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ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER
DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News from Borderlands Books
June, 2009 Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special FeaturesJUST
ADDED! China Mieville, THE CITY AND THE CITY (Del Rey, Hardcover,
$26.00), DROP-BY SIGNING ONLY, Monday, June 8th at 4:00 pm
Seth Grahame-Smith, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (Quirk Books, Trade Paperback, $12.95), Tuesday, June 9th at 7:00 pm
Free Movies from SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room in the Hobart
Building, 582 Market Street: "The Quiet Earth" and "On the Beach",
Wednesday, June 10th at 7:00 pm
Marie Brennan, IN ASHES LIE (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $14.99), Saturday, June 13th at 1:00 pm
David J. WIlliams, BURNING SKIES (Bantam Spectra, Trade Paperback, $15.00), Saturday, June 13th at 3:00 pm
Mark Teppo, LIGHTBREAKER (Night Shade Books, Mass Market, $7.99), Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 pm
SF in SF hosts The Brazen Hussies: Lisa Goldstein, Pat Murphy and
Michaela Roessner at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street,
Saturday, June 20th at 7:00 pm
Jacqueline Carey, NAAMAH'S KISS (Grand Central, Hardcover, $26.99), Saturday, June 27th at 3:00 pm
Ray Garton, BESTIAL (Leisure, Mass Market, $7.99), Saturday, July 11 at 3:00 pm
Jay Lake, GREEN (Tor, Hardcover, $26.95), Saturday, July 18th at 3:00 pm
Erin Cashier, Jay Lake, Heather McDougal, and Cliff Winnig, FOOTPRINTS
(Hadley Rille, Trade Paperback, $15.95), Saturday, July 18th at 6:00 pm
(for more information check the end of this section)
Coming up later this year we'll welcome Richard Kadrey, S.M. Stirling, Seanan McGuire, and many, many others, so stay tuned!
News
* David Eddings, 1931-2009
We're sorry to report the death of prolific fantasy author David
Eddings, who passed away June 2nd at the age of 77. You can read
more about his life and work here: <http://sffworld.com/news/614.html>.
* Twitter:
In case you missed the news last month, just a reminder that
Borderlands has joined Twitter, and you can follow us on two different
feeds. <http://twitter.com/borderlands_sf>
for general store news, events, and occasional give-aways (so far we've
given away advance reading copies and Maker Faire tickets,) and <http://twitter.com/borderlands_new> for notable new arrivals as they show up.
* 15 Helpful Tips for New Writers:
Thanks to customer Rennie Saunders for pointing out this helpful article on book promotion for beginning authors: <http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=1041&discount=ezine&source=ezine>
* Joyce wins O. Henry Prize:
Major congratulations to author Graham Joyce, whose short story "An
Ordinary Soldier of the Queen" (originally published in "The Paris
Review") has won a PEN / O. Henry Prize. You'll be able to read
the award-winning story soon, because it's included in Graham's
upcoming novel HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH DEMONS, which will be published
this summer by Night Shade Books.
* Try "Plants vs. Zombies" free:
Zombie-aware customer Ken Penn sends the following concerning the game
"Plants vs. Zombies": "Since I know that zombie news is a high priority
@ Borderlands, here is an exciting new game. . . . there's a free trial
here: <http://www.popcap.com/games/pvz#>". Thanks, Ken!
* Stross on Future Gaming:
Ken Penn was also kind enough to send us the link for Charlie Stross'
keynote address to a recent Seattle game developer's conference, called
"Gaming in the World of 2030": <http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2009/05/login_2009_keynote_gaming_in_t.html>
* Share Your Recommendations!
Starting mid-month, Borderlands will have Customer Review forms
available, and a big ol' corkboard to post them upon. Pick up one
of these nifty forms, write (neatly!) a short review of a science
fiction, fantasy or supernatural title you've read recently, and hand
it over to the clerk. (Please be sure to sign the bottom of the form to
let us know if we're allowed to reprint your review, (with credit of
course) in the store's newsletter.) We'll look over what you've
written, confirm that it's appropriate for posting, and post it on the
big bulletin board for everyone to read in a day or two! And, if
we've got space, we'll print it in the store's newsletter. We
reserve the right to refuse to post or print reviews for any capricious
and arbitrary reason we like, but we probably won't do that
often. Also, there will be a nifty prize each month for a
randomly chosen reviewer, so get writing!
