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ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER
DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER
Events and News from Borderlands Books
December, 2007
Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features
Borderlands Holiday Potluck Party, Friday, December 21st at 6:00 pm
(Borderlands takes a break from events between Thanksgiving and New
Year's, but we've got some great stuff in the works for next year --
we're already organizing events with Jeffrey Ford, Scott Sigler, and
many others!)
Mark J. Ferrari, THE BOOK OF JOBY, (Tor, Hardcover, $27.95, and Trade Paperback, $15.95) Saturday, January 12th at 3:00 pm
Peter S. Beagle and Mark J. Ferrari are guests of SF in SF at the
Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street, Saturday, January 19th at 7:00
pm
(for more information check the end of this section)
Gift Suggestions
It is that time of year again . . . warm feelings in
the heart, a chill in the air, and my neighbors with their terrifying
holiday decorations. (Light-up, three-foot-tall Wise Men in the
trees - now that is scary!) But I digress. This is a cozy time of
year, when many of you more-domestic-than-me types bake cookies and
gather the loved ones close by the fire . . . or maybe your whole
Wiccan circle goes camping in the mountains with organic goodies . . .
or perhaps you play World of Warcraft with your buddies, a huge bag of
Doritos, and a gallon-size Mountain Dew . . . or maybe you get Chinese
food and watch zombie movies with the cats . . . or curl up by yourself
with a good book or seven! However and with whomever you choose to
spend your holidays, we wish you joy and fun.
To make the present-giving parts of the season easier, here is the
officially-official Borderlands Guide to Holiday Gifts, with a little
something for everyone -- even you!
GOOD-FOR-ANYONE-GIFTS:
Y'know when you want to give something nice to someone you don't know
very well? Skip the snowman sweaters - these are never-fail choices.
*The Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Edition by William Goldman
(Ballantine, Hardcover, $24.95, or Mass Market, $7.99) - I have never
met *anyone* who dislikes this book, which is close to a miracle.
The perfect blend of humor, action, adventure, romance, and Rodents of
Unusual Size.
*Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (Morrow, Hardcover,
$29.95, Harper, Trade Paperback, $14.95, and HarperTorch Mass Market,
$7.99) - The funniest book about Armageddon you'll ever read.
*We have a large selection of blank books, including Moleskine
journals, Sandman and fairy journals, Tim Burton's Tragic Thoughts
Journal (which lights up!) and handmade journals from the Pettingill
Book Bindery in Berkeley. Prices range from $7.99 to $18.99.
*Wooden boxes in a variety of sizes and designs will suit anyone. Prices range from $5.00 - $36.00.
AMUSING GIFTS:
*The Android's Dream by John Scalzi (Tor, Hardcover, $24.95 and Mass
Market, $6.99) - An intersteller incident inspired by flatulence and
sheep. How does it get better?
*The ACME Catalog by Charles Carey (Chronicle, Trade Paperback, $14.95)
- An entire catalog of (mostly) fictional products for Looney Tunes
characters to purchase at their own risk!
*Great Lies to Tell Small Kids by Andy Riley (Plume, Small Softcover,
$11.00) - I pick a new favorite every day, but today's is "It is
unlucky NOT to name every ant you see. For your whole life."
*The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, complied by
Stephen Briggs (Harper, Hardcover, $22.95) - Various bits and pieces,
witty commentary and sagacious observations culled from all the
Discworld novels.
Lamb, or The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by
Christopher Moore (Morrow, special gift edition with Bible-like cover
& sewn-in bookmark, $19.95, and Perennial, Trade Paperback, $13.95)
- A funny, respectful and oddly touching re-telling.
The Stupidest Angel (a Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror) by
Christopher Moore (Morrow, small Hardcover, $15.95) Christmas.
With zombies. It's a theme, you know.
HORRIFIC GIFTS TO TERRIFY THOSE YOU LOVE:
*20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill (Morrow, Hardcover, $24.95) We have
just a few signed copies of this brilliant debut short story collection
remaining.
