Current Geek WEEKLY 23: “I Ibbott”

Tom and Roger talk what makes life worth living and why we don’t get more excited for toys as we get older.

Get the episode at this link: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.archive.org/download/EastMeetsWest224-FearIsTheMindKiller/eastmeetswest224.mp3

This episode of East Meets West is brought to you by Hover.com. Hover is domain name registration and management that’s simple. For 10% off your new domain, go to EAST.hover.com

And also by Carbonite Online Backup. Backing up the files on your PC or Mac is safe and easy with Carbonite. For a free 15-day trial plus two free months with purchase, go to Carbonite.com and use offer code EAST.

Current Geek 115: “This class is such a circus”

Well folks it’s wrap-up time for The Moon is Harsh Mistress and… sadly… Veronica hasn’t finished.  But we wrap up anyway and Tom makes a shocking revelation that lets Veronica off the hook.  And he finished Moon, so it’s not that.

QUICK BURNS        
        
New ‘Game of Thrones’ teaser (video)   
        
Why a universe-hopping entrepreneur may be your next big hero       
        
William Gibson reveals a “secret experiment” in his Bridge Trilogy, and ponders A.I.      

Gibson dropped some hints about a little stealth tie-in to Zero History  that’s going to happen on Twitter soon. Let’s just say that you should keep an eye on the Twitter accounts @gaydolphin1 and @gaydolphin2 – those of you who’ve read the novel know what those accounts are related to.
       
BARE YOUR SWORD – feedback from the audience        
        
Why did he die? (SPOILERS)
        
Human Judgment vs. Machines
        
The City & The City is a missed opportunity (SPOILERS)   
        
BOOK WRAP-UP      
        
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Veronica still has not finished, she’s prepared for her flogging. Tom’s thoughts?    

NEW BOOK

We’re taking suggestions from Classic Fantasy on Goodreads then we’ll put it up to a vote.  
        
EMAILS      
        
Hi Veronica, Tom
I will try and keep it pithy but I get “wordy” sometimes. 🙂 I asked
the question at dragon con if future podcasts could contain a 5 minute
segment looking back at classic epic fantasy of the 70s and 80s when
readers were starving for good reads. I was thinking of producing my
own podcast on this subject but you guys have built a nice listener
base so you can do more with this than I.

Regards,
Roman Thompson 

************

Veronica and Tom,
A late addition, but just finished reading Accelerando by Charles Stross. The Earth and the inner planets are completely deconstructed and rebuilt into data storage and processing power for the digital needs of the human race. So, voluntary, resource savvy, non-Armageddon style Earth recycling.

Plot concepts
In Accelerando, the planets of the solar system are dismantled to form a Matrioshka brain, a vast computational device inhabited by minds inconceivably more complex than naturally evolved intelligences such as human beings. This proves to be a normal stage in the life cycle of an inhabited solar system; the galaxies are filled with Matrioshka brains, communicating via wormhole networks. Lesser intelligences may live unmolested around brown dwarf stars.
 

************ 

I just listened to #40. I highly recommend Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in the audio version. I got this at my library and it was very good. Don’t give up on the somewhat boring beginning, it’s a superb story.
 
Thanks for the great podcasts!
 
Peggy Poellot

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 75,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature, including fiction, non-fiction and periodicals.   For a free audiobook of your choice, go to audiblepodcast.com/sword.

We suggested:

The City and The City, by China Mieville, read by John Lee

Zero History, by William Gibson Narrated by Robertson Dean

And by our Partner Sticker Fu.  Use the code Sword1 and get 10% off the stickers at www.stickerfu.com     

Current Geek 114: “You can dance if you wan-ooo…”

It was really fun to be on the Australian MacTalk show with Peter Wells this weekend and talk some Apple and some AFL.

Get the episode here.