Introduction and welcome thread! Showing 3,751-3,800 of 4,412

[Dan]

Hello all,

I've been reading SF/F since the fourth grade. I started in the classics like Lord of the Rings and Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. My favorite series is probably Dune, though I'm a big fan of new fantasy like Patrick Rothfuss and Scott Lynch. Currently reading The Slow Regard of Silent Things by the former.

I'm also a sci-fi/fantasy author; Harper Voyager is publishing my debut novel in January. Good to meet you!

[Adam]

31 year old horror fan here, into sci-fi, mystery, paranormal and just plain old simple fiction also. If it's written well then I'll read it!

From North Wales, UK. I'm a musician so check my stuff out. It's available on amazon, itunes etc

TITUS MONK "...And Introducing."


https://soundcloud.com/titus-monk/set...

[Gaines]

Welcome Barbara, Matt, Dan, and Adam! :-)

[Benedict]

Hey all,
Benedict here, Irishman currently living in Scotland.
I've been 'away' from reading for a while and am looking for somewhere I can broaden my horizons within my genre of choice - fantasy.
Favourite authors are many of the non-original ones - GRRM, Pat Rothfus, Gaiman (wrote my undergraduate dissertation on The Sandman back in the day, Pratchett (the guards are the best), older David Eddings stuff. I'm also interested in dipping my toe into reading some indie titles.
Looking forward to taking part in the book club and chatting with others. Which brings me to my question - if I want to talk about the most recent book, is there any particular protocol on how to do it (should I start a new post with my own review, or is it better to comment on others)?

[Gaines]

Hiya Benedict. If you like those authors, I recommend Michael J. Sullivan's stuff.
Not sure about protocol, sorry. I think the new post w/review is a good idea, as long as it's in an appropriate section :-) But I'm not a moderator. I just read here.

[Rob, Roberator]

Most people simply post in the What Else Are You Reading thread of the month, but feel free to create a thread for just that book if you'd like. If you wish to discuss plot details, please include (spoilers) in the thread title.

[Kristin]

Hey all! Kristin here. I've not read an S&L book, but have been actively following Veronica in the Vaginal Fantasy book club. I'm looking forward to reading through the prior selections as well as the current ones!

[Travis]

Hola ladies and gents!

New guy here. I'm a fan of dark fantasy and scifi, generally the steamy kind, but I have strayed outside that throughout my life.

I started out with horror, like Stephen King and Clive Barker, all those goodies. I fell in love with scifi along the way too. Then, I ran across Laurell K. Hamilton and had my socks knocked off by her dark steamy PNR.

That's when I realized I'd found the fiction for me. Dark, sensual, violent, with all kinds of fantasy-scifi-paranormal badassary in the mix.

When I decided to start writing escapist fiction, I aimed for the sweet spot. I like it dark, violent, thriller intensity, but with romantic elements, and the bedroom doors wide open. :)

I will post around once in a while when I have something new that's available for review, or I have a giveaway to offer, or I feel particularly passionate about a book or subject matter.

Nice to meet you all, and I hope to connect with some awesome fans of the genres.

:)

[Gaines]

Hi Kristin, hi Travis :-) Nice to meet you both.

[Gaines]

Hello Kay!

[Michael]

Hi there everyone,

New to the group and to Goodreads. I've been reading sci-fi and fantasy books ever since my Dad got me hooked on Pratchett. Space opera in particular really does it for me now - Iain M Banks is probably my favourite author. Looking forward to picking up new favourites from this group.

[Gaines]

Hi Michael :-) Nice to meet you.

[Patrick]

Hello to the group.

My backstory:

I was lord of the rings, with it's made up but real sounding languages and deep spiritual history. I was Star Wars, immensely likable underdog characters and the expanded universe's infinite continuing stories of their fantastic lives a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. I was Robin Hobb and George R.R. Martin, intrigue and assassination, grown up people letting me down again and again while I continued to root for them to make the right decision amidst complex moral situations. And I was Pratchett and Douglas Adams, because everyone needs a good laugh (and sometimes a good cry). Both were taken too soon.

