ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER

Events and News from Borderlands Books

May, 2007

Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features

Borderlands Overstock Sale, Saturday May 5th and Sunday May 6th from 12:00  pm - 8:00 pm

Holly Black, IRONSIDE (Margaret K. McElderry), and Cassandra Clare, CITY OF BONES (Margaret K. McElderry), Thursday, May 10th at 7:00 pm

Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "The Host" and "Lake Placid" at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, May 10th at 7:00 pm (Yes, the first movie conflicts with the Holly Black/Cassandra Clare event, but only a little.  You don't really have to make a choice here, just come to the movies after the signing!)

THE JAMES TIPTREE AWARD ANTHOLOGY VOL. 3 (Tachyon), with Pat Murphy, Tim Pratt, and John Varley,  Saturday, May 12th at 3:00 pm

Jeff Prucher, BRAVE NEW WORDS: THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE FICTION (Oxford), Sunday, May 13th at 3:00 pm

Cory Doctorow and Rudy Rucker are special guests of SF in SF, at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street, Wednesday, May 16th at 7:00 pm

Susan Palwick, THE FATE OF MICE (Tachyon), Saturday, May 19th at 5:00 pm

Esther Friesner, TEMPING FATE  (Puffin) and NOBODY'S PRINCESS (Random House), Thursday, May 24th at 7:00 pm

Carol Berg, FLESH AND SPIRIT (Roc), Saturday, June 2nd at 3:00 pm

Katharine Kerr, THE SPIRIT STONE (DAW) Saturday, June 2nd at 5:00 pm (Please note: the date and time of this event have been changed from earlier in the month.)

Ripley's Birthday Sale and Celebration, Sunday, June 3rd from 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Borderlands, Variety Children's Charity, and the Gay Geeks' Group present "The Hunger" and "Galaxy Quest" at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, June 14th at 7:00 pm

Jacqueline Carey, KUSHIEL'S JUSTICE (Warner), Saturday, June 23rd at 3:00 pm

(for more information check the end of this section)

And stay tuned, because we have some fabulous events coming up in the summer!  Just added are events with Laura Anne Gilman, Mike Carey, Emma Bull and Will Shetterly, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and many others!

News

* Do you know your way around a web site?  The Northern California Independent Booksellers Association <http://www.nciba.com/> is looking for a web site designer / manager.  Alan is on the board of the association and so he thought that it might be nice to see if any of our customers would be interested in the job.  Actually, it's quite a plum of a gig -- it pays a (quite reasonable) set fee per month and the work is simple updates and maintenance on a weekly basis.  Initially there will be a bit of rearrangement of the site but, once it settles down, the job should be a piece of cake and easy to fit in to anyone's work schedule.  For the right person there might also be a separately paid one-time full site redesign further down the line.  There are only two catches -- one, the job calls for someone who can be very proactive and remind the NCIBA administrative staff to send it updates and so forth and two, the person must be located in Northern California (that part of the whole "shop local first" idea).  If you're interested (or if you know someone who might be), please drop Alan an email at abeatts@borderlands-books.com. 

*Beloved author Kurt Vonnegut died April 11, 2007 at the age of 84.  Vonnegut was the author of the classics CAT'S CRADLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE among many many others.  He will be sorely missed.

*Pyr, the science fiction imprint of Prometheus Books, is starting a newsletter.  You can sign up here: <http://www.pyrsf.com/index.html>

*Apparently it is a big month for newsletters.  Tor/Forge Books has a redesigned website, and you can sign up for their newsletter here: <http://www.tor-forge.com/>

* THE BEE-IN, A Spelling Bee to Benefit Small Press Distribution, will be an old fashioned spelling bee but with alcohol and more fun! The proceeds will help support the work of SPD, the nation's only remaining non-profit distributor of literary small press books.
Drinks, Nibbles & Spelling!
Monday, May 14th - Crown Point Gallery, 20 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco.  Doors Open @ 6:30 (Bee starts at 7:30 and lasts for about an hour)
Cocktails courtesy of Craft Distillers, pouring Hangar One Vodka
MC: NPR commentator Laura Sydell (All Things Considered)
SPELLERS: Cookbook guru Mollie Katzen (The Enchanted Brocolli Forest), "sexpert" Suzie Bright (Best American Erotica), Tobias Wolff (Old School), ex-stripper Stephen Elliot (Happy Baby), Jack Spicer biographer and former New York state spelling bee champion Kevin Killian (Little Men), political commentator George Lakoff (Don't Think of an Elephant!), former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, Writers with Drinks diva Charlie Anders (Choir Boy), Melanie Abrams (Playing), Daniel Mason (The Piano Tuner and recently The Far Country), New York Times bestselling novelist Beth Lisick (Everybody Into the Pool), "Riot grrrl" Michelle Tea (Rose of No Man's Land), Marc Lecard (Vinnie's Head), Forrest Hamer (Rift) and more to come!
To purchase tickets, please visit <http://www.spdbooks.org/bee/>

*According to CNN.com, "Wally Schirra, one of the original astronauts in the Mercury 7 project, died Thursday [May 3rd] at age 84, NASA officials said." <http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/05/03/schirra.obit/index.html>

*CNN also reports that the ashes of actor James "Scotty" Doohan from TV's "Star Trek" (and the ashes of many others) were sent into space last Saturday: <http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/04/28/scott.launch.ap/index.html>

*I don't normally have much use for movies made from genre novels (with a few notable exceptions,) but I must say that the website for the upcoming movie "The Golden Compass" is _really_ cool.  You can even take a brief personality test to determine your personal daemon. <http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/> 

From The Office

Happy May everyone!  Weather's getting lovely and this is my favorite time of the year so I'm just in a hell of a good mood.  And you wanna' know something else that's making me so happy?  Two great books.  Just finished one and I'm halfway through the other. 

