The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
Hi all! I'm Michael. I've been listening to the podcast for years, but always felt like I didn't have time to join the community. But then, it sounds like you guys have so many excellent discussions and I feel like I need to join. So, three(-ish) years in, I'm joining.I'm also an author, but I promise I won't spam this groups promoting my books. (I'll mention them from time-to-time, surely.) But, as an author and speaker, I feel like I have a lot to offer to fellow writers, speakers and SFF fans. Let me know how I can help.
Hello!I'm Bob Defendi. I've been listening to the podcast for a bit. I've heard Veronica and Tom mention it for years on various podcasts, but you know how it is. It can take a bit for a podcast to break out of the "I'm aware of it" place and into "Okay, I REALLY need to start listening" place.
I've now listened to it enough that I want to remove my lurker status.
I'm a writer and a game designer (pen and paper games). I was Myke Cole's room mate at Writer's of the Future, so I was delighted to hear him come on the podcast. I'm big in the local con community in Utah (Comic Con, Fan X, Life the Universe and Everything.)
What else? I was born in Dubuque, IA (in accordance with prophecy). I read voraciously, if you consider audiobooks reading (which you shouldn’t). I have yet to find, conquer, and rule a small Central American country (but I think we all know that’s inevitable). I am neither Team Jacob nor Team Edward (I am sympathetic to Team Guy-Who-Almost-Hit-Bella-With-A-Truck). I shamelessly stole that last joke.
Oh, If I had to recommend one Podcast to this group, I'd recommend Mythgard Academy. There the Tolkien Professor does college-level discussions of books. They just finished The Princess Bride. There's a History of Middle Earth book coming up next, then its Jonathan Strange and Mister Norell (or however you spell that).
Hi!I'm Michelle. I'm a scientist by day and a SciFi/Fantasy reader by night. I've just started listening to podcasts as entertainment while I science the day away and stumbled on The Sword and Laser. I've only listened to a few episodes, but I'm hooked and feverishly reading CoS in time for the upcoming discussion.
I currently live in Minneapolis, or "beyond the Wall" as I think of it, although I originated in the subtropical bliss of Florida. As you might guess by my presence here, I love books! I'm looking forward to excellent discussions to feed my nerdy side...ok, my only side.
I'm not a gamer or very cool in that way. I joined because Sword & Laser people support my novel, Celtic Blood. If you like Robert E Howard, H.P Lovecraft, Raymond E. Feist you'll love
Celtic Blood.
Hi to you all!
Noticing some of the authors mentioned above this is my kind of place.
Hi guys, my name is Rita Margarita I’m new to the group. Very excited! Please feel free to recommend a great book, I love fantasy. If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.
Hi... I'm Les... *the shear will of my introverted mind creates a puff of smoke where I disappear into my pit of Asimov and Heinlein books*
Hi, I'm Michael. A big science fiction. Started watching Star Trek and Star Wars as a kid, and have been hooked on the genre since. Excited to be a part of this group.
Hi, I'm Patricia. I love all genres of Scifi. Space Pirates and Alternate Dimensions are two of my favorites.
Hi, My name is Veronique, and i'm from the Netherlands. I'm still in highschool I love Fantasy, sci-fi and crime / thriller books
My favourite authors are David Baldacci, Dan Brown, Scott Sigler, Nicci French and many more.
Besides reading normal books, i read a lot of stories on Wattpad
And i have an own book recommendation site together with my friend: http://unhealthyloveforbooks.tumblr.com/
looking forward to joining the discussions and finding new books to read
Hi, I'm Dave from Ireland. I always loved sci-fi and fantasy novels growing up and still a big fan in my 30s. My favourite would be Iain M. Banks, was very sad when he passed away.
I'm Jason, age 40 (daughter still says 29, love her). Love Sci Fi. Anything with Spaceships, Lasers and Robots. If you have one of those I will read. If you have all 3, I love you. Timothy Zahn was my favorite author for the longest time. Currently reading anything on Amazon's freebie list because I'm a cheapskate.
Jason, have you tried the Honor Harrington Series? Space opera at its finest! Full of spaceships and lasers... Not so much robots, but so much action I didn't miss them one bit.
