Click me to see what SinisterVisions can do for you!

ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER

Events and News from Borderlands Books

June, 2007

Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features

Borderlands, Variety Children's Charity, and the Gay Geeks' Group present "Galaxy Quest" and "The Hunger" 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

Greg Benford and Paul Park are guests of SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Monday, June 25th at 7:00 pm

Morbid Curiosity Magazine Battles Breast Cancer: A Fundraiser, Wednesday, June 27th at 7:00 pm

Lois McMaster Bujold Drop-By Signing, Friday, June 29th

Cecelia Tan, "How I Edited 30 Anthologies of Erotic Science Fiction and Kept My Sanity (I think...)", Thursday July 5th at 7:00 pm

Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "The Bride With White Hair" and "Green Snake" at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, July 12th at 7:00 pm

Kage Baker, SONS OF HEAVEN (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95), Saturday, July 14th at 3:00 pm

Emma Bull, TERRITORY (Tor, Hardcover, $24.95 ) and Will Shetterly, GOSPEL OF THE KNIFE (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95), Monday, July 16th at 7:00 pm

Lisa Goldstein and Tad Williams are guests of SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Wednesday, July 18th at 7:00 pm

Mike Carey, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (Warner, Hardcover, $24.99), Thursday, July 19th at 7:00 pm

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (Scholastic, Hardcover $29.99 and Special Edition Slipcased Hardcover $60.00), Release Party, Friday, July 20th 10:00 pm - Saturday, July 21st at 1:00 am (Books will be on sale at midnight.)

Austin Grossman, SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE (Pantheon, Hardcover, $22.95), Saturday, July 21st at 3:00 pm

Laura Anne Gilman, BURNING BRIDGES (Luna, Trade Paperback, $14.95), Thursday, August 2nd at 7:00 pm

(for more information check the end of this section)

And, watch this space for even more exciting events!  Coming up in a few months are readings with Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, the infamous LitQuake LitCrawl, and F. Paul Wilson, too!

News

* The First Annual B Movie Celebration will  be held in Franklin, Indiana August 17th to 19th.  The Celebration will feature screenings of over 50 classic B movies, as well as personal appearances from such B greats as special effects guru Tom Savini, B director Jim Wynorski, and Ed Wood almuni Conrad Brooks.  The highlight of the celebration will be the presentation of a Lifetime Achievment Award to the Mayor of Tromaville himself, Lloyd Kaufman.  The festival will also feature many other special events and over 20 educational seminars dealing the art of the B film.  For further information see <http://www.bmoviecelebration.com>.

*The nominees for The Quill awards have been announced.  The nominees in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/ Horror category are: FARTHING by Jo Walton, THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss, GETTING TO KNOW YOU by David Marusek, BRASYL by Ian McDonald, and THE EXECUTION CHANNEL by Ken MacLeod.  Ellen Klages' THE GREEN GLASS SEA was also nomiated in the Children's category.  For a complete listing of the nominees, see <http://www.nbc5.com/thequills/13414972/detail.html>

* Borderlands has some more cool stuff to give away!  We have two small posters, and one large poster for DAY WATCH, and one ANANSI BOYS poster signed by Neil Gaiman!  This giveaway is for local customers only, I'm afraid, as you need to be able to pick up the poster(s) from us.  First email requests to arrive will claim the posters, and you'll have one week to pick up your poster.  Email to office@borderlands-books.com.

*Buy a copy of one or all of The Tiptree Memorial Award Anthologies for your hometown library!  The Motherboard of the James Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award urges you to purchase and a send a copy of one or all of the Tiptree Memorial Award Anthologies to your hometown library, in the interests of spreading the word about outstanding fiction that expands or explores our understanding of gender, and making that outstanding fiction easily available to the next generation. 

*For those of you who have been following the San Francisco Retail Diversity Study, here is an interesting Op/Ed piece by Michael Shuman, a respected economist and the author of THE SMALL MART REVOLUTION: <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/05/16/EDGKOP3E851.DTL

From The Office

Alan says he has "nothing interesting to say at all" this month and so, rather than waste your time reading him blather, "From The Office" will return next month.  Happy summer to everyone, and bundle up! - Ed.

Origin of the Bookstore, Part the Eighth

For the next five 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.

