The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Hi everyone, I'm Doug.I'm an ear, nose, and throat doctor who has been reading SF/F since forever (the first paperback I ever bought -- for 35 cents -- was this awful thing, "The Path Beyond the Stars." I think I was six). My favorite authors as a kid were Vonnegut, Silverberg, Haldeman, and Pohl. Nowadays, I'm a lot more eclectic (currently reading an Andrew Vacchs novel, and rereading A Confederacy of Dunces). I read a lot of Terry Pratchett, but I also like Philip K Dick, China Mieville, George R R Martin. My tastes are all over the map.
In SF/F, the only things I avoid are hard SF novels that are big on ideas but light on character development, and fantasy that's attached at the hip to the Hero's Journey School of Writing. I enjoy writing soft SF, and the stories I write verge on YA/SF. Nothing published yet . . . hopefully this year.
Hello from Down Under!!My name is Des, I'm a First Class Petty Officer in the US Navy, stationed in Alice Springs, NT Australia. Farthest point from water I've ever been in my life.
I'm married with a kid and a dog. I read mostly "sword" but have been getting a bit into "laser" with Star Wars. The plot gaps are amazing in the movies, and stick with you through the books. I started with Guardians of the West when I was about 10, and then dabbled in Michael Crighton. I couldn't make it through The Hobbit until I was 22, and after reading LOTR, then I read Chronicles of Narnia, Game of Thrones and the rest is history. I read habitually, which is good because I'm an english major at UMUC.
Looking forward to discussions and "goodreads" lol
Howdy folks.My name is Nick. I play way too many video games, work way too many hours at my retail job, and somewhere in between I attempt writing fiction. I've been getting lazy about reading. Thusly, good reads!
PO1 Des, thank you for your service to our country!Deseret wrote: "Hello from Down Under!!
My name is Des, I'm a First Class Petty Officer in the US Navy, stationed in Alice Springs, NT Australia. Farthest point from water I've ever been in my life.
I'm married wi..."
Hey all! I'm Chelsea!I love reading fantasy/sci-fi books. I started reading H.P. Lovecraft at the end of my middle school years,and from there graduated onto other books! I am currently reading the Game of Thrones series, but need a lot more suggestions on other good sci-fi/fantasy novels there are out there.
My favorite authors include: J.R.R. Tolkien, Diana Wynne Jones, Arthur Golden, Stephen King, Thomas Harris, and George R. R. Martin.
Hello everyone,My name is nick, and I have been reading fantasy books forever, I read lord of the rings trilogy at school then worked through the dragon Lance series, forgotten realms, the David Eddings books, terry brooks, Katherine Kerr, George RR martin, Anne McCaffery, Frank Herbert to name but a few. looking forward to finding many new authers to read.
Hi there! My name is Alexis. I'm a gamer and a blogger, hopefully a writer in the not so distant future. Obviously, I read. I'm more into the "sword" than the "laser" but can be pleasantly surprised by both. I'm hoping to expand my genre and author list quite a bit and I can't wait to get started! :)
Hi, I'm Rick. I was sad to see that Sword and Laser was finishing on Geek and Sundry. It was my favourite show on the channel so i've come to join the group on goodreads to keep up with it.I'll give pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy a chance to win me over. I'm currently enjoying Ender's Game after it was recommended to me by a friend.
Hi all,My name is Vickram E. Diwan and I am a published author from India.
My short stories in the mystery & romance categories have been published by XOXO publishers and I am looking forward to the release of my first Historical Romance novel set in Nazi Germany and next a paranormal/vampire story 'X-files from British India'.
I am happy to be part of your group and hope I will be able to contribute to the lively discussions here.
In case anyone is interested my links are:
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tBXZG...
Blog: http://vickramediwan.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vickramediwan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vickramediwan
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vickram...
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4...
Ohayo watashi wa Ayeka desu!I'm from Cambridgeshire in the UK, I've loved fantasy and science fiction for as long as I can remember.
I like to read when the mood takes me, as well as play computer games(MMORPG's, RTS, FPS, RPG and SPace flight sims [I played SWG for over 8 years]), I like films, TV and music; My tastes in all those are pretty eclectic, at least I tend to think so :p
Some of my favourite authors are: J.R.R.Tolkien, J.R.R.Martin, Dan Abnett, Akira Toriyama, Bernard Cronwell, Naoko Takeuchi, Gav Thorpe and Graham McNeill.
