DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News From Borderlands Books
December 2016
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Upcoming Events
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Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Northern California Holiday Party on Saturday, December 10th from 2:00 - 4:00pm
James S. A. Corey, BABYLON'S ASHES (Hardcover, Orbit, $27.00) on Saturday, December 10th at 5:00pm
Shaenon Garrity, SKIN HORSE VOL. 6 (Trade Paperback, Couscous Collective, $14.00) on Saturday, January 14th at 3:00pm.
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
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News
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* Overheard in the store:
"Alright, then! Let's hear it for characters that aren't dumb!"
"It's a fire-juggling Santa-clown. I hate clowns but I love fire. I'm kind of having a crisis right now."
"Gee, who knew that writers were so moist?"
"I wish the cyberpunk dystopia that we actually live in had more ninjas and Day-Glo colors."
* Please help keep SF in SF at the American Bookbinders' Museum. We've been working with SF in SF (Science Fiction in San Francisco) for a decade now, and they are wonderful people who have presented dozens of brilliant authors. We received the following from Madeleine Robins; local author, sponsor, and Operations Manager for the ABM: ". . .[I]n 2016 the ABM became the new home for SF in SF, hosting eleven monthly readings and discussions in our beautiful museum space. We hope to be the program's home for 2017 and beyond, but to do so we are asking for your support. The ABM is a relatively new museum, filled with equipment, archives, and ephemera that tells the history of bookbinding--particularly of binding and the innovations of the Industrial Revolution. In addition to telling this story, the American Bookbinders Museum is committed to supporting the book community in the Bay Area: this year, in addition to SF in SF, we have hosted events for Litquake, Quiet Lightning, and the Lantern Review. In order to continue doing so, and to continue to provide programming to reach and enrich our community, we rely on the generosity of individuals and businesses. . . ." If you'd like to help support the American Bookbinders Museum and help ensure a home for SF in SF, you can use this link to donate to the ABM: http://bookbindersmuseum.org/support/donate/?mc_cid=4720e1f973&mc_eid=48692d0e31
* Renowned author Jane Yolen recently became the 33rd person to be named a SFWA Grand Master, which honors a lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy. You can find SFWA’s full profile on Yolen here: http://nebulas.sfwa.org/grand-masters/jane-yolen/
* Both Analog and Asimov’s magazines are moving to a bimonthly schedule. Locus Magazine has more details here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/11/analog-and-asimovs-go-bimonthly/
* James Whitbrook over at Gizmodo has given us his own personal list of hopeful science-fiction. (Just in case you, like many of us, are looking for some reason to be hopeful for the future): http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-fiction-that-makes-me-hopeful-1789613928
* Author N.K. Jemisin reviews some of the most recent hot speculative fiction books in The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/books/review/the-latest-in-science-fiction-and-fantasy.html
* If you’re interested in some new reading material, the wonderful Indigenous Reads podcast's current book is a speculative collection by Drew Hayden Taylor. Check it out here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/watching-virtual-reality-reading-science-fiction-and-learning-michif-1.3876855/indigenous-reads-drew-hayden-taylor-blends-science-fiction-with-indigenous-story-1.3878567
* Inverse makes a very compelling argument for why interest in Chinese science fiction is growing, and why it just might be the future of science fiction as a genre, using the new Invisible Planets anthology as an example. https://www.inverse.com/article/24099-invisible-planets-chinese-science-fiction-ken-liu
* Jagadish Chandra Bose, recently granted the dubious honor of a Google doodle for his scientific achievements, was also a very early writer of science-fiction. Read all about it here: https://mic.com/articles/160724/in-1896-jagadish-chandra-bose-proved-science-fiction-wasn-t-a-white-man-s-game#.5rcy41lu6
* The Guardian has an interesting and thorough look at all the great sf/f that came out in 2016 from diverse voices at various stages of their writing careers. Check it out: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/nov/30/best-sf-and-fantasy-books-2016-adam-roberts
* Check out Alternative Nation’s list of the top 10 Underrated Sci-Fi movies of the 1970s. The inclusion of Westworld makes us inclined to trust it, but the last movie on the list makes the whole thing suspect: http://www.alternativenation.net/top-ten-underrated-70s-science-fiction-films/
* Paste Magazine tackles the question of "Does TV’s Science Fiction Need to Be So Grim?". Spoiler: they come down on the side of yes, but check out their nuanced reasoning, and their hope for a future where we can return to hopeful science fiction: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/11/does-tvs-science-fiction-need-to-be-so-grim.html
* The U.S. Army hosts a science fiction short story contest, which sounds like the beginning to a real dark science fiction story. Check out the full information here: http://www.dailypress.com/news/military/dp-nws-army-science-fiction-20161128-story.html
* Comic fans of all ages are excited for the upcoming America Chavez solo series and the writer/artist team has just been announced: http://sciencefiction.com/2016/12/03/marvel-comics-announces-creative-team-miss-americas-upcoming-solo-series/
* Signature lists 5 authors they think you should read now if you’re interested in science fiction for social change. http://www.signature-reads.com/2016/11/science-fiction-for-social-change-5-authors-to-read-now/
* After ten long years we are finally getting another Justice League cartoon on the air. Check out how the concept went from solo Batman cartoon to a Justice League series with over one hundred rotating characters. http://sciencefiction.com/2016/12/01/justice-league-action-go-another-solo-batman-toon-including-152-dc-characters/
* An excellent article on how fantasy fiction will often used the trappings of race without acknowledging race at all. Zeba Blay traces this trend through the new film "Fantastic Beasts," to "X-men," and beyond. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-fantasy-film-plays-on-the-black-experience-while-erasing-black-people_us_583f36e6e4b09e21702c5de2
* The makers of The Guardians of the Galaxy film know how to give us what we want in the trailer for the sequel: Baby Groot! http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/12/new-trailer-for-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-rocks-out-to-sweets-fox-on-the-run-watch/
* Bustle gives a list of their 8 best fiction books out this December that spans all genres:
https://www.bustle.com/articles/197126-the-8-best-fiction-books-coming-out-this-december-that-are-perfect-for-holiday-snuggles
* A wonderful article on the science fiction that was written before knowledge of science was widespread, or the province of more than the privileged few: http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/11/the-science-fiction-that-came-before-science/508067/
* Listen to the latest episode of Wired’s Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast, where Aimee Bender talks about the way fairy tales influenced, and continue to influence, her writing. https://www.wired.com/2016/11/geeks-guide-aimee-bender/
* We may have reached "peak San Francisco": we now have a BitCoin ATM in the Cafe.
* We'd like to bring your attention to TREMONTAINE, which we'll have in book form next year! Set in the world of the SWORDSPOINT books, "In a city that never was, sex, scandal, and swordplay combine in deadly fashion. Enter a world inspired by Elizabethan London, 18th century Paris, and 1980s New York where your wit must be as sharp as your steel. Intrigue is afoot when a Duchess, a scholar, a swordswoman, and a genius, are brought together by long-buried lies and truths that cannot be denied." "TREMONTAINE is a team-written serial presented by Serial Box. Created by Ellen Kushner (SWORDSPOINT), she is joined by authors Tessa Gratton, Joel Derfner, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Malinda Lo, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Racheline Maltese, Patty Bryant, and Paul Witcover. TREMONTAINE is currently in its second season and is available at https://www.serialbox.com/serials/556fb8faada6e270f8e264d5, in the Serial Box app, or at all major eBook retailers. A print edition of Season 1 will be available in 2017 from SAGA Press."
* Brandon Sanderson is doing an absolutely gorgeous signed & numbered, leather-bound limited edition of MISTBORN, and we'll be getting copies! Please reserve yours now, since our copies of the leather-bound ELANTRIS sold out very quickly, and then they were gone. More details on the lovely book here: http://store.brandonsanderson.com/mistborn-leather-bound-book/ Copies are $100 each. Email office@borderlands-books.com to reserve.
* If you happen to be heading to NYC anytime soon, check out this list of 8 literary hotspots you should explore while there. https://www.bustle.com/articles/196553-8-literary-spots-in-nyc-that-every-book-lover-needs-to-visit
* Writer and sponsor Katrina Woznicki (who wrote an excellent article last year about Borderlands' Sponsor program for Guernica Magazine that can be found here <https://www.guernicamag.com/daily/katrina-woznicki-how-to-save-a-book-store/>) wanted everyone to know about the Cuba Writers Program <https://cubawritersprogram.com>.
From Katrina: "A Writer’s Paradise in Cuba, by Katrina Woznicki - Picture it: those mid-century cars, palm trees, colonial architecture, music in the streets. Yes, it's exactly like that. This past May, I had the privilege to visit Cuba as part of the inaugural Cuba Writers Program, an innovative writers’ retreat founded by Tim Weed and Alden Jones, two New England-based authors with extensive experience in both publishing and traveling. The Cuba Writers Program is now accepting applications for 2017, and I encourage you to not miss this unique mix of writing and cultural exploration. Maybe you think group tours aren't your thing, which is how I often thought about them, but Tim's knowledge of Cuba is encyclopedic -- and everyone in Cuba knows Tim. What do I mean by that? We visited a Santeria priest in Trinidad, a World UNESCO Heritage site, who was also a friend of Tim's. Our bus pulled over on this country road in central Cuba to sample the honey at a fruit stand run by a local farmer who happened to know Tim. Get an inside look at Cuba you never thought imaginable. And bring a journal and plenty of pens, because in between sightseeing you'll want to write about your experiences. Who knows? What you see, hear and do may become future fodder for your novel or short story. Work directly with critically-acclaimed novelist Ann Hood, author of the recently-published "The Book That Matters Most," and author of "The Italian Wife" and "The Knitting Circle." Or have your piece workshopped by Alden Jones, author of "Unaccompanied Minors," which recently won the the New American Fiction Prize, and of "The Blind Masseuse," a travel memoir. Both authors give one-on-one feedback and provide constructive criticism to move your writing forward. I enjoyed it so much that I plan to go back next spring, a decision that feels increasingly relevant now given the current political vitriol in our country. America's divisiveness makes it even more important to engage with the outer world; travel inspires new points of view, shared experiences, community and tolerance -- takeaways that will last longer than any souvenir you bring home. Hope to see you there!"
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Award News
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* Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, an alternate history where the underground railroad is an actual, physical railroad, won the National Book Award in fiction. http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2016.html#.WEN_bMmo1f0
* For any bilingual speculative fans - the Ignotus Awards, which are the Spanish equivalent of the Hugos, have announced their winners for this year. Go here to get some new reading material: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/11/2016-ignotus-awards-winners/
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Holiday Gift Guide
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Winter has well and truly come to San Francisco, which means that we're now hitting a (for the City) quite chilly 42 degrees at night. Definitely the perfect time for curling up with hot cocoa and a good book, and for picking up some great books for holiday gifts. We here present our usual Opinionated Gift Guide to help you out. However, we're always happy to make custom suggestions for you or anyone in your life. We'll even wrap 'em for you! (A special note to those of you purchasing presents: we're happy to gift wrap upon request, although our typical caveats apply: first, if we're busy, you may have to wait a bit to have things wrapped, and, second, some staff members are MUCH better than others at it. It is possible that your package may resemble a brightly wrapped Lovecraft-ian, batrachian, rugose, Thing of No Human Shape. For some customers, this is not a problem . . ."better than I can do!," they say. However, if you are concerned about our, ahem, abilities, we're also happy to just hand you the gift wrap, scissors and tape.)
Let's start with some awesome signed books. We have signed copies of brand-new ARCANUM UNBOUNDED and ELANTRIS, THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Brandon Sanderson, BABYLON'S ASHES by James S.A. Corey, FEEDBACK by Mira Grant, pretty much everything including all three of the VELVETEEN books by Seanan McGuire, GHOST TALKERS by Mary Robinette Kowal, most of the Sandman Slim books by Richard Kadrey, a handful of signed Dan Wells titles including the just-released EXREME MAKEOVER, BLOOD MIRROR by Brent Weeks, IMPRUDENCE by Gail Carriger, SNOWED by Maria Alexander, A BLADE OF BLACK STEEL by Alex Marshall, and so many, many more.
If your gift-ee just has to have the newest and the latest, check out the anthology CYBER WORLD edited by Jason Heller and Joshua Viola (which is SO cyberpunk that it comes with a soundtrack CD!), a gorgeous boxed set of the entire DARK TOWER series by Stephen King as well as the in-joke children's book CHARLIE THE CHOO CHOO by Beryl Evans, PIRATE UTOPIA by Bruce Sterling, SLIPPING (a collection of short works) by Lauren Beukes, NIGHTMARES: A NEW DECADE OF MODERN HORROR edited by Ellen Datlow, THE FAMILY PLOT by Cherie Priest, INVISIBLE PLANETS (a collection of fascinating Chinese science fiction in translation) edited by Ken Liu, and an absolutely stunning brick of a book: SELECTED SHORT FICTION OF URSULA K LE GUIN: THE FOUND AND THE LOST AND THE REAL AND THE UNREAL.
"To H.P. Lovecraft, with all my conflicted feelings," reads the dedication of Victor LaValle's amazing novella THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM. It almost has a "Robert Johnson deal with the Devil at the crossroads" feel, but it's steeped in Lovecraft and just wonderful. Additional great unconventional new takes on Lovecraft are LOVECRAFT COUNTRY by Matt Ruff, CARTER AND LOVECRAFT by Johnathan L. Howard, REANIMATORS by Pete Rawlick, I AM PROVIDENCE by Nick Mamatas (takes place at a Lovecraft convention and is narrated by the hated murder victim), HARRISON SQUARED by Daryl Gregory, and DREAM-QUEST OF VELLITT BOE by Kij Johnson. (Another great title that's coming out next spring and deserves a mention is WINTER TIDE, by Ruthanna Emrys.)
Some other excellent new books we're recommending are THE TRAITOR BARU CORMORANT by Seth Dickinson (just out in trade paperback), the lovely and haunting new novel SUMMERLONG by Peter S. Beagle, THE OBELISK GATE (the follow-up to the Hugo-winning FIFTH SEASON) by N.K. Jemisin, EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON (an unconventional, ultra-noir werewolf-crime novel,) and THE ARRIVAL, which is the movie-tie-in-cover version of STORIES OF YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS by Ted Chiang.
Not brand-new but still well worth a look is JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER by Jodi Taylor, the first in a series about time-traveling historians who dislike the term "time travel" -- they simply "investigate historical events in contemporary time"! The series is like a mash-up of Connie Willis, Kage Baker, and Becky Chambers, and is thoroughly addictive.
Some great mysteries that may be of interest to you are the bleak, brilliant and noir THE LAST GOOD KISS by James Crumley, the utterly quirky CLAIRE DE WITT AND THE CITY OF THE DEAD by Sara Gran, or one of my all-time favorites, THE CORONER'S LUNCH by Colin Cotterill. If you'd like something lighter, check out the Charles Lenox mysteries (about a Victorian gentleman detective in London) by Charles Finch, or the delightful Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley: our twelve-year-old protagonist is a brilliant chemist and would-be poisoner who solves mysteries in the 1950's English countryside.
For the George R.R. Martin fan in your life, we've got a gorgeous illustrated hardcover of the GAME OF THRONES 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION as well as the stunningly beautiful (but lesser-known) map set that came out a few years back, THE LANDS OF ICE AND FIRE.
One of my very favorite new releases is REJECTED PRINCESSES by Jason Porath. This is the book version of the wonderful website that's "[p]art art project, part standup routine, part book report, this site imagines what if we made animated musicals about the women of history and myth who refused to behave. Rejected Princesses is not for kids. Unless your kid is awesome." This book makes a fantastic companion volume to HER HIGHNESS BUILDS ROBOTS, which is an empowering princess coloring book.
