Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Dispatches from the Border: February 2016

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Upcoming Events
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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, HAUNTING INVESTIGATION (Smoke and Shadow Books, Hardcover, $27.99) - Saturday, February 13th at 3:00 pm

Meet Arwen Curry, filmmaker - "Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin" - Sunday, February 14th at 3:00 pm

A.M. Dellamonica, DAUGHTER OF NO NATION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $26.99), and Randy Henderson, BIGFOOTLOOSE AND FINN FANCY FREE (Tor Books, Hardcover, $25.99) - Saturday, February 20th at 3:00 pm

SF in SF with authors Charlie Jane Anders and Lisa Goldstein, Sunday, February 21st at 5:30 pm

V.E. Schwab, A GATHERING OF SHADOWS (Tor Books, Hardcover, $25.99), with special guests Margaret Stohl & Stephanie Kuehn - Saturday, February 27th at 3:00 pm

SF in SF with authors Daryl Gregory and Hannu Rajaniemi - Sunday, March 6th at 5:30 pm

Mishell Baker, BORDERLINE (THE ARCADIA PROJECT) (Saga Press, Trade Paperback, $15.99), and Seanan McGuire, CHAOS CHOREOGRAPHY (DAW, Mass Market Paperback, $7.99) on Saturday, March 12th at 5:00 pm

MWA Northern California Meet and Greet - Sunday, March 13th at 3:00 pm

(for more information check the end of this newsletter)

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News
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* Overheard in the store:
"They're not weapons, they're tools. They're just sort of . . . weapon-y."

* The San Mateo County Fair is having a number of writing contests, several of them in our genres.  The deadline for submissions is April 1st, 2016 and more details can be found here, at the Fair's website contest page: http://sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/2016/exhibits/literary_arts_16.pdf

* We've finally heard that the amazing Netflix series Jessica Jones has been picked up for a second season.  Unfortunately, it may be quite a while until we actually get it. http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Why-Jessica-Jones-Season-2-May-Happen-Any-Time-Soon-101137.html

* We are very sorry to announce that respected and much-beloved editor David Hartwell has passed away after a fall.  http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/01/david-g-hartwell-1941-2016/

* Sadly, horror author A.R. Morlan apparently took her own life last month: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/01/a-r-morlan-1958-2016/

* io9.com posts a hilarious guide to defeating the Justice League, based on the cartoon. http://io9.gizmodo.com/a-foolproof-guide-to-beating-the-justice-league-1757183745

* Further from i09.com, author Charlie Jane Anders gives us a triptych of great articles!
First, the disappointing news about "Pride and Prejudice & Zombies" in her lackluster review -- and we had such high hopes!  http://io9.gizmodo.com/when-you-netflix-pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies-you-l-1757269942

Second, a great rumination on what it means to be a science fiction writer now: http://io9.gizmodo.com/what-it-means-to-be-a-science-fiction-writer-in-the-ear-1755506670

Third, a listing of 17 of the saddest friendships in science-fiction & fantasy (get your tissues ready!): http://io9.gizmodo.com/17-most-tear-jerking-friendships-from-science-fiction-a-1756433149

* Locus Magazine has come out with their yearly recommended reading list.  If you're wondering what you should read next, check out this list, as there's something for everyone! http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/02/2015-locus-recommended-reading-list/

* The World Fantasy Convention has announced their Guests of Honor for 2016, and they are Larry Dixon, Mercedes Lackey, L.E. Modesitt, Jr. and Randal Spangler.  Check out the website for more info: http://worldfantasy2016.org/

* The Daily Show's resident expert John Hodgman has been chosen to be the Toastmaster of this years Nebula Awards!  http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/2016-nebula-conference/about-the-toast-master-john-hodgman/

* An unfortunate review of the new "Avengers" mobile app game, "Avengers Academy".  With such great art and A-list voice talent, you'd think they could have pulled together something better.  http://kotaku.com/marvels-latest-avengers-video-game-is-such-a-shame-1757531547

