Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Dispatches from the Border, September 2020

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News From Borderlands Books
SEPTEMBER, 2020

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News
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* Mapping Earth's eighth continent, which is almost entirely under New Zealand: https://www.livescience.com/lost-continent-zealandia-new-tectonic-map.html

* An AI wrote this opinion piece on why we shouldn't be afraid of AI: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/08/robot-wrote-this-article-gpt-3

* National Geographic discusses "declinism" (decline bias), news and social media consumption, and why 2020 isn't _actually_ the Worst Year Ever: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/why-2020-feels-like-the-worst-year-ever/

* Author Judith Tarr on horses, metaphors, and accurate worldbuilding: https://www.tor.com/2020/09/08/writing-horses-those-handy-equestrian-metaphors/

* Brandon Sanderson will be offering a free YouTube lecture series on writing science fiction and fantasy: https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2020/9/2/21417196/brandon-sanderson-free-creative-writing-class-youtube-science-fiction-fantasy

* This was fascinating; mystery writer Gabriel Cohen moved into a New York apartment that seemed too good to be true, and ended up both captivated and haunted by the real-life murder he found out had taken place there: https://narratively.com/a-splash-of-red/

* For fans of Seanan McGuire's "Wayward Children" books, a side-quest novella with Lundy from IN AN ABSENT DREAM: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/13/juice-like-wounds-seanan-mcguire/

* A bit click-bait-y, but still good for providing perspective on our place (and importance) in the Universe: http://justsomething.co/these-25-pictures-will-make-you-completely-re-evaluate-your-existence/

* "Scientists were convinced that biological clocks are predominantly driven by internal rhythms. There was just one problem --involving some mollusks and the moon." https://www.wired.com/story/oysters-that-knew-what-time-it-was/

* "A working class hero/is something to be. . ." Tor.com celebrates the unsung cooks, clerks, janitors and freelance bards of science fictions and fantasy media: https://www.tor.com/2020/09/04/celebrating-the-working-class-warriors-of-sff/

* 17 of the most devious sci-fi and fantasy villains, according to BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/blog/most-devious-sci-fi-and-fantasy-villains

* "The Future is Fungal" -- why the science of mycology is on the rise: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/aug/23/the-future-is-fungal-why-the-megascience-of-mycology-is-on-the-rise

* For the home that has everything, "broken", cartoon-y fantasy furniture from artist and woodworker Henk Verhoeff: https://mymodernmet.com/amazing-woodworking-projects/

* The 60-year-old teenage lie that became "The Creature From the Sand Pits":https://narratively.com/the-teenage-prank-thats-lasted-60-years/

* "Comics Open Up The Idea Of What A Story Can Be": A Conversation With Tom Gauld: http://www.tcj.com/comics-open-up-the-idea-of-what-a-story-can-be-a-conversation-with-tom-gauld/

* Move over, Spinal Tap -- one man's dream of an Arthurian rock opera on ice is stranger: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/06/the-stranger-than-fiction-secret-history-of-prog-rock-icon-rick-wakeman

* August 21st, 2020 was the 50th anniversary of the original fanzine publication of "The Eye of Argon" by Jim Theis, which in later novel form is frequently considered to be one of the worst fantasy novels ever published: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eye_of_Argon

* "There are hundreds of thousands of absolutely incredible creatures in the World Ocean that keep surprising even the most experienced marine biologists." Here are some of them, gorgeously photographed by marine biologist and photographer Alexander Semenov: https://mymodernmet.com/alexander-semenov-underwater-photography/

* C'mon, you know you want to hear "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the original Klingon: https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/heres-bohemian-rhapsody-performed-in-the-original-klingon/

* Best cure for your fear of bugs?  Become an award-winning macro insect photographer like Mofeed Abu Shalwa: https://mymodernmet.com/macro-beetle-photography-mofeed-abu-shalwa/

* Useful dinosaur survival information for time travelers: https://www.wired.com/story/how-outrun-dinosaur/

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From The Editor
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Since business has been a bit slow due to the pandemic, we took the chance to make some changes to how the books are shelved at the shop. It seems to us that it would be easier for everyone if our used books and new books were shelved together.  In fact, there was a time when we did exactly that, but then we ran out of space and had to split them up.  We have enough space now due to a bunch of shelf re-arranging, and so we've merged the new and used hardcover and trade paperback sections together in all three genre areas (science fiction & fantasy, horror, and mystery).  Likewise the used and new paperback horror and mystery sections have been combined as well.  Sadly, there is no way that we could fit the science fiction & fantasy paperbacks in one section so they are still in two spots.

