S&L Podcast - #425 - Literary Mosaic

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.

Download directly here!

WHAT ARE WE DRINKING?

Tom: Korean Food

Veronica: GunBun Chardonay

Worldbuilders is live! it runs until December 14th.

Rob created a team page for Sword & Laser:

Worldbuilders is a geeky, book-centered charity working to build a better world!

Please help us support Worldbuilders & Heifer International by making a donation through our page. The process is fast, easy and secure. Thanks so much for your support... and please don't forget to send this page to any friends you think might be interested in donating!"

QUICK BURNS

Tamahome: Amazon has a wheel of Time guide in case you're lost

Mark: Here's an interesting new graphic novel The History of Science Fiction: A Graphic Novel Adventure by Xavier Dollo with art by Djibril Morissette-Phan

Trike: The Barnes & Noble Speculative Fiction Book of the Year is Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, the author of The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Jan: Ridley Scott has revealed that both an Alien and a Blade Runner live action series are in the works.

Mark: The audiobook of Aftermath by LeVar Burton, read by the author, has been nominated for a Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album (Category #58)

Have any other SF&F tales have been nominated for a Grammy?

Seth: Best-of lists are starting to be thick on the ground, but I thought this one was worth linking here. Picked by notable authors (Lavie Tidhar and Silvia Moreno-Garcia) and including some books I hadn't heard of before.

Buzz

Leviathan Falls, the 9th and final novel in The Expanse just dropped!!

(Running and jumping around the house with my arms flapping over my head and a crazed look on my face while shouting 'woo hoo!!'...)

Mark

Jade Legacy, the 3rd and final novel in the Green Bone Saga just dropped!!

See previous post for "running jumping flapping crazed shouting"

BARE YOUR SWORD

@hmmeade: @ReadingGPodcast is a great one for book lovers. And @swordandlaser is a great sci/fi/fantasy book podcast. @metamilkpod is a wonderful "life's big questions" kind of podcast. @officeladiespod is fun if you are a "Office" fan.

@tt_linse @swordandlaser I've loved you for a long time, but now I'm totally invested and it's torture between episodes! You're toying with me! "

Ruth: I love the verbal picture of me as the leader of a plucky band of rebels, going against the tyranny of the official October book pick! Also, I love the concept of a “300-page novella.” Kind of like a three-course snack, or a forty-mile marathon. That’s Tad Williams for you I guess" "Jenny: I think in the past when an alt-pick has been unofficial it was referred to as a "rogue read." So Ruth is the ROGUE leader of a plucky band of rebels, obviously."

BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION

Kick Off

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

WRAP UP

Aurora Rising/The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds

HarryB in Discord: I've been reading Revelation Space all out of order, but I still love it all. I am one of those people who don't mind reading things out of order, and for many books, (no criticism here) the genre is predictable enough that I can understand what's going on (Reynolds, less so, but not less enjoyable - I revel in all his inventions). I had read the sequel to Aurora Rising, Elysium Fire, back in 2019. I'm not sure I've even got the feeling of "oh now I understand" feeling after reading Aurora Rising / The Prefect -- it's all such a crazy quilt you just flow with it. I wonder if anyone else has been reading out of order, and what's your experience. Chasm City has been on my TBR list, but I'm wondering if I should listen to one of those Internet 'reading order' lists?

Tamahome: Reynolds himself says the books are a "mosaic" not a "series".

Our show is currently entirely funded by our patrons. Thank you to all the folks who back our show and if you would like to support the show that way head to patreon.com/swordandlaser

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/picks.


S&L Podcast - #424 - Prefect's Progress

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/The Prefect by Alistair Reynolds.

Download directly here!

WHAT ARE WE DRINKING?

Tom: Rebel Hard Pumpkin Spice Latte

Veronica: Gunbun Zinfandel

"Mark: Ok, our hosts have a ""What are we drinking segment?"" in the podcast so this news item is fair game, right? Limited edition vodka, coming November 18. Your choice of Arby's Crinkle Fry or Arby's Curly Fry flavor. Will go well with a nice fantasy pick for December."