Thirteen by Richard K. Morgan - I got an advance copy of this and pretty much jumped right into it.  I've really enjoyed Richard's other novels (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Market Forces, and Woken Furies) and, after an unexpected meeting at the shop that turned into a two-hour chat followed by dinner and several other too-short meetings, I consider him a friend.  Though many of his other readers prefer the Takeshi Kovacs novels, Market Forces is my personal favorite.  Richard once commented that people tell him that they don't like Market Forces because it's so grim.  He went on to say with a wry smile, "Did they really read Altered Carbon?"

It's true, Richard's novels are grim . . . but they have to be.  It's just my opinion but, of all the writers currently working in the SF field, I think that Richard's work is the best example of SF at its finest.  One of the pinnacles of SF achievement (please note that I say, "one" not "the only") is to write a compelling, readable and entertaining story that causes readers to ask themselves where our current path, be it social, technological, or scientific, is taking us and whether we're going to like the final destination.  This is one of the most notable of Richard's achievements and in it he's the best in the business.  And these days that makes for a grim story.

I think that's why I like Market Forces so much.  Unlike the Kovacs books, it lacks much of the Science Fiction set dressing that allows readers to put a comfortable distance between themselves and the ugly situations and choices that our future could bring.  That's the same thing that makes lots of other readers think that Market Forces is grimmer and darker than the Kovacs books -- it's not darker, it's just closer.

And then there was Thirteen, or Black Man (to give its original title, which Richard's British publisher wasn't afraid to keep).  Though Market Forces takes on the ethics and economics of world wide finance and investment banking in a hell-bent, kill-the-competition-before-they-get-to-the-meeting, nightmare style there is a certain genteel British reserve to it (bloody baseball bats aside).  But Thirteen . . . Thirteen is ready to _really_ get in your face.  Especially if you live in the good ole' U.S. of A.

Carl Marsalis is a product of genetic engineering called a "variant thirteen".  He was bred to be a throw-back to the pre-civilized human that existed before cooperation was a pro-survival trait.  Thirteens in general are violent, borderline sociopathic, and were almost all killed, deported, or interred years ago.  In the early years of the 22nd century Carl has managed to carve out a niche for himself as a bounty hunter specializing in tracking and apprehending other Thirteens who have escaped the interment camps.  Until one evening, while staying overnight in the Southern Republic of a balkanized United States, a small act of kindness lands him in prison.  Held without charges and facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life as a convict in this poor, backward, Christian-dominated fragment of a nation, he's offered release in exchange for helping representatives of the most powerful corporation in the world catch a serial murderer who is also a Thirteen.

The plot sounds like a great action-adventure thriller with elements of a police procedural.  And it is.  But it's also a very complex investigation of bigotry, fundamentalist religious intolerance (both Christian and Muslim), the power of corporations, and the price of violence.  It's not often that I read a novel that both makes me think about where the world and my country are going and at the same time engages and entertains me completely.  Thus far this year, it's only happened once.  And this was the book that did it.

Thirteen will be published in July of this year and I highly recommend that you get a copy. 

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman - I'm only half-way though this one and so it might not live up to its promise, but in that case I'll be damn surprised.  First off, despite the title, this is not a funny book.  Granted, there are some bits that are amusing and even worth a laugh but it's not a funny book.  In both meanings of the term.

You see, it's about super-heroes and super-villains.

When I was a kid I loved comics.  Not to the obsessive, completist degree that many of my friends did, but I liked them.  And then they got a bit too simple for me and I stopped reading them.  Later I discovered a series of shared-world anthologies edited by George R. R. Martin (of A Game of Thrones fame) called Wild Cards.  They were about super-heroes but with a large dose of the real world thrown in.  The characters had ended up in real-world situations and had to deal with real-world problems.  It was good.  Not great but really very good.  Later I would run across a comic called The Watchmen written by Alan Moore.  It also took on the gritty reality of what it might be like for super-heroes.  It was also good.  Very good.  It seems that, over the years, the image of costumed heroes with super-powers has steadily grown richer and more complex -- keeping step with the aging of the generations who were strongly affected by them. 

Perhaps it's a function not only of aging of the original readers but some alchemy rising from maturity -- not of the people who were first touched by Superman but the children of those people.  Children who were never told that comic books were crap and not to be read by any serious adult but children who were instead _given_ comics by serious adults (their parents) and told, "This is great.  You'll love it.  I know I did."

But, whatever the reason, comics have grown up a very great deal but that maturity has only rarely made it outside of comics or "illustrated narratives" and into prose fiction.  In Soon I Will Be Invincible it has done so and in spades.  It's a very mature novel with profoundly complex and motivated characters that retains the awe and wonder of comic books.  From the very first two chapters I was hooked and, at the half-way mark, I'm still hooked.  The writing is stylish without being self-conscious and very tight.  As I mentioned, the characters are believable and complex with motivations that you can not only believe but feel.  It's great.  Not good but great.

And you don't have to wait 'till July to get it.  It's be out in June!  And it's looking like we'll be able to host the author for a signing sometime in July.

I hope you enjoyed these two sneak peeks at books that are on their way.  I'm sorry that we don't have them for you yet but now you've seen one of the great truisms about booksellers -- we're usually either reading something that isn't out yet or we're reading something that's been out for a while.  Late or early but never on time, it's story of my life.

Have a great spring!

Best,
Alan

Origin of the Bookstore, Part the Seventh

For the next six months we'll be doing a special feature each month in honor of Borderlands' upcoming 10th Anniversary (November 3rd, 2007). We'll share some stories about what Borderlands is and how it got that way.

