Interview with Daniel Suarez – The S&L Podcast #027

We had the distinct pleasure of chatting with Daniel Suarez, author of previous Sword and Laser pick Daemon, as well as the new sequel Freedom (TM) that just came out January 7th. Get some insight into how much of the world of the Darknet Daniel really thinks could happen, and why.

Quick Burns

Star Trek going boldly again: Stardate 2012 for sequel undocking

Spider-Man 4 Scrapped, Franchise Reboot Planned

Free Online: F&SF’s Tale Of A Dog That Is Not A Dog, And A Messy Love Triangle

Don’t forget to pick up your free copy of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow! It’s the next official pick!

Sponsor: Visit our partner Sticker Fu. Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers.

Interview with Daniel Suarez – The S&L Podcast #027

The Mists of Avalon Recap – The S&L Podcast #026

Heads up! We know Veronica said it was episode 27 (en español) but that’s because she was working with Tom’s bad episode number intel. We’re really on #26, and we’ve finally made it through Mists of Avalon and have a recap for you. Overall we liked it, and Tom gets into some of the Arthurian Legend underpinnings.

QUICK BURNS – unrelated news of the month

Sci-Fi Author Peter Watts Beaten, Charged During Border Crossing

20 Best Science Fiction Books Of The Decade

Extinct Bees and Drugs Haunt Douglas Coupland’s “Generation A”

BARE YOUR SWORD – feedback from the audience

Josh Lawrence’s pics for the Sword and Laser song

Have you guys ever had a book that you really wanted to read but just couldn’t get into? Did you persevere with it?

I haven’t read a lot of retellings of Arthurian legend other than the classics, but has Atlantis been connected with is before now?

What’s next? One of the Top 20! But which one? Make your nomination persuasively on the Ning forum.

New partner Sticker Fu. Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers at http://www.stickerfu.com/

The Mists of Avalon Recap – The S&L Podcast #026

Interview with Brandon Sanderson– The S&L Podcast #025

We had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Brandon Sanderson, co-author of the next installment of the Wheel of Time Series; The Gathering Storm. Brandon told us how he got into writing, what books he likes to read and how he ended up with the honor of finishing the work of Robert Jordan.

 

Quick Burns
JC Hutchins’s sf novel 7TH SON serialized here on Boing Boing, Part 1

Colfer’s Hitchhiker’s Guide Sequel Will Be His Last

Mists of Avalon
We’re still rolling! Expect a wrap-up episode in December.
Join the Mists of Avalon Group on Ning!

Join the Club!
In the Ning forums there are active conversations about Dragon*Con 2010, EBook Readers, Movie recommendations and more.

ADDENDUMS
Don’t forget out new partner Sticker Fu. Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off their awesome nerd/geek stickers!

Interview with Brandon Sanderson– The S&L Podcast #025

#023 – The S&L Podcast: Live from Dragon*Con with Timothy Zahn

We had a fantastic time at Dragon*Con! Thanks to everyone who showed up for the recording, and Timothy Zahn for being an outstanding guest. Special thanks to Swoopy and Derek for inviting us in and helping us out tremendously, Jon for running about the room with a mic so we could the excellent audience feedback, and to all the folks in the Dragon*Con podcasting track who helped us sound perfect. Plus a SUPER thanks to Kathryn for designing and obtaining the t-shirts and Kim for helping us drag them around and distribute them.

QUICK BURNS

New Hitchhiker’s Guide book “not very funny”

Ariel: post-apocalyptic sword-and-sorcery adventure

Casting for Game of Thrones HBO pilot!

BARE YOUR SWORD – feedback from the audience

Mixing Media Alters My Brain – Posted by aldenoneil on September 2, 2009 at 12:22pm A phenomenon occurs occasionally, where I’ll be reading a book concurrently with playing through a videogame, and my reading of the novel is effected. This time around it’s Warcraft III and The Forever War. Reading through a description about a certain base under construction, all I could envision was little soldiers with low polygon counts and blocky grey buildings rising whole from the surface. I don’t believe that was the author’s intention.

Of course it occurs with movies – reading through The Lord of the Rings will never be the same for any of us, for example – but videogames present a more stylized vision, which really f*cks my sh*t up, for lack of a better phrase. It really points to how subjective an experience reading a novel is.