Cafe NewsThe floor is done! I did
the math a few days ago and all told I've put over 200 hours of work
into it but it's finally done, dry and ready to go. If I do say so
myself, it looks damn good.
This week I start on painting and installing the baseboards and other
trim as well as rebuilding the windows. The plumber was in and
all the sinks are hooked up and working so the kitchen looks very
kitchen-like. Supplies and menu planning is going well and most
of the adminstrative stuff is well on its way to completion.
Once I've got the counters built (probably week after next) the plumber
can put in the last sink and I'm ready for the plumbing
inspection. Lamps should also be arriving next week and once
they're up it'll be time for the electrical inspection as well.
In short, we're in the home strech. Look for some major announcements next month.
Finally, thanks to everyone who took the time to reply to my questions
in last month's newsletter. The advice, comments and ideas have been
invaluable. And the upshot is that we'll probably be doing
organic milk along with soy milk, we'll have artificial sweeteners, and
the internet access will be wired and located at a few, specific
tables.
Best,
AlanFrom The Office
I'm in the process of reading a review copy of Joe Abercrombie's new
novel, BEST SERVED COLD, which will be published July 29th. For
my money it's even better than his FIRST LAW series and he's managed to
hit the balance between grim and funny with more accuracy than
before. For those of you who aren't familiar with his work,
Abercrombie writes relatively dark fantasy a la Steven Erikson or Glenn
Cook, filled with morally ambiguous characters and situations.
Reading along I found myself thinking of a comment that China Mieville
made once about how he neither enjoys nor wants to write "conciliatory
fantasy". His feeling is that fantasy as a genre can take on the same
sort of tough questions and complex characters that are more usually
the domain of science fiction (or even mainstream lit). I agree
with him and furthermore I think that we've been seeing a renaissance
of sorts in that type of fantasy writing. I think that it,
perhaps, shows a maturity in the genre and among the readers that, in
some ways, parallels the change in Western movies in the 1960s.
Prior to the mid-1960s, Westerns were in general hyper-simplified
stories of good and often outnumbered people against "bad guys".
The good, by the end of the film, prevailed while suffering some losses
and the bad were vanquished. The good were clean and kind and the
bad were dirty and cruel. And that was that. Granted there
were some exceptions like THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE in 1962 or
THE SEARCHERS in 1956 but in general Westerns followed the format
unerringly. But then films like THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
(1966), ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969) and THE WILD BUNCH (also
1969) presented a Wild West in which the "good" were only moderately
distinguishable from the "bad" and morality shifted like sand.
These seminal films changed the perception of Westerns and reshaped the
genre such that space now existed for films like THE LONG RIDERS
(1980), PALE RIDER (1985) and UNFORGIVEN (1992). Even painfully
accurate portrayals of the West (i.e. squalid, filthy, violent,
ignorant, and amoral) like HBO's DEADWOOD series (2004 to 2006) could
now be admitted into the canon.
For quite a long time, fantasy that wasn't influenced by the shadow of
J.R.R. Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS was hard to find. Though some
very fine work shows this awareness of Tolkien (Stephen Donaldson's
Thomas Covenant books being a fine example), it was a limiting factor
in the field. Especially since Tolkien's view of good versus evil
was very stark and clear-cut. This view creates a sharply limited
set of possible protagonists and plots, much like the Westerns of the
1940s and 1950s.
But in the mid-80s Glenn Cook started his Black Company series with THE
BLACK COMPANY (1984). This was very different fantasy -- the "heros"
were simple soldiers, mercenaries in fact, trying to stay alive in
wartime and doing the kind of ugly, brutal things the real soldiers do
to stay alive. On top of that, they were in the service of the
"Dark Lord" of their world. Later in the series we discover that
their employer, though probably "evil" by most standards, is fighting
to keep an even greater evil imprisoned. In Cook's world there
was _no_ black and white, only a multitude of shades of gray.
Alongside Michael Moorcock's Elric novels (which found their real
audience in the mid-70s and even then were far ahead of their time),
Cook's work was on the forefront of non-conciliatory fantasy and stood
there alone until the mid-90s. But in the past decade we've seen
more and more relatively traditional fantasy novels that are almost
completely without Tolkien-esque elements and which encompass a much
richer and more nuanced view of morality and human character. Steven
Erikson's Malazan novels were some of the first but he has recently
been joined by fine writers like Richard Morgan (THE STEEL REMAINS) and
Patrick Rothfuss (THE NAME OF THE WIND).
But without a significant readership, it doesn't really matter how the
books have changed. And that's the complementary part of the
shift that I'm talking about. All the authors I've mentioned in
this column are top sellers at Borderlands. At one time or
another we've been hard pressed to keep enough copies in stock to meet
demand and there is no sign of the popularity slowing. So it
seems that fantasy readers are developing an appetite for novels in
which the traditional elements of fantasy are present but in which
there is a much more real-world expression of the complexity of choices
and morality. What excites me the most is that, by accepting this
type of work, the readers are giving authors a chance to hold up a
mirror to our own world; asking questions and making observations about
ourselves rather than just delivering entertainment of the most
simplistic stripe.
And the authors are taking the opportunity they've been given from
Morgan's examination of the aftermath of war and its effects on both
society and individuals to Rothfuss' tender yet cynical portrayal of
how a hero is made and even Erikson's examination of grief, remorse,
and guilt in TOLL THE HOUNDS. I look forward with anticipation to
where the next decade will take us.
-Alan Beatts
Top Sellers At Borderlands
Hardcovers
1. The City and the City by China Mieville
2. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
3. In the Stormy Red Sky by David Drake
4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5. Empire Unacquainted with Defeat by Glen Cook
6. The Revolution Business by Charles Stross
7. Conspirator by C.J. Cherryh
8. Empress of Mars by Kage Baker
9. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
10. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
2. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
3. Line War by Neal Asher
4. Relentless: The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell
5. Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
6. The Devil You Know by Mike Carey
7. Lightbreaker by Mark Teppo
8. The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds
9. Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey
10. Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Trade Paperbacks
1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
2. World War Z by Max Brooks
3. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie tie with
Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey tie with
Jack Wakes Up by Seth Harwood
4. Burning Skies by David Williams
5. Palimpsest by Cathrynne Valente
Notes From a DVD GeekThe big release for science fiction
fans this month is a documentary about legendary SF writer Harlan
Ellison. This documentary, "Dreams With Sharp Teeth", is directed
by the producer of "Grizzly Man" (You know… the documentary about the
guy who disappeared while filming bears in Alaska,) Erik Nelson.
This documentary is not a tell-all attack piece, nor is it an
even-handed, balanced documentary that gives equal time to Ellison's
critics. Instead, it is a riotous celebration of the man, his work, and
the character that he has created, "Harlan Ellison", over the course of
his career. Many funny tidbits and gems are in this documentary and in
the associated "extras" on the DVD.
In celebration of this documentary, I'd like to point out some of the
movies and TV episodes that have been based on Harlan Ellison's work.
Probably the most famous movie adaptation is "A Boy and His Dog",
staring a very young Don Johnson. This story of Ellison's is one
of his most memorable, and the movie does it some justice . . . even
though the tone of the film does tend to veer wildly from act to act.
One of the most (in)famous movies inspired by Ellison's work is James
Cameron's original "Terminator" movie. Ellison sued to get a
credit for this movie, and won, claiming it was inspired by his Outer
Limit episodes "Soldier," and "The Demon With a Glass Hand". Despite
losing this battle in court, director (and script co-writer) James
Cameron has always resented this assertion, and there seems to be a
back-and-forth battle of the credit line in the various home video
versions of this film, with Ellison's story credit slipping in and out
of the credits as each new version of the film is released.
Moving past "Terminator", we can get to some of Ellison's
television writing, which includes the above-mentioned Outer Limits
episodes and the famous Star Trek episode, "The City on the Edge of
Forever". He was also responsible for the episode of Alfred
Hitchcock Presents' "Memo from Purgatory." There were numerous
other lesser-known TV episodes that he banged out early in his tv
writing career, from episodes of "Burke's Law", to an episodes from
"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea".