The origin of the store piece this month is shorter than usual, because I've been so terribly busy building ornate little castles with my writer's blocks!

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Borderlands Books:

1. Borderlands has a dress code, and it consists of a single rule.  You can email office@borderlands-books.com if you want to know what the rule is.

2. The combined age of all six Borderlands employees is 226, and between us we have approximately 43 years of book selling experience, 21 piercings and 14 tattoos.

3. The Borderlands staff includes people who have been: a nightclub DJ, a go-go dancer, a bike messenger, a high school teacher, an accountant, a beef-jerky salesperson, a microelectronics assembly engineer, an Emergency Medical Technician, a Dead-Head, a floppy-disk assembly line operator, an Information Technology professional, a stage manager, voice-over/television/movie actors (2), and hotel maids (2). 

4. There are currently 1,177 books in the store that cost $1.75 or less.

5. Ripley has been filmed for 2 documentaries, 1 independent film and a cable-access show.

6. The store backs up to the Mission Playground, and an average of once a day someone on the staff has to toss a soccer ball back over the 18 foot high fence.

7. More than half the staff have been homeless at some point in their lives, and more than half the staff have worked at higher-education institutions.

8. In three years, Borderlands has donated over 4000 books to the guests at Martin de Poores House of Hospitality, a free restaurant that serves meals to those in need.  You can find out more about the good work that Martin's is doing here: <http://www.martindeporres.org/>.

9. Borderlands does an average of 50 in-store author events a year.

10. We have had author and/or artist guests in the store who: accidentally broke chairs, smoked marijuana before their readings, left what they were going to read at home and had to improvise, praised the store for "not having s**t all over it," incorporated employees into their novels or artwork, drew Ripley with Ren and Stimpy, and had such a good time they promised they'd be back "until forcibly prevented".

-Jude Feldman

Top Sellers At Borderlands

Hardcovers
1.The Last Colony by John Scalzi
2. The Lees of Laughter's End by Steven Erikson
3. The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Softspoken by Lucius Shepard
5. Sixty Days and Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson
6. You're Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Latop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing by John Scalzi
7 The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
8. Into a Dark Realm by Raymond Feist
9. 1634: The Baltic War by David Weber and Eric Flint
10. You Suck! A Love Story by Christopher Moore

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
2. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
3. Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
4. Armies of Memory by John Barnes
5. Accidents Waiting to Happen by Simon Wood
6. Flight of the Nighthawks by Raymond Feist
7. Night Life by Ray Garton
8. Ally by Karen Traviss
9. Beguilement: The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold
10. Light by M. John Harrison

Trade Paperbacks
1. Ancestor by Scott Silger
2. Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages
3. September Snow by Robert Balmanno
4. Hardwired by Walter John Williams
5. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

Notes From a DVD Geek

Hello movie fans.  This month I wanted to touch on a range of things.

First up is the latest K-Horror epic, "Arang," which hit Korean theaters last year.  This better-than-average Asian horror film mixes elements of detective drama, ghost story, and Korean folk tale, with some very stylish setups and direction by first-time feature film director Ahn Sang-hoon.  This one is just what the doctor ordered if you need some creepy ghosts, serial killers and desperate detectives on said killer’s trail.

Moving over to Japan, cult classic, and Tarantino inspiration “Female Prisoner #701” hits DVD in a collection gathering all three influential 70’s Japanese cult exploitation films.  These films feature the wrongly-convicted-but-out-for-vengeance Lady Snowbird.  With names like "Scorpion," "Beast Stable," and "Grudge Song," how could you not want to own these films on DVD?

For something a little more recent, let's talk about the best film of last year: "Pan’s Labyrinth," directed by Guillermo del Toro.  del Toro has directed mega-hits like "Hellboy" and "Blade 2," but has also been producing beautiful, classy ghost/fantastic movies in Spanish.  "Pan’s Labyrinth" is easily his most accomplished and stunning film.  It features a Franco dominated, post civil war Spanish setting (several years subsequent to the setting of his previous Spanish civil war ghost movie, The Devil's Backbone), and has a dreadful sense of inevitable claustrophobia that is beautifully balanced by its sumptuous visuals.   If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and do so as soon as possible.

The second best movie of last year was the dystopic nightmare that was "Children of Men," directed by Alfonso Cuarón, based on the novel of the same name by P. D. James.  Cuaron directed the third Harry Potter movie, and before that, established his indy bonafides with the stunning debut, "Y Tu Mama Tambien".  What is most exciting about "Children of Men" is that it shows that a young talented film maker who got a shot at a big budget Hollywood franchise can turn that big budget studio experience into something deeply personal, artistic and moving.  The flashes of audacious brilliance in "Children of Men" are something surprising from such a young director, and Cuaron never once allows the film to wallow in sentimentality, nor does he flinch away from creating a truly ugly, dystopic future.  This one had me choked up.  Do yourself a favor, and watch it (again, if you’ve already seen it).

And for something completely different, I want to bring to your attention "Strings," an epic fantasy from Denmark.  It's vaguely Shakespearean in nature.  Here’s the story:  The Emperor of Hebalon dies a dramatic death, taking a terrible secret to the grave with him.  His young son, Hal Tara, is set to take over the throne; however, his uncle leads him to believe his father was murdered by the Zeriths, their sworn enemy. Forced to set out to avenge his father's death, Hal is unaware of the perils he is facing, both inside his kingdom and out.  Sounds pretty stock, and could be pretty bad if it was not handled right.  Here’s the kicker: all the characters are marionettes.  The entire feature is cast with stringed puppets, beautifully manipulated.  Think "Wallace and Gromit," with strings, meets "Lord of the Rings".  Good stuff.  This one really needs to be seen to be believed.

