Best Wheel Suckers Podcasts (2024)

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#498 - Weird Things With Burritos 43:25

28d ago43:25

43:25

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.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#497 - Some Desperate Sniffles 56:21

1M ago56:21

56:21

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.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#496 - Leminal Space 34:07

2M ago34:07

34:07

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.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#495 - All The News That's Fit to Squee 36:05

2M ago36:05

36:05

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.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#494 - Wheel of Thyme 39:20

3M ago39:20

39:20

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!…

1
#493 - Bunny Lamps and Bad Decisions 53:16

4M ago53:16

53:16

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.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#492 - Smokey and the Narrator 38:12

4M ago38:12

38:12

We debate whether we want dead celebrities to read our audiobooks. How long is too long for a series? And our non-spoilery takes on Cursed Bunny.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#491 - Next Month, Trauma! 56:37

5M ago56:37

56:37

It's awards season and we cover them all, including a Martha Wells sweep! We wrap up our thoughts on Sword of Kaigen and get excited (read: trigger warnings) for Cursed Bunny, our July pick.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#490 - Cosy Adjacent 48:14

6M ago48:14

48:14

Are we living in a Maas society? Veronica has recommendations in joining on the Sarah J. Maas train. Independent bookstores are on the rise. We kick off The Sword of Kaigen and give our spoilery thoughts on Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#489 - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Veronicas 33:37

6M ago33:37

33:37

We have Locus Award and Arthur C. Clarke award nominees. We share our non-spoilery thoughts on Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. And Tom discovers Birria Ramen!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#488 - Barrayar Your Sword 47:19

7M ago47:19

47:19

Some great books in the Seiun Awards in Japan, why Sword and Laser is good for your heart, we kick off the May pick, and finally wrap up our thoughts on the surprising complexity and depth of the awesome Cordelia's Honor.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#487 - Have We Reached Critical Maas? 35:16

7M ago35:16

35:16

OMG all of the top bestsellers are romantasy! What order should you read series in? Does it matter? Also why is Veronica telling Tom to suck it? Or did we misunderstand. Tune in and find out!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#486 - Pre-re-read 34:20

7M ago34:20

34:20

Will Veronica and Tom make it to Glasgow? Not after that embarrassing German pronunciation. And after talking some baseball, they dig into non-spoilery discussion of Cordelia's Honor.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#485 - Triangles Are Stronger 48:35

8M ago48:35

48:35

The Nebula Award nominees are out! Should we re-read Neuromancer? Veronica explains Type I, II, and III fun. The truth behind Cordelia's Honor. And our final thoughts on Iron Widow.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#484 - It's Giving "Mad" 48:34

8M ago48:34

48:34

We check in on who's winning the tournament. A vikings kids book! Where it's stabbing time! We talk a little bit about Iron Widow, and wrap up Shadow of the Gods.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#483 - C is for Chestburster 44:14

9M ago44:14

44:14

A few more thoughts on the Hugos, who would win in a fight between Maas and Yarros, and we preview our March Madness brackets!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#482 - Let's Talk About Seax, Baby 54:47

9M ago54:47

54:47

We've opened nominations for Mad Marchness!, our March tournament of book picks. Plus, the failure of the Hugos and the rise of Romantasy. And we begin our first impressions of Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#481 - Big Trouble in Little Worldcon 54:27

10M ago54:27

54:27

Surprise, there's a problem with hosting the Hugos in China. Plus: Keanu Reeves is co-writing with China Mieville, we kick off our February read, The Shadow of the Gods. And our spoilery thoughts on The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#480 - What You Can Do With Mickey Mouse 49:14

11M ago49:14

49:14

Alternatives to Goodreads, and one of them is Amazon. Which owns Goodreads. What you can and can't do with Mickey Mouse. The "Who should play Murderbot" discussion continues. Typical human and augmented human stuff! Plus why Veronica should read this month's book pick.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#479 - Where Have All The Beef Suits Gone? 48:57

11M ago48:57

48:57

Are there too many Nat 20s in Kings of the Wyld, our stance on Skarsgard as Murderbot, and we introduce the January pick (which has a lot of triggers).By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#478 - Without A Lick of Condensation 35:14

