The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Jeffrey wrote: "Jason wrote: "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..."And J.V. Jones & Robin Hobb & Trudi Canavan & for good measure...maybe a Stephen King or two
Hi everyone. I've been following for awhile - found it from Geek & Sundry. Thought I'd say hi :-)
Hi Matthew,Paul,Jason,welcome.
Hi I'm Rich found this group through Geek and Sundry. I have been an avid fan of all books from the day I learned to read. When I was about 8 I discovered quit by accident the first book in the Dragonlance Chronicals I was immediately hooked on fantasy. I read all genres but always come back to my first love. I have to many favorite authors and books. I quantify books in just two ways am I entertained or not. I will be looking forward to having lively conversations with many of you. Thank you!
Hi everyone, I'm Solène. Like many people I got here trough Geek and Sundry and was sad to see the video show go. So I began listening to the podcast and lurking here. I'm French, I'm more a sword than a laser, and I started reading fantasy with the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey and the Pern books when I was twelvish (in horrid translations).
Like many people my to-read list is way too long and I haven't had the occasion to follow the month pick yet, but I really enjoy the news and the discussions (even of books I haven't read). Even if it mostly just make my list longer.
Hi, name's Kimmiechan, or Kimmie works too.Big tech/gamer/book/animation geek. Found the podcast by podhopping till I found this gem. Since I have always been big into scifi/fantasy, I have been enjoying it quite a bit. I would qualify myself as being equally sword and laser, as long as the book I'm reading has interesting new ideas or takes on situations. I like novelty, especially when well executed. Trouble is this can make me a touch picky, and I sometimes give up on a book before giving it a fair chance if it doesn't grab me. I have come back to books after dropping them before at recommendation of others and found them enjoyable
contrary to my expectations.
Looking forward to good discussion and new reading opportunities.
Heya, Danjal here.I'm a pretty hardcore gamer and sci-fi/fantasy fanatic.
Having backed the recent Torment kickstarter I saw the Storyboard episode about storytelling in video games referenced on their site.
This got me watching the entire Storyboard and craving for more I devoured the entire S&L aswell. (Mind you this tendency is the reason I tend to avoid watching too many new shows as they end up absorbing a large chunk of my time)
To my dismay I saw that I pretty much got in the S&L youtube train right when they decided not to fund another season of it...
Luckily there's 124 episodes of the podcast to listen to so i'm now rapidly working through those.
I'm really liking the show and a lot of book titles have come to my attention that I otherwise would have missed or even totally ignored.
One minor comment I'd like to add - this is something that started to happen in the podcast episodes i'm currently at (50ish)
There's a lot of "Oh this releases first in the UK and we have to wait for it..."
This really isn't something strange, infact most US TV-shows and movies tend not to cross the ocean to europe immediately and even games that supposedly have a global release come out days earlier in the states...
Now i'm a big fan of global releases for this fact as knowing how annoying it is to have to wait for something isn't something I would want anyone to have to go through.
So just to point it out, it happens both ways.
Really liking the show and I hope that some kind of solution can be found to bring back a video version of the show aswell - even if its not done in a fancy studio setting =)
~Danjal
Hi I'm Steve and I'm from the UK. I found Sword & Laser through Geek & Sundry, but my timing is a bit off as the video podcasts have just finished their run for now. Never mind though, I don't get much time for videos, but there's plenty of time for audio podcasts, walking to/from work etc.I used to read loads of science fiction & fantasy as a teenager. Favourite authors were Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Peter F Hamilton & Lois McMaster Bujold. I've recently got back into the sf & fantasy after quite a few years in the literary wilderness, and am reading newer stuff as well as quite a bit of classic golden age science fiction. Looking forward to participating on here.
Hi everyone! I'm Katie and I'm fairly new to goodreads. I live in North Carolina and am a commercial real estate paralegal by trade and a reader, animal lover and competitive equestrian for fun. I love reading literary fiction and non-fiction of all types but only became interested in sci-fi/fantasy after being turned onto George Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series by a co-worker a few years ago. After I devoured all of those one after the other, I have gone on to explore many other authors in the genre. I am hooked! I can't wait to join in the discussions!