On another note, I’ll point out that while the remake of "The Hitcher" hits DVD this week, we don’t have copies.  It’s not a good enough movie to justify the release-day price of $30.  Despite a strong performance by Sean Bean, the music video director who helmed this project got everything wrong that was right about the original, and brought absolutely nothing of his own to the table.  This is perhaps the worst remake since Gus Van Sant’s "Psycho".  If you want to see what a good movie is, be sure to check out the original version, from 1986, featuring Rutger Hauer.  Awesome does not begin to describe how great the original was and Hauer’s performance was perhaps a career best.

If you really have to see the original version of "The Hitcher" again, don't miss "The Highwaymen," also directed by Robert Harmon.  It’s a film from 2003 that you’ve never seen, and features a plot similar in nature to Quentin Tarantino’s "Death Proof".  It has muscle cars and serial killers to spare, and absolutely no CGI.  Real cars were hurt during the making of this film!

That should cover this month.  Be sure to join us at the Variety Children’s Charity Screening Room on Thursday the 10th, for the two best giant monster movies of the last 20 years;  "Lake Placid," and "The Host"!

-Jeremy Lassen
jlassen@borderlands-books.com

Book Club Info

The Gay Men's Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 13th at 5 pm to discuss TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG by Connie Willis.  The book for June is NATURAL HISTORY by Justina Robson.  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, May 20th, at 6 pm to discuss MARKET FORCES by Richard Morgan.  The book for June is THE PICKUP ARTIST by Terry Bisson,  and Mr. Bisson will be on hand to take part in the discussion.  Please contact Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more information.

Upcoming Event Details

Borderlands Overstock Sale, Saturday May 5th and Sunday May 6th from 12:00  pm - 8:00 pm - Join us for an overstock sale to commemorate 6 years in our Valencia Street storefront!  This is just the first of many special events we'll be hosting to celebrate 10 years of Borderlands Books, and many titles are 30% - 40% off!  Please email office@borderlands-books.com for a list of the titles that will be available.  This sale is also open to mail-order customers, and we'll provide free media mail shipping for your order in the US!

Holly Black, IRONSIDE (Margaret K. McElderry, Hardcover, $16.95), and Cassandra Clare, CITY OF BONES (Margaret K. McElderry, Hardcover, $17.95), Thursday, May 10th at 7:00 pm - Borderlands is glad to host Holly Black, author of the staff favorite TITHE, who returns with another novel set in her immensely enjoyable faerie-infused reality, and Cassandra Clare, whose new book Kirkus Reviews calls  "lush and fun," and says "the story's sensual flavor comes from the wealth of detail: demons with facial piercings, diners serving locusts and honey, and pretty gay warlocks."  Join us to meet these two edgy and fun YA authors!

Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "The Host" (2006, Bong Joon-ho, 119 minutes) and "Lake Placid" (1999, Steve Miner, 82 minutes) at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, May 10th at 7:00 pm (Yes, the first movie conflicts with the Holly Black/Cassandra Clare event, but only a little.  You don't really have to make a choice here, just come to the movies after the signing!)  Join us for a giant monster double feature!  The screenings will take place at Variety's Preview Room, located in The Hobart Building, 582 Market Street @ Montgomery, San Francisco.  Doors open at 6:30 pm and the first movie starts at 7:00 pm.  There will be one thirty-minute intermission between the two films.  Seating is limited and seats are available on a first-come, first seated basis, so arrive early!  Refreshments will be available for purchase, and your purchase benefits Variety Children's Charity of Northern California, a non-profit organization that supports children in local communities who are dealing with poverty, neglect, violence, and physical disabilities.  For more information about upcoming movies, write movies@borderlands-books.com.  For more information on Variety Children's Charity, see their web site at  <http://www.varietync.org/> or write sffilmvariety@yahoo.com.

THE JAMES TIPTREE AWARD ANTHOLOGY VOL. 3 (Tachyon, Trade Paperback, $14.95) with Pat Murphy, Tim Pratt, and John Varley,  Saturday, May 12th at 3:00 pm - Borderlands is glad to host a panel discussion/Q&A with these distinguished authors as we celebrate the release of the third Tiptree Memorial Award Anthology!

Jeff Prucher, BRAVE NEW WORDS: THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE FICTION (Oxford, Hardcover, $29.95), Sunday, May 13th at 3:00 pm - Join us for a discussion with local freelance lexicographer and editor Jeff Prucher, who has assembled the first historical dictionary devoted to science fiction.  "It's a window on a whole genre of literatue through the words invented and passed along by the genre's most talented writers.  In addition, it shows how many words we consider everyday vocabulary -- words like "space shuttle," "blast off," and "robot" -- had their roots in imaginative literature, and not in hard science."  This is a fascinating book to browse -- each entry you read reminds you of more that you'd like to read.  You'll find yourself captivated by this book for hours!

Cory Doctorow and Rudy Rucker are special guests of SF in SF, at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street, Wednesday, May 16th at 7:00 pm - Science Fiction in San Francisco is back and better than ever!  Join special guests Cory Doctorow and Rudy Rucker for a reading, discussion and book-signing.  Borderlands will be on hand to sell books, and beverages will also be available for sale.  Authors, drinks and comfy movie-theatre seats -- how much better does it get?