QUICK BURNS

Jan: The winners of the 2021 World Fantasy Awards have been announced

Jan: Bookpage's best Science Fiction & Fantasy books of 2021 are

Minsta: A special for the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary (movies) will be coming to HBO Max on 1/1/22

And Tamahome tipped us off to a Hogwarts Tournament of Roses game show coming November 28th hosted by Helen Mirren on TBS and Cartoon Network

Gristle McNerd: There's going to be new audiobooks of the Discworld novels, featuring big fancy famous people as the narrators

Jan: Philip K. Dick's novel Vulcan’s Hammer is getting adapted as a movie. Director Francis Lawrence (Hunger Games, I am Legend) is attached.

Aethon: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has named Mercedes Lackey as the 38th Damon Knight Grand Master.

AndrewP: Tad Williams is back on form. On his website he announced that the third volume of his second Osten Ard trilogy is so massive that it will have to be split and published as two books:) And more

Jan: Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery, Penny Dreadful) has been cast as Captain Nemo in the upcoming Disney+ series "Nemo"

Richard: Taika Waititi… is planning to co-write and direct an adaption of the graphic novel The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius.

Tamahome: This is a test trailer for an animated version of The Incal that unfortunately never happened.

BARE YOUR SWORD

Mark: There is a Kraft singles book titled ""20 Slices"" by Ben Denzer. It was acquired by the University of Michigan Art, Architecture & Engineering Library for one of their Special Collections. The book is kept in a controlled environment, but alas, mold has set in.

Jan: I assume there won't be a youtube video this time [ed. Ep 423]? Not a problem, just wondering...

Unofficial October alt-read: Mexican Gothic

BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION

Non-spoilery Check In

Aurora Rising/The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds

Book briefing

AR: What does Dreyfus look like to you?

AR: Being thrown into the deep end...

—-

maljking — 11/15/2021

Seems like a lot of people are really loving this book and the universe it’s set in. Add me to that list. Alistair Reynolds has long been on my TBR but I’ve never really looked into what he’s written, and I’m trying to keep it that way until I’m finished this book.

Can see myself adding whatever else he’s done to my pile."

—-

"Finished the audiobook last night on the ride home, I think I had a few hours to spare before the auto return to the library. I both remembered and misrememberd parts of the story from when I originally read it. I did still like it on this reread, it is a good story, and I can see why he made a sequel. Even after rereading this I'm surprised with the rename, but it may make more sense to the series. I was actually surprised he didn't call them the Clockmaker Chronicles, I liked the alliteration.

Tamahome —

Aurora Ascending?

Gristle McNerd —

Dreyfus Dramas

Tamahome —

Sparver’s Speculations

ttlinse —

Dreyfus's Dreadfuls?

Tamahome —

Dreyfus’s Denouement

Deseao —

Prefect's Progress

Tamahome —

Jane's Pain

Deseao —

Do Supreme Prefects NOT Dream Of Electric Scarab Implants?"

ADDENDUMS

Our show is currently entirely funded by our patrons. Thank you to all the folks who back our show and if you would like to support the show that way head to patreon.com/swordandlaser

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/picks

S&L Podcast - #423 - Shrike Stans

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 Reynolds novel that may be called The Prefect or Aurora Rising depending on where you buy it.

Download directly here!

WHAT CHEESE ARE WE EATING?

Tom: St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel

Veronica: Gundlach Bunschu Gewürztraminer

QUICK BURNS

Mark: Legendary Comics is kickstarting the official Dune graphic novel adaptation.

Mark: Up for auction later this month: Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune

Mark: Season 2 of Orphan Black: The Next Chapter dropped Friday Oct 29.

Trike: Barnes & Noble book of the year finalists:

Trike: The Witcher, season 2, December 17, Netflix.

Jan: There's a full trailer now for the Wheel of Time series on Amazon Prime Video

Jan: A trailer for the adaptation of the novel "Station Eleven"" has been released: Station Eleven"

Mark: Hyperion by Dan Simmons, which was previously in development as a tv series, now being developed for film by Bradley Cooper

BARE YOUR SWORD

Veronica Belmont @Veronica That feeling when you're reading a review of a book and it includes a verb that you made up one time. cc: @swordandlaser https://t.co/cmePfd6I0h"

Trike: 17 Indigenous Science Fiction And Fantasy Books To Read This Month

Elizabeth @veronica here is a BYS: The number of people watching Riverside is awesome, thanks for doing live vid recordings of the podcast in the middle of the day in Australia!"

BOOK OF THE MONTH DISCUSSION

KICKOFF

Aurora Rising/The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds

Book briefing

AR: curated glossary