The Sword and Laser

The hosts kick off the new year with reflections and a delightful rhubarb cider. They dive into gardening plans and nostalgic rhubarb recipes, setting the stage for community engagement. A discussion on copyright laws sheds light on public domain characters and cultural significance. Laughter ensues as they tackle misconceptions with a humorous twist. They explore their evolving reading habits and the complexities of book publishing. Finally, personal growth emerges from attending CES, marking a transition toward healthier resolutions.

It's end-of-year book list time! And we have a list of our favorite end-of-year lists. Plus, our initial thoughts on Akata Witch!

We celebrate our 500th episode in the best way we know how—by asking ChatGPT to get our stats wrong. PLUS, announcing the book pick for December and sharing our final thoughts on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Taking a refreshing break from the norm, the hosts dive into the importance of supporting BIPOC and LGBTQIA authors while sharing their favorite reads. They balance humor with serious reflections on health challenges, including personal COVID-19 experiences. A playful culinary discussion introduces recipes like broccoli Alfredo pasta and Nika coffee whiskey. They also explore the cultural impact of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,' reminiscing about its humor and memorable quotes, preparing listeners for a delightful journey.

We wrap up our thoughts on A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. Tom lays down some very obscure hints about the next pick. And why we’re glad Andy Weir got fired.

We learn a lot about nunchucks and old best SciFi lists, but we spend the majority of our time mulling over Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. We also kick off a cozy October horrorish read.

Sad news followed by recommendations from Parade Magazine! And The Booker Short List. Plus, do you hate it when a series isn't continuing the story directly? And we check in on our September read of Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.

We have Dragon Awards and Hugo Awards, we kick off Some Desperate Glory, and wrap up our final thoughts on The Spear That Cuts Through Water. Also, we determine we might need to squee more.

This is not a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles podcast but it sure does end like one. But before it comes to that we boggle at all the awesome award winners, and talk about our good first impressions of The Spear That Cuts Through Water. Oh, and we have an idea for a cafe filled with Brandon Sanderson puns. Oh the puns!

Oh, Hugos. Also, the best Sci-Fi books of all time, and will AI kill the planet? We kick off our August book The Spear that Cuts Through Water, and wrap up our last thoughts on Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung.