|
|
|
Site contents copyright
Borderlands
Books
unless
noted
otherwise.
All right reserved.
|
|
ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER
DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News from Borderlands Books
August, 2011
Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features
Upcoming Author Events
It's the month of international authors at Borderlands, as we
welcome Charles Stross (Scotland), Aliette de Bodard (France), and
Lauren Beukes (South Africa), plus a few authors (Deborah Beale, Tad
Williams, Ellen Datlow, and C.S. Friedman) from closer to home!
Charles Stross, RULE 34 (Ace, Hardcover, $25.95) Saturday, August 6th
at 3:00 pm
Aliette de Bodard, HARBINGER OF THE STORM (Angry Robot, Mass Market,
$7.99) Sunday, August 7th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF with authors Deborah Beale and Tad Williams, at the Variety
Preview Room in the Hobart Building, Saturday, August 13th at 7:00 pm
Lauren Beukes, ZOO CITY (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Sunday,
August 21st at 7:00 pm
Ellen Datlow, editor, NAKED CITY (Griffin, Hardcover, $25.99 and Trade
Paperback, $15.99) Wednesday, August 24th at 7:00 pm at Borderlands Cafe
C.S. Friedman, LEGACY OF KINGS (DAW, Hardcover, $25.95) Saturday,
September 10th at 5:00 pm
(for more information check the end of this section)
News
* Would you like to buy the house J.G. Ballard lived in for
nearly 50 years? It's for sale for about $520,000. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/for-sale-futurologist-jg-ballards-old-home-in-need-of-modernisation-2311651.html>
Having
read HIGH RISE, though, I doubt I'd ever sleep comfortably there.
* Inspired by some quite dismissive reviews of HBO's "Game of Thrones"
(actually dismissive commentary on the whole fantasy genre masquerading
as dismissive reviews of this program,) Jacqueline Carey has posted an
eloquent defense of fantasy readers, with a bit of help from _her_
readers: <http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/>
* As Alan suggested about three years ago <http://www.borderlands-books.com/about_newsletter_05-08.html
(scroll down a bit to the "From the Office" article)>, giant
bookstore chain Borders Books will be liquidated, instead of
successfully surviving bankruptcy. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/borders-goes-under-bookstores-begin-to-hold-liquidation-sales-nationwide/2011/07/22/gIQAHWQvTI_story.html>
* In other bookselling news, there is a rumor going around that Apple
might be looking at buying Barnes and Noble <http://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/28/apple-considering-barnes-noble-acquisition/>.
Though
it seems insane on the face of it, B&N's Nook is the second
most popular ebook readers in the US and B&N has been for sale for
months, so . . . .
From the Office
Borders. The End.
Despite lots of work on the part of the management and staff of Borders
Books and Music it wasn't possible for them to emerge from bankruptcy
as a viable company. Last week all their remaining stores began
liquidation sales, leaving Barnes and Noble as the only national
bookselling chain in the U.S.
There has been a great deal written about what brought Borders to this
point. In hindsight it seems obvious that two major differences
between how it operated compared to Barnes and Noble go a long way
towards explaining why Borders is closing and B&N is not.
First, it probably wasn't a very wise move for Borders to, in essence,
hire Amazon to take care of their on-line bookselling for almost eight
years (from 2001 to late 2008). Helping one of your major
competitors build their business on your dime isn't as uncommon a
mistake as one might think but that doesn't make it any less
potentially lethal. The result was that Amazon grew so much that
they were an actual threat to Borders, at which point Borders disolved
the relationship, but by then it was too late for Borders to develop
its own web presence fast enough to get any significant market
share. Granted, Amazon would still have out-grown both Borders
and Barnes and Noble, but it would have been slower and, more
importantly, Borders would have had time to create its own online sales
presence. The way that B&N did.
Second, Borders hasn't been run by booksellers in a very long
time. The last real booksellers left upper management around
1992, shortly after Borders was bought by Kmart. Kmart discovered
that, rather than helping them with the problems they were having with
Waldenbooks (which had been bought by Kmart years previously), the
addition of Borders made the situation worse, which prompted a fast
restructuring and sale of Borders. But from then on Borders was
run by the common (or short-tailed) American CEO. In comparison,
Leonard Riggio, the founder and major shareholder of Barnes &
Noble, started selling books while in college and has (with his
brother, Steven) controlled B&N from its beginnings as a chain.
But all the foregoing only explains why Borders fell and Barnes and
Noble carries on. Both businesses have been subject to the same
pressures. It was the weaker one that collapsed first.
If you'll forgive the gruesome imagery, it's like two castaways
stranded on a desert island without any food. The fitter (and,
likely, larger) one will live longer before starving. If his
companion dies first . . . well, you can guess what happens. And
so the remaining one gets a reprieve, for a while.
But there's still no food on the island.
