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ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER
DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News from Borderlands Books
July, 2009 Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special FeaturesRay Garton, BESTIAL (Leisure, Mass Market, $7.99), Saturday, July 11 at 3:00 pm - SEE IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW!
Free Movies from SF in SF (at the Variety Preview Room in the Hobart
Building, 582 Market Street): "Princess Mononoke" and "Kiki's Delivery
Service", Wednesday, July 15th at 7:00 pm
Jay Lake, GREEN (Tor, Hardcover, $26.95), Saturday, July 18th at 3:00 pm
Erin Cashier, Jay Lake, Heather McDougal, and Cliff Winnig, FOOTPRINTS
(Hadley Rille, Trade Paperback, $15.95), Saturday, July 18th at 6:00 pm
A Night of Erotic Fantasy with D.M. Atkins, FAEWOLF, (Circlet Press,
Trade Paperback, $14.95) and Cecilia Tan, MIND GAMES, (Ravenous
Romance, Trade Paperback, $12.99), Tuesday, July 21st at 7:00 pm
Clarion West reading with Amelia Beamer, Vylar Kaftan, Pat Murphy, Tim Pratt, and Rachel Swirsky, Thursday, July 23rd at 7:00 pm
Lee Konstantinou, POP APOCALYPSE (Harper, Trade Paperback, $13.99), Saturday, July 25th at 2:00 pm
David Morrell, THE SHIMMER (Vanguard Press, Hardcover, $25.95), Saturday, July 25th at 5:00 pm
SF in SF with author Kage Baker (at the Variety Preview Room in the
Hobart Building, 582 Market Street), Saturday, July 25th at 7:00 pm
Richard Kadrey, SANDMAN SLIM (Harper, Hardcover, $22.99), Saturday, August 1st at 3:00 pm
(for more information check the end of this section)
Coming up later this year we'll welcome Richard Kadrey, S.M. Stirling, Seanan McGuire, and many, many others, so stay tuned!
News
* Edible Haunted Houses
As with so many things about the cafe, we'd like your opinion on
this. One of our suppliers makes cool little do-it-yourself
Gingerbread Haunted House kits. They include a base, the
gingerbread house parts, icing, and candies to decorate with.
What we want to know is this: If we had a Haunted House Decorating
Contest at the cafe, would you pay $20 for a kit like that? You could
build and decorate the house either at the cafe at a specified time, or
at home on your own time, as long as you brought your completed House
to the cafe in time for judging. The first prize would be
something worth about $100, the second prize worth about $50, and the
third prize worth about $25. Seem like fun? Is it something
you'd do? Please let us know!
* Preorder your copy of the lovely and scary art book WHO KILLED AMANDA
PALMER? now! Photos of Dresden Dolls' Palmer in a variety of
different "deaths", stories by Neil Gaiman. It's a $34.99
hardcover, and just beautiful. <http://whokilledamandapalmer.com/book>. There will be 10,000 copies printed, but very, very limited quantities will be available from bookstores.
* BLOOD OF ELVES by Andrzej Sapkowski has won the David Gemmell Legend prize. The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/19/1>
reported that the award, which "is intended to restore fantasy to its
proper place in the literary pantheon," was given to the Polish author
who "outsells Stephen King in Poland, but his fantasy novels, set in a
world where the races of dwarves, elves, gnomes and humans are on the
verge of war with each other, have only recently been translated into
English." More than 10,000 fans from 75 countries voted for the prize.
* "Preacher" in hardcover: Garth Ennis's incredible "Preacher" graphic
novels are being collected into hardback volumes by
Vertigo. Let us know if you'd like to reserve copies.
More info here: <http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6666813.html?nid=2789&source=title&rid=1689110361>
* "Psycho" Shower Curtain & Bath Mat:
Okay, so they're not for everyone, but I thought these were pretty
nifty (in a creepy, blood-curdling kind of way, of course): <http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/b9b2/?cpg=cj> Thanks to Chris O. and Amanda for pointing these out!