Does this happen to anyone else? Milder forms include casting actors or friends in roles, or envisioning natural settings as versions of places that you’ve actually been to. That’s why descriptions of nature scenes have always been difficult for me; I live in a bubble.

http://swordandlaser.ning.com/group/videogames/forum/topics/mixing-media-alters-my-brain

District 9
Posted by Chris M: Okay, maybe I’m jaded but I don’t get it. District 9 was a complete let down to me. I left the theater feeling like I’d seen that theme done a dozen times, usually more successfully . I don’t want to drop any spoilers, so I won’t go into detail, but for someone who is into sci-fi, District 9 presents well trod themes in a typical, unimaginative manner. The CGI was pretty interesting, but that’s about the only notable thing for me. I didn’t dislike the movie, but jeeze I’ve seen people raving about it like it’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I’d rather watch a rerun of Enemy Mine or Alien Nation.

http://swordandlaser.ning.com/forum/topics/district-9

ENGAGE – Interviews with interesting characters

Timothy Zahn – Our guest is SciFi author Timothy Zahn. He won the Hugo award in 1984 for his novella Cascade Point but is best known for the very popular Star Wars sequels known as the Thrawn Trilogy. They were authorised by Lucas and took place after Return of the Jedi. He has also written the Dragonback series and the Conquerors Trilogy, about a war between humans and aliens.

Listener Questions

What would the galaxy be like if Grand Admiral Thrawn had won? Would it be better or worse than how its turned out under the New Republic?

I’d like to know what he’s reading, and what he’s read this year. I know I bought the first Dresden Files book on Michael Stackpole’s recommendation after he read the galley.

ADDENDUMS

T-Shirts: We’re desciding the best way to distribute them on the Internets, but everybody who attened our panel at Dragon*Con got one.

Tagline: Different worlds, different discussion

Designer: Kathryn Parker

Next episode – Forever War recap and kickoff of the next book, which will be Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

 

 

#023 – The S&L Podcast: Live from Dragon*Con with Timothy Zahn

#022 – The S&L Podcast: George R. R. Martin is not your bitch

It's time to pick a new book, but for some reason we just can't stop talking about George R. R. Martin. And in some cases singing about him. But we DID pick a new book and it's The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It involves relativity, interstellar war and sad soldiers. In fact it's sometimes thought of as an anti-Starship Troopers. We think this book is a timely choice as Ridley Scott is making a 3D movie out of it. More on that in this and future episodes. If you want a sneak peek, take a look at this Forever War' Concept Art . [display_podcast] Also don't forget we're doing a live Sword and Laser in Atlanta at Dragon*Con! The show takes place Friday evening, September 4 at 8:30 PM in Hilton room 204. It will be Veronica, me and special guest Timothy Zahn. Other guests may be announced as well. BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience. Audio books are no good for SF Do you like your endings with everything-wrapped-up or open-ended? Hi Tom and Veronica, John Anealio' George R. R. Martin is not your bitch. QUICK BURNS - unrelated news of the month Robo-Ethicists Want to Revamp Asimov’s 3 Laws A Game Of Thrones pilot script leaked A brief history of SteamPunk Personal Effects: Dark Art by JC Hutchins. The book with a lot of cool extra materials. Tagline Contest Congratulations Barry O'Neil "Different worlds - different discussion"
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#021 – The S&L Podcast: A Game of Thrones

