The Sword and Laser

A brief episode this week just to gush about the new Game of Thrones trailer on HBO and get us all squared away on reading World War Z, plus a few alternates if you just don't think you like zombies.  But come on, all we are saying is give zombies a chance.

QUICK BURNS - unrelated news of the week
   
Haven  promo gives us a glimpse of new Stephen King on TV   
   
Interactive guide to Larry Niven's Ringworld is the next best thing to going there   
   
   
BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience   
   
Game of Thrones Teaser   
   
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss has a pub date!   
   
Zombies They Are a Changin'   
   
Book Kickoff   
   
World War Z by Max Brooks   
        
Emails:

I have just started listening to S&L (had to get a Tom fix after he left BOL). I am a bit late on this discussion but, on the topic of books where Earth is destroyed, in the Death Gate Cycle novels the Earth is ""sundered"" and used to make four new worlds (plus a small gateway world and a living prison world) each based on one of the four elements. That's about as destroyed as you can get.

I was also wondering whether either of you have read Neal Stephenson's first novel ""The Big U"" which has fantastical elements (although it would be more accurately described as satire than fantasy or scifi). This is actually my favorite of his novels because it does not take itself at all seriously.
I do love your show.

-Leif from Oakland

   
Don't forget Sticker Fu.  Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers at www.stickerfu.com.   
   


Give zombies a chance – The S&L Podcast #035

In this episode we learn that some people hate Zombies, some are well prepared for them, and some people get very distrubed if they read zombe stories before bedtime. Of course it's not all zombies.  Sometimes it's para-narratives. And occasionally the Roman Empire. But isn't it always?

Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear and friends launch The Mongoliad: a shared universe that could only live on the Web   
    
Neal Stephenson's "Diamond Age" turning into miniseries for SyFy   
    
Effinger's WHEN GRAVITY FAILS: super-noir cyberpunk Middle East   
    
Great moments in alternate history: the non-fall of the Roman empire  
    
BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience    
    
What Else Are You Reading June 2010 Edition  
    
What is your zombie apocalypse contingency plan?   
    
Our next book will be: World War Z: An oral history of the zombie war by Max Brooks
   
Emails:    
You asked about stories where the Earth was destroyed…
Beastmaster by Andre Norton
Not actually destroyed in the book but dealing with the aftermath. That’s close isn’t it?
She was awesome!

Ross 

***

Somebody has probably mentioned this but in 'When Worlds Collide', by George Pal, the Earth is destroyed due to an impact with another planet. Happily, there is another planet that arrives at the same time, and some people move there.
kent

***

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.

New partner Sticker Fu.  Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers at www.stickerfu.com

No Zombies before bedtime – The S&L Podcast #034

As a wrap-up of "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" we finally snag an interview with the author of the Sword and Laser book club selection.  Cory Doctorow is always a fun person to chat with, and this episode is no exception.  We do query him on some of the thoughts behind Down and Out, but also about writing and the publishing industry in general. We also let him pick our next book!

Quick Burns

Ursula Le Guin's Petition Against Google Books

8 Comic Book Relationships To Make You Feel Good

Book Pick

Our next book is The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi.

Interview with Cory Doctorow - The S&L Podcast #028