The Sword and Laser discussion

Here's the new podcast! Sorry for the delay on posting this here, blame my continuing jealously of Veronica's Hawaiian getaway.

http://www.swordandlaser.com/home/201...

Enjoy!

Woohoo, can't wait to listen to this tomorrow!!! I'm woefully behind on the video show but I can download this right to my iPhone. :)

I am glad V has the power of time travel...I like the in depth discussion on the audio podcast don't really worry about the start or end being on the video show...Love the Michael Stackpole interview...thanks for the show!

Is Becca in present time?

Present time!! I love presents!

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why we call it the present. (Bil Keane?)

That was a fun interview. I especially enjoyed the question from Casey (very insightful if I do say so myself).
No but seriously, great show again you two!
Are the ants really real or merely psychotropic echoes from absinth?
Yes! I was the first to successfully guess the next book pick.

Regarding the issue of actions or inactions with respect to ethical implications:
Personally I would rather regret a failed action than to regret an inaction resulting in failure.

Casey wrote: "Yes! I was the first to successfully guess the next book pick"

Good get. Your post pointed me in the right direction. Kudos to you. :-)

I'm guessing Tom won't give a clue for his September Laser pick ;-)

My guess is something by Philip K. Dick. Possibly The Man in the High Castle

I am happy that you can reach a wider audience on youtube, but splitting the content into audio and video doesn't really work for me.
(IMO the video doesn't add anything to the show.)
The main problem is that youtube doesn't allow you to just put the (extended) audiotrack of the youtubeshow out as a podcast.
As much as I hate going to youtube to listen to a podcast, I would prefer two separate shows.
You could use the "old" podcastfeed to do something different.

(I'm now subscribed to sword and laser via the rss feed of the website, so I don't miss a show.
I know I am in the minority, I also usually skip the interviews with authors.)

Let me say, great episode! It was really awesome to hear the detailed discussion of the book. Also, the interview was great, and we got a few recommendations out of him so that was nice too.

As far as the duplication of the audio and video regarding the closeout of the books, I can't really say. For me, I watch the YouTube and listen to the audio show, so I won't miss anything if you only do the closeouts and kickoffs on one or the other. But... I guess the real question for you guys should be, how many people watch and listen, and how many just do the audio, or just the video? If 80% of the audience does both, then I'd say that you should not bother with duplicating things. If you find that most people do just one or the other, then you might want to do kickoffs and closeouts in both places to be sure everyone gets the discussion.

But once again, I'll say great show and great discussion!

I'd like a wrap-up on the podcast even if it means rehashing the segment from the video show.

YES YES YES! Assasins apprentice is the next book wooohooooo! been wanting to read that so badly!

Haven't gotten that far in listening to the show yet, but glad to see the next pick is a book I've already read. Means I can continue plowing through my other books while still partaking in the discussion. :)

@terpkristin oops sorry for the spoiler!

Tassie Dave wrote: "I'm guessing Tom won't give a clue for his Se..."

Tom might not give a clue to his pick but Veronica may. After all, it was Tom who ratted-out the second letter of her book pick :)

***
On a separate note, Veronica is on the beaches of Hawaii? That's pretty cool.
I've always wanted to go to Antarctica and Easter Island myself.

The September book pick will be basic.

I'm in the present...I think, but I'll second Tom, always happy to receive presents!

Mohrravvian wrote: "But... I guess the real question for you guys should be, how many people watch and listen, and how many just do the audio, or just the video?"

Sounds like we need to get a poll going. I also wonder how many people who follow either format are members here.

Tom wrote: "The September book pick will be basic."


Hmm, basic - I am thinking I could almost guess your pick from that description.
I'm looking forward, come September, to seeing if I am right.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the next author they're interviewing...

Kim wrote: "Sounds like we need to get a poll going. I also wonder how many people who follow either format are members here."


That would be an interesting poll.
I try to keep up with both the video and podcast but sometimes end up falling behind with watching the video show

Casey wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "I'm guessing Tom won't give a clue for his Se..."

Tom might not give a clue to his pick but Veronica may. After all, it was Tom who ratted-out the second letter of her book pi..."

In this month's National Geographics, the cover story was about how the natives of Easter Island way back carved the Moai, and moved them. Basically they moved them down a road by making them to walk by having people on its back and two sides.

Casey wrote: "That would be an interesting poll."

Poll now up
How do you get your S&L fix?

Tom wrote: "The September book pick will be basic."

I prefer pascal.

Yay, I'm so excited for next months pick. I've looked at this book so many times at the book shop that I can't quite understand why I never bought it. I think everytime I looked, I would be in the middle of a long fantasy series, and so I'd think to myself 'next time, Assassin's Apprentice, next time', and then I'd forget about that, and start something else instead. Now it's day is finally coming. :D

(and just £3.99 from the kindle store - not bad! :D)

Kevin wrote: "In this month's National Geographics, the cover story was about how the natives of Easter Island way back carved the Moai, and moved them. Basically they moved them down a road by making them to walk by having people on its back and two sides."


Oh cool! Thanks for the heads-up.
Off to find the article.

Becca wrote: "Here's the new podcast! Sorry for the delay on posting this here, blame my continuing jealously of Veronica's Hawaiian getaway.

http://www.swordandlaser.com/home/201......"

