The Sword and Laser

#530 – You’re Pulling My Noodle

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 22:19:06 GMT

Veronica's sick but she soldiers on and we review the final four of the March tournament. Plus our non-spoiler check in on Automatic Noodle. Also, we talk about our favorite noodles.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#529 - Fuzzy Edges

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 02:36:31 GMT

A voter's guide to our March Madness tournament. How to define genres. Your favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy quotes. And we wrap up our thoughts on Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#528 - Dazed and Crowfused

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 20:18:05 GMT

It's time for our March book tournament! Nominations are open. Also, Veronica and Tom have shocking revelations about books they have NOT read. Also, why is Tom having a hard time with this month's pick?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#527 - I'm Starting to Worry This Book Isn't Sci-Fi

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 17:26:01 GMT

Andrew Heaton from the Political Orphanage stops by to talk about "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" by Jason Pargin. Also, Veronica drinks in reverse. You'll understand if you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#526 - Halfway Happy

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:13:06 GMT

LACon V(eronica) registration is open, the Philip K. Dick Award nominees are out, and we discuss why we're "halfway happy." Plus, we kick off I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom and wrap up The Book That Wouldn't Burn.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #525 - The Beans That Wouldn't Burn

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:24:33 GMT

It’s all about the beans on this Sword and Laser. Chili, chowder, and more. We also find time to talk about books, specifically Mark Lawrence’s book that wouldn’t burn. But we don’t want to burn the beans either.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#524 - 4 Stars: Clean, Not Cozy!

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:21:52 GMT

The Floating Hotel was a great deal, and we really enjoyed it when we checked in. During our stay we met some really interesting folks, and the staff was fabulous. There was some murder, but in the end we were more concerned with the identity of the Lamplighter. And the cocktails were quite delicious. We enjoyed the continental breakfast, because it included so many continents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#523 - Ship Happens

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:26:25 GMT

Should the Floating Hotel be called a “space cruise ship”? Why Veronica can't make change. Tom tries not to insult Stephen's intelligence. And hoorah for N. K. Jemisin!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#522 - Punchin' Shrimp and Grits

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 01:23:08 GMT

Robert Jackson Bennett deserves more kudos. We clarify it's a tapas bar, not a topless bar. And our thoughts on the new book, Floating Hotel, and the wrap-up of Interview with the Vampire.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#521 - The Portions Are Too Big!

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 03:46:57 GMT

We revel in the Lammy Awards, follow the tale of root beer, and discuss our first, or most recent, impressions of Interview with the Vampire.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#520 - Alternate Batman

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 18:19:29 GMT

Tom reports from the Matt Dinniman book event in LA, we kick off our Interview with the Vampire read, and share our last spoilery thoughts on The Hexologists and why we think the writing doorway is the strongest one for this book.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#519 - No Stomach for Old Salad

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:08:42 GMT

#519 - No Stomach for Old Salad by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#518 - Hugo Bump Yourself

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 02:19:54 GMT

#518 - Hugo Bump Yourself by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#517 - She Who Became Herstory

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 03:29:24 GMT

We get a history listen and revisit accents. And the clean blade battle is confirmed for WorldCon 2029. Plus our non-spoilery first impressions of She Who Became the Sun.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#516 - I Know What You Did Last Book Briefing

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Why taste in books is like taste in food. Plus, our final thoughts on Joe Abercrombie's The Devils. And the Ruth-Veronica feud heats up. Also, Tom likes fish sticks. Literally.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#515 - The Details in the Devils

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 16:08:19 GMT

We cast The Devils, try to apologize to Ruth, and recall other food-related romantasy. Plus, Veronica has a shameful tequila revelation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#514 - The Rebirths of Wesley Chu

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 17:43:06 GMT

Wesley Chu joins us to talk about The Lives of Tao and Jan is back, so we have loads of news including Locus Award Winners and the British Fantasy Society shortlist. Plus Tom sings. We're all sorry about that. Also, we almost named this episode The Lives of Wesley Chu until we realized we had already done that in 2014.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#513 - A Civil War-burton

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Everything is out of context. But we do have interesting thoughts about The Lives of Tao and lots of congrats for the winners and nominees of the Nebulas and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#512 - Deep Dish is SciPie

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

We speculate on how James Cameron will make The Devils and whether Frankenstein will be too scary for Veronica. And we further kick off The Lives of Tao.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#511 - Throw Me in the Corpse Hole

Wed, 28 May 2025 18:43:26 GMT

We discuss the return of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files and Frank Herbert’s posthumous SFWA Infinity Award, Audible’s AI narration plans and Amazon’s cancellation of The Wheel of Time—while nominating hamburg steak and vegan enchiladas and sharing listener stories from Matt Dinniman’s event. We round out the show with in-depth discussions of The Lives of Tao and Mickey 7.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#510 - A New Theseus

Sat, 10 May 2025 22:38:45 GMT

From Hugo admins resigning over AI panel vetting to the latest award winners and a fresh Murderbot clip—to set the stage for our book club pick. Then we dig into Mickey 7’s Ship of Theseus dilemma, sharing listener takes (yes, even foot‑fetishting AIs) and the questions that keep us up at night.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#509 - New Achievement!

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:55:25 GMT

We wrap up Dungeon Crawler Carl, including our horrible imitations of Jeff Hays. Plus, we announce the next pick for May and ponder data-driven determinations of the best SFF books of Tom’s life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#508 - Sexy, Sexy, Mind Palace

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

We have Murderbot trailer! And we like it! Plus, the Hugo nominees are out and we wrap up our thoughts on The City and the City and begin our April dungeon crawl.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#507 - Book Goblin

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Tom forgot to write the intro to the show this week, so you’re stuck with the Veronica Edition. March is still full of madness, which makes sense because it’s a full moon eclipse coming up and Venus is in retrograde. Or something! We check in on The City and The City by China Miéville, and we see and unsee your perspectives on the book thus far.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#506 - SECs Unit

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

March Madness has begun, so get your votes in now. Plus do we like Alexander Skarsgard as Murderbot? And our final thoughts on Will of the Many and non-spoiler intro to The City and the City.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#505 - The Roman Empire is My Roman Empire

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The nominations have begun for our March Tournament! Why do we care if eBooks and print books are the same? And our first thoughts on The Will of the Many.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#504 - The Miéville Effect

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

We have the best 25 books coming out in the next six months and the best 25 books of the last 25 years. Goodbye to the Science Fiction Book Club, our final thoughts on The Ministry of Time, and we kick off our read of The Will of the Many.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#503 - Tapeworms and Time Travel

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Tom is safe. Stephen has had three New Years, and we all love Graham Gore. But the best part of the show is Veronica's parade of diseases.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#502 - Rhubarb Abercrumble

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

We kick off our January read, wrap up Akata Witch, and welcome in new public domain characters. There's a new Lord of the Rings movie this year. Yay! Plus, Veronica had a rhubarb cider, and Joe Abercrombie looks great for 50!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#501 - One Missed S-Call-Zi

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

It's end-of-year book list time! And we have a list of our favorite end-of-year lists. Plus, our initial thoughts on Akata Witch!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#500 - 500 Gargle Blasters!

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

We celebrate our 500th episode in the best way we know how—by asking ChatGPT to get our stats wrong. PLUS, announcing the book pick for December and sharing our final thoughts on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#499 - Hugs for Your Ears

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

We decided to take a break from the usual format and recommend some BIPOC and LGBTQIA authors. Plus, we kick off The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in case you need some comic relief.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#498 - Weird Things With Burritos

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 20:17:51 GMT

We wrap up our thoughts on A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. Tom lays down some very obscure hints about the next pick. And why we’re glad Andy Weir got fired.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#497 - Some Desperate Sniffles

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:32:14 GMT

We learn a lot about nunchucks and old best SciFi lists, but we spend the majority of our time mulling over Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. We also kick off a cozy October horrorish read.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#496 - Leminal Space

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 17:51:24 GMT

Sad news followed by recommendations from Parade Magazine! And The Booker Short List. Plus, do you hate it when a series isn't continuing the story directly? And we check in on our September read of Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#495 - All The News That's Fit to Squee

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:48:29 GMT

We have Dragon Awards and Hugo Awards, we kick off Some Desperate Glory, and wrap up our final thoughts on The Spear That Cuts Through Water. Also, we determine we might need to squee more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#494 - Wheel of Thyme

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 18:33:56 GMT

This is not a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles podcast but it sure does end like one. But before it comes to that we boggle at all the awesome award winners, and talk about our good first impressions of The Spear That Cuts Through Water. Oh, and we have an idea for a cafe filled with Brandon Sanderson puns. Oh the puns!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#493 - Bunny Lamps and Bad Decisions

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:04:26 GMT

Oh, Hugos. Also, the best Sci-Fi books of all time, and will AI kill the planet? We kick off our August book The Spear that Cuts Through Water, and wrap up our last thoughts on Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#492 - Smokey and the Narrator

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:11:42 GMT

We debate whether we want dead celebrities to read our audiobooks. How long is too long for a series? And our non-spoilery takes on Cursed Bunny.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#491 - Next Month, Trauma!

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 20:05:08 GMT

It's awards season and we cover them all, including a Martha Wells sweep! We wrap up our thoughts on Sword of Kaigen and get excited (read: trigger warnings) for Cursed Bunny, our July pick.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#490 - Cosy Adjacent

Fri, 31 May 2024 17:28:48 GMT

Are we living in a Maas society? Veronica has recommendations in joining on the Sarah J. Maas train. Independent bookstores are on the rise. We kick off The Sword of Kaigen and give our spoilery thoughts on Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#489 - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Veronicas

Fri, 17 May 2024 15:23:48 GMT

We have Locus Award and Arthur C. Clarke award nominees. We share our non-spoilery thoughts on Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. And Tom discovers Birria Ramen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#488 - Barrayar Your Sword

Thu, 02 May 2024 21:47:13 GMT

Some great books in the Seiun Awards in Japan, why Sword and Laser is good for your heart, we kick off the May pick, and finally wrap up our thoughts on the surprising complexity and depth of the awesome Cordelia's Honor.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#487 - Have We Reached Critical Maas?

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 17:08:12 GMT

OMG all of the top bestsellers are romantasy! What order should you read series in? Does it matter? Also why is Veronica telling Tom to suck it? Or did we misunderstand. Tune in and find out!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#486 - Pre-re-read

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 16:39:39 GMT

Will Veronica and Tom make it to Glasgow? Not after that embarrassing German pronunciation. And after talking some baseball, they dig into non-spoilery discussion of Cordelia's Honor.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#485 - Triangles Are Stronger

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:33:21 GMT

The Nebula Award nominees are out! Should we re-read Neuromancer? Veronica explains Type I, II, and III fun. The truth behind Cordelia's Honor. And our final thoughts on Iron Widow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#484 - It's Giving "Mad"

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:43:42 GMT

We check in on who's winning the tournament. A vikings kids book! Where it's stabbing time! We talk a little bit about Iron Widow, and wrap up Shadow of the Gods.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#483 - C is for Chestburster

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 03:23:31 GMT

A few more thoughts on the Hugos, who would win in a fight between Maas and Yarros, and we preview our March Madness brackets!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#482 - Let's Talk About Seax, Baby

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 03:55:39 GMT

We've opened nominations for Mad Marchness!, our March tournament of book picks. Plus, the failure of the Hugos and the rise of Romantasy. And we begin our first impressions of Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#481 - Big Trouble in Little Worldcon

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 17:07:03 GMT

Surprise, there's a problem with hosting the Hugos in China. Plus: Keanu Reeves is co-writing with China Mieville, we kick off our February read, The Shadow of the Gods. And our spoilery thoughts on The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#480 - What You Can Do With Mickey Mouse

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:44:00 GMT

Alternatives to Goodreads, and one of them is Amazon. Which owns Goodreads. What you can and can't do with Mickey Mouse. The "Who should play Murderbot" discussion continues. Typical human and augmented human stuff! Plus why Veronica should read this month's book pick.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#479 - Where Have All The Beef Suits Gone?