Jason wrote: "I'm Jason, age 40 (daughter still says 29, love her). Love Sci Fi. Anything with Spaceships, Lasers and Robots. If you have one of those I will read. If you have all 3, I love you. Timothy Z..."
Also try The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell. Great stuff! (No robots though, that seems to be strangely missing).
isn't it interesting that the more you step back and compare Star Wars to other science fiction franchises, the more you go "huh. Star Wars was WEIRD." :)and thank you Michael.
Hey all, I'm Kieran and I'm from Scotland. Been listening to the podcast for quite a while now but never actually read along or came here. Trying to change that now with Uprooted.I pretty much grew up on Terry Pratchett books, Discworld in particular of course so those are far and away my favourite books (Thief Of Time being my overall favourite.) More recently however I got super into Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series which brought me out of a bit of a reading lull that I was in.
The last book I read though was actually The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mosse which was not usually the kind of thing I'd read but I enjoyed it a lot, so I may have to try reading similar things going forward.
Greetings, I'm Brad. I'm just starting my first book with the group (Uprooted), but I've read quite a few that I learned about through the podcast. I just finished reading the 4th book of the Expanse, for instance.A few of my favorites are the Mistborn series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and, overall, I really liked the Wheel of Time, though they did drag quite a bit after the 6th book. I'm just as partial to sci-fi, and I have recently enjoyed Old Man's War (still haven't read the last book) and the Expanse.
Looking forward to trying some new authors!
Looking forward to trying some new things.
Hi everyone. I'm an aspiring fantasy author, and a fresh Goodreads user. I'm glad groups like this exist! I have so many new books to read!
Hey everyone!I am Jan and I am a new member. I've listened to the podcast for a long time but I never participated in the discussions. But by chance I had just bought the audiobook to Uprooted when I heard that it's going to be Auguust's pick and so I decided I would join in this time.
I'm pretty much reading anything SF or Fantasy - but my favorite thing would probably be a mash-up of Blade Runner and The Lies of Locke Lamora... ;-)
Anyhow, I hope we'll have fun!
Hey,I am Mike and I'm a new member.I am completely new to this type of thing. I have never been huge into science fiction or fantasy books but i figured this would be a great place to start. I am looking forward to some great books and conversations.
Hi everyone, my name is Elise and I live in beautiful Brisbane, Australia. I have been a massive book reader since I was a child, and I've read a lot of Sword (massive fantasy fan), but recently I have been increasingly getting into Laser, and loving sci fi! I am currently reading the Paradox series by Rachel Bach and the Dred Chronicles by Ann Aquirre. It's great to meet everyone and I am excited to be a part of this group- I don't have a lot of friends that read, let alone read fantasy or sci fi. I will probably join September's read along.
Hi everybody! I'm Matt.I read a lot of different things, but I pretty much always come back around to fantasy & science fiction. I have a soft spot for sci-fi from the 60s and 70s
My favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, John Scalzi, Roger Zelazny, Piers Anthony, Tamora Pierce, and Stephen King. Hat tip to Timothy Zahn for being the first author to really grab me, the first author I got to meet in person, and being really nice to boot.
Lately I've really enjoyed Kevin Hearne's "Iron Druid Chronicles" and Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" (if you haven't read it yet, put it high up on your to do list). Also, "Ready Player One" makes my heart sing and cry.
Hello, Everyone!I'm Maria from Fort Collins, CO. I read a lot, but fantasy will always be my first and last love. It all started with Harry Potter, but quickly progressed to Tolkien. I love Neil Gaiman, and I see a lot of people do.
More recently I started reading sci-fi. I'm particularly attached to Bradbury, A.C. Doyle, and Philip K. Dick. Of the more contemporary authors, I really like Scalzi.
So, I heard of this book club through Veronica on Vaginal Fantasies Book club. And I love that one, but I also wanted to read more fantasy and sci-fi in general without being romance heavy so this book club looks like it would be great. I also have very little time these days doing school and work full time so it's nice having someone else telling me what to read so I don't have to think about it.
I'm glad to be here!
Hi guys I'm andrea. I've read a lot in the fantasy realm and not so much in the science fiction realm although I'm open to recommendations. I used to read just Bout any paperback I could get my hands on but now I'm more likely to pick up an audio. Currently I'm listening to The Stand- 42 hrs of goodness for one credit! It'll be nice getting to know you all.