We have 2017 calendars galore, with something for everyone, including Astronomy, Alice in Wonderland, Dragons, Fairy Houses, Hyperboyle and a Half, Dr. Suess, Tolkien, and dozens of others!
As usual, we wish you a Gorey Christmas with a plethora of Edward Gorey-themed items. From the classic Gashlycrumb Tinies to the Bibliophile With Cats Puzzle, to the massive collection AMPHIGOREY, we have a little bit of Gorey to suit anyone. My personal favorite is the "Fruitcake" holiday card that shows the solemn ritual of everyone gathering after dark to throw their fruitcakes into a hole in the ice!
Classics that never go out of style are hardcovers of DUNE, GOOD OMENS, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, NEUROMANCER and THE HOBBIT. Less traditional, not in hardcover, but just as classic -- SLEIGHT OF HAND (wonderful short stories from Peter S. Beagle), MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey, LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S.A. Corey, and THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers.
Two local artists have graced us with one-of-a-kind gifts: we've got some lovely steampunk-influenced jewelry from Oakland's Fire Selkie creations, and gift boxes, hair clips, pins, and hand-made cards from San Francisco's Fly By Night Gifts!
As always, we're happy to make personalized recommendations and practice our Psychic Bookseller Skills when you're stumped. If you just can't decide, we also offer gift certificates in any amount.
Happy holidays to all. We fervently wish you a safe, peaceful, and bright 2017.
- Jude Feldman
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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for November, 2016
Hardcovers
1. ARCANUM UNBOUNDED by Brandon Sanderson
2. REJECTED PRINCESSES by Jason Porath
3. GHOST TALKERS by Mary Robinette Kowal
4. INVISIBLE PLANETS edited by Ken Liu
5. PIRATE UTOPIA by Bruce Sterling
6. CROSSTALK by Connie Willis
7. DEATH’S END by Cixin Liu
8. THE BLOOD MIRROR by Brent Weeks
9. GOLDENHAND by Garth Nix
10. ALIEN MORNING by Rick Wilber
Trade Paperbacks
1. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu
2. ROMANCING THE INVENTOR by Gail Carriger
3. STORIES OF YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS by Ted Chiang
4. THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin
5. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey
6. MYSTIC by Jason Denzel
7. CYBER WORLD edited by Jason Heller and Joshua Viola
8. THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES by Ken Liu
9. EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION by Dan Wells
10. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. BREAK THE CHAINS by Megan E. O’Keefe
2. MISTBORN by Brandon Sanderson
3. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
5. AMERICAN GODS: TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Neil Gaiman
6. THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King
7. WILLFUL CHILD by Steven Erikson
8. EMPIRE ASCENDANT by Kameron Hurley
9. ONCE BROKEN FAITH by Seanan McGuire
10. THE MIRROR EMPIRE by Kameron Hurley
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Book Club Information
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The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, December 11th, at 5 pm to discuss THREE BODY PROBLEM by CIxin Liu. The book for January will be DUNE by Frank Herbert. 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, December 18th, at 6 pm to discuss THE QUANTUM THIEF by Hannu Rajaniemi. The book for the following month will be CENTRAL STATION by Lavie Tidhar. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
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Upcoming Event Details
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Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Holiday Party on Saturday, December 10th from 2:00 - 4:00pm - Join us and more than two dozen fabulous local mystery writers for a fun holiday party! There will be light refreshments and the chance to mingle with, and get books signed by, fantastic authors. Don't miss this chance to meet so many writers all at the same time, and enjoy a rousing kick-off to the party season -- we'll be joined by Elin Barnes, Diana Chambers, Dana Fredsti, Nick Mamatas, CJ Verberg and many, many more! This event is open to the public.
James S. A. Corey BABYLON'S ASHES (Hardcover, Orbit, $27.00) on Saturday, December 10th at 5:00pm - Collectively known as James S.A. Corey, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck will be on hand to celebrate their book release by reading from and signing the latest novel. The writing duo that has taken the science fiction world by storm with their series known as The Expanse, now bring us book 6, BABYLON'S ASHES. From the publisher: "A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood. The Free Navy -- a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships -- has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them. James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network. But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun. As the chaos grows, an alien mystery deepens. Pirate fleets, mutiny, and betrayal may be the least of the Rocinante's problems. And in the uncanny spaces past the ring gates, the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of more than just humanity." Don't miss this opportunity to meet this amazing duo at the height of their writing genius!
Shaenon Garrity, SKIN HORSE VOL. 6 (Trade Paperback, Couscous Collective, $14.00) on Saturday, January 14th at 3:00pm. - We're always delighted to welcome Shaenon K. Garrity! Along with co-creator Jeffrey C. Wells, Shaenon is the genius behind the long-running and indisputably brilliant webcomic SKIN HORSE! The 6th collection has just been successfully Kickstarted, and we hope you'll join us to celebrate. From the description: "You'd think helping inhuman monstrosities with their personal problems would be simple. But as the Project Skin Horse field team heads to California to parlay with the Zombie Emperor of Colma, nothing can be trusted except for Tip's ability to find a date for a wine country weekend. All it takes to tear Skin Horse apart is one really bad day. . . ." Join us for an informal meet-and-greet and signing with Shaenon in the bookstore!
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
* * * * * * *
Friday, December 9, 2016
Monday, November 7, 2016
Dispatches from the Border: November 2016
DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News From Borderlands Books
November 2016
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Upcoming Events
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Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm
Jason Denzel, MYSTIC (Tor Books, Trade Paperback, $14.99) and Brandon Sanderson, ARCANUM UNBOUNDED: THE COSMERE COLLECTION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) on Wednesday, November 30th at 5:00pm
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Holiday Party on December 10th, 2016
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
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News
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* Overheard at WFC:
"It has been AGES since I knitted you a uterus."
* The 2017 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest is now open to submissions of stories focusing on manned space exploration in the near future of 50-60 years. There’s no entry fee and you should enter! Check out full details on themes, length and jury here: http://www.baen.com/baenmemorialaward
* The University of Maine in Orono has endowed a Stephen E. King Chair in Literature; a renewable five-year faculty position. https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2016/10/19/umaine-created-stephen-king-chair-literature-ap-reports/
* We are sad to hear of the passing of prolific author Sheri S. Tepper. Her books Grass and The Gate To Women’s Country are considered by many to not only be classics of general science-fiction but feminist science-fiction classics as well. She will be missed.
http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/10/sheri-s-tepper-1929-2016/
* The Cubs won the World Series, so one of science fiction's most consistent jokes may be lost!
http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/30/13470836/chicago-cubs-science-fiction-world-series-john-scalzi
* A list of the books and movies that inform the conversation about A.I. -- although the list looks a little anemic to us; which classics do you think are missing? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/us/robots-science-fiction-movies-books.html
* Leaked video shows that the government, or at least the Pentagon, acknowledges that our future will resemble a science-fiction dystopia. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/10/bizarre-leaked-pentagon-video-is-a-science-fiction-story-about-the-future-of-cities/
* An article on how the science-fiction genre is really growing in China (although we wonder if it’s just our awareness of it that’s growing): http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1015141.shtml
* For an example of our growing interest and awareness of Chinese science fiction, check out this review of the bestselling contemporary chinese science-fiction anthology INVISIBLE PLANETS, edited by Ken Liu. http://www.avclub.com/review/invaluable-invisible-planets-introduces-world-chin-244991
* The adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel ANNIHILATION has not even hit the screen yet, but his next book has already been optioned as well. http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/20/13344490/borne-jeff-vandermeer-movie-adaptation-paramount-annihilation
* A discussion of the TV series Torchwood: the things it did and the legacy it left behind in SF television. http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/torchwood/259365/torchwood-at-10-what-is-its-science-fiction-legacy
* This may not be about science fiction specifically, but it is about the exclusion of genre writing and the ways in which we decide which genres are worthy of attention. http://www.themarysue.com/romance-novels-not-just-love-stories/
* Looking for something to watch? Why not check this list of 10 underrated TV shows. (We would add The Dresden Files to the list; the show was also more diverse, in terms of main cast, than most of the shows mentioned here:) http://whatculture.com/tv/10-hugely-underrated-fantasy-tv-shows-from-the-last-decade
* The ways in which Westworld is succeeding and where it’s failing in imagination and awareness: a review of the show in the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/24/the-meta-politics-of-westworld
* Kim Stanley Robinson rips into Elon Musk’s Mars vision. Basically, if his Mars vision was a book? No one would buy it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-17/why-elon-musk-s-mars-vision-needs-some-real-imagination
* A profile of Yasser Bahjatt, an engineer and Tedx host, about his beliefs in the connections between science and science fiction, integrating Arabian culture and science fiction, what it’s like to have his book pulled from shelves in Saudi Arabia and what he did in response. Great read. http://scifiaddicts.com/yasser-bahjatt-science-fiction/
* A chatbot that helps you find lesser known science fiction movies to watch? We're there! http://venturebeat.com/2016/10/13/how-the-and-chill-chatbot-helped-me-find-more-science-fiction-movies/
* An article about Ted Chiang and his interactions with Hollywood. We can’t wait to see The Arrival, and can think of at least two more stories of his that we wish they would adapt. http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-new-story-in-sci-fi-writer-ted-chiangs-life-hollywood-1478015805
------------------
Award News
------------------
* The Geffen Awards, given by the Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy, have announced their 2016 winners which include Robin Hobb, John Scalzi and more! http://geffen.sf-f.org.il/?page_id=79
* The inaugural Imadjinn Awards, formed to celebrate small press and independently published authors, have been announced. Check out these titles you may not have heard about! http://www.entertheimaginarium.com/2016/10/14/winners-of-film-festival-and-imadjinn-awards-posted/
* The 2016 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for novel has been awarded to Ian McDonald for LUNA: NEW MOON. Check out the short and long list of other novel nominees, plus past winners and nominees here: http://www.spectrumawards.org/2016.htm
* The 2016 World Fantasy Awards were announced. The award for best novel went to Anna Smaill for THE CHIMES. Winners also included Alyssa Wong for the amazing "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers," which made her the first Filipina to win a World Fantasy Award. Check out all the other winners and nominees here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/10/world-fantasy-awards-winners-3/
----------------
Best Sellers
----------------
Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for October, 2016
Hardcovers
1. THE BLOOD MIRROR by Brent Weeks
2. GOLDENHAND by Garth Nix
3. EVERFAIR by Nisi Shawl
4. GHOSTLAND by Colin Dickey
5. FEEDBACK by Mira Grant
6. DEATH’S END by Cixin Liu
7. CROSSTALK by Connie Willis
8. REJECTED PRINCESSES by Jason Porath
9. THE WALL OF STORMS by Ken Liu
10. INFOMOCRACY by Malka Older
Trade Paperbacks
1. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu
2. THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu
3. THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin
4. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers
5. THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES by Ken Liu
6. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
7. TO HOLD THE BRIDGE by Garth Nix
8. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
9. THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King
10. MANNERS AND MUTINY by Gail Carriger
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
2. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
3. ONCE BROKEN FAITH by Seanan McGuire
4. BREAK THE CHAINS by Megan E. O’Keefe
5. AN ENGLISH GHOST STORY by Kim Newman
6. SHADOWS OF SELF by Brandon Sanderson
7. POSEIDON’S WAKE by Alastair Reynolds
8. ALTERED STARSCAPE by Ian Douglas
9. ZEROES by Chuck Wendig
10. SOLAR EXPRESS by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
------------------------------
Book Club Information
------------------------------
The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, November 13th, at 5 pm to discuss ROADSIDE PICNIC by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The book for December will be THREE BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu. 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, November 20th, at 6 pm to discuss CENTURY RAIN by Alastair Reynolds. The book for the following month will be THE QUANTUM THIEF by Hannu Rajaniemi. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
------------------------------
Upcoming Event Details
------------------------------
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm - Join us to welcome New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie, Chris Roberson! We're eagerly awaiting Chris's new supernatural crime thriller FIREWALK. Check out the description from the publisher's website: "Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that's been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau's assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who'd left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim. Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were "mambos," voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick's Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito's supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer's last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they'd long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved . . . ."
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm - We're delighted to welcome local author Megan E. O'Keefe, who will be showing off volume two in her Scorched Continent series! The first book, STEAL THE SKY, is a awesome romp with airships and magic, and BREAK THE CHAINS looks to be even more fun. Here's the description from the publisher's website: "A year has passed since Detan set the skies above Aransa on fire, and the armies of Aransa's new dictator Thratia are preparing to knock on the door of his aunt's city, Hond Steading . . . . As the city that produces the most selium -- that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic -- Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city's defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he'll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it's Detan’s fault. Detan doesn't dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he's going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it." We hope you'll join us!
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm - We're always thrilled to host the amazingly talented Mary Robinette Kowal! Mary's new novel is a very different historical fantasy from her previous books, but just as good. Here's the description from Mary's website: "Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force. Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence. Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing . . . ." Do not miss this opportunity to meet the author and hear about this extraordinary book!
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm - 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.
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm - We're delighted to welcome these contributors to the fabulous new anthology CYBER WORLD! CYBER WORLD features cybernetics, neuroscience, nanotech, genetic engineering, hacktivism, transhumanism, and so much more that proves the "world of tomorrow" is already here. We hope you'll join us to meet some of today's most talented cyberpunk visionaries! The book even includes a bonus CD soundtrack. Check out the awesome book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulli7T-xPE&app=desktop and RSVP here if you do the Facebook thing: https://www.facebook.com/events/1795228790690567/
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm - We're always excited to host Dan Wells, the amazing author of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and so many other fantastic works! Dan's newest novel, praised to the stars by Seanan McGuire, is, according to the publisher, "[e]qual parts corporate satire, scientific thriller, and apocalyptic nightmare, EXTREME MAKEOVER tells the story of a health and beauty company that accidentally creates a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA." The chief scientist working on the project realizes that something has gone horribly wrong and wants to destroy the formula, but the NewYew company "thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed -- and the world's governments think it might be the greatest weapon." You can see the cover reveal for EXTREME MAKEOVER, and a clip from the upcoming I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER movie here! http://www.tor.com/2016/03/18/cover-reveal-for-dan-wells-extreme-makeover/ We hope you'll join us in welcoming Dan Wells!
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm - We're thrilled to welcome local legend Richard Lupoff, showing off his autobiography WHERE MEMORY HIDES! From the book: "In half a century of publishing books and short fiction under his own name and at least six pen names, Richard A. Lupoff has spun some of the strangest fables, written a respected biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs, won a Hugo and has been nominated for multiple Nebula Awards." Dick Lupoff is a treasure trove of stories, both fictional and not. We hope you'll join us to hear highlights from the story of his incredibly full and fascinating life!
Jason Denzel, MYSTIC (Tor Books, Trade Paperback, $14.99) and Brandon Sanderson, ARCANUM UNBOUNDED: THE COSMERE COLLECTION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) on Wednesday, November 30th at 5:00pm - We're always thrilled to welcome Brandon Sanderson to Borderlands! This time 'round, Brandon's touring for ARCANUM UNBOUNDED, a new story collection featuring stories from the Cosmere universe, including tales from Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, Elantris, and more! An all-new 40,000-word Stormlight novella, "Edgedancer," will be only one of the highlights of this must-have volume. Touring with Brandon will be Jason Denzel, founder of the Dragonmount website and author of the excellent fantasy novel MYSTIC, now available in paperback. The sequel, MYSTIC DRAGON, will be available in February, 2017. We hope you'll join us! This event will be first-come, first seated. We'll be giving out (free) tickets as attendees arrive to mark their place in the signing line, and we'll call folks up in groups of 10 or so, so they don't need to wait in line for such a long time. If you miss your numbered group, you can join the next line when you're ready. No purchase is necessary to attend and have books signed, but we always appreciate it if attendees purchase something at the event. Contact us at office@borderlands-books.com or 888 893-4008 if you have questions.