11M ago35:14

35:14

All the end of year book picks are out with lots of great titles to add to your own list! Did Vonnegut think he was a genre writer? And our non-spoilery thoughts about Kings of the Wyld.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#477 - I Said What I Said, She Said 44:49

12M ago44:49

44:49

Veronica now knows how to catch up on Old Man's War. Should good books not be SciFi? Is "they said" saying too much? He “sucked his teeth” is not enough! We kick off Kings of the Wyld and wrap up Mimicking of Known Successes.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#476 - Don't Get Your Atmoscarf In A Bunch 34:36

12M ago34:36

34:36

We're huge fans of mushrooms! Fourth Wing is EVERYWHERE. And remember, the very aspects of a novel you might not fancy could be the same ones that captivate someone else.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#475 - Father Knows Best 48:07

1y ago48:07

48:07

Awards season is here! We're celebrating deserving winners and discussing potential TV and movie adaptations of our favorite books. This November, we're diving into a novel about trains on Jupiter and concluding our October discussion on Father’s “5D chess.”By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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#474 - The Vibe-rary at Mt. Char 35:26

1y ago35:26

35:26

Best books of the year? Already? How Veronica got her k-wires out. And our non-spoilery thoughts on Library at Mount Char.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#473 - Dewey Decimated 44:40

1y ago44:40

44:40

Veronica's state of K-wires, the most highly-rated books in the world, we kick off our read of The Library of Mount Char, and wrap up China Mountain Zhang.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#472 - Felicia Day Opens Her Third Eye 48:13

1y ago48:13

48:13

We talk to Felicia Day about her new Audible Original Third Eye, and how her own struggles led to her story about a chosen one who fails. Plus, we talk about the importance of doing what you love and learning to leave your past behind (and why she's eating ground turkey a lot).By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#471 - PSL: Pumpkin Sword and Laser 56:58

1y ago56:58

56:58

Guess what? The new Bobiverse is coming, and we would love to have your emails! Plus, we've got some super cool thoughts (no spoilers, promise) on China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh. But you don't have to take my blurb for it!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#470 - Hammfisted 40:44

1y ago40:44

40:44

The last new Terry Pratchett stories, the rise of nonsense literature, a brief intro to our September pick China Mountain Zhang, and final thoughts on Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#469 - Venomous Breaded Hairtail Sucker 37:29

1y ago37:29

37:29

Veronica has been in Canada for a year, and the best book in Canada is about Marie Antoinette. Tom ate some breaded hairtail and is excited about Gail Carriger's K-pop post. Plus, we announce the September book and give a few non-spoilery thoughts about Ninth House.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#468 - Go Tweed Lions! 44:30

1+ y ago44:30

44:30

Veronica curses the Lions and eats SO many blackberries. Also, our non-spoilery thoughts on Ninth House and Ivy League schools.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#467 - It Was Good Filk 39:37

1+ y ago39:37

39:37

We get to the bottom of why it's called Fahrenheit 4-5-1 and which songs get stuck in our heads when we hear “Aes Sedai.” We finish up our thoughts on Planetfall by Emma Newman and kick off Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#446 - Spoon & Ladle 39:19

1+ y ago39:19

39:19

The Hugos are out! The Hugos are out! Huge cookies are out! TRIKE READS READER'S DIGEST? Plus, the varied emotions caused by Planetfall.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#465 - Skirting on the Edge of Danger 58:13

1+ y ago58:13

58:13

Some of our favorite authors are giving away free short stories and winning Locus Awards. What the best book club pick we ever made was. Why books that make you uncomfortable are important to read. And our last thoughts on Fourth Wing.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#464 - Awesome Bundle 35:39

1+ y ago35:39

35:39

So much good news! Telltale Games is making a game based on The Expanse! Season 2 trailer for Good Omens!Humble Bundle has Mercedes Lackey books. And we think it should stop being humble and admit it's awesome! Plus we check in on Fourth Wing. Turns out more people like it than you think.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#463 - OK Ant Computer 50:34