We loved A Game of Thrones, but you'll have to listen to find out why. We also get into fantasy metal songs with a metal expert, and report some news on the Game of Thrones on HBO. [display_podcast] ADDENDUMS Game of Thrones Wikis Unnoficial Songs of Ice and Fire A Wiki of Ice and Fire But Tower of the Hand is much much better! Thanks Padwen! Game of Thrones being shot for HBO Sean Bean cast as Lord Eddard. A Game of Thrones card game. BARE YOUR SWORD - feedback from the audience What Was Robert's Rebellion Really About (Minor Spoilers, Major Speculation) Check out these lizards they've discovered that swim through sand in the Sahara. They didn't mention it, but I'm guessing they smell like cinnamon. :) Love the Show, Dave in Portland Abner Senires sings amazing parody songs... this one is about the Kwisatz Haderach. ENGAGE - Interviews with interesting characters Talking to Charles Davis, from Metal Gamer and the Chizzle and Dizzle show. Holy Thunder Force: Charles dares you not to air guitar to this one. Rain of a Thousand Flames: This the one that has a nude woman in it, but Charles assures us, it is definitely the most ridiculous one they have made. Unholy WarCry: 10 minutes long and the one that has Christopher Lee dressed in a giant king costume. Magic of the Wizard's Dream: Charles says it's not that interesting of a music video, but it's the one he mentioned that has Christopher Lee singing on it. QUICK BURNS - unrelated news of the month Download DroidMaker for free 1969 Hugo Awards. Neil Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins received a Hugo Award in 1969 for The Best Moon Landing Ever. Also Novella "Dragonrider" by Anne McCaffrey [Analog Dec 1967,Jan 1968] Tagline Contest Come up with a tagline for The Sword and Laser! The winner will have their words emblazoned on the back of our new t-shirts, which will be making their debut at Dragon*Con this September!" Email theswordandlaser@gmail.com by Wednesday July 29.
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#020 - The S&L Podcast: Here There Be Dragons

While we're kicking off reading A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, we're also proud to announce we're going to Dragon*Con in Atlanta to do a live episode of Sword and Laser! We're very excited about that, especially because Veronica has been reading a book about dragons and is hoping to meet one. [display_podcast] WHY WE PICKED A GAME OF THRONES Rick on May 22, 2009 at 9:22pm I third "Game of Thrones". It is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish the China Mieville book I'm in the middle of. Also, for those upset with Mr. Martin's lack of new bookage, you should go read the comments by Niel Gaiman on his blog concerning exactly what George R. R. Martin is and is not to his readers. C on May 23, 2009 at 9:39pm Game of Thrones is fantastic, the only problem I can see with it is that anyone who reads it will be completely hooked for the rest of the series. As long as people don't mind that then it's great. I would also be interested in reading something else (as in something outside Song of Ice and Fire) by him though. Armageddon Rag is supposed to be really interesting and Fevre Dream is about vampires which is always fun. Both of those are standalone books (I think) so they might be better than starting a series? terpkristin on May 26, 2009 at 4:10am The reader for books 1-3 (Roy Dotrice) is great. I purchased the 4th book but haven't listened to it yet (read that one in hardcover on an import version), though John Lee is the narrarator, and some have said that they don't like him as much as they like Dotrice. ABOUT A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones is the first of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on 6 August 1996. The novel was nominated for the 1998 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award, and won the 1997 Locus Award. The novella Blood of the Dragon, comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. The novel lends its name to several spin-off items based on the novels, including a trading card game, board game and roleplaying game, and HBO has authorized the filming of a pilot episode based on the novels.[1] WHAT WE'VE BEEN READING Tom - Heretics of Dune Veronica - Black Powder War, Book 3 in the Temeraire series (Book 1 is here) ESSENTIAL NERD VIEWING John Hodgman administers a nerd test to President Obama. Do you know the answers? MOVIES Moon - A Film By Duncan Jones; Starring Sam Rockwell.
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#019 - S&L Podcast: Talking Daemon with Rick Klau!

We're very pleased this week to have Rick Klau, product manager at Blogger, as a guest to talk about the book Daemon. Rick is friends with author Daniel Suarez and gives some insight into the books creation and the long road to publishing. [display_podcast] We also give our impressions of the book. Which we probably didn't make clear enough, that we absolutely LOVED it. There are some good threads discussing Daemon in our Ning group. If you want to jump in try the "How would you have ended it differently?" thread or the thread discussing the encrypted text at the end of the book. Congrats to Mark who may have accidentally won our copy of Dune. Although it looks like he actually meant to enter after I'm looking at the thread post-show. Next book will be by George R. R. martin. But which one? You can weigh in on our pick the Martin book thread.
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#018 - The S&L Podcast: Kwisatz and the Haderachs

