DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News From Borderlands Books
May 2017
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Upcoming Events
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Sarah Gailey, RIVER OF TEETH (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $14.99) on Friday, May 19th at 6:00pm
David Brin, THE INSISTENCE OF VISION (Story Plant, Trade Paperback, $13.95) on Friday, June 2nd at 6:00pm
Gregory Benford, THE BERLIN PROJECT (Saga Press, Hardcover, $26.99) on Sunday, June 4th at 5:00pm
Carrie Patel, Adam Rakunas, and Tex Thompson Roundtable Discussion, "All Good Things. . .?" on Saturday, June 10th at 1:00pm
Steven R. Boyett and Ken Mitchroney, FATA MORGANA (Blackstone Publishing, Hardcover, $26.99) on Saturday, June 10th at 3:00pm
Richard Kadrey, THE KILL SOCIETY (Harper Voyager, Hardcover, $25.99) and Ellen Klages, WICKED WONDERS (Tachyon Publications, Trade Paperback, $15.95) on Sunday, June 11th at 3:00pm
Dan Wells, NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99; Trade Paperback, $14.99), and screening of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," on Sunday, June 11th at 5:00pm
SF in SF with authors Steve Boyett & Ken Mitchroney at The American Bookbinders Museum (355 Clementina, San Francisco) on Sunday, June 11th at 6:30pm
Michael Johnston, SOLERI (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) on Tuesday, June 13th at 6:00pm
Daryl Gregory, SPOONBENDERS (Knopf, Hardcover, $26.95) on Wednesday, June 28th at 6:00pm
Tad Williams, THE WITCHWOOD CROWN (DAW, Hardcover, $30.00) on Saturday, July 1st at 3:00pm
Dana Fredsti, SPAWN OF LILITH (Titan, Mass Market, $7.99) on Saturday, July 8th at 3:00pm
Sarah Kuhn, HEROINE WORSHIP (DAW, Trade Paperback, $15.00) on Sunday, July 9th 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:
"Dude, my truck was totally covered in cherry blossoms this morning, so I was like Giant Robot Mecha Flower Man driving to work!"
"I'm sorry, my co-worker is sometimes prone to responding in interpretive dance; it can be . . . distracting."
* Borderlands Books mourns the loss of author, editor, and longtime friend Grania Davis. http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/05/grania-davis-1943-2017/ . You can see a photo of Grania with Jack Vance at Borderlands from 2005 here: http://tachyonpub.tumblr.com/post/147604822108/happy-belated-birthday-to-the-amazing-grania-davis
* Would you like to see our own bookseller Scott in a whole new light? Scott's acting in an uproarious comedy at New Conservatory Theatre, called "Sordid Lives"! We do hope you'll make time to attend the show; it runs from May 12th - June 11th, 2017. Tickets range from $20 - $35, and more details are here: http://www.nctcsf.org/shows/2016-17-Season/Sordid-Lives .
* Has it been nine years since TWILIGHT author Stephanie Meyer wrote her science fiction novel "for people who don’t like sci-fi" THE HOST already? Wow, time flies when you try to deliberately forget something. If we have to remember, so do you. A look back - http://io9.gizmodo.com/remembering-the-host-a-scifi-book-that-barely-wanted-t-1794986069
* If more people knew these were some of the things that NASA was working on, there’d probably be a lot more support for them, on cool factor alone: https://www.geekwire.com/2017/nasa-funds-ideas-science-fiction/
* We still love "The Fifth Element", but this article & video definitely made us think about the trope it relies on a lot. Watch "Born Sexy Yesterday": http://www.geek.com/movies/science-fiction-really-hasnt-been-good-to-women-1698182/
* Tor is launching a new imprint -- Tor Labs -- dedicated to more experimental storytelling. More details here: http://boingboing.net/2017/05/03/serialized-audio-drama.html
* Neil DeGrasse Tyson hates fun and imagination: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/05/neil-degrasse-tyson-alien-covenant-guardians-baywatch
* William Gibson is working on a novel set in an alternate America where Clinton won the election. Something tells us this is just the first of many. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/331010-new-science-fiction-book-set-in-future-where-clinton-won
* This article definitely tries to dress it up nicely, but most of these examples just feel like animal experimentation for our own potential benefit: http://www.blastr.com/2017-5-2/national-pet-week-11-ways-science-fiction-real-our-pets
* Buster's Mal Heart sounds like some trippy intelligent Sci Fi, which is always welcome -- plus it stars Rami Malek. What more could you want? http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/film/get-lost-in-sarah-adina-smiths-rural-science-fiction-puzzle-busters-mal-heart-9274919
* Faux-Meat! A Brief History: http://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/A-brief-history-of-sci-fi-meat-11124848.php
* There are free science fiction movies on Youtube. Some are horrible, some are interesting, some are great. Here's a list of 15 you should check out: https://www.inverse.com/article/29590-best-free-science-fiction-movies-youtube-2017
* Who doesn't want a beautiful poster with the history of science-fiction drawn on it? https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/13/15285524/ward-shelley-history-of-science-fiction-art-kickstarter
* Vintage Geek Culture goes into misconceptions that people have about fiction from the Pulp Era. Some of the conclusions are a little simplistic or only have one example but they're interesting nonetheless: http://vintagegeekculture.tumblr.com/post/156858872976/top-misconceptions-people-have-about-pulp-era
