The Sword and Laser

#430 - What's Your Fantasy Flavor Profile

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What flavor of fantasy do you like? We discuss that and more in kicking off Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. Also, nominations are open for our...

#429 - Pivot to Therapy

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We have a rousing discussion of redemption in Light from Uncommon Stars, get way too many awesome items for our to be read lists from the ALA, and dis...

#428 - Ein kleiner Nachtmarkt

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are excited about a possible new Scalzi TV show, Twitter summaries of great books, and our first non-spoilery thoughts on Light from Uncommon Stars...

#427 - Dead Family Trees

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Congrats Murderbot! In congratulations, we will let you watch your dramas unbothered by human emotions. We wonder some about Chengdu. And we not only ...

#426 - Pillow Friends

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

End of year book lists for days! Who can take on Arthur C. Clarke and pillow friends? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#425 - Literary Mosaic

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap up our last thoughts on Aurora Rising by Alistair Reynolds and kick off the new read, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova....

#424 - Prefect's Progress

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have pumpkin spiked lattes and cheese. In fact one cheesy book literally molds. Plus we check in with a non-spoilery discussion of Aurora Rising/Th...

#423 - Shrike Stans

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a little about cheese, a lot about wine, and too much about the Shrike. Plus lots of good Dune news, and we kick off our read of an Alastair R...

#422 - Horror is Like Cheese

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Veronica 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 ...

#421 - N0T4U2?

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some things aren't for everybody, like our current read NOS4A2, or the new Game of Thrones trailer. But don't worry, there are plenty of other great t...

#420 - Spoopy Spoilers

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of award winners to beef up your To Be Read lists, plus our assumptions about Murderbot, what makes a spoiler a spoiler, and we wrap up our final...

#419 - Trust me, It's SciFi

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom 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 Null...

#418 - Don't Fart on My Art

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alastair Reynolds has a book, Tom needs a bookcrate sub stat, and our wrap-up of The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

#417 - Bong!

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We've got Dragon Award finalists, a Kickstarter roundup for small publishers, and Tom buys new bookends. Plus, our non-spoiler thoughts on The Ruthles...

#416 - Does The Droid Die Dot Com

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Poet Andrew Heaton joins us to wrap up our thoughts on Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks. Plus, the greatest zombie film in the world and totally meta...

#415 - DisCon is not for Disco

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

DisCon 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...

#414 - The Age of Aquarium Shoes

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should Tom enter a book contest? Good Omens season 2 is a good idea. And our final thoughts on Piranesi, problematic and otherwise. Hosted on Acast. S...

#413 - Herlock Shlomes and the Loss of Innocence

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Congrats to the Nebula Award winners! Plus, a nine-year-old forum conversation on cover art continues, and our further thoughts on Piranesi (and how l...

#412 - The Year Veronica Returned to Sword and Laser

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Veronica 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-o...

#411 - Is Murderbot Art's Murderboo?

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The final book of the Expanse has been handed in for publication. Feelings of joy and sadness hit Tom. Plus, did Murderbot convert Robb Dunewood into ...

#410 - My Kind of Murderbot

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have finalists in the Ignyte awards, Locus awards, some upcoming release dates for new Green Bone Saga stories and why Robb Dunewood has stopped wo...

#409 - Home is the People We Choose

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hugo awards are out and we’ve almost read all the authors! Jenny Colvin from Reading Envy is back but we also have hints of a new forthcoming host o...

#408 - You Can't Spell Young Adult without Adult

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

#408 - You Can't Spell Young Adult without Adult by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#407 - The Strength of Family and Ghosts

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Brown is back, the Nebula nominess are out and they are great! We also discover new teas, the real flavor of crab chips, and talk about our thoug...

#406 - The Joy of Rat Skeletons

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Brown is here and we talk about all the excellent books getting nominated for and winning awards. Plus why Amazon won't sell ebooks to libraries,...