*The Dark Descent edited by David Hartwell (Tor, Trade Paperback,
$29.95) - The classic, indispensible collection with a little bit of
everything for the horror fan.
*Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin (Bantam, Trade Paperback, $16.00) -
Glorious, unsentimental Mississippi riverboat vampire novel.
*The Devil You Know by Mike Carey (Warner, Hardcover, $24.99) - We
still have a few signed copies of this awesome first novel about
freelance exorcist Felix Castor.
*World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Barry (Three
Rivers, Trade Paperback, $14.95) - George Romero meets Studs
Terkel. Unforgettable and strangely moving.
*I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Orb, Trade Paperback, $14.95) - Read (or give) the novel before the movie comes out.
FOR THE PARANOID ON YOUR LIST:
*Four Novels of the 1960 s: The Man in the High Castle, The Three
Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ubik
by Philip K. Dick (Library of America, Hardcover, $35.00) - This lovely
and literary volume collects these four novels.
*Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (Harper, Oversized Softcover, $20.00) -
Conspiracy upon conspiracy, plus a "Natural Causes" Gun that shoots
heart attacks!
*How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against
the Coming Rebellion by Daniel H. Wilson (Bloomsbury, small
Softcover, $12.95) - Certainly the title speaks for itself.
*The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead by
Max Barry (Three Rivers, Trade Paperback, $13.95) - Remember, "organize
before they rise!"
ENDURING CLASSICS IN GIFT-Y HARDCOVER FORMATS:
*Dune by Frank Herbert (Ace, Hardcover, $29.95)
*Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95)
*The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Del Rey, Hardcover, $30.00)
*The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (Houghton Mifflin, Collector's Edition
bound in green leather with matching slipcase, $35.00; Houghton
Mifflin, Hardcover illustrated by Tolkien, $16.00; Houghton Mifflin
Hardcover illustrated by Alan Lee, $35.00; Houghton Mifflin Hardcover
illustrated by Peter Sis, $18.00)
*The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (Dutton, Hardcover, $22.99)
*The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Wings,
Hardcover, $14.99) - Includes all five novels - The Hitchhiker s Guide
to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the
Universe and Everything; So Long and Thanks for All the Fish; and
Mostly Harmless.
FOR YOUR WEIRDER FRIENDS AND FAMILY:
*Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis (Morrow, Hardcover, $21.95) - If
Hunter S. Thompson, Dashiell Hammett and Christopher Moore had written
a novel together, this would be it.
*The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet edited by Gavin Grant
and Kelly Link (Del Rey, Trade Paperback, $14.95) - Some of the best
from the hugely popular 'zine. Genre-bending and
expectation-defying.
*Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar (Soft Skull, Trade
Paperback, $13.95) - Quirky and sweet novel with several sincerely
unconventional protagonists including a handful of drunken Scottish
fairies.
*Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey (Night Shade Books, Trade Paperback,
$14.95) - Awesome novel set in San Francisco and Hell with an unlikely
tattoo-artist hero.
*Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death by Corrine May Botz (Monacelli
Press, Oversized Hardcover, $35.00) - This gorgeous photo book
showcases the mind-boggling work of Frances Glessner Lee, who created
incredibly realistic doll-house death scenes to assist in training
forensic and police investigators. Perfect for the CSI fan in
your life.
*Gun With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem (Harcourt, Trade
Paperback, $14.00) - Surreal noir detective novel, one of my
favorites. The threatening kangaroo is just the beginning.
*A Box of Bunny Suicides by Andy Riley (Plume, two small softcovers in
a cardboard slipcase, $20.00) - Box includes THE BOOK OF BUNNY SUICIDES
and RETURN OF THE BUNNY SUICIDES. Cartoons featuring little
fluffy rabbits who just don't want to live any more.
