The Sword and Laser discussion

Hey everyone!

We have a hard time keeping up with all the various threads for updated news! If you want us to read a news story on S&L, post it in this thread along with why you think we should talk about it! That way, we can view new entries by date!

Thanks to Dara for the idea!

Glad my idea worked for you!

After extensive research, the Jane Austen Centre in Bath has determined what Jane really looked like and it's Mary Robinette Kowal - successful Rothuss impersonator, puppeteer, and regency author: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/07/jane...

Orphan Black has been renewed for a third season!

http://io9.com/orphan-black-has-offic...

You should talk about it because this show is great and everyone should be watching it.

World Fantasy Award nominees were announced, as were two Lifetime Achievement Award winners: http://worldfantasy.org/awards/2014.html

Ellen Datlow and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro were named the Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

Full list of nominees is on the website, but one novel that was nominated that I really want to read is The Golem and the Jinni. Prior S&L pick A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent was also nominated.

Dara wrote: "Glad my idea worked for you!

After extensive research, the Jane Austen Centre in Bath has determined what Jane really looked like and it's Mary Robinette Kowal - successful Rothuss impersonator, p..."

Dara, I saw Scalzi's tweet about that and the ensuing conversation. Did you know that Mary puts a Doctor Who reference in each of her books? Guess where the Twitter conversation on this story went.

I did not see that! I'm gonna go back and read it.

Celebrating 50 years of American Doctor Who: http://youtu.be/bCv5o7n_mtk

The choice for each Doctor is perfect.

Thomas Jane is Detective Miller in the Expanse TV show: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live...

Extract from Peter F. Hamilton's upcoming book, The Abyss Beyond Dreams.

http://theunisphere.com/blog/extras/t...

A TV series based on The Elfstones Of Shannara has been greenlit.

2013 Shirley Jackson Award Winners: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/07/2013...

It's not exactly breaking news but it would be timely given that comic-con is coming up soon ... I'd be interested in your thoughts on harassment at conventions, policies to stop it and how big a problem you think it is or isn't.

comic-con harassment policy

Marvel announces that Thor is going to be a woman this fall: http://io9.com/marvels-new-thor-is-a-...

Daniel Abraham gives us an update on The Expanse TV show, including first casting news and the creative team behind the television adaptation, because I am all over ANY news about this project.

http://www.danielabraham.com/2014/07/...

There is currently a kickstarter campaign for a theatrical adaptation of 5 of Neil Gaiman's short stories, a bunch of the backer rewards are various books and things signed by Neil Gaiman and he's in the video so check it out if you're a fan https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/... .

V: I think you should tell us how marvelous a company you think Comcast is :)

AndrewP wrote: "V: I think you should tell us how marvelous a company you think Comcast is :)"

I know right! .. that was awesome. It is about time Comcast be given some sort of real grief for all the grief they dish out.

I wasted two days the week before dealing with their customer support. First day was a legitimate equipment issue on their part. Second day was fixing a routing issue caused by them accidentally changing the county I lived in from the first visit. Jeesh. One of the calls the customer support tried blaming windows 8 and my computer which was working fine with my cell's mobile hotspot.

Tor.com collected 170 pictures and painting of dragons. It's fairly awesome.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/07/pict...

Someone's trying to make the currency that Cory Doctorow used in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: http://www.wired.com/2014/07/document...

I figured it was only a matter of time before somebody did this. I wonder how it will work in the real world when it's released.

Not sure if this is news, but Del Rey recently put out a free Star Wars 2014 Sampler on Kindle with short selections from their four upcoming new Star Wars novels set in the new continuity.

Edited blurb:
"This free eBook sampler is the perfect way to prepare for the next exciting era of Star Wars storytelling! Del Rey is proud to present the first wave of novels that are part of the official Star Wars film canon, created in collaboration with the newly formed Lucasfilm Story Group. These four books are set during and before the original trilogy: A NEW DAWN by John Jackson Miller tells the story of how two of the lead characters from the animated series Star Wars Rebels first came to cross paths. TARKIN by James Luceno brings a legendary character from A New Hope to full, fascinating life. HEIR TO THE JEDI by Kevin Hearne tells a thrilling new adventure written entirely from Luke Skywalker's first-person point of view. LORDS OF THE SITH by Paul S. Kemp When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their awesome martial skills to prevail."

terpkristin wrote: "World Fantasy Award nominees were announced, as were two Lifetime Achievement Award winners: http://worldfantasy.org/awards/2014.html

Ellen Datlow and [author:Chelsea Quinn Yarbro|4..."

Glad to see Ellen Datlow honored. That's been a long time coming!

And also glad to see zero "Best ____ of the Year" anthologies on the anthology list. I always thought that reprint anthologies should be a separate category.

SporadicReviews.com wrote: "Not sure if this is news, but Del Rey recently put out a free Star Wars 2014 Sampler on Kindle with short selections from their four upcoming new Star Wars novels set in the new co..."

I read the dreadful 'Lost Tribe of the Sith' from John Jackson Miller. If that's the standard they are looking at then I doubt if I will ever read any of them ever again.

Orphan Black comics from IDW Publishing!

"Orphan Black, the acclaimed sci-fi series by Temple Street Productions, assumes a new identity in the form of a comic-book series from IDW Publishing. IDW’s series will not be a clone of the show but will feature some all-new stories set in the complex and thrilling world of Orphan Black."