* Sample New PS Titles for Free:
From Pete Crowther at PS Publishing: "We decided it was high time we
let you try before you buy, and so the PS internet monkeys are
gradually adding free fiction samples to the catalogue - a single story
from collections and anthologies, and a chapter or extract from longer
works. There's many more to come - we intend to have a sample
available for every title we've released this year by the time
Christmas rolls round, God willing - but for now you can test the
flavour of the following titles for free:
HARSH OASES by Paul Di Filippo <http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/info_301.html>
STARFALL by Steven Baxter <http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/info_422.html> . . ."
[Ed. note: There are 10 additional books you can sample at PS's site: <http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/>]
* Science fiction author Ben Bova's B-Four Productions and Red Giant
Media will join forces "to develop Bova's THE IMMORTALITY FACTOR for
feature adaptation," according to Variety
<http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004683.html?categoryid=13&cs=1>.
The book, "published by Tor in April, is the uncut version of Bova's
1996 thriller BROTHERS." Kevin Fox will write the screenplay.
* LITTLE BROTHER on stage, and Cory Doctorow's weird new formats:
Chicago's Griffin Theatre has mounted a live production of Cory
Doctorw's young adult novel LITTLE BROTHER, adapted by William
Massolia. <http://boingboing.net/2009/06/17/little-brother-the-p.html>.
Also, Cory's busy being revolutionary again. According to Locus
magazine, his upcoming short story collection, A LITTLE HELP, will be
self-published in at least four different formats: a free Creative
Commons licensed online edition in various formats, a free audiobook, a
print on demand trade paperback, and a limited edition hardcover in
$100 - $250 range. Doctorow explains that the publication is an
experiment; he'll consider the book a success "if it generates the net
equivalent to my cut of 10,000 normal book sales". He also says
that one of the more interesting reasons to do this is to try to
empirically determine which is true between the conflicting hypotheses
that "'self-publication is a narcissistic money pit'" and "'publishers
are obsolete dinosaurs and writers can do just as well going it
alone'". We'll be watching to see what happens!
* Locus Award Winners:
Neal Stephenson's ANATHEM received the 2009 Locus Award for Best SF
Novel. The Locus Awards are presented to the winners of the
annual Locus Poll. For more info about the award and a complete
list of winners, see <http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Locus.html>.
* Partially inspired by Michael Swanwick's essay "The Postmodern
Archipelago", David J. Williams (author of MIRRORED HEAVENS and BURNING
SKIES) takes a controversial stance on the mainstream's lack of respect
for science fiction: <http://www.suvudu.com/2009/06/science-fictions-subordination.html>.
[Dave tells me that it's dangerous to get him thinking, but I'm sure
you'll agree the results are interesting! - Ed.]
Cafe NewsSee office news below.From The Office
Alan has been so busy with the cafe that he hasn't had time to write
an update. So here's the brief version: we don't have a firm
opening date yet, but we should shortly, and we'll let you know as soon
as we do. In the last month, Alan and assorted contractors have
finished various Herculean tasks (thank you Arjan, Bruce, Bruno &
Simon) and Alan and assorted volunteers (thanks also Ava, Bill, Chris,
Jim and Salem!) have painted, nailed up and spackled over 1/3rd of a
mile of baseboard molding, door and window frames and picture
rail! The floor is complete and looks fantastic, the plumbing is
near done, the light fixtures are all hung and everything looks
incredible and near completion. More news to follow soon; we're
getting really close.
- Jude Feldman
Top Sellers At Borderlands
Hardcovers
1. The City and the City by China Mieville
2. Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
3. Hylozoic by Rudy Rucker
4. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
5. An Empire Unacquainted With Defeat by Glen Cook
6. Julian Comstock: A Novel of 22nd Century America by Robert Charles Wilson
7. Green by Jay Lake
8. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
9. Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
10. Empress of Mars by Kage Baker
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Lightbreaker by Mark Teppo
2. Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey
3. Prefect by Alastair Reynolds
4. Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
5. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
6. The Devil You Know by Mike Carey tie with The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
7. Mirrored Heavens by David J. Williams
8. Edge of Reason by Melinda Snodgrass
9. Juggler of Worlds by Larry Niven & Edward M. Lerner
10. Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
Trade Paperbacks
1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
2. Burning Skies by David J. Williams
3. Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
4. Alive in Necropolis by Doug Dorst
5. World War Z by Max Brooks
Notes From a DVD GeekYe ole' DVD Geek is off in sunny Hawai'i, so the column will return next month.
