The Sword and Laser

We loved A Game of Thrones, but you'll have to listen to find out why. We also get into fantasy metal songs with a metal expert, and report some news on the Game of Thrones on HBO.

ADDENDUMS
Game of Thrones Wikis
Unnoficial Songs of Ice and Fire
A Wiki of Ice and Fire
But Tower of the Hand is much much better! Thanks Padwen!

Game of Thrones being shot for HBO Sean Bean cast as Lord Eddard.

A Game of Thrones card game.

BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience
What Was Robert's Rebellion Really About (Minor Spoilers, Major Speculation)

Check out these lizards they've discovered that swim through sand in the Sahara. They didn't mention it, but I'm guessing they smell like cinnamon. :)

Love the Show,
Dave in Portland

Abner Senires sings amazing parody songs... this one is about the Kwisatz Haderach.

ENGAGE - Interviews with interesting characters
Talking to Charles Davis, from Metal Gamer and the Chizzle and Dizzle show.

Holy Thunder Force: Charles dares you not to air guitar to this one.

Rain of a Thousand Flames: This the one that has a nude woman in it, but Charles assures us, it is definitely the most ridiculous one they have made.

Unholy WarCry: 10 minutes long and the one that has Christopher Lee dressed in a giant king costume.

Magic of the Wizard's Dream: Charles says it's not that interesting of a music video, but it's the one he mentioned that has Christopher Lee singing on it.

QUICK BURNS - unrelated news of the month
Download DroidMaker for free

1969 Hugo Awards. Neil Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins received a Hugo Award in 1969 for The Best Moon Landing Ever. Also Novella "Dragonrider" by Anne McCaffrey [Analog Dec 1967,Jan 1968]

Tagline Contest
Come up with a tagline for The Sword and Laser! The winner will have their words emblazoned on the back of our new t-shirts, which will be making their debut at Dragon*Con this September!" Email theswordandlaser@gmail.com by Wednesday July 29.

#021 – The S&L Podcast: A Game of Thrones

While we're kicking off reading A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, we're also proud to announce we're going to Dragon*Con in Atlanta to do a live episode of Sword and Laser! We're very excited about that, especially because Veronica has been reading a book about dragons and is hoping to meet one.



WHY WE PICKED A GAME OF THRONES

Rick on May 22, 2009 at 9:22pm
I third "Game of Thrones". It is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish the China Mieville book I'm in the middle of. Also, for those upset with Mr. Martin's lack of new bookage, you should go read the comments by Niel Gaiman on his blog concerning exactly what George R. R. Martin is and is not to his readers.


C on May 23, 2009 at 9:39pm
Game of Thrones is fantastic, the only problem I can see with it is that anyone who reads it will be completely hooked for the rest of the series. As long as people don't mind that then it's great. I would also be interested in reading something else (as in something outside Song of Ice and Fire) by him though. Armageddon Rag is supposed to be really interesting and Fevre Dream is about vampires which is always fun. Both of those are standalone books (I think) so they might be better than starting a series?

terpkristin on May 26, 2009 at 4:10am
The reader for books 1-3 (Roy Dotrice) is great. I purchased the 4th book but haven't listened to it yet (read that one in hardcover on an import version), though John Lee is the narrarator, and some have said that they don't like him as much as they like Dotrice.

ABOUT A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones is the first of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on 6 August 1996. The novel was nominated for the 1998 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award, and won the 1997 Locus Award. The novella Blood of the Dragon, comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella.

The novel lends its name to several spin-off items based on the novels, including a trading card game, board game and roleplaying game, and HBO has authorized the filming of a pilot episode based on the novels.[1]

WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING

Tom - Heretics of Dune

Veronica - Black Powder War, Book 3 in the Temeraire series (Book 1 is here)

ESSENTIAL NERD VIEWING

John Hodgman administers a nerd test to President Obama. Do you know the answers?




MOVIES

Moon - A Film By Duncan Jones; Starring Sam Rockwell.

#020 - The S&L Podcast: Here There Be Dragons

It was Dune time and we found out how much of nerd I (Tom) am for Frank Herbert's stuff and how hard it is to pronounce pretty much anything he wrote when you try to say it out loud.



We also found out that there are Dune influences all over popular culture including Films, spinoffs, and metal. In fact there are all kinds of heavy metal scifi influences. Including, apparently this podcast. You must listen to the end to hear the rockingest book club rock anthem ever to rock. And we also form a new band based on Dune.

More info, including club members thoughts on Dune, in the podcast and after the jump.

Dune comments

Hard to get into - Terpkristin

Bizarre early attempt to make a film of Dune - Josh Lawrence

Great lines - Sean o'Hara
One thing I love about Dune is the great quotes it provides.

- A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.

- Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset. (For some reason I imagine Gurney sounding like Groundskeeper Willy when he says this)

- I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

What are the ones that stand out to you?


Comment by Sh1mm3r
Does anyone else find the sentence structure a little wacky? I find myself having to re-read some to understand what is being said. I'm in the first few pages though. I might just need to get into the rhythm.

Tom's currently reading the Butlerian Jihad by K. Anderson (one of the extended universe novels - a prequel actually)

Thread of the month
Books with both Sword and Lasers

Next Book: Daemon (buy here)

#018 - The S&L Podcast: Kwisatz and the Haderachs