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 20:00:04 GMT

Are there too many Nat 20s in Kings of the Wyld, our stance on Skarsgard as Murderbot, and we introduce the January pick (which has a lot of triggers).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#478 - Without A Lick of Condensation

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 22:29:08 GMT

All the end of year book picks are out with lots of great titles to add to your own list! Did Vonnegut think he was a genre writer? And our non-spoilery thoughts about Kings of the Wyld.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#477 - I Said What I Said, She Said

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 21:15:45 GMT

Veronica now knows how to catch up on Old Man's War. Should good books not be SciFi? Is "they said" saying too much? He “sucked his teeth” is not enough! We kick off Kings of the Wyld and wrap up Mimicking of Known Successes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#476 - Don't Get Your Atmoscarf In A Bunch

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:48:41 GMT

We're huge fans of mushrooms! Fourth Wing is EVERYWHERE. And remember, the very aspects of a novel you might not fancy could be the same ones that captivate someone else.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#475 - Father Knows Best

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:33:24 GMT

Awards season is here! We're celebrating deserving winners and discussing potential TV and movie adaptations of our favorite books. This November, we're diving into a novel about trains on Jupiter and concluding our October discussion on Father’s “5D chess.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#474 - The Vibe-rary at Mt. Char

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:04:55 GMT

Best books of the year? Already? How Veronica got her k-wires out. And our non-spoilery thoughts on Library at Mount Char.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#473 - Dewey Decimated

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 16:13:29 GMT

Veronica's state of K-wires, the most highly-rated books in the world, we kick off our read of The Library of Mount Char, and wrap up China Mountain Zhang.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#472 - Felicia Day Opens Her Third Eye

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:57:18 GMT

We talk to Felicia Day about her new Audible Original Third Eye, and how her own struggles led to her story about a chosen one who fails. Plus, we talk about the importance of doing what you love and learning to leave your past behind (and why she's eating ground turkey a lot).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#471 - PSL: Pumpkin Sword and Laser

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 17:21:53 GMT

Guess what? The new Bobiverse is coming, and we would love to have your emails! Plus, we've got some super cool thoughts (no spoilers, promise) on China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh. But you don't have to take my blurb for it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#470 - Hammfisted

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:08:59 GMT

The last new Terry Pratchett stories, the rise of nonsense literature, a brief intro to our September pick China Mountain Zhang, and final thoughts on Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#469 - Venomous Breaded Hairtail Sucker

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:25:36 GMT

Veronica has been in Canada for a year, and the best book in Canada is about Marie Antoinette. Tom ate some breaded hairtail and is excited about Gail Carriger's K-pop post. Plus, we announce the September book and give a few non-spoilery thoughts about Ninth House.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#468 - Go Tweed Lions!

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:56:20 GMT

Veronica curses the Lions and eats SO many blackberries. Also, our non-spoilery thoughts on Ninth House and Ivy League schools.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#467 - It Was Good Filk

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 16:06:14 GMT

We get to the bottom of why it's called Fahrenheit 4-5-1 and which songs get stuck in our heads when we hear “Aes Sedai.” We finish up our thoughts on Planetfall by Emma Newman and kick off Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#446 - Spoon & Ladle

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 17:34:24 GMT

The Hugos are out! The Hugos are out! Huge cookies are out! TRIKE READS READER'S DIGEST? Plus, the varied emotions caused by Planetfall.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#465 - Skirting on the Edge of Danger

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 18:30:27 GMT

Some of our favorite authors are giving away free short stories and winning Locus Awards. What the best book club pick we ever made was. Why books that make you uncomfortable are important to read. And our last thoughts on Fourth Wing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#464 - Awesome Bundle

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 17:46:25 GMT

So much good news! Telltale Games is making a game based on The Expanse! Season 2 trailer for Good Omens!Humble Bundle has Mercedes Lackey books. And we think it should stop being humble and admit it's awesome! Plus we check in on Fourth Wing. Turns out more people like it than you think.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#463 - OK Ant Computer

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 23:23:16 GMT

Are lengthy books inherently inferior? Tom and Veronica ignite a clash of generations! Furthermore, we delve into the captivating world of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and conclude the enthralling journey of Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#462 - $5 FOR SCI-ANTS!

Thu, 18 May 2023 18:14:47 GMT

Foundation is coming back to Apple TV, why Silo is great, you should not eat a bear, and what makes a great alien.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#461 - CheckItOut!

Thu, 04 May 2023 16:27:18 GMT

Taika Waititi is adapting a fantasy novel and also looked quite fine at the Met. Plus, self-publishing award winners, Locus nominees, and we have a progressive story in the works!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#460 - Thimble's Kitchen

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 02:09:53 GMT

We wrap up Legends and Lattes and have a great idea for a sequel involving Thimble doing a cooking show. Plus, we're getting a Twilight TV series? We’ll make our best guesses about that too. Finally, Veronica's thoughts on spotted dick.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#459 - Leave the Broadsword, Take the Biscotti

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:56:12 GMT

We hear a better version of the Pokemon cookbook than the real one, Veronica gets the tipoff for hot sauce, and our first cozy feelings about Legends and Lattes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#458 - Pikastew is Off the Menu

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 03:08:05 GMT

New books for spring, finalists for the Annual Lambda and Imadjinn Awards, and the Internet Archive's e-book lending lawsuit. Plus, we kick off the March Madness winner!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#457 - Timecozy

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 17:35:44 GMT

The March Madness semifinals are here! And the race is TIGHT. Our first (non-spoiler) thoughts about Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings. Nomination lists are out for Nebulas and Bradbury's, and nomming has begun for the Hugos (hint hint). Plus why everybody ate lasagna after our last episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#456 - The Clarkesworld Flood

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 03:02:40 GMT

Our “March that is Mad” tournament is live! 15 books enter, one gets to be the April pick, and everyone wins! Plus, please stop flooding Clarkesworld with AI-written manuscripts. Use ChatGPT for good! Also, we kick off our March read and wrap up our thoughts on Nettle & Bone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#455 - When Life Gives You Bones, Make a Bone Dog

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 21:31:40 GMT

Three Body Problem is coming to two platforms, so many beginning-of-the-year reading lists, and why we all love Bonedog (even Tom).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#454 - Baltimore, City of Baltars

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:51:17 GMT

We may be getting some Zelazny TV, Murderbot is coming back, some ideas of non-fiction book picks we could try, and we kick off our February book pick, Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#453 - And That's How the News Goes

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:17:13 GMT

We check in on how everyone is feeling about Brightness Falls From the Air. We also feel mildly optimistic about Apple's digital narrators, and we discuss the best way to introduce someone to a series.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#452 - Having Feelpinions

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:36:31 GMT

A very tense episode as Veronica and Tom violently agree about Elric of Melniboné. Plus, the most anticipated books of 2023, and how to take advantage of Novelist at your local library.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#451 - When Your Anti-Hero Gets a Little Too Anti

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 18:00:34 GMT

We properly credit the amazing Nancy Pearl and her four doorways into stories. And we want yours! Send them to feedback@swordandlaser.com. Plus our mid-read takes on Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. Also, we break the news about Henry Cavill to Veronica live on the show.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#450 - Where the Wild Nerds Are

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 17:04:38 GMT

We wrap up our thoughts on Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty and Tom tries out his 4-part way of evaluating books to explain why people enjoyed it differently. Plus we kick off our December pick, Elric of Melniboné, encourage you to save Locus Magazine and Veronica is IMPRESSIVE at reading author names now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#449 - Finding a Leggy Blonde

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 19:33:30 GMT

Veronica forgets what beer she had. Must be a good beer. It was a blonde in a tall can. A leggy blonde perhaps? Also, we have the World Fantasy Award winner AND the SPFBO finalists! Plus our non-spoilery first impressions of Mur Lafferty's Six Wakes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#448 - The Reverse Heisenberg

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 18:58:14 GMT

Veronica is very concerned about the Witcher news. Also on this episode: we have some prize winners to increase your to-read list. We pick a tentative fan name for y'all. We kick off our November read, Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, AND our final thoughts on The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. Also, Veronica might have Crow-vid.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#447 - Sword and Lazy

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:46:20 GMT

It's our 15th anniversary! And we celebrated by making puns, discussing our favorite wearable fantasy and sci-fi weapons, and finding rumors about our hometowns. We also check in on our read of The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#446 - Don't Blurb on a Dime

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 16:17:38 GMT

[Ed. note: We tried to fix V’s audio, sorry for the weirdness!] Veronica may have overdone becoming a friend of crows. She has more than 100 of them in her driveway now. Plus, we kick off our non-spoilery thoughts on The Jasmine Throne.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#445 - Release the S&L Cut!

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:04:25 GMT

We love the Wellsian Touch, be it murderbots or fantasy. Is there a Harry Potter of SciFi? And we wrap up How High we Go in the Dark… and suggest the S&L edit.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#444 - Cut Thieves and Purses

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 20:58:43 GMT

The Hugos are here and lots of very deserving winners. A roguish story bundle. Are TV shows worse than an ending? Our first thoughts on How High We Go in the Dark, and our last thoughts on Rivers of London.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#443 - The Land of MoarTor

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 19:50:37 GMT

We get more Tor now and possibly more Lord of the Rings movies. Plus a nuanced discussion of representation in a book when the author is white.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

442 - Multiverse Penguin

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 20:15:04 GMT

Is Hunt the Stars a summer fling? We wrap up our thoughts on the SFR hit. Plus, the lowdown on the RandomPenguin antitrust lawsuit as they try to buy Simon and Schuster.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#441 - Multiverse Tom Read It

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:54:19 GMT

Has a book ever changed your mind? Do authors write differently for audio? Pack that reading list with Clarke award nominees, it’s a new Sword and Laser!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#440 - Mr. Darcy in Space

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 18:47:17 GMT

We have Locus winners and Veronica read so many of them! Plus, what makes some books seem like a retread while others more of a remix? And our first thoughts on Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#439 - And the Rest is History

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:27:00 GMT

So many awards! We learn about a novelization of an unpublished Alien 3 script by William Gibson. We take a brief trip back to episode 1. And we share the books we picked to read this month in honor of Jenny.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#438 - New Ruth Rising

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:48:27 GMT

It's award season! We have Nebulas, we have Mythopoeics, we have Nommos. We also have some nice reviews of the show, and we wrap up our thoughts on Machinehood by S.B. Divya. It made us think!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#437 - Jenny Was a Friend of Mine

Sat, 21 May 2022 01:03:40 GMT

The hope of science fiction spurred by a science museum, Dracula by email, why it's called a tetralogy and our non-spoilery thoughts on Machinehood, and our goodbyes to friend of the show, Jenny Colvin.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#436 - It's About the Howdunnit

Fri, 06 May 2022 18:03:11 GMT

Is a mystery ruined if you guess the perpetrator too early? We say maybe not! Plus good news from Peter V. Brett and more radical transparency from Veronica.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#435 - Cultural Appreciation

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 17:29:12 GMT

The Hugo finalists are out? Already? Already! A banned beer. And our initial non-spoiler impressions of Master of Djinn.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#434 - Are Sequel Prequels Equal?

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 20:20:01 GMT

A whole bundle of good stories, telling tales from the point of view of villains, and we kick off our reading of A Master of Djinn by P. Djèli Clark.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#433 - Slow Burns

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 18:18:10 GMT

We discuss our March Madness winner, salute Martha Wells, and wrap up our copious thoughts about Pandora's Star. Are you in with the motiles?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#432 - Does the Crow Rooster?

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:43:22 GMT

We have thoughts about why a rooster crows. Plus all the Nebula news and more awards. And we dig into our non-spoilery thoughts on Pandora’s Star.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#431 - A Peach Blossom of a Novella

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 17:19:17 GMT

A mad, mad March has arrived! Every year in March we run a tournament to determine the April book pick. And like some actual sporting tournaments, we often have to begin that March tournament in February. We also wrap up The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#430 - What's Your Fantasy Flavor Profile

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 21:21:11 GMT

What flavor of fantasy do you like? We discuss that and more in kicking off Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. Also, nominations are open for our March tournament!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#429 - Pivot to Therapy

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 22:41:49 GMT

We have a rousing discussion of redemption in Light from Uncommon Stars, get way too many awesome items for our to be read lists from the ALA, and discuss pivoting the show to include TV shows (and maybe therapy?).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#428 - Ein kleiner Nachtmarkt

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 21:04:06 GMT

We are excited about a possible new Scalzi TV show, Twitter summaries of great books, and our first non-spoilery thoughts on Light from Uncommon Stars.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#427 - Dead Family Trees

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 19:38:30 GMT

Congrats Murderbot! In congratulations, we will let you watch your dramas unbothered by human emotions. We wonder some about Chengdu. And we not only kick off our January pick, but wrap up our December one too!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#426 - Pillow Friends

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 22:20:22 GMT

End of year book lists for days! Who can take on Arthur C. Clarke and pillow friends?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#425 - Literary Mosaic

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 19:35:42 GMT

We wrap up our last thoughts on Aurora Rising by Alistair Reynolds and kick off the new read, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#424 - Prefect's Progress

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:45:24 GMT

We have pumpkin spiked lattes and cheese. In fact one cheesy book literally molds. Plus we check in with a non-spoilery discussion of Aurora Rising/The Prefect by Alistair Reynolds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#423 - Shrike Stans

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 17:47:41 GMT

We talk a little about cheese, a lot about wine, and too much about the Shrike. Plus lots of good Dune news, and we kick off our read of an Alastair Reynolds novel that may be called The Prefect or Aurora Rising depending on where you buy it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#422 - Horror is Like Cheese

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 18:59:58 GMT

Veronica and Tom discover why horror is like cheese. Plus the reason a German book is being made into an English TV show by Germans. And our spoilery final thoughts on NOS4A2 by Joe Hill!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#421 - N0T4U2?