Much later, several of his stories were adapted for the 1980's "The New
Twilight Zone" series ("Crazy as a Soup Sandwich," "Gramma," "One
Life," "Furnished in Early Poverty," "Paladin of the Lost Hour" and
"Shatterday").
There were also a couple of "Babylon 5" episodes written by Ellison, a
"New Outer Limits" episode from 1999 based on "The Human Operators",
and a "Masters of Science Fiction" episode based on his story "The
Discarded."
There were many other legendarily unproduced pilots and scripts, which
Ellison chronicles at length in his books, THE GLASS TEAT, and THE
OTHER GLASS TEAT. [Editor's note: Both of these volumes are now out of
print.]
Moving away from Ellison, to another cult SF personality, Joss Whedon's
"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" hits DVD in June. This one was
the "online only" production that Whedon worked on during the writers'
strike last year, and it's now more widely commercially available, with
a bunch of extras on the DVD that were not part of the original
download.
And, moving from the cult SF side of the house to the cult horror side
of the house, I bring you the most unlikely adaptation to ever be made.
"Header". A movie based on Edward Lee's "classic" splatter-porn short
story, soon to be available on DVD. This looks to be a mostly mediocre
low budget horror film, but wow. "Header". Edward
Lee. I can't wait. It's like when I found out "The Girl
Next Door" was being made into a movie. But somehow sleazier and
seedier.
And that's all I've got for you this month.
- Jeremy Lassen jlassen@borderlands-books.com
Book Club Info
The Gay Men's Book Club
will meet on Sunday, June 14th, at 5 pm to discuss WORLD WAR Z by Max
Brooks. 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, June
21st, at 6 pm to discuss BAD MONKEYS by Matt Ruff. The book for
July 19th is A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY by Vernor Vinge. Please
contact Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more information.
Upcoming Event Details
China Mieville, THE CITY AND THE CITY (Del Rey, Hardcover, $26.00), DROP-BY SIGNING ONLY, Monday, June 8th at 4:00 pm -
We are simply delighted to be able to welcome China Mieville to
Borderlands. This is a brief, informal signing, not a reading, but
still a great chance to meet this incredible author, get your books
signed, and learn about his brand-new novel THE CITY AND THE CITY,
which Mieville calls a sort-of "'triangulation' of eastern
European novels, hard-boiled crime fiction and fantasy." We can hardly
wait! Read some of China's thoughts about the book, from the
Socialist Worker UK here: <http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=17861>.
Seth Grahame-Smith, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (Quirk Books, Trade Paperback, $12.95), Tuesday, June 9th at 7:00 pm -
The classic regency romance -- now with ultra-violent zombie
action! Borderlands is delighted to host Seth Grahame-Smith, who,
in cooperation with Jane Austen, presents this mash-up zombie
masterpiece for your perusal. Fiesty young Elizabeth Bennet is
determined to wipe out the zombie menace plaguing the quiet village of
Meryton, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and
arrogant Mr. Darcy. Can Elizabeth vanquish the flesh-eating
undead? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious
landed gentry? Find out at Borderlands on June 9th!
Free Movies from SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room in
the Hobart Building, 582 Market Street: "The Quiet Earth" and "On the
Beach", Wednesday, June 10th at 7:00 pm - It's Apocalypse
Night for SF in SF films! Free movies! Free popcorn! Cash bar!
Bar proceeds and tips benefits Variety Children's Charity. Doors
at 6:30, first movie starts at 7:00 pm
Marie Brennan, IN ASHES LIE (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $14.99), Saturday, June 13th at 1:00 pm -
We're pleased to welcome Marie Brennan to the store for a
reading! From Marie's site:"The year is 1666. The King and
Parliament vie for power, fighting one another with politics and armies
alike. Below, the faerie court has enemies of its own. The old ways are
breaking down, and no one knows what will rise in their place.
But now, a greater threat has come, one that could destroy everything.