* The Arizona Science Center is marrying science-fiction, pop culture and technology in an exhibit called POPnology, with a working R2D2, no less! https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2016/02/05/arizona-science-center-unveils-popnology-tying-together-technology-and-science-fiction/

* The United States Marine Corps have invited science fiction authors August Cole, Max Brooks, and Charles E. Gannon to come and discuss potential future threats. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2016/01/30/marines-ask-science-fiction-enthusiasts-describe-future-threats/79357404/

* Looking for something to watch, but none of the big science fiction shows have been to your taste?  Check out Inverse's list of the 9 best indie science fiction web series. https://www.inverse.com/article/11012-ranking-the-9-best-indie-science-fiction-web-series

* Southern Fried Science spent all of January publishing science fiction meant to show some of the potential problems with our oceans in 2041.  All the pieces are online for free, and together they create a fascinating, terrifying world:  http://www.southernfriedscience.com/on-spending-a-month-publishing-science-fiction-from-our-ocean-future/

* Designing for the future, using William Gibson and Phillip K. Dick as guides: https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2016/01/31/designing-for-science-fiction-future/ECcSg8DJsxL6cPeVB1knOP/story.html

* Check out a list of over 20 science fiction novels being adapted for the big screen.  (Most of them are by Stephen King or Neil Gaiman, and there are only two female authors mentioned, but there are still some interesting films in development.) http://www.outerplaces.com/science-fiction/item/11123-science-fiction-books-being-adapted-into-movies

* The Scholarly Journal of the Museum of Science Fiction has been released, and the articles are complex, interesting and right on time: http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-museum-of-science-fiction-debuts-their-scholarly-jo-1755480848

* Famous dead authors, they're just like other people!  H.G. Wells apparently enjoyed a whole lot of casual sex; read all about it: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/76641057/sciencefiction-writer-hg-wells-enjoyed-casual-sex-and-lots-of-it

* Local author (and new Mystery Writers of America President) Nick Mamatas will be teaching a 6-session Fabulist Fiction writing class for the San Francisco Creative Writing Institute, starting February 20th at We Work Golden Gate (25 Taylor Street, San Francisco).  The class will focus on genre fiction, including "Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mysteries, Young Adult, Magical Realism, Chick Lit & More".  The cost is $395.  To sign up, please go to http://sfwriting.institute/fabulist-fiction

* Junot Diaz is an author who always has a lot of intelligent things to say.  In this summary of his recent speech at Northwestern University, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning science fiction author tackled immigration, science-fiction and white supremacy:
http://peoplesworld.org/author-junot-d-az-talks-immigration-white-supremacy-and-science-fiction/

* The Guardian does their science-fiction new release round-up, and among other strong works, they have great things to say about Borderlands' sponsor Charlie Jane Anders' new novel, All The Birds In The Sky!  http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/15/science-fiction-roundup-eric-brown

* It's interesting that only a few years ago these images would have been called ridiculous, but the more technology progresses, the more all those kitschy conceptions of the future from the 40s, 50s and 60s seem to have some truth in them.  Check out eight classic illustrations that presented technologies we have now.  https://www.inverse.com/article/10329-8-science-fiction-illustrations-that-now-feel-crazy-prescient

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Award News
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* The Costa Awards celebrate writers based in the UK and Ireland, and all three of its fiction awards this year went to genre and genre-bending books.  The full list of winners is here: http://www.costa.co.uk/media/391535/2015awardwinners.pdf

* Bestselling local author Kim Stanley Robinson has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Robert A. Heinlein Award.  Congratulations, Stan! http://www.bsfs.org/bsfsheinlein.htm

* The 2016 Phillip K. Dick nominees have been announced.  For the complete list of nominees click here: http://www.philipkdickaward.org/

* The 2015 Bram Stoker Awards preliminary ballot has been revealed!  http://horror.org/9296-2/

* The American Library Association has announced its 2016 Reading List for genre fiction. Check out both the winners and short list here: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2016/01/readers-advisory-experts-announce-2016-reading-list-year-s-best-genre-fiction

* The Stephen King Short Story Competition has announced its short list: http://stephenkingbooks.co.uk/2016/01/21/announcing-our-short-story-competition-short-list/