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:05:53 GMT

Some things aren't for everybody, like our current read NOS4A2, or the new Game of Thrones trailer. But don't worry, there are plenty of other great things to read like the British Fantasy Award winners and more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#420 - Spoopy Spoilers

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 16:25:37 GMT

Lots of award winners to beef up your To Be Read lists, plus our assumptions about Murderbot, what makes a spoiler a spoiler, and we wrap up our final thoughts on Terra Nullius.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#419 - Trust me, It's SciFi

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 21:22:31 GMT

Tom and Veronica are jealous of those with Leviathan Falls ARCs, and wonder if a phobia ever affected your book enjoyment! Plus we kick-off Terra Nullius, and Tom reassures us that it IS SciFi.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#418 - Don't Fart on My Art

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 16:55:06 GMT

Alastair Reynolds has a book, Tom needs a bookcrate sub stat, and our wrap-up of The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#417 - Bong!

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 03:04:31 GMT

We've got Dragon Award finalists, a Kickstarter roundup for small publishers, and Tom buys new bookends. Plus, our non-spoiler thoughts on The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#416 - Does The Droid Die Dot Com

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 20:22:26 GMT

Poet Andrew Heaton joins us to wrap up our thoughts on Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks. Plus, the greatest zombie film in the world and totally metal T-shirts to show your support of Octavia Butler and other awesome authors.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#415 - DisCon is not for Disco

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 19:25:14 GMT

DisCon is not for Disco but it could be? Why Veronica and Tom aren't idiots. All the summer reading list fodder your list can take. Who was your first binge? And is hard Sci-Fi cold by nature?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#414 - The Age of Aquarium Shoes

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 21:38:34 GMT

Should Tom enter a book contest? Good Omens season 2 is a good idea. And our final thoughts on Piranesi, problematic and otherwise.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#413 - Herlock Shlomes and the Loss of Innocence

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 19:55:09 GMT

Congrats to the Nebula Award winners! Plus, a nine-year-old forum conversation on cover art continues, and our further thoughts on Piranesi (and how learning things can be a bummer sometimes).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#412 - The Year Veronica Returned to Sword and Laser

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 16:43:08 GMT

Veronica is back! And we have good news about TorCon, lots of new book recommendations from iO9, thoughts on the phrase "Asian Fantasy" and our kick-off of the June book pick, Piranesi by Susannah Clarke.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#411 - Is Murderbot Art's Murderboo?

Thu, 20 May 2021 18:17:15 GMT

The final book of the Expanse has been handed in for publication. Feelings of joy and sadness hit Tom. Plus, did Murderbot convert Robb Dunewood into a SciFi fan. Find out!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#410 - My Kind of Murderbot

Thu, 06 May 2021 18:48:23 GMT

We have finalists in the Ignyte awards, Locus awards, some upcoming release dates for new Green Bone Saga stories and why Robb Dunewood has stopped worrying and learned to love the Murderbot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#409 - Home is the People We Choose

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 18:53:55 GMT

Hugo awards are out and we’ve almost read all the authors! Jenny Colvin from Reading Envy is back but we also have hints of a new forthcoming host of Sword and Laser. Plus our last delightful thoughts about the House on the Cerulean Sea!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#408 - You Can't Spell Young Adult without Adult

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 17:49:42 GMT

#408 - You Can't Spell Young Adult without Adult by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#407 - The Strength of Family and Ghosts

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:37:57 GMT

Alex Brown is back, the Nebula nominess are out and they are great! We also discover new teas, the real flavor of crab chips, and talk about our thoughts on Elatsoe by Darci Little Badger.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#406 - The Joy of Rat Skeletons

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:48:22 GMT

Alex Brown is here and we talk about all the excellent books getting nominated for and winning awards. Plus why Amazon won't sell ebooks to libraries, how animated rat skeltons are pretty awesome and we kick off our March book, Elatsoe!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

405: Above the Fold

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:43:17 GMT

The hosts of the SMR Podcast join Tom to discuss The Fold by Peter Clines. Is the main character overpowered? Can they convince Christ to read the book? Plus why kids these days get to tour potato chip factories AND the beginning of March madness!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#404 - A Page Turner in the Best Sense

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 19:33:27 GMT

So many new reading list suggestions from Locus to the ALA to TheMarySue. Plus George RR Martin updates on his progress. And Rod Simmons from SMR Podcast is here to disucss this month's pick The Fold by Peter Clines.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#403 - Like a Santa Hat on Ursula K. Leguin

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 21:21:03 GMT

Mallory O'Meara from Reading Glasses is back and she's very skeptical about adapting the Sparrow for television. The hands alone! Also new Game of Thrones universe TV options and our final thoughts on The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#402 - A tripod has three legs....

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 19:26:22 GMT

#402 - A tripod has three legs.... by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

401 - More Like Dys-HOPE-ia, right?

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 18:06:00 GMT

We learn the mysteries of the fig newton and Fangtasia. PLUS we kickoff our January book with a SUPRISE GUEST and how Parable of the Sower ended making Brea and Tom more hopeful.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#400 - Boxing Day Experts

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 19:40:24 GMT

Lots of great books are turning into TV shows and movies and lots of great book recommendation lists are coming out! We also become experts on Boxing Day and are BLOWN AWAY by Trike's Sword and laser word search. And Brea and Tom make recommendations of when NOT to read Parable of the Sower.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#399 - Sneaky Alternate Pick?

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 20:46:48 GMT

Veronica is off on maternity leave but Brea Grant from the Reading Glasses podcast is here. yay! Brea gets to know pigeons, our legion of Richards and kicks off her pick for December, Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. We also need your help uncovering the mystery of Boxing Day.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#398 - Stand for the Strain at the Strand

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 19:55:20 GMT

It's Veronica's last episode before her maternity leave! OH MY. And we have some fun, including wrapping up our thoughts on Howl's Moving Castle.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#397 - Squeeherent

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 16:56:47 GMT

Tom and Veronica draw the lines on whether they favor Alix E. Harrow or Tamsyn Muir (because they are both awesome). Tom has some new new writing coming out, and we have our first impressions of Howl's Moving Castle and why we missed out on it in our own childhoods.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#396 - Antsy with Mars

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:54:25 GMT

How to make The Watch series not feel so bad maybe? Also, some great lists of top fantasy and sci-fi and a few more award winners. Plus, we kick off the November pick and wrap up Finder By Suzanne Palmer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#395 - Spider Belmont

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 01:08:50 GMT

Sandman and Lord of the Rings go back intro production, why publishers shouldn't fear library eBooks, and a call for Sword and Laser book remembering help!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#394 - Speaking of Books

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 00:36:32 GMT

A couple of great series becoming books and video games. A couple of great folks sadly passed away. And our final thoughts on Ten Thousand Doors of January, and our FIRST thoughts on the October Pick, Finder.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#393 - Three-Body No Problem

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 18:51:04 GMT

Dune! Dune looks so good! Yay Dune! Save us! Help us escape! Actually, we’re pretty good on that front as Ten Thousand Doors of January is helping us all escape. And we’re also pretty bulllish on the team putting together a TV adaptation of Three-Body problem for Netflix. EVERYTHING IS GREAT!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#392 - Audible Minus?

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:38:06 GMT

We try to explain Audible's new plans, decide if Pinocchio is fantasy (especially if Mussolini is involved), and wrap-up our thoughts on Elysium by Jennifer Marie Brissett.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#391 - Audiobook Drama

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 18:40:09 GMT

The Hugos are here! And we’ve read a bunch of them. Also, some thoughts on what should or should not be in the genre canon. Should there even be a canon? Or should we shoot it out of a cannon? Also our early, non-spoilery thoughts on Elysium.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#390 - Interview with Dennis E. Taylor

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 19:43:25 GMT

We chat with Dennis E. Taylor about the Bobiverse, and what we can expect when we return to it in the new book Heaven's River.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#389 - Embracing the Challenge

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 16:35:10 GMT

In this episode, it's tricky to put the World in WorldCon, alternate history first contact, and Tom is really excited about next month's pick. Plus, we wrap up our ultimately satisfying read of Black Leopard, Red Wolf.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#388 - Interview with Sam Maggs

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 17:46:12 GMT

We talk with Sam Maggs about her new novel Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope, and about writing different stories in different platforms, from video games to comics to novels.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#387 - The Nanobots Are Coming?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 18:06:28 GMT

The first rule of Short Story Club, SFF with a smile, and how to get the most out of Black Leopard, Red Wolf.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#386 - Interview with L.E. Modesitt Jr

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 17:16:06 GMT

We talk with L. E. Modesitt Jr, the bestselling author of two science fiction series and four fantasy series, who has published more than seventy novels. His latest book, Quantum Shadows is described as blending science fiction, myth, and legend in an adventure that pits old gods and new against one another in a far-future world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#385 - What do you mean HORROR?

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 23:21:35 GMT

We address the harassment accusations against authors, discover that the July pick could be classified as horror (to Veronica's horror), and have a whole lot of good TV coming based on a whole lot of good books.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#384 - Teenaged Wiccan

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 18:34:33 GMT

Tom starts throwing money at Becky Chambers and Veronica defends her rose quartz. Plus, new Star Wars short stories coming and lots of great tie-in novels up for Scribe awards! Also our first impressions of A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#383 - TerpTalk

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 17:37:02 GMT

Congrats to the Locus Nominees and Nebula winners! We’ve read a bunch of those but there are some great new picks to be discovered too. Everybody wins! Plus long-time Sword and Laser listener TerpKristin joins us to wrap up Magician: Apprentice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#382 - Great Movie, I Hate It

Thu, 28 May 2020 17:51:45 GMT

We're beefing up our reading lists with Japanese and British award lists. Also it's fun to see what critically-acclaimed movies are hated by the authors whose books they are based on. Plus, we preview our June pick and have a few thoughts on the May pick!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#381 - Happ-E-Anding?

Thu, 07 May 2020 17:41:14 GMT

We're going to get some good Discworld TV! We talk about why sometimes you don't want to read old stuff, and whether you're someone who likes depressing consequences or happily ever after stories. All that and our first non-spoiler impressions of Magician: Apprentice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#380 - The One Where Veronica Forgets

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 17:18:36 GMT

We invited Andrew Heaton, Host of Alienating the Audience, to join us! Oh Dune… is there any wrong way to enjoy you? Possibly yes. We also wrap up How to Lose the Time War.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#379 - Interview with Veronica Roth

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 20:51:39 GMT

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Divergent series, the Carve the Mark duology, The End and Other Beginnings collection of short fiction, and most recently her newest novel, Chosen Ones. We talk to her about the new novel, and what it’s like doing a virtual book tour!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#378 - Ointment for Your Brain

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 21:05:28 GMT

The Hugo Nominees are in! And we've read some fo them! Also the Nebula Nominees are in and we've read some of them too! And we have thoughts on the beauty of this month's pick, This is How You Lose the Time War.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#377 - How to Hopefully WIN the Time War

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:16:50 GMT

Worldcon goes virtual and we totally get it, Tom has a new book out, ways to support your independent bookstore, we kick off our April pick, and FINALLY give our last thoughts on The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#376 - The Corona Light Brigade

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 04:38:25 GMT

We’ve got our first impressions of the new Star Wars: High Republic books, some great new award-winning picks, and our first impressions of The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#375 - 16 Books Enter, One Becomes Pick

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 19:16:18 GMT

We unveil the 16 books we'll be pitting against each other in our quite Mad March tournament of polls. We also chat about the Nebula nominees, introduce our March pick, and give our final thoughts on Gideon the Ninth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#374 - Chaotic Neutral

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 01:03:51 GMT

We need your book nominations for our totally “mad” March tournament. Of books! Also we’re psyched Locke and Key is on Netflix, the new Naomi Novik series, and our first non-spoilery thoughts on Gideon the Ninth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#373 - Generation Sword & Laser

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 17:05:11 GMT

We’ve got picks from librarians and the public domain! Plus we’re excited for Gideon the Ninth and we have our final thoughts on the January pick, In the Company of Others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#372 - Hmmm... hmmm.

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:52:01 GMT

We’ve got Hugo nominations open! And a new Heinlein novel. I mean “new” to everybody but him, we guess. Plus, we kick off In the Company fo Others by Julie E. Czerneda.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#371 - Science Fungus

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 18:20:29 GMT

Veronica explains the awesome piece in the New York Times about Ken Liu, we're excited for The Witcher, we announce the January book will be In the Company of Others by Julie Czerneda, and we wrap up The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Plus, we put the “fun” in Science Fungus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#370 - Death is Her Favorite Character

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:22:41 GMT

Got reader’s block? We've got some tips to get you out of it. Is there too much SFF out there now? And why Death is Veronica's favorite character. We kick off Hogfather and give our final thoughts on Snow Queen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#369 - Jeffety Jeff Jeffers of Planet Jeff

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT

How we’re feeling about the Snow Queen, and where it’s world-building might have drawn from. Plus two alternative pronunciation guides for the character names. Plus, a treasure trove of awesome articles about SciFi-type things!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#368 - But is it Art?