And I was and am a myriad of other stories in between. The connective tissue of a modern mythology that sustains a wandering brain.

[Gaines]

Hi Patrick!

[Shaitarn]

Hello everyone; my real name is Karen but Google+ knows me as Shaitarn, so selected that as my name here. I'll answer to either. I've been reading fantasy for most of my life - I still remember that thrill of excitement I felt at 11 or 12 when I read 'A Wizard of Earthsea' for the first time and realised I was reading about an entirely different world. I've been visiting alternative worlds (or alterative versions of this one) ever since!

I love all the myriad sub-genres of fantasy, from dark to urban (though I am getting so tired of the 'vampire porn' urban fantasy) and will occasionally dip into a horror, steampunk, cyberpunk, space opera or even historical novel.

Favourite authors? Too many to list! One off the top of my head I'll name Ursula Le Guin, Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie, Richard Morgan, Kim Newman, Tolkien, Thomas Emson and Brent Weeks as amongst them.

[Jessica]

Hi folks! I don't think I've introduced myself yet. I'm Jessica, and only recently discovered the Vaginal Fantasy book club. Through that group I learned of Veronica, and found this group. And here I am!

I have not read along with this group yet, but I plan to try to fit it in soon, since science fiction and fantasy are my favorite reads. I've also self-published one novel of my own, working on the sequel now.

I'll probably just kind of lurk around here until I get a chance to join in one of these months :) Happy reading!

[Alex]

Hi folks! My name is Amanda and when I'm not reading I make websites, play tabletop board and role-playing games, pet animals, and blog.

I've been a fantasy and sci-fi fan since second or third grade, when my dad gave me The Hobbit and then let me have full run of his bookshelf after I chewed through it (with the exception of the Anita Blake books). I've always been captivated by other worlds, where things are mystical, wild, and considerably more dangerous. While I'll read just about anything, especially if you slap the "fantasy/sci-fi" label on it, in particular I love horror, high fantasy with in-depth world-building (I just read Brandon Sanderson's first two Stormlight Archive books and I'm deeply in love with them), and cyberpunk stories (like Neuromancer and the Shadowrun novels).

I've got way too many favorite authors, but some of the top few are Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, J.K. Rowling, and Michael Moorcock.

[Gaines]

Welcome Shaitarn, Jessica, and Amanda! Nice to meet more spec-fic readers :-)

[April]

Hello everybody! My name's April--I just started reading along this month and thought I'd introduce myself . I'm a giant fantasy nerd, massive fan of all the giants (Martin, Rothfuss, Sanderson, Tolkien etc). I'm not too into sci-fi, but that's part of why I joined--to get outside my bubble a bit and read things I normally wouldn't. I'm a sucker for worldbuilding, pretty prose, and lovable scoundrel. Looking forward to getting to know everyone

[Mitchell]

Hello, my name is Mitch and I'm an addict. I've been hooked on reading for my entire life and I couldn't stop if I wanted to. This nasty habit takes much of my money, even more of my time and completely dominates every aspect of my life.

I probably need help, though I love to indulge to such an extent that I may just be beyond all hope. ;)

I read anything, fiction or non-fiction, with a special love for sci-fi and superheroes. I hesitate to list favorite authors or stories, if only because my opinions change with my moods.

[Gaines]

Hullos :-)

[Lucas]

Hi,
My name is Lucas, and I'm from Brazil. I've been aware of the show for some time, and I've joined the group mostly so I would have an incentive to read more often in english.
I love both the sword and the laser genres, and I'm currently reading The Magicians, by Lev Grossman, because I watched an old episode of the show on youtube and ended up getting hooked on the book. As soon as I finish this book, I'll be jumping on the bandwagon, trying to keep up with the reads. Cheers to all.