It was Dune time and we found out how much of nerd I (Tom) am for Frank Herbert's stuff and how hard it is to pronounce pretty much anything he wrote when you try to say it out loud. [display_podcast] We also found out that there are Dune influences all over popular culture including Films, spinoffs, and metal. In fact there are all kinds of heavy metal scifi influences. Including, apparently this podcast. You must listen to the end to hear the rockingest book club rock anthem ever to rock. And we also form a new band based on Dune. More info, including club members thoughts on Dune, in the podcast and after the jump. Dune comments Hard to get into - Terpkristin Bizarre early attempt to make a film of Dune - Josh Lawrence Great lines - Sean o'Hara One thing I love about Dune is the great quotes it provides. - A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct. - Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset. (For some reason I imagine Gurney sounding like Groundskeeper Willy when he says this) - I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. What are the ones that stand out to you? Comment by Sh1mm3r Does anyone else find the sentence structure a little wacky? I find myself having to re-read some to understand what is being said. I'm in the first few pages though. I might just need to get into the rhythm. Tom's currently reading the Butlerian Jihad by K. Anderson (one of the extended universe novels - a prequel actually) Thread of the month Books with both Sword and Lasers Next Book: Daemon (buy here)
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#017 - The S&L Podcast: Let's talk about ...er... sex?

Really, most of the episode is about The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan: UPDATE: Hopefully the file will work now in iTunes! [display_podcast] We disucssed the paralells to other fantasy worlds like Lord of the Rings and even World of Warcraft. We also passed along Randy's post from the Ning site about the Robert Jordan convention which you can find out more about by visiting www.AgeofLegends.net. But then we got to talking about Watchmen near the end and one thing led to another. It all came back around to Robert Jordan though as we discussed Sean O'Hara's Ning thread called Sexbots and dragons. Speaking of the Ning group, we called out a couple of user-created groups that aren't related to official book club selections. Take a gander at the Alternate History group if you like to pretend things are different than they way they really are. And a really cool group that crosses TV fandom with literature, The Lost literary references group. Finally we settled on Frank Herbert's Dune as the next book. We'll kick it off in the April episode, so if you have any questions, or non-spoiler thoughts for newbies to the book, let us know here in the comments
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#016 - The S&L Podcast: Pants!

This week we check in on the beginning of the Wheel of Time series. Veronica's ahead of me and says the thing really picks up right after the point I stopped. Which makes me think she's just trying to get me to start reading again. Which is fine. One of the problems is I'm reading Watchmen at the same time in advance of the movie. I'll share a few impressions about that with you as well. We also discuss the book Daemon as reviewed on Slashdot. Should it be our next book choice? Finally we take some reader comments, including a Wheel of Time Drinking Game and someone calling the last book "pants." We're pretty sure that means he didn't like it. Welcome to the wonderful world of monthly Sword and Laser! Woo-hoo! Pant [display_podcast] Special thanks to Jonathan Coulton for the use of his song, Mr. Fancy Pants! Go buy it here!
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#015 - The S&L Podcast: We disagree!!

Turns out that just because Tom likes a book, doesn't mean Veronica will (she kinda hated it).  But we learned a lot about paranoia, and Polish communism. So it's not a total loss. Meanwhile we have determined that the podcast should be a once a month affair.  So get ready for regularity!  We'll be like the monthly bran in your reading  diet. And we hope to have interviews.  With real people. And some robots. [display_podcast] What we're reading Tom is busy reading some not sci fi book by Evelyn Waugh (Officers and Gentlemen) and still making his way through Droidmakers. Veronica is busy with David Eddings "Belgarath the Sorcerer" which is a continuation of the Belgariad and Malloreon. News Battlestar Galactica coming back tomorrow night! Wheel of Time video game appears to be rolling onto the scene. Our book pick In honor of the WoT video game, we'll read the first in that series. Eye of the World
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#014 - S&L Podcast: Not a "Dick" Move

Tom has picked our next book! It is Memoirs Found in a Bathtub by Stanislaw Lem. Here's a bit of a summary:
Set in the distant future, Memoirs Found in a Bathtub is the horrifying first-hand account of a bureaucratic agent trapped deep within the subterranean bowels of a vast underground military complex. In a Kafkaesque maelstrom of terrifying confusion and utter insanity, this man must attempt to follow his mission directives of conducting an "on-the-spot investigation. Verify. Search. Destroy. Incite. Inform. Over and out. On the nth day nth hour sector n subsector n rendezvous with N."
[display_podcast] But we have more than just that to talk about this week! Tom and I have also been reading Pattern Recognition and Spook Country, both by former S&L author William Gibson. Have you read either of them? What are your thoughts? And we have sad news... author Michael Crichton has passed away. Join the discussion on the forums about his life and works. ______ Check out Audible! Journey to a world beyond words with Audible Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Check out Audible for exclusive access to your favorite sci-fi and fantasy authors and exclusive commentary.  In addition, the new imprint, Audible Frontiers features new and sometimes previously unavailable audio books made available for the first time in audio.  Click here for a free trial offer and get your first audio book free.
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#013 - The S&L Podcast: Holy crap! We finished Anathem!