Press release at http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5...

I still have to catch up with season 2.

Syfy will be adapting the magicians: http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/syfy-i...

That's right, not HBO, not showtime, not AMC. Syfy. Hurray?

So this might make Tom happy, or not ;)

http://m.deadline.com/2014/07/the-man...

Amazon Studios picks up The Man in the High Castle.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch marries Cthulhu in new Archie comic.

There's a Kickstarter for temporary literary tattoos. "Litographs Tattoos: Wearable Tributes to Iconic Books" - I like the designs and they have a tattoo chain idea for the first 2500 pledgers to get a tattoo with a quote from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" so the whole book would be "worn" by all the backers. Pretty nifty idea, I think.


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Kirk: "Take your stinking paws off my Enterprise, you damned dirty ape!"

http://www.startrek.com/article/kirk-...

A new comic mini-series coming from IDW Publishing.

Jonathan Pryce and Alexander Siddig (among others) have been cast for Season 5 of Game of Thrones.

No sign yet of Victarion Greyjoy and unfortunately it doesn't look good for fans of Arianne Martell, so let's all revisit her picture from the Fantasy Flight Games board game and pretend.

io9 Favorite The Girl Who Would Be King Will Be A Movie!

I really enjoyed this book, definitely a superhero mythos done in a new way.

Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' optioned by Warner Bros., Brett Ratner

A Dragonriders of Pern movie is totally happening. Probably. Maybe.

Dara wrote: "A Dragonriders of Pern movie is totally happening. Probably. Maybe."

Really excited about this possibility! Hearing it from lots of sources now.

The studios buy the rights to every book.
Its a good idea but don't hold your breath.

Firefly online becoming a reality.
You can now register in advance of the game...and doing so before August ends nets you a free ship to fly around the 'verse in.

Keepflying.com

It will be available for mac and pc as well as through steam and the sight gives you glimpses into the game

The game will include voice work from the ENTIRE cast.

be still my broken Browncoat heart but this does seem like a bit 'o shiny amidst the black of the 'verse and about gorram time too.

BTW their twitter feed has some nice stuff for fans about the game.

Starz is previewing the first episode of Ron Moore's depiction of Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' on their website. You don't need to be a subscriber, but you do need to be in the US

Ghost Brigades part of the John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War Series is going to air on SyFy:

source
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live...

If they keep the tone of the novels it should be pretty cool.

It's nice to see the SyFy channel air more Science Fiction and Fantasy. The irony is it took other cable channels to show them that the genre is viable if done properly.

Scalzi has a self-interview about the news:
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2014/08/05...

Additional material from Scalzi:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2014/08/06...

He casually notes in the last link that the next OMW novel is to be issued next year. Mr. Scalzi is quite prolific.

Alain wrote: "Ghost Brigades part of the John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War Series is going to air on SyFy:

source
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live..."

Haha. I was just coming to post that..

Rob wrote: "Alain wrote: "Ghost Brigades part of the John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War Series is going to air on SyFy:

source
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live......"

I am so fracking jazzed. :)

Quick! EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE! Scalzi's got the scoop on it! ;)
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2014/08/05...

Jennifer Lee, who co-wrote Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, has been tapped to work on the screenplay for a live-action version of A Wrinkle in Time. I loved loved loved loved this book when I was a kid and am cautiously optimistic about this project...


http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/08/a-wr...

Thinking about genre books in terms of complexity of ideas within them.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/08/scie...

Locus Magazine Weekly Bestsellers (books) for August 11: bit.ly/1uGT4G0

Robin Williams is dead. RIP Mork, you will be missed!

July is biggest comic month in history making $53 million and the number one selling comic?

Rocket Racoon #1. Rack up another one for the "Unknown Property" of Guardians of the Galaxy. P.S. Groot debuted in November 1960 in Tales to Astonish #13. Years Before Spider-Man, The X-Men or every one of the Avengers except for the original Captain America series (March 1941).

Just For Posterity Ronan The Accuser (August 1967).

The Original far future Guardians of the Galaxy which was a completely different team (January 1969).

Adam Warlock (The already announced GotG 2? :) (April 1972) Drax (1973) Gamora (1975) Star Lord and Rocket Racoon both (1976)

Now you know and Knowing is half the battle :)

The class of 2012 Clarion writers work shop is raising money for the non-profit Clarion Foundation. http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/

The Clarion workshop is a six week course/session where aspiring writers who want to write Science Fiction and Fantasy can hone and improve their craft. Many now famous writers in the field have attended here is a far from exhaustive list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

Anyway the class of 2012 have put together an anthology to raise funds. It's a name your price kinda of thing for .99 cents upwards. http://awkwardrobots.org/

Luke R. Pebler who appears in the S&L anthology has a story in here as well as 16 other writers. A very cheap way to check out some up and coming writers.

@SyfyPR: Casting news for @JamesSACorey's #TheExpanse series- Shoohreh Aghdashloo + Steven Strait! Read on: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/08/20/the... via @James_Hibberd

I like that choice for Avasarala.

Am I alone in thinking Steven Strait is too young to play Holden? I've never seen anything he's in, so I am basing this solely on the fact that I am older than him, and I always pictured Holden in his late 30s/early 40s. I don't know maybe he plays on screen as being older.

I like the choice of Avasarala a lot. Strait on the other hand... has a face that I want to hit and I don't know why. I already don't like Holden and that casting doesn't help.