*We are sorry to report the death of science fiction giant Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who passed away in mid-March at the age of 90.  Clarke, the author of nearly 100 books including the immortal CHILDHOOD'S END, was also widely regarded as a visionary futurist and optimist.  Read a full obituary here: <http://books.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2266521,00.html>

*Cassandra Clare, author of CITY OF BONES and CITY OF ASHES, will be dropping in to sign books sometime next week.  Just give us a call at 888 893-4008, or email office@borderlands-books.com if you'd like a copy of either book signed or inscribed.

*Congratulations to all of the Hugo Award nominees, especially all our friends who are up for awards!  The nominees for best novel are:
    * The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)
    * Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
    * Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer (Tor; Analog Oct. 2006-Jan/Feb. 2007)
    * The Last Colony by John Scalzi (Tor)
    * Halting State by Charles Stross (Ace)


You can find the complete list of nominees here: <http://www.thehugoawards.org/>.  The Hugos will be presented this summer at the World Science Fiction Convention in Denver.

*Speaking of awards, the Bram Stoker Awards were presented at the World Horror Convention last weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can find the complete list of winners here: <http://ozhorrorscope.blogspot.com/2008/03/news-bram-stoker-awards-2008-winners.html> 

*For the legions of fans of Richard Kadrey's BUTCHER BIRD, we have a limited number of signed copies of Richard's first two books, METROPHAGE (Gollancz, UK Hardcover, $24.00) and KAMIKAZE L'AMOUR (St. Martin's, Hardcover, $20.95). Get 'em fast!

*Thanks to author Tom Piccirilli for the following brief notes about his upcoming work: "My novel THE COLD SPOT (Bantam pb $6.99) hits at the end of the month.  My novel THE MIDNIGHT ROAD is up for an International Thriller Writers Award [and] my novella "Loss," originally published in FIVE STROKES TO MIDNIGHT will see reprint in Mammoth Book of Best New Horror #19 edited by Stephen Jones."

* A rare copy of THE HOBBIT, inscribed by Tolkien, has sold at auction for $118,873. <http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2266390,00.html>

*Juliet Ulman from Random House is excited about Bantam Spectra's new "publication".  She says: "We started a Spectra Pulse magazine. Kind of -- the definition of magazine may or may not apply. It's full-colour and will come out twice a year, will feature interviews & articles & excerpts & original short fiction from Spectra authors. We're giving it away at various conventions like Comic Con this year. I just got the first advance issue and it's darned pretty."  We'll look forward to grabbing some when they're available!

*Kevin Peters, Borderlands' rep from Tor Books, forwarded us the following press release about the Prometheus Awards: "The Best Novel finalists for the 2008 Prometheus Awards have been announced, and all five are Tor authors!  The nominees are as follows: Tobias Buckell for Ragamuffin, Ken Macleod for The Execution Channel, Larry Niven & Edward Lerner for Fleet of Worlds, Harry Turtledove for The Gladiator, and Jo Walton for Ha’Penny.  The Libertarian Futurist Society present the Prometheus Award for Best Novel annually at the World Science Fiction Convention."

*Thanks to local author Dick Lupoff, who has provided us with the following exciting news: "After more than fifty years in the writing racket, dozens of books, a hundred or so short stories and assorted screenplays, essays, and postcards home from camp, our own Dick Lupoff is finally realizing a long-held ambition: he’s becoming a publisher!  Well, sort of.  Ramble House, that wonderful quirky company operating out of Shreveport, Louisiana, is the publisher of the complete works of Harry Stephen Keeler in 82 volumes plus a couple of hundred other mystery, horror, science fiction, and assorted uncategorizable volumes. Fender Tucker, President and Editor-in-Chief of Ramble House, has offered Lupoff a private imprint as part of the older company.  The new company will be known as Surinam Turtle Press. Lupoff will be responsible for acquisitions and editing for STP. Production and business affairs will remain with the parent company.  As Lupoff says, the Surinam turtle is a wonderful creature whose laziness is exceeded only by its ugliness. Lupoff’s own title is as yet undetermined. Maybe Publisher. Maybe Editor. Maybe Hey Kid Get Me a Cup of Coffee.  Surinam Turtle Press will function initially as a reprint house, specializing in mystery, fantasy, and science fiction with an emphasis on “proto-pulpsters” like Gelett Burgess, Thomas and Mary Hanshew, and E. W. Hornung. Later plans include new authors.
The first Surinam Turtle Press book will be The Master of Mysteries, by onetime San Franciscan Gelett Burgess, followed by Ladies in Boxes, by the same author. Other books by this highly eccentric, once famous, now unjustly forgotten writer, will follow."  Our congratulations to Mr. Lupoff on this new undertaking!