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 17:09:45 GMT

So many awards! You have no excuse for not finding something awesome and new to read right now. Not that you ever do with us on the job, we hope. Also, our first impressions on reading The Snow Queen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#367 - Shitposting Stephen King with Sam Sykes

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 17:49:19 GMT

We explain why the Tiptree Award is now the Otherwise award, welcome the casting of Apple's Foundation TV show, and Sam Sykes has a message for Stephen King (and Myke Cole).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#366 - Just Crack Me Open and Take a Look

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 19:33:32 GMT

Should you feel guilty for re-reading? The answer is no. But you shouldn't feel guilty for not re-reading too. Plus our fantasy casting of A Darker Shade of Magic is pretty much all Keanu.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#365 - But Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 23:29:03 GMT

Targaryen TV show possible? Check. Clifford Simak movie on Netflix? Check. Far Side back? Check. Showtime turns down The Kingkiller Chronicle TV show? WHAT?! BUT LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#364 - Kick Your Problems in the Face

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 21:14:52 GMT

Fran Wilde's op-ed from the future sounds hilarious. N. K. Jemisin's new novel sounds awesome. And Andy Weir's short story has been adapted into a cool short film. So much good reading out there! Plus our thoughts on why Trail of Lightning has us thinking that sometimes you just have to kick your problems in the face.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#363 - Extremely Unbalanced

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 16:08:43 GMT

The Hugos have come and gone, and they were awesome. Audible's in trouble for speech-to-text. But they're right, it's an accessibility issue. Also, the publishers are right, it's a copyright issue! Tell it to the judge, both of you! Plus, we kick off our September pick, Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#362 - Live from Dublin WorldCon 2019!

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 18:04:07 GMT

We had SO much fun at WorldCon in Dublin. We were blown away with how many people came out to see us!! We were literally prepared with plans for if the room was empty, but no, Ireland filled our room and our hearts. We got some great conversations and book recommendations from folks in the crowd too! Go raibh maith agaibh! The craic was grand!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#361 - My Little Space Brain Friends

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 20:35:59 GMT

Are we excited for The Witcher? Probably? Are we excited for the Hitchhiker's Guide Hulu TV series? Maybe? Are we excited for Vessel? In some ways? Is Tom excited for The Poppy War? YES!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#360 - Cuddling with Direwolves

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 16:50:05 GMT

Veronica is definitely not meeting direwolves in Ireland and stealing them and smuggling them back into the United States. Definitely not. Plus, our thoughts so far on Vessel by Lisa Nichols.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#359 - We Have Literary Opinions

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:50:04 GMT

We’re so excited about our guest pick! It’s the kickoff for our July book, and the first ever-not-in-any-way chosen by Tom or Veronica. Also we love XKCD and we love Station 11. Also Dara and Terpkristin. So much love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#358 - Nebula Interview with Greg van Eekhout

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 18:25:31 GMT

Tom talks with Greg van Eekhout, author of Voyage of the Dogs and California Bones about dogs, writing from local influences, and what the Nebulas mean to him. Also Tom embarrasses himself at least twice!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#357 - The Last Beagle

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 17:48:26 GMT

We're excited for a trip to the Hunger Games' past and to hear Tatiana Maslany show us her Orphan Black chops again. Plus, Veronica takes on a Jim Butcher challenge and our final thoughts on The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#356 - Greetings from Tom Merritt, Illinois

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 23:08:07 GMT

We’re cautiously pessimistic about Winds of Winter, but hey wouldn’t that be cool? Also we discover what famous authors we live in (yes, you read that right, live in) and our initial thoughts on The Last Unicorn. PLUS an astonishing announcement about next month’s pick!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#355 - Rebecca Roanhorse at the Nebulas!

Thu, 30 May 2019 23:28:33 GMT

Tom catches up with Rebecca Roanhorse, author of Trail of Lightning, to talk about writing native cultures in genre fiction and what she gets out of the Nebula conference.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#354 - More Than a Bookstore to Me

Thu, 23 May 2019 19:07:43 GMT

Tom had fun at the Nebulas, and we’re excited about the winners. We also kick off a new book, wrap up the last one and give our thoughts about the Game of Thrones finale.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#353 - Whiskey by Bob

Thu, 16 May 2019 17:17:20 GMT

Locus Award finalists! Great supplementary material for the Martian Chronicles! Why we need utopias! AI Whisky! ALL THAT AND MORE! Sorry. We're really excited about this episode. We hope you will be too.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#352 - The Sword Conspiracy

Thu, 02 May 2019 22:56:05 GMT

To Gene Wolfe! Thank you for Shadow and Claw and Pringles. Plus, William Gibson’s Alien 3, what you need to know before reading The Martian Chronicles, and our final thoughts on the vast conspiracies that make up Theft of Swords.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#351 - Uncanny Collateral with Brian McClellan

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 21:23:59 GMT

Brian's most recent book, Uncanny Collateral, is described (on Brian's Twitter) as "Harry Dresden meets Dog the Bounty Hunter in a fast-paced urban fantasy about a collection agent who works for the supernatural."

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#350 - Rye-ear-ah

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 17:07:03 GMT

So many great books are nominated for Hugos. Independent Bookstore Day is coming up and the proper pronunciation of Riyria! and we kick off our impressions of the refreshing and comfy feelings we’re getting from the thoroughly enjoyable Theft of Swords.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#349 - Sit Down Kid, I Got This

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 16:11:22 GMT

So many books became options! We’re hopeful. Also we’re excited to read our March Madness winner, Theft of Swords. And why Dumbledore may or may not be an irresponsible headmaster.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#348 - Book Battle Royale

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 18:15:08 GMT

We review the final four books in our Mad March Tournament. Plus lots of great new award-winners and nominees to fill your to-read list and our continuing thoughts on our re-read of Harry Potter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#347 - Interview with S.A. Chakraborty

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 18:20:53 GMT

Author S.A. Chakraborty joins us on the show to talk about the inspiration for her two recent books: The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#346 - Accio Book Pick!

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 02:47:50 GMT

So many good TV shows based on books that we love are coming, and we even got a movie with a casting announcement that made Tom very excited! Plus, our final thoughts on The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal and the kick off of what we assume is a re-read for most of you, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. Come on. Read it again! It’s fun!We are GO for March Madness! Head to Goodreads or find the link on swordandlaser.com to vote for your favorite books.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#345 - Math as a Magic System w/ Mary Robinette Kowal

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 16:39:07 GMT

We chat with Mary Robinette Kowal, the author of this month’s pick, The Calculating Stars. From acknowledging and learning from your biases, to de-stigmatizing mental illness, to using math as a magic system, we had a lovely time and don’t care WHAT people would think.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#344 - Steamy

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 20:46:27 GMT

So many news stories! We have to speed through them but there’s some good picks from lots of award winners in there. Plus, the best pajamas ever and whether Calculating Stars is steamy!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#343 - Math Is Hard

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 20:13:03 GMT

We’re very pleased that the Hugo Nominations are open and we’ll keep reminding you. Also we’re pleased to discuss pairing beer with novels and pleased to look over the new Philip K. Dick award nominees. We’re pleased to be reading Ninefox Gambit too, even if it makes our brain hurt.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#342 - So, You're a Crow Nut?

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 21:50:26 GMT

We’re SO excited for books coming out this year, AND we award our favorite Sword and Laser reads for 2018! We finish with our final thoughts on Crows.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#341 - All You Need is Brain

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 21:30:24 GMT

The Sword and Laser bump returns! Also, Veronica wants to start reading comics. And we realize we need brain, but that’s all we need. Isn’t that festive!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#340 - No Birdy Poos

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 21:15:21 GMT

The Verge is writing SciFi for a better tomorrow, plus is Roald Dahl Fantasy? Is It's a Wonderful Life SciFi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#339 - Nope Ropes on a Tren

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 17:51:50 GMT

We’ve got options! For TV shows! Well we don’t but Annalee Newitz, Mira Grant and Kristine Kathryn Rusch do! Plus our feelings on Zeroes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#338 - Hygge Punk

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 21:28:06 GMT

Tom inadvertently affects a listener feud, the truth about George R. R. Martin and why we think Zeroes is number 1.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#337 - Hackers, but Bears

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 18:07:05 GMT

Well we are certainly interested in Molly Gloss after that Ursula K. Leguin blurb, we’re mad on behalf of Chuck Wendig, each for different reasons, and coincidentally Zeroes by Chuck Wendig is our next pick. Plus we wrap up the journey that is Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#336 - Optional Excitement

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 19:40:43 GMT

We're excited for optioned TV series for Circe and Dresden Files even if they are just options. Also we brainstorm Type 3 civilizations and female gearheads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#335 - Do You Know the Way to Slan Jose?

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:09:17 GMT

Gorgeous LeGuin books, more Bobiverse! and our final take on Slan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#334 - Is it a Slan Dunk?

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 18:09:24 GMT

We’re excited for TV with Henry Cavill as Geralt, and maybe even some Witchlands! Plus our initial non-spoilery impressions of this month’s book, Slan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#333 - Getting Timeless with R. A. Salvatore

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 03:46:37 GMT

We talk to author R. A. Salvatore about his new book Timeless, and also how he feels these days about Chewbacca, Dungeons and Dragons and more. Timeless is out September 4. Pick it up in the Salvastore!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#332 - Losers and Lovin' It

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 18:35:00 GMT

We lost the Hugos and it was AWESOME! Plus we have great news about a new novel coming from Rivers Solomon, and a new ebookstore from Wal-Mart. Plus we kick off Slan by A. E. van Vogt and our final thoughts on Jade City.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#331 - Where Have All the Good Guys Gone?

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 02:41:48 GMT

SFF readers have more mature relationship views. It's science. And hey! We're still Hugo-nominated! Will we stay that way or become winners? Who can say? But we have other things to say, like what we think of Jade City by Fonda Lee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#330 - Best Jade Plans

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 02:49:21 GMT

The Tor vs. Library saga continues, we're pumped for the World Fantasy Award nominees, and the serendipity of reading a book about the place you are at while you're reading it. Trust us. It will make sense in the show.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#329 - Mad Love for Dog

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 03:18:37 GMT

We're excited about new monsters and solarpunk but mostly we're excited about Mortal Engines! Except for all the murder.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#328 - SUPERCOMBO TEAMUP!

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 20:50:28 GMT

We team up with Mallory and Brea from Reading Glasses for a supercollaboration with reading advice, emails, and discussion of Mortal Engines.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#327 - Real Housewives of the Aegean

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:42:19 GMT

Why we think Amazon may have been cribbing off us, the reality TV connection to ancient Greece, and the raging 2X audiobook debate speeds along.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#326 - Slow Down, Readers!

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 18:15:17 GMT

A database of all the stories, Stranger Things enters the tie-in book world, a debate about speed-listening, and what Veronica REALLY thinks about Zeus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#325 - Mythology Ideology

Thu, 31 May 2018 23:39:19 GMT

We're very excited about the Expanse coming back and Gail Carriger's plans and that the "What are we drinking" segment got a good review! Plus the different takes on mythology from our two latest book picks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#324 - Brian McClellan Knows When to Deus that Ex Machina

Thu, 17 May 2018 17:32:38 GMT

Brian McClellan joins us to talk about his latest book, Wrath of Empire (second book in the Gods of Blood and Powder series). Plus we find out why he may not want to time travel, and what his writing kryptonite is!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#323 - Demon Mythology

Thu, 10 May 2018 18:20:38 GMT

So many awards! Locus, Scribe, Parsec, oh my! Plus why we think maybe it's OK to read the 21 books you shouldn't read, and we kick off Tanith Lee's amazing Night's Master.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#322 - Analysis Paralysis

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 01:48:53 GMT

Have you ever walked into a book store and just froze? Us too. We'll talk you through it. Plus we announced the May book pick and Tanith Lee fans will be happy! Because it's by Tanith Lee! Also the wrap-up for We Are Legion (We are Bob).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#321 - What is Camp? Baby Don't Yurt Me

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 20:19:24 GMT

We are SO excited to be nominated for the Hugos! Thank you! Also the return of the Expanse and why Amazon will spend $1 billion on a Middle Earth show.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#320 - We are Sword (We are Laser)

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 01:01:53 GMT

The March tournament was so much fun, and in the end we'll read We Are Legion (We Are Bob) which is an appropriately fun book. We also talk about other podcasts that are cool to listen to, plus our last thoughts on the beautiful complexity of An Unkindness of Ghosts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#319 - An Unkindness of Blurbs

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 18:32:00 GMT

More Pratchett TV coming, and more Rothfuss books? Plus more deep discussion about an Unkindness of Ghosts, including why blurbs may lead you astray.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#318 - I Wanna Know What Love Is

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 00:28:45 GMT

Tom tries to convince Veronica to fight hate, but A Wrinkle In Time has her questioning love's power.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#317 - Crew Goals

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 19:54:43 GMT

Hey the Hugo nominations are open and you can vote for us! Also Firefly is coming back as books. And the Hugo nominations are open and you can vote for us. Plus StoryBundle has an awesome set of books called Black Narratives! And the Hugo nominations are open and you can vote for us. Oh and the Locus Awards are open for voting. That one... you can't vote for us. But you can vote for us in the Hugos.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#316 - Why'd Ya Do It, Ernie?