Inventory

Being obsessive-compulsive and reasonably technically apt has its upsides and its downsides.  Both sides were demonstrated during the first inventory at Borderlands.

When I decided to open the shop, one important part of my business plan was to sell books online.  Today, that's a pretty simple matter but at that time it was not.  In November of 1997, I had no idea how I was going to sell books online but I did know one thing -- if I was going to, I'd need an accurate database of all the books in the store.

So, in what was going to become my typical dammit-I'll-just-learn-it-myself business model, I decided to brush up on a program called FileMaker (which I had used years previously for databases in, it makes me blush to admit, . . . role-playing games) and set up an inventory myself.  It was easy to do, after all, what do you need to keep track of with books?  Title, author's name, cover price, selling price, cost, and that should do it.  Right?  Oh yeah, I figured that I'd better add the date it was published and if it's a first printing, since I guessed that there were some people who cared about that.  And, there was this ten digit number on a lot of these books, so I added that too.  But beyond that, what else should I need?

(Ten years later:  No, that's not quite enough.  At this point there are over 50 separate pieces of data we keep about used books.  And more than that for new books.)

Once the database was set up, it was just a matter of getting all the books in the store entered into the database.

All.  The books.  In.  The store.

Right now we have 14,000 titles in stock.  Back then we didn't have anything like as many.  Only something like 4000.  And it took about three minutes to enter each one.  I sat down at the table in what was to be my office (I didn't have a desk yet) and did the math.  4000 times three minutes is 12,000.  That divided by 60 is 200.  200 hours.  And the store was supposed to be open in about four days.

Grab phone and start calling friends.  Especially my computer consultant friend -

"Hi Bill, it's Alan."

"Hey."

"Um, how many used Macs do you have right now for sale?"

"I dunno, maybe a dozen or so."

"Can I rent all of them?"

"What the hell are you trying to do!?"

We chatted and finally Bill, bless his heart, agreed to bring them down to the shop, set up a network, and install copies of Filemaker on all of them.

Then I started calling lots of other friends.  Especially anyone who could type quickly.  I had accountants, legal secretaries, computer programmers, and assorted other folks come down to the store (which by now had computers set up on almost every flat surface) and start entering books.  I supplied all the pizza and soda that anyone could consume and we started entering books.

I had to go buy fans to put in the smaller rooms (there were five separate rooms in the old shop) because the heat from the computers and the people made it like a sauna.

I had to explain not once but three times that, though I didn't care what people did outside of the shop, no-one was going to bring (as one accountant put it), "Chemicals often considered recreational but that are considerable performance enhances for this kind of work" into my shop.

I briefly but completely lost my mind when I discovered that there were two whole shelves of books that, after being entered into the inventory, had been put back on the shelves in completely random order.

I bought all the black tea that was to be had in the neighborhood and a fair portion of all the coffee.

I again lost my mind when the files I was merging together got out of order and completely messed up four hours of work.

I got on a first name basis with the dispatcher at Mr. Pizza Man.

And it went on and on and on.

Then, about 48 hours later and completely without sleep, it was done.

And wonder of wonders, I still had some friends left and no one had killed me.

- Alan Beatts

Top Sellers At Borderlands

Hardcovers
1. Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction edited by Jeff Prucher
    tie
    Last Colony by John Scalzi
2. Ironside by Holly Black
3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
4. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
5. Brasyl by Ian McDonald
6. Mathematicians in Love by Rudy Rucker
7. World War Z by Max Brooks
    tie
    Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
8. Wizards edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois
9. Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
10. Rude Mechanicals by Kage Baker

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
2. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
3. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
4. Tithe by Holly Black
5. Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
6. Light by M. John Harrison
7. Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
8. Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
9. Helix by Eric Brown
    tie
    Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
    tie
    Red Lightning by John Varley
10. Beguilment by Lois McMaster Bujold
    tie
    Undead and Unpopular by Mary Janice Davidson

Trade Paperbacks
1. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
2. Overclocked by Cory Doctorow
3. James Tiptree Memorial Award Anthology vol. 3 edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy, Debbie Notkin and Jeffrey D. Smith
    tie
    Snake Agent by Liz Williams
4. Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages  
5. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

Notes From a DVD Geek

Having just returned from the Feminist Science Fiction Convention in Madison Wisconsin, where they presented the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, I figured it was appropriate to lead off this column with a Tiptree-related item:  The Masters of Horror Season Two episode from Joe Dante is called "The Screwfly Solution," and is based on her short story of the same name.  For those of you who haven’t read it, it is included in the Tachyon collection HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER, or you can check it out at SciFi.com’s “classics” archive:  <http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_archive/sheldon/sheldon1.html>.  There’s also a very useful bio and bibliography there. 