Salutations! My name is Ryan and I enjoy reading SF/Fantasy as well as gaming. Never been into table-top gaming, but I'd love to give it a try.My favorite authors include HP Lovecraft, GRR Martin, Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Chris Claremont, and Frank Herbert. I look forward to learning more about the laser side of this group, as my sword background is pretty well-grounded. :-)
Hello, My name is Daniel and I enjoy reading as well as writing fantasy. I just recently got back into reading and writing somewhat due to the Sword & Laser show on Youtube. Another contributor to this is that I have been an avid RPG gamer and am getting increasingly unimpressed with story lines in video games, as that is what I look for primarily when purchasing. It was brought to my attention that if that is what I like, why don't I just read books. What a novel idea! (No pun intended)One of my favourite authors, ironically, does not exclusively write fantasy: Ted Dekker. I have also enjoyed some Stephen Lawhead and Edgar Rice Burroughs. I am looking forward to reading books by Pat Rothfuss, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Brandon Sanderson (to give you my short list). I am currently working my way through the Game of Thrones Series by George R.R. Martin.
Also, I am part of the DRM-free movement. Any DRM-free ebooks that the book club reads I will enjoy on my Kobo, but all others will be restricted to physical copies.
Hey everyone, my name is Jacob, and I am terrible at introducing myself. I've been watching Sword and Laser on youtube (Geek and Sundry ftw) since it began last year and recently began to delve into the audio podcasts. Suffice it to say, I felt it was about time I joined the goodreads group and actually participate in the monthly readings.I'm a huge fan of fantasy, the genre was one of my greatest escapes as a child and my love of it continues today, as an adult. Currently my favorite authors are Jim Butcher, Harry Connolly (underrated would be an understatement), and Kevin Hearne. With that said, it is easy to deduce that I am a huge fan of urban fantasy, which is entirely true. It is an addiction, what can I say? I also enjoy science fiction, horror, and other genres of literature.
On top of that I love to write, though authors such as Patrick Rothfuss and Joe Hill make me doubt myself, beautiful writing from both. Start student teaching in the fall, in the subject of English. I'm hoping they give me a creative writing class if I get hired on, but then again, none of the high schools in this area offer it.
That's all I got, thanks for reading that wall of text, I'll probably proof read it later if I have the ability to edit posts...but yeah, have a good one!
Hi everybody,My name is Ashton and I love sci-fi and fantasy stuff. Though, when reading, I tend to lean toward paranormal romance. Well anything laced with romance. But i would like to find new things that don't always primarily focus on romance. Anyway i hope to have fun here.
Hey everyone, I'm Zach. I love swords but I like lasers too
Hello my name is Andrew. I've recently discovered and have been watching Sword and Laser on youtube. I loved the show and decided to join your group here on goodreads. My favorite author is Richard A Knaak. I hope that his diablo series will continue now that the third game is out. I'm currently reading Lord of Ruin, the last book in the chronicles of Malus Darkblade.
Hi, I'm Wesley and I am a long time sci-fi fan and reader. I don't read as much SF as I used to with most of my reading in recent years being restricted to the space operas of Iain Banks, Peter Hamilton and Alastair Reynolds.As for fantasy, I was not a big fan but I read Tolkein and Donaldson when I was younger. I read all the books in the Song of Ice and Fire series a couple of years ago and like the urban fantasy of the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. Most of my comic book reading tends to be more fantastical and I am a huge fan of the output from Vertigo.
Given the size of the group I don't know how long I will stick around but I hope to pick up some ideas for books new to me.
Hi, I'm Désirée from Italy (despite the French name).I've been following Sword and Laser on Geekandsundry from its beginning, but never participated in the forum until today, as one of April's books is my beloed Dragonflight. I've been reading fantasy forever, I actually began reading tales and mythology from most Europeans' folklore.
As for science fiction, I love Heinlein and Herbert...
Hello Everyone, I'm Andy.I watched Sword and Laser on Geek & Sundary and loved the show. Now that the video show is over, I was motivated to come here. I look forward to this new adventure.
I have most recently finished the Game of Thrones series of books, and The Turning Tide (the most recent installment of the Helmsman saga) by Bill Baldwin.
Hi everyone, I'm a carpenter and heavy metal vocalist from Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Been reading fantasy and SF all my life, but I'm always looking for authors or books I haven't encountered yet. My tastes are fairly broad, but I like to alternate between a "newer" book(written within the last fifty years) and an older book, so I'm always looking for good oldies, especially. My favourite living authors are George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, and China Mieville, and some of my favourite dead guys are H.P. Lovecraft, Alexandre Dumas, Fritz Leiber, and Homer. Right now I'm reading the Second Chronicles Of Amber by Roger Zelazny.
Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and I love to read. I read a little bit of everything in general, but prefer to read sci-fi/fantasy and a bit of supernatural/horror. I'm also a bit impulsive and will grab a book off the shelf just because something about it strikes my fancy. I figured joining this group would give me yet another source of book recommendations aside from my friends.