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:32:15 GMT

We share our memories and thoughts on the passing of Ursula K. Leguin. We also talk about how silly it is to think anybody but George R. R. Martin truly knows the release date for Winds of Winter, and discover the true villain of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#315 - Philip K Dick Move

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 17:48:34 GMT

Goodbye Shannara, hello The Blade Itself TV show? Also Moby Dick and Philip K Dick have different problems, and what the monster in Frankenstein might truly represent.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#314 - Not-So-Young Frankenstein

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:11:09 GMT

It's a whole new year of books, and we have some suggestions! Plus the science behind Westeros and the amazing 200-year-old Mary Shelley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#313 - No Bones to Pick

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 17:09:55 GMT

Ready Player One may have a sequel, The Witcher TV show has a show runner, and we have no bones to pick with California Bones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#312 - Eating Bones for Fun and Magic

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 21:19:13 GMT

#312 - Eating Bones for Fun and Magic by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#311 - Science Fiction Triggers Clickbait Headline

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 22:31:47 GMT

This week we have a lot to say about wine, some to say about Amazon's Lord of the Rings series and loads to say as we wrap up Connie Willis' Doomsday Book. Plus we kind of sort of kick off December's Book, California Bones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#310 - Apocalypse 1870

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 02:18:59 GMT

OMG. Patrick Rothfuss is best buds with Lin-Manuel Miranda and they're doing a TV prequel to Kingkiller Chronicles, while Felicia Day plays Poppy the Dragonologist AND Amazon wants to do a Tolkien series. And that doesn't even begin to shed light on how good our book pick Doomsday Book is. But the piece de resistance of the show is one man's story of losing power and trying to read.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#309 - League of Extraordinary Ladies

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 21:47:37 GMT

We’re happy for Chuck Wendig and sad for the passing of Roy Dotrice and Julian May. And we’re also debating whether side conversations are a good literary device.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#308 - A Decade of Us

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 21:42:38 GMT

That’s right, Sword and Laser has been picking and reading books for 10 years and we’re not even close to stopping. This week we discuss why you don’t need to travel to London to read Theodora Goss but it doesn’t hurt. And why we’re extra excited for Andy Weir’s Artemis.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#307 - Annihilation is the new Arrival

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 17:50:05 GMT

Good Omens looks good, Annihilation looks great, our last thoughts on Helliconia Spring, and why we’re reading about monsters in October.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#306 - Indentured Robotude w/ Annalee Newitz

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 17:51:32 GMT

Annalee Newitz joins us on the show to talk about her new novel Autonomous. We discuss indentured robot servitude, the archaeological digs she's digging right now, and what the future of our economy could look like!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#305 - Major in Martin Studies!

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:44:40 GMT

The Martin Studies International Network will help you study Westeros better, Scott Lynch gives hope for the next Locke Lamora book and sadly, we lose a great one in Jerry Pournelle,

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#304 - Westeros for SciFi Fans

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:10:08 GMT

We say goodbye to Brian W. Aldiss by reading one of his books. We respect Terry Pratchett's Steamroller wishes. And why Hey Jude is not an anachronism.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#303 - Smooth Roberator

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 17:50:37 GMT

All the best books are being adapted into TV shows and movies including Good Omens, The City and the City, Dawn, and The Fifth Season! Plus we dive into the Gunslinger and talk mostly spoiler-free about fantasy westerns. And BONUS song about our Goodreads moderator, Rob.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#302 - Why the Robots Need Us

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 18:43:16 GMT

We talk with author Daniel H. Wilson about his book, Clockwork Dynasty and why we might not need to fear the robots.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#301 - Long Days and Pleasant Nights

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:16:00 GMT

Hot Pie has a bakery! Ready Player One has a trailer! The Rook has a TV show! This episode has a final word on butterscotch! And the man in black has a gunslinger following him!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#300 - Don't Pee in the Gene Pool

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:09:32 GMT

Hey kids, Nnedi Okorafor has an HBO show coming, EW and Tor have LOADS of book recommendations and we love the world created by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#299 - NK Jemisin Says FanFic Makes Good Practice

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:56:38 GMT

It's windy but in among the breeze, N.K. Jemisin shares wisdom about writing, characters and wrapping up the Broken Earth Trilogy. Plus she accidentally brings up FanFic and talks about why, even though it can be more than practice, it's really good for honing your writing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#298 - Don't Get Eaten By a Bear

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 19:43:59 GMT

George R. R. Martin has even more money coming his way, public domain books clean up nice, we love the Locus Award winners, and why Veronica is not allowed to let a bear eat her.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#297 - Haint a Plot Hole if You Ask Me

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 17:44:44 GMT

New Game of Thrones Trailer! AHHHHH! Levar Burton reading stories on a new podcast! AHHHH! Haint plot hole in the Hum and the Shiver-- ahhhhh— maybe not that big a deal?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#296 - A Talk with James S. A. Corey

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 20:48:56 GMT

We talk to Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham, the authors that make up James S. A. Corey, about coffee, distilled and fermented beverages and making The Expanse a TV show at BayCon 2017.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#295 - Don't Put Spiders on Your Head

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 18:52:24 GMT

The Hugo nominees are out and we love them all, we kick off the Hum and the Shiver with music, and a spider that looks like a sorting hat.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#294 - Live at BayCon with Whiskey!

Wed, 31 May 2017 17:07:44 GMT

We are excited about the winner of this year's Nebula, the finalists in the Locus awards, and so many TV shows coming from our favorite books. Plus, why Neil Gaiman will read a Cheesecake Factory Menu on stage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#293 - Post-apocalyptic Protopia (w/ Cory Doctorow)

Wed, 17 May 2017 23:35:54 GMT

We chat with author Cory Doctorow about his new novel Walkaway, which is post-apocalyptic, but not dystopian. It's also DRM-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#292 - Cozy Space Opera

Thu, 11 May 2017 04:58:56 GMT

We've got more of Game of Thrones TV coming, the Arthur C. Clarke Award nominees, and our thoughts on why The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is the opposite of epic in the best way possible.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#291 - Falling Backwards into Screenwriting Success

Thu, 04 May 2017 02:20:30 GMT

We talk with M. R. Carey about his new book The Boy on the Bridge, and how The Girl with All the Gifts became a movie!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#290 - Let’s Get Stuck in Fantasyland!

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 05:09:19 GMT

Neil Gaiman makes sure the American Gods TV show is prepared for the sequel he hasn’t even written yet, why the Invisible Library doesn’t need to change the world to be awesome, and a plea for regular folks to get back to Fantasyland.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#289 - Love Letter to the Solar System

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 02:30:41 GMT

Matthew Isaac Sobin tells how his desire to write a beautiful story about the solar system, and how the aggressive encouragement of a friend led to the story of Jonathan, the Last Machine in the Solar System.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#288 - Slow Readers Unite!

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 04:48:44 GMT

Hugo Nominees are in! The African Speculative Fiction Society nominees are in! People pressuring you to read 200 books a year are in. But us slow readers draw the line.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#287 - You Do Like Your Alternate Londons

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 17:25:09 GMT

A SciFi book is mysteriously returned after 35 years, at the same time a billionaire suddenly invests in brain implants and a skull begins to talk. Are these events connected somehow? Yes. They're all discussed in this episode along with Gateway by Frederick Pohl.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#286 - Secrets of a Powder Mage

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 03:55:18 GMT

Author Brian McClellan talks with us about his new entry point into the Powder Mage universe, Sins of Empire, why there's no wrong order to reading his books, and his attitude toward research.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#285 - Why You Should Like Bad Characters

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 04:00:48 GMT

Sometimes a character does stuff you hate. And that’s OK! We explain why. Plus: great space opera, women writer picks, and some guy named Tom wrote a book too.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#284 - Living Fen’s Dream

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 18:33:49 GMT

Brittany Curran, who plays Fen on The Magicians, talks about how her childhood love of C.S. Lewis has turned into a modern-day trip to Fillory. Plus, the best way to enjoy Walt Whitman!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#283 - The Madness Begins

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 05:02:22 GMT

The Nebula Award Nominees are out, the Gateway is in and we’re glad we traveled The Salt Roads. But most of all we’re geared up for the March Madness tournament of fantasy. Get your voting fingers clicking folks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#282 - Where The Salt Roads Lead

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 05:32:01 GMT

We check in on our reading of The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson, get some hints on the progress of the next Kingkiller Chronicle, and find another way to track author releases.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#281 - Worldbuilding Through Pinterest

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 05:17:49 GMT

Bradley Beaulieu is on the show to talk about the second book in “The Song of the Shattered Sands” series called “With Blood Upon the Sand” coming February 7th. We also find out what a Pinterest board can do to build a better world!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#280 - Good Omens for 2018

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 05:57:24 GMT

Neil Gaiman is running a new TV show and we're excited! Plus the Arrival folks are making a Larry Niven short story into a show, and indie bookstores are booming! We also kick-off Nalo Hopkinson's The Salt Roads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#279 - Myke Cole, Man Hunter

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:34:30 GMT

Person hunter, really! He's an equal-opportunity ass-kicker. Author and fighter of crimes, Myke Cole, tells us how he got involved in the new CBS show Hunted! And, what Sam Sykes has to do with any of it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#278 - Don’t Trust Turkey Data

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 05:06:38 GMT

A hot new approach to a fantasy trilogy, the real drama of rocket scientists involves cake, and why you can’t trust turkeys to rigorously use data to predict future results.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#277 - January No-Beer Problem

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 05:29:12 GMT

We commend Terry Brooks' foresight, possibly convince Veronica to watch the Man in the High Castle some more, and give you important information to get the most of The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#276 - By Hook or by Rook

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:42:53 GMT

We discuss whether the central plot device (the hook!) of the Rook is a cliche or clever. Plus, how to find the best stories in SciFi and Fantasy and help authors get exposure at the same time.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#275 - Get Hip With the Rook

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 04:49:14 GMT

We kick off our December book, the Rook by Daniel O’Malley and we are so excited for Lin-Manuel Miranda to team up with Patrick Rothfuss.http://swordandlaser.com/home/2016/12/7/sl-podcast-275-get-hip-with-the-rookhttps://www.patreon.com/posts/7439054

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#274 - Wrap Up of Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 05:19:44 GMT

We wrap up our thoughts on the cartoon violence and snappy dialog of David Wong's dissertation on lawlessness in Tabula Rasa. We think we know what it could be a metaphor for. Whether it is or not is left as an exercise for the reader.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#273 - Han Solo’s Big Sister

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 05:19:47 GMT

We are optimistic for Dune, excited for The Expanse, and hopeful for Stranger in a Strange Land. But we’re certain of what we want Emilia Clarke to be in the Han Solo movie.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#272 - Best Cats and Dogs of SciFi

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 06:43:22 GMT

We congratulate Brandon Sanderson and the World Fantasy Award winners and try to calibrate the futuristic violence for you. The fancy suits calibrate themselves.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#271 - Awkward Jinni Conversations

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 04:51:40 GMT

We discover that some people's names just don't work as awards. We're excited about a site full of fictional timelines. And we ponder troubling jinni paternity questions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#270 - Be a Cat Burglar for Good!

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 04:45:39 GMT

We don't want you to steal cats (not even books, really), just to take home the exhibit from the Museum of Science Fiction. We'll explain! Plus, you must cast your vote for the classic or the new! Will you vote against Veronica?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#269 - Artisanal Analog Tree-Sourced Reading Material

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 04:51:03 GMT

We look for authors who satisfy like Scalzi, find out how dirty the new dirty editions of The Magicians are and discuss an ethical question regarding library books.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#268 - "Underrated" is Not a Dirty Word

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 03:05:54 GMT

We praise the underrated and print books, and we get into the dog-eat-dog world of Fire Upon the Deep!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#267 - We Pick the Best Wizard School

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 03:58:44 GMT

The Hugos are in, for 2016 and 1941! And although the Thorn of Emberlain is delayed, we understand. We also pick our favorite wizard school and wrap up The Last Wish.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#266 - Are You Reading Too Much?

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 04:27:27 GMT

This week we dive into our (non-spoilery) thoughts on the Witcher and get excited about a movie based on Ted Chiang's story and a TV series based on George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards. But Brad poses a question about how one tells if they're reading too much.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#265 - Zombies and LARPers: The Nerdist Inkshares Winners!

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 02:51:00 GMT

We talk with Dave Barrett, author of Inkshares book It's All Fun and Games and Zac Linville author of Inkshares book Welcome to Deadland. One has zombie-like inhabitants based on theme park patrons and the other finds a LARP outing becoming all too real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#264 - Will the Real Witcher Please Stand Up

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 05:01:16 GMT

We have an excellent conversation about great character names and revel in the news of rising print book sales. But the big question is, which Witcher is canon?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#263 - When to Judge a Book by its Cover

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 01:22:34 GMT

We're excited about American Gods. We have mixed feelings about Time Traders. And we definitely understand why you might have to judge a book by its cover, but there's a good reason to try not to. Except in one particular case.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#262 - G. Derek Adams Breaks The Rules, And You Win!