Having just read the story, now you are ready to see the cinematic adaptation of this film, which is out on DVD this month.  It’s directed by Joe Dante, and stars Jason Priestly and Elliot Gould.  This one is pretty good.

Two years ago, in the first Masters of Horror Season, Joe Dante stirred conservative feathers with his zombie political allegory,  "Homecoming," which was also very good.  And just recently, a classic from his filmography was re-released: 1980's film of teen/monster mayhem, "Gremlins".  This one is in fact as good as you remember it being.

Prior to "Gremlins," Dante made his chops by helming the 80’s werewolf masterpiece, "The Howling," which has had a special edition re-release, and is well worth watching, (again, if need-be).

After "Gremlins," he also went on to do a lot of  TV material – episodes for the "New Twilight Zone," "Amazing Stories," and "Eerie, Indiana" are among the high points –  also the forgettable sequel to "Gremlins," and a bunch of forgettable big-budget Hollywood monstrosities ("The Burbs," "Small Soldiers," "Loony Toons Back in Action").  It’s interesting to see him return to his horrific roots in the Masters of Horror series, and see him do some very personal and political pieces within the structure of this Showtime anthology TV series.  Given the interesting nature of this work, I kind of hope he takes his horror back to the big screen before too long.

Another director who has been given free reign to do some stimulating stuff in the Masters of Horror series is Larry Cohen.  Larry should not be confused one of the “Cohen brothers” who brought you films such as "O Brother Where Art Thou," and "Fargo".  No.  Larry (no relation) is the director who brought you such memorable exploitation films such as "It’s Alive," "Q the Winged Serpent," and "God Told Me To".  His episode of Masters of Horror is called "Pick Me Up," and it's an interesting little twist on the “deadly hitchhiker” cliché.

Finally, I’m going to stick with this month's horror theme, and wrap up the column by pointing out one of the most intriguing horror films to come out in a long time: "Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon".  This one hits DVD this month.  Its premise is that you don’t just become a serial killer, you have to train and plan, and work to become one of the greats, like Jason, or Freddy, or Leather Face.  You have to work hard on creating your own mythos, and . . . .  Well, it never hurts to have a  grad student around to make a documentary about you and your legend in the making . . . .  The first half of this film is a very funny black comedy, with great performances and a star-studded cast; as the film progresses, it turns grimly serious.  I highly recommend this one and suggest taking a look over at the trailer here:
<http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=628541321>

Until next month . . . keep watching those movies . . . and let me know what I’m missing.

-Jeremy Lassen

-Jeremy Lassen
jlassen@borderlands-books.com

Book Club Info

The Gay Men's Book Club will meet on Sunday, June 10th, at 5 pm to discuss NATURAL HISTORY by Justina Robson.  The book for July 8th is THE PLAYER OF GAMES by Iain M. Banks. 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, June 17th, at 6 pm to discuss THE PICKUP ARTIST by Terry Bisson. The author will be present to take part in the discussion  Please contact Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more information.

Upcoming Event Details

Borderlands, Variety Children's Charity, and the Gay Geeks' Group present "Galaxy Quest" (1999, David Howard, 102 minutes) and "The Hunger" (1983, Tony Scott, 100 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."