Long show tonight, so I'll keep the blog post short! In case you haven't finished the book yet, there are SPOILERS in this podcast for Neal Stephenson's Anathem, so beware! Don't forget to take a look at the ever-growing Wikia page for Anathem. [display_podcast] We also want to congratulate Michael M., who won the last contest (and wins a Logitech headset!). Here is his winning closing sentence: "With palpable relief Schuman slumped over the rail waiting for the pool of magma to close over the briefcase and reflected to himself that he still hadn’t had a cup of coffee." That's a book I'd like to read! We also want to remind you of our special offer from Audible for the first story in the original audiobook, METAtropolis! We'll be going back to a regular weekly or bi-weekly format now, so look for Tom's pick for the next book soon! Check out Audible! Journey to a world beyond words with Audible Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Check out Audible for exclusive access to your favorite sci-fi and fantasy authors and exclusive commentary.  In addition, the new imprint, Audible Frontiers features new and sometimes previously unavailable audio books made available for the first time in audio.  Click here for a free trial offer and get your first audio book free.
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#012 - The S&L Podcast: Biggest book pick ever!

Welcome back everyone! So, I'm still trying to figure out why my audio sounds like crap, while Tom sounds great. It's especially grating since, you know, I'm supposed to be an audio producer and all. How embarrassing! We'll work it out soon, I promise. Anyhow, here's the show: [display_podcast] Book #8 is going to be Anathem, by Neal Stephenson. The two interesting things about this book are that a) it's super long and b) it's only available in hardcover and Kindle versions. We're also going to give everyone some more time than usual to get through this 900-someodd page book. CONTEST Here's the poll for the Best Closing Line Contest! Here are the choices: 1. Michael H. -- A smile crept into his eyes and with his walking stick in one hand, and the orb faintly glowing in the other, Gabriel set off across the street, scanning the horizon for traffic, and making a mental note to take better care next time he bought a tchochki from a Devonian Barkeep. 2. Michael M. -- With palpable relief Schuman slumped over the rail waiting for the pool of magma to close over the briefcase and reflected to himself that he still hadn't had a cup of coffee. 3. Shane G. -- And it came to pass in the last days of the lost colony that the swords were broken and the lasers died and the people cried out to the unhearing heavens from which they had come saying, "If any remain among the stars, for your lives, do not part the quantum jelly!" 4. Gregory F. -- After the dust had settled and the sound of battle waned, Sabrina and Julia found each other amongst the ruins.  The sisters then knew they had won, and once again evil would sleep. [poll=8] The winner gets a Logitech USB Headset! FROM THE NING GROUP

Music while reading

Frogg Lately, I have been doing a good chunk of my reading on the bus on my way to work. Whenever I leave the house, I always have my iPod on me, so I find myself listening to music while reading. Does anyone else do this, and if so, what do you listen to?

I usually shy away from anything with lyrics. It makes it hard to concentrate if I get caught up listening to the words, so most of my reading is done listening to post-rock stuff like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion, Esmerine, etc. Recently I have been on a William Gibson kick, and ambient electronic music such as Boards of Canada or Apparat go very well with it.
terpkristin I can't listen to music while I read, even something without lyrics. If I try, I soon find myself humming along with what I'm listening to and not paying attention to what I'm reading.
How Where Do You Like to Read

CHECK OUT AUDIBLE! Journey to a world beyond words with Audible Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Check out Audible for exclusive access to your favorite sci-fi and fantasy authors and exclusive commentary.  In addition, the new imprint, Audible Frontiers features new and sometimes previously unavailable audio books made available for the first time in audio.  Click here for a free trial offer and get your first audio book free. Stay tuned for more info on METAtropolis, from Audible! Featuring: Battlestar Galactica Cast Members: Michael Hogan Alessandro Juliani Kandyse McClure Legendary audiobook narrators: Scott Brick (Frank Herbert’s Dune) Stefan Rudnicki (Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game)
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#011 - The S&L Podcast: We're tharn over Watership Down

