ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER

Events and News from Borderlands Books

July, 2007

Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features

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

Ellen Kushner,  THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD (Bantam, Mass Market, $6.99,) and Delia Sherman, CHANGELING (Viking, Hardcover, $16.99), Monday, August 6th at 7:00 pm

Jeff Carlson, PLAGUE YEAR, (Ace, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, August 11th at 1:00 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

* We have a new live-in guest at Borderlands!  Ripley's half-brother Sly (yes, he's also a Sphynx cat) will be staying with Ripley at the store for about two months.  Sly is much bigger than Ripley -- about 18 pounds -- and has large eyes so he constantly looks startled.  Sly is still getting used to the whole bookstore thing, and he's a bit shy, so please be gentle when you welcome him.

* One of Borderlands' customers is starting a Science Fiction Writers and Readers Group of the Bay Area.  Here is the information that she provided:
"Attention all science fiction writers or readers! Are you interested in publishing or viewing never before released science fiction?  Join this community to meet regularly for discussion of your or others' work and possible publishing outlets.  Help burgeoning SF writers create masterpieces!  Possible annual magazine published!  Website forum in progress.  Hurry, so we can make this community come to life!  Contact: LaurenAddress@hotmail.com."  She adds that "the group is going to be strictly genre bound: only SF, and not fantasy."

*Last month we had mentioned that it would be a nice idea to donate copies of the James Tiptree Memorial Award Anthologies to one's hometown library.  Customer and librarian David Bratman had the following thoughtful response about why it is best NOT to donate books "cold," (i.e. without obtaining permission from the library first).  Thank you for the reality check, David!

"It sounds like a good and generous idea, but please check with your library first before you do this.  (If you visit in person, go to the reference desk, not the circulation desk, of the main library and ask to speak to the collection development officer for science fiction, who may well be answering reference questions at that very moment.)
The problem is that when a library buys a book, it costs a lot more than just the purchase price.  And these extra costs can't be easily solved by waving more money at them, because the costs are in staff time.  Time to decide whether to accept each donated book - libraries get offered a lot of crap.  Time to enter the book into the cataloging database.  Time to process it physically: to stamp it, to add the barcode and security strip, to put protective mylar covers on, etc.  It's not much for any one book, but it adds up fast.  If you just donate a book cold, some overworked harried person is going to look through a pile of them, and they know they can't take an indefinite number of books even if they're all good, and anything they don't take goes straight to the public booksale, where its departure will get the library $2 in hard cash."

*Publisher Jacob Weisman (from San Francisco based Tachyon Publications) married Rina Elson in a brief but lovely and humorous ceremony at the historic San Mateo County History Museum on Saturday, June 30th.  Author Richard A. Lupoff officiated, and those attending the ceremony included Mark Budz, Grania and Stephen Davis, Marina Fitch, Eileen Gunn, Howard Hendrix, Susan Palwick, Michael Swanwick and Tom Whitmore.  Beth Gwinn took photographs.  The nuptials also included The Green Lantern's Oath, and a good time was had by all.

*We've received the following news from author Simon Wood: "I'm happy to announce that Bad Moon Books will be publishing my horror novella, THE SCRUBS.  It will be available in limited edition paperback and a collector's edition hardback.

THE SCRUBS takes place in a fictionalized version of the real life prison of Wormwood Scrubs in London.  It's the story of Michael Keeler, a convicted killer, who volunteers to be part of the North Wing project in order to gain a pardon--except no one has ever returned from the project.

I'm very excited by this book. I'm hoping to develop this into a trilogy of tales. I also think this is one of the strongest horror stories I've written.

THE SCRUBS will be out summer 2008.

This sale marks the introduction of my new writing identity.  In the future, all my horror publications will be under the name Simon Janus, while my thrillers and mysteries will continue to come out under Simon Wood.  The reason for the split is straddling two different genres has created a lot confusion among readers, which I'm hoping to clear up from now on.  I'll be discussing more about the new identity on my <http://www.murderati.com> column this Thursday."