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Northern California Holiday Party on December 10th, 2016 - Join us and more than two dozen fabulous local mystery writers for a fun holiday party! There will be light refreshments and the chance to mingle with, and get books signed by, fantastic authors. Don't miss this chance to meet so many writers all at the same time, and enjoy a rousing kick-off to the party season -- we'll be joined by Elin Barnes, Diana Chambers, Nick Mamatas, and many, many more!
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
* * * * * * *
Events and News From Borderlands Books
November 2016
----------------------
Upcoming Events
----------------------
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm
Jason Denzel, MYSTIC (Tor Books, Trade Paperback, $14.99) and Brandon Sanderson, ARCANUM UNBOUNDED: THE COSMERE COLLECTION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) on Wednesday, November 30th at 5:00pm
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Holiday Party on December 10th, 2016
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
-------
News
-------
* Overheard at WFC:
"It has been AGES since I knitted you a uterus."
* The 2017 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award Contest is now open to submissions of stories focusing on manned space exploration in the near future of 50-60 years. There’s no entry fee and you should enter! Check out full details on themes, length and jury here: http://www.baen.com/baenmemorialaward
* The University of Maine in Orono has endowed a Stephen E. King Chair in Literature; a renewable five-year faculty position. https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2016/10/19/umaine-created-stephen-king-chair-literature-ap-reports/
* We are sad to hear of the passing of prolific author Sheri S. Tepper. Her books Grass and The Gate To Women’s Country are considered by many to not only be classics of general science-fiction but feminist science-fiction classics as well. She will be missed.
http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/10/sheri-s-tepper-1929-2016/
* The Cubs won the World Series, so one of science fiction's most consistent jokes may be lost!
http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/30/13470836/chicago-cubs-science-fiction-world-series-john-scalzi
* A list of the books and movies that inform the conversation about A.I. -- although the list looks a little anemic to us; which classics do you think are missing? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/us/robots-science-fiction-movies-books.html
* Leaked video shows that the government, or at least the Pentagon, acknowledges that our future will resemble a science-fiction dystopia. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/10/bizarre-leaked-pentagon-video-is-a-science-fiction-story-about-the-future-of-cities/
* An article on how the science-fiction genre is really growing in China (although we wonder if it’s just our awareness of it that’s growing): http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1015141.shtml
* For an example of our growing interest and awareness of Chinese science fiction, check out this review of the bestselling contemporary chinese science-fiction anthology INVISIBLE PLANETS, edited by Ken Liu. http://www.avclub.com/review/invaluable-invisible-planets-introduces-world-chin-244991
* The adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel ANNIHILATION has not even hit the screen yet, but his next book has already been optioned as well. http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/20/13344490/borne-jeff-vandermeer-movie-adaptation-paramount-annihilation
* A discussion of the TV series Torchwood: the things it did and the legacy it left behind in SF television. http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/torchwood/259365/torchwood-at-10-what-is-its-science-fiction-legacy
* This may not be about science fiction specifically, but it is about the exclusion of genre writing and the ways in which we decide which genres are worthy of attention. http://www.themarysue.com/romance-novels-not-just-love-stories/
* Looking for something to watch? Why not check this list of 10 underrated TV shows. (We would add The Dresden Files to the list; the show was also more diverse, in terms of main cast, than most of the shows mentioned here:) http://whatculture.com/tv/10-hugely-underrated-fantasy-tv-shows-from-the-last-decade
* The ways in which Westworld is succeeding and where it’s failing in imagination and awareness: a review of the show in the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/24/the-meta-politics-of-westworld
* Kim Stanley Robinson rips into Elon Musk’s Mars vision. Basically, if his Mars vision was a book? No one would buy it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-17/why-elon-musk-s-mars-vision-needs-some-real-imagination
* A profile of Yasser Bahjatt, an engineer and Tedx host, about his beliefs in the connections between science and science fiction, integrating Arabian culture and science fiction, what it’s like to have his book pulled from shelves in Saudi Arabia and what he did in response. Great read. http://scifiaddicts.com/yasser-bahjatt-science-fiction/
* A chatbot that helps you find lesser known science fiction movies to watch? We're there! http://venturebeat.com/2016/10/13/how-the-and-chill-chatbot-helped-me-find-more-science-fiction-movies/
* An article about Ted Chiang and his interactions with Hollywood. We can’t wait to see The Arrival, and can think of at least two more stories of his that we wish they would adapt. http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-new-story-in-sci-fi-writer-ted-chiangs-life-hollywood-1478015805
------------------
Award News
------------------
* The Geffen Awards, given by the Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy, have announced their 2016 winners which include Robin Hobb, John Scalzi and more! http://geffen.sf-f.org.il/?page_id=79
* The inaugural Imadjinn Awards, formed to celebrate small press and independently published authors, have been announced. Check out these titles you may not have heard about! http://www.entertheimaginarium.com/2016/10/14/winners-of-film-festival-and-imadjinn-awards-posted/
* The 2016 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for novel has been awarded to Ian McDonald for LUNA: NEW MOON. Check out the short and long list of other novel nominees, plus past winners and nominees here: http://www.spectrumawards.org/2016.htm
* The 2016 World Fantasy Awards were announced. The award for best novel went to Anna Smaill for THE CHIMES. Winners also included Alyssa Wong for the amazing "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers," which made her the first Filipina to win a World Fantasy Award. Check out all the other winners and nominees here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/10/world-fantasy-awards-winners-3/
----------------
Best Sellers
----------------
Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for October, 2016
Hardcovers
1. THE BLOOD MIRROR by Brent Weeks
2. GOLDENHAND by Garth Nix
3. EVERFAIR by Nisi Shawl
4. GHOSTLAND by Colin Dickey
5. FEEDBACK by Mira Grant
6. DEATH’S END by Cixin Liu
7. CROSSTALK by Connie Willis
8. REJECTED PRINCESSES by Jason Porath
9. THE WALL OF STORMS by Ken Liu
10. INFOMOCRACY by Malka Older
Trade Paperbacks
1. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu
2. THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu
3. THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin
4. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers
5. THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES by Ken Liu
6. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
7. TO HOLD THE BRIDGE by Garth Nix
8. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
9. THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King
10. MANNERS AND MUTINY by Gail Carriger
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
2. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
3. ONCE BROKEN FAITH by Seanan McGuire
4. BREAK THE CHAINS by Megan E. O’Keefe
5. AN ENGLISH GHOST STORY by Kim Newman
6. SHADOWS OF SELF by Brandon Sanderson
7. POSEIDON’S WAKE by Alastair Reynolds
8. ALTERED STARSCAPE by Ian Douglas
9. ZEROES by Chuck Wendig
10. SOLAR EXPRESS by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
------------------------------
Book Club Information
------------------------------
The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, November 13th, at 5 pm to discuss ROADSIDE PICNIC by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The book for December will be THREE BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu. 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, November 20th, at 6 pm to discuss CENTURY RAIN by Alastair Reynolds. The book for the following month will be THE QUANTUM THIEF by Hannu Rajaniemi. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
------------------------------
Upcoming Event Details
------------------------------
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm - Join us to welcome New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie, Chris Roberson! We're eagerly awaiting Chris's new supernatural crime thriller FIREWALK. Check out the description from the publisher's website: "Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that's been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau's assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who'd left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim. Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were "mambos," voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick's Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito's supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer's last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they'd long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved . . . ."
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm - We're delighted to welcome local author Megan E. O'Keefe, who will be showing off volume two in her Scorched Continent series! The first book, STEAL THE SKY, is a awesome romp with airships and magic, and BREAK THE CHAINS looks to be even more fun. Here's the description from the publisher's website: "A year has passed since Detan set the skies above Aransa on fire, and the armies of Aransa's new dictator Thratia are preparing to knock on the door of his aunt's city, Hond Steading . . . . As the city that produces the most selium -- that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic -- Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city's defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he'll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it's Detan’s fault. Detan doesn't dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he's going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it." We hope you'll join us!
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm - We're always thrilled to host the amazingly talented Mary Robinette Kowal! Mary's new novel is a very different historical fantasy from her previous books, but just as good. Here's the description from Mary's website: "Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force. Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence. Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing . . . ." Do not miss this opportunity to meet the author and hear about this extraordinary book!
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm - 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.
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm - We're delighted to welcome these contributors to the fabulous new anthology CYBER WORLD! CYBER WORLD features cybernetics, neuroscience, nanotech, genetic engineering, hacktivism, transhumanism, and so much more that proves the "world of tomorrow" is already here. We hope you'll join us to meet some of today's most talented cyberpunk visionaries! The book even includes a bonus CD soundtrack. Check out the awesome book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulli7T-xPE&app=desktop and RSVP here if you do the Facebook thing: https://www.facebook.com/events/1795228790690567/
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm - We're always excited to host Dan Wells, the amazing author of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and so many other fantastic works! Dan's newest novel, praised to the stars by Seanan McGuire, is, according to the publisher, "[e]qual parts corporate satire, scientific thriller, and apocalyptic nightmare, EXTREME MAKEOVER tells the story of a health and beauty company that accidentally creates a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA." The chief scientist working on the project realizes that something has gone horribly wrong and wants to destroy the formula, but the NewYew company "thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed -- and the world's governments think it might be the greatest weapon." You can see the cover reveal for EXTREME MAKEOVER, and a clip from the upcoming I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER movie here! http://www.tor.com/2016/03/18/cover-reveal-for-dan-wells-extreme-makeover/ We hope you'll join us in welcoming Dan Wells!
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm - We're thrilled to welcome local legend Richard Lupoff, showing off his autobiography WHERE MEMORY HIDES! From the book: "In half a century of publishing books and short fiction under his own name and at least six pen names, Richard A. Lupoff has spun some of the strangest fables, written a respected biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs, won a Hugo and has been nominated for multiple Nebula Awards." Dick Lupoff is a treasure trove of stories, both fictional and not. We hope you'll join us to hear highlights from the story of his incredibly full and fascinating life!
Jason Denzel, MYSTIC (Tor Books, Trade Paperback, $14.99) and Brandon Sanderson, ARCANUM UNBOUNDED: THE COSMERE COLLECTION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) on Wednesday, November 30th at 5:00pm - We're always thrilled to welcome Brandon Sanderson to Borderlands! This time 'round, Brandon's touring for ARCANUM UNBOUNDED, a new story collection featuring stories from the Cosmere universe, including tales from Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, Elantris, and more! An all-new 40,000-word Stormlight novella, "Edgedancer," will be only one of the highlights of this must-have volume. Touring with Brandon will be Jason Denzel, founder of the Dragonmount website and author of the excellent fantasy novel MYSTIC, now available in paperback. The sequel, MYSTIC DRAGON, will be available in February, 2017. We hope you'll join us! This event will be first-come, first seated. We'll be giving out (free) tickets as attendees arrive to mark their place in the signing line, and we'll call folks up in groups of 10 or so, so they don't need to wait in line for such a long time. If you miss your numbered group, you can join the next line when you're ready. No purchase is necessary to attend and have books signed, but we always appreciate it if attendees purchase something at the event. Contact us at office@borderlands-books.com or 888 893-4008 if you have questions.
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Northern California Holiday Party on December 10th, 2016 - Join us and more than two dozen fabulous local mystery writers for a fun holiday party! There will be light refreshments and the chance to mingle with, and get books signed by, fantastic authors. Don't miss this chance to meet so many writers all at the same time, and enjoy a rousing kick-off to the party season -- we'll be joined by Elin Barnes, Diana Chambers, Nick Mamatas, and many, many more!
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
* * * * * * *
Friday, October 14, 2016
Dispatches from the Border: October 2016
DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News From Borderlands Books
October 2016
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Upcoming Events
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Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2 with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel on Saturday, October 15th at 7:15pm
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3 with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, and Becky Chambers on Saturday, October 15th at 8:30pm
Kristen Cast and P.C. Cast, THE SCENT OF SALT AND SAND (Diversion Publishing, Trade Paperback, $9.99) on Sunday, October 16th at 3:00pm
SF in SF with authors Garth Nix and Helene Wecker (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, October 16th at 6:30pm
Drop-by signing with Jeff Johnson, EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON (Soft Skull Press, Trade Paperback, $15.95) on Wednesday, October 19th at 6:00pm
Borderlands Sponsors' Open Mic on Friday, October 21st at 7:00pm
Brent Weeks, THE BLOOD MIRROR (Orbit, Hardcover, $28.00) on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00pm
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Publisher, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Sunday, October 30th at 3:00pm
Maria Alexander, SNOWED (Raw Dog Screaming Press, Trade Paperback, $14.95) on Sunday, November 6th at 3:00pm
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
And stay tuned for more amazing authors including Brandon Sanderson in November before we take our holiday event hiatus!
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News
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* Overheard in the store (and elsewhere):
"What surprises you the most about the way the future has turned out?" Robert Silverberg: "That I am still here!"
"Twitter: it helps us badger people into hiring our friends."
* You'll probably be hearing a lot more about an ill-conceived, poorly-written, and thoroughly over-reaching California law, AB 1570 (signed in early September and supposed to go into effect in January of 2017) that would require dealers to provide insanely detailed "Certificates of Authenticity" for ANY autographed item over $5 that they sell. The item doesn't even have to be autographed by a celebrity or person of note, just "autographed". So that means this would apply not only to any $7.99 mass market paperback signed by Seanan McGuire, Neil Gaiman, or Brent Weeks that we sell when the authors are not on the premises, for example, but the law is so poorly written that it would also apply to Green Apple Books selling textbooks with the student's signature in them, or a grandmother's collection of hand-written recipes, if she happened to sign them. The bookseller would need to provide a customized Certificate of Authenticity for these items, or expose themselves to the possibility of extremely expensive litigation.
Obviously independent booksellers are watching this carefully. Eureka Books posted a long and passionate statement detailing just some of the myriad potential problems with the law: http://eurekabooksellers.com/california-just-made-it-harder-to-sell-your-signed-books-and-art/ We urge you to contact your local California representative (you can find them here: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/) and ask them to demand the rewriting, or better, the repeal of this law, which DOES NOT APPLY to the very worst offenders of the type of fraud it seeks to combat (Ebay and Amazon, among others), and could have a severe impact on independent bookstores, including Borderlands.