* So it looks like DC is getting rid of its universe and starting over, yet again. Basically looks like they’re getting rid of the New 52 universe they started in 2011 and so many people did not like. If you’re interested in more details: http://sciencefiction.com/2017/04/26/adieu-52-it-looks-like-dc-comics-is-ditching-the-new-52-in-favor-of-its-past-continuity/
* It will be another year until 4/20 but that doesn’t mean you can't still enjoy this definitive stoner Sci Fi fan movie list. Most of them are great no matter what state you happen to be in: http://www.blastr.com/2017-4-20/420-science-fiction-viewing-list
* All those science fiction stories that had silicon-based lifeforms may not have been as impossible as people have tried to make us think in recent years: http://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/silicon-based-life-may-be-more-just-science-fiction-n748266
* Resurrection can either wipe any tension from a story, or set up an interesting moral dilemma or become the premise for a world spanning religion depending on how it's handled. Here are 12 of the more famous examples: http://www.blastr.com/2017-4-15/science-fiction-resurrections
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Award News
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* The Arthur C. Clarke Award has announced their shortlist for 2017: https://www.clarkeaward.com/award-winners/shortlists/
* The nominees for the 2016 Shirley Jackson Award have been announced!: http://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/nominees/
* The Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards announced their nominees for this year: http://www.rehfoundation.org/
* The Parsec Awards are now open for nominations! http://www.parsecawards.com/2017-parsec-awards/nominate-a-podcast/
* The Bram Stoker Awards have announced their winners for this year. http://horror.org/bram-stoker-award-winners-announced/
* Nominations for the Dragon Con Awards are now open to anyone. http://awards.dragoncon.org/
* Winners of Spectrum 24 announced! http://fleskpublications.com/blog/2017/04/22/spectrum-24-awards-recipients/
* The revised list of Hugo nominees is now available: http://www.worldcon.fi/wsfs/hugo-finalists/ . (The Hugo Awards ballot entry for best fan artist was revised April 21, 2017 due to nominee Alex Garner being disqualified. He was replaced by Steve Stiles.)
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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for April, 2017
Hardcovers
1. THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE by John Scalzi
2. WALKAWAY by Cory Doctorow
3. WITHIN THE SANCTUARY OF WINGS by Marie Brennan
4. NORSE MYTHOLOGY by Neil Gaiman
5. NEW YORK 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson
6. SEVEN SURRENDERS by Ada Palmer
7. 1636: MISSION TO THE MUGHALS by Eric Flint & Griffin Barber
8. BORNE by Jeff VanderMeer
9. IN CALABRIA by Peter S. Beagle
10. THE WRONG DEAD GUY by Richard Kadrey
Trade Paperbacks
1. NINEFOX GAMBIT by Yoon Ha Lee
2. THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu, trans. by Ken Liu
3. A CLOSED AND COMMON ORBIT by Becky Chambers
4. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey
5. ALL THE BIRDS IN THE SKY by Charlie Jane Anders
6. THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman
7. PASSING STRANGE by Ellen Klages
8. THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES by Ken Liu
9. FELLSIDE by M.R. Carey
10. TOO LIKE THE LIGHTNING by Ada Palmer
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
2. OLD MAN'S WAR by John Scalzi
3. THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King
4. THE HANGING TREE by Ben Aaronovitch
5. RED MARS by Kim Stanley Robinson
6. BOUND by Benedict Jacka
7. MAGIC FOR NOTHING by Seanan McGuire
8. PIRATE FREEDOM by Gene Wolfe
9. IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE by Sinclair Lewis
10. IT by Stephen King
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Book Club Information
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The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 14th, at 5 pm to discuss ALL THE BIRDS IN THE SKY by Charlie Jane Anders. The book for June will be SEVENEVES by Neal Stephenson. Please contact the group leader, Christopher Rodriguez, at cobalt555@earthlink.net, for more information.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 21st, at 6 pm to discuss THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers. The book for the following month will be FORTY SIGNS OF RAIN by Kim Stanley Robinson. Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
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Upcoming Event Details
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Sarah Gailey, RIVER OF TEETH (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $14.99) on Friday, May 19th at 6:00pm - We are thrilled to welcome Sarah Gailey, who will be showing off her debut novella RIVER OF TEETH! The story takes one fantastic truth -- that the US government once considered importing hippos as a source of meat production -- and spins an incredible tale of the Mississippi River overrun by bloodthirsty, feral hippos, and the mercenary cowboys hired to kill them. This is one amazing, rollicking alternate history, and you won't want to miss the chance to meet Sarah Gailey and explore a story of the weirdest Wild South that never was! RSVP here if you do the Facebook thing: https://www.facebook.com/events/1788628484798334/. The first 25 attendees to purchase RIVER OF TEETH at this event will get an amazing free squishy hippo, courtesy of Tor.com!