[Ju]

Greetings all, 2016 looks to be my year of the bookclub! I'm so excited! I'm an avid reader of speculative fiction and have been since I was a teen. I live in Melbourne, Australia and I'm also currently studying to be a Midwife (which limits my reading time a lot!) I've been using Goodreads for years but have only in the past couple of years been more involved with reviewing, tracking and participating here. I post my in depth reviews over at my blog The Conversationalist (along with food posts and other thinky often feminist stuff). I have too many favourite authors to count and it gets ridiculous after the first 20 or so.

[John]

Hey! I'm John. I'm a great fan of the podcast but, more importantly, a fan of science fiction. Lifelong, in fact. Presently going through Kim Stanley Robinson, Alastair Reynolds and Kameron Hurley, amongst others. Also lots of time for general fiction. Also a wine merchant here in Germany.

[Lindsay]

Hey! I'm Lindsay. I've been in the Vaginal Fantasy reading group for a while and last live chat this week, The Sword and Laser group was mentioned. Love fantasy. Love Sci-Fi. Only natural that I join in!

I adore book clubs because I figure this way I have a better chance of coming across some gems! And if not, what better thing than to commiserate with like minds. :D

[Gaines]

Hi Lindsay :-)

[Paulo Vinicius]

Hi, guys

My name is Paulo Vinicius and I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm a history teacher and a blogger.
My favorite authors include Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Isaac Asimov.

[Gaines]

Paulo Vinicius wrote: "Hi, guys

My name is Paulo Vinicius and I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm a history teacher and a blogger.
My favorite authors include Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Isaac Asimov."

I'm reading a Gaiman book at the moment. Enjoying it.

[Igor]

Paulo Vinicius wrote: "Hi, guys

My name is Paulo Vinicius and I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm a history teacher and a blogger.
My favorite authors include Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Isaac Asimov."

Hey man! Good to have another carioca here. :)

[Charles]

Hi, I'm Charles Douglas, and I just published my first book last week, and it has both swords and lasers (well, blasters to be technical about it). One of the first movies I ever saw was The Empire Strikes Back and I have been hooked on sci-fi ever since. I have had a few cartoons published in papers nationally about 15 years ago, and I worked in television commercials for a while. (I still dabble in small video projects here and there)
The last book I read was "Ready Player One" and really dug the 80's references.

[Ely]

Hello, I buy a fair few books on Amazon but always forget to click via S&L so that you guys get a kick back. Is there a way to set up my Amazon account so that it automatically includes S&L as the benefactor?

[Paulo Vinicius]

Igor wrote: "Paulo Vinicius wrote: "Hi, guys

My name is Paulo Vinicius and I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm a history teacher and a blogger.
My favorite authors include Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Isaac..."

Hi, Igor. I'm a fan of the Drone Saltitante!! Good to have cariocas on the house!!

[Devin]

Hi, I'm Devin McGinnis. Some of my favorite authors include Stephen King, James SA Corey, and Marcus Sakey. I just finished Sakey's Brilliance trilogy and I can't say enough good things about it. Check it out if you haven't already.

[Steve]

Hi, as my name suggests, I'm Steve. I'm a software developer; originally from the UK but currently based in Romania. I'm probably more laser than sword (missing Iain M. Banks immensely :-( ), but I'm hugely enjoying the exposure to all the books that S&L reads.

[John]

Hi everyone.

[Nicholi]

Hello everyone..I'm Nicholi. I'm a big fan of fantasy and love getting lost in epic adventures. I wanted to join this group to interact with like minded readers and hope to be exposed to new worlds I've yet traveled. Some of my favorite authurs include Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss and Jim Butcher.
Cheers!

[Steve]

Welcome, Nicholi! I don't think I've read any of those authors--who should I start with if I were going to put one in the queue?