In the house of a sleeping baker, a spark leaps free of the oven -- and
ignites a blaze that will burn London to the ground. While the humans
struggle to halt the conflagration that is devouring the city street by
street, the fae pit themselves against a less tangible foe: the spirit
of the fire itself, powerful enough to annihilate everything in its
path. Mortal and fae will have to lay aside the differences that
divide them, and fight together for the survival of London itself . .
." You can read an excerpt from the novel here: <http://www.swantower.com/marie/novels/onyx/fire/prologue.html>
David J. WIlliams, BURNING SKIES (Bantam Spectra, Trade Paperback, $15.00), Saturday, June 13th at 3:00 pm -
David J. Williams' site offers us the following glimpse into his
personality: "Descended from Australian convicts, David J. Williams
nonetheless managed to be born in Hertfordshire, England, and
subsequently moved to Washington D.C. just in time for Nixon's
impeachment. Graduating from Yale with a degree in history some time
later, he narrowly escaped the life of a graduate student and ended up
doing time in Corporate America, which drove him so crazy he started
moonlighting on video games and (as he got even crazier) novels. THE
MIRRORED HEAVENS was written over six years, and sold to Bantam Spectra
in the summer of 2007, along with the rest of the Autumn Rain
trilogy. THE BURNING SKIES is the second book of that trilogy,
but has been designed to accommodate readers who (however inexplicably)
missed the prequel." Our last event with David was great fun; you
won't want to miss this one. Find out more about David's news of
the MIRRORED HEAVENS future here: <http://www.greateramericanews.com/>.
Mark Teppo, LIGHTBREAKER (Night Shade Books, Mass Market, $7.99), Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 pm -
We're delighted to host an event with Mark Teppo, who we know is going
to be a sensation! From NightShade Books: "Markham has returned to
Seattle, searching for Katarina, the girl who, a decade ago, touched
his soul, literally tearing it from his body. But what he discovers
upon arriving is dark magick . . . of a most ancient and destructive
kind. An encounter with a desperate spirit, leaping destructively
from host to host, sets Markham on the trail of secretive cabal of
magicians seeking to punch a hole through heaven, extinguishing forever
the divine spark. Armed with the Chorus, a phantasmal chain of human
souls he wields as a weapon of will, Markham must engage in a magickal
battle with earth-shattering stakes. Markham must delve deep into
his past, calling on every aspect of his occult training for there to
be any hope of a future. But delve he must, for Markham is a veneficus,
a spirit thief, the Lightbreaker . . . . From newcomer Mark Teppo
comes LIGHTBREAKER, an explosive, action-packed occult thriller
combining Western magick, Hermetic traditions, and shamanism.
Beyond good . . . beyond evil . . . LIGHTBREAKER."
SF in SF hosts The Brazen Hussies: Lisa Goldstein, Pat Murphy
and Michaela Roessner at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street,
Saturday, June 20th at 7:00 pm - Thanks to Rina at SF in SF
for the following write-up: "Who are the Brazen Hussies? Three
AMAZING award-winning writers of fantasy and science fiction. In
an effort to acquaint more readers with their work, they've overcome
their natural tendency to be modest by promoting their work
shamelessly, like the brazen hussies they truly want to be. In
addition, the Brazen Hussies want to let people know that today's
science fiction and fantasy isn't just for kids, spreading the word
that sophisticated, subtle, fascinating, compelling, and topical
literature for adults is being published as science fiction.
Speculative fiction (aka SF, science fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi, and
"what the heck is that you are reading?") is more than just elves. and
dwarves, robots and space ships - so much more. If you read science
fiction and fantasy when you were a kid, come back and Revisit the
amazing worlds you used to love. And good news . . . there are
many more of them now." Cash bar and doors open at 6:00 pm, with bar
proceeds benefiting Variety Children's Charity. Readings begin at
7:00 pm, followed by Q & A from the audience; Rick Kleffel (author
of the blog and podcast "The Agony Column" <http://www.bookotron.com/agony/index.html>) will be lending a hand as moderator. Books will be available for sale courtesy of Borderlands.
Jacqueline Carey, NAAMAH'S KISS (Grand Central, Hardcover, $26.99), Saturday, June 27th at 3:00 pm -
We are delighted to welcome Jacqueline Carey back to Borderlands!
