S&L Podcast - #529 - Fuzzy Edges
/A voter's guide to our March Madness tournament. How to define genres. Your favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy quotes. And we wrap up our thoughts on Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint.
WHAT ARE WE NOMMING?
Tom: Penne Bolognese Veronica: More Hot Chocolate than Woman Now
Patreon Change
The Week of March 23rd, 2026, Patreon will migrate us from per episode to monthly billing.
Your membership will be converted from a “per creation” amount to a “monthly” amount, and you will remain on the same tier you are on and receive the same benefits. Below are the new monthly tier prices given to us by Patreon:
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Thanks for your understanding as we make this change. We're telling you now so you have time to make any adjustments before this takes effect on March 21st. Let us know if you have any questions. And thanks for supporting Sword and Laser!
QUICK BURNS
March Madness is underway! Cast your votes on the Official Tournament Page or view the Full Poll List on Goodreads.
Electra Rex — April C. Griffith vs. There Is No Antimemetics Division — qntm Vote Electra Rex if you want a bold, darkly inventive fantasy with sharp twists. Vote Antimemetics Division if you’re into clever, mind-bending sci-fi horror.
Galactic Patrol — E.E. “Doc” Smith vs. The Eyre Affair — Jasper Fforde Vote Galactic Patrol for classic space opera. Vote The Eyre Affair for a genre-bending literary mystery.
The Book of Records — Madeleine Thien vs. Slow Gods — Claire North Vote The Book of Records for emotionally rich storytelling. Vote Slow Gods for sharp, philosophical sci-fi.
Lord of Light — Roger Zelazny vs. Remnant Population — Elizabeth Moon Vote Lord of Light for mythic imagination. Vote Remnant Population for character-driven survival.
Water Moon — Samantha Sotto Yambao vs. The Mask of Mirrors — M.A. Carrick Vote Water Moon for cultural depth. Vote The Mask of Mirrors for cunning intrigue and layered heists.
Unsouled — Will Wight vs. He Who Fights with Monsters — Shirtaloon Vote Unsouled for tightly structured cultivation. Vote He Who Fights with Monsters for character-driven LitRPG with humor.
The Raven Scholar — Antonia Hodgson vs. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath — Moniquill Blackgoose Vote The Raven Scholar for gothic mystery. Vote To Shape a Dragon’s Breath for lyrical fantasy and sweeping adventure.
Of Monsters and Mainframes — Barbara Truelove vs. The Blacktongue Thief — Christopher Buehlman Vote Of Monsters and Mainframes for tech-meets-magic adventure. Vote The Blacktongue Thief for gritty, sharp-tongued sword-and-sorcery.
News & Announcements
Tamahome: New Becky Chambers in October: As You Wake, Break the Shell.
James Islington: Releasing some sci-fi, Scion, in between his fantasy series (Sep 1, 2026).
speciousreasons: The 2026 Hugo nominations are now open.
trpw: The Royal Shakespeare Company is putting on a Game of Thrones play, The Mad King, in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer. Read the BBC announcement here.
JasonReads: [NEW ACHIEVEMENT] Playmates is going to release Dungeon Crawler Carl action figures.
Seth: The Heinlein Society has awarded Andy Weir the 2026 Robert A. Heinlein Award.
Chris K: Finalists for the 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction have been announced.
Chris K: The Horror Writers Association has announced the final ballot for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards.
BARE YOUR SWORD
Paul on Genre Definitions: "Speculative fiction explores a 'What if...' question that could not be explored in the world as we know it... Sci-fi answers 'What if...' questions that COULD happen... while Fantasy answers What Ifs that COULD NOT happen... midichlorians in Star Wars... whether you agree with their assessment of science or not, that was the intent." Join the discussion on Goodreads.
Trike: "That doesn’t work for me... Pern is absolutely not Science Fiction... Dragons with telepathy and teleportation just because they will it? Utter Fantasy."
Jan on Favorite Quotes: "Mine is from Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett: '...at a time like this it behooves all decent men to nearly stand up and be almost heard... No one said anything. The cowards, thought each man.'" Join the Discord discussion.
BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION
KICK OFF Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz Bookshop link
WRAP UP Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint Bookshop Link
Community Notes
Tamahome: Check out the episode notes on Discord.
Shane: "Carrie is the worst offender... we get her internal monologue about how she just doesn't get it over and over again." Full comment here.
JasonB: "This pick made me feel nostalgic for the 90s... ISTWATBBOD made me think about my relationship to the Internet."
ScottM: "This book is both grounded in an interconnected web of family... and at the same time mythic in scale." Read more on Discord.
ADDENDUMS
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You can also support the show by buying books through our links! Find links to the books we talk about and some of our favorites at swordandlaser.com.
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