* The highly-anticipated Netflix superhero series Luke Cage premiered and the incredible response caused a Netflix outage for several hours, but that still doesn’t mean we’ll see him on the big screen. http://sciencefiction.com/2016/10/03/mike-colter-doubts-luke-cage-fellow-defenders-will-show-marvels-movies/
* On the importance of Indigenous science fiction: author Drew Hayden Taylor on why he writes the novels he does. Listen to the interview here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-thursday-october-6-2016-1.3793660/drew-hayden-taylor-writes-indigenous-sci-fi-he-craved-as-a-kid-1.3793678
* Producer Allen Bain talks about optioning Allen Steele’s Coyote series and the need for optimistic science fiction. (And we know this is not the point of the article, but the fact that his company has also optioned Octavia Butler's DAWN made us very excited!) http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/26/13064692/allen-bain-steele-interview-coyote-optimistic-sci-fi-tv
* The Museum of Science Fiction is kickstarting an amazing-sounding anthology called CATALYSTS, EXPLORERS & SECRET KEEPERS: WOMEN OF SCIENCE FICTION. Check out more information on how you can donate or contribute here: http://io9.gizmodo.com/be-a-part-of-the-museum-of-science-fictions-awesome-fir-1787464196
* Thirteen very different science fiction authors including Madeline Ashby and David Brin talk about how "Star Trek" influenced their lives and their work. http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/10/12847342/science-fiction-authors-star-trek-influenced
* It may not be a universal translator yet, but it's a start -- if it works. http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/09/28/wearable-translation-device-promises-science-fiction-future-almost.html
* Have the burning desire to know how exactly the gory chestburster scene from "Alien" came to be? Who doesn't? Check out the video here! http://mashable.com/2016/10/07/art-of-the-scene-alien-chestburster/#0qj6HiVdoOqs
* An excellent essay on the history of women and computers, and a fascinating analysis of how AIs are gendered. http://www.themarysue.com/women-are-computers/
* It's the current list of reasons why humanity has not made contact with aliens yet. It always lists the same reasons, but we can never stop ourselves from looking. http://sciencefiction.com/2016/09/30/top-10-reasons-havent-met-aliens/
* An extensive analysis of women in science fiction that goes beyond the Hugos to tie in science fiction's historical "women's problem" -- a great read. http://theconversation.com/friday-essay-science-fictions-women-problem-58626
* The podcast Uncertainty Principle has done a two-parter focusing on Where Science Fiction meets Science Fact: http://futurism.com/science-fiction-exploring-the-future-through-art/ and How Science Fiction has Changed Through the Decades: http://futurism.com/how-has-science-fiction-changed-over-the-decades/
* One of the earliest science fiction works was written in the 1600s by a duchess. We'd never heard of this book before and now we want to read it so badly! http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/one-of-the-earliest-science-fiction-books-was-written-in-the-1600s-by-a-duchess
* This webcomic Barrier by Saga author Brian K. Vaughan sounds half "horrifying alien monsters" and half "horrible human monsters". Here's a thorough review from io9. http://io9.gizmodo.com/barrier-is-a-science-fiction-comic-that-america-needs-r-1786541394
* A post-apocalyptic movie called "Riot Girls"? You honestly didn’t need to tell us any more, but the details sound amazing and we want it now. http://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/jovanka-vuckovic-directing-riot-girls-1201853543/
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Award News
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* The fifth annual Copper Cylinder Awards, for Canadian literature of the fantastic, has announced its two winners - Silvia Moreno-Garcia's SIGNAL TO NOISE and Leah Bobet's AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES. More information here: http://coppercylinderaward.ca/2016-winners
* The Hugos at World Con 75 in Helsinki will be a trial for a new category, Best Series. Details here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/09/hugo-awards-trials-best-series/
* The David Gemmell Awards announced their winners for 2016: http://www.gemmellawards.com/
* The British Fantasy Awards have also announced their 2016 winners: http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/british-fantasy-awards/winners-of-the-british-fantasy-awards-2016/
* Catherynne M. Valente wins the very first Eugie Award for short fiction, named in remembrance of author Eugie Foster. http://www.eugiefoster.com/eugieaward
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From The Office
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It's been a while since I wrote something for this newsletter (just been too damn busy of late -- mostly in a good way) and I hope that the following won't be a disappointment to you. Because it's got nothing to do with our field, or books at all. In fact, it treads very close to my self-imposed restriction about not talking about politics.
But, all that aside, I've got some information that it is important to me to get spread around and, for reasons that you'll hear about in a moment, it's been surprisingly hard to get people to listen. Curious? Then please read on.
I've never served in the armed forces, either in the US or elsewhere, but I've worked with and for a lot of veterans. On top of that, I've numbered many of them among my friends. Something that has been a huge source of frustration and disgust for me over the years is how damn hard it can be for veterans to get access to the benefits that they deserve, especially health care. When I was in my teens and 20s I used to go with my friend Maureen to wait at the VA in Palo Alto for her doctors appointments. She had been discharged from the Marine Corps (she was one of the very first women to work in Marine Intelligence, which we always joked was one of the biggest oxymorons in history) after a catastrophic car accident while on-duty. The resulting injuries left her with chronic pain and memory problems for the rest of her life. One of the reasons that I'd go with her was that when the pain was especially bad she couldn't drive. We used to wait for hours and hours at a stretch to see a doctor. On top of that there were constant problems with her eligibility for health care. To be fair, the doctors and other staff did their best but the whole system was inefficient and over-loaded. It is, to this day, one of the worst health-care systems I've seen in the US.
I've heard about that sort of experience from many other vets that I've known. But, if the process of getting care was difficult, then the process of signing up in the first place was unbelievable. As of a few years ago, that signup process involved a very long paper form that had to be filled out completely and accurately. Then that form was sent off to a single office, in Atlanta, where an understaffed office manually reviewed the forms, manually checked them against an ancient database and then, if everything was correct and worked properly, then manually entered information into yet another, ancient database.
In short, it was exactly the sort of Kafka-esque process that arises when the paper-pushing side of the US Military and the paper-pushing side of the Federal government spend one drunken night together and then have a really ugly baby. Delays of over a year were not uncommon and, if the forms weren't filled out properly, it could be over a year before the applicant ever heard about it.
However, that whole process has changed recently due to a project that my friend John worked on. John is one of our sponsors and he's working with the United States Digital Service <https://www.usds.gov>. Until John mentioned it, I'd never heard of the USDS but it's pretty neat. Basically it is an organization put together by the current administration designed to attract top level technical experts from the private sector, pair them with government administrators and then ask them to sort out some of the technical and IT problems that interfere with the government providing services to the public. They've done some great work since 2014 when they started and it makes me feel pretty proud that at least four of our sponsors are working with them right now.
John is part of the group of programmers and project managers who were tasked with fixing the slow and outdated processes at the Vetrans Administration. As a result of their work, it's now possible to sign up for Vetrans health benefits on-line and the process is fast. Really fast. So much so that now, instead of wait times of more than a year, the web site now reads, "How long will it take to process your application? Less than one week. If more than a week has passed since you submitted your application and you haven’t heard back, please don’t apply again. Call 1-877-222-VETS (8387), then press 2."
Neat huh? But why the hell am I telling you about it?
John and I were talking some weeks ago about the whole project and he said that one of the big problems they've had is that not enough people are using it. It seems that many veterans just didn't believe that things could possibly change. Even a vet who worked with John didn't really believe it until John showed him. The phrase, "Same shit, different day" is part of the essential fabric of the military and almost no place more so than in the minds of veterans dealing with the VA. So, the problem is that people out there who should be signing up just don't believe that there is any point; plus, the credibility of the VA is about as low as it can get.
And that's the reason that I'm telling you about it. I would like you to spread the word to anyone you know who's a veteran, anyone you know who's married to a vet, has a family member who's a vet, and so on. John is working on getting a better outreach program going on the VA side but I said I'd do what I could myself and that I'd ask you to do the same.
Because this stuff is really important. Regardless of what you think of the orders given to our military by our government (and by our past governments) or what you think about war and warfare, the veterans who have served our country and our government deserve to be treated with care and respect. They were willing to serve the government that we elected by placing their lives and health at risk doing an ugly, dangerous job. Further, I believe our obligation of care and respect goes double for the women and men who were injured or crippled doing that job.
So, please get the word out however you can. Online signup is here - https://www.vets.gov/healthcare/apply/. People can also sign up by phone at 1-877-222-8387 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST). And, of course, there is still a paper form but, really, why go through all that?
Thank you,
Alan
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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for September, 2016
Hardcovers
1. NINTH CITY BURNING by J. Patrick Black
2. THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS by China Mieville
3. DEATH’S END by Cixin Liu
4. WAYPOINT KANGAROO by Curtis C. Chen
5. EVERFAIR by Nisi Shawl
6. EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire
7. VELVETEEN VS. THE SEASONS by Seanan McGuire
8. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PARTS 1 & 2 by Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling, and John Tiffany
9. TOO LIKE THE LIGHTNING by Ada Palmer
10. INFOMOCRACY by Malka Older
Trade Paperbacks
1. TRAVELER OF WORLDS: CONVERSATIONS WITH ROBERT SILVERBERG by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
2. WHEN THE BLUE SHIFT COMES by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
3. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
4. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu
5. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
6. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers
7. MECHANICAL FAILURE by Joe Zieja
8. THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu
9. HEROINE COMPLEX by Sarah Kuhn
10. THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM by Victor Lavelle tie with PEOPLE OF COLO(U)R DESTROY SCIENCE FICTION edited by Nalo Hopkinson and Kristine Ong Muslim
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. ONCE BROKEN FAITH by Seanan McGuire
2. FIX by Ferrett Steinmetz
3. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. FLEX by Ferrett Steinmetz
5. ZEROES by Chuck Wendig
6. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
7. THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
8. POSEIDON’S WAKE by Alastair Reynolds
9. THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS by Jim Butcher
10. ROSEMARY AND RUE by Seanan McGuire
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Book Club Information
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The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, November 13th, at 5 pm to discuss ROADSIDE PICNIC by Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugatsky. The book for December will be THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu. 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, October 16th, at 6 pm to discuss BLINDSIGHT by Peter Watts. The book for the following month will be CENTURY RAIN by Alastair Reynolds. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
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Upcoming Event Details
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Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2 with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel on Saturday, October 15th at 7:15pm - Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2, "Thrills, Chills, Zen, and Trains" with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel! -- We are delighted to once again take part in one of the most exciting literary events in San Francisco - the LitCrawl. This is a three-hour pub-crawl-style literary event with dozens of venues and hundreds of authors, all taking place right here in the Mission District.
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3 with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, and Becky Chambers on Saturday, October 15th at 8:30pm - "From Inside Your Head, to Under the Sea, to Beyond the Stars", with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, and Becky Chambers. Join us to travel to previously unimagined worlds and explore mind-blowing new concepts, without even leaving the building!
Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast, THE SCENT OF SALT AND SAND (Diversion Publishing, Trade Paperback, $9.99) on Sunday, October 16th at 3:00pm - We're delighted to welcome the talented mother-daughter duo Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast to Borderlands to talk about THE SCENT OF SALT AND SAND, a new novella in Cast's thrilling Escaped series. Here's the synopsis from Kristin's website: "The Sirens are on a mission: to escape Tartarus and rebuild their kingdom in the bay city of San Francisco. They aren't monstrous by nature, but the line between good and evil blurs when their very existence is in danger. Melody Seirina has always been different. When it is her turn to hunt, as all Sirens must do, she meets Dean, and sees a target who will allow her to fulfill her purpose. What she doesn't count on is falling in love -- a love that could destroy them both. The romance and the tension heat up as Kristin and P.C. Cast, co-authors of the House of Night series, team up again to bring their magic to the world of The Escaped, raising the stakes for the mortal realm to a fever pitch." Don't miss these two amazing authors!
SF in SF with authors Garth Nix and Helene Wecker (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, October 16th at 6:30pm - (Suggested donation $10. Tickets are available here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2642279) 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.
Drop-by signing with Jeff Johnson, EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON (Soft Skull Press, Trade Paperback, $15.95) on Wednesday, October 19th at 6:00pm - We're happy to host an informal signing with Jeff Johnson; tattoo artist, musician, and writer! Jeff's new novel is a supernatural noir starring an unforgettable, believably complex and vicious hundred-year-old criminal werewolf half-breed named Gelson Verber. Check out the kick-ass Kirkus review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeff-johnson/everything-under-the-moon/ We hope you'll stop by to meet and chat with Jeff and pick up a copy of EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON!
Borderlands Sponsors' Open Mic on Friday, October 21st at 7:00pm - Borderlands' sponsors are an intelligent, talented, and diverse group of people, and many of them are writers! We're hosting another Open Mic Night for sponsors, giving them a chance to share short stories, flash fiction, an excerpt from a longer work -- almost any type of writing, in any genre. All we ask is that the readings are kept short -- five minutes or less -- so as to allow as many readers as possible the opportunity. The really fun thing about open mic nights is that each reader brings fresh surprises and you never know what's coming up next. We hope you'll come by to check out your talented friends and fellow customers! (Please note: This event is open to the general public, but only sponsors may read.)
Brent Weeks, THE BLOOD MIRROR (Orbit, Hardcover, $28.00) on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00pm - (Release date exclusive!) We are thrilled to welcome back New York Times bestseller and Borderlands Sponsor Brent Weeks on the very day his latest installment of the Lightbringer series lands in stores. Brent has delighted past Borderlands audiences with his grace and humor, giving each attendee a memorable night filled with impassioned reading, quirky anecdotes and personal musings. Borderlands will have plenty of books on hand for signing the night of the event, but if you are not in one of the only seven cities on his tour, please contact us for direct shipping options and we'll get a signed copy in your hands. In association with Orbit books, a few lucky audience members will be chosen as Blackguard Captains, receiving priority seating and special swag courtesy of Brent and Orbit. To enter the drawing, go here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-MIDCvQTjM86r53AO7AwyiyB7ZzTvNJ3wAzHgs5E0z90fqw/viewform The following was released as a quick summary for the fourth in the Lightbringer series: "Stripped of both magical and political power, the people he once ruled told he's dead, and now imprisoned in his own magical dungeon, former Emperor Gavin Guile has no prospect of escape. But the world faces a calamity greater than the Seven Satrapies has ever seen. . . and only he can save it. As the armies of the White King defeat the Chromeria and old gods are born anew, the fate of worlds will come down to one question: Who is the Lightbringer?"
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Publisher, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Sunday, October 30th at 3:00pm - We're thrilled to welcome author, activist, and playwright Jewelle Gomez! From her website: Jewelle's "fiction, essays, criticism and poetry have appeared in numerous periodicals. Among them: The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Village Voice; Ms Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, The Advocate, Callaloo and Black Scholar. Her work has appeared in such anthologies as HOME GIRLS, READING BLACK READING FEMINIST, DARK MATTER and the OXFORD WORLD TREASURY OF LOVE STORIES. She has served on literature panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and the California Arts Council." However, Jewelle is probably best known for her unforgettable, immortal vampyr character Gilda, and we're absolutely delighted to be showcasing the 25th Anniversary edition of THE GILDA STORIES! You can read an excerpt from one of the newer Gilda stories here: http://www.jewellegomez.com/new_gilda.html
Maria Alexander, SNOWED (Raw Dog Screaming Press, Trade Paperback, $14.95) on Sunday, November 6th at 3:00pm - We are delighted to welcome Maria Alexander back to the store! Maria is, according to her website, "a produced screenwriter, published games writer, virtual world designer, award-winning copywriter, interactive theatre designer, prolific fiction writer, snarkiologist and poet." She's also the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of MR. WICKER. Now Maria's back with a creepy urban fantasy novel featuring a young adult protagonist that looks amazing! Here's the description: "Charity Jones is a 16-year-old engineering genius who's much-bullied for being biracial and a skeptic at her conservative school in Oak County, California. Everything changes when Charity's social worker mother brings home a sweet teen runaway named Aidan to foster for the holidays. Matched in every way, Charity and Aidan quickly fall in love. But it seems he's not the only new arrival: Charity soon finds the brutally slain corpse of her worst bully and she gets hard, haunting evidence that the killer is stalking Oak County. As she and her Skeptics Club investigate this death and others, they find at every turn the mystery only grows darker and more deadly. One thing's for certain: there's a bloody battle coming this holiday season that will change their lives -- and human history -- forever. Will they be ready?" We hope you'll join us to meet Maria and check out SNOWED!