1+ y ago50:34

50:34

Are lengthy books inherently inferior? Tom and Veronica ignite a clash of generations! Furthermore, we delve into the captivating world of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and conclude the enthralling journey of Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#462 - $5 FOR SCI-ANTS! 36:23

1+ y ago36:23

36:23

Foundation is coming back to Apple TV, why Silo is great, you should not eat a bear, and what makes a great alien.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#461 - CheckItOut! 34:56

1+ y ago34:56

34:56

Taika Waititi is adapting a fantasy novel and also looked quite fine at the Met. Plus, self-publishing award winners, Locus nominees, and we have a progressive story in the works!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#460 - Thimble's Kitchen 40:55

1+ y ago40:55

40:55

We wrap up Legends and Lattes and have a great idea for a sequel involving Thimble doing a cooking show. Plus, we're getting a Twilight TV series? We’ll make our best guesses about that too. Finally, Veronica's thoughts on spotted dick.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#459 - Leave the Broadsword, Take the Biscotti 40:45

1+ y ago40:45

40:45

We hear a better version of the Pokemon cookbook than the real one, Veronica gets the tipoff for hot sauce, and our first cozy feelings about Legends and Lattes.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#458 - Pikastew is Off the Menu 37:38

1+ y ago37:38

37:38

New books for spring, finalists for the Annual Lambda and Imadjinn Awards, and the Internet Archive's e-book lending lawsuit. Plus, we kick off the March Madness winner!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#457 - Timecozy 41:18

1+ y ago41:18

41:18

The March Madness semifinals are here! And the race is TIGHT. Our first (non-spoiler) thoughts about Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings. Nomination lists are out for Nebulas and Bradbury's, and nomming has begun for the Hugos (hint hint). Plus why everybody ate lasagna after our last episode!By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#456 - The Clarkesworld Flood 45:56

1+ y ago45:56

45:56

Our “March that is Mad” tournament is live! 15 books enter, one gets to be the April pick, and everyone wins! Plus, please stop flooding Clarkesworld with AI-written manuscripts. Use ChatGPT for good! Also, we kick off our March read and wrap up our thoughts on Nettle & Bone.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#455 - When Life Gives You Bones, Make a Bone Dog 33:38

2y ago33:38

33:38

Three Body Problem is coming to two platforms, so many beginning-of-the-year reading lists, and why we all love Bonedog (even Tom).By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#454 - Baltimore, City of Baltars 34:58

2y ago34:58

34:58

We may be getting some Zelazny TV, Murderbot is coming back, some ideas of non-fiction book picks we could try, and we kick off our February book pick, Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#453 - And That's How the News Goes 31:11

2y ago31:11

31:11

We check in on how everyone is feeling about Brightness Falls From the Air. We also feel mildly optimistic about Apple's digital narrators, and we discuss the best way to introduce someone to a series.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#452 - Having Feelpinions 42:16

2y ago42:16

42:16

A very tense episode as Veronica and Tom violently agree about Elric of Melniboné. Plus, the most anticipated books of 2023, and how to take advantage of Novelist at your local library.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#451 - When Your Anti-Hero Gets a Little Too Anti 40:24

2y ago40:24

40:24

We properly credit the amazing Nancy Pearl and her four doorways into stories. And we want yours! Send them to feedback@swordandlaser.com. Plus our mid-read takes on Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. Also, we break the news about Henry Cavill to Veronica live on the show.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#450 - Where the Wild Nerds Are 44:27

2y ago44:27

44:27

We wrap up our thoughts on Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty and Tom tries out his 4-part way of evaluating books to explain why people enjoyed it differently. Plus we kick off our December pick, Elric of Melniboné, encourage you to save Locus Magazine and Veronica is IMPRESSIVE at reading author names now.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

1
#449 - Finding a Leggy Blonde 29:06

2y ago29:06

29:06

Veronica forgets what beer she had. Must be a good beer. It was a blonde in a tall can. A leggy blonde perhaps? Also, we have the World Fantasy Award winner AND the SPFBO finalists! Plus our non-spoilery first impressions of Mur Lafferty's Six Wakes.By Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont

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