* Hugo Award nominations are now open!  http://midamericon2.org/the-hugo-awards/hugo-nominations/

*  Congratulations to Kai Ashante Wilson, whose Tor.com novella The Sorcerer of The Wildeeps has won the 2016 Crawford Award.  Check out the whole short list here: http://www.fantastic-arts.org/2016/2016-crawford-award-announced/

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From The Office
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Last month I announced that we had reached our goal of 300 sponsors and would remain open for at least another year.  I also explained that, because the sponsorship program had been so successful, I have raised our sights beyond merely remaining open until our lease ran out in five years.  Our sponsors have been so constant and enthusiastic that I'm not really concerned about the near-term viability of that model to support us in the face of mandatory wage increases.  Of course, something could change but overall our situation seems stable for the next few years.

With that concern addressed, I've been looking forward at the next major concern -- what we're going to do when our lease expires in 2021.  Given the current rental market in San Francisco and the historical trends (even during hard times economically), we will not be able to find a space that we can afford and that will house the store in 2021.  So, we are either going to need to move out of San Francisco, or we need to come up with another plan. Moving is unattractive, but I'll keep that as a backup.  My preferred plan is to buy a building to house the store (and, perhaps, similar businesses -- more on that next month).

If we're going to do that, we need to raise a bunch of money for the down payment.  I've done the math, and I'm sure that we can cover the mortgage, maintenance, and taxes with what we currently pay in rent.  But we've got to have that down payment.  I have many ideas about how to raise that money and I'll pursue them all, but there is one thing happening already that's helping a lot -- the sponsorships.  Right now we have more than 500 sponsors.  Last year we had 844.  If we can continue getting many more sponsors than we need to cover the higher payroll, we can make it most of the way to our goal.  And so, despite our success in reaching the 300 sponsors we needed to say open, if you've been considering becoming a sponsor, please do.  To perhaps help you with your decision, here are a few reasons to become a sponsor.

1)  You believe that the continued existence of physical bookstores is important.
The most common cause of bookstore closures is rent increases.  In addition, bookselling has always been an only-marginally-profitable business.  More and more people are choosing to live in urban areas (check out my article about that http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2015/08/urban-conservation.html ) and that is increasing rents in all cities in the US.  Bookstores, especially specialty bookstores, need a minimum population density to be viable (especially in these days of Amazon and ebooks, people are unlikely to drive 50 miles to shop) so it is harder for them to survive outside cities.  That shifting population trend combined with the limitations inherent in bookselling means that it is going to get harder and harder for bookstores to locate in cities and, by extension, it is going to make it harder for them to survive.

Added to that, ebooks are going to continue to take away from the sales of physical books. Right now the trend is showing a drop-off in the sales and popularity of ebooks, but I believe that's a temporary dip.  As I used to explain to skeptical booksellers -- can you imagine a future 100 years from now in which the standard and usual way to distribute a book is to cut down trees, process them into paper, and make that into books that are then driven around the country?

My goal in buying a building is not to enrich myself.  My dream is to create a bookstore that can continue to exist for 25, 50 or even 100 years.  And not just a genre bookstore.  If we have room or as we gain room, I'm planning to make our stock broader and broader.  We'll always have the best selection of genre fiction we can manage but, if we pull this off, I'm sure Borderlands will eventually end up a general interest bookshop.  If we can get this building, I will make arrangements so that, when I'm gone, Borderlands will become a non-profit foundation committed to maintaining what we know as a "bookstore" for as long as possible.  Becoming a sponsor is the best way, right now, to help make that dream real.

2)  You live in the San Francisco Bay Area and like to socialize with people who read the books we sell.
One thing that has always stood out about Borderlands is that it's a very social place.  We've always loved to host parties, either at the store or at conventions that we're attending, and we're always happy to meet new customers and get to know them.  The sponsorships were successful in a great part because of that social quality.  So it's no surprise that one of the cores of being a sponsor is social.  The party that we host quarterly is great fun and the major component is just what you would expect -- hanging about and talking about books.  I've already seen many friendships spring up among our sponsors and, personally, I've made several true friends from among the people I've met at those parties.