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm - Join us to welcome New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie, Chris Roberson! We're eagerly awaiting Chris's new supernatural crime thriller FIREWALK. Check out the description from the publisher's website: "Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that's been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau's assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who'd left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim. Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were "mambos," voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick's Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito's supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer's last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they'd long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved . . . ."
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm - We're delighted to welcome local author Megan E. O'Keefe, who will be showing off volume two in her Scorched Continent series! The first book, STEAL THE SKY, is a awesome romp with airships and magic, and BREAK THE CHAINS looks to be even more fun. Here's the description from the publisher's website: "A year has passed since Detan set the skies above Aransa on fire, and the armies of Aransa's new dictator Thratia are preparing to knock on the door of his aunt's city, Hond Steading . . . . As the city that produces the most selium -- that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic -- Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city's defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he'll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it's Detan’s fault. Detan doesn't dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he's going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it." We hope you'll join us!
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm - We're always thrilled to host the amazingly talented Mary Robinette Kowal! Mary's new novel is a very different historical fantasy from her previous books, but just as good. Here's the description from Mary's website: "Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force. Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence. Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing . . . ." Do not miss this opportunity to meet the author and hear about this extraordinary book!
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm - 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.
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm - We're delighted to welcome these contributors to the fabulous new anthology CYBER WORLD! CYBER WORLD features cybernetics, neuroscience, nanotech, genetic engineering, hacktivism, transhumanism, and so much more that proves the "world of tomorrow" is already here. We hope you'll join us to meet some of today's most talented cyberpunk visionaries! The book even includes a bonus CD soundtrack. Check out the awesome book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulli7T-xPE&app=desktop and RSVP here if you do the Facebook thing: https://www.facebook.com/events/1795228790690567/
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm - We're always excited to host Dan Wells, the amazing author of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and so many other fantastic works! Dan's newest novel, praised to the stars by Seanan McGuire, is, according to the publisher, "[e]qual parts corporate satire, scientific thriller, and apocalyptic nightmare, EXTREME MAKEOVER tells the story of a health and beauty company that accidentally creates a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA." The chief scientist working on the project realizes that something has gone horribly wrong and wants to destroy the formula, but the NewYew company "thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed -- and the world's governments think it might be the greatest weapon." You can see the cover reveal for EXTREME MAKEOVER, and a clip from the upcoming I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER movie here! http://www.tor.com/2016/03/18/cover-reveal-for-dan-wells-extreme-makeover/ We hope you'll join us in welcoming Dan Wells!
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm - We're thrilled to welcome local legend Richard Lupoff, showing off his autobiography WHERE MEMORY HIDES! From the book: "In half a century of publishing books and short fiction under his own name and at least six pen names, Richard A. Lupoff has spun some of the strangest fables, written a respected biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs, won a Hugo and has been nominated for multiple Nebula Awards." Dick Lupoff is a treasure trove of stories, both fictional and not. We hope you'll join us to hear highlights from the story of his incredibly full and fascinating life!
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
* * * * * * *
Events and News From Borderlands Books
October 2016
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Upcoming Events
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Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2 with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel on Saturday, October 15th at 7:15pm
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3 with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, and Becky Chambers on Saturday, October 15th at 8:30pm
Kristen Cast and P.C. Cast, THE SCENT OF SALT AND SAND (Diversion Publishing, Trade Paperback, $9.99) on Sunday, October 16th at 3:00pm
SF in SF with authors Garth Nix and Helene Wecker (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, October 16th at 6:30pm
Drop-by signing with Jeff Johnson, EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON (Soft Skull Press, Trade Paperback, $15.95) on Wednesday, October 19th at 6:00pm
Borderlands Sponsors' Open Mic on Friday, October 21st at 7:00pm
Brent Weeks, THE BLOOD MIRROR (Orbit, Hardcover, $28.00) on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00pm
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Publisher, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Sunday, October 30th at 3:00pm
Maria Alexander, SNOWED (Raw Dog Screaming Press, Trade Paperback, $14.95) on Sunday, November 6th at 3:00pm
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
And stay tuned for more amazing authors including Brandon Sanderson in November before we take our holiday event hiatus!
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News
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* Overheard in the store (and elsewhere):
"What surprises you the most about the way the future has turned out?" Robert Silverberg: "That I am still here!"
"Twitter: it helps us badger people into hiring our friends."
* You'll probably be hearing a lot more about an ill-conceived, poorly-written, and thoroughly over-reaching California law, AB 1570 (signed in early September and supposed to go into effect in January of 2017) that would require dealers to provide insanely detailed "Certificates of Authenticity" for ANY autographed item over $5 that they sell. The item doesn't even have to be autographed by a celebrity or person of note, just "autographed". So that means this would apply not only to any $7.99 mass market paperback signed by Seanan McGuire, Neil Gaiman, or Brent Weeks that we sell when the authors are not on the premises, for example, but the law is so poorly written that it would also apply to Green Apple Books selling textbooks with the student's signature in them, or a grandmother's collection of hand-written recipes, if she happened to sign them. The bookseller would need to provide a customized Certificate of Authenticity for these items, or expose themselves to the possibility of extremely expensive litigation.
Obviously independent booksellers are watching this carefully. Eureka Books posted a long and passionate statement detailing just some of the myriad potential problems with the law: http://eurekabooksellers.com/california-just-made-it-harder-to-sell-your-signed-books-and-art/ We urge you to contact your local California representative (you can find them here: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/) and ask them to demand the rewriting, or better, the repeal of this law, which DOES NOT APPLY to the very worst offenders of the type of fraud it seeks to combat (Ebay and Amazon, among others), and could have a severe impact on independent bookstores, including Borderlands.
* The highly-anticipated Netflix superhero series Luke Cage premiered and the incredible response caused a Netflix outage for several hours, but that still doesn’t mean we’ll see him on the big screen. http://sciencefiction.com/2016/10/03/mike-colter-doubts-luke-cage-fellow-defenders-will-show-marvels-movies/
* On the importance of Indigenous science fiction: author Drew Hayden Taylor on why he writes the novels he does. Listen to the interview here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-thursday-october-6-2016-1.3793660/drew-hayden-taylor-writes-indigenous-sci-fi-he-craved-as-a-kid-1.3793678
* Producer Allen Bain talks about optioning Allen Steele’s Coyote series and the need for optimistic science fiction. (And we know this is not the point of the article, but the fact that his company has also optioned Octavia Butler's DAWN made us very excited!) http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/26/13064692/allen-bain-steele-interview-coyote-optimistic-sci-fi-tv
* The Museum of Science Fiction is kickstarting an amazing-sounding anthology called CATALYSTS, EXPLORERS & SECRET KEEPERS: WOMEN OF SCIENCE FICTION. Check out more information on how you can donate or contribute here: http://io9.gizmodo.com/be-a-part-of-the-museum-of-science-fictions-awesome-fir-1787464196
* Thirteen very different science fiction authors including Madeline Ashby and David Brin talk about how "Star Trek" influenced their lives and their work. http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/10/12847342/science-fiction-authors-star-trek-influenced
* It may not be a universal translator yet, but it's a start -- if it works. http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/09/28/wearable-translation-device-promises-science-fiction-future-almost.html
* Have the burning desire to know how exactly the gory chestburster scene from "Alien" came to be? Who doesn't? Check out the video here! http://mashable.com/2016/10/07/art-of-the-scene-alien-chestburster/#0qj6HiVdoOqs
* An excellent essay on the history of women and computers, and a fascinating analysis of how AIs are gendered. http://www.themarysue.com/women-are-computers/
* It's the current list of reasons why humanity has not made contact with aliens yet. It always lists the same reasons, but we can never stop ourselves from looking. http://sciencefiction.com/2016/09/30/top-10-reasons-havent-met-aliens/
* An extensive analysis of women in science fiction that goes beyond the Hugos to tie in science fiction's historical "women's problem" -- a great read. http://theconversation.com/friday-essay-science-fictions-women-problem-58626
* The podcast Uncertainty Principle has done a two-parter focusing on Where Science Fiction meets Science Fact: http://futurism.com/science-fiction-exploring-the-future-through-art/ and How Science Fiction has Changed Through the Decades: http://futurism.com/how-has-science-fiction-changed-over-the-decades/
* One of the earliest science fiction works was written in the 1600s by a duchess. We'd never heard of this book before and now we want to read it so badly! http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/one-of-the-earliest-science-fiction-books-was-written-in-the-1600s-by-a-duchess
* This webcomic Barrier by Saga author Brian K. Vaughan sounds half "horrifying alien monsters" and half "horrible human monsters". Here's a thorough review from io9. http://io9.gizmodo.com/barrier-is-a-science-fiction-comic-that-america-needs-r-1786541394
* A post-apocalyptic movie called "Riot Girls"? You honestly didn’t need to tell us any more, but the details sound amazing and we want it now. http://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/jovanka-vuckovic-directing-riot-girls-1201853543/
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Award News
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* The fifth annual Copper Cylinder Awards, for Canadian literature of the fantastic, has announced its two winners - Silvia Moreno-Garcia's SIGNAL TO NOISE and Leah Bobet's AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES. More information here: http://coppercylinderaward.ca/2016-winners
* The Hugos at World Con 75 in Helsinki will be a trial for a new category, Best Series. Details here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/09/hugo-awards-trials-best-series/
* The David Gemmell Awards announced their winners for 2016: http://www.gemmellawards.com/
* The British Fantasy Awards have also announced their 2016 winners: http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/british-fantasy-awards/winners-of-the-british-fantasy-awards-2016/
* Catherynne M. Valente wins the very first Eugie Award for short fiction, named in remembrance of author Eugie Foster. http://www.eugiefoster.com/eugieaward
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From The Office
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It's been a while since I wrote something for this newsletter (just been too damn busy of late -- mostly in a good way) and I hope that the following won't be a disappointment to you. Because it's got nothing to do with our field, or books at all. In fact, it treads very close to my self-imposed restriction about not talking about politics.
But, all that aside, I've got some information that it is important to me to get spread around and, for reasons that you'll hear about in a moment, it's been surprisingly hard to get people to listen. Curious? Then please read on.
I've never served in the armed forces, either in the US or elsewhere, but I've worked with and for a lot of veterans. On top of that, I've numbered many of them among my friends. Something that has been a huge source of frustration and disgust for me over the years is how damn hard it can be for veterans to get access to the benefits that they deserve, especially health care. When I was in my teens and 20s I used to go with my friend Maureen to wait at the VA in Palo Alto for her doctors appointments. She had been discharged from the Marine Corps (she was one of the very first women to work in Marine Intelligence, which we always joked was one of the biggest oxymorons in history) after a catastrophic car accident while on-duty. The resulting injuries left her with chronic pain and memory problems for the rest of her life. One of the reasons that I'd go with her was that when the pain was especially bad she couldn't drive. We used to wait for hours and hours at a stretch to see a doctor. On top of that there were constant problems with her eligibility for health care. To be fair, the doctors and other staff did their best but the whole system was inefficient and over-loaded. It is, to this day, one of the worst health-care systems I've seen in the US.
I've heard about that sort of experience from many other vets that I've known. But, if the process of getting care was difficult, then the process of signing up in the first place was unbelievable. As of a few years ago, that signup process involved a very long paper form that had to be filled out completely and accurately. Then that form was sent off to a single office, in Atlanta, where an understaffed office manually reviewed the forms, manually checked them against an ancient database and then, if everything was correct and worked properly, then manually entered information into yet another, ancient database.
In short, it was exactly the sort of Kafka-esque process that arises when the paper-pushing side of the US Military and the paper-pushing side of the Federal government spend one drunken night together and then have a really ugly baby. Delays of over a year were not uncommon and, if the forms weren't filled out properly, it could be over a year before the applicant ever heard about it.
However, that whole process has changed recently due to a project that my friend John worked on. John is one of our sponsors and he's working with the United States Digital Service <https://www.usds.gov>. Until John mentioned it, I'd never heard of the USDS but it's pretty neat. Basically it is an organization put together by the current administration designed to attract top level technical experts from the private sector, pair them with government administrators and then ask them to sort out some of the technical and IT problems that interfere with the government providing services to the public. They've done some great work since 2014 when they started and it makes me feel pretty proud that at least four of our sponsors are working with them right now.
John is part of the group of programmers and project managers who were tasked with fixing the slow and outdated processes at the Vetrans Administration. As a result of their work, it's now possible to sign up for Vetrans health benefits on-line and the process is fast. Really fast. So much so that now, instead of wait times of more than a year, the web site now reads, "How long will it take to process your application? Less than one week. If more than a week has passed since you submitted your application and you haven’t heard back, please don’t apply again. Call 1-877-222-VETS (8387), then press 2."
Neat huh? But why the hell am I telling you about it?
John and I were talking some weeks ago about the whole project and he said that one of the big problems they've had is that not enough people are using it. It seems that many veterans just didn't believe that things could possibly change. Even a vet who worked with John didn't really believe it until John showed him. The phrase, "Same shit, different day" is part of the essential fabric of the military and almost no place more so than in the minds of veterans dealing with the VA. So, the problem is that people out there who should be signing up just don't believe that there is any point; plus, the credibility of the VA is about as low as it can get.
And that's the reason that I'm telling you about it. I would like you to spread the word to anyone you know who's a veteran, anyone you know who's married to a vet, has a family member who's a vet, and so on. John is working on getting a better outreach program going on the VA side but I said I'd do what I could myself and that I'd ask you to do the same.
Because this stuff is really important. Regardless of what you think of the orders given to our military by our government (and by our past governments) or what you think about war and warfare, the veterans who have served our country and our government deserve to be treated with care and respect. They were willing to serve the government that we elected by placing their lives and health at risk doing an ugly, dangerous job. Further, I believe our obligation of care and respect goes double for the women and men who were injured or crippled doing that job.
So, please get the word out however you can. Online signup is here - https://www.vets.gov/healthcare/apply/. People can also sign up by phone at 1-877-222-8387 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST). And, of course, there is still a paper form but, really, why go through all that?
Thank you,
Alan
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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for September, 2016
Hardcovers
1. NINTH CITY BURNING by J. Patrick Black
2. THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS by China Mieville
3. DEATH’S END by Cixin Liu
4. WAYPOINT KANGAROO by Curtis C. Chen
5. EVERFAIR by Nisi Shawl
6. EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire
7. VELVETEEN VS. THE SEASONS by Seanan McGuire
8. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PARTS 1 & 2 by Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling, and John Tiffany
9. TOO LIKE THE LIGHTNING by Ada Palmer
10. INFOMOCRACY by Malka Older
Trade Paperbacks
1. TRAVELER OF WORLDS: CONVERSATIONS WITH ROBERT SILVERBERG by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
2. WHEN THE BLUE SHIFT COMES by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
3. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
4. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu
5. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
6. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers
7. MECHANICAL FAILURE by Joe Zieja
8. THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu
9. HEROINE COMPLEX by Sarah Kuhn
10. THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM by Victor Lavelle tie with PEOPLE OF COLO(U)R DESTROY SCIENCE FICTION edited by Nalo Hopkinson and Kristine Ong Muslim
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. ONCE BROKEN FAITH by Seanan McGuire
2. FIX by Ferrett Steinmetz
3. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. FLEX by Ferrett Steinmetz
5. ZEROES by Chuck Wendig
6. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
7. THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
8. POSEIDON’S WAKE by Alastair Reynolds
9. THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS by Jim Butcher
10. ROSEMARY AND RUE by Seanan McGuire
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Book Club Information
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The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, November 13th, at 5 pm to discuss ROADSIDE PICNIC by Arkady Strugatsky and Boris Strugatsky. The book for December will be THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu. 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, October 16th, at 6 pm to discuss BLINDSIGHT by Peter Watts. The book for the following month will be CENTURY RAIN by Alastair Reynolds. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
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Upcoming Event Details
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Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2 with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel on Saturday, October 15th at 7:15pm - Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2, "Thrills, Chills, Zen, and Trains" with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel! -- We are delighted to once again take part in one of the most exciting literary events in San Francisco - the LitCrawl. This is a three-hour pub-crawl-style literary event with dozens of venues and hundreds of authors, all taking place right here in the Mission District.