Maria wrote: "Hello, Everyone!
Welcome Maria. The authors you list are among my favorites as well. All write exceptionally well. Sometimes with Bradbury I stop and just marvel at a phrase or sentence.
You might also try Le Guin. She started writing well in the 60s and 70s and grew as a writer. She went from very good to great. She addresses some interesting topics in her books, sex roles (The Dispossessed), religion (The Telling), and the role of women (Lavinia). But unlike some she never lectures, just tells a good story. Her Always Coming Home is one of my favorite books. It's sort of like a collection of field notes of an anthropologist for a future civilization, with her reflectings on writing.
Welcome Maria. The authors you list are among my favorites as well. All write exceptionally well. Sometimes with Bradbury I stop and just marvel at a phrase or sentence.
You might also try Le Guin. She started writing well in the 60s and 70s and grew as a writer. She went from very good to great. She addresses some interesting topics in her books, sex roles (The Dispossessed), religion (The Telling), and the role of women (Lavinia). But unlike some she never lectures, just tells a good story. Her Always Coming Home is one of my favorite books. It's sort of like a collection of field notes of an anthropologist for a future civilization, with her reflectings on writing.
David wrote:"You might also try Le Guin. She started writing well in the 60s and 70s and grew as a writer. She went from very good to great. She addresses some interesting topics in her books, sex roles (The Dispossessed), religion (The Telling), and the role of women (Lavinia). But unlike some she never lectures, just tells a good story." Thanks! I've been meaning to read some of her stuff.
Hello, I'm Claire. I have been listening to Sword and Laser for only a few months (actually love arriving late to a party as there is an abundance of good stuff to devour).I am an audiobook junkie and love alternating between sci-fi and fantasy.
Hi all! I have been reading along for a while and decided to quit being a lurker and jump in. I'm a big sci-fi and comics fan and I am also an avid pen and paper RPG enthusiast. I just love stories I guess. I always find it tough to pick favorites, but I have really been loving Philip K. Dick lately. Thanks to the creators and community for making a cool book club.
Been listening to the podcast for a while and decided I should get in on the goodreads boards too so, hi! Like the person who posted before me, I am also a Chris who is into Philip K Dick and I've been reading through NPR's top 100 sci-fi of all time. Recently I've really enjoyed Ender's Game, Ready Player One, The Water Knife, Ancillary Sword (and Ancillary Mercy), The Three Body Problem, and The Stars My Destination. Quot Libros, Quam Breve Tempus.
(So many books, so little time.)
Hey everyone, I'm Lauren. I've been a scifi and fantasy reader since as far back as I can remember. I lean more toward fantasy, but I do really love the more speculative aspects of scifi. Tanith Lee is one of my favorite authors.I've recently read and loved Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Never Let Me Go -which may not be an actual scifi/fantasy book but sort of felt like one to me.
Hey everyone, I'm Lovro. I've been recommended here by a complete stranger on reddit.I adore fantasy and I am keen on sci-fi. Recently I have read The Name of the Wind, The Clash of Kings and Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Hello Everyone.I am Cheri, avid reader my entire life. I found Sword and Laser when I attended Nerdtacular this year. Makes me wonder why I never thought of looking for podcasts about books before.
I enjoy most genres, yet always return to scifi/fantasy. Dragonriders of Pern started my fantasy adventures.
I look forward to many more adventures.
Pern! *does one-man Stadium Wave*Pern's awesome. McCaffrey was among my faves growing up in suburban Boston. She lived in Cambridge and used to do appearances around the city.
hello!I am a fan of VF and the Sword and Laser podcasts so of course had to start following the goodreads group as well. Thank you for all the posts everyone - I am enjoying catching up with you all. I got my start in Sci Fi with StarTrek, Space 1999 as well as Ray Bradbury in the '70's. Now reading Neal Stephenson and Jim Butcher, and really enjoyed one of the latest picks, City of Stairs.
Hello, I'm Ron.I've been disappointed with a lot of the books I've been buying lately, so I thought I'd try this site to see if I could get some recommendations. We'll see if it pans out.