MORE GOOD STUFF:
*The Golden Compass is the big, beautiful, uproar-inciting movie of the
Winter. We have several different formats of all of the books in
the His Dark Materials series (The Golden Compass,The Subtle Knife, and
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman) for your controversial
reading-or-presenting pleasure: Mass Markets from Laurel-Leaf, $7.50
each, Trade Paperbacks from Knopf, $11.95 each, and two different kinds
of Hardcover from Knopf, the regular ($20.00 each) and the Special
editions ($22.99 each). We also have all three books in one
omnibus trade paperback volume from Knopf, at $21.99.
*Territory by Emma Bull (Tor, Hardcover, $24.95) - A magical re-telling
of the events leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Coral.
*River of Gods by Ian McDonald (Pyr, Hardcover, $25.00, and Trade
Paperback, $15.00) - India in 2047 is a very odd place. An
excellent novel full of fascinating ideas. *Firebirds
edited by Sharyn November (Viking, Hardcover, $19.99 and Trade
Paperback $8.99) - One of my favorite anthologies -- this one has some
brilliant stories in it.
*Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages (Tachyon, Trade Paperback, $14.95)
- Feral librarians, time-traveling lesbians, and the origin of
beetles. Short story collection that will make you laugh and
sigh.
*Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio by John Picacio (Monkeybrain
Books, Oversized Hardcover, $39.95) - We still have some signed copies
of this stunning art book.
*Wild Girls by Pat Murphy (Viking, Hardcover, $16.99) - One of the best
novels ever about self-discovery through writing and rebelliousness.
*Blindsight by Peter Watts (Tor, Hardcover, $25.95) - Grim, fascinating
hard SF novel. One of the most thought-provoking of the year.
If nothing in this lengthy list sounds just right, please ask us --- we'll be happy to recommend something!
News
* As usual, Borderlands will have complimentary coffee, tea, and hot chocolate for our customers this whole month.
* Borderlands' event calendar is now up at Google Calendar. You
can sign up and have it added to your Google account. Just click
here <http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=office%40borderlands-books.com>
to go to our calendar. Feel free to bookmark it. Or, click
the button in the lower right corner. It'll take you to
Google's site where you can sign up and get our event information added
to your own calendar. We are also hosting our event calendar at
iCal Exchange <http://www.icalx.com/>. If you use Apple's iCal program, you can subscribe and get your tasty event info sent right to your computer.
* JACK KETCHUM'S THE GIRL NEXT DOOR COMES TO DVD THIS WEEK "North
American viewers will finally have the opportunity to rent or buy the
controversial, acclaimed, award-winning film version of the cult novel
by Jack Ketchum this week. Distributed by Anchor Bay
Entertainment, JACK KETCHUM'S THE GIRL NEXT DOOR arrives on video
shelves on 12/4 . . . . Of the film, Stephen King has
stated 'The first authentically shocking American film I've seen since
HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER over 20 years ago. If you are
easily disturbed, you should not watch this movie. If, on the
other hand, you are prepared for a long look into hell, suburban style,
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR will not disappoint. This is the
dark-side-of-the-moon version of STAND BY ME.' Screened at over 20 film
festivals and conventions world-wide, the movie will receive a limited
theatrical run in Canada this month. Details of the screenings
will be posted at [Phil] Nutman's official Web site later this week:
<http://www.PhilipNutman.com>
To view the cover art and for the specs on the disc, which includes two
audio commentary tracks and detailed making-of featurettes, please go
here: <http://andersonvision.com/joomla/content/view/2420/1/>"
*Thanks to Necessary Evil Press for the following: "With the
announcement of our new novel DEEPER, we are featuring a short story
from James A. Moore entitled DEAR DIARY. This story is not directly
related to DEEPER, but it does involve a minor character from the
novel. It's four chapters long and we will release one chapter each
week for four weeks, starting with the first chapter (because that's a
great place to start). And the best parts? It's a brand new story
and it's free!" <http://www.necessaryevilpress.com/deeper_book.html>
*Thanks to Josh Wilson for telling us about "The Fabulist," <http://the-fabulist.org/yarns/?page_id=2>
which is a "new [online] home for fables, yarns, tall tales, weird
fiction, magic realism, and literary fantasy & science
fiction. Your words, images and other media are welcome.