We hope that it will make shopping easier for you all in addition to making shelving easier for us.  Please feel free to let us know what you think.

Do bear in mind - if you see two or more copies of the same book; one or more of them may be used and, therefore, much less expensive.

Since we made these changes, we've created more room on the shelves as well.  So, we're looking for more used books.  If you've got some books that you like to sell to the shop for store credit or even cash, we're going to be buying books all through the month of September.  So, sort through that pile of books by your bed and bring us the ones you don't want to keep.  

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Best Sellers
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Borderlands Best-Selling Titles for August, 2020

Hardcovers
1. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
2. The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
3. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4. House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
5. Quantum Shadows by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
6.  Network Effect by Martha Wells
7. Angel of the Crows by Katharine Addison
8. Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis
9. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
10. Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

Trade Paperbacks
1. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
2. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow
3. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
4. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
5. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
6. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
7. Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
8. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
9. Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, trans. by Ken Liu
10. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
2. Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
3. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
4. Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson
5. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
6. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
7. Dune by Frank Herbert
8. Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire
9. Octavia Gone by Jack McDevitt
10. Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

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Book Club Information
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The QSF&F Book Club will meet virtually on Sunday, September 13th, at 5 pm to discuss GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir.  Please contact the group leader, Christopher Rodriguez, at cobalt555@earthlink.net, for more information.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet virtually on Sunday, September 20th, at 6 pm to discuss TIME SHARDS by Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald.  Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.

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Featured Upcoming Titles
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(These titles have not arrived yet.  You may pre-order most of these books by calling or emailing us.  Of course, we have many more titles arriving each week . . . call or email us if you're curious about a particular upcoming title not listed here. This list is tentative and subject to change by publishers. Unless otherwise noted, books are originals.)