405: Above the Fold

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The hosts of the SMR Podcast join Tom to discuss The Fold by Peter Clines. Is the main character overpowered? Can they convince Christ to read the boo...

#404 - A Page Turner in the Best Sense

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So many new reading list suggestions from Locus to the ALA to TheMarySue. Plus George RR Martin updates on his progress. And Rod Simmons from SMR Podc...

#403 - Like a Santa Hat on Ursula K. Leguin

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mallory O'Meara from Reading Glasses is back and she's very skeptical about adapting the Sparrow for television. The hands alone! Also new Game of Thr...

#402 - A tripod has three legs....

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

#402 - A tripod has three legs.... by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

401 - More Like Dys-HOPE-ia, right?

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We learn the mysteries of the fig newton and Fangtasia. PLUS we kickoff our January book with a SUPRISE GUEST and how Parable of the Sower ended makin...

#400 - Boxing Day Experts

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of great books are turning into TV shows and movies and lots of great book recommendation lists are coming out! We also become experts on Boxing ...

#399 - Sneaky Alternate Pick?

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#398 - Stand for the Strain at the Strand

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It'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. Host...

#397 - Squeeherent

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tom 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 comi...

#396 - Antsy with Mars

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How to make The Watch series not feel so bad maybe? Also, some great lists of top fantasy and sci-fi and a few more award winners. Plus, we kick off t...

#395 - Spider Belmont

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sandman 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 ...

#394 - Speaking of Books

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A couple of great series becoming books and video games. A couple of great folks sadly passed away. And our final thoughts on Ten Thousand Doors of Ja...

#393 - Three-Body No Problem

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dune! Dune looks so good! Yay Dune! Save us! Help us escape! Actually, we’re pretty good on that front as Ten Thousand Doors of January is helping u...

#392 - Audible Minus?

28 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We try to explain Audible's new plans, decide if Pinocchio is fantasy (especially if Mussolini is involved), and wrap-up our thoughts on Elysium by Je...

#391 - Audiobook Drama

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Hugos are here! And we’ve read a bunch of them. Also, some thoughts on what should or should not be in the genre canon. Should there even be a c...

#390 - Interview with Dennis E. Taylor

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We chat with Dennis E. Taylor about the Bobiverse, and what we can expect when we return to it in the new book Heaven's River. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

#389 - Embracing the Challenge

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, it's tricky to put the World in WorldCon, alternate history first contact, and Tom is really excited about next month's pick. Plus, w...

#388 - Interview with Sam Maggs

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk with Sam Maggs about her new novel Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope, and about writing different stories in different platforms, from video gam...

#387 - The Nanobots Are Coming?

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The first rule of Short Story Club, SFF with a smile, and how to get the most out of Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

#386 - Interview with L.E. Modesitt Jr

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk with L. E. Modesitt Jr, the bestselling author of two science fiction series and four fantasy series, who has published more than seventy nove...

#385 - What do you mean HORROR?

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We address the harassment accusations against authors, discover that the July pick could be classified as horror (to Veronica's horror), and have a wh...

#384 - Teenaged Wiccan

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tom 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 no...

#383 - TerpTalk

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Congrats to the Locus Nominees and Nebula winners! We’ve read a bunch of those but there are some great new picks to be discovered too. Everybody wi...

#382 - Great Movie, I Hate It

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're beefing up our reading lists with Japanese and British award lists. Also it's fun to see what critically-acclaimed movies are hated by the autho...

#381 - Happ-E-Anding?

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're going to get some good Discworld TV! We talk about why sometimes you don't want to read old stuff, and whether you're someone who likes depressi...

#380 - The One Where Veronica Forgets

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We 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 H...

#379 - Interview with Veronica Roth

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Divergent series, the Carve the Mark duology, The End and Other Beginnings collectio...

#378 - Ointment for Your Brain

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Hugo Nominees are in! And we've read some fo them! Also the Nebula Nominees are in and we've read some of them too! And we have thoughts on the be...