Hey I'm James although most people call me KP. I've been listening to the podcasts for about a year and finally decided to come and join in the chat here.I read a lot of Sci fi and Fantasy with favourite authors being Piers Anthony, David Eddings, Tolkien, George R R Martin, Pillip K Dick etc. Looking forward to joining in the discussions
Hey all!Connor here. New to GR. I grew up being more of a film and television fan when it came to sci-fi. It wasn't till I got a little older (and learned a little patience) that I was able to go back and read some of the classics. Huge fan of smartly written dystopias, cyberpunk stories, and well thought out other worlds - Rendevous with Rama to Snow Crash.
I'm also a new author! (I'll leave that for the appropriate place though)
Looking forward to chatting with all of you!
Katie,James,Connor,guys and girl welcome to S&L group.
Hey all - new to Goodreads and, of course, this forum as well! Love SF of all kinds but lean towards Military SF (and Fantasy as well). Started in 3rd grade with Edgar Rice Burroughs and H.G. Wells, got sucked in by Andre Norton (and of course LOTR!) and never looked back. Favorite authors are Larry Niven, Jerry Pournell, John Ringo, C.J. Cherryh, S.M. Stirling, Elizabeth Moon, Eric Flint to name the top...
Hello everyone, my name is Austin. I just recently discovered Sword and Laser, but I'm somewhat of a youngster, so possible redemption.
However, I am definitely a huge fan of everything Science Fiction and Fantasy, so I feel right at home.
Favorite authors are Patrick Rothfuss, and Brandon Sanderson. But I like a lot of less known authors as well.
I love to write, and love to talk about great books.
And that's my self-introduction.
Hi, I'm Brian. Just discovered the Sword and Laser video show, and figured I joined the forum here. During the day I spend my time working on Fedora Linux and writing open-source software, and my nights reading book by authors such as:Neil Gaiman, Richard Stark, Neal Stephenson, Christopher Moore, and Joe Hill.
I've just started listening to the podcast on my lengthy commute. I've been watching the YouTube show since it started. Sci-fi is my new favorite genre, though I'm kind of new to it. Favorite authors include Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, H.P. Lovecraft, and Dan Simmons.Currently working hard on the first draft of a sci-fi novel.
Hi, I'm Mark, I've joined this group on the recommendation of a friend. I love a bit of sci-fi and fantasy, although that's not the restrictions on my taste. I like crime and thriller fiction, as well as autobiographies.Favourite authors include Stephen King and Terry Pratchett.
Every now and again I like to set myself reading challenges. For example, my first one was to read the entire Dark Tower series back-to-back. I'm currently doing a similar challenge with the Wheel of Time series and it's proving to be a slog!
I'm also attempting to write my own novels as well. Hopefully you guys will be reading my books one day!
Glad to be here, hello everyone!
Hello,Mark,Joia,and Martin welcome to the group.
Hello, I'm D.I.Brooks, and I'm nineteen years old, and I have recently started reading (as sad as that sounds). The book I am currently reading is "The Lost Hero" from Rick Riordan. I'm fairly interested in seeing what piques my interest.
D.i.brooks wrote: "Hello, I'm D.I.Brooks, and I'm nineteen years old, and I have recently started reading (as sad as that sounds). The book I am currently reading is "The Lost Hero" from Rick Riordan. I'm fairly inte..."It doesn't sound sad, it sounds like a happy moment for me, since you actually started :) Welcome
Congrats,and welcome to the S&L club.
Carolina wrote: "D.i.brooks wrote: "Hello, I'm D.I.Brooks, and I'm nineteen years old, and I have recently started reading (as sad as that sounds). The book I am currently reading is "The Lost Hero" from Rick Riord..."Charlton wrote: "Congrats,and welcome to the S&L club."