The following news come from Solaris publications:
"BL Publishing is very excited to announce the purchase of a major new anthology from Hugo Award short-listed editor Lou Anders for its unmissable SOLARIS imprint.
Alternative History Mystery!  SIDEWAYS IN CRIME is a brand new anthology of all-original stories from some of the genre's foremost writers.
Featuring an eclectic range of alternative history crime stories, from Jacobean power-plays to far future empires, this new anthology explores the darker side of the alternative history genre.  Includes new stories by Kage Baker, Stephen Baxter, Tobias Buckell, Pat Cadigan, Paul Di Filippo, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Theodore Judson, Jack McDevitt, John Meaney, Paul Park, Mike Resnick & Eric Flint, Mary Rosenblum, Chris Roberson, Justina Robson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, SM Stirling and Liz Williams. (Subject to change)
SIDEWAYS IN CRIME will be published simultaneously in both the US and UK by Solaris, in trade paperback, Summer 2008. " 

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 Ninth

For the next four 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.

Sidelines

"How hard can it be to find a stupid bike messenger bag?!"  I threw up my hands in frustration.  I'd been looking for days; sending out email queries, flipping through catalogs, staring at low-resolution pictures on-line until my eyes stung and my contact lenses felt glued in place.  I felt like the Goldilocks of bike-messenger-bag seekers, except that there was no sign of the "Just Right" one yet, and there seemed to be about 48,000 bears' beds to choose from.  This bag was too large, and that one too small.  This one was made of cheap nylon and looked flimsy, that one appeared to be made of Kevlar and, if the cost was any indication, it darn well better have stopped bullets, too.  That type would be great, except it only came in an eye-offending orange or Army green, and all 53 of those looked too much like computer bags.  And I still had to find pens, and pint glasses, and coffee mugs and stickers.

Welcome to the wonderful world of sidelines.  What's a sideline, anyway?  Other than someplace in sports where you sit when you're not in the game?  A sideline, in retail-speak, is a line of products that you sell in your store that is outside your main purview.  So Borderlands carries a handful of sidelines; essentially everything in the store that isn't a book.

So that covers greeting cards and Ripley postcards, our cool wooden boxes, all the dragon and skull tchotchke, blank books, jewelry, art prints, sculptures and our Borderlands branded gak.  Before starting my career in retail lo these many years ago, it never occurred to me to wonder where stores bought their stuff.   I never would have suspected that there were such things as "Gift Fairs," or that they could possibly fill the whole of Moscone Center.  (Google "San Francisco International Gift Fair" if you're interested.)  I just knew that Alan wanted the sideline items that Borderlands carries to fit with the feel and personality of the store.  Some of those items were no-brainers.  Cary and I both have a weakness for beautiful boxes, so those were easy, and we ended up with Ripley postcards by customer request.  Most of the other stuff we'd seen and admired elsewhere, and it fit right in to the store.

But the bike messenger bags were another matter entirely.  Many businesses have tote bags with their logos on them, but Borderlands needed something a little more practical, and, frankly, a little classier.  Which brings me back to the brain-numbing stupidity of trying to find the perfect messenger bag.  For days. 

Pardon me while I digress -- I hate shopping!  I suppose that seems both amusing and disingenuous coming from a professional book buyer, but shopping and book buying aren't the same thing at all. 

Shopping is when you wander around all slack-jawed and "Night Of The Living Dead-ish".  Shopping is like the adult version of writing standards on a blackboard.  Shopping, to me, is just very slightly more appealing that non-elective surgery.  Bleah.  My friend Jim calls that zombie/shopping state "wandering in the mall".  And as much as I wanted the store to have great bike messenger bags, the process of finding them was rapidly exceeding my shopping tolerance.

I finally found those perfect bike messenger bags, six days into the process.  I had done almost nothing for that entire period except review messenger bag options.  Now, please understand that this is not a bid for pity.  I am fully aware that while I was spending all that time looking for messenger bags, there were literally millions of people in the world doing good and important and life-saving work that actually matters, and this doesn't matter at all.  It is, however, just how the story goes.

And this is where the story ends.  I'm not going to talk about trying to match the "official" Borderlands' shade of red on products from three different vendors (glasses, mugs and pens).  And I'm not even going to _think_ about baseball hats.  I'll give you one hint about how that worked out -- have you ever seen a Borderlands' baseball cap?

And you won't either.