[display_podcast] Hey everyone! We're back, and recording from the New Media Expo in Las Vegas (OK, we were there last week, it took me some time to get this posted...). We've just finished up Watership Down, and we hope you enjoyed it. Tom is going all dictator on us next time around, so he'll be posting his choice for the next book soon! Here are the show notes: Bunnies as a community The interactions are based on real rabbit behavior, but there is a lot of humanity in them to make us able to grasp their situations/feelings etc. What do you think of the blend? The stories of El-Haraihrah Mike - I think my favorite segments of the book are the stories about El-Ahrairah. He is quick and clever, not above a prank or two and fiercely loyal to his people. In many ways his stories reminded me of Sūn Wùkōng (Monkey King) from Journey to the West (although to be fair El-Ahrairah is a little less irrepressable). Why do you think Adams put these segments in? Do they just fill more pages? Does the addition of the mythology add depth and meaning to the rabbit society and characters? What do you think? Sh1mm3r - I thought of the mythological trickster at first, but I think El-Ahrairah is unique in that he uses his trickster abilities to protect his "people." I like how the stories add a mythology to the rabbit culture, but also seem to encourage and inspire them to solve their own problems creatively. Disappointed in Fiver Sam! -  I feel like Adams made a promise to us as his audience. He's presented us with a warren of rabbits, living in what seem to be our world, doing all of the things that real rabbits do... except for Fiver. He's the one who starts us on our journey and ultimately moves us along throughout the entire novel. (sandelford, cowslip, the fox, hazel's shooting and rescue, even his blessing of the trip to efrafa). In each scenario, his predictions turn out to be spot on. Adams' promise was that this one outside force (fiver) was there for a reason that would be made clear before the story finished. My question is simply.. Did he keep to his promise? Do we, as an audience, believe in fiver as a rabbit of the watership down warren... or do we view him as a storytelling mechanic used to take us from act to act? Why is it that Fiver alone (with the arguable exception of one of the efrafan does) has this magic ability? And, further, is the ability justified? Nick W - I found fiver added a large amount of interest to the story due to how very dark his predictions were, the hill covered in blood, the ceiling held up with bones, but even though he added interest he did seem simply like a tool to guide the story along. It seems like Adams tossed the other doe in efrafa in so as to say "See, he's not the only one that can do this". I would of believed his abilities more (and seen him less as a tool) if all of the rabbits had some psychic ability, Fiver's just being extra strong. Perhaps Fiver discovered a worm that excreted a powerful spice. Metaphors? Adams has said he did not intend Watership Down as a metaphor.  But many paralels can be drawn? Totalitarian/Militaristic Society Rebellion The Heroes Journey Wikipedia entry draws parallels to hero journey stories like the Odyssey. Tolkien scholar John Rateliff calls Adams's novel an Aeneid "what-if" book: what if the seer Cassandra (Fiver) had been believed and she and a company had fled Troy (Sandleford Warren) before its destruction? What if Hazel and his companions, like Aeneas, encounter a seductive home at Cowslip's Warren (Land of the Lotus Eaters)? Rateliff goes on to compare the rabbits' battle withWoundwort's Efrafans to Aeneas's fight with Turnus's Latins. "By basing his story on one of the most popular books of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Adams taps into a very old myth: the flight from disaster, the heroic refugee in search of a new home, a story that was already over a thousand years old when Vergil [sic] told it in 19 BC."[1] Further Reading Sequel - Tales from Watership Down The Private Life of the Rabbit (1964), by British naturalist Ronald Lockley Movie - Watership Down Check out Audible! Journey to a world beyond words with Audible Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Check out Audible for exclusive access to your favorite sci-fi and fantasy authors and exclusive commentary.  In addition, the new imprint, Audible Frontiers features new and sometimes previously unavailable audio books made available for the first time in audio.  Click here for a free trial offer and get your first audio book free.
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#010 - The S&L Podcast: OMG Bunnies!

