The Sword and Laser

We wrap up How to Live in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu, but there's so much more!  We look back on all the books from this year, both our book pics and your favorites you read.  we also look ahead to the most anticipated books of 2011. It's our year-end spectacular.  Break out your favorite sparkling beverage and enjoy.

   
BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience   
SF&F Books to be released on 2011   
   
Best book of the year. 2010 edition   
   
Year in Review   
--Books we read--   
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctrow   
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi   
Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregellis  
World War Z: An oral history of the zombie war by Max Brooks 
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein   
The Once and Future King by T. H. White   
The Princess Bride by William Goldman   
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel by Charles Yu    
   
   
Book Wrapup   
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel by Charles Yu   
     
Tom wrapped up - The Name of the Wind   
Veronica has started the Baroque Cycle   
   
Next Book?   
Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan   
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge   
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman   
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds   

VOTE HERE!!!!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 75,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature, including fiction, non-fiction and periodicals.   For a free audiobook of your choice, go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

2010, you were a good year - The S&L Podcast #49

UPDATE: Sorry if you only got the flash file in your RSS feed, we've since updated the blog entry to include the MP3 link! Here it is if it doesn't push out automatically.

This week we officially kick off How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel by Charles Yu, even if half of us are halfway through it. That's got to be some kind of asymptote. We also discuss a little Terry Pratchett, a dash of Joe Abercrombie and a helping of Patrick Rothfuss.

 

QUICK BURNS    
    
Greg Bear, Others Cry Foul on Project Gutenberg Copyright Call 
    
The December Adventure: io9's Guide To The Month's Science Fiction Awesomeness!   
    
    
BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience    
    
The Thread in Which We Suggest Books for Future Consideration   
    
Similarities With Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy   
    
Two Word Review(s?) no spoiler   
       
Book Kickoff/Wrapup    
    
Wired review of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel by Charles Yu     
    
    
Tom is also reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Veronica just read some Terry Pratchett and both finished Joe Abercrombie's The Last Argument of Kings.

EMAILS:  
 
Hi Veronica & Tom,
I was very excited when my friend told me about your show. I'd been looking for a podcast about written science fiction and had started to despair. (We are, of course, awash in those discussing movies and TV, but as science fiction goes, that's a different animal altogether. So when my friend Chris told me about you, I was very happy, and so far, you have not disappointed.

That said, I'm sure you get all kinds of book suggestions, but I just have to throw my 2¢ in here. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy is an amazing set of books. His descriptions are precise and vivid, his characters are involving, and his plotting is stunningly intricate. I got to the end and was shocked looking at how well he had planned the whole thing, and how tiny things that have been present from the start become of amazing significance in unexpected ways.

Since you've already had Mr. Sanderson on for an interview, I thought you might be receptive to this suggestion. I hope you pick this one soon, and if not . . . well, I'll probably still keep listening anyway.

Shawn Smith
a.k.a. Zaklog the Great

______________

    
About a month ago I found http://www.fictfact.com/ , see print screen below.  It tracks the series you are reading.  Once you mark the books in the series you have read or are following it sets up a list for the next book in the series.  If will show a list of the books that will be released soon.  They will email you if a book is added to a series you are following.  You can sort your Next Books in any order you prefer.  One other interesting thing, you can view your friends books if they use fictfact as well.  They just need to have a public profile.
 
I like it and I think you will too.
 
Thanks,
 
Craig, a S&L fan
    
ADDENDUMS    

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 75,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service.
For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword. 
   
Partner Sticker Fu.  Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers.

Science fictional survival guide - The S&L Podcast #48

Giveaway for The Once and Future King books! Post to the thread to win.

    
QUICK BURNS    
    
Did Harry Potter Really Steal All These Story Ideas?   
    
Worst book ever to win a Hugo   
    
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Tells the Tale of the World’s First Computer   
    
    
BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience    
    
What makes Arthur so great?   
    
Alternate History   
     
  
BOOK KICKOFF / WRAPUP   
    
We wrap up The Once and Future King and The Princess Bride .
    
Next book! - How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: A Novel by Charles Yu   
    

EMAILS

  
Just listened to Episode #46 where it was asked at what point is there good books to start off to get into Discworld. I too have been wondering how to get into reading Terry Prachett's books, so I did a little search and found this post from the Guys and Gals at BoingBoing. http://boingboing.net/2007/09/30/pratchetts-discworld.html#. Thought you might like it if someone has not already suggested it.

Thanks for all the hours of shows! Love everything you both do.

Chris

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Just listened to episode 46 and heard you pondering about where to start in the Discworld series. Well as someone who has absorbed the entire works of Terry Pratchett (TP) I would advise you not to worry about it and just jump into the series where ever you feel like.

The Discworld novels do not occur in chronological order with one underlining storyline.  Each book is its own individual story which just occurs within the Discworld universe. Characters constantly re-appear throughout the series however each book focus on one main character, therefore never encountering any of the characters before will not hinder your enjoyment.

However the Tiffany Aching books are aimed at younger audience than the rest of the discworld series, which results in the books having a different feel. Therefore I would recommend you to check out some of TP’s other works such as Guards, Guards, Interesting Times, Witches Abroad or Going postal to get a true feeling for the series.

YoYo

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Terry Pratchetts Author's Note in ""Lords and Ladies"":

By and large, most Discworld books have stood by themselves, as complete books. It helps to have read them in some kind of order, but it's not essential. This one is different. I can't ignore the history of what has gone before. [...]

So Pratchett has always tried to write the books Discworld books is such a manner that you can pick it up wherever you'd like. You might enjoy a couple of references and inside jokes if yu've read the whole series, but you shouldn't let it stop you if you're new to Pratchett. Especially not when it comes to the Tiffany Aching series.

In all fairness it is possible to group together ""series"" within the Discworld series that you might like to read in order. So that the handful of books starring Captain Vimes of the City guard would be more rewarding to read in their proper order, but it's entirely unimportant whether you read these before or after the books about the Lancre Witches. The Tiffany Aching books constitutes such a saga.

Martin
    
Thanks also to Gavin, Curt and Rob who wrote in about Pratchett orders as well! Kate also posted this helpful chart in the forums.

ADDENDUMS    

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 75,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times Best Sellers. For listeners of this podcast, Audible is offering a free audiobook, to give you a chance to try out their service.  For a free audiobook of your choice go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

Our pick: METAtropolis: Cascadia

   
Partner Sticker Fu.  Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers at http://www.stickerfu.com/    

No more Arthur! - The S&L Podcast #47