- Jude Feldman

Top Sellers At Borderlands

Hardcovers
1. Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey
2. Thirteen by Richard Morgan
3. Precious Dragon by Liz Williams
4. The Spirit Stone by Katharine Kerr
5. The Execution Channel by Ken MacLeod
6. The Harlequin by Laurel K. Hamilton
    tie
    Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien
7. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
    tie
    The Last Colony by John Scalzi
8. Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
9. Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
10. World War Z by Max Brooks

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
2. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
3. The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
4. Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
5. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
6. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
7. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
8. Accelerando by Charles Stross
9. Tithe by Holly Black
10. Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey

Trade Paperbacks
1. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
2. Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
3. Snake Agent by Liz Williams
4. The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
5. Grey by Jon Armstrong
    tie
    9 Tail Fox by John Courtenay Grimwood

Notes From a DVD Geek

As an independent bookstore, Borderlands definitely likes to support independent home video distributors, who bring us some of the weirder and more obscure films that would otherwise never find their way to home video.

I’ve talked in the past about the DVDs from Lurker Home Video, but I wanted to focus on them again, as they’ve recently released volume 4 of their consistently good H. P. Lovecraft Collection DVD series.  The mad man behind Lurker home video is Andrew Migliore, who is also one of the authors of the recent Lovecraft film encyclopedia, THE LURKER IN THE LOBBY.  He also, in copious spare time, has been running the annual H. P. Lovecraft International Film Festival for 11 years.  If there is anybody who knows obscure and quality filmic adaptations of H. P. Lovecraft, it’s Andrew. 

Volume 4 of the Lovecraft Collection features three adaptations of "Picman’s Model" – two shorter versions, and a feature length, medium-sized budget adaptation called "Chilean Gothic," directed by Ricardo Harrington.  Volume 4 also features short adaptations of "In the Vault" and "Between the Stars".

Volume 3 of the series introduces the excellent Canadian-produced cosmically bizarre bio-drama that features extensive quotes from Lovecraft’s letters and fiction, as a device to convey the life and character of everyone’s favorite writer of cosmic alienation.  In addition it has several shorter pieces, including an adaptation of "The Outsider".

Volume 2 features one of those amazing “what-ifs”.  The pilot episode of a proposed British television show, featuring a shadowy government organization dedicated to keeping tabs on the forces of the elder gods.  It starred Paul Darrow ("Doctor Who," "Blake’s 7,") and was amazingly good.  Sadly, it was not picked up, and we only have this tantalizing hint of what might have been.  In addition, volume 2 features short films of "The Terrible Old Man" and "From Beyond," and… YES… the music videos from the greatest Cthulhu-surf-punk band ever… The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets.  If you’ve never heard the ’Thickets, you're missing out.

Volume 1 of the series features the legendary adaptation of "Cool Air," by Bryan Moore, and also features 4 other short films, as well as an interview with S. T. Joshi.

In addition to their H. P. Lovecraft collection, Lurker Home Video have a DVD featuring adaptations of works by Edgar Allen Poe which is worth checking out.

Another smaller DVD distributor is Panik House Entertainment. They have a nice mixture of Asian horror and exploitation films.  Another line that they have been releasing that is almost completely unique and totally intriguing is their series of classic Mexican horror films, under their Casa Negra imprint.

"The Living Coffin" (1958) is a interesting mixture of Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Premature Burial," and a traditional Mexican legend.

"The Man and The Monster"(1958), is a thrilling classic of Mexican horror.  It features Satan, and a musician who bargains away his soul.  Imagine a weird hybrid of the Faust story and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

"The Vampire Collection" (1957 - 1958) is a double feature of the groundbreaking vampire films of Fernando Méndez:  "The Vampire," and "The Vampire’s Coffin".  These are truly outstanding films that deserve a much wider audience, and it's nice to seem them lovingly restored.  If you don’t want to take my word for it, listen to Guillermo Del Toro, who has this to say:  ". . . Fernando Mendez is one of the absolute masters at creating atmosphere.  His films are full of inventive, purely cinematic moments that transcend their shoestring budgets. Truly one of the Mexican masters of Fantastic cinema. . . ."

