The Sword and Laser discussion
Introduction and welcome thread!
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Chewable Orb
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Aug 18, 2022 08:23AM
Hi, my name is Chris and I have enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember. I am currently trying to challenge myself and read even more. Any advice on a great book is welcome😁
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If you're looking for some recommendations there are already a few past threads with some great stuff. Alternatively you can start your own thread and provide a bit more detail on what kinds of books you're looking to read.
Hello everyone!!! Im Tim from Kentucky. I have always loved reading but never found a good group to join and discuss what I’m reading. I also am horrible about picking my next read. Glad to find a good sci-fi/fantasy book club!! Im currently reading Book 1 of the Sword of Truth series. Took me a while to pick this one up but really glad I did. Last book I read was Rabbits by Terry Miles. Amazing is all I can say. Good to meet you all and can’t wait to get started. One question before I go. Where do I find the book for the month?
Tim wrote: "One question before I go. Where do I find the book for the month?"Hey Tim. It's always posted at the top of the main Sword and Laser discussion page here on Goodreads, and now that you've joined up you should get a note near the end of each month to let you know what's coming up for the next month. This month it's How High We Go in the Dark.
Or, if your question is where to get your own copy of the book, well, that's mostly up to your preference. I usually try my local library first.
Rejoined after a long hiatus with an aim to read more of the picked books. I'm more active on Discord (as bamugo) than Goodreads, so you'll probably see more of me there.
Hello!My name is Patrick and I am one half of the Unknown Orbits podcast. We are actively reading and reviewing Golden Age science fiction (1926-1966). Always looking for suggestions on stories or novels to review.
Hello sword and laser , I am a shadow listener for more than 5 months (currently on ep 370) don’t know if i should skip ahead and actually listen to the new episodes so i could be more active or keep working on the backlog 😂.I read around 70-100 fantasy books a year (#teambelmont #sorrytom ) and I really want to join in on the bookclub challenge and be more active but don’t know how.
Please help 🫥🫥
Mod
To join the book club challenges you can head over to the challenges page: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...
Then click on the challenge you want. It sounds like maybe you want to join the fantasy one?. So you'd want our Sword challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...
Fill out the form with the number of books you want to include from this year and the name of a shelf. I personally have shelves called sl-sword and sl-laser
Then in order for your books to count you have to make sure:
1) they have a read date between 1/1/2022 and 12/31/2022
2) they are tagged with the shelf name you picked.
You can use a shelf you already have (so if you tag your books with fantasy you could use that. I personally like a different shelf since I don't count everything for the challenge.
Hope that helps!
Hi Sword and Laser,I'm usually a lurker and have been listening for a few months to past episodes discussing books I've already read. I decided to finally break my silence to participate in March Madness and talk to more people about SFF!
Hi everyone!My name is Norbert. I'm relatively new in the Goodreads community. I was usually just reading, but never posting in forums. The Sword and Laser looks like a fun group and I want to be a part of it! :)
I'm a huge SFF fan on every levels. I read, play, watch almost anything whats comes to my horizon.
I can't really choose a favorite, but here is some examples of my taste: D&D, Dune, Witcher, GoT, LoToR, Expanse, Mass Effect, Matrix.
Somehow, I'm always hungry for more great stories and worlds to explore, and lost in. Maybe that's the reason why I wrote my own book series, but that's for another time and topic :)
Hello Everyone!My name is Mike, but I'm going by my pen name, Jerome MacEvoy.
I'm a writer, gamer, traveler, and proud nerd. I want to read books from every genre, but I always come back to fantasy and fiction. Some of my favorites are Dune, Gideon the Ninth, 1984, The Hobbit, and Dracula.
I have a few of my own books going, and I hope to publish my first one by May of this year. Reach out if you want to know more!
Mod
Hi, I'm Jason. Big fan of SFF, mainly backlist stuff from the 80s to early 00s. John Scalzi, Lois McMaster Bujold, Elizabeth Moon, Mike Shepherd, Jim Butcher, and Raymond E. Feist are some of my favorite SFF writers.
Hi, I'm Rachel. Looking to get back into reading after stopping in like 2016... any recs for fantasy & scifi with action/adventure and or mystery subplots? The last thing I read was Dragons and Pern and I loved it. :)
Mod
Another favorite of mine is called The Shadow of the Wind
I'm sure other members will load you up with recommendations.
Hi all! I'm Cameron. Lifelong SFF reader here. Also a longtime off-and-on S&L listener, but now that I work at a library (as a page) I'm reading a lot more, so I'm jumping in for realsies this time. :)
Hey, I'm Fergus.I've always been fascinated by the imagination. I'm just returning to fiction after a few years away. Just after recently reading American Gods, some Lilith's Brood and Ted Chiang.
Also, I write.