David Brin, THE INSISTENCE OF VISION (Story Plant, Trade Paperback, $13.95) on Friday, June 2nd at 6:00pm - We're delighted to welcome acclaimed science fiction writer and futurist David Brin, author of The Uplift series, KILN PEOPLE, THE POSTMAN, THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY, and many other well-known (and highly awarded) works. Brin's newest short story collection is called THE INSISTENCE OF VISION, and he's also recently edited a collection of works from other science fiction luminaries called CHASING SHADOWS: VISIONS OF OUR COMING TRANSPARENT WORLD. We hope you'll come meet David and discuss fascinating ideas for our rapidly-approaching future.
Gregory Benford, THE BERLIN PROJECT (Saga Press, Hardcover, $26.99) on Sunday, June 4th at 5:00pm - From the publisher: "New York Times bestselling author Gregory Benford creates an alternate history about the creation of the atomic bomb that explores what could have happened if the bomb was ready to be used by June 6, 1944. Karl Cohen, a chemist and mathematician who is part of The Manhattan Project team, has discovered an alternate solution for creating the uranium isotope needed to cause a chain reaction: U-235. After convincing General Groves of his new method, Cohen and his team of scientists work at Oak Ridge preparing to have a nuclear bomb ready to drop by the summer of 1944 in an effort to stop the war on the western front. What ensues is an altered account of World War II in this taut thriller. Combining fascinating science with intimate and true accounts of several members of The Manhattan Project, The Berlin Project is an astounding novel that reimagines history and what could have happened if the atom bomb was ready in time to stop Hitler from killing millions of people." We hope you'll join us to meet renowed science fiction writer Gregory Benford, and check out this fascinating new novel!
Carrie Patel, Adam Rakunas, and Tex Thompson Roundtable Discussion, "All Good Things. . .?" on Saturday, June 10th at 1:00pm - "Every series has a beginning, and must eventually come to an end. But fans are often as reluctant to let a beloved story go as the creators are to end it. Is this simply human nature, or do sci-fi and fantasy have a particularly hard time saying goodbye? And why is it so hard to stick the landing anyway? Join our three freshly-finished series authors for a rousing roundtable conversation -- and bring your 'opiniends' with you!"
Steven R. Boyett and Ken Mitchroney, FATA MORGANA (Blackstone Publishing, Hardcover, $26.99) on Saturday, June 10th at 3:00pm - Please join us to meet authors Steven R, Boyett and Ken Mitchroney, who will be showing off their amazing new novel FATA MORGANA! From the publisher: "At the height of the air war in Europe, Captain Joe Farley and the baseball-loving, wisecracking crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress Fata Morgana are in the middle of a harrowing bombing mission over East Germany when everything goes sideways. The bombs are still falling and flak is still exploding all around the 20-ton bomber as it is knocked like a bathtub duck into another world. Suddenly stranded with the final outcasts of a desolated world, Captain Farley navigates a maze of treachery and wonder -- and finds a love seemingly decreed by fate -- as his bomber becomes a pawn in a centuries-old conflict between remnants of advanced but decaying civilizations. Caught among these bitter enemies, a vast power that has brought them here for its own purposes, and a terrifying living weapon bent on their destruction, the crew must use every bit of their formidable inventiveness and courage to survive."
Richard Kadrey, THE KILL SOCIETY (Harper Voyager, Hardcover, $25.99) and Ellen Klages, WICKED WONDERS (Tachyon Publications, Trade Paperback, $15.95) on Sunday, June 11th at 3:00pm - We're delighted to welcome these authors who have almost nothing in common except the fact that they're both awesome! Richard Kadrey will be showing off his latest gritty noir Sandman Slim, THE KILL SOCIETY, and Ellen will be debuting a kick-ass new collection of short stories from her wild and versatile imagination. We hope you'll join us for an odd-couple event that promises to be huge fun!