Thank you! Glad to be here :D
Hi, I'm Dennis (anyone else feel like this is an AA introduction?)Like Steve, I'm an OG, been a Sci Fi devotee since I was twelve.
I've read 'em all, from Asimov to Zelazny, to the point that I usually can follow along with the book of the month from memory. Also a big fan of Tom and Veronica from all of their other work.
Currently reading Name of the Wind, and I'm grateful to S&L for turning me on to Patrick Rothfus, as well as John Scalzi, Ernie Cline and several others.
All time favorites? Heinlein, Zelazny, Butcher, and Max Allan Collins (who is Mystery, not S&L, but still awesome).
Working on a Laser book of my own, and hoping someday to be able to share it with this cool group of readers.
Hi I'm Joe,I've been a listener for over a year and enjoyed the YouTube show. It's finally time I join good reads. My current favorite authors are James S A Corey, Douglas Adams, Patrick Rothfus, Scott Lynch and I can't wait for something new from Ernest Cline.
I am the proud father of a 5 month old boy. Any free time I have, after he is asleep and before I pass out, is split between reading and gaming.
Hi everyone! My name is Paul Densmore (I write under the pen name of J Densmore - quite a stretch. My favorite authors are: Neil Gaiman, Douglas Adams, Harlan Ellison, Robert Anton Wilson, Theodore Sturgeon and, of course, myself...:DGreat to be a part of the group. If anyone wants to connect - send me a friend request.
Thanks!
J.,Joe,Dennis hi and welcome to S&L.
Charlton wrote: "Hi Matthew,Paul,Jason,welcome."Thanks Charlton :-)
Hi, I'm Kim. I'm a stay at home mother of 5 who is also homeschooling them. I love to read. I read a variety of books. I can be a bit of a book snob. I like a good story, but I have to have good writing. Right now my favorite author is Ursala Le Guin. I'm also enthralled with Murakami. Last year I read somewhere around 25 books. One of my favorite books last year was The Wind Up Girl, by Bacigalupi and then Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Clarke.
Ursula Le Guin is a completely genius author, I've introduced two of my kids and they have read her voraciously.
I'm Lilla, and I found this group via author Adam Christopher's blog. So - he's on my list of favorites (Empire State, Age Atomic, Seven Wonders). I have a keen interest in anything that falls under the "speculative fiction" umbrella.
Hi there! I'm Aaron and was a big fan of your show on Geek and Sundry. My S&L video withdrawals led me to converting to the Podcast (which is also great!) and now to here. I read all sorts of Sci Fi and Fantasy books, but some recent favorites include Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. I'm currently reading Wool for the book club and am thoroughly enjoying that one as well!My biggest issue is fitting reading in with my other hobby/addiction, gaming. Thankfully, S&L and my new Kindle Paperwhite have helped with that a great deal!
Hi all, newbie Brenda here. I read and write all kinds of fantasy. For me, life can't get much better than a cup of hot tea, a kitty on my lap, and a good adventure. My current favorites are Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Rick Riordan, Jim Butcher, Ilona Andrews, and Gail Carriger. I just started The Black Prism by Brent Weeks and I'm utterly enthralled. I'm excited to quit lurking around here and jump into some conversations!
Hi everyone ! I'm France, I'm a Sanskrit student, and I love stories, especially SF/Fantasy ones. I'm really excited to be here and be able to discover so many new stories !
France wrote: "Hi everyone ! I'm France, I'm a Sanskrit student, and I love stories, especially SF/Fantasy ones. I'm really excited to be here and be able to discover so many new stories !"Welcome France
I was just wondering how do you go about suggesting a book? Not only as a new author but I have hundreds of books that I read that I think would be well received by the group.
Matthew wrote: "I was just wondering how do you go about suggesting a book? Not only as a new author but I have hundreds of books that I read that I think would be well received by the group."Never mind... I found the link to the list.
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)
More...
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...
Welcome. With that list I assume you've read Tad Williams, Neal Stephenson, Katherine Kurtz, Raymond Feist, Katherine Kerr, etc.