"The Black Pit of Dr. M"(1958) is a stylish film that is equally chilling and beautiful.  It shares some of the aesthetics of Italian director Mario Bava’s better films, and should not be missed by his fans.

"Brainiac" (1962) is a lurid and loony classic of Mexican cinema featuring revenge from beyond the grave.  This one hasn’t been available on DVD in an uncut form before this.

"The Witch's Mirror" (1960) is one of my favorites.  Based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona, is a beautifully overwrought excursion into gothic iconography.  It is, like all of the Casa Negra releases, restored and uncut, and this disk features a very engaging commentary by Mexican cinema expert Michael Liuzza.

Forthcoming releases from Casa Negra include "World of Vampires" (1960) and "The Living Head" (1961).  I haven’t had a chance to see these yet but I’ll let you know about them as soon as I do.

Keeping the focus on independnets, I’m going to end this column by mentioning legendary indy film director Darren Aronofsky, whose epic historical/SF extravaganza, "The Fountain" is out on DVD.  If you missed it in the theaters (I know I did) here’s your chance to watch one of the most compelling filmmakers of the last 15 years go absolutely crazy.  A visual and audio feast with a very ambitious script that sometimes fails to reach the heights it strives for, "The Fountain" is nonetheless one of the most interesting films to come along since "The City of Lost Children".

'Til next time.

-Jeremy Lassen
jlassen@borderlands-books.com

Book Club Info

The Gay Men's Book Club will meet on Sunday, July 8th, at 5 pm to discuss THE PLAYER OF GAMES by Iain M. Banks.   The book for August is FOUNDATION by Isaac Asimov.  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 15th, at 6 pm to discuss BABEL-17 by Samuel Delany.  Please contact Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more information.

Upcoming Event Details

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 -  SF in SF is an ongoing monthly reading and discussion series sponsered by Tacyhon Publications and moderated by author Terry Bisson.  For more info see <http://www.sfinsf.org/>.

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 $34.99 and Special Edition Slipcased Hardcover $65.00), 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, and other cool HP schwag, 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_06-07.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!

Ellen Kushner,  THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD (Bantam, Mass Market, $6.99,) and Delia Sherman, CHANGELING (Viking, Hardcover, $16.99), Monday, August 6th at 7:00 pm - Borderlands is delighted to be hosting this event with Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman!  Ellen Kushner is the author of the well-loved novel SWORDSPOINT.  She is a writer, performer and storyteller as well as host of the radio series Sound & Spirit.  We're so excited to help her showcase PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD, which returns to the world of Riverside and introduces Alec Campion's strong-willed niece Lady Katherine.  Delia Sherman is a prolific editor and the author of numerous works of short fiction.  Her newest novel is an excellent urban fantasy set in New York Between and starring one seriously hip changeling.  Please join us in welcoming these two authors to the store!

Jeff Carlson, PLAGUE YEAR, (Ace, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, August 11th at 1:00 pm - Meet Jeff Carlson and hear about his debut novel PLAGUE YEAR, which is set in post-apocalyptic California.  From the book description: " The nanotechnology was designed to fight cancer. Instead, it evolved into the Machine Plague, killing nearly five billion people and changing life on Earth forever.
The nanotech has one weakness: it self-destructs at altitudes above ten thousand feet.  Those few who've managed to escape the plague struggle to stay alive on the highest mountains, but time is running out -- there is famine and war, and the environment is crashing worldwide.  Humanity's last hope lies with a top nanotech researcher aboard the International Space Station -- and with a small group of survivors in California who risk a daring journey below the death line. . ."

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

British Summertime by Paul Cornell  (MonkeyBrain, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

Red Rose Rages (Bleeding), The by L. Timmel Duchamp  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 10

Tsunami - The Marq’ssan Cycle vol. 3 by L. Timmel Duchamp  (Aqueduct, $19.00, Trade Paperback)

Talking Back - Epistolary Fantasies by L. Timmel Duchamp, ed.  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 11
Contributors: Ada Milenkovic Brown, Sarah Coats, L. Timmel Duchamp, Carol Emshwiller, C.G.Furst, Victoria Elisabeth Garcia, and others.