#377 - How to Hopefully WIN the Time War

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Worldcon goes virtual and we totally get it, Tom has a new book out, ways to support your independent bookstore, we kick off our April pick, and FINAL...

#376 - The Corona Light Brigade

13 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got our first impressions of the new Star Wars: High Republic books, some great new award-winning picks, and our first impressions of The Ligh...

#375 - 16 Books Enter, One Becomes Pick

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We unveil the 16 books we'll be pitting against each other in our quite Mad March tournament of polls. We also chat about the Nebula nominees, introdu...

#374 - Chaotic Neutral

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We need your book nominations for our totally “mad” March tournament. Of books! Also we’re psyched Locke and Key is on Netflix, the new Naomi No...

#373 - Generation Sword & Laser

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got picks from librarians and the public domain! Plus we’re excited for Gideon the Ninth and we have our final thoughts on the January pick,...

#372 - Hmmm... hmmm.

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got Hugo nominations open! And a new Heinlein novel. I mean “new” to everybody but him, we guess. Plus, we kick off In the Company fo Othe...

#371 - Science Fungus

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Veronica 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 Co...

#370 - Death is Her Favorite Character

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Got 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. W...

#369 - Jeffety Jeff Jeffers of Planet Jeff

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How we’re feeling about the Snow Queen, and where it’s world-building might have drawn from. Plus two alternative pronunciation guides for the cha...

#368 - But is it Art?

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So many awards! You have no excuse for not finding something awesome and new to read right now. Not that you ever do with us on the job, we hope. Also...

#367 - Shitposting Stephen King with Sam Sykes

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We explain why the Tiptree Award is now the Otherwise award, welcome the casting of Apple's Foundation TV show, and Sam Sykes has a message for Stephe...

#366 - Just Crack Me Open and Take a Look

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Should you feel guilty for re-reading? The answer is no. But you shouldn't feel guilty for not re-reading too. Plus our fantasy casting of A Darker Sh...

#365 - But Lin-Manuel Miranda!

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Targaryen TV show possible? Check. Clifford Simak movie on Netflix? Check. Far Side back? Check. Showtime turns down The Kingkiller Chronicle TV show?...

#364 - Kick Your Problems in the Face

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fran Wilde's op-ed from the future sounds hilarious. N. K. Jemisin's new novel sounds awesome. And Andy Weir's short story has been adapted into a coo...

#363 - Extremely Unbalanced

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Hugos have come and gone, and they were awesome. Audible's in trouble for speech-to-text. But they're right, it's an accessibility issue. Also, th...

#362 - Live from Dublin WorldCon 2019!

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We had SO much fun at WorldCon in Dublin. We were blown away with how many people came out to see us!! We were literally prepared with plans for if th...

#361 - My Little Space Brain Friends

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Are we excited for The Witcher? Probably? Are we excited for the Hitchhiker's Guide Hulu TV series? Maybe? Are we excited for Vessel? In some ways? Is...

#360 - Cuddling with Direwolves

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Veronica is definitely not meeting direwolves in Ireland and stealing them and smuggling them back into the United States. Definitely not. Plus, our t...

#359 - We Have Literary Opinions

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’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 lo...

#358 - Nebula Interview with Greg van Eekhout

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tom talks with Greg van Eekhout, author of Voyage of the Dogs and California Bones about dogs, writing from local influences, and what the Nebulas mea...

#357 - The Last Beagle

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We'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 But...

#356 - Greetings from Tom Merritt, Illinois

09 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’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 ...

#355 - Rebecca Roanhorse at the Nebulas!

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tom catches up with Rebecca Roanhorse, author of Trail of Lightning, to talk about writing native cultures in genre fiction and what she gets out of t...

#354 - More Than a Bookstore to Me

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tom had fun at the Nebulas, and we’re excited about the winners. We also kick off a new book, wrap up the last one and give our thoughts about the G...