- Jeremy Lassen jlassen@borderlands-books.com
Book Club Info
The Gay Men's Book Club
will meet on Sunday, July 12th at 5 pm to discuss UGLIES by Scott
Westerfeld. Please contact the group leader, Christopher
Rodriguez, at cobalt555@earthlink.net, for more information.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, July
19th at 6 pm to discuss DEEPNESS IN THE SKY by Vernor Vinge.
Please contact Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more
information.
Upcoming Event Details
Ray Garton, BESTIAL (Leisure, Mass Market, $7.99), Saturday, July 11 at 3:00 pm -
Join us to meet Ray Garton and check out this sequel to RAVENOUS! From
Leisure's website: "Something very strange is happening in the coastal
California town of Big Rock. Several residents have died in
unexplained, particularly brutal ways, many torn apart in animal
attacks. And there's always that eerie howling late at night. . . . You
might think there's a werewolf in town. But you'd be wrong. It's not
just one werewolf, but the whole town that's gradually
transforming. Bit by bit, as the infection spreads, the
werewolves are becoming more and more powerful. In fact, humans may
soon be the minority, mere prey for their hungry neighbors. Is it too
late for the humans to fight back? Did they ever have a chance from the
start?"
*IMPORTANT NOTE*: We don't know how credible this is,
but we've just been informed that a religious organization is arranging
a protest during Ray Garton's event here. It is possible that it
won't pan out, but right now the organizers are planning to protest
outside Borderlands starting at 2:00 pm; the event is at 3:00 pm.
Here is the link to the posting: <http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/index.php?topic=36457.0>. We've never been the subject of a protest before -- it is an interesting experience!
Free Movies from SF in SF (at the Variety Preview Room in
the Hobart Building, 582 Market Street): "Princess Mononoke" and
"Kiki's Delivery Service", Wednesday, July 15th at 7:00 pm -
Free movies! Free popcorn! Cash bar! Bar proceeds and tips
benefits Variety Children's Charity. Doors at 6:30, first movie
starts at 7:00 pm
Jay Lake, GREEN (Tor, Hardcover, $26.95), Saturday, July 18th at 3:00 pm -
From the book jacket: "She was born in poverty, in a dusty village
under the equatorial sun. She does not remember her mother, she does
not remember her own name--her earliest clear memory is of the day her
father sold her to the tall pale man. In the Court of the Pomegranate
Tree, where she was taught the ways of a courtesan . . . and the skills
of an assassin . . . she was named Emerald, the precious jewel of the
Undying Duke's collection of beauties. She calls herself
Green. The world she inhabits is one of political power and
magic, where Gods meddle in the affairs of mortals. At the center of it
is the immortal Duke's city of Copper Downs, which controls all the
trade on the Storm Sea. Green has made many enemies, and some secret
friends, and she has become a very dangerous woman indeed.
Acclaimed author Jay Lake has created a remarkable character in Green,
and evokes a remarkable world in this novel. Green and her struggle to
survive and find her own past will live in the reader's mind for a long
time after closing the book." We're delighted to welcome Jay back to
the store and present his new novel -- my favorite of his so far --
GREEN. Follow the link (and scroll down to "Special Feature") to
read customer Chris Hsiang's take on GREEN: <http://www.borderlands-books.com/about_newsletter_05-09.html>
Erin Cashier, Jay Lake, Heather McDougal, and Cliff
Winnig, FOOTPRINTS (Hadley Rille, Trade Paperback, $15.95), Saturday,
July 18th at 6:00 pm - "Long after our species and all its
works have turned to dust, the Moon landing sites will still show
evidence of our time here on Earth. Imagine future explorers from among
the stars interpreting that. The astronauts' footprints should last
longer than the fossils in the Olduvai Gorge have." --Jay Lake, ca.