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 22:10:46 GMT

G. Derek Adams, author of Asteroid Made of Dragons, knows his title is over the top. He meant it that way, and it's part of the genius of his stories. Find out which rules he breaks, why, and how it made for a wonderful cast of characters in a fascinating world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

261 #261 - The Restaurant At The End Of The Barnes & Noble

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 03:21:55 GMT

Looks like your old bookstore is getting into fancy dinners, plus the rise of book-based card games and how Time Traders proves you live in the wrong time.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#260 - Why Young Adult Is For Everyone W Fran Wilde

Wed, 29 Jun 2016 01:05:04 GMT

Fran Wilde talks to us about Updraft, how she was inspired to create the bone city, and why she doesn't mind the young adult label but it doesn't always mean what people say it means.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#259 - The Adventures Of The Giant Space Hedgehog

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 04:57:16 GMT

American Gods nails the casting, John W. Campbell Award nails the nominees, and we nail the true origin of the world of Updraft as we wrap up this month's book pick. OK, we're probably wrong about the hedgehog (but we do wrap up Updraft).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#258 - When To Worry About The Singularity W Ramez Naam!

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 01:34:42 GMT

Ramez Naam talks about his Nexus trilogy, nanotechnology, and when to worry about AI getting too smart!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#257 - Shakespeare Was A Genre Writer

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 23:30:11 GMT

You may be surprised to learn Gillian Anderson's role in American Gods. You may be surprised that China did not previously have official SciFi awards. But you should not be surprised at all to think of Shakespeare as an SFF author.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#256 - Interview With Hardcore Game Of Thrones

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 19:17:31 GMT

We talk with Jason Greene and Alex Berg from Hardcore Game of Thrones, a show that tells the history of Westeros in the style of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#255 - Just The One Planet

Wed, 25 May 2016 01:24:54 GMT

We are excited for a new space opera from John Scalzi, not new but awesome Nebula Award winners, and we get teary-eyed over an A.I. as we wrap up Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#254 - Wheel Of Boobies

Wed, 11 May 2016 04:45:10 GMT

Wheel of Time is getting a TV series and Veronica has one thing (well, more than one thing) that she expects to see. Would that make it the "boob tube?" (Ed. note -- Jesus, Tom... c'mon) Meanwhile we discuss how Aurora masterfully balances hard science and literary storytelling.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#253 - A Tale Of Two Styles

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 01:28:49 GMT

The Hugos are out! We leave the drama to the side for this one and celebrate the novel nominees. But we didn't waste the drama... we just saved it for our evaluations of TV show and movie-based SFF books! We even brought a little to season our conversation about The Fifth Season and A Darker Shade of Magic. It's OK to like different styles of writing, folks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#252 - Andrew Mayne's Magical Writing Secrets

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 22:58:54 GMT

Magician and TV star Andrew Mayne has managed to become a successful published author. How? Not magic. Well some magic. But magic isn’t required. Plus Tom loves his latest novel Station Breaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#251 - How Veronica Tamed Tyrion

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 01:30:59 GMT

Statistics dub Tyrion the main character of George R. R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords and Veronica got to talk to him! Well, she talked to Peter Dinklage anyway, who plays him on the TV show. She reports back on his handshake and reveals what Arya Stark did to her. Plus, we kick off our April books!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#250 - Ken Liu Explains Why Silkpunk Is Not What You Think

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 23:29:03 GMT

Ken Liu, author of The Grace of Kings tells us about the inspiration for his worlds, his domain name, how translation has helped him as a writer, and why silkpunk is a thing (but probably not the thing you’re thinking).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#249 - Secrets Of All The Birds In The Sky W Charlie Jane Anders

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 03:47:46 GMT

We’re joined by Charlie Jane Anders to wrap up her book, All the Birds in the Sky. Did you know Kevin has a secret history? What anime inspired Ernesto? These things, as well as all the winners of all the awards on this episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#248 - The Truth About Vampires w/ Jim McDoniel

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 22:05:00 GMT

Jim McDoniel, author of An Unattractive Vampire, is not only the second author to get published in the Sword and Laser collection, he’s also a truth-sayer. About vampires. Like how they aren’t sparkly (usually). Return to the vampire roots with him!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#247 - Parents Just Weren't Understood

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 01:22:28 GMT

We're checking in on All The Birds in The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders and why some people were put off by Patrica and Laurence's parents. Trust us, so were Patricia and Laurence. Also it's March Madness and we have the hot inside track on the April fantasy winner and how YOU can pick it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#246 - The 34 Rules Of Robotics With J - F Dubeau

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 00:54:51 GMT

We chat with J-F Dubeau, author of The Life Engineered, first book in the Sword and Laser Inkshares collection. Find out whether the thousand year old robots in the book had any real life inspirations and whether they have sex. We're guessing you're slightly more interested in one of those questions than the other.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#245 - Terry Pratchett Helps Us Feel Better

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 03:57:35 GMT

We're very excited about the debut of our first Sword and Laser Inkshares collection book, The Life Engineered by JF Dubeau. We're a little bummed that Tom forgot to bring more than water to drink. We're super-excited about the Nebula Award nominees. And we were a little bummed at some of the reactions to The Sword of Shannara. But Vickie helped us out with an amazing Terry Pratchett quote, and all was well in Swordandlaserville.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#244 - It's OK To Like Junk Fiction Sometimes

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 23:52:52 GMT

Sometimes some people just want a story you can take your brain off and enjoy. If that's not you, keep your rain off my cotton candy. Also an awesome new effort to Kickstart an Ursula K. Leguin documentary and more great books becoming TV shows!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#243 - Hugo Nominations Are Open!

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 02:06:54 GMT

Yes you can nominate your favorite novels, short stories, TV scripts and— oh look, fancasts! We also discuss the line between inspiration and appropriation regarding Sword of Shannara.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#242 - The Animal In Our Collection

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 05:22:56 GMT

We congratulate the winners of our Inkshares contest and name the book that will be joining our Sword and Laser collection. Plus, why you shouldn’t be angry at George R. R. Martin and how Catherynne M. Valente’s Radiance is like a Tone Poem.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#241 - A.I. Animal Flesh Carvers

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:57:55 GMT

We talk to three of the leaders in the Inkshares Sword and Laser collection contest. From animal people to lonely AI to epic flesh carvers have they got some stories for you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#240 - Wish We Were There

Wed, 06 Jan 2016 01:36:21 GMT

Over the break, we took a little time out of vacation to talk about our holiday reads, from ancient history to Chewbacca. Sigh. No Star Wars spoilers we promise. We’re not there anymore. But we can pretend we are in this episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#239 - King Arthur Is A Mary Sue

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 01:51:02 GMT

We wrap up our thoughts about Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey. And we discuss why calling a character a “Mary Sue” has become meaningless and impedes constructive conversation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#238 - W.E.B. Dubois' 1908 GoT Reference

Wed, 09 Dec 2015 01:19:33 GMT

A newly-discovered short story from W.E.B. Dubois called “The Princess Steel” seems to anticipate elements of Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. Plus, we kick off the book with the talking horses!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#237 - Charles E. Gannon And Big Idea Books

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 21:36:51 GMT

Author Chuck Gannon joins us on the show this week to talk about his most recent work in the Caine Riordan series (Raising Caine), as well as helping the government figure out the future as part of SIGMA. This is one busy guy, let me tell you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#236 - Time Travel Is Frustrating

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 04:34:48 GMT

We wrap up what people thought about Time and Again by Jack Finney. Some loved the imagery, some got bored, and some thought he was just too hard on New York City.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#235 - The Practical Effects Of Mallory O'Meara

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 03:37:50 GMT

We interview Mallory O'Meara, producer and screenwriter for Dark Dunes Productions, about Yamasong: March of the Hallows, a movie about an automated girl and tortoise warrior, with puppets, Nathon Fillion’s voice and more. We also discuss her love of horror fiction, and how weird it is that her grandparents have a torture shack in the woods!http://swordandlaser.com/home/2015/11/16/sl-podcast-235-how-to-become-a-turtle-puppet-horror-master

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#234 - We Think We Know How Game Of Thrones Ends

Wed, 11 Nov 2015 04:03:06 GMT

George R R Martin will only say that Game of Thrones will end in a bittersweet way. We’re pretty sure we know what that means. Also Chinese Nebula Award winners and our first impressions of Time and Again by Jack Finney.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

233: Publishing Inside And Out, With Jaym Gates (Con-Volution 2015)

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 04:53:01 GMT

At Con-Volution 2015 we sat down with author/podcaster/publicist Jaym Gates and talked about her unique perspective on publishing from within and without.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #232 - Is This Book A Traitor To Its Genre?

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 03:34:19 GMT

We wrap up our October book pick, The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Some people find the hero less than heroic. Some people find the genre less than fantasy. So why did Tom like it so much? Is HE a traitor? Also a short story vending machine and why we're so jealous of Ann Leckie's good taste.http://swordandlaser.com/home/2015/10/27/sl-podcast-232-is-this-book-a-traitor-to-its-genre

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #231 - Can An Author Spoil Herself

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 02:41:25 GMT

We have a delightful conversation with Catherynne M. Valente about decopunk, book awards, and why she fears spoiling herself about her own stories while she’s writing them.Her decopunk book Radiance is out now!Our show is currently entirely funded by our patrons. Thank you to all the folks who back our show and if you would like to support the show that way head to patreon.com/swordandlaser.You can also support the show by buying books through our links! Find links to the books we talk about and some of our favorites at swordandlaser.com/picks/.http://swordandlaser.com/home/2015/10/20/sl-podcast-231-can-an-author-spoil-herself

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #230 - Reading Makes You A Better Person, Says Science

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 06:44:48 GMT

We cheer for Patrick Rothfuss winning the Hollywood game, jeer a little at Spielberg refusing to put a Delorean in the Ready Player One movie and peruse with careful academic curiosity a study showing the increase in empathy caused by reading.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast Rewind: 'The Martian Influx' Redux

Wed, 07 Oct 2015 03:51:02 GMT

With the huge success of the film adaptation this month, we thought it would be fun to travel back in time to our interview with The Martian author Andy Weir and Influx author Daniel Suarez.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #229 - Taylor Swift Is A Fremen

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 03:24:36 GMT

We wrap up A Canticle for Leibowitz and explore all its science and religion feels. Also we welcome a new Expanse series cover, a new Gaiman baby and we discover why Taylor Swift IS the Kwisatz Haderach.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #228 - Is Present Tense For Baby Brains?

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 21:42:09 GMT

This week, things really go nuts when Veronica realizes that she likes Tom's book pick more than Tom does, which causes Tom to question everything he has ever known. Meanwhile, over on Goodreads, Thane questions whether present tense is the bane of genre fiction! Hmmm...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #227 - Cherie Priest And The Caverns Of Inspiration

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:56:43 GMT

This weekend at DragonCon 2015 in Atlanta, we had the great fortune of chatting with Cherie Priest for an hour in front a live audience of Sword & Laser enthusiasts! Listen in to hear Cherie's rise from goth to glorious, the proper way to distinguish steampunk from goth, and why Lizzie Borden is not who you thought.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #226 - Embrace The Manic Pixie Dream Witch

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 04:52:56 GMT

We’re happy for the Hugos, sad for the last Terry Pratchett novel, and J.R.R. Tolkien has a new book. Plus, we wrap up Uprooted by Naomi Novik and make our peace with a trope.Full show notes: http://swordandlaser.com/home/2015/8/26/sl-podcast-225-embrace-the-manic-pixie-dream-witch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #225 - Why You Should Welcome The Robots

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 04:40:06 GMT

We chat with J-F Dubeau, author of The Life Engineered about why we should keep calm and build more robots. Also the good news of more Game of Thrones coming to TV thrilled the live audience at Nerdtacular 2015 as did our surprise host-swap! And thanks to Matt Avery of The Tadpool for the album art inspiration ;)Recorded before a live studio of nerds, and thanks to Jeff Cannata of We Have Concerns for joining in!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #224 - Scott Sigler Keeps Us Alive!

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 20:16:26 GMT

Scott Sigler’s Alive is out, and even though he didn’t mean it as Young Adult fiction it’s turned out that way. And even though he didn’t mean it to be Science Fiction, it’s turned out that way too! Find out why this all happened and why he’s happy with all of it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #223 - Why Station Eleven Is Horror AND Science Fiction

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 05:22:20 GMT

This week we congratulate several more authors on TV deals, one author on getting to write more movie books, and another author on having too many potential movie deals. We also come to the conclusion that Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is all the genres.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #222 - Neil Gaiman Writes All The Things

Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:39:31 GMT

We have an eyewitness report from the ALA conference in San Francisco, our initial thoughts on Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Neil Gaiman will write some episodes for the American Gods TV series. Thank American Gods!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #221 - From Authors To Hollywood Moguls!