Barnes and Noble has had some hard times recently. In theory, the
company has been up for sale for months and months now but there just
aren't any takers. Its sales are down and profits are down
moreso. But Borders closing should give them a boost for a
while. Some analysts have guessed that B&N might capture as
much as 900 million to 1.1 billion dollars in sales next year from
former Borders customers. But Borders' sales last year were
around 2.25 billion dollars. That leaves 1.15 billion in sales
that are going to go somewhere else.
Where?
Some of those sales are going to vanish. Ebooks in general don't
cost as much as physical books and so the total sales in that pool
won't be 2.25 billion. As for the rest . . . . Mostly to
Amazon, I suspect. Some small portion may go to independent
stores as well as "non-traditional markets" (which is publisher-speak
for places like the grocery store, Walmart, and CostCo).
Here's the thing, first, people who were shopping at Borders already
had chosen a chain over an independent bookshop. They're not
likely to change their minds now. Second, many of the places that
Borders operated don't _have_ any independent bookstores left. So
the choices left are B&N or Amazon. And Borders customers
already had some reason not to be shopping at B&N.
Bottom line, Borders didn't go out of business because of poor business
decisions or bad management. They folded because people weren't
buying books in bookstores. And unless that changes, Barnes and
Noble is going to keep wandering around that island looking for some
dinner . . . all the while getting thinner and thinner.
- Alan Beatts
Top Sellers At Borderlands
Hardcovers
1. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
2. Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey
3. Rule 34 by Charles Stross
4. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
5. Embassytown by China Mieville
6. The Dervish House by Ian MacDonald
7. The Year's Best Science Fiction 28th Annual Collection edited by
Gardner Dozois
8. Jim and the Flims by Rudy Rucker
9. Flashback by Dan Simmons
10. Trokia by Alastair Reynolds
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Heartless by Gail Carriger
2. Deadline by Mira Grant
3. The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross
4. The January Dancer by Michael Flynn
5. Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
6. The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
7. Feed by Mira Grant
8. Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey
9. The Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
10. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire tie with Way of Kings by Brandon
Sanderson
Trade Paperbacks
1. Sword of Fire and Sea by Erin Hoffman
2. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
3. In Extremis: The Most Extreme Stories by John Shirley
4. Save Yourself, Mammal!: A Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Collection by Zach Weiner
5. The Year's Best Science Fiction 28th Annual Collection edited by
Gardner Dozois tie with Stories: All New Tales edited by Neil Gaiman
and Al Sarrantonio
Book Club Info
The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, August 14th, at 5
pm to discuss GOD'S WAR by Kameron Hurley. 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, August
21st, at 6 pm to discuss ZOO CITY by Lauren Beukes. The author
will be reading and doing a Q-and-A at 7:00 pm The book for
September is ZERO HISTORY by William Gibson. Please contact
bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.
Upcoming Event Details
Charles Stross, RULE 34 (Ace,
Hardcover, $25.95) Saturday, August 6th at 3:00 pm - We are thrilled to
welcome Charles Stross to Borderlands! Borderlands' customers
really need no introduction to Stross, who is both incredibly prolific
and fascinatingly diverse in his novels and short stories. From
the book jacket of the newest novel: "Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh
is head of the Rule 34 Squad, monitoring the Internet to determine
whether people are engaging in harmless fantasies or illegal
activities. Three ex-con spammers have been murdered, and Liz must
uncover the link between them before these homicides go viral."
Mr. Stross lives in Scotland and doesn't make it to San Francisco very
often, so don't miss this rare opportunity to meet him!
Aliette de Bodard, HARBINGER OF THE STORM (Angry Robot, Mass Market,
$7.99) Sunday, August 7th at 3:00 pm - We are happy to welcome Aliette
de Bodard to the store for the first time! She lives in France,
so you won't get another chance to meet her anytime soon. Aliette
won the Writers of the Future contest a few years back, and her first
novel SERVANT OF THE UNDERWORLD "is a cross between a historical Aztec
fantasy and a murder-mystery, featuring ghostly jaguars, bloodthirsty
gods and fingernail-eating monsters." The first two books of the
Obsidian and Blood trilogy are available now, and the third will be out
shortly. Come check out the reading and get your questions
answered by this up-and-coming star!
SF in SF with authors Deborah Beale and Tad Williams, at the Variety
Preview Room in the Hobart Building, Saturday, August 13th at 7:00 pm
- We are very excited to help SF in SF welcome these
authors! 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 in the
lounge. Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.
Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. Bar proceeds
benefit Variety Childrens Charity - learn more at
<http://www.varietync.org/>. We REALLY encourage you to
take BART into the City, or use MUNI to get here - parking can be
problematic in San Francisco, to say the least. We are less than
one block away from the Montgomery St. station. Trust us - you
don't want to be looking for parking and be late for the event!
Phone (night of event) 415-572-1015. Questions? Email
sfinsfevents@gmail.com.