July 2008.
Join us to meet three contributors to, (and one of the editors of,)
this "groundbreaking" anthology from the distinguished small press
Hadley Rille.
A Night of Erotic Fantasy with D.M. Atkins, FAEWOLF,
(Circlet Press, Trade Paperback, $14.95) and Cecilia Tan, MIND GAMES,
(Ravenous Romance, Trade Paperback, $12.99), Tuesday, July 21st
at 7:00 pm - Celebrating the release of their new books
FAEWOLF and MIND GAMES, D.M Atkins and Cecilia Tan will read hot and
enticing segments of their fiction and answer questions about the
fabulous intersection of genres that could be called erotic urban
fantasy, or paranormal romance. In MIND GAMES Cecilia Tan
explores what happens when a young telepathic woman's sister disappears
and her search takes her into the back rooms of a swingers' club. In
FAEWOLF D. M Atkins presents a world in which faewolves, like
werewolves, can walk among us as men. What happens when a young gay
college student risks his heart and his life to love one of these men?
Clarion West reading with Amelia Beamer, Vylar Kaftan,
Pat Murphy, Tim Pratt, and Rachel Swirsky, Thursday, July 23rd at 7:00
pm - In honor of 25 consecutive years of the Clarion West
Writers Workshop, Borderlands Bookstore will be featuring a special
Clarion West reading on July 23rd. Clarion West is a non-profit
literary organization that administers the Clarion West Writers
Workshop, an intensive six-week workshop for writers preparing for
professional careers in science fiction and fantasy, held annually in
Seattle, Washington, USA. The readers for this special event
consist of former students of the workshop: Amelia Beamer, Vylar
Kaftan, Pat Murphy, Tim Pratt, and Rachel Swirsky.
Lee Konstantinou, POP APOCALYPSE (Harper, Trade Paperback, $13.99), Saturday, July 25th at 2:00 pm -
We're happy to welcome local author Lee Konstantinou, as he presents
his debut novel! From the book jacket: "The United States and its
Freedom Coalition allies are conducting serial invasions across the
globe, including an attack on the anti-capitalist rebels of Northern
California. The Middle East--now a single consumerist Caliphate led by
Lebanese pop singer Caliph Fred--is in an uproar after an attack on the
al-Aqsa Mosque gets televised on the Holy Land Channel. The world
is on the brink of a total radioactive, no-survivors war, and
human-kind's last hope is Eliot R. Vanderthorpe, Jr., celebrity heir,
debauched party animal, and Elvis impersonation scholar. But Eliot's
got his own problems. His evangelical dad is breeding red heifers in
anticipation of the Rapture. Eliot's dissertation is in the toilet. And
he has a doppelganger. An evil doppelganger."
David Morrell, THE SHIMMER (Vanguard Press, Hardcover, $25.95), Saturday, July 25th at 5:00 pm -
From Vanguard Press: "Morrell's legions of fans are in for a chilling
ride when his new novel, THE SHIMMER (Vanguard Press Hardcover,
$25.95), hits bookstores in July 2009. Inspired by the real-life "Marfa
Lights" in Texas, Morrell takes readers on a terrifying journey and
demonstrates how a thing of beauty can also be a thing of great
danger. When police officer Dan Page's wife disappears, her trail
leads to Rostov, a remote Texas town where unexplained phenomena
attract hundreds of spectators each night. Not merely curious, these
onlookers are compelled to reach this tiny community and gaze at the
mysterious Rostov Lights. But more than the faithful are drawn
there. A gunman begins shooting at the lights, screaming "Go back to
hell where you came from!" then turns his rifle on the innocent
bystanders. As more and more people are drawn to the scene of the
massacre, the stage is set for even greater bloodshed. To save his
wife, Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights. In the process,
he uncovers a deadly government secret dating back to the First World
War. The lights are more dangerous than anyone ever imagined, but even
more deadly are those who try to exploit forces beyond their
control. Riveting, yet thought provoking, THE SHIMMER is David
Morrell at his compelling best."