Melissa wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Melissa and I love to read. I read a little bit of everything in general, but prefer to read sci-fi/fantasy and a bit of supernatural/horror. I'm also a bit impulsive and wi..."Hi Mellisa, welcome. Pleased to read about you.
Hello everyone!I am Darius. I am a fantasy and sci-fi lover. I read, write, critique, analyze, and obsess over this genre of reading. I also promote authors and writers work to help them get out there to the general public fanbase. "Need book promotion? I can advertise your book in our active Facebook fantasy & sci-fi page with 117,000+ Likes, Twitter page with 20,000 Followers, and feature it in Fantascize.com. I can help you reach thousands of readers. Email us at fantasynscifi@gmail.com or berserkxxo@yahoo.com if you're interested."
So yea. This is me. I am hoping to meet many new faces and help others with their work as well as be introduced to so many other works as well. Later!
Charlton wrote: "welcome to the group Jacob."Thanks man, and a big welcome to everyone else who has joined up as well.
Howdy! My name is Crystal.I'm a science fiction junkie, film and book, and my favorite authors are: Timothy Zahn, Robert Heinlein and John Scalzi.
I am a big fan of the "Sword & Laser" show and, now that the season is over, decided to join the group.
My reading habits are a bit different, as I am a busy mom. I typically read Timothy Zahn (paper back) in my free time as well as while I 'wait' at varioius appointments and activities, listen to a kid-friendly audio book in the car (right now we are going through the "Harry Potter" books) and listen to 'Sword & Laser' books at home while I clean house. I tend to get myself into an author 'rut' and 'S&L' has helped me to brodden my reading horizons.
Charlton wrote: "Welcome to S&L."Thanks!
Hi All,I loved the Sword & Laser YouTube show and have been lurking for a while, but I've finally decided to join in with this months book as it happily coincided with me finishing a book.
I read mostly Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Non-Fiction (I find fiction books set in the real world rather dull and would rather read a history or science book).
Favourite authors include (in no particular order): Andrzej Sapkowski, Alastair Reynolds, George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Robert E. Howard, Raymond Feist, Isaac Asimov, David Eddings, Joe Abercrombie, Iain Banks (terrible news yesterday), Peter F. Hamilton, J.R.R. Tolkien... I could go on... and on.... and on... ;)
Hi everybody,I'm a long time fantasy and science fiction reader and fan. I did take a few years off from reading the genres. Sword and Laser has helped rekindle my love for the two genres. I'm also a big noir and horror fan. I love cinema but mostly stick to classic films, foreign films, and the festival circuit. When not doing these things you can probably find me gaming or sipping a nice wine or whiskey (or both).
Chicken Nuggets - The Raptor Apocalypse Hi there. I'm both an avid reader and published author now after releasing my first book last November. The book reflects most of my influences, from the sci-fi of Asimov, Heinlein, and Herbert, to fantasy of Moorcock, Martin, Eddings, Pratchett, Tolkien, on and on. I also enjoy horror and thrillers and one day plan to write fantasies with thriller pacing, although, writing about velociraptors that have taken over the world would probably be considered fantasy already.
I recently found the podcast and have been listening and enjoying it ever since.
Hi everyone,I've enjoyed the videos on G & S; since those are now ending, I figured I'd come here and really join the party. Especially since you keep selecting books I've recently read!
Both Sword and Laser genres appeal to me, and I like to read some historical titles too, such as the "Lensman" series by E.E. Doc Smith (which lent a lot of context to the original Star Trek series, I must say).
Favorite Sword authors include: Tolkien, Lewis, Sanderson, Rothfuss, Lawhead (Song of Albion cycle!), and Cornish (YA trilogy The Monster Blood Tattoo).
Favorite Laser authors include: Scalzi (of course), McDevitt, and Van Name (Jon & Lobo!).
Looking forward to everyone's posts and comments, and also the podcasts. A big Thanks to Veronica & Nick for leading S & L!
James wrote: "Hey guys I'm James, I've just joined the S&L good reads forum (obviously) and downloaded the last few podcasts. I was led here by geek and sundry and I'm devastated the series has ended (more so th..."The S & L Book Club is reading the 1st Pern book "Dragonflight" this month. #2 is "Dragonquest;" # 3 is "The White Dragon."
Greetings and Salutations,I'm Wade Garret, author at Black Bed Sheet Books, and when I'm not writing or reading comics, I like to read authors such as Mark Hodder, Neil Gaiman, Brian Herbert, K.J Anderson, Chris Wooding, Daniel Polansky and many others.