NAAMAH's KISS starts a brand-new trilogy set in the Kushiel's world.
Here's a sneak peek from the book jacket: "Once there were great
magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn; the folk of the Brown Bear, the
oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all
broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now, only
small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such
gifts - the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the
skill to coax plants to grow. Moirin has a secret, too.
From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in
her life; the bright lady, and the man with a seedling cupped in his
palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, it isn't until
she comes of age that Moirin learns how illustrious, if mixed, her
heritage is. The great granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the
Maghuin Donn, and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her
father was a D'Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of
desire. After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds
divine acceptance. . .on the condition that she fulfill an unknown
destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond
Terre d'Ange where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant
Ch'in, Moirin's skills are a true gift when facing the vengeful plans
of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior princess desperate to save her
father's throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon."
Ray Garton, BESTIAL (Leisure, Mass Market, $7.99), Saturday, July 11 at 3:00 pm -
(Please note: This event was originally scheduled for earlier in the
year; July 11th is now the accurate date of the event.) Join us
to meet Ray Garton and check out this sequel to RAVENOUS! From
Leisure's website: "Something very strange is happening in the coastal
California town of Big Rock. Several residents have died in
unexplained, particularly brutal ways, many torn apart in animal
attacks. And there's always that eerie howling late at night. . . . You
might think there's a werewolf in town. But you'd be wrong. It's not
just one werewolf, but the whole town that's gradually transforming.
Bit by bit, as the infection spreads, the werewolves are becoming more
and more powerful. In fact, humans may soon be the minority, mere prey
for their hungry neighbors. Is it too late for the humans to fight
back? Did they ever have a chance from the start?"
Jay Lake, GREEN (Tor, Hardcover, $26.95), Saturday, July 18th at 3:00 pm -
From the book jacket: "She was born in poverty, in a dusty village
under the equatorial sun. She does not remember her mother, she does
not remember her own name-her earliest clear memory is of the day her
father sold her to the tall pale man. In the Court of the Pomegranate
Tree, where she was taught the ways of a courtesan…and the skills of an
assassin…she was named Emerald, the precious jewel of the Undying
Duke's collection of beauties. She calls herself Green. The
world she inhabits is one of political power and magic, where Gods
meddle in the affairs of mortals. At the center of it is the immortal
Duke's city of Copper Downs, which controls all the trade on the Storm
Sea. Green has made many enemies, and some secret friends, and she has
become a very dangerous woman indeed. Acclaimed author Jay Lake
has created a remarkable character in Green, and evokes a remarkable
world in this novel. Green and her struggle to survive and find her own
past will live in the reader's mind for a long time after closing the
book." We're delighted to welcome Jay back to the store and present his
new novel -- my favorite of his so far -- GREEN. Follow the link
(and scroll down to "Special Feature") to read customer Chris Hsiang's
take on GREEN: <http://www.borderlands-books.com/about_newsletter_05-09.html>.
Erin Cashier, Jay Lake, Heather McDougal, and Cliff
Winnig, FOOTPRINTS (Hadley Rille, Trade Paperback, $15.95), Saturday,
July 18th at 6:00 pm - "Long after our species and all its
works have turned to dust, the Moon landing sites will still show
evidence of our time here on Earth. Imagine future explorers from among
the stars interpreting that. The astronauts' footprints should last
longer than the fossils in the Olduvai Gorge have."
--Jay Lake, ca. July 2008. Join us to meet three contributors to,
(and one of the editors of,) this "groundbreaking" anthology from the
distinguished small press Hadley Rille!
Borderlands event policy - all events are free of charge. You are
welcome to bring copies of an author's books purchased elsewhere to be
autographed (but we do appreciate it if you purchase something while at
the event). For most events you are welcome to bring as many
books as you wish for autographs. If you are unable to attend the
event we will be happy to have a copy of any of the author's available
books signed or inscribed for you. We can then either hold it
until you can come in to pick it up or we can ship it to you.
Just give us a call or drop us an email. If you live out of town,
you can also ship us books from your collection to be signed.
Call or email for details.