[Brittany]

Hi everyone! I'm Brittany and I enjoy reading and writing fantasy and horror. Some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, Dan Simmons, JRR Tolkien, Stephen R. Donaldson, and Orson Scott Card. I'm sad that I haven't read a really epic fantasy series recently, as that was all I used to read; but I'm reading Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy right now and really enjoying it!

Looking forward to talking books with you! :)

[Nicholi]

Steve wrote: "Welcome, Nicholi! I don't think I've read any of those authors--who should I start with if I were going to put one in the queue?"

Thanks, Steve! I highly recommend anything by Brandon Sanderson. My personal favorites are his Stormlight Archive and original Mistborn series. The Way Of Kings is book 1 of Stormlight Archive and The Fallen Empire is book 1 in the Mistborn series. Both are quite lengthy but are so worth the time invested.

[Martin]

Hi, I'm Martin. I think my favorite Scifi writer is Michael Crichton. He passed away too soon.

[Jeanette]

Hello, I'm Jeanette from Australia. I found this group by chance; I've not seen the show or listened to the podcast. I'm an enormous fan of sci-fi and fantasy. My favourite authors would be Robert Jordan, Patrick Ness, Ray Bradbury and Phillip K. Dick. I'm looking forward to participating in this group!

[Sifou]

hi i am the new sweaty nerd on the club^^
i am from Algeria so i don't have people in my life that read books in English let alone read fantasy and so i hope to find a haven here where i can share my fantasy addiction

[Evaric]

Hey everyone! I'm Evaric. I theoretically love both fantasy and sci-fi though I rarely ever read anything because I'm hyperactive + a terrible person (especially terrible when you consider I wanna write books). I'm making an effort to read more this year, so suggestions are welcome! My favorites are pretty standard - George R. R. Martin and Jim Butcher, with a soft spot for Anne Rice.

[Mariam]

Hi all! I'm Mariam. Have been a member of this group for a whole, lurking, not posting... Love both sci-fi and fantasy, read very quickly, so am here to pick up and make recommendations of what to read next.

[Kira]

Hi I'm Kira! I love sci fi but haven't read enough of it. I like stories set in Space, but have had a bit of a difficult time finding characters I can relate to (yeah I know, I might be setting myself up for that a bit hehe). I'd love recommendations. I'm looking forward to finding some great stories and geeking out with everyone!

[GaiusPrimus]

GaiusPrimus from Canada but originally from Brasil.

Avid reader but almost exclusively Sci-Fi/Fantasy since I picked up The Dragon and the George back in High School 15 years ago.

I keep swinging between the sword and the laser in clumps with a lot of military space operas appearing in the last year or so. Have been stalking these boards for a little while but decided to introduce myself.

[Tia]

Hello there! I'm a science and science fiction fan - I love to read a science fiction book and then read nonfiction books about the science behind it. I am also a beginner collector of vintage science fiction (primarily from the Golden Age and New Age, though I dabble in the pulps). My heart lies with the classics like Asimov, Herbert, Heinlein, Anderson, Blish, Budrys, Bester, Simak, Dick, etc., but I've been trying to explore more modern authors like Bacigalupi, Mieville, Leckie, Okorafor, etc. as well, which is part of why I joined this group - I need some people more knowledgeable to point me in the right direction!

[Marlana]

Hi, I'm Marlana. I'm a huge fan of the fantasy genre and lately, I've been getting into sci-fi. I've been an avid reader for as long as I can remember and I work, unsurprisingly, in a library.

[Gaines]

Hi TS, hi Marlana :-) Nice to meet you.

[Sam]

Greetings, all!

I'm Sam. I've been a member here for a while but haven't really been playing up to now. I'm a lifelong science fiction and fantasy lover, fencer, backpacker, gamer and wanderer. I am also a naval officer who recently left active duty for the comparatively subdued life of a reservist and grad student. Catching up on my reading is very high on my list of things to do with myself these days; the sea can be a harsh mistress and she leaves little time for books. Glad to be here!