Shows
Sword & Laser#516 - I Know What You Did Last Book BriefingWhy 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.2025-08-0353 min
Sword & Laser#515 - The Details in the DevilsWe cast The Devils, try to apologize to Ruth, and recall other food-related romantasy. Plus, Veronica has a shameful tequila revelation.2025-07-1739 min
Sword & Laser#512 - Deep Dish is SciPieWe 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.2025-06-0531 min
Sword & Laser#507 - Book GoblinTom 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.2025-03-1340 min
Sword & Laser#503 - Tapeworms and Time TravelTom 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.2025-01-1546 min
Sword & Laser#502 - Rhubarb AbercrumbleWe 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!2025-01-0648 min
Sword & Laser#490 - Cosy AdjacentAre 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.2024-05-3148 min
Sword & Laser#487 - Have We Reached Critical Maas?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!2024-04-1835 min
Sword & Laser#486 - Pre-re-readWill 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.2024-04-0834 min
Sword & Laser#485 - Triangles Are StrongerThe 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.2024-03-2748 min
Sword & Laser#480 - What You Can Do With Mickey MouseAlternatives 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.2024-01-0449 min
Sword & Laser#477 - I Said What I Said, She SaidVeronica 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.2023-11-3044 min
Sword & Laser#474 - The Vibe-rary at Mt. CharBest books of the year? Already? How Veronica got her k-wires out. And our non-spoilery thoughts on Library at Mount Char.2023-10-1935 min
Sword & Laser#473 - Dewey DecimatedVeronica'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.2023-10-1044 min
Sword & Laser#469 - Venomous Breaded Hairtail SuckerVeronica 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.2023-08-2437 min
Sword & Laser#468 - Go Tweed Lions!Veronica curses the Lions and eats SO many blackberries. Also, our non-spoilery thoughts on Ninth House and Ivy League schools.2023-08-1044 min
Sword & Laser#463 - OK Ant ComputerAre 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.2023-06-0250 min
Sword & Laser#460 - Thimble's KitchenWe 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.2023-04-2240 min
Sword & Laser#459 - Leave the Broadsword, Take the BiscottiWe 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.2023-04-0840 min
Sword & Laser#455 - When Life Gives You Bones, Make a Bone DogThree Body Problem is coming to two platforms, so many beginning-of-the-year reading lists, and why we all love Bonedog (even Tom).2023-02-0933 min
Sword & Laser#452 - Having FeelpinionsA 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.2022-12-2942 min
Sword & Laser#451 - When Your Anti-Hero Gets a Little Too AntiWe 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.2022-12-1540 minThe Sword and Laser#451 - When Your Anti-Hero Gets a Little Too AntiWe 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.2022-12-1540 min
Sword & Laser#450 - Where the Wild Nerds AreWe 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.2022-12-0244 min
Sword & Laser#449 - Finding a Leggy BlondeVeronica 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.2022-11-1729 min
Sword & Laser#448 - The Reverse HeisenbergVeronica 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.2022-11-0440 min
Sword & Laser#446 - Don't Blurb on a Dime[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.2022-10-0637 min
Sword & Laser#441 - Multiverse Tom Read ItHas 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!2022-07-1542 min
Sword & Laser#440 - Mr. Darcy in SpaceWe 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.2022-07-0143 min
Sword & Laser#436 - It's About the HowdunnitIs 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.2022-05-0637 min
Sword & Laser#422 - Horror is Like CheeseVeronica 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!2021-10-2155 min
Sword & Laser#419 - Trust me, It's SciFiTom 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.2021-09-0936 min
Sword & Laser#418 - Don't Fart on My ArtAlastair Reynolds has a book, Tom needs a bookcrate sub stat, and our wrap-up of The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry.2021-09-0339 min
Sword & Laser#417 - Bong!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.2021-08-1440 min
Sword & Laser#415 - DisCon is not for DiscoDisCon 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?2021-07-1645 min
Sword & Laser#414 - The Age of Aquarium ShoesShould Tom enter a book contest? Good Omens season 2 is a good idea. And our final thoughts on Piranesi, problematic and otherwise.2021-07-0149 min
Sword & Laser#412 - The Year Veronica Returned to Sword and LaserVeronica 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.2021-06-0336 min
Sword & Laser#408 - You Can't Spell Young Adult without Adult#408 - You Can't Spell Young Adult without Adult by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont2021-04-0829 minSword & Laser#402 - A tripod has three legs....#402 - A tripod has three legs.... by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont2021-01-1441 minSword & Laser#399 - Sneaky Alternate Pick?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.2020-12-0333 min
Sword & Laser#398 - Stand for the Strain at the StrandIt'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.2020-11-1934 min
Sword & Laser#397 - SqueeherentTom 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.2020-11-0629 min
Sword & Laser#395 - Spider BelmontSandman 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!2020-10-0927 min
Sword & Laser#385 - What do you mean HORROR?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.2020-07-0339 min
Sword & Laser#384 - Teenaged WiccanTom 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.2020-06-1830 min
Sword & Laser#380 - The One Where Veronica ForgetsWe 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.2020-04-2352 min
Sword & Laser#379 - Interview with Veronica RothVeronica 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!2020-04-1628 min
Sword & Laser#371 - Science FungusVeronica 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.2019-12-2030 min
Sword & Laser#370 - Death is Her Favorite CharacterGot 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!2019-12-0548 min
Sword & Laser#360 - Cuddling with DirewolvesVeronica 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.2019-07-1833 min
Sword & Laser#359 - We Have Literary OpinionsWe’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!2019-06-2725 min
Sword & Laser#358 - Nebula Interview with Greg van EekhoutTom 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!2019-06-2022 min
Sword & Laser#357 - The Last BeagleWe'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.2019-06-2038 min
Sword & Laser#356 - Greetings from Tom Merritt, IllinoisWe’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!2019-06-1025 min