This year we also have a list of special events that I'm very excited about.  From literary walking tours of the city to wine tastings to museum tours . . . it's going to be a good year for our sponsors to go out and have some fun with like-minded people.

3)  You live outside of the area but want to have access to cool unique stuff (and have a home-away-from-home in SF).
Something that has been on my mind almost since we started the sponsorships is that it is hard to offer much in the way of benefits to folks who are distant from the store.  I don't think that I've a solution to that, yet, but I'm working on it.  For now, honestly there isn't much. We've started live-streaming our events and the presentations that we do for sponsors but, aside from the sponsor-only stuff, anyone will be able to watch them.  There are things like the sponsor T-shirts and bags (great conversation starters, truly) that we can ship to you and there are some more physical items that I've got in mind, but that's not a whole lot.

In the future there are more things I'd like to achieve.  I really want do some sponsor get-togethers in other cities and at conventions but, with the possible exception of a party at the World Fantasy Convention this year, those are probably plans for the 2017 version of me.  I'm also cooking up a rapid, super-simple mail order system just for sponsors (think one-click shopping at Amazon, but much better).  And, there are a few more things bouncing around in my head.  But they are all for the future.

But, there is one other thing for you out-of-town sponsors.  Our sponsors are the reason we're still here and they're a crucial part of what is going to keep us in business.  So we are, truly, at your service.  Within reason, we're happy to do just about anything for you.  If your 65-year-old mom gets stranded at the San Francisco Airport because of weather and you need someone to go down there, pick her up, and drive her to a hotel -- just give us a call.  If you're starting your own business and need some advice about how to do the bookkeeping -- drop me an email and I'll give you all the advice I've got to offer.  Need some feedback on co-working for the non-fiction book your writing -- let me know and I'll put a notice about it in our sponsor newsletter.  Hell, if you get stranded in SF and the hotels are full -- I'll put you up on my couch (but you gotta deal with the cats).  In short, though I wouldn't go so far as to say that the sponsors of Borderlands are like one big family (especially given what my family was like,) I would say that it bears a passing resemblance to being a member of the some weird fraternal order, kind of like the Masons but with more books and no silly aprons . . . or maybe it's more like a benevolent motorcycle gang . . . I dunno.  But we certainly do look out for our own, including every single one of our sponsors.

4)  You work in our business as a writer, editor, publisher, artist or agent.
In the first place, if you're working in the book business, you know that independent bookstores are a critical part of it.  We stock and sell the backlist (books that are not new releases) of publishers at a rate more than double Barnes and Noble and Amazon.  We are also the places that discover new authors and push their work on our customers for no other reason than the desire to sell good books to people who will enjoy them.  And, finally, we act as a counterweight to the massive effect that Barnes and Noble and Amazon have on the business.

But more than that, consider my previous point -- I and my staff are at your service.  Got a question about what I think of a book cover?  Just ask.  Want to know what our sales reps are saying about a new title?  Likewise.  Just got your first contract, don't have an agent and you're wondering what clause II. A. 4. means?  Send me or Jeremy an email.

We're honest booksellers.  If you're a sponsor, we're not going to give your books preferential treatment.  If your new novel isn't good or, more likely, isn't a good fit for the customer I'm talking to, I'm not going to recommended it.  Same goes for a publisher, editor, or agent.  On the other hand, if someone asks me to recommend a great fantasy novel . . . is it likely that the first book to cross my mind might have been written by someone whose name I see every day, posted on the wall in the year's list of our sponsors?  Yes, it is likely, 'cause our sponsors are always on my mind, in one way or another.

Finally, to be utterly mercenary about this, if you work in the writing business you should be able to take your sponsorship as a tax deduction since it should fall under the "Dues and Subscriptions" deduction (assuming that you itemize and you're making some money in the biz).  That's like getting the sponsorship at a discount!

In closing, I hope you'll at least consider becoming a sponsor.  If you act quickly, it's still possible you'll end up with a number under 1000.  Those numbers are never reused so perhaps, fifteen years from now, when we're comfortably ensconced in our own building, you might be very proud to be sponsor number 945.  But, much more importantly, by becoming a sponsor you'll be one of the few people who can claim responsibility for what Borderlands is and, what it may become.