Hey I'm Seth. I have yet to read I think a single book all of you are reading. But maybe sometime soon I will get into the discussions. I'm a fiction junkie. I hate real life and want to escape into a made up world. So I can do fantasy, sci-fi, horror, or paranormal fiction. Loving the podcast!
Hey everybody, my name is Victor (from Spain), I love good fantasy book and I am very happy that I´ve found this group and the podcast, whose new episodes make my mornings at work much easier.
Hi everyone my name is Tom. I've always loved Fantasy and Science Fiction. I think the first novels I ever truly loved was the original Dragonlance trilogy, which I read when I was 10. My mom swears and up and down that my first words were "Star Wars." I've always been in love with sf&f. I love to read and do it every day. I find the time to do it, no matter how busy I get.Current faves are China Mieville, Neal Stephenson, Adam Roberts, Joe Abercrombie, Ryu Murakami, Margaret Atwood, and, eternally, PKD.
I also love non-sf&f authors like Elmore Leonard, Cormac McCarthy, Michael Chabon, and Dennis Lehane.
Be my friend :)
Hello, I'm Duane.I've been a long time reader of science fiction and fantasy, as well as a bit of horror and mystery thrown in for good measure.
When I don't have my nose buried in a book, I can usually be found reminding someone's computer why it's a good idea to work properly (lest it's owner decides to reinstall it with a sledgehammer... ah the joys of tech support), or doing what I actually like to do, which would be doing sci-fi and fantasy illustrations (I know, strange combination, but the artist was first, the tech came later to make sure the bills got paid).
Hey there, I'm Sarah. Here by way of the podcast by way of the videocast by way of the Vaginal Fantasy videocast by way of Geek and Sundry by way of the The Guild. I think that basically traces it back.I've been an SF/F fan since childhood, and a lifelong avid reader. My mind blanks the minute anyone asks my favorite anything, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
My teen years were largely consumed by Anne McCaffrey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Sydney Van Scyoc, and Mercedes Lackey, although I read anything the library had in stock. That's also when I first encountered Spider Robinson, whom I still adore passionately. Speaking of Spider, I have a lifelong fondness for the funny and the goodhearted. Terry Pratchett is also a great favorite of mine. Neil Gaiman, of course, but it's hard to find folks who aren't fans there. Cat Valente's writing some wonderful stuff these days, and I'm as sucked into A Song of Ice and Fire as everyone else. Diana Wynne Jones writes wonderful YA that I only discovered in adulthood. Robert Forward writes fabulous hard, hard, _rock-hard_ SF (with appendices!) that I adore despite the general lack of characterization. Overall, I'm close to equally engrossed in both SF and Fantasy, although my science geek nature tends to pull me SF-ward.
The minute I post this I'll be kicking myself for everything I forgot. Ah well.
Hello I'm Nate,I've been listening to the pod casts for a while and thought I'd say hi, partly as I've read much of the Dragon riders series and wanted to chip in I'm from the UK and favourite authors include Terry Pratchett, Isaac Asimov, Kim Stanley Robinson Kelly Armstrong, Peter F. Hamilton.
Hi, I've been lurking here for a while and figured I should introduce myself. I'm Jim (surprise). I'm 33 and live in MN. I am actually relatively new to sword and laser books. I was more of a mystery person in my 20's. Then I read a little book, Game of Thrones. Now all have read is fantasy. Then I decided to dive into sci-fi. This is a great group. Keep up the good work Tom and Veronica.
Hi there. I have not seen any of the videos or listened to any of the podcasts (yet). But love fantasy and sci fi so thought I would join the group.
Hi, all, I'm Jason. I'm a writer and software engineer (guess which one pays the bills), but I've been reading sci fi and fantasy since long before I applied myself to either of those. I tend to be a fan of most of the big, heavy series out there (you know, your Wheel of Times and your Songs of Fire and Ice) and will always have a place in my heart for Eddings, Weis & Hickman, and Tolkien, among others. I'm a huge Scalzi and Gibson fan, too, and love that we live in a time when spec fiction is earning the credibility it has deserved for years. Basically, I believe we should read more books, as a people, and I recently realized that the best way to make that happen might just be to talk about them more. That's why I'm here, or, at least, why I'm not lurking anymore.
Oh, and I tend to ramble. Please forgive me?
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)
More...
I an a new recruit to sci-fi and fantasy. It all started with an Escapepod episode of Isaac Asimov's Nightfall. I never knew I would be so obsessed by the genre. I always liked fantasy but never really had the time to find anything great while I was in college reading all the classics.
Purchasing an ereader was one of the best decisions I ever made. The amount of books I started reading has at least tripled.
My reading tastes are very broad, I'll read anything as long as the plot is good and the characters are well-developed (I do prefer books with a lot of brain food, though).
Glad to be here!