Susan Palwick, THE FATE OF MICE (Tachyon, Trade Paperback, $14.95), Saturday, May 19th at 5:00 pm - " Gathering together the most outstanding short stories of Susan Palwick's twenty-year literary career, THE FATE OF MICE is a powerful collection from an extraordinary fantasist.  These unflinching tales, including three original pieces, consider a woman born with her heart exposed and the heartless killer who protects her; a wolf who is willingly ensnared by a devious academic; a businessman resurrected to play at politics; and an ingenious mouse dreaming beyond the laboratory."  You won't want to miss this fascinating author!

Esther Friesner, TEMPING FATE  (Puffin, Hardcover, $16.00 and Mass Market $6.99) and NOBODY'S PRINCESS (Random House, Hardcover?, $16.99), Thursday, May 24th at 7:00 pm - "Pleased as punch" describes our reaction to hosting Esther Friesner!  Ms. Friesner is a talented,  funny and prolific author, and she also edits the Chicks in Chainmail series.  She will be presenting two books at Borderlands: TEMPING FATE, the story of one girl's summer job gone completely weird, and NOBODY'S PRINCESS, a novel of the early life of the woman who would become Helen of Troy.  Join us to meet Esther Friesner!

Carol Berg, FLESH AND SPIRIT (Roc, Trade Paperback, $14.00), Saturday, June 2nd at 3:00 pm - We're so happy to finally welcome Carol Berg to Borderlands!  We've hung out with Carol at multiple conventions, but never had the pleasure of hosting her at the store.  She'll read from her new novel, FLESH AND SPIRIT, the first of The Lighthouse Duet: "The rebellious son of a long line of pureblood cartographers and diviners, Valen has spent most of his life trying to escape what society — and his family — have ordained for him.  His own mother has predicted that he will meet his doom in water, blood, and ice.  Her divination seems fulfilled when a comrade abandons Valen in a rainy wilderness half-dead, addicted to an enchantment that converts pain to pleasure, and possessing only a stolen book of maps.
Offered sanctuary in a nearby monastery, Valen discovers that his book — rumored to lead men into the realm of angels — gains him entry into a world of secret societies, doomsayers, monks, princes, and madmen, all seeking to unlock the mystery of a coming dark age.  To his dismay, Valen must face what he fled so long ago, for the key to Navronne's doom is buried in half-forgotten myth and the secrets of his own past. . ."

Katharine Kerr, THE SPIRIT STONE (DAW, Hardcover, $24.95)) Saturday, June 2nd at 5:00 pm (Please note: the date and time of this event have been changed from earlier in the month.) - Borderlands is pleased to welcome Katharine Kerr back to the store!  "'A dagger laid against our throat.'  So Prince Dar of the Westlands calls Zakh Gral, a new fortress built by the Horsekin, the ancient enemies of his people.  To help him destroy this threat, the elven prince has called upon his allies: the dwarven folk of the northern mountains and the human men of Deverry to the east.  Their leaders know that if the Westlands fall to the Horsekin, their own throats will feel that dagger next.  Joining them are two powerful dragons, who have their own bitter reasons to hate the Horsekin.  But the fanatical Horsekin believe that they have the most powerful ally of all: a new goddess.  Alshandra's priestesses have announced that she has given the Horsekin the lands belonging to the prince -- and that his people must be utterly destroyed.  Rooted in Celtic mythology and intricately interweaving human and elven history over several hundred years, Katharine Kerr's dazzling saga tells of ancient enmities and undying friendships experienced through many lives.  Epic fantasy on a truly grand scale."

Ripley's Birthday Sale and Celebration, Sunday, June 3rd from 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm - The hairless cat is turning five.  Come down to the annual Ripley's Birthday Sale and celebrate with an indifferent feline!  Buy two used paperbacks and get a third of equal or lesser value free, and all non-book items in the store (excluding staff and cat, sorry) are 10% off!  Ripley will of course be on hand to greet admirers and be spoiled (unless she decides to hide in the stock room,) and there will also be cake and cat treats (but not together).  Ripley says "I already have everything I need, so instead of bringing me gifts, please donate some money or volunteer time to the San Francisco SPCA <http://www.sfspca.org/home.shtml> or to Wildcare <http://www.wildcaremarin.org/>.  You'd better come and adore me, though."

Borderlands, Variety Children's Charity, and the Gay Geeks' Group present "The Hunger" (1983, Tony Scott, 100 minutes) and "Galaxy Quest" (1999, David Howard, 102 minutes) at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, June 14th at 7:00 pm

Jacqueline Carey, KUSHIEL'S JUSTICE (Warner, Hardcover, $26.99), Saturday, June 23rd at 3:00 pm -  We're delighted to welcome Jacqueline Carey back to the store as she presents the newest installment in her wildly popular Kushiel series!  No spoilers in this description from the book: "Imriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, while his adoptive parents, Phèdre and Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions.  Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in beauty, art, and desire.
After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser.  But perhaps not wise enough.  What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother's misdeeds and betrayals.  Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair.
Blessed Elua founded Terre d'Ange and bestowed one simple precept to guide his people, love as thou wilt. When duty calls, Imriel honors his role as a member of the royal family by leaving to marry a lovely, if merely sweet, Alban princess.  By choosing duty over love, Imriel and Sidonie may have unwittingly trespassed against Elua's law. But when dark powers in Alba, who fear an invasion by Terre d'Ange, seek to use the lovers' passion to bind Imriel, the gods themselves take notice.
Before the end, Kushiel's justice will be felt in heaven and on earth."

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

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

Text: Ur, The New Book of Masks by Forrest Aguirre, ed.  (Raw Dog Screaming Press, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

State of the Art: Stories by Iain M. Banks by Iain M. Banks  (Night Shade Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - Trade Edition.  Two Culture stories and seven other stories.  Includes the essay “Notes On the Culture”.

Fine and Private Place, A by Peter S. Beagle  (Tachyon, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - Beautiful new edition.