#353 - Whiskey by Bob

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Locus Award finalists! Great supplementary material for the Martian Chronicles! Why we need utopias! AI Whisky! ALL THAT AND MORE! Sorry. We're really...

#352 - The Sword Conspiracy

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

To Gene Wolfe! Thank you for Shadow and Claw and Pringles. Plus, William Gibson’s Alien 3, what you need to know before reading The Martian Chronicl...

#351 - Uncanny Collateral with Brian McClellan

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brian's most recent book, Uncanny Collateral, is described (on Brian's Twitter) as "Harry Dresden meets Dog the Bounty Hunter in a fast-paced urban fa...

#350 - Rye-ear-ah

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So many great books are nominated for Hugos. Independent Bookstore Day is coming up and the proper pronunciation of Riyria! and we kick off our impres...

#349 - Sit Down Kid, I Got This

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So many books became options! We’re hopeful. Also we’re excited to read our March Madness winner, Theft of Swords. And why Dumbledore may or may n...

#348 - Book Battle Royale

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We review the final four books in our Mad March Tournament. Plus lots of great new award-winners and nominees to fill your to-read list and our contin...

#347 - Interview with S.A. Chakraborty

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Author S.A. Chakraborty joins us on the show to talk about the inspiration for her two recent books: The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper. Host...

#346 - Accio Book Pick!

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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, ou...

#345 - Math as a Magic System w/ Mary Robinette Kowal

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We chat with Mary Robinette Kowal, the author of this month’s pick, The Calculating Stars. From acknowledging and learning from your biases, to de-s...

#344 - Steamy

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So many news stories! We have to speed through them but there’s some good picks from lots of award winners in there. Plus, the best pajamas ever an...

#343 - Math Is Hard

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’re very pleased that the Hugo Nominations are open and we’ll keep reminding you. Also we’re pleased to discuss pairing beer with novels and p...

#342 - So, You're a Crow Nut?

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’re SO excited for books coming out this year, AND we award our favorite Sword and Laser reads for 2018! We finish with our final thoughts on Crow...

#341 - All You Need is Brain

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The 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 f...

#340 - No Birdy Poos

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Verge is writing SciFi for a better tomorrow, plus is Roald Dahl Fantasy? Is It's a Wonderful Life SciFi? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

#339 - Nope Ropes on a Tren

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got options! For TV shows! Well we don’t but Annalee Newitz, Mira Grant and Kristine Kathryn Rusch do! Plus our feelings on Zeroes. Hosted o...

#338 - Hygge Punk

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tom inadvertently affects a listener feud, the truth about George R. R. Martin and why we think Zeroes is number 1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

#337 - Hackers, but Bears

26 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Well we are certainly interested in Molly Gloss after that Ursula K. Leguin blurb, we’re mad on behalf of Chuck Wendig, each for different reasons, ...

#336 - Optional Excitement

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're excited for optioned TV series for Circe and Dresden Files even if they are just options. Also we brainstorm Type 3 civilizations and female gea...

#335 - Do You Know the Way to Slan Jose?

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Gorgeous LeGuin books, more Bobiverse! and our final take on Slan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#334 - Is it a Slan Dunk?

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We’re excited for TV with Henry Cavill as Geralt, and maybe even some Witchlands! Plus our initial non-spoilery impressions of this month’s book, ...

#333 - Getting Timeless with R. A. Salvatore

04 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to author R. A. Salvatore about his new book Timeless, and also how he feels these days about Chewbacca, Dungeons and Dragons and more. Timele...

#332 - Losers and Lovin' It

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We lost the Hugos and it was AWESOME! Plus we have great news about a new novel coming from Rivers Solomon, and a new ebookstore from Wal-Mart. Plus ...

#331 - Where Have All the Good Guys Gone?

17 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

SFF readers have more mature relationship views. It's science. And hey! We're still Hugo-nominated! Will we stay that way or become winners? Who can s...