All Best,
Alan

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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for January, 2016

Hardcovers
1. ALL THE BIRDS IN THE SKY by Charlie Jane Anders
2. THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS by Patrick Rothfuss
3. BANDS OF MOURNING by Brandon Sanderson
4. THIS CENSUS TAKER by China Mieville
5. THE BOOK OF THE PHOENIX by Nnedi Okorafor
6. WELCOME TO NIGHTVALE by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
7. MEDUSA'S WEB by Tim Powers
8. LAGOON by Nnedi Okorafor
9. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu
10. MANNERS AND MUTINY by Gail Carriger

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. STEAL THE SKY by Megan E. O'Keefe
2. INFLUX by Daniel Suarez
3. MIDNIGHT TAXI TANGO by Daniel Jose Older
4. WINTERWOOD by Jacey Bedford
5. NEVERMORE by Rob Thurman
6. THE LONG UTOPIA by Stephen Baxter and Terry Pratchett
7. V'DAN: FIRST SALIK WAR by Jean Johnson
8. DEAD HEAT by Patricia Briggs
9. ON THE STEEL BREEZE by Alastair Reynolds
10. DRAKE by Peter McLean

Trade Paperbacks
1. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu
2. ANCILLARY MERCY by Ann Leckie
3. THE ENTROPY OF BONES by Ayize Jama-Everett
4. INDEXING: REFLECTIONS by Seanan McGuire
5. WEIGHING SHADOWS by Lisa Goldstein

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Book Club Information
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The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, February 14th, at 5 pm to discuss CLOUD ATLAS by David Mitchell. The book for the March will be DEATH BY SILVER by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold.  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, February 21st, at 6 pm to discuss THE MOTE IN GOD’S EYE by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.  The book for March will be TIME AND AGAIN by Jack Finney.  Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.

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Upcoming Event Details
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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, HAUNTING INVESTIGATION (Smoke and Shadow Books, Hardcover, $27.99) - Saturday, February 13th at 3:00 pm - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is an award-winning author of over seventy novels, and she’s coming to Borderlands to celebrate the release of the fifth book in her noir 1920's detective series The Chesterton Holte Mysteries!  From the publisher: "Spring 1924. The world has clawed its way back from the ravages of WWI and the Spanish Flu pandemic.  The 20's are beginning to roar.  Poppy Thornton lives with her Aunt Jo and her excitable cat Maestro in upper-crust Philadelphia.  Poppy is determined to make a name for herself as a serious crime reporter, but is stuck reporting on garden parties and ladies' fashion. Then one day her editor assigns her to collect background information on the suicide of a prominent businessman. She soon discovers it was actually a murder . . . but her surprising source for this information is the ghost of a man killed alongside her father during the Great War. Even if she dared tell anyone, who would believe it?  Together Poppy and her "gentleman haunt" follow the trail of a string of murders. But as their investigation narrows in on an all-too-familiar suspect, Poppy becomes a target herself and wonders if her ghost of a partner will appear in time to keep her from joining him in the after-life." Join us to meet this distinguished author and explore a dark ghostly mystery!

Meet Arwen Curry, filmmaker--"Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin" - Sunday, February 14th at 3:00 pm - We are happy to welcome filmmaker Arwen Curry, who is creating the first documentary to explore the "remarkable life and legacy" of the amazing Ursula K. Le Guin!  Ms. Curry has been working on the project for seven years, and has filmed dozens of hours of interviews with Ms. Le Guin.  From The Guardian UK: The film "was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities last summer, but the funds will only be released once the entire production budget for the project has been raised.  So Curry has turned to Kickstarter to crowdfund the remaining $80,000. . . that the film needs in order to be completed."  We invite you to meet Arwen and hear about her incredible plans for the film.  If you'd like to contribute to the Kickstarter, the link is here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arwencurry/worlds-of-ursula-k-le-guin

