Show overview
The Sword and Laser has been publishing since 2013, and across the 13 years since has built a catalogue of 396 episodes. That works out to roughly 260 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 32 min and 45 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Arts show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 6 days ago, with 8 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2014, with 55 episodes published. Published by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont.
From the publisher
Read along with the Sword and Laser book club! From classic science fiction to the latest gritty fantasy, we cover it. Subscribe for book discussions, author interviews, hot releases, and news from the genre fiction world! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
View all 396 episodes#533 – Octavia Butler's Ghost
#532 - Chekhov's Dead Body
#531 - Interesting Nacho
Ep 530#530 – You’re Pulling My Noodle
Veronica's sick but she soldiers on and we review the final four of the March tournament. Plus our non-spoiler check in on Automatic Noodle. Also, we talk about our favorite noodles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 529#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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 528#528 - Dazed and Crowfused
It's time for our March book tournament! Nominations are open. Also, Veronica and Tom have shocking revelations about books they have NOT read. Also, why is Tom having a hard time with this month's pick? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 527#527 - I'm Starting to Worry This Book Isn't Sci-Fi
Andrew Heaton from the Political Orphanage stops by to talk about "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" by Jason Pargin. Also, Veronica drinks in reverse. You'll understand if you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 526#526 - Halfway Happy
LACon V(eronica) registration is open, the Philip K. Dick Award nominees are out, and we discuss why we're "halfway happy." Plus, we kick off I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom and wrap up The Book That Wouldn't Burn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 525S&L Podcast - #525 - The Beans That Wouldn't Burn
It’s all about the beans on this Sword and Laser. Chili, chowder, and more. We also find time to talk about books, specifically Mark Lawrence’s book that wouldn’t burn. But we don’t want to burn the beans either. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 524#524 - 4 Stars: Clean, Not Cozy!
The Floating Hotel was a great deal, and we really enjoyed it when we checked in. During our stay we met some really interesting folks, and the staff was fabulous. There was some murder, but in the end we were more concerned with the identity of the Lamplighter. And the cocktails were quite delicious. We enjoyed the continental breakfast, because it included so many continents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#523 - Ship Happens
Should the Floating Hotel be called a “space cruise ship”? Why Veronica can't make change. Tom tries not to insult Stephen's intelligence. And hoorah for N. K. Jemisin! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#522 - Punchin' Shrimp and Grits
Robert Jackson Bennett deserves more kudos. We clarify it's a tapas bar, not a topless bar. And our thoughts on the new book, Floating Hotel, and the wrap-up of Interview with the Vampire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#521 - The Portions Are Too Big!
We revel in the Lammy Awards, follow the tale of root beer, and discuss our first, or most recent, impressions of Interview with the Vampire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#520 - Alternate Batman
Tom reports from the Matt Dinniman book event in LA, we kick off our Interview with the Vampire read, and share our last spoilery thoughts on The Hexologists and why we think the writing doorway is the strongest one for this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#519 - No Stomach for Old Salad
#519 - No Stomach for Old Salad by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#518 - Hugo Bump Yourself
#518 - Hugo Bump Yourself by Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#517 - She Who Became Herstory
We get a history listen and revisit accents. And the clean blade battle is confirmed for WorldCon 2029. Plus our non-spoilery first impressions of She Who Became the Sun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#516 - I Know What You Did Last Book Briefing
Why taste in books is like taste in food. Plus, our final thoughts on Joe Abercrombie's The Devils. And the Ruth-Veronica feud heats up. Also, Tom likes fish sticks. Literally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#515 - The Details in the Devils
We cast The Devils, try to apologize to Ruth, and recall other food-related romantasy. Plus, Veronica has a shameful tequila revelation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#514 - The Rebirths of Wesley Chu
Wesley Chu joins us to talk about The Lives of Tao and Jan is back, so we have loads of news including Locus Award Winners and the British Fantasy Society shortlist. Plus Tom sings. We're all sorry about that. Also, we almost named this episode The Lives of Wesley Chu until we realized we had already done that in 2014. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.