Hi folks. I introduced myself when I joined, about a year ago, and then I disappeared... so now that I'm back on Goodreads, I thought I'd go ahead and say hello again :-)(And thank you for not kicking me from this wonderful group!)
I am from Tennessee in the US originally, but have lived in southeastern Australia for the past eight and a half years. It's winter here at the moment, and we have the heater on.
I love sci-fi and fantasy. I read every night before bed, very slowly, one book at a time. I used to have a problem: I would read multiple books at the same time; I think my record was eight. It got so bad that I wasn't finishing some of them, and a friend told me it was indicative of a scattered brain. So, I applied some self-discipline, and now I finish what I start, no matter how bad the book might be :-p
Right now I'm reading Geta by Donald Kingsbury, and I love it. Very imaginative and a bit creepy.
'Looking forward to talking about cool stories with yous :-)
-- Gaines
edit: Forgot to link the book I referenced.
Hello, I am David. I like fantasy books and I hope I can get some good recommendations here. I prefer audiobooks.
Hi there,my name is Tommy as you can read - well actually it's Thomas :)
I heard this group being mentioned on a podcast, and I thought why not join that group? So that's what I did.
Most of the time I read SF, some F here and there, and from time to time I happen to read some historical fiction as well. The infinitesimal rest of what I consume is not worth mentioning.
Hi everyone :-) I'm Horst and I'm mostly into SF having read a whole bunch of StarTrek novels but also enjoying P.F. Hamilton quite a bit.Back when App.net was still new I was part of a book club there which introduced me to that whole concept and also to tons of books I normally wouldn't have read. That's what I'm look for here, too. Boldly reading what I've never read before ;-)
Nice to meet you David, Tommy, and Horst :-)
Hi Robert. Your stuff sounds good (who doesn't like UF because it's funny?), but this isn't quite the place to pimp it - there's a whole other thread for that.
Hello all, I'm Shawn. I use to read a lot when I was a young lad but lost interest when I began to study film in college then I got into video game design for a big company which took most of my attention but realized that what I really loved about film and games was the STORY which brings me back full tilt to my addiction to books. *whew*
There's nothing like a good yarn, for sure :-)Nice to meet you Shawn.
Hi all,First time reading with a group(A Canticle for Leibowitz). Love Sci-Fi. Just started listening to the podcast. I'm from the Netherlands.
Regards,
Fabio
Hi. My name is Mitch, and I'm addicted to reading, writing and loving the world.I will read anything at least once. The experience embodies the word's of Proust, "The real voyage of discovery consist not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
Reading is the one, true way to experience the world through another person's soul.
Hi, I'm Martin and I like books.When I was younger I almost exclusively read Fantasy, but in the last 5-10 years I have been broadening my horizon with all sorts of books, including Sci-Fi (mostly short stories), mystery and literature.
My favorite fantasy authors are George R. R. Martin, Tad Williams and Walter Moers, and my favorite Sci-Fi authors are James Tiptree Jr. and Stanislaw Lem (although so far I haven't made it through "Memoirs found in a bathtub" either.) I also like Jasper Fforde very much, but I never know how to categorize him.
I'm from Germany and right now about fifty percent of my reading is in English, the other half in German.
Hello everyone, I'm Brian! I'm an I.T. Professional and my girlfriend and I are YouTube vloggers. I'm from Birmingham, AL.I recently started listening to the podcast. I don't read a lot, so I'm hoping this group will help me discover some good books to read.
We will be at Dragoncon and plan to be at the live podcast.
Hi all,I'm Zina, and I'm Russian (don't hold it against me!:D), reading both in Russian and in English (mostly in English these days, as I'm now in sunny SoCal).
Books are my joy, solace and food for thought. I used to read mostly genre (SF and fantasy), but am now trying to expand my horizons. A good book is a good book, and finding one truly makes a day special :)
The recent good books I've read include "Brief and Wondrous life of Oscar Wao", "The Other Wind", "One Hundred Years of Solitude", "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality" - all over the place! Now working my way through "Catch 22" and "The Martian".
I have been meaning to read "A Canticle for Leibowitz" for ages, hopefully having people to read and discuss it with would finally make it happen. Cheers!
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 also enjoy writing book reviews and short fiction.