The Sword and Laser

Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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!

  • 39 minutes 6 seconds
    #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. 

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    12 March 2026, 10:19 pm
  • 58 minutes 2 seconds
    #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.



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    27 February 2026, 2:36 am
  • 40 minutes 1 second
    #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?

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    12 February 2026, 8:18 pm
  • 55 minutes 10 seconds
    #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.

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    29 January 2026, 5:26 pm
  • 52 minutes 31 seconds
    #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.

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    15 January 2026, 7:13 pm
  • 47 minutes 37 seconds
    S&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.

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    19 December 2025, 7:24 pm
  • 48 minutes 55 seconds
    #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.

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    5 December 2025, 4:21 pm
  • 33 minutes 9 seconds
    #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!

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    21 November 2025, 3:26 am
  • 48 minutes 23 seconds
    #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.

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    7 November 2025, 1:23 am
  • 35 minutes 1 second
    #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.

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    10 October 2025, 3:46 am
  • 52 minutes 40 seconds
    #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.

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    25 September 2025, 6:19 pm
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