It’s our first episode after New Year’s and we’re still recovering. Thank goodness Neil Gaiman, the Wertzone and Stephen Chow are here to perk us up. Plus we kick off our January book, The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany. 

Direct download link here!

WHAT ARE WE DRINKING?

Tom: Earl Grey

Veronica: Literally nothing

QUICK BURNS

2014 Hugo Award Nomination Period Is Now Open
Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane named 2013 Book of the Year
The Wertzone Awards 2013
300 Years of Imaginary Space Ships: 1630-1920
What Does Sherlock Entering the Public Domain Really Mean?
Reading a Novel Alters Your Brain Connectivity — So What?
Our Flipboard Magazine is out!

CALENDAR

TV, MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES

Stephen Chow’s Journey to the West is delightfully insane

BOOK Kick-Off

The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R Delany (Damon Knight Grand Master Recipient)
Wikipedia article on Einstein Intersection

BARE YOUR SWORD

Marie Brennan still answering your questions
Reading Goals for 2014 (again!)

Proud member of the Boing Boing! network and Frogpants Studios.

This video is part of our re-release of the first season of Sword and Laser videos as they exit exclusivity. This episode originally posted December 28, 2012.

Download the episode here.

Subscribe to the video encores as a podcast, and in iTunes!

And of course get all the show notes at the original post from last year.

We chat with Marie Brennan about her historical fiction her fictionalized history and all kinds of matters relating to anthropology, ethnography, archaeology and natural history. And dragons. Plus get a peek at how much glee she takes in chopping off hands. That and more insights coming your way in this interview with Marie Brennan.

Direct download link!

Wikipedia article on Marie Brennan

Swan Tower (Marie Brennan’s site)

This video is part of our re-release of the first season of Sword and Laser videos as they exit exclusivity. This episode originally posted December 21, 2012.

Download the episode here.

Subscribe to the video encores as a podcast, and in iTunes!

And of course get all the show notes at the original post from last year.

It’s a no-holds barred episode where Tom and Veronica reveal their most horrible secrets.  Happy Christmas! Also good news from Scott Lynch, slightly bad news from Charles Stross, and the book character you want on your side in a bar fight.    

WHAT ARE WE DRINKING?    
Tom: Talisker 18    
Veronica: 2010 Pali Wine Co. Tower 15 The Jetty    
    
QUICK BURNS    
    
New writer hired to continue ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ book series    
PSA: Why there won’t be a third book in the Halting State trilogy    
Scott Lynch on THE THORN OF EMBERLAIN    
New Yorker on Kim Stanley Robinson: “Our Greatest Political Novelist”    
    

CALENDAR
   
TV, MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES    
    
First Tantalizing Footage from Game of Thrones Season 4!    

BOOK WRAP-UP   
    
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent (but actually by Marie Brennan)    
    
Alt: His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik    
    
Next Book: Einstein Intersection by Samuel R Delany (Damon Knight Grand Master Recipient)    
    
BARE YOUR SWORD    
Reading Goals for 2014    
Improved version of Reading Goals thread    
Favorite Series?    
When in trouble, who’d you want watching your back?    
    
EMAIL    
    
I just wanted to send along a thank you to you guys and the whole sword and laser community. Thanks to the sword and laser hive-mind I was able to pull together the resources I needed to complete my Masters Thesis in History. I defended my thesis today and passed! Sword and laser’s book club also provided a much needed respite from the demands of grad school. If anyone’s interested I wrote my thesis on the perception of the atomic bomb in American media in the postwar period. And so many people from this group helped me find the works I needed to bolster my research. Thanks again! 

-Bethany 
    
ADDENDUMS    
Borderlands Meetup Jan. 20     

Try these other fine Boing Boing podcasts    

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Direct download link to show!

This video is part of our re-release of the first season of Sword and Laser videos as they exit exclusivity. This episode originally posted December 14, 2012.

Download the episode here.

Subscribe to the video encores as a podcast, and in iTunes!

And of course get all the show notes at the original post from last year.

We had a really good time chatting with Sam Sykes, author of the Aeon’s Gate series. Among other things, we learned what a flying shark is good for, why he left the Horde, what a “stealfie” is, and how Sam keeps his daily threat-making to a minimum. Plus your questions!  Enjoy.

Sam Sykes official website

And just because….

Podcast direct download link!

This video is part of our re-release of the first season of Sword and Laser videos as they exit exclusivity. This episode originally posted December 7, 2012.

Download the episode here.

Subscribe to the video encores as a podcast, and in iTunes!

And of course get all the show notes at the original post from last year.

Friend-of-the-podcast Scott Sigler has released a majorly creepy (and NSFW) book trailer for his Infected series finale, Pandemic! Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments! 

Hey everyone!

If you’re in the Bay Area, please come join me and Tom at Borderlands Books on January 20th at 5pm. We’ll be reading selections from the Anthology, discussing the current book pick (TBD), and then heading across the street for adult libations afterwards!

The event is free, but we’ll have plenty of copies of the February book pick on hand to purchase. Plus, Borderlands is awesome, and you won’t be able to leave the store empty-handed! 

If you plan on attending, please RSVP on the Goodreads event page! Hope to see you there!