Morbid Curiosity Magazine Battles Breast Cancer: A Fundraiser, Wednesday, June 27th at 7:00 pm - Join us as former contributors to Morbid Curiosity magazine read new and previously published nonfiction to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.  Morbid Curiosity editor Loren Rhoads is doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer -- 39.3 miles in a weekend -- for a second year to raise funding for research, screening, and treatment of victims of the disease right here in the Bay Area.  Participants in the reading include Gravity Goldberg, editor of Instant City.  The event is free but donations will be gratefully accepted, and there will be cool Morbid Curiosity swag up for auction.  If you can't attend but you'd still like to support the cause, click here <http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?px=2250768&pg=personal&fr_id=1286>

Greg Benford and Paul Park are guests of SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Monday, June 25th at 7:00 pm

Lois McMaster Bujold Drop-By Signing, Friday, June 29th - Lois McMaster Bujold has been kind enough to agree to drop in to sign our store stock and books for our customers!  If you have books that you'd like her to sign or personally inscribe, you can drop them off with us or send them to the store.  If you would like to drop your books off, please have them at Borderlands no later than seven in the evening on Thursday, June 28th.  If there are a large number of books, please put them in a box of some sort.  If you would like to mail your books to us, please call us at 415 824-8203 or contact office@borderlands-books.com for specific information on getting your books signed -- we'll be happy to help.  Finally, though we'll do our best, we can't promise to get the books signed -- planes get delayed, authors get sick, and sometimes there just isn't enough time to get everything signed.

Cecelia Tan, "How I Edited 30 Anthologies of Erotic Science Fiction and Kept My Sanity (I think...)", Thursday July 5th at 7:00 pm - A fun-filled one hour lecture on the trials and travails of being the world's only publisher specializing in erotic science fiction and fantasy.  Being a pioneer in a new literary genre can be fun, if frightening to the sensibilities from time to time.  Find out what the Top Five Worst Story Ideas are, and how they compare to the Even Worse Titles list.  Full of information and tips for aspiring writers, readers and fans of either genre, and post-modern literary ciritics in the making, Cecilia's presentation will leave you laughing, if not enlightened.  This event is a benefit for The Center For Sex and Culture, and donations are gratefully accepted but not at all required.

Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present a Hong Kong double feature "The Bride With White Hair" (1993, Ronnie Yu, 89 minutes) and "Green Snake" (1993, Hark Tsui, 99 minutes) at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, July 12th at 7:00 pm

Kage Baker, SONS OF HEAVEN (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95), Saturday, July 14th at 3:00 pm - "This is the Kage Baker novel everyone has been waiting for: the conclusion to the story of Mendoza and The Company.  In THE SONS OF HEAVEN, the forces gathering to seize power finally move on the Company.  The immortal Lewis wakes to find himself blinded, crippled, and left with no weapons but his voice, his memory, and the friendship of one extraordinary little girl.  Edward Alton Bell-Fairfax, resurrected Victorian superman, plans for world domination.  The immortal Mendoza makes a desperate bargain to delay him.  Enforcer Budu, assisted by Joseph, enlists an unexpected ally in his plans to free his old warriors and bring judgment on his former masters.  Executive Facilitator Suleyman uses his intelligence operation to uncover the secret of Alpha-Omega, vital to the mortals’ survival.  The mortal masters of the Company, terrified of a coup, invest in a plan they believe will terminate their immortal servants.  And they awaken a powerful AI whom they call Dr Zeus.  This web of a story is filled with great climaxes, wonderful surprises, and gripping characters many readers have grown to love or hate.  It's a triumph of SF!"  You won't want to miss seeing Ms. Baker and being there as it all concludes!

Emma Bull, TERRITORY (Tor, Hardcover, $24.95 ) and Will Shetterly, GOSPEL OF THE KNIFE (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95), Monday, July 16th at 7:00 pm - We are delighted to welcome Emma Bull and Will Shetterly to Borderlands for the first time!  From Publisher's Weekly: "World Fantasy–finalist Bull (War for the Oaks) takes huge chances and achieves something distinctively wonderful with this subtle reworking of a western legend.  The taming of Tombstone, Ariz., by Wyatt Earp, his brothers and their pal Doc Holliday is a cherished American myth of stoic heroism.  Bull approaches the story from a different angle, considering matters that may or may not have escaped Wyatt's chilly attention.  When tough-minded widow Mildred Benjamin and drifter Jesse Fox realize that dark magic is manipulating people for a sorcerer's selfish ends, they must decide what they can and should do about it, in the process discovering who they truly are.  Mixing fantasy with Old West lore is risky, but Bull takes time to make the place and the people real before undeniably supernatural forces appear.  The magic is less flashy than in many fantasy novels, but it's vivid and deeply felt.  Readers will think about the story long after it ends, savoring the writing and imagining what the characters might do next."  And THE GOSPEL OF THE KNIFE - "Christopher Nix is 14 years old, and it’s 1969. His life is a turbulent echo of the times as he discovers sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll in the heart of Florida.  But into this struggle between the young long-haired hippie and the rednecks who’d just as soon kill him comes a strange offer that will completely change his life.  The Nix family is contacted by a mysterious benefactor who wants to send Chris to an exclusive private school, no expense spared. Mr. Jay Dumont claims that Chris’s grandfather saved his life during WWI, and though Grandpa Uvdall is dead, the debt remains to be paid.  But as Chris will discover, there is a great deal more to it than that. He will have to accept and understand the Powers that have surrounded his family all his life, and learn to use his own magical gifts, if he is to survive Dumont’s plan.  As he did with Dogland, Will Shetterly has used a deceptively simple tale to explore some very deep issues. The Gospel of the Knife explores questions of faith and responsibility, and the always complex relationship between man and God and the world. "

