The Sword and Laser

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.