Dan Wells, NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99; Trade Paperback, $14.99) on Sunday, June 11th at 5:00pm - Dan Wells returns to Borderlands to mark the release of the sixth book in the best-selling series that began with I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER. As the publisher states: "'Hi. My name is John Cleaver, and I hunt monsters. I used to do it alone, and then for a while I did it with a team of government specialists, and then the monsters found us and killed almost everyone, and now I hunt them alone again. This is my story.' In this thrilling installment in the John Wayne Cleaver series, Dan Wells brings his beloved antihero into a final confrontation with the Withered. NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE is a conclusion that is both completely compelling and completely unexpected." We'll also be screening the movie of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," based on the eponymous first novel in the series, starting at about 6:00 pm. The movie co-stars Christopher Lloyd. Check out the thrilling trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNjQoD_o6X8 . Alan Beatts, Borderlands' owner, will interview Dan after the movie. Join us for what is sure to be an incredibly entertaining event!
SF in SF with authors Steve Boyett & Ken Mitchroney at The American Bookbinders Museum on Sunday, June 11th 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. We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson. The 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.
Michael Johnston, SOLERI (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) on Tuesday, June 13th at 6:00pm - We're happy to welcome Michael Johnston for an informal signing in the bookstore! SOLERI is Michael's debut, and this is the fascinating description from the publisher: "Vast in scope and intricate in conception, SOLERI is the story of a rebellious king, his ambitious daughters, his lost son, and their secrets and struggles for dynastic supremacy. Rooted in the history of ancient Egypt, the novel is the result of a decade of research and is inspired by the Johnson’s passion for and study of art history, his previous career in architecture, and the story of King Lear. And at its heart, it's the story of a family, albeit a massively dysfunctional one told on a grand canvas." Join us to meet this up-and-coming author!
Daryl Gregory, SPOONBENDERS (Knopf, Hardcover, $26.95) on Wednesday, June 28th at 6:00pm - We're always delighted to welcome the versatile and talented Daryl Gregory to Borderlands! His new novel is SPOONBENDERS, a loving and weird generation-spanning chronicle of the Telemachus family, "known for performing inexplicable feats on talk shows and late-night television. Teddy, a master conman, heads up a clan who possess gifts he only fakes: there's Maureen, who can astral project; Irene, the human lie detector; Frankie, gifted with telekinesis; and Buddy, the clairvoyant. But when, one night, the magic fails to materialize, the family withdraws to Chicago where they live in shame for years. Until: As they find themselves facing a troika of threats (CIA, mafia, unrelenting skeptic), Matty, grandson of the family patriarch, discovers a bit of the old Telemachus magic in himself. Now, they must put past obstacles behind them and unite like never before. But will it be enough to bring The Amazing Telemachus Family back to its amazing life?" We hope you'll join us to meet Daryl and explore this incredible new novel!
Tad Williams, THE WITCHWOOD CROWN (DAW, Hardcover, $30.00) on Saturday, July 1st at 3:00pm - We're delighted to welcome Tad Williams to Borderlands, as he returns to the beloved world of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn! From the publisher: "More than thirty years have passed since the events of the earlier novels, and the world has reached a critical turning point once again. The realm is threatened by divisive forces, even as old allies are lost, and others are lured down darker paths. Perhaps most terrifying of all, the Norns -- the long-vanquished elvish foe -- are stirring once again, preparing to reclaim the mortal-ruled lands that once were theirs. . . . " Don't miss this opportunity to meet a genre superstar and check out this (re)start to an amazing series!
Dana Fredsti, SPAWN OF LILITH (Titan, Mass Market, $7.99) on Saturday, July 8th at 3:00pm - We're happy to welcome local author and Borderlands sponsor Dana Fredsti, who will be showing off SPAWN OF LILITH! In this new novel, according to Dana's site, ". . . successful actress and stuntwoman Lee Striga finds herself with an unwanted second job: demon hunter, paying off an ancient family debt in order to free her ancestor, Lilith, Mother of Demons, imprisoned centuries ago by a vengeful god". Dana's books are always great fun, and you're missing out if you miss this one!
Sarah Kuhn, HEROINE WORSHIP (DAW, Trade Paperback, $15.00) on Sunday, July 9th at 3:00pm - We loved HEROINE COMPLEX, and now Sarah is back with a kick-ass followup, HEROINE WORSHIP: "Once upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka -- who's now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable. It doesn’t help that Aveda’s finally being forced to deal with fallout from her diva behavior -- and the fact that she’s been a less than stellar friend to Evie. Or that Scott Cameron -- the man Aveda’s loved for nearly a decade -- is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder after what seemed to be some promising steps toward friendship. Or that the city has been demon-free for three months in the wake of Evie and Aveda’s apocalypse-preventing battle against the evil forces of the Otherworld, leaving Aveda without the one thing she craves most in life: a mission." We hope you'll join us to follow the saga of these super-heroines!
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 Gobert Tilahun
Assistant Editor - Jude Feldman
All contents unless otherwise noted are the property of Borderlands Books, 866 Valencia St.
San Francisco CA 94110
415 824-8203
http://www.borderlands-books.com
Comments and suggestions should be directed to editor@borderlands-books.com
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