SF in SF with author Kage Baker (at the Variety Preview
Room in the Hobart Building, 582 Market Street), Saturday, July 25th at
7:00 pm - The author will read a selection from her work,
followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry
Bisson. The author will schmooze & sign books after in the
lounge. Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.
Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. Bar proceeds
benefit Variety Childrens Charity - learn more at <http://www.varietync.org/>.
We REALLY encourage you to take BART into the City, or use MUNI to get
here - parking can be problematic in San Francisco, to say the
least. We are less than one block away from the Montgomery St.
station. Trust us - you don't want to be looking for parking and
be late for the event! Phone (night of event) 415-572-1015.
Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.
Richard Kadrey, SANDMAN SLIM (Harper, Hardcover, $22.99), Saturday, August 1st at 3:00 pm -
Please join us in welcoming local author Richard Kadrey, who has
recently blown everyone away with his novel BUTCHER BIRD. His
newest offering, called SANDMAN SLIM, has a similarly noir-ish,
kick-ass feel. From the book jacket: "When he was 19, James Stark was
considered to be one of the greatest natural magicians, a reputation
that got him demon-snatched and sent downtown -- to Hell -- where he
survived as a gladiator, a sideshow freak entertaining Satan's fallen
angels. That was 11 years ago. Now, the hitman who goes only by Stark
has escaped and is back in L.A. Armed with a fortune-telling coin, a
black bone knife, and an infernal key, Stark is determined to destroy
the magic circle -- led by the conniving and powerful Mason Faim --
that stole his life. Though nearly everything has changed, one
constant remains: his friend Vidocq, a 200-year-old Frenchman who has
been keeping vigil for the young magician's return. But when Stark's
first stop saddles him with an abusive talking head that belongs to the
first of the circle (a sleazy video store owner named Kasabian,) Stark
discovers that the road to absolution and revenge is much longer than
he counted on, and both Heaven and Hell have their own ideas for his
future." You won't want to miss the novel that William Gibson calls
"[a]n addictively satisfying, deeply amusing, dirty-ass masterpiece"!
Borderlands event policy - all events are free of charge. You are
welcome to bring copies of an author's books purchased elsewhere to be
autographed (but we do appreciate it if you purchase something while at
the event). For most events you are welcome to bring as many
books as you wish for autographs. If you are unable to attend the
event we will be happy to have a copy of any of the author's available
books signed or inscribed for you. We can then either hold it
until you can come in to pick it up or we can ship it to you.
Just give us a call or drop us an email. If you live out of town,
you can also ship us books from your collection to be signed.
Call or email for details.
Chapter Two - Book Listings
Small Press Features
THE
LEES OF LAUGHTER'S END by Steven Erikson (Night Shade Books, Signed,
Limited Edition (150 copies) Hardcover, $49.00, and Trade Hardcover,
$25.00) - From Night Shade: "West of Theft, on a vast stretch of
ocean known as the Wastes, the free-ship Suncurl pilots its way along
the Lees of Laughter's end, away from the city of Lamentable Moll.
Aboard the ship, three passengers have become the subject of the crew's
gossip: the luckless manservant Emancipor Reese, and his masters, the
homicidal necromancers known as Bauchelain and Korbal Broach . .
. But a bizarre force pursues them along the cursed sea-lane
known as Laughter's End, even as an arcane thing awakens aboard the
Suncurl. What secrets do the captain and her First Mate conceal from
the rest of the crew? What lurks in the darkness of the ship's hold?
And what of the eunuch's strange behavior . . . or his frightening
offspring?" Highly recommended by Alan.
THE WISCON CHRONICLES VOL. 3 - CARNIVAL OF FEMINIST SF edited by Liz
Henry (Aqueduct, Trade Paperback, $18.00) - From Aqueduct Press: "This
volume explores some of the issues of interest at WisCon 2008: the
politics of the intelligibility of stories, internet drama, and
feminist fandom. It offers a selection of thoughtful essays and
analysis, dialogues, comments, arguments, meditations, and appeals to
reason, collected from participants--writers, bloggers, activists, and
fans, some of them WisCon veterans and some attending for the first
time--including L. Timmel Duchamp, K. Tempest Bradford, Nancy Jane
Moore, Alexis Lothian, and many others."