[display_podcast] News Tales of Beetle the Bard to be published Dec. 4
She will donate all monies to the Children’s Voice campaign.  Amazon plans to produce 100 copies with the intention to duplicate the original look and feel of the book Amazon bought from her at auction for collectors that will go for $100 (recoup some of that money back) and the 157 page book will also have additional illustrations from the author. The standard edition will retail for $12.99

i09 debate: Magic vs. Science

Watership Down
First novel by Richard Adams
Published in 1972
Was rejected by 13 publishers but has never been out of print since first published.
Watership Down began as a story that Richard Adams told to his two children, Juliet and Rosamund, on a long car journey.
Based on he Private Life of the Rabbit (1964), by British naturalist Ronald Lockley
Anti-feminist?  Misogynistic?
Adapted into a film in 1978.
Also made into a TV series in the UK int he early 1990s and a theater production as well.

Ning Forum Reviews

Tayo - I just read "Feast of Souls" by C. S. Friedman and I cant recommend it highly enough. Fantastic. One of the most original new fantasies I have read since "Sabriel" by Garth Nix.

Simon - I have just finished reading the Terry Goodkind series 'Sword of Truth' and thought that I should tell you all that it was MEGA. Also if anyone has read this series then can you advise who to read next. I'm a bit stuck for ideas.

Giveaway! We're giving away a Logitech USB Headset! Want it? Get creative! Write us a ONE LINE CLOSING SENTENCE to a science fiction or fantasy novel. See our last contest for a sample of a good opening line! We'll put the top choices up for a vote! Check out Audible! Journey to a world beyond words with Audible Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Check out Audible for exclusive access to your favorite sci-fi and fantasy authors and exclusive commentary.  In addition, the new imprint, Audible Frontiers features new and sometimes previously unavailable audio books made available for the first time in audio.  Click here for a free trial offer and get your first audio book free.
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#009 - The S&L Podcast: Unshapely Things

We're back.  Expect us monthly or twice monthly for now! Sorry for the crappy headset sound, my external sound card is having problems! [display_podcast] Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco As compared to Dresden Files? Let's turn to some forum comments from swordandlaser.ning.com! terpkristin wasn't really excited about this choice but got it anyway she says "dang, that was quite a happy surprise. I think I'm going to get the next book in the Connor Grey series. Did anybody else have any expectations going in? Were you surprised (in a good way or bad)?" Rick had the opposite reaction.  He was jazzed to read it but... "I read through it in three days, and while the read was quick and easy, it just struck me as a not very well done Dresden Files clone. I was so disappointed. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but for me, I won't be looking for any more del Franco books in the near future." Sam! said "As far as this one went, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Fun characters and a story that hooked me. I was particularly fond of Meryl. Actually, without saying too much, I found his female characterizations to be almost unanimously stronger than his male cast (aside from Joe, perhaps). Also, I was really satisfied with the ending, but there was still enough left unexplored and unanswered that I want to know what happens to Mr. Grey next." GeekDad_4WD - "I think he is setting up a whole series of books starting with this one. I did not think the characters were stiff or flat. I think del Franco is waiting for the next book or two to really develop them. And I enjoyed the allusions to a past planet/existence/world concept." Jimbo - "The only real issue I have with the novel is that it hints at past events, the convergence and fey conflict in WWII, that I find far more interesting than the main story. There are so many possibilities for interesting plots in the convergence. I also want to know what a fey war would be like. Would it be just magic or would they use human weapons also? I want to know!" Next Book? A dictatorship! Oh yes indeed. Also, Tom loves WoW.
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#008 - The S&L Podcast: Elf Noir? Seriously?

We're just starting the new story, but somehow we found a ton to talk about anyway! [display_podcast] NEW BOOK!

Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco
“In an alternate reality Boston where you are just as likely to see a troll or an elf walk down the street as you are to see a human, Fairy hustlers are winding up dead with their hearts cut out and replaced with stones. Druid Conner Grey uses his magical abilities to crack the case in this fun, interesting novel.”

Mark Del Franco takes an entirely straight-faced approach to the hard-boiled detective/police procedural template, keeping the snark to a minimum even when presenting us with dead fairy prostitutes.

Mark Del Franco spent several years in the publishing field in editorial and administrative roles and in the institutional finance field as a proposal writer. He currently is pursuing a freelance career in both these fields.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=190541030
http://markdf.livejournal.com/

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