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3 with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, and Becky Chambers on Saturday, October 15th at 8:30pm - "From Inside Your Head, to Under the Sea, to Beyond the Stars", with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, and Becky Chambers. Join us to travel to previously unimagined worlds and explore mind-blowing new concepts, without even leaving the building!
Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast, THE SCENT OF SALT AND SAND (Diversion Publishing, Trade Paperback, $9.99) on Sunday, October 16th at 3:00pm - We're delighted to welcome the talented mother-daughter duo Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast to Borderlands to talk about THE SCENT OF SALT AND SAND, a new novella in Cast's thrilling Escaped series. Here's the synopsis from Kristin's website: "The Sirens are on a mission: to escape Tartarus and rebuild their kingdom in the bay city of San Francisco. They aren't monstrous by nature, but the line between good and evil blurs when their very existence is in danger. Melody Seirina has always been different. When it is her turn to hunt, as all Sirens must do, she meets Dean, and sees a target who will allow her to fulfill her purpose. What she doesn't count on is falling in love -- a love that could destroy them both. The romance and the tension heat up as Kristin and P.C. Cast, co-authors of the House of Night series, team up again to bring their magic to the world of The Escaped, raising the stakes for the mortal realm to a fever pitch." Don't miss these two amazing authors!
SF in SF with authors Garth Nix and Helene Wecker (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, October 16th at 6:30pm - (Suggested donation $10. Tickets are available here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2642279) 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.
Drop-by signing with Jeff Johnson, EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON (Soft Skull Press, Trade Paperback, $15.95) on Wednesday, October 19th at 6:00pm - We're happy to host an informal signing with Jeff Johnson; tattoo artist, musician, and writer! Jeff's new novel is a supernatural noir starring an unforgettable, believably complex and vicious hundred-year-old criminal werewolf half-breed named Gelson Verber. Check out the kick-ass Kirkus review here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeff-johnson/everything-under-the-moon/ We hope you'll stop by to meet and chat with Jeff and pick up a copy of EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON!
Borderlands Sponsors' Open Mic on Friday, October 21st at 7:00pm - Borderlands' sponsors are an intelligent, talented, and diverse group of people, and many of them are writers! We're hosting another Open Mic Night for sponsors, giving them a chance to share short stories, flash fiction, an excerpt from a longer work -- almost any type of writing, in any genre. All we ask is that the readings are kept short -- five minutes or less -- so as to allow as many readers as possible the opportunity. The really fun thing about open mic nights is that each reader brings fresh surprises and you never know what's coming up next. We hope you'll come by to check out your talented friends and fellow customers! (Please note: This event is open to the general public, but only sponsors may read.)
Brent Weeks, THE BLOOD MIRROR (Orbit, Hardcover, $28.00) on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00pm - (Release date exclusive!) We are thrilled to welcome back New York Times bestseller and Borderlands Sponsor Brent Weeks on the very day his latest installment of the Lightbringer series lands in stores. Brent has delighted past Borderlands audiences with his grace and humor, giving each attendee a memorable night filled with impassioned reading, quirky anecdotes and personal musings. Borderlands will have plenty of books on hand for signing the night of the event, but if you are not in one of the only seven cities on his tour, please contact us for direct shipping options and we'll get a signed copy in your hands. In association with Orbit books, a few lucky audience members will be chosen as Blackguard Captains, receiving priority seating and special swag courtesy of Brent and Orbit. To enter the drawing, go here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-MIDCvQTjM86r53AO7AwyiyB7ZzTvNJ3wAzHgs5E0z90fqw/viewform The following was released as a quick summary for the fourth in the Lightbringer series: "Stripped of both magical and political power, the people he once ruled told he's dead, and now imprisoned in his own magical dungeon, former Emperor Gavin Guile has no prospect of escape. But the world faces a calamity greater than the Seven Satrapies has ever seen. . . and only he can save it. As the armies of the White King defeat the Chromeria and old gods are born anew, the fate of worlds will come down to one question: Who is the Lightbringer?"
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Publisher, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Sunday, October 30th at 3:00pm - We're thrilled to welcome author, activist, and playwright Jewelle Gomez! From her website: Jewelle's "fiction, essays, criticism and poetry have appeared in numerous periodicals. Among them: The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Village Voice; Ms Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, The Advocate, Callaloo and Black Scholar. Her work has appeared in such anthologies as HOME GIRLS, READING BLACK READING FEMINIST, DARK MATTER and the OXFORD WORLD TREASURY OF LOVE STORIES. She has served on literature panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and the California Arts Council." However, Jewelle is probably best known for her unforgettable, immortal vampyr character Gilda, and we're absolutely delighted to be showcasing the 25th Anniversary edition of THE GILDA STORIES! You can read an excerpt from one of the newer Gilda stories here: http://www.jewellegomez.com/new_gilda.html
Maria Alexander, SNOWED (Raw Dog Screaming Press, Trade Paperback, $14.95) on Sunday, November 6th at 3:00pm - We are delighted to welcome Maria Alexander back to the store! Maria is, according to her website, "a produced screenwriter, published games writer, virtual world designer, award-winning copywriter, interactive theatre designer, prolific fiction writer, snarkiologist and poet." She's also the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of MR. WICKER. Now Maria's back with a creepy urban fantasy novel featuring a young adult protagonist that looks amazing! Here's the description: "Charity Jones is a 16-year-old engineering genius who's much-bullied for being biracial and a skeptic at her conservative school in Oak County, California. Everything changes when Charity's social worker mother brings home a sweet teen runaway named Aidan to foster for the holidays. Matched in every way, Charity and Aidan quickly fall in love. But it seems he's not the only new arrival: Charity soon finds the brutally slain corpse of her worst bully and she gets hard, haunting evidence that the killer is stalking Oak County. As she and her Skeptics Club investigate this death and others, they find at every turn the mystery only grows darker and more deadly. One thing's for certain: there's a bloody battle coming this holiday season that will change their lives -- and human history -- forever. Will they be ready?" We hope you'll join us to meet Maria and check out SNOWED!
Chris Roberson, FIREWALK (Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $24.99) on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00pm - Join us to welcome New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of the comic book-turned hit TV show iZombie, Chris Roberson! We're eagerly awaiting Chris's new supernatural crime thriller FIREWALK. Check out the description from the publisher's website: "Izzie Lefevre was the newest investigator for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit when she first came to Recondito, a coastal city that's been shrouded in mystery and legend for centuries. Local law enforcement had requested the Bureau's assistance in hunting a sword-wielding serial killer who'd left a dozen mutilated bodies in his wake. Patrick Tevake was a local homicide detective assigned to the taskforce, and together he and Izzie managed to track down and stop the killer before he claimed another victim. Five years later, Izzie and Patrick remain haunted by what the killer said before he fell in a hail of gunfire. Izzie’s ancestors were "mambos," voodoo priestesses who claimed to communicate with the dead and protect the faithful from evil spirits. Patrick's Polynesian great uncle told stories of Recondito's supernatural menaces that lurk in flame and shadow. The killer's last words have brought up a past both Izzie and Patrick thought they'd long since left behind, and neither has been able to shake the feeling that their case was never completely solved . . . ."
Megan E. O'Keefe, BREAK THE CHAINS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 1:00pm - We're delighted to welcome local author Megan E. O'Keefe, who will be showing off volume two in her Scorched Continent series! The first book, STEAL THE SKY, is a awesome romp with airships and magic, and BREAK THE CHAINS looks to be even more fun. Here's the description from the publisher's website: "A year has passed since Detan set the skies above Aransa on fire, and the armies of Aransa's new dictator Thratia are preparing to knock on the door of his aunt's city, Hond Steading . . . . As the city that produces the most selium -- that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic -- Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city's defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he'll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it's Detan’s fault. Detan doesn't dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he's going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it." We hope you'll join us!
Mary Robinette Kowal, GHOST TALKERS (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) on Sunday, November 13th at 3:00pm - We're always thrilled to host the amazingly talented Mary Robinette Kowal! Mary's new novel is a very different historical fantasy from her previous books, but just as good. Here's the description from Mary's website: "Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force. Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence. Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing . . . ." Do not miss this opportunity to meet the author and hear about this extraordinary book!
SF in SF with authors Nick Mamatas and Rick Wilber (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, November 13th at 6:30pm - 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.
CYBER WORLD (Hex Publishers, Trade Paperback, $14.99) event with Richard Kadrey, Aaron Lovett, Josh Viola, Isabel Yap, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00pm - We're delighted to welcome these contributors to the fabulous new anthology CYBER WORLD! CYBER WORLD features cybernetics, neuroscience, nanotech, genetic engineering, hacktivism, transhumanism, and so much more that proves the "world of tomorrow" is already here. We hope you'll join us to meet some of today's most talented cyberpunk visionaries! The book even includes a bonus CD soundtrack. Check out the awesome book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulli7T-xPE&app=desktop and RSVP here if you do the Facebook thing: https://www.facebook.com/events/1795228790690567/
Dan Wells, EXTREME MAKEOVER: APOCALYPSE EDITION (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99 and Trade Paperback $17.99) on Saturday, November 19th at 5:00pm - We're always excited to host Dan Wells, the amazing author of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and so many other fantastic works! Dan's newest novel, praised to the stars by Seanan McGuire, is, according to the publisher, "[e]qual parts corporate satire, scientific thriller, and apocalyptic nightmare, EXTREME MAKEOVER tells the story of a health and beauty company that accidentally creates a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA." The chief scientist working on the project realizes that something has gone horribly wrong and wants to destroy the formula, but the NewYew company "thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed -- and the world's governments think it might be the greatest weapon." You can see the cover reveal for EXTREME MAKEOVER, and a clip from the upcoming I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER movie here! http://www.tor.com/2016/03/18/cover-reveal-for-dan-wells-extreme-makeover/ We hope you'll join us in welcoming Dan Wells!
Richard Lupoff, WHERE MEMORY HIDES: A WRITER'S LIFE (Bold Venture Press, Trade Paperback (Black & White Edition), $22.95, and Trade Paperback (Collector's Color Edition), $49.95) on Sunday, November 20th at 3:00pm - We're thrilled to welcome local legend Richard Lupoff, showing off his autobiography WHERE MEMORY HIDES! From the book: "In half a century of publishing books and short fiction under his own name and at least six pen names, Richard A. Lupoff has spun some of the strangest fables, written a respected biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs, won a Hugo and has been nominated for multiple Nebula Awards." Dick Lupoff is a treasure trove of stories, both fictional and not. We hope you'll join us to hear highlights from the story of his incredibly full and fascinating life!
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
* * * * * * *
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Dispatches From the Border: September 2016
Events and News From Borderlands Books
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Upcoming Events
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Ferrett Steinmetz, FIX (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Saturday, September 17th at 3:00 pm
J. Patrick Black, NINTH CITY BURNING (Ace, Hardcover, $27.00) on Saturday, September 24th at 1:00 pm
Reading Along the Aqueduct, with Susan diRende, Liz Henry, Ellen Klages, Claire Light, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lori Selke on Sunday, September 25th at 3:00 pm
Blake Charlton, SPELLBREAKER (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Saturday, October 1st at 3:00 pm
Nisi Shawl, EVERFAIR (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00 pm
Colin Dickey, GHOSTLAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY OF HAUNTED PLACES (Viking, Hardcover, $27.00) with guest Annalee Newitz on Saturday, October 8th at 3:00 pm
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2, "Thrills, Chills, Zen, and Trains" with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel, Saturday, October 15th at 7:15 pm
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3, "From Inside Your Head, to Under the Sea, to Beyond the Stars" with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, Becky Chambers, and Serena Valentino, Saturday, October 15th at 8:30 pm
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Saturday, October 30th at 3:00 pm
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
And, coming up in the Fall, we're thrilled to welcome even more wonderful authors including Dan Wells and Brent Weeks, among many others!
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News
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* Our friends at the Internet Archive <https://archive.org/index.php> are looking for volunteers to help with their 20th Anniversary party, and with other projects as well! Here's some info from the Archive: "The Internet Archive is turning 20! Help us kick off the night in style on October 26th from 4pm to 10pm. Volunteer shifts are 4 hours long (4pm to 8pm and 6pm to 10pm). Volunteers who complete a shift at the Anniversary Party get full access to the party, demos, food, drinks (please consume any adult beverages after your shift), and a t-shirt to say thank you. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Archives doing other events or even core mission work, preference will be given to anyone who helped out with the Anniversary events." Use this link for more information and to sign up to volunteer: https://goo.gl/forms/vQm98P2IJwGOptyE3
* Compass Books in Terminal 3 at SFO is looking for a full-time, general interest bookseller. Is is you? http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=8142c13f55aee482&from=tellafriend
* The Locus Writers Workshop is hosting a single-day intensive workshop taught by award-winning author Daryl Gregory on Saturday, September 24th. There are still a few slots left if you'd like to sign up, and tuition even includes a tour of the Locus Magazine offices! Full details are here: http://lsff.net/awards/bay-area-locus-writers-workshop-2016-with-daryl-gregory/
* Actor Ian McKellen turned down $1.5 million to officiate a billionaire's wedding costumed as Gandalf. "Gandalf doesn't do weddings.": https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/23/ian-mckellen-turned-down-15m-to-officiate-as-gandalf-at-sean-parkers-wedding
* A rumination on Dune, 50 years on. What it meant, what it still means, and why it's so important:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/03/dune-50-years-on-science-fiction-novel-world
* Tor.com reports on the many, many genre film and television adaptations coming soon: http://www.tor.com/2016/09/05/sci-fi-fantasy-adaptations-movies-tv/
* Brian Keene writes a lovely column on community and connection for new writers with a nice shout out to Borderlands own Alan Beatts and Jude Feldman. http://cemeterydanceonline.com/2016/08/a-message-to-the-next-generation/
* Check out this beautiful short art film that uses many different techniques to show the beginning of the universe. http://boingboing.net/2016/09/01/take-a-trippy-animated-ride-th.html
* Seth Grahame-Smith, author of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, among other works, is being sued for $500,000 by publisher Hachette for breach of contract. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/31/pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies-author-sued-by-publisher-hachette-seth-grahame-smith
* It's a little late for it this year, but check out the LeGuin Feminist Science Fiction Fellowship, which offers $3000 for travel to research and work with the papers of several feminist science fiction writers. All of the details are here: http://csws.uoregon.edu/application-period-now-open-for-2016-17-le-guin-feminist-science-fiction-fellowship/
* Since the 2017 World Science Fiction will be held in Helsinki, the North American Science Fiction Convention is back and will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. So get ready for a good time at either convention! http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/08/worldcon-and-nasfic-site-selections/
* The Verge has created its list of 24 upcoming novels of science fiction/fantasy/horror/thrillers to look forward to this month. This includes the American Library Edition of LeGuin’s Orsinian stories, and Nisi Shawl’s EVERFAIR, which we've been looking forward to for over a year. (And Nisi will be joining us at Borderlands for an EVERFAIR reading and signing October 2nd!) http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/1/12533088/new-science-fiction-fantasy-books-novels-fall-preview
* Another list of science fiction, fantasy and horror to look forward to, but this time on your television (or computer) screens. After how amazing Jessica Jones was? We can’t wait for Luke Cage to premiere. Full list here: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/09/02/fall-tvs-most-intriguing-new-science-fiction-horror-and-fantasy-shows/
* All arts inform and influence one another, and the results can be fascinating. Which is why Gwenno, the Welsh musician who gains her inspiration from science fiction -- specifically dystopias full of robots and cloning -- is so interesting. Read all about her here: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/gwenno-saunders-music-science-fiction
* The reviews for the movie Arrival, adapted from a Ted Chiang story, have started to come in and they all say it's beautiful. We can’t wait. Full review from Telegraph here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/01/arrival-is-science-fiction-at-is-most-beautiful-and-provocative/
* How well do you know your exotic foods? How well do you know Science Fiction? Can you tell them apart? Take this handy-dandy quiz and see the truth of it. https://consumerist.com/2016/08/31/can-you-tell-your-exotic-foods-from-your-science-fiction-characters/
* For a little science in your life that you can use to write some fiction, or just to win a pub trivia contest, read this article on the reproduction of Sea Urchins. (The world is a fascinating place!) http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/weirder-than-science-fiction-how-sea-urchins-reproduce/
* N.K. Jemisin, who just won the Hugo Award for her novel THE FIFTH SEASON, gives an excellent interview with the NY Times about writing, race, awards, and more.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/books/n-k-jemisin-on-diversity-in-science-fiction-and-inspiration-from-dreams.html
* Do you need a good cry? Or maybe you like to laugh at others' suffering? Either way, this list of the saddest pets in Science Fiction is sure to touch you in some kind of way. Just the mention of The Plague Dogs was enough to get us to tear up. http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-23-most-tragic-pets-in-science-fiction-fantasy-an-1785577574
* The Massive Multiplayer Online game Eve Online is about to become free and I am excited. Controlling a ship in space, fighting and trading? Since it seems the Firefly MMO will most likely never arrive, this could be the next best thing.