THE SMELL OF TELESCOPES by Rhys Huges (Eibonvale Press, Hardcover,
$43.00) - A gorgeous book from Eibonvale Press: "Rhys Hughes regards
this as his favorite book, and with good reason. It is one of the
funniest and most intelligent books from the lighter side of macabre
writing I have ever seen. It clamors with a cast of pirates,
floppy-wristed Welsh bards, explorers and inventors, imps, squonks,
moving public houses, M. R. Jamesian revenants, M R Jamesian
punctuation, blueberry pies, trousers, noses, clocks, carrots . . . I
can't list them all here, there isn't room. Like all the best
books, this quirky and surreal collection is hard to classify, but it
lies in that region where the macabre and eerie worlds of classic
horror and fantasy become a basis for something else -- for a dark and
original sense of humour filled with unexpected cross-references,
homages, satires and black comedy. What makes this collection
remarkable is not just the delightfully murky and skewed tales
themselves, but the complex and ingenious way they all lock together
and interrelate. I was going to say 'tessellate' but if this is a
tessellation then it is filled with impossible-sided polygons,
non-Euclidean three-dimensional geometry, unexpurgated curves and
cracks from which blueberry-scented steam emerges with a screaming hiss
. . ."
CINEMA SPEC: TALES OF HOLLYWOOD AND FANTASY edited by Karen A. Romanko
(Raven Electrick Ink, Trade Paperback, $13.95) - This collection
features local authors Vylar Kaftan and Cliff Winnig, both of whom will
be reading and signing at the store this month. From Raven
Electrick Ink: "CINEMA SPEC: TALES OF HOLLYWOOD AND FANTASY views
moving pictures in all their forms, real and imaginary, from shadow
plays to classic films, from videocassettes to animated tattoos. 32
authors have contributed flash fiction, short stories, and poetry to
the anthology, transporting readers back to a time when flames
flickered and paintings waltzed on cave walls, and forward to possible
futures when the heavens themselves might serve as vidscreens. Along
the way, the anthology makes multiple stops in Hollywood, the one we
know and the one that could never exist, from 30s noir to
extraterrestrial infiltration, from a magical 'gangland' to destruction
after 'the big one.'"
THE SHADOW PAVILION by Liz Williams (Night Shade Books, Signed, Limited
Edition Hardcover, $49.00, and Trade Hardcover, $24.95) - The
fourth Detective Inspector Chen novel continues the breakneck pace of
the last book. We can't get enough of these! From
Publisher's Weekly: "The fourth Det. Insp. Chen mystery (after 2007's
PRECIOUS DRAGON) adds a bit of Bollywood to the high-stakes intrigues
of Celestials and demons in Williams's clever mix of Chinese folklore
and police procedural. Chen, of Singapore Three, is the city's liaison
officer . . . between Earth and Hell and Heaven. His latest set
of troubles starts with the disappearance of his partner, the demon Zhu
Irzh, along with Chen's wife's badger familiar. Then Chen learns
that someone has hired the bigendered demon assassin Lord Lady Seijin
to murder Mhara, the new Emperor of Heaven, and that a rising Bollywood
star is actually a tigress demon escaped from the harem of the demon
who's trying to steal Zhu Irzh's fiancee. The plot zips along via
short, tightly written chapters, growing more and more intricate with
each scene. Williams seamlessly blends the occult with modern issues
like feminism and illegal immigration to create a thoroughly original
fantasy." Also newly available is PRECIOUS DRAGON (Night Shade
Books, Mass Market, $7.99) in paperback. Recommended by Jude and Alan.
THIS MORTAL MOUNTAIN: THE COLLECTED SHORT FICTION OF ROGER ZELAZNY
VOL.3 and LAST EXIT TO BABYLON: THE COLLECTED SHORT FICTION OF ROGER
ZELAZNY VOL.4, both by Roger Zelazny (NESFA Press, Hardcovers, $29.00
each) - There will ultimately be six volumes of this impressive
collection from NESFA. They are beautiful, comprehensive, and
will ultimately be very collectible. Recommended by Alan and
Jeremy.