Sword & Laser#346 - Accio Book Pick!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.2019-03-0435 minThe Sword and Laser#346 - Accio Book Pick!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.2019-03-0435 min
Sword & Laser#341 - All You Need is BrainThe 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!2018-12-2037 min
Sword & Laser#326 - Slow Down, Readers!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.2018-06-1440 min
Sword & Laser#318 - I Wanna Know What Love IsTom tries to convince Veronica to fight hate, but A Wrinkle In Time has her questioning love's power.2018-03-0240 min
Sword & Laser#312 - Eating Bones for Fun and Magic#312 - Eating Bones for Fun and Magic by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont2017-12-0835 min
Sword & Laser#298 - Don't Get Eaten By a BearGeorge 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.2017-07-0631 min
Sword & Laser#277 - January No-Beer ProblemWe 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.2017-01-0634 min
The Sword and Laser#275 - Get Hip With the RookWe 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-rook
https://www.patreon.com/posts/74390542016-12-0833 minSword & Laser#275 - Get Hip With the RookWe 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-rook
https://www.patreon.com/posts/74390542016-12-0833 min
Sword & Laser#270 - Be a Cat Burglar for Good!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?2016-10-1337 min
Sword & Laser#254 - Wheel Of BoobiesWheel 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.2016-05-1135 min
Sword & Laser#251 - How Veronica Tamed TyrionStatistics 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!2016-04-1329 min
The Sword and Laser#235 - The Practical Effects Of Mallory O'MearaWe 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-master2015-11-1920 minSword & Laser#235 - The Practical Effects Of Mallory O'MearaWe 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-master2015-11-1920 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #232 - Is This Book A Traitor To Its Genre?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-genre2015-10-2841 minThe Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #232 - Is This Book A Traitor To Its Genre?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-genre2015-10-2841 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #231 - Can An Author Spoil HerselfWe 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://sw...2015-10-2133 minThe Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #231 - Can An Author Spoil HerselfWe 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://sw...2015-10-2133 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #228 - Is Present Tense For Baby Brains?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...2015-09-1632 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #226 - Embrace The Manic Pixie Dream WitchWe’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-witch2015-08-2745 minThe Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #226 - Embrace The Manic Pixie Dream WitchWe’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-witch2015-08-2745 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #217 - Apply John Scalzi Directly To ForeheadWe 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.”2015-05-2841 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #215 - Is The Magician S Quentin Too HandsomeEverything 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.2015-05-1435 min
Sword & LaserBUMPERX - Who Is Veronica BelmontCreated by Scott Johnson!
http://www.myextralife.com/2015-03-1900 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #204 - Annihilation Is Not The EndVeronica 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!2015-02-0440 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #197 - Veronica Is A CannibalWe 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 -V2014-11-2648 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #191 - Tom Merritt, Kindle HaterFrom 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.2014-10-0149 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #187 - How To Win A HugoWe 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!2014-08-2042 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #183 - The Damon Inside MeWe 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.2014-07-0940 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #178 - David Weber Talks Honor At BayCon 2014David 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.2014-06-081h 17
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #176 - Martians And Panda PantsVeronica 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.2014-05-2849 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #174 - A Wrap - Up Of EarthseaVeronica 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!2014-04-3027 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #166 - The Prolific Mr. Adam ChristopherSorry 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-christopher2014-03-1531 minThe Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #166 - The Prolific Mr. Adam ChristopherSorry 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-christopher2014-03-1531 min
The Sword and LaserS&L Author Spotlight - Anne LeonardAnne 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-leonard2014-03-0618 minSword & LaserS&L Author Spotlight - Anne LeonardAnne 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-leonard2014-03-0618 min
The Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #158 - Read A Book, Change Your Brain -- It's Science!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-science2014-01-0835 minSword & LaserS&L Podcast - #158 - Read A Book, Change Your Brain -- It's Science!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-science2014-01-0835 min
The Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #157 - Marie Brennan's Fantasy Brings The Science To FictionWe 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-fiction2013-12-3137 minSword & LaserS&L Podcast - #157 - Marie Brennan's Fantasy Brings The Science To FictionWe 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-fiction2013-12-3137 min
Sword & LaserS&L Podcast - #156 - Wrapping Up Dragons!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.2013-12-2337 min
The Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #154 - A Natural History Of DragonsIt’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-dragons2013-12-1138 minSword & LaserS&L Podcast - #154 - A Natural History Of DragonsIt’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-dragons2013-12-1138 min
The Sword and LaserS&L Podcast - #153 - Peter V. Brett Is The Dark David Hasselhoff Of FantasyWe 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!2013-12-0441 minSword & LaserS&L Podcast - #153 - Peter V. Brett Is The Dark David Hasselhoff Of FantasyWe 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!2013-12-0441 min