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:09:27 GMT

Ellen DeGeneres is apparently interested in adapting Naomi Novik's Uprooted as a film. But, we all know there's a long road from "interest" to "released." Just ask Neil Gaiman. The good news is Gaiman's American Gods is finally green-lit for TV! So there's hope. Unless you're a god from the Continent! More about that as we wrap up The City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #220 - Why The Healer Deserves To Be A Hero

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 04:27:27 GMT

We talk with author Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger, about why healers are never the hero in genre fiction and how she decided to change that. We also press her for baked brie recipes and discover how the Foo Fighters helped shape Octavia Leander.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #219 - We Make People Win Nebula Awards. Maybe.

Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:14:05 GMT

First off we now have a 100% record picking Nebula-award winning books for the club. That’s 100% of the last two years. So take note Nebula-wanters! Also we’re very excited about a new series from University of Illinois Press called the Masters of Science Fiction. You can find out William Gibson’s secrets!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #218 - Why There's No Such Thing As Writer's Block

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 04:30:37 GMT

Peter Orullian wears many hats. He is an author, musician, and has worked for many years at Microsoft on the XBox team. Today we talk about his series The Vault of Heaven, get the scoop on his all-time favorite music, and hear why Peter believes there is no such thing as writer's block.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #217 - Apply John Scalzi Directly To Forehead

Thu, 28 May 2015 05:20:05 GMT

We congratulate John Scalzi on his book deal (while Veronica teases about his Lock In Sequel’s title), applaud Ernest Cline’s choice of audiobook narrator and have polar opposite opinions about Leigh Brackett’s “Sword of Rhiannon.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #216 - Why Genres Don't Matter On The Internet

Thu, 21 May 2015 03:50:14 GMT

We talk with Rachel Aaron about why she doesn't worry about genre anymore and how she had to fight the siren song of Warcraft to become a professional writer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #215 - Is The Magician S Quentin Too Handsome

Thu, 14 May 2015 17:45:27 GMT

Everything you’ve ever read seems to be coming to TV. Plus Veronica tries to uncover Tom’s secret political conspiracy, while Tom changes Veronica’s opinion of 1940s era swashbuckling.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #214 - Discworld's Inner Rage

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 05:50:30 GMT

Rucksack Universe Author and Pratchett Enthusiast, Anthony St. Clair joins us to wrap up our reading of Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters. Is Granny Weatherwax a conduit for Pratchett's righteous anger? Does Tom live next to Nanny Ogg? All these mysteries and more revealed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #213 - Our Thoughts On The Hugos

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 06:33:33 GMT

We're excited and fearful about a new chapter from George R.R. Martin's Winds of Winter, we're hopeful about new books from John Scalzi and Ann Leckie and we're just a little wistful and/or angry about the Hugos.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #212 - Do You Have The Right To Delete Swear Words

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 04:01:33 GMT

We give our last thoughts on The Goblin Emperor, kick of our April pick, Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett and discuss why some author names are bigger than their titles. But what really gets this episode going is the debate about whether a reader has the right to "clean up" an author's language.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #211 - Why Peter V. Brett Empathizes With George RR Martin

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 04:57:58 GMT

We talk with Peter V. Brett about his new book, cool tattoos and the last enjoyable book he read. The Skull Throne, 4th in the Demon Cycle series, comes out March 31, 2015.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BUMPERX - Who Is Veronica Belmont

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 17:57:46 GMT

Created by Scott Johnson!http://www.myextralife.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #210 - Are You The Goblin Emperor?

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 05:21:32 GMT

We bid adieu to Terry Pratchett and commemorate him with one more book pick next month. We cheer for Chuck Wendig being picked for the next Star Wars novel. And we wonder if we are too much like the Goblin Emperor. Are you?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #209 - The Secret To Inventing Your Own Language

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:17:23 GMT

Sarah Monette, a.k.a. Katherine Addison, tells us why you’re all right about the Goblin Emperor, why the wizards in the book are so stubborn about using magic, and shares tips for inventing a language.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #208 - Who Will Win This Year's Nebula

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 01:40:53 GMT

So much good news! Some of our favorite stories are becoming movies and TV shows and we even have good news of a popular indie author getting picked up by Tor. And we even make a stab at predicting the Nebula winner. Yet controversy rages in the Untheileneise court. Especially about how to pronounced Untheileneise.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #207 - Crowdfunding An Abomination With Gary Whitta!

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 07:04:33 GMT

Gary Whitta is an award-winning screenwriter who wrote The Book of Eli and worked on the first Star Wars standalone film. So when he had an idea for a dark historical fantasy story he wrote a book. Why? We ask him that, about successfully crowdfunding his novel, and much more on this episode! Oh, and yes. We ask him about Star Wars too.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #206 - How Tyrion Could Die

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 05:44:54 GMT

We have a whole Wheel of Time pilot mystery to solve and then on top of it George RR Martin says any character in the Game of Thrones series could be killed even if they’re safe in the book. WHAT?! Hands off the Imp! Also we explore the mystery of why Tom didn’t like Annihilation more, even though he wanted to.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #205 - Brian McClellan Grows His Own Spaghetti Sauce

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 07:55:25 GMT

When you rule the world of powder mages you can do what you want. Brian McClellan wields his powder for good. In addition to delivering us the complete Powder Mage trilogy with the third book Autumn Republic, Brian is going to bring us a second trilogy in the same universe, all while growing his own spaghetti sauce and keeping bees. Impressive. Most impressive.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #204 - Annihilation Is Not The End

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 05:50:41 GMT

Veronica REALLY wanted to make the title of this episode "Tom Merritt is a sexist pig." But Tom doesn't need that kind of grief. And besides he has promised to read even more female SciFi/Fantasy authors going forward. But if you want to hear Veronica giggle at the notion-- as well as defend our book pick, Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, and wax eloquent about the need for varied perspectives in literature-- then fire up this episode!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #203 - Myke Cole's Secret Unicorn

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 06:37:28 GMT

We welcome back the amazing Myke Cole to talk about how he finds time to write great books, fight crime, and decorate his apartment with even more books. We also pressure him into a startling revelation about unicorns. And of course, talk to him about his new book, Gemini Cell: A Shadow Ops Novel which is out now!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #202 - Ready Player Two

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 07:39:43 GMT

We wrap up The Sparrow. We loved it and it made us sad. We're also blown away at the quality of books being made into TV shows. Well, only a pilot and a trailer but so far so good. But should you risk reading a book and seeing a movie or TV show too? Maybe not!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #201 - Don't Fear The Roomba

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 01:17:22 GMT

Author and robotics engineer Daniel H. Wilson chats with us about his new story/app called Mayday: Deep Space about a person trapped on a ship full of monsters. Only you can help him survive! But of course we have to ask Daniel when the robots will rise up and kill us all.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #200 - Best Books Of 2014

Tue, 06 Jan 2015 04:33:59 GMT

Well we're here to kick off the new year AND celebrate our 200th episode so we gathered drinks and cheer and your favorite books of 2014 as well as our own and a few others. You'll never guess which one everybody picked! That's not true. You'll totally guess. You probably already guessed. But listen to the show anyway, OK. For us?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #199 - Integrity For Sale

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:28:36 GMT

This week we almost wrap up The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, discuss the intricacies of eBook DRM and try to decide just how high a price our integrity would fetch. We also wonder the same about Neal Stephenson and Steven Hawking. Join us, won't you?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #198 - The Most Hated Phrases In SciFi

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 03:33:29 GMT

This week we're busy. We congratulate the winners of several year-end awards. We kick off our December book pick, The Night Circus, a beautiful novel by Erin Morgenstern. And we dive into some of the most wretched and hated terms and phrases in the professions of authorship. Mary Sue is under siege!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #197 - Veronica Is A Cannibal

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 01:43:02 GMT

We sing the praises of Ursula K. Leguin, marvel at the casting of HBO's Westworld, announce our December book pick and wrap up Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. Also, Veronica admits she would eat people. Ed. note: I would eat people -V

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #196 - Would Vegetarians Eat Electric Meat

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 01:15:48 GMT

We have some awesome World Fantasy winners to talk about, some exciting casting news for The Magicians and The Expanse, but it really gets interesting when our “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” check-in turns into an ethics of meat-eating discussion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #195 - Why It's OK To Hate My Favorite Book

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:54:24 GMT

It's a jam-packed episode this week with great news for Ann Leckie and Andy Weir, our wrap-up of Alif the Unseen, Kickoff of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and the determination that it's OK to hate the book I love.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #194 - Delilah S. Dawson: Why Whimsydark Rules

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:10:01 GMT

We had a lovely time chatting with author Delilah Dawson about her struggles with Ikea furniture, brilliance on Twitter and the coining of Whimsydark. There's also a fair amount about blud and humans.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #193 - Kiss From A Queen (on The Face)

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 00:40:34 GMT

In Neil Gaiman’s new book, The Sleeper and the Spindle, Sleeping Beauty gets woken by a Queen’s kiss. And there’s pictures so it did happen. Fictionally speaking. We also discuss The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan, and find out people are pleasantly surprised by the techno-thrilling coming of age fantasy that is Alif the Unseen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #192 - Sexual Experiences With Robert Jackson Bennett

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 21:44:41 GMT

Robert Jackson Bennett joins us on the show this week to talk about his new book, City of Stairs!The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions—until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world’s new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself—first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it—stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy.Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov’s oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country’s most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem—and that Bulikov’s cruel reign may not yet be over.We also take questions from you, the audience, and ask him what the heck was going on with the video below:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #191 - Tom Merritt, Kindle Hater

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 03:53:48 GMT

From excitement about a new book in the Old Man's War series, to a rising demand for SciFi, things are looking up on the laser side. We also find out that Tom doesn't use a Kindle and Veronica's opinion on spiders.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #190 - Timothy Zahn Minds Your Soul

Wed, 24 Sep 2014 01:10:43 GMT

We chat with Timothy Zahn about his new book Soulminder. What happens when you can store a person's life essence separate from their body? And yes we get in a little talk about Star Wars and the prospects for Grand Admiral Thrawn and Jaina Solo too.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #189 - Literary Virginity, Literally

Wed, 17 Sep 2014 05:37:35 GMT

We dig into the first four stories from Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others, and boy do we learn a lot about ourselves and others. Plus you'll want to take your vitamins since Margaret Atwood's latest novel won't be available to read for 100 years and we explore the idea of regaining your literary virginity.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #188 - It's A Dragon Con Plex

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 00:02:37 GMT

We talk with Naomi Novik, fanfic writer, Ruby on Rails coder and author of the Temeraire series, from DragonCon 2014 in Atlanta! Then, we wrap up Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #187 - How To Win A Hugo

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:33:41 GMT

We congratulate all the winners of the Hugos and chat with Aidan Moher about how he took home the best fanzine Hugo for A Dribble of Ink. Veronica milks him for info on how to win, and then we learn a way you can help more people become better writers and win more Hugos!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #186 - The Name Of The Wind Is Dave

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 01:13:18 GMT

Almost every book is becoming a TV show or movie. Also we tell you how to be a part of a living creation of Alice in Wonderland and we kick off Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #185 - Traveling By Bubble!

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 00:35:32 GMT

We chat with Steven Paul Leiva, author of Traveling in Space and his audiobook narrator Jeff Cannata, about aliens, the beauty of language and avoiding death.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #184 - Threeways To Save Humanity

Wed, 23 Jul 2014 03:15:02 GMT

There’s so much you can do with us this week, including bringing Neil Gaiman to the stage, discovering 20th century high fantasy, and saving humanity. And how we can save humanity makes Tom blush.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #183 - The Damon Inside Me

Tue, 08 Jul 2014 23:50:52 GMT

We ponder on Matt Damon's role in The Martian, why we love to hate villains, and the role of philosophy and ideology in Octavia Butler's Dawn. Join us, before Veronica falls into the hellmouth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #182 - Ken Liu Translates Success

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 21:42:28 GMT

Ken Liu's short story "The Paper Menagerie" swept the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. His short story, "Mono no aware" won the 2013 Hugo, and his novella "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" was also nominated for a Hugo. We caught up with him at this year's Nebula awards and asked him if he takes writing-enhancement supplements.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #181 - The Promise Of More Blood

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 02:20:13 GMT

We break down our June book pick, Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, and find out why it's actually four or five books and its gods are not what they seem. Also we set up our July pick from Octavia Butler and decide whether warp speed is actually coming or not.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #180 - Emily Jiang: Cinderella, Secret Agent

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 00:36:25 GMT

We talk to Emily Jiang at the Nebula Awards about her book Summoning the Phoenix, her foray into children's books and what she has planned for a full novel. Hint, it involves magic and spies.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #179 - Flintpunk And Geekomancy

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 02:52:58 GMT

Would you like to be in a George R. R. Martin Book? Got $20K? Don't mind being killed? Good. You can help wolves. Also we give our first impressions of Brian McClellan's The Promise of Blood and talk Geekomancy with Michael Underwood.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #178 - David Weber Talks Honor At BayCon 2014

Sun, 08 Jun 2014 01:18:03 GMT

David Weber joins Tom Merritt at BayCon to talk about the origins of his writing, the journey of Honor Harrington and how he relies on his fans.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #177 - A Chat with Grand Master Delany