Million-Year Centipede Or, Liquid Structures, The by Eckhard Gerdes  (Raw Dog Screaming Press, $11.95, Trade Paperback)

Genellan: Planetfall - Genellan vol. 1 by Scott G. Gier  (Third Millennium Publishing, $15.00, Trade Paperback)

Genellan: Shadow of the Moon - Genellan vol. 2 by Scott G. Gier  (Third Millennium Publishing, $15.00, Trade Paperback)

Genellan: First Victory - Genellan vol. 3 by Scott G. Gier  (Third Millennium Publishing, $15.00, Trade Paperback)

Genellan: Earth Siege - Genellan vol. 4 by Scott G. Gier  (Third Millennium Publishing, $15.00, Trade Paperback)

Ancestor by Scott Sigler  (Dragon Moon, $19.95, Trade Paperback) - Signed copies available.

Interplanetary Odysseys: Classic Tales of Interplanetary Adventure Including: a Martian Odyssey, Its Sequel Valley of Dreams, the Complete 'ham' Hammond Stories And Others by Stanley G. Weinbaum  (Leonaur, $18.27, Trade Paperback)

Black Heart, The: Classic Strange Tales including the complete novel the Dark Other, plus Proteus Island And Others by Stanley G. Weinbaum  (Leonaur, $18.27, Trade Paperback)

Strange Genius: Classic Tales of the Human Mind at Work Including the Complete Novel the New Adam, the 'van Manderpootz' Stories And Others by Stanley G. Weinbaum  (Leonaur, $18.27, Trade Paperback)

Demon and The City, The - Detective Inspector Chen vol. 2 by Liz Williams  (Night Shade Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Dr. Identity or Farewell to Plaquedemia - Scifungi Trilogy vol. 1 by D. Harlan Wilson  (Raw Dog Screaming Press, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

Rude Mechanicals by Kage Baker  (Subterranean, $35.00, Hardcover) - One of 1500 signed and numbered limited edition copies.  A new Company short novel illustrated by J.K Potter.

Balefires: Tales of the Weird and Fantastic by David Drake  (Night Shade Books, $26.95, Hardcover, and signed limited edition (150 copies) Hardcover, $49.00.  The limited edition also contains “A Working Bibliography of David Drake’s Writing” by Karen Zimmerman.) - This is a remarkable collection that covers the first ten years of Drake's writing career.  Despite his reputation for writing Military SF, his first sale was to August Derleth at Arkham house and most of his early short stories were fantasy or horror.  Each story is accompanied by an introduction and taken together these 20,000 words of introductory  material give a deeply personal view of the development of a writers career and craft.  Some of the most personaly chilling stories that I've _ever_ read appear within (most notably Smokie Joe) and overall it's a very fine collection of short stories regardless of whether you've ever read anything else by Drake.  Recommended by Alan and Jude.

Getting to Know You by David Marusek  (Subterranean, $25.00, Hardcover, and signed and numbered limited edition (200 copies) Hardcover, $40.00.  The limited edition comes with the chapbook "She Was Good, She Was Funny".)

Softspoken by Lucius Shepard  (Night Shade Books, $23.95, Hardcover, and Limited Edition (100 copies) Signed Hardcover, $49.00 )

Teeth by Therese Littleton  (Payseur & Schmidt, $10.00, Chapbook) - Signed and numbered limited first edition of 100. - A story of genetic transformation, interspecies conflict, and fresh seafood by Therese Littleton, author of A Case for Cannibalism and The Diving Belle. 18 pages. Deluxe screen printed jacket. Each chapbook comes with a unique souvenir shark's tooth.

Horror:

Waiting for October by Bill Breedlove, ed.  (Dark Arts Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - Signed by Jeff Srand, Adam Pepper and Sarah Pinborough

Bare Bones #10 by Kevin L. Donihe, ed.  (Raw Dog Screaming Press, $9.95, Trade Paperback)

Matinee at the Flame by Christopher Fahy  (Overlook Connection Press, $17.95, Trade Paperback)

Justice of the Night, The by Glen Cavaliero  (Tartarus, $26.00, Hardcover)

Darkening Gardens: A Short Lexicon of Horror by John Clute  (Payseur & Schmidt, $45.00, Hardcover) - Limited to 500 signed and numbered copies. - Author, critic, and scholar John Clute has assembled exclusively for Payseur & Schmidt a collection of thirty interlinked essays illuminating the evolution of horror and the horrific. The hidden meanings and dark secrets of horror literature are unraveled with explorations of vastation, affect horror, holocaust fiction, cloaca, and the bound fantastic, to name a few. This complex, chthonic journey cross-references to Clute's Encyclopedia of Fantasy and acts as a set of arguments about the nature of horror that would underpin Clute's future encyclopedic work on the subject of the fantastic.
An addition, each entry is accompanied by a brand new illustration by one of thirty hand-picked artists, including Jay Ryan, Tara McPherson, and Steven Weissman. Cover and endpapers illustrated by Jason Van Hollander.

Shadows, Kith and Kin, The by Joe R. Lansdale  (Subterranean, $35.00, Hardcover)

Everlasting, The by Tim Lebbon  (Necessary Evil Press, $45.00, Hardcover) - One of 400 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Tery, The by F. Paul Wilson  (Overlook Connection Press, $44.95, Hardcover) - Limited to 500 copies signed by F. Paul Wilson.

Postcards of Doom: From Affect to Vastation (Payseur & Schmidt, $20.00, Other ) - Limited to 300 numbered sets.  To celebrate the visual side of John Clute's The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror, Payseur & Schmidt has created a deluxe set of thirty postcards featuring thirty illustrations by thirty artists.  Printed by Payseur & Schmidt's specialty printing pals www.thingmakers.net, this postcard set is housed in a deluxe die-cut box (which itself is illustrated by Adam Grano.)