Chapter Two - Book Listings
Small Press Features
ELSEWHERE
by William Peter Blatty (Cemetery Dance, Hardcover, $25.00) - Cemetery
Dance says: "This incredible haunted house novel from William Peter
Blatty, the legendary author of THE EXORCIST, is disturbing,
unsettling, chilling, and laced with a nasty streak of dark humor.
ELSEWHERE is a must-have for all fans of dark fiction and sure to
become a time-honored classic in the genre."
THE WELL by Jack Cady (Centipede Press, Limited Edition (250 copies)
Hardcover, $75.00) - From Centipede Press: "Jack Cady's classic novel
of evil is brought to new life in an expanded edition. Built by
three generations obsessed with satanic superstition and violence, the
house of the Trackers is a monstrous labyrinth of horrors designed to
thwart the devil. This edition of THE WELL features a new
introduction by Tom Piccirilli and two of Jack Cady's best short
stories, "The Sounds of Silence," and "I Take Care of Things." Also
reprinted is Cady's Hugo and Nebula-winning novella "The Night We
Buried Road Dog" and a fourth piece, the stunning war novella "By
Reason of Darkness."" Signed by Tom Piccirilli.
AN EMPIRE UNACQUAINTED WITH DEFEAT by Glen Cook (Night Shade Books,
Signed, Limited Edition (250 copies) $49.00, and Trade Hardcover,
$24.95) - From Night Shade: "An Empire Unacquainted with Defeat
collects all of Glen Cook's short fiction set in the vast world of the
Dread Empire, from "The Nights of Dreadful Silence", featuring the
first appearance of Bragi Ragnarson, Mocker, and Haroun bin Yousif, to
the culture-clashing novella "Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with
Defeat"; from "Silverheels", Cook's first published work of fiction, to
"Hell's Forge", a haunting tale of cursed pirates and strange lands,
appearing here for the first time. Also including a detailed
introduction and extensive story notes by Glen Cook, AN EMPIRE
UNACQUAINTED WITH DEFEAT charts the development of this influential
American author and the massive, multifaceted world that he created."
MEDICINE ROAD by Charles De Lint (Tachyon, Trade Paperback, $14.95) -
From Tachyon's website: "Laurel and Bess Dillard are charismatic
bluegrass musicians enjoying the success of their first Southwestern
tour. But the Dillard girls know that magical adventures are
always at hand. Upon meeting two mysterious strangers at a gig, the
red-headed twins are drawn into a age-old, mystical wager along the
Medicine Road. One day, seeing a red dog chasing a jackalope,
Coyote Woman gave them human forms. They became Jim Changing Dog and
Alice Corn Hair. In return, both of them must find true love
within a hundred years or their "five-fingered" forms will be forfeit.
Alice has found her soul mate, but trickster Jim is unwilling to settle
down - until he sets eyes upon free-spirited Bess Dillard. Yet time is
running out for the red dog and the jackalope. In just two weeks
they will journey to their reckoning at the Medicine Wheel. Meanwhile,
a motorcycle-riding seductress and a vengeful rattlesnake woman are
eager to meddle, and Bess and Laurel, caught in a web of love and lies,
must find their own paths into the spirit world."
THE DREAM OF X AND OTHER FANTASTIC VISIONS by William Hope Hodgson
(Night Shade Books, Hardcover, $35.00) - The beautiful fifth volume in
Night Shade's Collected Works of William Hope Hodgson series.
CASTAWAYS by Brian Keene (Bloodletting Books, Signed, Limited Edition
(300 copies) Hardcover, $49.95) - Bound in burlap, this is a truly
sensational production. From Bloodletting: "From award-winning
author Brian Keene comes his long-awaited tribute to the master of
horror, Richard Laymon. . . . They came to the deserted island to
compete on a popular reality television show. Each one of them
hoped to be the last to leave. Now, they're just hoping to stay
alive, because one of them isn't who he seems, and the island isn't as
deserted as it appears. The men will be slaughtered. The
women will be kept alive as captives. And before it is over, they
will turn on each other. Night is falling, the creatures are coming,
and rescue is so very far away. . . Brian Keene's CASTAWAYS . . .
Death is the ultimate reality."
LIGHTBREAKER by Mark Teppo (Night Shade Books, Mass Market, $7.99) (See event description above.)