Looking forward to listening to this. After reading the x-wing series years ago, I am looking forward to listening to this podcast.

Finally, a book that I've already read. Not sure if that's happened before or not in this group. Of course, now the question is whether or not to re-read it, as it's been a while :-)

I think you guys shouldn't worry so much about spoilers. This is nearly the end of the month and as long as you say, "Okay, we're going to talk about the book now," then those who haven't finished can stop and listen later. That "thing he did to Dresden" conversation was just getting too twisted trying to avoid spoilers.

That's the great thing about the podcast/video formats. We can watch them whenever we want. I skipped the Leviathan Wakes author interview when it came on the first time, but after the book was picked and I finished it, I went back and watched.

Tamahome wrote: "I prefer pascal."

Nah, BASIC is cool. It's what I learnt to program on.

What I'd like to know though is there any particular reason for the next two books being dictated? Is it just that Tom and Veronica decided they just wanted to read their own selections for the next two months or do the picks have connections with some events that I don't know about yet (like picking The Hobbit in December when the film will be coming out)?

Re: spoilers in the book discussion

I would prefer full spoilers, after the kickoff show AND/OR simply put where the big spoilers are in the show notes so people can skip if they want

Ruth wrote: "Yay, I'm so excited for next months pick. I've looked at this book so many times at the book shop that I can't quite understand why I never bought it. I think everytime I looked, I would be in the ..."

Ive been doing exactly the same thing!!

Veronica going to pick what ever paperback she find in the setback on her return flight. Brace yourself.

I agree with Cattfish: you can't have a book club that discusses books without spoilers! We're here to read and discuss, and we shouldn't have to dance around it.

On the subject of spoilers:

I think the way that T & V have been handling the issue of SPOILER has worked nicely. Unless there is going to be some sort of strict timetable wherein each week has a span of pages that we must must must read, there is going to be some spoiling. This is unavoidable but both Tom and Veronica tend to give a verbal "spoiler alert" before they begin discussing uncharted story territory.

Can't we readers take some personal responsibility and choose whether we listen/view the show if the discussion begins getting into an area we haven't read yet? The shows will still be there when you are ready for them, it's not like the podcasts and video will mysteriously evaporate leaving you empty and without purpose. Lets allow Tom and Veronica to do what they are doing so well and not rock the boat too much.

Too many rules tend to restrict moments of spontaneous expressions of authentic thought and feeling. In part, this is what makes The Sword and Laser work, in my opinion.

I think you need to bite the bullet and have seperate books for the youTube show and podcast. It will stop all of the problems with multiple wrap-ups and spoliers.

It could work to your advantage - it allows you to have a sword and laser book in progress at one time, swapping the selection for each show each month. It would give the club members a choice as well.

I know it means more reading, but by selecting some old and some new books, that can be mitigated a little (i.e. old books may have been read already as with Hobbs book in August).

Enjoyed the interview BTW.

Martin wrote: "I think you need to bite the bullet and have seperate books for the youTube show and podcast. It will stop all of the problems with multiple wrap-ups and spoliers.

It could work to your advantage ..."

I kinda like this idea. Have a Sword pick on the cast and a laser pick on the show, then swap each month. Those Sword only fans would be jumping from show to cast and it would be a great way to really see the demographics of followers.

You know, I could deal with that.

Sword and Laser isn't the only thing that Tom and Veronica do. Trying to shoe horn another book read into their schedule every month is probably not logistically possible for them. Also I say stay with what has worked. A book a month is reasonable. Two required books if you want to follow both shows makes it feel more like a job than a fun hobby.

I definitely do not want to start doing 2 books per month. I already have my own to-read list and I don't want to have to try to manage that plus keep up with 2 other books per month at a time. I read fast, but I agree with Nick - let's not make this more work than fun.

They already do 2 books a month -- Vaginal Fantasy. :)

I spose this would only work for those folks who haven't gone through all of the old podcasts, but you could go back and listen and read the old book selections and then comment in the threads here? I mean there could even be a contingent of new people who make up a small subgroup and work their way from episode 1 up to the present. Just a thought... I know I'm really enjoying the back podcast episodes and it's a nice way to get my Sword and Laser fix when I'm jonesin bad.

I'm working my way up through the podcasts and am currently on episode #37.

Nick wrote: "Sword and Laser isn't the only thing that Tom and Veronica do. Trying to shoe horn another book read into their schedule every month is probably not logistically possible for them. Also I say sta..."

Oh, I know that. I watch almost everything Tom does daily, it was just a pie in the sky type of request.

Nick wrote: "Trying to shoe horn another book read into their schedule every month is probably not logistically possible for them."

Yes, this is a downside, and probably means it can't happen. They only so much time, and they probably have jobs they actually get paid for as well. Just throwing the idea up to see if it floats.

Smaller books? Comics? 6 week reading windows? Put you heads together guys!

I think comics is a great idea! There is so much great comic books in sci-fi and fantasy genres, I would love them to be read and discussed in S&L. Only Alan Moore's works itself should provide at least a year's supply in fantasy literature!

I just wanted to say How much I enjoy the Interview with Michael Stackpole. It was fascinating to here what lead up to him writing the starwars stuff he did. And the interview all round was awesome. thank you.

FYI, my library put the 'historical fiction' tag on Temeraire.