A.M. Dellamonica, DAUGHTER OF NO NATION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $26.99), and Randy Henderson, BIGFOOTLOOSE AND FINN FANCY FREE (Tor Books, Hardcover, $25.99) - Saturday, February 20th at 3:00 pm - We're delighted to welcome these two authors back to Borderlands!  A.M. Dellamonica will be showing off her new novel A DAUGHTER OF NO NATION, (sequel to CHILD OF A HIDDEN SEA) in which we follow winning protagonist Sophie Hansa back to Stormwrack for further adventures, magic, and politics.  In Randy Handerson's BIGFOOTLOOSE AND FINN FANCY FREE, we meet up again with Finn Gramaraye, who is settling back into the real world after his 25-year imprisonment -- but Finn can't stay out of trouble for long, and now he's starting an Arcane Dating Service.  Join us to meet two fabulous authors; whether you're already a big fan, or this is your first introduction to either or both of their worlds, Ms. Dellamonica and Mr. Henderson will captivate you!

SF in SF with authors Charlie Jane Anders and Lisa Goldstein at the American Bookbinders Museum (355 Clementina, between 4th and 5th Streets), Sunday, February 21st at 5:30 pm  - (Suggested donation $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.)  Doors and bar at 5:30 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm.  We're so happy to celebrate the return of SF in SF, at a lovely new venue!  Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson.  Authors will schmooze & sign books after.  Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.  Seating is limited, so first come, first seated.  Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum.   Phone (night of event) 415-572-1015. Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.

V.E. Schwab, A GATHERING OF SHADOWS (Tor Books, Hardcover, $25.99), with special guests Margaret Stohl & Stephanie Kuehn -  Saturday, February 27th at 3:00 pm - We're happy to welcome Victoria (V.E.) Schwab to Borderlands!  She's the author of more than a dozen books including THE ARCHIVED and VICIOUS.  Her newest novel is called A GATHERING OF SHADOWS, sequel to the tremendously popular DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC.  Joining Victoria for this event only will be Margaret Stohl, prolific author (with Kami Garcia) of the BEAUTIFUL and DANGEROUS series', as well as BLACK WIDOW: FOREVER RED and other works for Marvel; and Stephanie Kuehn, author of four novels including COMPLICIT and DELICATE MONSTERS!  Join us to meet these three talented authors and check out their newest works!

SF in SF with authors Daryl Gregory and Hannu Rajaniemi at the American Bookbinders Museum (355 Clementina, between 4th and 5th Streets)  - Sunday, March 6th at 5:30 pm - (Suggested donation $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.)  Doors and bar at 5:30 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm.  Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson.  Authors will schmooze & sign books after.  Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.  Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum.   Phone (night of event) 415-572-1015.  Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.

Mishell Baker, BORDERLINE (THE ARCADIA PROJECT) (Saga Press, Trade Paperback, $15.99), and Seanan McGuire, CHAOS CHOREOGRAPHY (DAW, Mass Market Paperback, $7.99) on Saturday, March 12th at 5:00 pm - It's always a treat to welcome local author Seanan McGuire to Borderlands!  This time she'll be joined by awesome debut author Mishell Baker, and we think you're going to love this urban fantasy pair.  Mishell will be showing off her novel BORDERLINE, which introduces Millie, a cynical filmmaker who has lost her legs in a suicide attempt.  Millie's just been recruited to work for The Arcadia Project, a secret organization that polices traffic between our world and Faerie, but things are about to get even more complicated than that.  Seanan will be showing off CHAOS CHOREOGRAPHY, the newest InCryptid book.  With this volume, we're back to Verity's point of view, while she competes in a dance reality TV show in Los Angeles, and tries to stay both undercover and alive.  You do not want to miss this amazing, dangerous duo of authors.

MWA Northern California Meet and Greet - Sunday, March 13th at 3:00 pm - Join us to meet and greet members of the Mystery Writers of America Northern California Chapter, including new president Nick Mamatas!  Light refreshments will be served, and attendees can enjoy a sample of informal short readings from member works in progress and recent releases.

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 - Na'amen Tilahun
Assistant Editor - Jude Feldman

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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