but I'm closer than quite a few other people I've seen make the claim.
Hi, I like to be called shadows since I don't like to use my real name on the web. I'm haven't read much sci-fi or fantasy about there almost all of my other media My two fave games are Mass Effect and Dragon Age and I'm into D&D and the like.
Hi all,I'm Josh, otherwise known on several sites as "J.R." Like many of you, I have a passion for writing as well as reading. A few of my favorite authors include: Jasper Fforde, Patrick Rothfuss, and Neil Gaiman.
Hi all! I'm Ash, a twenty-four year old Literature and Writing student. I'm also a YA book blogger. As for my Sword and Laser affiliation I'd like to think I'm sword and laser though I might lean a bit to the sword side of things more often. I'm currently working my way through the Song of Ice and Fire series; I'm over halfway through A Storm of Swords right now and LOVING IT. When I'm not reading [or in class] I can usually be found with an xbox controller in hand. And yeah, that's me. :]Oh! Can't believe I forgot to mention a few of my favorite authors. DOH. George R.R. Martin, Orson Scott Card [Enderverse], Tamora Pierce, Maria v. Snyder, and Kim Harrison.
So I finally finished cataloguing my library. And I'm quite surprised I thought that the balance between Sword and Laser would be pretty close but it's more like 45% to 55%. So I need to buy another hundred or so Fantasy books to balance things out. I welcome anyone to go have a look and see what I've got and recommend me some books so I can start getting the balance between Sword and Fantasy to get closer.
I've got probably close to 1,000 fantasy books in my Goodreads. Take a look if you need suggestions.
Hello, my name is MattI am a fan of sci-fi, fantasy and non fiction. I have been a long time listener to S&L and I finally joined the forum so I could participate in some discussions. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone on here.
Shadowsoflife wrote: "Hi, I like to be called shadows since I don't like to use my real name on the web. I'm haven't read much sci-fi or fantasy about there almost all of my other media My two fave games are Mass Effect..."Shadows is cool. I should have done something like that as well, since there's no way to tell my own posts from every other Adam on Goodreads.
Hey guys! I'm semi new to sci fi/fantasy reading and trying to find what I like. I grew up gaming and love sci fi/fantasy worlds, but I just never got turned on to the genre until I picked up The Name of the Wind. Favorite authors include Patrick Rothfuss, George R. R. Martin, Stephen Kind, and John Grisham. I'm currently reading "A Storm of Swords" and "The Way of Shadows." Can't wait to get some more reading ideas from you guys and get to know some of you.
Hello all,Gene here, I found this through watching geek and sundry due to my passion for games. I have been reading and collecting sci-fi and fantasy books for more nearly 60 years starting out with Tom Swift books in the mid 1950s. There are many outstanding books in both genre. What do you all think? Are our authors getting better? I find when I revisit old "favorites" I find them less polished. Or does familiarity indeed breed contempt (or at least boredom)?
Hi my name is Sean. I love reading large sci fi and fantasy books.
A.R.WilliamsHello - I'm Audrey.
I've been writing since I was in grade school and, in retrospect, it makes sense that my first novel is an urban fantasy. My first ever short story was about waking up to discover that I'd magically outgrown my cat pajamas. My favorite author is Peter S. Beagle, followed closely by Ray Bradbury and Robin McKinley. The books I read at least once a year are all fantasies and fairy tales.
My blog is here: http://entropy.wordpress.com
and my book is here: http://www.amazon.com/Camellia-Resist...
Hi!Just wanted to present myself, I a sci-fi& Fantasy addict that loves a big tombe of a book. In later years I´ve been drifting more and more to Military Sci-Fi and Noir-Fantasy, the grittier the better.
Best regards
Br1cht
Hello, my name is Bryan, aka HpCriticAll.Long time reader of multiple genre styles. Been watching the youtube show for the past few months as well, love it.
Don't always finish books that often, comic books readily, and I pretty much hate eBooks. Just feels weird if it isn't in "dead tree" format.
Hey everyone! I really enjoyed watching the YouTube interviews of some of my favorite authors on Sword&Laser,so I thought I'd give this group a try! I'm a fantasy writer, and I also love to read just about everything. My favorites are Terry Brooks and Sean Russell but currently I'm reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, also a great Writer.
Hello all - joining up on the GR forums after having listened to a few episodes of S&L. I got into SF/Fantasy via the Star Wars Extended Universe and still try to keep up with that world; lately, though, I've been moving more and more into fantasy. I think Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind is my absolute favorite, with Sanderson's The Way of Kings right behind it.Looking forward to participating here - sounds like a great community.
Hello everyone! I'm Devon. I have recently gotten back into the habit and love of reading all thanks to discovering the Sword And Laser show (via TableTop). I love Orson Scott Card, Phillip Pullman, Robert A. Heinlein, Pat Rothfuss, Gail Carriger, and any Neil Gaiman graphic novel I can scrounge the money for. I also love board games.
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 love both sword and laser, but tend to drift between one and the other. I started by reading Terry Pratchett and Lord of the Rings as a kid but now read everything from Neil Gaiman to Joe Abercrombie to Neal Stephenson, Hamilton, Heinlein, P.K. Dick... OK, I'll stop there, suffice to say I'll give anything S&L a try.
See you all in the forums!