Wormwood - Literature of The Fantastic, Supernatural and Decadent Number 8, Spring 2007 by Mark Valentine, ed.  (Tartarus, $15.00, Trade Paperback) 

New and Notable

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

Divergence by Tony Ballantyne  (Bantam, $6.99, Mass Market)

Judas Unchained - Commonwealth Saga vol. 2 by Peter F. Hamilton  (Del Rey, $8.99, Mass Market)

Light by M. John Harrison  (Bantam Spectra, $6.99, Mass Market) - “A remarkable book -- easily my favorite SF book in the last decade, maybe longer” - Neil Gaiman

Blood Knight, The - Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone vol. 3 by Greg Keyes  (Ballantine, $7.99, Mass Market)

Everlasting, The by Tim Lebbon  (Leisure, $6.99, Mass Market)

Truth-Teller’s Tale, The by Sharon Shinn  (Firebird, $7.99, Mass Market)

Forged by Fire - Dragon Temple Saga vol. 3 by Janine Cross  (Roc, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

Midnight Tides - Malazan Book of the Fallen vol. 5 by Steven Erikson  (Tor, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

9Tail Fox by Jon Courtenay Grimwood  (Night Shade Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Logorrhea - Good Words Make Good Stories by John Klima, ed.  (Bantam, $13.00, Trade Paperback) - Stories by Hal Duncan, Elizabeth Hand, Alex Irvine, Jay Lake, Tim Pratt, Michael Moorcock, many others!

Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko  (Miramax, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

Road, The by Cormac McCarthy  (Vintage, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Behold the Man by Michael Moorcock  (Overlook, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

Zima Blue and Other Stories by Alastair Reynolds and Paul Mcauley, Introduction (Night Shade Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - Contents: Introduction, The Real Story, Beyond the Aquila Rift, Enola, Signal to Noise, Hideaway, Merlin’s Gun, Angels of Ashes, Spirey and the Queen, Understanding Space and Time, Zima Blue

Music of Razors, The by Cameron Rogers  (Del Rey, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

Everfree by Nick Sagan  (New American Library, $13.95, Trade Paperback) - Sequel to IDLEWILD and EDENBORN.

Ironside - A Modern Faery’s Tale by Holly Black  (Margaret K. McElderry, $16.99, Hardcover)

River of the World - Selling Water by the River vol. 2 by Chaz Brenchley  (Ace, $24.95, Hardcover)

White Night - Dresden Files vol. 9 by Jim Butcher  (Roc, $23.95, Hardcover)

City of Bones - Mortal Instruments vol. 1 by Cassandra Clare  (Margaret K. McElderry, $17.99, Hardcover)

Midnight Tides - Malazan Book of the Fallen vol. 5 by Steven Erikson  (Tor, $27.95, Hardcover)

Bauchelain And Korbal Broach: The Collected Stories Volume One by Steven Erikson and James Barclay, Introduction (PS Publishing, $150.00, Hardcover) - Omnibus edition of Blood Follows, Healthy Dead, and The Lee of Laughter’s End.  One of 100 slipcased copies.

Death’s Head by David Gunn  (Del Rey, $24.95, Hardcover)

New Moon’s Arms, The by Nalo Hopkinson  (Warner, $23.99, Hardcover)

Magic’s Child - Magic or Madness vol. 3 by Justine Larbalestier  (Razor Bill, $16.99, Hardcover)

Outback Stars, The by Sandra McDonald  (Tor, $25.95, Hardcover)

Lady Friday - Keys to the Kingdom vol. 5 by Garth Nix  (Scholastic, $17.99, Hardcover)

Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer  (Tor, $24.95, Hardcover)

Invention of Hugo Cabret, The by Brian Selznick  (Scholastic, $22.99, Hardcover)

Spindrift - Coyote Universe vol. 1 by Allen Steele  (Ace, $24.95, Hardcover)

Titans of Chaos - Chronicles of Chaos vol. 3 by John C. Wright  (Tor, $25.95, Hardcover)

New York Review of Science Fiction Number 224 Vol. 19, No.8 by Kevin J. Maroney, ed. and David G. Hartwell, ed. (Dragon Press, $4.00, Oversized Softcover)

Tweney-Six Lies/One Truth by Ben Peek  (Wheatland Press, $14.95, Oversized Softcover)

Horror:

Immortals: The Calling by Jennifer Ashley  (Leisure, $6.99, Mass Market)

Husband, The by Dean Koontz  (Bantam, $7.99, Mass Market)

Edgewise by Graham Masterson  (Leisure, $7.99, Mass Market)

Town That Forgot How to Breathe, The by Kenneth J. Harvey  (St. Martin's, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

House of Cthulhu - Tales of the Primal Land vol. 1 by Brian Lumley  (Tor, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

No Humans Involved - Women of the Otherworld vol. 7 by Kelley Armstrong  (Bantam, $20.00, Hardcover)

Non-Fiction and Other Titles:

Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher, ed.  (Oxford, $29.95, Hardcover)

New and Notable DVDs

Zeiram directed by Keita Amemiya  (Tokyo Shock, $29.95, DVD)

Pi and Requium for a Dream directed by Darren Aronofsky  (Lionsgate, $14.98, DVD)

Children of Men directed by Alfanso Cuaron  (Universal Pictures, $29.98, DVD) - Based on the book of the same name by P. D. James.

Mothra vs. Godzilla directed by Ishiro Honda  (Media Classics, $19.93, DVD) - Contains the original Japanese version, and the dubbed, edited US version.