New and Notable
THE
WATERS AND THE WILD by Francesca Lia Block (Harper, Hardcover, $16.99)
- As far as I'm concerned, the author of DANGEROUS ANGELS can do no
wrong. She writes smart, lush, gorgeous, non-patronzing young
adult fantasy, and while THE WATERS AND THE WILD is not as strong as
some of her previous novels, it is nonetheless fascinating. (It's
the bizarre story of a 13-year-old double Gemini who has just begun
seeing her doppelganger, and decides she must be a changeling.)
However, there are some unpleasant people out there who dislike Ms.
Block's work immensely. In a stunning, infuriating case of
FAHRENHEIT 451-style surreality, Locus Magazine and some websites have
quietly reported that there's a group that is actually suing not only
to remove Block's 1995 novel BABY BE-BOP from the West Bend, Wisconsin
library, they also want the opportunity to _publicly burn the
book_! Additionally, they want damages to the tune of $30,000 per
plaintiff for the emotional strain of being exposed to the novel.
Absolutely unbelievable. <http://www.examiner.com/x-536-Civil-Liberties-Examiner~y2009m6d18-Civil-liberties-group-sues-to-publicly-burn-library-book>.
Anyway, in direct defiance of insanity like that, I recommend that you
pick up any Francesca Lia Block novel and read it as soon as
possible. And while I'd love it if you'd buy your copies at
Borderlands, borrowing them from the library first is a great way to
show your support!
THE STRAIN by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (William Morrow,
Hardcover, $26.99) - A nasty strain of vampirism is spreading
across New York. . . really, really fast. Read customer
Grey_Area's review at i09: <http://io9.com/5273561/guillermo-del-toros-the-strain-is-an-antidote-to-fey-vampires>.
THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION, TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL COLLECTION edited
by Gardner Dozois (Tor, Hardcover, $40.00 and Trade Paperback $21.95) -
Thirty stories including several Hugo nominees.
THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE by Katherine Howe (Voice,
Hardcover, $25.95) - This novel which alternates between 1991
Harvard and the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 is getting great reviews
from mainstream sources. I'm looking forward to checking it out,
as I usually like these historical-collision novels. - Jude
GREEN by Jay Lake (Tor, Hardcover, $26.95) - (See event write-up above.)
HAZE by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (Tor, Hardcover, $24.95) - The newest
novel from the extremely prolific L.E. Modesitt, Jr. From the book:
"What lies beneath the millions of orbiting nanotech satellites that
shroud the world called Haze? Major Keir Roget's mission is to make
planetfall in secret, find out, and report back to his superiors in the
Federation, the Chinese-dominated government that rules Earth and the
colonized planets. For all his effectiveness as a security agent,
Roget is troubled by memories of an earlier mission. When he was
assigned to covert duty in the Noram backcountry town of St. George, he
not only discovered that the long-standing Saint culture was neither as
backward nor as harmless as his superiors believed, but he barely
emerged with his life and sanity whole. Now, scouting Haze, he finds a
culture seemingly familiar, yet frighteningly alien, with hints of a
technology far superior to that of the Federation. Yet he is not
certain how much of what he sees is real--or how to convey a danger he
cannot even prove to his superiors, if he can escape Haze."
HOUSE OF SUNS by Alastair Reynolds (Ace, Hardcover, $26.95) - A
enormous, sprawling novel set in the same world at the novella
"Thousandth Night".
THE STARS DISPOSE (Tor, Hardcover, $23.95, 1997) and VANISHING POINT
(Tor, Hardcover, $21.95, 1993) both by Michaela Roessner. These
two titles aren't exactly new, but they've been out of print and
unavailable for a long time. These are the original first edition,
un-remaindered hardcovers, in new condition and signed by the
author. If for some reason you're unfamiliar with Ms. Roessner,
you're missing out! THE STARS DISPOSE is a lush historical
fantasy set in the court and kitchens of Medici Italy (we lovingly call
it "fantasy food porn"), and VANISHING POINT is about a group of people
who live in the Winchester Mystery House about 30 years after most of
the world's population has inexplicably vanished. These copies
came directly from the author. Strongly recommended by Jude and
Cary.
