S&L Podcast - #537 - Roman Fantasy is Romantasy?

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Starlog is back! The Le Guin shortlist is out. Why Tom is naked. We kick off our July read and struggle to understand why some people think Red Rising is Romantasy. Now we know.

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What Are We Nomming?

  • Tom: Panko-crusted tilapia with roasted potatoes and braised zucchini

  • Veronica: Strawberry spritzer

Quick Burns

  • Tamahome: A new China Miéville novel is coming. View on The Broken Binding

  • Mark: Starlog (the magazine) is returning this fall with Annalee Newitz as editor! Her colleagues in this endeavor will also produce a weekly podcast and a newsletter. Starlog.com

  • Tamahøme: Neal Stephenson’s next book has been announced. View on HarperCollins

  • Mark and Chris K.: The 2026 Le Guin Prize for Fiction Shortlist is out! The 2026 selection panel includes Nicola Griffith, Mat Johnson, Fonda Lee, Darcie Little Badger, and Peter Rock. The winner will be announced on October 21, 2026 (Le Guin’s birthday). Read more at Locus

    • Audition by Pip Adam

    • Sunward by William Alexander

    • Call and Response by Christopher Caldwell

    • Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung, tr. Anton Hur

    • The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes

    • Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman

    • Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta

    • One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed

    • Slow Gods by Claire North

  • Trike: I found out from an Instagram post by P. Djèlí Clark that Subterranean Press is closing down. After a long career of publishing gorgeous limited editions, collections, art books, and novellas, publisher Bill Schafer shared the news that Subterranean Press will be permanently closing in the coming years. They intend to continue publishing work through the end of 2027, "which may bleed into 2028 as we wrap things up." Read more at Locus

Bare Your Sword

Kevin: I was going to say something rude about why Romantasy readers like Red Rising but instead I'll just say that Red Rising could have been worse if the idiot girl from Fourth Wing showed up moaning on and on and on about how much she hated that guy because of something, something but he's so hot that even though she hates him, he makes her all moist in her nether regions.

John replied: I haven't read Fourth Wing as romantasy really isn't my thing but this comment is making me reconsider that decision as it made me laugh out loud :-D

Ruth: Good to hear Tom singing another K-pop bop on the show! Boompala Boompala Boompala yeah…

Alan: Did Veronica call There Is No Antimemetics Division "There is No Anti-metrics Division"? That sounds more like a shadowy group opposing SI units.

John replied: There is a panoply of such groups in the UK, all in favour of, and I am being VERY kind in my language here, the "legacy" Imperial measurement system.

Jan: (If you're not visiting the Bare Your Sword forum in the Discord you missed this!) "What I posted was actually the third version. In the first version Donut wore a royal cape, so I did specify in the second image for Tom to be 'carrying a black and beige and white tortie Persian cat with a pink purple tiara and sunglasses but no other clothes' and the AI created this... 🫣" View on Discord

Aaron Bell: I am 90% confident that the Slow Wings episode had a fast food ad for me. I was mildly amused by that. Does the editor choose where the ad break goes, or is that entirely out of their hands?

Book of the Month Discussion

Kick Off

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa, translated by Slin Jung

Final Thoughts (Spoilery)

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Stephen: I am 70% in. It could be like The Dresden Files where the first two books were okay but the series hits its stride in Book 3. For me it was Grapes of Wrath to Pygmalion (My Fair Lady) to Lord of the Flies. I did buy Book Two in the series when it was on sale, which I have heard said is a marked improvement.

NotSoRedEd: This is the first Sword and Laser book since I returned to the podcast with The Hexologists that I have abandoned without finishing. I’ve just completely lost interest in it. I thought the initial concept of an oppressive government keeping its citizens in slavery while they live in luxury was a great one, especially with the lying part about the terraforming of the planet (although I did see the twist coming). I also loved the bit where he was transformed into a Gold. But since the passage section, the whole Hunger Games style challenges have completely lost my interest. I simply don’t care what happens to any of the characters; I just think this section has been going on far too long. I noticed that I’m just putting the audiobook on to finish it rather than actually enjoying it. So for the first time in ages, I’ve decided to simply abandon a book. Anyone else feel the same way? View on Discord

Liqorice: I've seen a few places where romantasy readers proclaim their love for this book. I can see it being something that is aimed at a YA audience, but I don't see the romantasy appeal. I read it a while back but I don't recall any spice. Some of the posts I've seen emphasize how everything our protagonist does stems from love for his wife and how he is willing to destroy civilization for her memory — I guess they don't think of it as fridging? I'm just confused by the popularity of this book in general and with BookTok in particular. Clearly, I'm not the target audience. What am I missing? View on Discord

J.kidd: Something I keep turning over with Red Rising is how much of its narrative pleasure comes from the thing it's supposedly condemning. Obviously, the brutality of the Institute and the hypocrisy of the allegedly meritocratic system is depicted as Bad. However, while I'm reading the book I'm not really thinking "this is what's wrong with stratified societies," I'm more thinking "wouldn't it be thrilling to be good enough to win at this." I don't think Pierce Brown necessarily intended it, but it feels like you're meant to hate what Gold represents and also, somewhere in your lizard brain, want the sigil. There's a similar kind of dissonance in The Will of the Many. View on Discord

Addendums

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