Lisa Goldstein and Tad Williams are guests of SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Wednesday, July 18th at 7:00 pm

Mike Carey, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (Warner, Hardcover, $24.99), Thursday, July 19th at 7:00 pm - From the author's web-site, "Felix Castor used to cast out demons for a living, and London was his stamping ground.  But in a time when the supernatural realm is in upheaval and spilling over in the mundane world of the living, his skills are in renewed demand.  With old debts to pay, Castor is left with no choice but to accept one final, well-paying assignment; a seemingly simple exorcism.  Trouble is, the more he discovers about the ghost in the archive, the more things refuse to add up--and the more deeply he's dragged into a world he wants no part of.  What should have been a perfectly straightforward job is rapidly turning into a "who can kill Castor first" competition with demons, were-beings, and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize.  But that's O.K.  Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off."  "Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.  Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER.  His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed.  Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics."  Don't miss this rare opportunity to meet Mike Carey!

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (Scholastic, Hardcover $29.99 and Special Edition Slipcased Hardcover $60.00), Release Party, Friday, July 20th 10:00 pm - Saturday, July 21st at 1:00 am (Books will be on sale at midnight.)  Join us for milk and cookies as we wait out the last frustrating hours before the final Harry Potter book goes on sale!  All attendees (while supplies last) will receive a complete set of the seven Scholastic promotional Harry Potter bookmarks, too!

Austin Grossman, SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE (Pantheon, Hardcover, $22.95), Saturday, July 21st at 3:00 pm - From Publishers Weekly: "The realm of comic book heroes and villains gets a dose of realism in this whimsical debut from game design consultant Grossman.  The story shifts between the perspectives of Doctor Impossible, a brilliant scientist turned world's greatest menace, and Fatale, a lonely cyborg and the newest addition to the venerable group of heroes known as the Champions.  Though he's been out of commission for a while, Doctor Impossible hatches a scheme to knock the planet out of orbit ('As the Earth grows colder, my power becomes apparent, and the nations submit,' he reasons).  Meanwhile, Champions leader Corefire goes missing, and Fatale has to learn the ropes of superherodom as the conventional climactic showdown (at Doctor Impossible's secret lair) draws near.  However fantastical, the characters (including a 'genetic metahuman' and 'an elite fairy guard') are thoughtfully portrayed, with Fatale—stuck in a perpetual existential crisis—bemused over the Champions' purpose, and Doctor Impossible wondering 'whether the smartest man in the world has done the smartest thing he could with his life.'  Grossman dabbles in a host of themes—power, greed, fame, the pitfalls of ego—in this engrossing page-turner, broadening the appeal of an already inviting scenario."  You can also read Alan's review of the book in the "From the Office" section of last month's newsletter here: <http://www.borderlands-books.com/about_newsletter_05-07.html>.  We're looking forward to this event, and we know you'll enjoy it too!

Laura Anne Gilman, BURNING BRIDGES (Luna, Trade Paperback, $14.95), Thursday, August 2nd at 7:00 pm - From Publishers Weekly: ". . .set in a near-future Manhattan, Wren Valere, a professional thief with magical 'Talent,' and her demon sidekick, P.B., discover the brutalized corpse of an angel.  The gutted angel, or winged nonhuman 'fatae,' turns out to be just one casualty in a heated conflict between Nulls (humans without Talent) and the powerful human Talents, along with the fatae.  Not only are bigoted human vigilantes going after supernaturals, but it appears the Silence, a covert organization that used to employee Wren's partner and lover, Sergei Didier, has become corrupted from within.  Several Silence Talent operatives have gone missing, and Sergei is drawn back into the group's politics as a new truce falls apart. . ." Join us to welcome Laura Anne back to the store and check out her brand-new novel!