Varan the Unbelievable directed by Ishiro Honda  (Tokyo Shock, $19.95, DVD) - Japanse Gaiju

Wicked City: Special Edition directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri  (Urbanvision, $29.95, DVD) - Anime

Great Yokai War, The directed by Takashi Miike  (Tokyo Shock, $29.95, DVD) - Japanese

Red Shadow directed by Hiroyuki Nakano  (Tokyo Shock, $29.95, DVD) - Japanese Science Fiction/Fantasy

Gappa: The Triphibian Monsters directed by Haruyasu Noguchi  (Tokyo Shock, $19.95, DVD)

Godzilla Raids Again directed by Motoyoshi Oda  (Classic Media, $19.93, DVD) - The first Godzilla Sequal. This disk features the original Japanese version with english subs, and the heavily edited US version.

Steamboy / Memories : Katsuhiro Otomo Box Set directed by Katsuhiro Otomo  (Sony, $39.95, DVD)

Indestructible Man / The Amazing Transparent Man directed by Jack Pollexfen and Edgar Ulmer (Roan Group, $14.98, DVD)

Bava: The Mario Bava Collection Vol. 1 directed by Mario Bava  (Anchor Bay, $49.98, DVD)

Nightmare directed by Ahn Byng-ki  (Tokyo Shock, $29.95, DVD) - Korean Horror

Pro-Life directed by John Carpenter  (Anchor Bay, $14.98, DVD)

Bat, The / House on Haunted Hill directed by William Castle  (Roan Group, $14.98, DVD) - Roan Group routinely delivers the best quality prints of Public Domain or rare films.

Phantasm directed by Don Coscarelli  (Anchor Bay, $19.98, DVD)

Dan Curtis Macabre Collection: 4 movies in 1 directed by Dan Curtis  (MPI, $49.98, DVD) - Contains Dracula, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Turn of the Screw.

The Gorilla / Nabonga directed by Allan Dwan and Sam Newfield (Roan Group, $14.98, DVD)

Return of the Living Dead 5: Rave to the Grave directed by Ellory Elkavem  (Lionsgate, $26.98, DVD) - Filmed simultaneously with ROTLD 4, by the new licence holder, Aurora Entertaniment.

Return of the Living Dead 4: Necropolis directed by Ellory Elkayem  (Lionsgate, $26.98, DVD)

Wicked Women Triple Feature directed by Jess Franco and Terry M. West (Shriek Show, $19.95, DVD) - Slipcase set containing the movies: Nightmares Come at Night; Flesh for the Beast; and Werewolf Woman

Benny’s Video directed by Michael Haneke  (Kino Video, $29.95, DVD)

Funny Games directed by Michael Haneke  (Kino Video, $29.95, DVD)

Cache (Hidden) directed by Michael Haneke  (Sony, $19.94, DVD)

Diecovery directed by Kulrachart Jittkajornvanit  (Tokyo Shock, $19.95, DVD) - Thai Horror

Killing Machine directed by Nam Ki-Wong  (Image Entertainment, $19.99, DVD) - Korean Horror/SF film.

Commitment, The directed by Ontri Kong-Im  (Tokyo Shock, $19.95, DVD) - Thai Horror

Masters of Horror: Family directed by John Landis  (Anchor Bay, $14.98, DVD)

Phantom of the Opera (1943) directed by Arthur Lubin  (Universal Pictures, $24.98, DVD)

Cinderella directed by Bong Man-Dae  (Tartan Asia Extreme, $22.95, DVD) - Korean Horror

Nun of Monza directed by Bruno Mattei  (Exploitation Digital, $29.95, DVD)

One Missed Call directed by Takashi Miike  (Tokyo Shock, $29.95, DVD) - Japanese Horror.

Dead Men Walk / Monster Maker directed by Sam Newfield  (Roan Group, $14.98, DVD)

Ape, The / British Intelligence directed by Willam Nigh  (Roan Group, $14.98, DVD)

Unborn, The directed by Bandit Thongdee  (Tokyo Shock, $19.95, DVD)

Maid, The directed by Kelvin Tong  (Tartan Asia Extream, $22.95, DVD) - Singapore Horror.

Bluebeard / Black Dragons / The Black Raven directed by Edgar G. Ulmer  (Roan Group, $9.98, DVD)

King of the Zombies / Revolt of the Zombies directed by Jean Yarborough and Victor Halperin (Roan Group, $14.98, DVD)

Featured Upcoming Titles

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
Contributor - Jeremy M. Lassen

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

BACK ISSUES OF NEWSLETTER

2007
APRIL, 2007
MARCH, 2007
FEBRUARY, 2007
JANUARY, 2007

2006
DECEMBER, 2006
NOVEMBER, 2006
OCTOBER, 2006
SEPTEMBER, 2006
AUGUST, 2006
JULY, 2006
JUNE, 2006
MAY, 2006
APRIL, 2006
MARCH, 2006
FEBRUARY, 2006
JANUARY, 2006

2005
DECEMBER, 2005
NOVEMBER, 2005
OCTOBER, 2005
SEPTEMBER, 2005
AUGUST, 2005
JULY, 2005
JUNE, 2005
MAY, 2005
APRIL, 2005
MARCH, 2005
FEBRUARY, 2005
JANUARY, 2005

2004
DECEMBER, 2004
NOVEMBER, 2004
OCTOBER, 2004
SEPTEMBER, 2004
AUGUST, 2004
JULY, 2004
JUNE, 2004
MAY, 2004
APRIL, 2004
MARCH, 2004
FEBRUARY, 2004
JANUARY, 2004

2003
DECEMBER, 2003
NOVEMBER, 2003