http://gulfnews.com/leisure/gaming/game-masters/science-fiction-mmo-eve-online-to-become-free-to-play-1.1889328
* A dissection of Margaret Atwood's latest book, a rumination on whether there is actually any difference between speculative fiction and science fiction, and Ursula LeGuin being wonderfully snarky. This article in The Guardian brought a light to our lives: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/10/speculative-or-science-fiction-as-margaret-atwood-shows-there-isnt-much-distinction
* Computer brain chips are on their way! Yes, for now it's about helping people and that's fantastic. . . but it's only a matter of time before they're turned to other uses. (We know a few people who can't wait until Netflix is in their brain, for example.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/15/putting-a-computer-in-your-brain-is-no-longer-science-fiction/
* With the GIANT caveat that Amazon.com very frequently posts dates for forthcoming books that have no relation to reality and are seemingly at random, the Internet is currently freaking out because maybe, possibly, perhaps, probably not, a date has been listed for George R.R. Martin's WINDS OF WINTER at Amazon France. We're calling nonsense until we hear it from Random House, but here you go: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/06/george-rr-martin-winds-winter-date-rumor
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Award News
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* The African Speculative Fiction Society has announced a new award for African writers, The Nommo - named after twins from Dogon cosmology. Get details on it here: http://www.africansfs.com/nommos
* The Hugo Awards have been announced, and winners include N.K. Jemisin, Hao Jingfang, and Naomi Kritzer. The full list of the winners is here: https://midamericon2.org/home/hugo-awards-and-wsfs/2016-hugo-award-winners/ For the full statistics on how the voting went, go here: https://midamericon2.org/home/hugo-awards-and-wsfs/2016-hugo-award-winners/
* Along with the Hugos, we now have the Alfies. Created by George R. R. Martin, the Alfies present awards to the runner-ups that were pushed off the Hugo ballot by the Rapid Puppy slate. (Brief background on the Rabid Puppies here, in case you've missed the hoopla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sad_Puppies). The full Alfie list is here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/08/2016-alfie-awards/
* The Chesley Awards, presented by the Association of Science-Fiction and Fantasy Artists, have just been announced. List of winners is here: http://www.asfa-art.org/
* The Mythopoeic Awards have also been announced, and the winners include Naomi Novik, Ursula Vernon, and more. Check out the full list here: http://www.mythsoc.org/news/news-2016-08-07.htm
* In the last of our award news, The Sidewise Awards for alternate history have also announced their winners from 2015: http://www.uchronia.net/sidewise/
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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for August, 2016
Hardcovers
1. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PARTS 1 & 2 by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, & J.K. Rowling
2. THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS by China Mieville
3. POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL by Serena Valentino
4. THE PERDITION SCORE by Richard Kadrey
5. THE NIGHTMARE STACKS by Charles Stross
6. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead
7. FOUR ROADS CROSS by Max Gladstone
8. INFOMOCRACY by Malka Older
9. THE PALE BROWN THING by Fritz Leiber
10. TOO LIKE THE LIGHTNING by Ada Palmer
Trade Paperbacks
1. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers
2. MECHANICAL FAILURE by Joe Zieja
3. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
4. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
5. HEROINE COMPLEX by Sarah Kuhn
6. THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu
7. I AM PROVIDENCE by Nick Mamatas
8. SEVENEVES by Neal Stephenson
9. THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM by Victor Lavelle
10. NINEFOX GAMBIT by Yoon Ha Lee
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. THE CONCLAVE OF SHADOW by Alyc Helms
2. NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
3. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS by Jim Butcher
5. THUNDERBIRD by Jack McDevitt
6. ZEROES by Chuck Wendig
7. HOT LEAD, COLD IRON by Ari Marmell
8. THE END OF ALL THINGS by John Scalzi
9. KOJIKI by Keith Yatshuashi
10. KOKO THE MIGHTY by Kieran Shea
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Book Club Information
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The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, September 18th, at 6 pm to discuss LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS by Ursula K. LeGuin. The book for the following month will be BLINDSIGHT by Peter Watts. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
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Upcoming Event Details
------------------------------
Ferrett Steinmetz, FIX (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, September 17th at 3:00 pm - We are thrilled to host Ferrett Steinmetz with the third and final installment of his popular 'Mancer series, FIX. Featuring a cast of unusual magicians -- chief among them Paul Tsabo, a bureaucromancer, and his daughter Aliyah Tsabo-Dawson, a videogamemancer -- FIX follows fugitive Paul and his family across the globe as they are hunted by the terrifying and hive-minded Unimancers, agents of the government's anti-'mancer squad. Author Ken Liu praises the series: "With the ‘Mancer series, Ferrett Steinmetz has achieved something rare in contemporary fantasy: a world that feels both truer and more magical than our own." Don't miss Ferrett and the conclusion of his electrifying and inventive series, and as always there will be donuts.
J. Patrick Black, NINTH CITY BURNING (Ace, Hardcover, $27.00) Saturday, September 24th at 1:00 pm - We are very excited to host J. Patrick Black with his debut science fiction novel NINTH CITY BURNING. Here's the official synopsis: "We never saw them coming. Entire cities disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but dust and rubble. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it--until we discovered we could wield the power too. Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. The talented few capable of bending thelemity to their will are trained in elite military academies, destined for the front lines. Those who refused to support the war have been exiled to the wilds of a ruined Earth. But the enemy’s tactics are changing, and Earth's defenders are about to discover this centuries-old war has only just begun. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back." You can read an excerpt from the book here: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/19/ninth-city-burning-cover-excerpt?xid=IFT-Section. We hope you'll join us for a memorable afternoon with this talented new author!
Reading Along the Aqueduct, with Susan diRende, Liz Henry, Ellen Klages, Claire Light, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lori Selke on Sunday, September 25th at 3:00 pm - Aqueduct Press promises "to bring our readers work that will stretch the imagination and stimulate thought." In this group reading by Aqueduct Press authors and friends, readers Susan diRende, Liz Henry, Ellen Klages, Claire Light, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lori Selke also promise to bring the funny, the unexpected, and the exciting. No two audience members will agree about whose work they liked best! Debbie Notkin will emcee this event.
Blake Charlton, SPELLBREAKER (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Saturday, October 1st at 3:00 pm - We're happy to welcome author (and doctor) Blake Charlton back to Borderlands! Blake will be showing off the third book in his SPELLWRIGHT trilogy, SPELLBREAKER! Here's the book description from the author's website: "Leandra Weal has a bad habit of getting herself in dangerous situations. For one thing, she has to solve the mystery behind a very usual murder. While hunting neodemons in her role as Warden of Ixos, Leandra obtains a prophetic spell that provides a glimpse one day into her future. She discovers that in a day’s time she will either murder someone she loves or die herself. Problem is, she doesn’t know whom she might murder. That’s a pretty big problem for a woman who has a shark god for a lover, a hostile empress for an aunt, a rogue misspelling wizard for a father, and a mother who -- especially when arguing with her daughter -- can be a real dragon. Leandra’s quest to unravel the mystery of the murder-she-will-commit becomes more urgent when her chronic disease flares up and the Ixonian Archipelago is plagued by natural disasters, demon worshiping cults, and fierce political infighting. Everywhere she turns, Leandra finds herself amid intrigue and conflict. It seems her bad habit for getting into dangerous situations is turning into a full blown addiction." You can check out the gorgeous cover art here: http://www.blakecharlton.com/2015/11/spellbreakers-cover-art-blurb/
Nisi Shawl, EVERFAIR (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00 pm - We are thrilled to welcome award-winning author Nisi Shawl to Borderlands! Her new novel EVERFAIR is the steampunk alternate history we've been waiting for. Check out the exciting description from the publisher's website: "EVERFAIR is a wonderful Neo-Victorian alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium's disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier. Fabian Socialists from Great Britian join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land from the Belgian Congo's "owner," King Leopold II. This land, named EVERFAIR, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated. Nisi Shawl's speculative masterpiece manages to turn one of the worst human rights disasters on record into a marvelous and exciting exploration of the possibilities inherent in a turn of history. EVERFAIR is told from a multiplicity of voices: Africans, Europeans, East Asians, and African Americans in complex relationships with one another, in a compelling range of voices that have historically been silenced. EVERFAIR is not only a beautiful book but an educational and inspiring one that will give the reader new insight into an often ignored period of history." Do not miss the opportunity to meet this fascinating author!
Colin Dickey, GHOSTLAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY OF HAUNTED PLACES (Viking, Hardcover, $27.00) with guest Annalee Newitz on Saturday, October 8th at 3:00 pm - We are so excited about author and cultural historian Colin Dickey's new book GHOSTLAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY IN HAUNTED PLACES that we just had to have him come talk about it, despite it not falling strictly within our genres. AND, Annalee Newitz will be joining in the fun, interviewing Colin at the event! Here's the book description from the publisher's website: "Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places. Some have established reputations as 'the most haunted mansion in America,' or 'the most haunted prison'; others, like the haunted Indian burial grounds in West Virginia, evoke memories from the past our collective nation tries to forget. With boundless curiosity, Dickey conjures the dead by focusing on questions of the living--how do we, the living, deal with stories about ghosts, and how do we inhabit and move through spaces that have been deemed, for whatever reason, haunted? Paying attention not only to the true facts behind a ghost story, but also to the ways in which changes to those facts are made -- and why those changes are made -- Dickey paints a version of American history left out of the textbooks, one of things left undone, crimes left unsolved. Spellbinding, scary, and wickedly insightful, GHOSTLAND discovers the past we’re most afraid to speak of aloud in the bright light of day is the same past that tends to linger in the ghost stories we whisper in the dark." Come join us for some real-life ghost stories with Colin Dickey!
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2, "Thrills, Chills, Zen, and Trains" with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel, Saturday, October 15th at 7:15 pm - We are delighted to once again take part in one of the most exciting literary events in San Francisco - the LitCrawl. This is a three-hour pub-crawl-style literary event with dozens of venues and hundreds of authors, all taking place right here in the Mission District. This year our readers are Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel!
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3, "From Inside Your Head, to Under the Sea, to Beyond the Stars" with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, Becky Chambers, and Serena Valentino, Saturday, October 15th at 8:30 pm - Join us to travel to previously unimagined worlds and explore mind-blowing new concepts, without even leaving the building! This year our guests are Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, Becky Chambers, and Serena Valentino!
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Saturday, October 30th at 3:00 pm - We're thrilled to welcome author, activist, and playwright Jewelle Gomez! From her website: Jewelle's "fiction, essays, criticism and poetry have appeared in numerous periodicals. Among them: The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Village Voice; Ms Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, The Advocate, Callaloo and Black Scholar. Her work has appeared in such anthologies as HOME GIRLS, READING BLACK READING FEMINIST, DARK MATTER and the OXFORD WORLD TREASURY OF LOVE STORIES. She has served on literature panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and the California Arts Council." However, Jewelle is probably best known for her unforgettable, immortal vampyr character Gilda, and we're absolutely delighted to be showcasing the 25th Anniversary edition of THE GILDA STORIES! You can read an excerpt from one of the newer Gilda stories here: http://www.jewellegomez.com/new_gilda.html
Since we're so close to Halloween, you are welcome and encouraged to wear costumes to this event. We really hope you'll join us!
----------------------
Upcoming Events
----------------------
Ferrett Steinmetz, FIX (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) on Saturday, September 17th at 3:00 pm
J. Patrick Black, NINTH CITY BURNING (Ace, Hardcover, $27.00) on Saturday, September 24th at 1:00 pm
Reading Along the Aqueduct, with Susan diRende, Liz Henry, Ellen Klages, Claire Light, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lori Selke on Sunday, September 25th at 3:00 pm
Blake Charlton, SPELLBREAKER (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Saturday, October 1st at 3:00 pm
Nisi Shawl, EVERFAIR (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00 pm
Colin Dickey, GHOSTLAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY OF HAUNTED PLACES (Viking, Hardcover, $27.00) with guest Annalee Newitz on Saturday, October 8th at 3:00 pm
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2, "Thrills, Chills, Zen, and Trains" with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel, Saturday, October 15th at 7:15 pm
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3, "From Inside Your Head, to Under the Sea, to Beyond the Stars" with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, Becky Chambers, and Serena Valentino, Saturday, October 15th at 8:30 pm
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Saturday, October 30th at 3:00 pm
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
And, coming up in the Fall, we're thrilled to welcome even more wonderful authors including Dan Wells and Brent Weeks, among many others!