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

ParaSpheres: Extending Beyond the Spheres of Literary and Genre Fiction: Fabulist and New Wave Fabulist Stories by Rusty Morrison, ed. and Ken Keegan, ed. (Omnidawn, $19.95, Trade Paperback) - Stories by Shelley Jackson, Rudy Rucker, Jeff VanderMeer and others.

Vacation by Jeremy C. Shipp  (Raw Dog Screaming Press, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

New Amsterdam by Elizabeth Bear  (Subterranean, $25.00, Hardcover, and Limited Editon (200 copies) Hardcover, $40.00) Limited edition includes the chapbook Almot True.

25 Cent Rocket Ship to the Stars by G.O. Clark  (Dark Regions, $6.95, Chapbook)

Old Man Crow by Charles de Lint  (Subterranean, $18.00, Chapbook) - One of 1000 limited edition copies.  Art by Charles de Lint.

Temple: Incarnations by Steven Savile  (Apex, $9.95, Trade Paperback, and Signed and Numbered Limited Edition (100 copies) Hardcover, $21.95)

Clickers II: The Next Wave by J.F. Gonzalez and Brian Keene (Delirium Books, $50.00, Hardcover) - One of 500 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Woman in Black, The by M.Y. Halidom  (Ash-Tree Press, $47.50, Hardcover) - One of 400 limited edition copies.  First published in 1906. 

New and Notable

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

Witchlight by Marion Zimmer Bradley  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

When the Tripods Came by John Christopher  (Simon and Schuster, $5.99, Mass Market)

City of Gold and Lead - Tripods vol. 2 by John Christopher  (Simon and Schuster, $5.99, Mass Market)

Band of Gypsys by Gwyneth Jones  (Gollancz, $17.72, Mass Market) - 4th book in the BOLD AS LOVE series, following BOLD AS LOVE, CASTLES MADE OF SAND, and MIDNIGHT LAMP.

No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey  (Cosmos, $5.99, Mass Market)

Immortals: The Darkening by Robin T. Popp  (Love Spell, $6.99, Mass Market) - Part of the Immortals series.

Dragonsong - Harper Hall Trilogy vol. 1 by Anne McCaffrey  (Alladin, $2.99, Trade Paperback)

DMZ Vol. 1: On the Ground by Brian Wood  (Vertigo/DC Comics, $9.99, Trade Paperback)

DMZ Vol. 2: Body of a Journalist by Brian Wood  (Vertigo/DC Comics, $12.99, Trade Paperback)

Mistress of Winter by Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock (Eos, $25.95, Hardcover)

Yiddish Policemen’s Union, The by Michael Chabon  (HarperCollins, $150.00, Hardcover) - Signed and numbered limited edition in a wooden slipcase. Limitation unknown

Outbound by Jack McDevitt  (ISFIC, $30.00, Hardcover)

After Dark by Haruki Murakami  (Knopf, $22.95, Hardcover)

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami  (Knopf, $24.95, Hardcover)

Sea of Shadows - Twelve Kingdoms vol. 1 by Fuyumi Ono  (TokyoPop, $16.99, Hardcover)

Golden Compass, The - His Dark Materials vol. 1: Deluxe Edition by Philip Pullman  (Knopf, $22.95, Hardcover)

New York Review of Science Fiction Number 225 Vol. 19, No.9 by Kevin J. Maroney, ed. and David G. Hartwell, ed. (Dragon Press, $4.00, Oversized Softcover)

Horror:

Touch of Evil - The Thrall vol. 1 by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp (Tor Romance, $6.99, Mass Market)

Dead Girls’ Dance - The Morganville Vampires vol. 2 by Rachel Caine  (Signet, $5.99, Mass Market)

Offspring by Jack Ketchum  (Leisure, $7.99, Mass Market)

Wicked Things by Thomas Tessier  (Leisure, $6.99, Mass Market)

Witch Hill by Marion Zimmer Bradley  (Tor, $12.95, Trade Paperback)

Ghost in the Noonday Sun, The by Sid Fleischman and Peter Sis, illus. (HarperCollins, $5.99, Trade Paperback)

!3th Floor, The - A Ghost Story by Sid Fleischman and Peter Sis, illus. (HarperCollins, $5.99, Trade Paperback)

Summer Chills: Strangers in Stranger Lands by Stephen Jones, ed.  (Carroll & Graf, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - With stories by Dennis Etchison, Glen Hirshberg, Clive Barker, and others.