Lauren Beukes, ZOO CITY (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Sunday,
August 21st at 7:00 pm - We're delighted to host the Arthur C. Clarke
Award Winner Lauren Beukes! Her newest novel is ZOO CITY, and
here is the synopsis: "It’s a world not far removed from our own; a
world of corrupt media giants, unscrupulous newspapermen, and unctuous
music execs; where a person’s worth is measured by their latest social
network status and a celebrity is only as important as their imdb
listing; where citizens are simultaneously blessed and cursed,
literally handicapped, with powers drawn from the bestial avatars of
those whose death they’ve caused. In this world, a former addict and
scam artist, Zinzi December, survives by using the special powers
provided by a sloth to find lost objects for the wealthy and powerful.
But when a client is murdered, will her unique abilities work when it
comes to finding the truth?" This is a really unique, impressive
book and you shouldn't miss this rare opportunity to meet Lauren, since
she lives in South Africa and rarely comes to the US!
Ellen Datlow, editor, NAKED CITY (Griffin, Hardcover, $25.99 and Trade
Paperback, $15.99) Wednesday, August 24th at 7:00 pm at Borderlands
Cafe - Chat with one of the most awarded, famous, and distinguished
editors in the business at this informal meet and greet in the
Cafe! From her biography: "Ellen Datlow is currently tied (with
frequent co-editor Terri Windling) as the winner of the most World
Fantasy Awards in the organization's history (nine). She has also won,
with co-editor Windling, a Bram Stoker Award for The Year's Best
Fantasy and Horror #13, and with co-editors Kelly Link and Gavin J.
Grant, a Bram Stoker Award for The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #17.
She has also won the International Horror Guild Award for her
anthologies The Dark and Inferno; the Shirley Jackson Award for Inferno
and Poe; the Locus Award for Best Editor in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and
2009, and the Hugo Award for Best Editor 2002, 2005, and Best Editor
Short Fiction 2008 and 2009. In addition, SCIFICTION won the Hugo Award
for best Web site in 2005 as well as the Wooden Rocket award as best
online magazine for 2005. Ellen was named recipient of the 2007 Karl
Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for
'outstanding contribution to the genre.'" You won't want to miss this
chance to meeet Ellen!
C.S. Friedman, LEGACY OF KINGS (DAW, Hardcover, $25.95) Saturday,
September 10th at 5:00 pm - How cool is it that we get to host C.S.
Friedman?! Celia Friedman is best known for the Coldfire Trilogy,
but deserves equal acclaim for THIS ALIEN SHORE, the Magister Trilogy
(of which LEGACY is the third) and her other stand-alone novels.
Celia will read not only from LEGACY, but also from a brand-new,
original novella set in the Coldfire world. Come meet C.S.
Friedman and learn about her amazing career and her hirsute writing
assistants.
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.
Dispatches from the Border
Editor - Jude Feldman
Assistant Editor - Alan Beatts
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
BACK ISSUES OF NEWSLETTER
2011
JULY, 2011
JUNE, 2011
MAY, 2011
APRIL, 2011
JANUARY, 2011
2010
DECEMBER, 2010
NOVEMBER, 2010
OCTOBER, 2010
SEPTEMBER, 2010
AUGUST, 2010
JULY, 2010
JUNE, 2010
MAY, 2010
MARCH, 2010
FEBURARY, 2010
JANUARY, 2010
2009
DECEMBER, 2009
NOVEMBER, 2009
OCTOBER, 2009
SEPTEMBER, 2009
AUGUST, 2009
JULY, 2009
JUNE, 2009
MAY, 2009
APRIL, 2009
MARCH, 2009
FEBRUARY, 2009
JANUARY, 2009
2008
NOVEMBER, 2008
OCTOBER, 2008
SEPTEMBER, 2008
AUGUST, 2008
JULY, 2008
JUNE, 2008
MAY, 2008
APRIL, 2008
MARCH, 2008
FEBRUARY, 2008
JANUARY, 2008
2007
DECEMBER, 2007
NOVEMBER, 2007
OCTOBER, 2007
SEPTEMBER, 2007
AUGUST, 2007
JULY, 2007
JUNE, 2007
MAY, 2007
APRIL, 2007
MARCH, 2007
FEBRUARY, 2007
JANUARY, 2007
2006
DECEMBER, 2006
NOVEMBER, 2006
OCTOBER, 2006
SEPTEMBER, 2006
AUGUST, 2006
JULY, 2006
JUNE, 2006
MAY, 2006
APRIL, 2006
MARCH, 2006
FEBRUARY, 2006
JANUARY, 2006
2005
DECEMBER, 2005
NOVEMBER, 2005
OCTOBER, 2005
SEPTEMBER, 2005
AUGUST, 2005
JULY, 2005
JUNE, 2005
MAY, 2005
APRIL, 2005
MARCH, 2005
FEBRUARY, 2005
JANUARY, 2005
2004
DECEMBER, 2004
NOVEMBER, 2004
OCTOBER, 2004
SEPTEMBER, 2004
AUGUST, 2004
JULY, 2004
JUNE, 2004
MAY, 2004
APRIL, 2004
MARCH, 2004
FEBRUARY, 2004
JANUARY, 2004
2003
DECEMBER, 2003
NOVEMBER, 2003
|