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News
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* Our friends at the Internet Archive <https://archive.org/index.php> are looking for volunteers to help with their 20th Anniversary party, and with other projects as well! Here's some info from the Archive: "The Internet Archive is turning 20! Help us kick off the night in style on October 26th from 4pm to 10pm. Volunteer shifts are 4 hours long (4pm to 8pm and 6pm to 10pm). Volunteers who complete a shift at the Anniversary Party get full access to the party, demos, food, drinks (please consume any adult beverages after your shift), and a t-shirt to say thank you. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Archives doing other events or even core mission work, preference will be given to anyone who helped out with the Anniversary events." Use this link for more information and to sign up to volunteer: https://goo.gl/forms/vQm98P2IJwGOptyE3
* Compass Books in Terminal 3 at SFO is looking for a full-time, general interest bookseller. Is is you? http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=8142c13f55aee482&from=tellafriend
* The Locus Writers Workshop is hosting a single-day intensive workshop taught by award-winning author Daryl Gregory on Saturday, September 24th. There are still a few slots left if you'd like to sign up, and tuition even includes a tour of the Locus Magazine offices! Full details are here: http://lsff.net/awards/bay-area-locus-writers-workshop-2016-with-daryl-gregory/
* Actor Ian McKellen turned down $1.5 million to officiate a billionaire's wedding costumed as Gandalf. "Gandalf doesn't do weddings.": https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/23/ian-mckellen-turned-down-15m-to-officiate-as-gandalf-at-sean-parkers-wedding
* A rumination on Dune, 50 years on. What it meant, what it still means, and why it's so important:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/03/dune-50-years-on-science-fiction-novel-world
* Tor.com reports on the many, many genre film and television adaptations coming soon: http://www.tor.com/2016/09/05/sci-fi-fantasy-adaptations-movies-tv/
* Brian Keene writes a lovely column on community and connection for new writers with a nice shout out to Borderlands own Alan Beatts and Jude Feldman. http://cemeterydanceonline.com/2016/08/a-message-to-the-next-generation/
* Check out this beautiful short art film that uses many different techniques to show the beginning of the universe. http://boingboing.net/2016/09/01/take-a-trippy-animated-ride-th.html
* Seth Grahame-Smith, author of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, among other works, is being sued for $500,000 by publisher Hachette for breach of contract. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/31/pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies-author-sued-by-publisher-hachette-seth-grahame-smith
* It's a little late for it this year, but check out the LeGuin Feminist Science Fiction Fellowship, which offers $3000 for travel to research and work with the papers of several feminist science fiction writers. All of the details are here: http://csws.uoregon.edu/application-period-now-open-for-2016-17-le-guin-feminist-science-fiction-fellowship/
* Since the 2017 World Science Fiction will be held in Helsinki, the North American Science Fiction Convention is back and will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. So get ready for a good time at either convention! http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/08/worldcon-and-nasfic-site-selections/
* The Verge has created its list of 24 upcoming novels of science fiction/fantasy/horror/thrillers to look forward to this month. This includes the American Library Edition of LeGuin’s Orsinian stories, and Nisi Shawl’s EVERFAIR, which we've been looking forward to for over a year. (And Nisi will be joining us at Borderlands for an EVERFAIR reading and signing October 2nd!) http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/1/12533088/new-science-fiction-fantasy-books-novels-fall-preview
* Another list of science fiction, fantasy and horror to look forward to, but this time on your television (or computer) screens. After how amazing Jessica Jones was? We can’t wait for Luke Cage to premiere. Full list here: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/09/02/fall-tvs-most-intriguing-new-science-fiction-horror-and-fantasy-shows/
* All arts inform and influence one another, and the results can be fascinating. Which is why Gwenno, the Welsh musician who gains her inspiration from science fiction -- specifically dystopias full of robots and cloning -- is so interesting. Read all about her here: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/gwenno-saunders-music-science-fiction
* The reviews for the movie Arrival, adapted from a Ted Chiang story, have started to come in and they all say it's beautiful. We can’t wait. Full review from Telegraph here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/01/arrival-is-science-fiction-at-is-most-beautiful-and-provocative/
* How well do you know your exotic foods? How well do you know Science Fiction? Can you tell them apart? Take this handy-dandy quiz and see the truth of it. https://consumerist.com/2016/08/31/can-you-tell-your-exotic-foods-from-your-science-fiction-characters/
* For a little science in your life that you can use to write some fiction, or just to win a pub trivia contest, read this article on the reproduction of Sea Urchins. (The world is a fascinating place!) http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/weirder-than-science-fiction-how-sea-urchins-reproduce/
* N.K. Jemisin, who just won the Hugo Award for her novel THE FIFTH SEASON, gives an excellent interview with the NY Times about writing, race, awards, and more.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/books/n-k-jemisin-on-diversity-in-science-fiction-and-inspiration-from-dreams.html
* Do you need a good cry? Or maybe you like to laugh at others' suffering? Either way, this list of the saddest pets in Science Fiction is sure to touch you in some kind of way. Just the mention of The Plague Dogs was enough to get us to tear up. http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-23-most-tragic-pets-in-science-fiction-fantasy-an-1785577574
* The Massive Multiplayer Online game Eve Online is about to become free and I am excited. Controlling a ship in space, fighting and trading? Since it seems the Firefly MMO will most likely never arrive, this could be the next best thing.
http://gulfnews.com/leisure/gaming/game-masters/science-fiction-mmo-eve-online-to-become-free-to-play-1.1889328
* A dissection of Margaret Atwood's latest book, a rumination on whether there is actually any difference between speculative fiction and science fiction, and Ursula LeGuin being wonderfully snarky. This article in The Guardian brought a light to our lives: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/10/speculative-or-science-fiction-as-margaret-atwood-shows-there-isnt-much-distinction
* Computer brain chips are on their way! Yes, for now it's about helping people and that's fantastic. . . but it's only a matter of time before they're turned to other uses. (We know a few people who can't wait until Netflix is in their brain, for example.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/15/putting-a-computer-in-your-brain-is-no-longer-science-fiction/
* With the GIANT caveat that Amazon.com very frequently posts dates for forthcoming books that have no relation to reality and are seemingly at random, the Internet is currently freaking out because maybe, possibly, perhaps, probably not, a date has been listed for George R.R. Martin's WINDS OF WINTER at Amazon France. We're calling nonsense until we hear it from Random House, but here you go: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/06/george-rr-martin-winds-winter-date-rumor
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Award News
------------------
* The African Speculative Fiction Society has announced a new award for African writers, The Nommo - named after twins from Dogon cosmology. Get details on it here: http://www.africansfs.com/nommos
* The Hugo Awards have been announced, and winners include N.K. Jemisin, Hao Jingfang, and Naomi Kritzer. The full list of the winners is here: https://midamericon2.org/home/hugo-awards-and-wsfs/2016-hugo-award-winners/ For the full statistics on how the voting went, go here: https://midamericon2.org/home/hugo-awards-and-wsfs/2016-hugo-award-winners/
* Along with the Hugos, we now have the Alfies. Created by George R. R. Martin, the Alfies present awards to the runner-ups that were pushed off the Hugo ballot by the Rapid Puppy slate. (Brief background on the Rabid Puppies here, in case you've missed the hoopla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sad_Puppies). The full Alfie list is here: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/08/2016-alfie-awards/
* The Chesley Awards, presented by the Association of Science-Fiction and Fantasy Artists, have just been announced. List of winners is here: http://www.asfa-art.org/
* The Mythopoeic Awards have also been announced, and the winners include Naomi Novik, Ursula Vernon, and more. Check out the full list here: http://www.mythsoc.org/news/news-2016-08-07.htm
* In the last of our award news, The Sidewise Awards for alternate history have also announced their winners from 2015: http://www.uchronia.net/sidewise/
----------------
Best Sellers
----------------
Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for August, 2016
Hardcovers
1. HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PARTS 1 & 2 by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, & J.K. Rowling
2. THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS by China Mieville
3. POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL by Serena Valentino
4. THE PERDITION SCORE by Richard Kadrey
5. THE NIGHTMARE STACKS by Charles Stross
6. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead
7. FOUR ROADS CROSS by Max Gladstone
8. INFOMOCRACY by Malka Older
9. THE PALE BROWN THING by Fritz Leiber
10. TOO LIKE THE LIGHTNING by Ada Palmer
Trade Paperbacks
1. THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers
2. MECHANICAL FAILURE by Joe Zieja
3. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
4. THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
5. HEROINE COMPLEX by Sarah Kuhn
6. THE DARK FOREST by Cixin Liu
7. I AM PROVIDENCE by Nick Mamatas
8. SEVENEVES by Neal Stephenson
9. THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM by Victor Lavelle
10. NINEFOX GAMBIT by Yoon Ha Lee
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. THE CONCLAVE OF SHADOW by Alyc Helms
2. NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
3. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS by Jim Butcher
5. THUNDERBIRD by Jack McDevitt
6. ZEROES by Chuck Wendig
7. HOT LEAD, COLD IRON by Ari Marmell
8. THE END OF ALL THINGS by John Scalzi
9. KOJIKI by Keith Yatshuashi
10. KOKO THE MIGHTY by Kieran Shea
------------------------------
Book Club Information
------------------------------
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, September 18th, at 6 pm to discuss LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS by Ursula K. LeGuin. The book for the following month will be BLINDSIGHT by Peter Watts. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
------------------------------
Upcoming Event Details
------------------------------
Ferrett Steinmetz, FIX (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, September 17th at 3:00 pm - We are thrilled to host Ferrett Steinmetz with the third and final installment of his popular 'Mancer series, FIX. Featuring a cast of unusual magicians -- chief among them Paul Tsabo, a bureaucromancer, and his daughter Aliyah Tsabo-Dawson, a videogamemancer -- FIX follows fugitive Paul and his family across the globe as they are hunted by the terrifying and hive-minded Unimancers, agents of the government's anti-'mancer squad. Author Ken Liu praises the series: "With the ‘Mancer series, Ferrett Steinmetz has achieved something rare in contemporary fantasy: a world that feels both truer and more magical than our own." Don't miss Ferrett and the conclusion of his electrifying and inventive series, and as always there will be donuts.
J. Patrick Black, NINTH CITY BURNING (Ace, Hardcover, $27.00) Saturday, September 24th at 1:00 pm - We are very excited to host J. Patrick Black with his debut science fiction novel NINTH CITY BURNING. Here's the official synopsis: "We never saw them coming. Entire cities disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but dust and rubble. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it--until we discovered we could wield the power too. Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. The talented few capable of bending thelemity to their will are trained in elite military academies, destined for the front lines. Those who refused to support the war have been exiled to the wilds of a ruined Earth. But the enemy’s tactics are changing, and Earth's defenders are about to discover this centuries-old war has only just begun. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back." You can read an excerpt from the book here: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/19/ninth-city-burning-cover-excerpt?xid=IFT-Section. We hope you'll join us for a memorable afternoon with this talented new author!
Reading Along the Aqueduct, with Susan diRende, Liz Henry, Ellen Klages, Claire Light, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lori Selke on Sunday, September 25th at 3:00 pm - Aqueduct Press promises "to bring our readers work that will stretch the imagination and stimulate thought." In this group reading by Aqueduct Press authors and friends, readers Susan diRende, Liz Henry, Ellen Klages, Claire Light, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lori Selke also promise to bring the funny, the unexpected, and the exciting. No two audience members will agree about whose work they liked best! Debbie Notkin will emcee this event.
Blake Charlton, SPELLBREAKER (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Saturday, October 1st at 3:00 pm - We're happy to welcome author (and doctor) Blake Charlton back to Borderlands! Blake will be showing off the third book in his SPELLWRIGHT trilogy, SPELLBREAKER! Here's the book description from the author's website: "Leandra Weal has a bad habit of getting herself in dangerous situations. For one thing, she has to solve the mystery behind a very usual murder. While hunting neodemons in her role as Warden of Ixos, Leandra obtains a prophetic spell that provides a glimpse one day into her future. She discovers that in a day’s time she will either murder someone she loves or die herself. Problem is, she doesn’t know whom she might murder. That’s a pretty big problem for a woman who has a shark god for a lover, a hostile empress for an aunt, a rogue misspelling wizard for a father, and a mother who -- especially when arguing with her daughter -- can be a real dragon. Leandra’s quest to unravel the mystery of the murder-she-will-commit becomes more urgent when her chronic disease flares up and the Ixonian Archipelago is plagued by natural disasters, demon worshiping cults, and fierce political infighting. Everywhere she turns, Leandra finds herself amid intrigue and conflict. It seems her bad habit for getting into dangerous situations is turning into a full blown addiction." You can check out the gorgeous cover art here: http://www.blakecharlton.com/2015/11/spellbreakers-cover-art-blurb/
Nisi Shawl, EVERFAIR (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00 pm - We are thrilled to welcome award-winning author Nisi Shawl to Borderlands! Her new novel EVERFAIR is the steampunk alternate history we've been waiting for. Check out the exciting description from the publisher's website: "EVERFAIR is a wonderful Neo-Victorian alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium's disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier. Fabian Socialists from Great Britian join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land from the Belgian Congo's "owner," King Leopold II. This land, named EVERFAIR, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated. Nisi Shawl's speculative masterpiece manages to turn one of the worst human rights disasters on record into a marvelous and exciting exploration of the possibilities inherent in a turn of history. EVERFAIR is told from a multiplicity of voices: Africans, Europeans, East Asians, and African Americans in complex relationships with one another, in a compelling range of voices that have historically been silenced. EVERFAIR is not only a beautiful book but an educational and inspiring one that will give the reader new insight into an often ignored period of history." Do not miss the opportunity to meet this fascinating author!
Colin Dickey, GHOSTLAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY OF HAUNTED PLACES (Viking, Hardcover, $27.00) with guest Annalee Newitz on Saturday, October 8th at 3:00 pm - We are so excited about author and cultural historian Colin Dickey's new book GHOSTLAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY IN HAUNTED PLACES that we just had to have him come talk about it, despite it not falling strictly within our genres. AND, Annalee Newitz will be joining in the fun, interviewing Colin at the event! Here's the book description from the publisher's website: "Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places. Some have established reputations as 'the most haunted mansion in America,' or 'the most haunted prison'; others, like the haunted Indian burial grounds in West Virginia, evoke memories from the past our collective nation tries to forget. With boundless curiosity, Dickey conjures the dead by focusing on questions of the living--how do we, the living, deal with stories about ghosts, and how do we inhabit and move through spaces that have been deemed, for whatever reason, haunted? Paying attention not only to the true facts behind a ghost story, but also to the ways in which changes to those facts are made -- and why those changes are made -- Dickey paints a version of American history left out of the textbooks, one of things left undone, crimes left unsolved. Spellbinding, scary, and wickedly insightful, GHOSTLAND discovers the past we’re most afraid to speak of aloud in the bright light of day is the same past that tends to linger in the ghost stories we whisper in the dark." Come join us for some real-life ghost stories with Colin Dickey!
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 2, "Thrills, Chills, Zen, and Trains" with Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel, Saturday, October 15th at 7:15 pm - We are delighted to once again take part in one of the most exciting literary events in San Francisco - the LitCrawl. This is a three-hour pub-crawl-style literary event with dozens of venues and hundreds of authors, all taking place right here in the Mission District. This year our readers are Alex Dolan, Janet Dawson, Daryl Gregory and Eliot Fintushel!
Litquake LitCrawl, Phase 3, "From Inside Your Head, to Under the Sea, to Beyond the Stars" with Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, Becky Chambers, and Serena Valentino, Saturday, October 15th at 8:30 pm - Join us to travel to previously unimagined worlds and explore mind-blowing new concepts, without even leaving the building! This year our guests are Skye Allen, Chaz Brenchley, Becky Chambers, and Serena Valentino!
Jewelle Gomez, THE GILDA STORIES 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (City Lights Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) on Saturday, October 30th at 3:00 pm - We're thrilled to welcome author, activist, and playwright Jewelle Gomez! From her website: Jewelle's "fiction, essays, criticism and poetry have appeared in numerous periodicals. Among them: The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Village Voice; Ms Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, The Advocate, Callaloo and Black Scholar. Her work has appeared in such anthologies as HOME GIRLS, READING BLACK READING FEMINIST, DARK MATTER and the OXFORD WORLD TREASURY OF LOVE STORIES. She has served on literature panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and the California Arts Council." However, Jewelle is probably best known for her unforgettable, immortal vampyr character Gilda, and we're absolutely delighted to be showcasing the 25th Anniversary edition of THE GILDA STORIES! You can read an excerpt from one of the newer Gilda stories here: http://www.jewellegomez.com/new_gilda.html
Since we're so close to Halloween, you are welcome and encouraged to wear costumes to this event. We really hope you'll join us!
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