Mad Dog Summer and Other Stories by Joe R. Lansdale  (Golden Gryphon, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Discouraging at Best by John Edward Lawson  (Raw Dog Screaming Press, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Nameless Witch, A by A. Lee Martinez  (Tor, $12.95, Trade Paperback)

Wild Thing - Hunter Kiss vol. 1 by Maggie Shayne and Marjorie M. Liu (Berkley, $14.00, Trade Paperback) - Alyssa Day and Meljean Brook are additional authors.

Bec - Demonata Vol. 4 by Darren Shan  (Little,Brown, $16.99, Hardcover)

Best Defense - The Walking Dead vol. 5 by Robert Kirkman  (Image Comics, $12.99, Oversized Softcover)

Days Gone Bye - The Walking Dead vol. 1 by Robert Kirkman  (Image Comics, $9.99, Oversized Softcover)

Miles Behind Us - The Walking Dead vol. 2 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard (Image Comics, $12.99, Oversized Softcover)

Lovecraft by Hans Rodionoff and Enrique Breccia (Vertigo/DC Comics, $17.95, Oversized Softcover) - Keith Griffen is the third author.  Introduction by John Carpenter.

New and Notable DVDs

Creepshow III directed by Ana Clavell and James Dudelson (HBO Video, $19.98, DVD)

Gremlins directed by Joe Dante  (Warner, $14.97, DVD)

House By The Cemetery, The directed by Lucio Fulci  (Blue Underground, $14.95, DVD) - Italian Horror

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie directed by Jorge Grau  (Blue Underground, $14.95, DVD)

Highwaymen directed by Robert Harmon  (New Line Cinema, $9.97, DVD)

H. P. Lovecraft Collection Vol. 4: Pickman’s Model directed by Ricardo Harrington  (Lurker Films, $20.00, DVD)

Arang directed by Ahn Sang Hoon  (Tartan Asia Extreme, $22.95, DVD) - Korean Horror

Chamber of Horrors directed by Norman Lee  (Roan Group, $9.98, DVD) - AKA The House With Seven Locks

Naked You Die directed by Antonio Margheriti  (Dark Sky Films, $14.98, DVD)

Night of the Werewolf directed by Paul Naschy  (Deimos Entertainment, $19.98, DVD)

Masters of Horror: Right to Die directed by Rob Schmidt  (Anchor Bay, $14.98, DVD)

Ghost, The directed by Ki Tae-kyung  (Tartan Asia Extreme, $22.95, DVD) - Korean Horror

Kazuo Umezz’s Horror Theater directed by Kazuo Umezz  (Tokyo Shock, $19.95, DVD) - Three volumes of a Japanese TV Anthology horror show, featuring short films based on the works of Kazuo Umezz.

Vampyros Lesbos directed by Jess Franco  (Image Entertainment, $19.99, DVD)

Featured Upcoming Titles

(These titles have not arrived yet.  You may pre-order any of these books by calling or emailing us.  Prices may be subject to change.  Of course, we have many more titles arriving each week . . . call or email us if you're curious about a particular upcoming title not listed here.)

ENDLESS THINGS: A PART OF AEGYPT by John Crowley (Small Beer Press, Hardcover, $24.00)

THE MERCHANT AND THE ALCHEMIST'S GATE by Ted Chaing (Subterranean Press, Hardcover, $20.00)

WHISKEY AND WATER by Elizabeth Bear (Penguin, Trade Paperback, $14.00)

THE DREAMING VOID by Peter F. Hamilton (Gollancz, Hardcover, approximately $34.00)

BUTCHER BIRD by Richard Kadrey (Night Shade, Trade Paperback, $14.95)

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
MAY, 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