New and Notable
THE
EMPRESS OF MARS by Kage Baker (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95) - Baker's
thoroughly charming novel of a stubborn, free-sprited woman who runs a
tavern on Mars. And, although the novel takes place hundreds of
years before the events of the Company books, sharp-eyed readers will
recognize this as an installment in the Company history. You can read
the original short story that was expanded into the novel here: <http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0406/empressofmars.shtml>. Recommended by Jude.
NIGHT OF KNIVES by Ian Cameron Esslemont (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95 and
Trade Paperback, $14.95) - Steve Erikson fans, rejoice. . . the first
novel from the co-creator of the Malazan world is now available in a US
edition. GARDENS OF THE MOON has also been re-realesed in trade
paperback with a much-improved cover, and (we think) eventually all of
the earlier books in the series will be re-released with a unified
cover design.
SKIN TRADE by Laurell K. Hamilton (Berkeley, Hardcover, $26.95) -
Volume 17 (!) in the Anita Blake series features Anita's increasingly
bizarre sexual adventures as she trails a vampire serial killer in Las
Vegas.
ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY by Kim Harrison (Harper, Hardcover, $16.99) -
Harrison's first book for young adults begins the story of Madison
Avery, whose prom was _really_ killer. As in, she fled it with a
mysterious stranger, survived a car crash, and was then sort-of killed
with the stranger's magical sword. Now Madison's
undead-ish, and being followed around by a light reaper, an angel that
fights off the dark reapers who would otherwise harvest peoples'
souls. It's kind of inconvenient in high school. You can
read an excerpt here: <http://www.kimharrison.net/OnceDeadTwiceShy.htm>.
FALL OF LIGHT by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Ace, Hardcover, $24.95) - A new
novel from Nina Kiriki Hoffman is always a reason for celebration.
Recommended in advance by Jude.
MONSTER by A. Lee Martinez (Orbit, Hardcover, $19.99) - From Publishers
Weekly: "Martinez (TOO MANY CURSES) pokes at big-picture questions,
like the nature of the universe and the meaning of life, with abundant,
zany humor in this charming tale. Monster, who works in
cryptobiological containment, first encounters Judy when he rescues her
from a yeti that's trashing the frozen foods aisle of the Food Plus
Mart. They meet again when trolls infest her apartment. As an
incognizant-someone whose mind can't acknowledge magic-Judy soon
forgets the bizarre events, but Monster suspects she's somehow involved
with the recent uptick in dangerous cryptobiological happenings. When
Lotus, keeper of a stone mysteriously linked to Judy, spirits Judy
away, Monster attempts to come to her rescue, only to discover that
he's in way over his head. Scary monsters and hilarious scenarios
embellish a convoluted plot that suggests even night-shift workers
might have a destiny."
THE CITY AND THE CITY by China Mieville (Del Rey, Hardcover, $26.00) -
Please see event write-up above, and a detailed review from
customer/i09 reviewer Christopher Hsiang here: <http://io9.com/5271675/get-lost-in-china-mievilles-weirdest-cityscape-yet>.
HOUSE OF SUNS by Alastair Reynolds (Ace, Hardcover, $26.95) - The US
hardcover of Reynolds' newest space opera opus. Read a detailed
review here: <http://www.sfsite.com/07a/hs275.htm>.
THE UNSEEN by Alexandra Sokoloff - (St. Martin's, Hardcover, $24.95) -
The premise of this haunted house novel sounds particularly interesting
to me . . . a psychology professor, her colleague and two gifted
students try to replicate a series of poltergeist investigation from
1965, not knowing that all the members of the original team ended up
insane or dead. Detailed review here: <http://www.darkscribemagazine.com/reviews/the-unseen-alexandra-sokoloff.html>.
MIDWINTER by Matthew Sturges - (Pyr, Trade Paperback, $15.98) -
MIDWINTER, according to Matthew Sturges, is "the 'Dirty Dozen' with
elves". What more do you need to know?
BURNING SKIES by David J. Williams - (Bantam, Trade Paperback, $15.00) - See detailed event write-up above.
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
Contributors - Jeremy Lassen, Christopher Hsiang
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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