Dangerous Space by Kelley Eskridge  (Aqueduct, $18.00, Trade Paperback)

Candle in a Bottle by Carolyn Ives Gilman  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 13

Year’s Best Fantasy 7 by David G. Hartwell, ed. and Kathryn Cramer, ed. (Tachyon, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - Stories by Peter S. Beagle, Charles Stross, Gene Wolfe and others.

We, Robots by Sue Lange  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 16

Alien Bootlegger by Rebecca Ore  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 9

Enchanters by David Bryan Russell  (Freya Publishing, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Absolute Uncertainty by Lucy Sussex  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 12

Making Love in Madrid by Kimberly Todd Wade  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol. 17

Knots by Wendy Walker  (Aqueduct, $9.00, Trade Paperback) - Conversation Pieces vol.14

Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine 30th Anniversary Anthology by Sheila Williams, ed.  (Tachyon, $14.95, Trade Paperback) - Stories by Isaac Asimov, Jonathan Lethem, Connie Willis and others

A Fortress in Shadow: A Chronicle of The Dread Empire by Glen Cook  (Night Shade Books, $35.00, Hardcover, and $60.00, signed leather bound Hardcover) - Introduction by Steven Erikson.  Contains the novels The Fire in His Hands and With Mercy Towards None.

Endless Things: A Part of Aegypt by John Crowley  (Small Beer Press, $24.00, Hardcover)

Precious Dragon - Detective Inspector Chen vol. 3 by Liz Williams  (Night Shade Books, $24.95, Hardcover, and $49.00, signed limited edition (125 copies) Hardcover that contains a bonus Chen story.)

Doorway to Saturn, The - The Collected Fantasies, vol. 1 by Clark Ashton Smith and Scott Conners, ed./ Ron Hilger, ed. (Night Shade Books, $39.95, Hardcover)

Twelve Collections and The Teashop by Zoran Zivkovic and Alice Copple-Tosic, trans. (PS Publishing, $20.00, Hardcover) - One of 500 signed and nummbered limited edition copies. Introduction by Michael Moorcock

Electric Velocipede Issue 12, Spring 2007 by John Klima, ed.  (Spilt Milk Press, $4.00, Chapbook)

When We Were Six by Heather Shaw  (Tropism Press, $5.00, Chapbook)

Flytrap No. 7 - May 2007 - A Little Zine with Teeth by Heather Shaw, ed. and Tim Pratt, ed. (Tropism Press, $4.00, Chapbook)

REH:Two-Gun Raconteur vol. 11 by Damon C. Sasser, ed.  (Black Coast, $15.50, Other Softcover) - One of 300 limited edition copies.

Going Back by Tony Richards  (Elastic Press, $12.00, Trade Paperback and $35.00, Signed, Lettered, Limited Edition (26 copies) Hardcover.

Strangers and Pilgrims by Walter de la Mare  (Tartarus, $65.00, Hardcover) - One of 500 limited edition copies.

Demogorgon by Brian Lumley  (Delirium Books, $55.00, Hardcover) - Limited to 300 numbered copies signed by Brian Lumley. Cover art by Bob Eggelton

Shore, The by Robert Dunbar  (Delirium Books, $50.00, ) - One of 240 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre by Peter Coogan  (MonkeyBrain, $15.95, Trade Paperback) - Introduction by Danny O’Niel.  An exhaustive and entertaining study of the superhero genre, this volume traces the roots of the superhero in mythology, science fiction, and the pulps, and follows the superhero’s development to its current renaissance in film, literature, and graphic novels. 

New and Notable

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

Weatherwitch - Crowthistle Chronicles vol. 3 by Cecilia Dart-Thornton  (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market)

Dance of Time, The - Belisarius vol. 6 by Eric Flint and David Drake (Baen, $7.99, Mass Market)

Firebird by R. Garcia y Robertson  (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market)

Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market)

Shadow Kingdoms - The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard vol. 1 by Robert E. Howard  (Cosmos, $6.99, Mass Market)

Glasshouse by Charles Stross (Ace, $7.99, Mass Market)

Disunited States of America, The - Crosstime Traffic vol. 4 by Harry Turtledove  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

Master of Dragons - Dragonvarld vol. 3 by Margaret Weis  (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market)

Blue Noon - Midnighters vol. 3 by Scott Westerfeld  (Eos, $6.99, Mass Market)

Fugitives of Chaos by John C. Wright  (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market) - Sequel to Orphans of Chaos

Feral City - Fell vol. 1 by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith (Image, $14.99, Trade Paperback) - Originally published in single magazine form as Fell #1-8

Harlan Ellison’s Dream Corridor vol. 2 by Harlan Ellison and Gerad Jones (Dark Horse, $19.95, Trade Paperback) - Mark Waid, Steve Niles, John Ostrander, Eric Shanower, Neal Adams, Paul Chadwick, Steve Rude are additional contributors.