NINA ALLAN * Ruby * Titan Books US, Oct 2020 (tp, eb)
ANONYMOUS, ED. * Escape Pod: The Science Fiction Anthology * Titan Books US, Oct 2020 (an, tp, eb)
KELLEY ARMSTRONG * A Stitch in Time * Subterranean Press, Oct 2020 (hc)
ELIZABETH BEAR * Machine * Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
BEN BOVA * My Favorites * Blackstone Publishing, Oct 2020 (c, hc, eb)
TERRY BROOKS * The Last Druid * Penguin Random House/Del Rey, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
P. DJÈLÍ CLARK * Ring Shout * Tor.com Publishing, Oct 2020 (na, hc, eb)
JOHN CONNOLLY * The Dirty South * Simon & Schuster/Atria/Bestler, Oct 2020 (1st US, h, hc, eb)
BRENDA COOPER * The Making War * WordFire Press, Oct 2020 (tp, hc, eb)
ELLEN DATLOW, ED. * The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Twelve * Skyhorse/Night Shade Books, Oct 2020 (an, tp)
ALIETTE DE BODARD * Seven of Infinities * Subterranean Press, Oct 2020 (na, hc, eb)
CORY DOCTOROW * Attack Surface * Tor, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
C.S. FRIEDMAN * This Virtual Night * DAW, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
NEIL GAIMAN * A Neil Gaiman Reader * HarperCollins/Morrow, Oct 2020 (c, hc, eb)
NEIL GAIMAN * Pirate Stew (with Chris Riddell) * Bloomsbury, Oct 2020 (ya, hc, art)
PAULA GURAN, ED. * The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: Volume One * Start/Pyr, Oct 2020 (an, tp, eb)
PETER F. HAMILTON * The Saints of Salvation * Penguin Random House/Del Rey, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
ALIX E. HARROW * The Once and Future Witches * Orbit US/Redhook, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
ALICE HOFFMAN * Magic Lessons * Simon & Schuster, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
ALAYA DAWN JOHNSON * Reconstruction * Small Beer Press, Oct 2020 (c, tp, eb)
STEPHEN JONES, ed. * Terrifying Tales * PS Publishing, Oct 2020 (hc)
CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN * The Tindalos Asset * Tor.com Publishing, Oct 2020 (na, h, tp, eb)
T. KINGFISHER * The Hollow Places * Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, Oct 2020 (h, tp, eb)
DEAN KOONTZ * Elsewhere * Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, Oct 2020 (h, hc, eb)
URSULA K. LE GUIN * Annals of the Western Shore * Library of America, Oct 2020 (om, ya, hc)
YOON HA LEE * Phoenix Extravagant * Rebellion/Solaris US, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
CIXIN LIU * To Hold Up the Sky * Tor, Oct 2020 (c, hc, eb)
TOM LLOYD * God of Night * Orion/Gollancz, Oct 2020 (eb, hc)
GREGORY MAGUIRE * A Wild Winter Swan * HarperCollins/Morrow, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
MARSHALL RYAN MARESCA * People of the City * DAW, Oct 2020 (pb, eb)
GRAHAM MASTERTON * The House of a Hundred Whispers * Head of Zeus, Oct 2020 (h, hc)
SEANAN MCGUIRE * Dying With Her Cheer Pants On: Stories of the Fighting Pumpkins * Subterranean Press, Oct 2020 (c, hc, eb)
JAMES S. MURRAY & DARREN WEARMOUTH * Don't Move * Blackstone Publishing, Oct 2020 (h, hc, eb)
CHRISTOPHER PRIEST * The Evidence * Orion/Gollancz, Oct 2020 (eb, hc)
PHILIP PULLMAN * Serpentine * Penguin Random House/Knopf, Oct 2020 (na, hc, eb)
REBECCA ROANHORSE * Black Sun * Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
KIM STANLEY ROBINSON * The Ministry for the Future * Orbit US, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
MICHELLE SAGARA * The Emperor's Wolves * Harlequin/Mira, Oct 2020 (tp, eb)
ANDRZEJ SAPKOWSKI * The Tower of Fools * Orbit US, Oct 2020 (hc, tp, eb)
V.E. SCHWAB * The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue * Tor, Oct 2020 (v, hc, eb)
CHARLES STROSS * Dead Lies Dreaming * Tor.com Publishing, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
JODI TAYLOR * Hard Time * Headline, Oct 2020 (hc)
MEGAN WHALEN TURNER * Return of the Thief * HarperCollins/Greenwillow, Oct 2020 (ya, hc, eb)
CARRIE VAUGHN * Kitty's Mix-Tape * Tachyon Publications, Oct 2020 (c, tp, eb)
IAN WHATES, ed. * London Centric: Tales of Future London * NewCon Press, Oct 2020 (hc, eb, tp)
DAVID WONG * Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick * St. Martin's, Oct 2020 (hc, eb)
JANE YOLEN * Midnight Circus * Tachyon Publications, Oct 2020 (c, tp, eb)

Abbreviations indicate: (r) reprint, (h) horror, (ya) young adult, (nf) non-fiction, (c) collection, (oc) original collection, (na) novella, (a) associational, (om) omnibus, (eb) e-book, (an) anthology, (pi) pictoral and other, (art) art and others, (gn) graphic novel, (x) media tie-in, (nv) novelette, (ss) short story, (hc) hardcover, (tp) trade paperback, (ph) pamphlet, (pb) paperback, (oa) original anthology, (b) biography, (v) paranormal romance, (pm) poetry.

This newsletter is distributed monthly free of charge and may be distributed without charge so long all the following information is included.

Dispatches from the Border
Editor - Jude Feldman
Assistant Editor - Alan Beatts
(Special thanks to David Fitzgerald for tracking down a bunch of news items, and to sponsors Ken P. and Jay M. for contributions as well!)

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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