Greetings everyone! I'm thrilled to be here, and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I'm Matthew, new author, venturing into the realms of self-help and science fiction. Born and raised in Hobbs, NM, my journey into writing has been inspired by a deep passion for positive transformation and the fascinating landscapes of sci-fi.As an sci-fi enthusiast, I recently took on the exciting challenge of crafting my own narrative. The allure of exploring uncharted territories, both within ourselves and in the vast expanse of the universe, has always deeply fascinated me.
I believe in the power of storytelling to inspire, uplift, and transport us to new dimensions of thought. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to explore my author page for more info.
I'm excited to join this community and contribute with other readers and authors, apologies if I rambled too much!
Hello, I'm Zac. I've been listening to this podcast for a long time, but I wanted to get into the goodreads chats. I love the podcast and hope to get to know you all better :)
Hi S&L people!I'm Alex, I'm a writer and ex-physicist turned dark side developer (AI). I love SF in almost any format. I've been switching to 50% audiobook and 50% hardcopy. I recently got Penguins anthology of science fiction and read through the REALLY old classics. I didn't realise SO many of them would be from the 50s but still they were great, and a few modern ones really picked it up.
I've been listening to Adrian Tchiacovsky's series on audio, good stuff.
Rob wrote: "Welcome Alex" Thanks! Today, I am spending all my money on new books. Checking out the reviews section to find what to take a punt on :)
Hi everyone, I'm Marek. Avid SFF fan since I was a kid. Now I write and edit science fiction and fantasy. Always looking to grow my knowledge in the genres and discover. That's why I'm here.
Hello everyone,I'm Eric. I have always loved both sci-fi and fantasy, but I'd have to say that my current favorite genre is post-apocalyptic science-fantasy. (For those who may not be familiar: I like books where an apocalypse hit so hard that it knock a culture back through a dark age, then as they rebuild they find bits and pieces that seem magical. Examples include A Canticle for Lebowitz orPrince of Thorns)
Always looking for more recommendations or books that are close to it.
Mod
We read A Canticle for Leibowitz back in 2015 for Sword and Laser.
We also read Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe in 2011 which also fits your genre description.
Both books I enjoyed and, I seem to remember, were well received by most in the group.
We have read a few other post apocalyptic books as well. Though not quite fitting your description. Some were dystopian and grim, some were a little more hopeful.
One thing we are good at here is recommending books.
Terry Brooks' Shannara fantasy series is set in a post-apocalyptic North America. The characters occasionally come across old technology and abandoned cities/towns from our time. We did read The Sword of Shannara for S&L.
Terry did write a prequel that is set in present day America that does, very loosely, tie in to the other Shannara series. It is the same universe.
Thank you for your warm welcome. I haven’t yet read Shadow and Claw, but I know the Shannara series. I guess I’ll need to go through the old posts and podcasts.
Hello! I'm Clair and this is the first book club type thing I've ever participated in. I'm from Atlanta, but currently in Toronto. Reading hadn't been easy for me--ADHD has made it quite difficult. However, I seemed to have unlocked a new skill after picking up an e-reader at the beginning of March, and now I can't seem to stop.
Prior, I gravitated towards SciFi and Fantasy, but more the former. And now, I'm going to dive into this month's read.
Hi, I’m Stewart, a new author from Montreal, Quebec. I enjoy SciFi, fantasy, dystopian thrillers and have read most of the classics. I love seeing the enthusiasm writers initiate in their audiences through the creative spark. Makes me think of campfires and story telling.I stumbled upon the Sword and Laser Podcast while researching online for Sci Fi book reviews. I’m finding that it’s the best place to learn what I’ve missed, and what’s new while it’s good to hear what interest’s others. AND this group has also provided me with gift ideas for family members.
I doubt anyone will remember me, but I'm back! I retreated inwards during COVID and I didn't have the attention span to read much, but I finally feel like me again and have returned.
Caitlin wrote: "I doubt anyone will remember me, but I'm back! I retreated inwards during COVID and I didn't have the attention span to read much, but I finally feel like me again and have returned."I think I remember seeing your name :-) Welcome back. Given attention span challenges, what about audiobooks?
Caitlin wrote: "I doubt anyone will remember me, ..."Welcome back, Caitlin. I for one remember you. 🙋♂️
Hi, Caitlin.Glad you're feeling like reading again.
Years ago I was diagnosed with asthma but I'd had symptoms my drs couldn't figure out for years because I was a distance swimmer. One of those symptoms was brain fog, and I couldn't pay attention long enough to focus on a book. I ended up with an impressive collection of science fiction and fantasy dvds :) and once I was diagnosed and had some time to recover, I found I could read again and all those dvds are now gathering dust. I know you'll enjoy reading all the books you missed, but if you find your attention span faltering a bit now and then, don't despair. The road back can be rocky, and Gaines' suggestion of trying audiobooks might be be helpful. Have fun with those books.
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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