Riddley Walker by Russel Hoban  (Indiana University Press, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

Dangerous Offspring by Steph Swainston  (Eos, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

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

Troll Bridge: A Rock ‘N’ Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (Tor, $5.99, Trade Paperback)

Legacy: The Sharing Knife vol. 2 by Lois McMaster Bujold (Eos, $25.95, Hardcover) - Signed copies available!

Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey (Warner, $26.99, Hardcover) - Signed copies still available!

Foundling - Monster Blood Tattoo vol. 1 by D.M. Cornish  (Putnam, $18.99, Hardcover)

Darkness of the Light - The Hidden Earth vol. 1 by Peter David  (Tor, $24.95, Hardcover)

Shift by Chris Dolley  (Baen, $24.00, Hardcover) - Signed copies available!

InterWorld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves (HarperCollins, $16.99, Hardcover)

M is For Magic by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, $16.99, Hardcover) - Eleven stories, some never before collected.

Mainspring by Jay Lake (Tor, $24.95, Hardcover) - Signed copies available!

Execution Channel, The by Ken MacLeod (Tor, $24.95, Hardcover)

Thirteen (Th1rte3n) by Richard Morgan (Del Rey, $27.00, Hardcover)

Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood and Saved Civiliazation, The by Daniel Pinkwater  (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00, Hardcover)

Deeper Blue by John Ringo (Baen, $26.00, Hardcover)

One Jump Ahead by Mark L. Van Name (Baen, $24.00, Hardcover)

Hanging Mountains, The - Book of the Cataclysm vol. 3 by Sean Williams (Pyr, $25.00, Hardcover)

New York Review of Science Fiction Number 226 Vol. 19, No.10 by Kevin J. Maroney, ed. and David G. Hartwell, ed. (Dragon Press, $4.00, Oversized Softcover)

Horror:

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris  (Delacorte, $7.99, Mass Market)

Midnight Tour, The by Richard Laymon  (Leisure, $7.99, Mass Market)

Morbid Curiosity by Deborah LeBlanc  (Leisure, $6.99, Mass Market)

Book of the Dead, The by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Warner, $7.99, Mass Market)

Night Voices, Night Journeys - Lairs of the Hidden Gods vol. 1 by Asamatsu Ken, ed.  (Kurodahan Press, $23.00, Trade Paperback) - This massive collection of original stories and articles inspired by the 'Cthulhu Mythos' created by H.P. Lovecraft was published in Japan in 2002 as a two-volume set under the name Hishinkai. The list of contributing authors is a who's-who of Japanese horror fiction, featuring some of the finest writers in Japan today.
In cooperation with Tokyo Sogensha, the Japanese publishers, and the anthology editor, Mr. Asamatsu Ken, we are proud to present these dark visions of the Mythos as interpreted by Japanese authors. You will find some stories that return like old friends, carrying on the Lovecraft tradition, while others will shock you with totally new and unexpected vistas of horror.  Each story is accompanied by a thought-provoking introduction by Robert M. Price.

Monster Planet by David Wellington  (Thunder’s Mouth, $14.99, Trade Paperback)

Devil You Know, The by Mike Carey  (Warner, $24.99, Hardcover)

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer  (Little,Brown, $17.99, Hardcover) - Sequel to TWILIGHT

Apocalypse Stone by Pete Earley  (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market)

New and Notable DVDs

Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron directed by Victor Cook  (Starz Home Entertainment, $19.98, DVD)

People Under the Stairs, The / Shocker directed by Wes Craven  (Universal Pictures, $14.98, DVD)

Dorm directed by Songyos Sugmakanan  (Tartan Asia Extreme, $22.95, 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

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