WARBREAKER by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, Hardcover, $27.95) - Here is the
starred review from Publishers Weekly: "Epic fantasy heavyweight
Sanderson (the MISTBORN series) pens a powerful stand-alone tale of
unpredictable loyalties, dark intrigue and dangerous magic. To keep a
treaty made long ago, the king of Idris must send his daughter to marry
Susebron, the God King of Hallandren. Loath to part with his eldest
daughter, Vivenna, King Dedelin instead sends his youngest daughter,
tomboyish 17-year-old Siri, who struggles to make sense of the schemers
and spies in Susebron's court. Hoping to rescue her sister, Vivenna
joins a group of Idrian operatives with questionable motives. As
Vivenna comes to terms with her magical abilities, resurrected hero
Lightsong questions the role of the undead Returned Gods, who command
Hallandren's mighty army of zombie soldiers. Sanderson melds complex,
believable characters, a marvelous world and thoughtful, ironic humor
into an extraordinary and highly entertaining story." Brandon
starting posting this book online, unedited, as he wrote it, in
2007. You can both download the book for free and read his
fascinating thoughts on the process here: <http://www.brandonsanderson.com/book/Warbreaker>. And, you can watch the amazing Dan Dos Santos create an oil painting of the cover here: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqjWP18hPHE>
OVERTHROWING HEAVEN by Mark L. Van Name (Baen, Hardcover, $26.95) -
From Baen Books: "It began as a favor to a woman trying to get away
from an abusive husband. Jon Moore grew up in a prison
laboratory. When he escaped with nothing but his body's nanotech
enhancements and more anger than even a long lifetime could wash away,
an entire planet died behind him. Memories of the things he'd
done still haunted him; because of them, he often ended up helping
those in need. His kindnesses frequently didn't work out well.
This one really didn't work out well. It hurled Jon and Lobo, the
intelligent assault vehicle and Jon's only friend, down an
accelerating, ever more dangerous spiral involving private armies and
government covert ops teams, a courtesan who always seems a step ahead
of him, rival superpowers that define Good in terms of their own
advantage and Ethics as whatever doesn't get in the way of their Good,
and a brilliant, amoral scientist to whom human beings are just more
experimental animals--and who might be Lobo's creator. Jon and
Lobo take the reader on a headlong rush through armed enemies and
untrustworthy allies and encounter what just might be the worst danger
their partnership will face: the truth." Read the first chapter
here! <http://www.webscription.net/chapters/1439132674/1439132674.htm?blurb>
JULIAN COMSTOCK: A STORY OF 22nd CENTURY AMERICA by Robert Charles
Wilson (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95) - From Publishers Weekly: "Hugo-winner
Wilson (AXIS) perpetrates a kind of skewed steampunk novel set in a
postcollapse, imperial United States returned to 19th-century
technology and mores. Julian Comstock, the disgraced nephew of
the tyrannical American president, grows up in a small town in what was
formerly northern Canada. Adam Hazzard, Julian's working-class
friend, and Sam Godwin, a bluff old retainer and secret Jew, struggle
to keep Julian alive despite his uncle's hatred and Julian's proclivity
for annoying the repressive Dominion Church. When Julian is
drafted to fight the invading Dutch in Labrador, exaggerated tales of
his heroism, written by would-be novelist Adam, catapult the young
aristocrat to unwanted fame. Written with the eloquence and
elegance of a Victorian novel, this thoughtful tale combines complex
characters, rousing military adventure and a beautifully realized,
unnerving future."
This newsletter is distributed monthly free
of charge and may be distributed without charge so long all the following
information is included.
Dispatches from the Border Editor - Jude Feldman
Assistant Editor - Alan Beatts
Contributors - Jeremy Lassen, Christopher Hsiang
All contents unless otherwise noted are the property of
Borderlands Books
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-824-8203
http://www.borderlands-books.com
Comments and suggestions should be directed to editor@borderlands-books.com
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