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 03:05:08 GMT

We intersect with Mr. Samuel R. Delany at the Nebula Awards to talk about his writings, old and new, and the role of science fiction, plus more stimulating conversation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #176 - Martians And Panda Pants

Wed, 28 May 2014 00:58:27 GMT

Veronica is back from China to regale us tales of motorboating pandas, but first we announce our June book pick and wrap-up The Martian by Andy Weir. Is it as scientifically accurate as so many say? We get an aerospace engineer's perspective.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #175 Ann Leckie Wins it All

Tue, 20 May 2014 23:13:22 GMT

We chat with Ann Leckie mere hours before she wins a Nebula award, about what it's like to get so many awards, and what's coming next for fans of her award-winning novel, Ancillary Justice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Video: Author Spotlight -N. K. Jemisin

Thu, 08 May 2014 04:59:27 GMT

N. K. Jemisin writes fiction that reads like history in the best way. But could it also be romance? We ask N. K. Jemisin that and how she's able to keep a day job and still write amazing fiction. We also find out what trope she'd like to give a rest. It's our season finale and we couldn't think of a better person to help us wrap things up in style!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Jim. C. Hines

Thu, 01 May 2014 23:34:14 GMT

Haven’t you wondered how orcs and goblins and other monsters see the world? Do they feel unfairly vilified? Jim C. Hines can help you walk a mile in their— scaly misshapen feet. Find out why the author of the Goblin Series finds book-cover poses personally painful and whether he’ll give you a fire spider.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #174 - A Wrap - Up Of Earthsea

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 04:34:42 GMT

Veronica is traveling in China, so we pre-recorded this episode and took the opportunity to properly wrap-up A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Leguin. We also kick off the rest of The Martian and promise to be better about these sorts of things once Veronica is back. Still, on the bright side, we are putting in practice a ton of great suggestions from the audience. Yay audience!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #173 - JJ, Destroyer Of Canons

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 04:06:01 GMT

We're very excited to have Bryan Benson on the show today, who backed our Kickstarter for season 2 of video, and got to pick this month's book. He's a game designer, author and all around great guy. Plus, he helped us to realize that JJ Abrams has become the destroyer of canonicity in SciFi.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Elizabeth Bear

Thu, 24 Apr 2014 21:02:05 GMT

What kind of mind can write about a faerie war in Shakespearian England and Lovecraftian Nightmares in depression-era Maine? The kind of mind that can also win a Campbell award for best new writer and then go on to notch a couple Hugos. That's the kind of mind that sits inside the cranium of Elizabeth Bear. We got a chance to talk to Ms. Bear and find out her mind on a few issues and ask her some of your questions too!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

172 S&L Podcast - #172 - The Invention Of BeerPunk

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:07:02 GMT

Travel fantasy writer Anthony St. Clair (Home Sweet Road, Martini Destiny) is on the forefront of a new genre involving beer and travel, plus he reveals the secret for planning a book with one word.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Kevin Hearne

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 05:09:16 GMT

Kevin Hearne was an English teacher who put up with rejection from twenty three agents and five publishers before he finally prevailed. Thank goodness he did! We would have never been able to meet Oberon! Oh, and Atticus too, of course. We ask Kevin many many things including if we can expect a TV or graphic novel adaptation, and why chicken apple sausages?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #171 - The Martian Influx

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 00:57:02 GMT

We're very excited that James S. A. Corey's 'The Expanse' is being made into a TV series! PLUS we sat down to chat with Andy Weir and Daniel Suarez. We learn you shouldn't go for a publisher, but go for an audience, and why you should NOT tell your friends your stories but make them read what you write instead.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Brent Weeks

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 06:53:02 GMT

How did Brent Weeks get from Montana to writing novels on napkins to becoming the bestselling author of the Lightbringer Series? We'll ask him about that, find out his favorite word and whether he still has those napkins.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

170 S&L Podcast - #170 - The Lives Of Wesley Chu

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 01:23:29 GMT

Wes Chu has had many interesting (and varied) careers, but we're happy that he's focused on the fascinating tales of Tao. In this Google hangout, we talk about the upcoming finale to the series, where he's taking the story next, and answer your questions!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Chuck Wendig

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 21:10:33 GMT

Chuck Wendig has a reputation for cursing. He also has a reputation for being a badass writer of amazing characters in inventive situations, across novels, comics and movies. He also invented cornpunk. Oh wait, he ALSO writes one of the best guides for writers ever made. But what is his favorite word? Well, now you'll just have to watch for that, and to see how many times our editor has to use the bleep button. Spoiler: he uses it more on the hosts than the guest.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

169 S&L Podcast - #169 - Sneaking Peeks And Swapping Sleeves

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 01:03:29 GMT

From a debate on whether we should read early chapters from George R.R. Martin's "Winds of Winter" to the usefulness of Asimov's three laws, to our wrap-up of Altered Carbon, this is an episode that should contain a lot of wisdom. Who knows? It might!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Video: Author Spotlight - Alastair Reynolds

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 22:12:53 GMT

This week you’ll learn how Alastair Reynolds went from Cornwall to a doctorate in astronomy, to pushing ice across the vastness of space. How much do current scientific advances influence him? Does he feel a kinship with Mass Effect? What order should you read his darn books in? All these questions and more will be answered.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

168 S&L Podcast - #168 - Promises Of Blood And Old Timey Pipes

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:24:59 GMT

We had a lovely time chatting with Brian McClellan, author of the Powder Mage trilogy. He answers a lot of questions about including history in novels, snorting gunpowder, smoking old-timey pipes while listening to flute music, and making cakes for Sam Sykes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Rachel Swirsky

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:33:15 GMT

Have you been ignoring short stories? You’re missing out! And Rachel Swirsky is one of the best authors to prove it. Find out how this award-winning author and podcaster got into writing and poetry too!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #167 - Spitcoin

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 01:25:19 GMT

We evaluate George R. R. Martin's plans to stay ahead of the HBO show, look forward to spaceships returning to SyFy, congratulate Arthur C. Clarke Award finalists and ponder the disgusting need for spit as a payment method in Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon."

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #166 - The Prolific Mr. Adam Christopher

Sat, 15 Mar 2014 21:31:25 GMT

Sorry for the late podcast, everyone! I took a nasty tumble this week and broke my foot and wrist, so everything kind of shut down for a bit! But we're back, and so is Adam Christopher! We talk about the recently released Hang Wire, and upcoming The Burning Dark!http://swordandlaser.com/home/2014/3/15/sl-podcast-166-the-prolific-mr-adam-christopher

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Mary Robinette Kowal

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 03:41:30 GMT

How do you become an award-winning puppeteer AND award-winning writer AND a audiobook narrator? Easy. Be Mary Robinette Kowal. We ask the author of Without a Summer and Valour and Vanity how she fits in all those things and still has time to convincingly imitate Patrick Rothfuss and convince Sam Sykes to make debatable life choices.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Anne Leonard

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:49:32 GMT

Anne Leonard's first book JUST came out. Congrats Anne! Moth and Spark is about a Prince who has been chosen to free dragons from bondage to the Empire, but nobody’s exactly sure how he should do it, not even their riders. He meets a doctor’s daughter who discovers she’s a seer. She’s also a commoner, so he really shouldn’t fall for her How do you shine a spotlight on such a young career? It's all in the backstory! Just watch.http://swordandlaser.com/home/2014/3/4/sl-video-author-spotlight-anne-leonard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #165 - SciFi Is Finally Literature!

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 04:26:44 GMT

We kick off our March book pick, Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan, ponder the brief career of Jonathan Ross as LonCon MC, and discover that at least Houghton Mifflin thinks SciFi is lit.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Author Spotlight - Max Gladstone

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 23:11:59 GMT

It's our author guide to Max Gladstone! If you want an author who knows how to work the financial crisis into epic fantasy and is handy with a sword, Max is your man. We also get the final word on a showdown between him and Scott Lynch. You won't believe who really runs the economy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #164 - Bill Gourgey's POST - Post - Apocalyptic World

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 23:57:49 GMT

We chat with Bill Gourgey, who's Glide Trilogy does not settle for a run-of-the-mill post-apocalyptic world. What happens AFTER the post-apocalyptic dust settles!? We also find out how a tech analyst ends up writing genre novels and poetry. You won't believe his answer! Or maybe you will. You probably will. But you won't know what it is, unless you watch/listen to the show!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L: Author Spotlight - Hugh Howey

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 23:29:04 GMT

We're back!!! Welcome back to the space castle, everybody! HUGE thanks to our Kickstarter supporters for making this possible. In our first episode of Season 2, we talk to Wool Omnibus author Hugh Howey. Find out how not to get shoved outside and how George R. R. Martin motivated Hugh's career. and his number one editing tip.Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwIvAyp_5V4

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #163 - Hugh Howey Hullabaloo

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 04:03:42 GMT

Hugh Howey caused quite a stir with his findings about independent authors, but what does it mean for us readers? We also talk about the Wizard of Earthsea feminism implications and have an exciting election for the March book pick! There is a gavel involved.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #162 - Gregory A. Wilson's Graphic Fallen Angels

Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:47:33 GMT

We chat with Gregory A. Wilson, author of The Third Sign, about his newest novel Icarus and the graphic novel based on it that he and artist Matt Slay are working on. It's about a being who falls from the sky to save a world from tyranny. We also find out if he named his daughter after one of his own fictional characters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #161 - What Harry Potter Stole From Earthsea

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 02:03:03 GMT

This time around we're kicking off our February book pick, A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin. If you're looking for the first tale a of a boy who attends a school of wizardry, we've got the goods, as well as what Ms. Le Guin, who wrote her book in 1968, thinks of Ms. Rowling. Plus The Clarion Workshop deadline is looming and USC and Intel make one author's world come alive.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sky sings Dresden Files!

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 23:32:36 GMT

At our meetup at Borderlands Book in San Francisco, we were treated to a wonderful song about the first three Dresden Files books by Sky Corbelli!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #160 - Scully Writes A Book, Ringo Is A God

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 00:05:30 GMT

We've got some awesome news about new books from Peter F. Hamilton, Richard Morgan, Joe Abercrombie and Gillian Anderson. Plus we wrap up our January book, The Einstein Intersection.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #159 - Ian Tregillis On Angels, Superpowers, And Deathmatches

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 02:31:25 GMT

We have a chance to chat with the fabulous Ian Tregillis, author of the Milkweed Triptych and Something More Than Night. He alludes to his secret 'Clakkers" project, explains how to make an angel talk like a shamus, and reveals Gretel's secret Reagan baby.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #158 - Read A Book, Change Your Brain -- It's Science!

Wed, 08 Jan 2014 01:21:54 GMT

It's our first episode after New Year's and we're still recovering. Thank goodness Neil Gaiman, the Wertzone and Stephen Chow are here to perk us up. Plus we kick off our January book, The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany. http://swordandlaser.com/home/2014/1/7/sl-podcast-158-read-a-book-change-your-brain-science

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #157 - Marie Brennan's Fantasy Brings The Science To Fiction

Tue, 31 Dec 2013 19:21:14 GMT

We chat with Marie Brennan about her historical fiction her fictionalized history and all kinds of matters relating to anthropology, ethnography, archaeology and natural history. And dragons. Plus get a peek at how much glee she takes in chopping off hands. That and more insights coming your way in this interview with Marie Brennan.Show notes: http://swordandlaser.com/home/2013/12/19/sl-podcast-157-how-marie-brennans-fantasy-brings-the-science-to-fiction

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #156 - Wrapping Up Dragons!

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 18:27:20 GMT

It’s a no-holds barred episode where Tom and Veronica reveal their most horrible secrets. Happy Christmas! Also good news from Scott Lynch, slightly bad news from Charles Stross, and the book character you want on your side in a bar fight.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #155 - Why Sam Sykes Is For Sharks And The Alliance

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 01:42:27 GMT

We had a really good time chatting with Sam Sykes, author of the Aeon's Gate series. Among other things, we learned what a flying shark is good for, why he left the Horde, what a "stealfie" is, and how Sam keeps his daily threat-making to a minimum. Plus your questions! Enjoy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #154 - A Natural History Of Dragons

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:55:42 GMT

It’s a very dragon-filled episode, as we kick off our December pick, A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent, actually by Marie Brennan. Also Temeraire. And Paul and Storm steal our idea but we decide we like them anyway.http://swordandlaser.com/home/2013/12/10/sl-podcast-153-kicking-dragons

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S&L Podcast - #153 - Peter V. Brett Is The Dark David Hasselhoff Of Fantasy

Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:29:25 GMT

We talk with Peter V. Brett about his Demon Cycle books, the grim world of dark fantasy, his old HP iPaq and why he's so big in Germany.http://swordandlaser.com/home/2013/12/3/sl-podcast-152-peter-v-brett-is-the-dark-david-hasselhoff-of-fantasy To get in on the D&D action at ConFusion and possibly see Myke Cole's head get shaved visit Worldbuilders.org.And check out the Not Playing Podcast: 002 Die Hard on the Boing Boing Podcast Network!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.