This is a beta site, open to readers and contributors. In particular we
seek to free the literature of the fantastic from the burdens of genre.
But genre is fine if it s in service to the telling . . . .
Contact: Drop us a line at bibliopolis (AT) the-fabulist.org
Contribute: We welcome contributions of any genre, but especially those
that use genre as a starting point. All manner of text, visual and
audio media and styles are encouraged. We re pretty laissez-faire
about what goes up, as long as it s great and falls within the broad
range of interests listed above. Note that this is a volunteer
project, done for love, not money."
*You can buy a t-shirt to support the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund
(which helps science fiction writers without insurance), which is a
great thing all by itself. But the REALLY great thing is
that the motto on the t-shirt is "SFWA: Farting Rainbows Since 1965!"
Click here to buy the t-shirt:<http://www.zazzle.com/sfwa_farting_rainbow_t_shirt-235210275612449275>, and here <http://community.livejournal.com/sfwa/39295.html> for the story behind it, uh, so to speak.
*We're pleased to announce that Solaris Books has "begun the online
serialisation of THREE UNBROKEN by Chris Roberson, posting the first
chapter on their website at <http://www.solarisbooks.com/books/three-unbroken/free/index.asp>.
Chapters will now be posted twice a week, on a Wednesday and a Friday,
accessible for FREE to anyone who stops by. The novel is the second
book in Roberson s extraordinary Celestial Empire sequence, with the
events described taking place at the same time as those in THE DRAGON S
NINE SONS, which is published by Solaris in paperback in February
2008."
From The Office
Hi Everyone,
The holiday whirl is well and truly upon me. On top of all the
usual, I've been working on my house (dammit, I'm really going to try
to have something that resembles a kitchen this Christmas -- it's only
been in progress for three years now), working on the cafe (more about
that next month -- and yes, I'm still planning on opening a cafe next
door to the shop, any year now, I promise,) building furniture for
friends (no one should tell a sound engineer that they have to move --
with two weeks notice), and trying to catch up after our big 10th
anniversary doings (which were absolutely great -- thank all of you for
your support).
And then there's sleep. I remember sleep. It was nice and
soothing. One of the great, lost loves of my life, actually.
Anyway, if you aren't all sick of seeing us at the shop, I hope you'll
come by for our holiday pot-luck in two weeks. I'd love to see
you and, if I get some sleep, I might even have my eyes open.
Maybe. If I'm lucky.
Otherwise, I hope you all have a great holiday, whatever you conceive
it to be. If you need a little break, stop by and say,
"Hi". We've got the usual complimentary coffee, tea, hot
chocolate, and spiced cider all set up and waiting. There's a
comfy couch, an affectionate (read as "demanding") cat, and perhaps
even one or two books that you haven't read yet. And, we're open
late Fridays and Saturdays 'till the 25th (in fact, for the last week
leading up to Christmas we're going to be open 'till ten every night).
Oh, and I almost forgot -- if you come by during the week you might see
two new faces around the store. My sister-in-law Alexandra and my
niece, Darran, are both helping out a bit. They're both very nice
(I don't care _what_ my brother says) and they each have their own
particular taste in books (and Darran is especially good at making
suggestions for younger readers) so make sure to ask them what they're
reading.
Best,
Alan
Top Sellers At Borderlands
Hardcovers 1. Postsingular by Rudy Rucker
2. Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
3. War of Gifts by Orson Scott Card
4. Ice, Iron and Gold by S.M. Stirling
5. Pirate Freedom by Gene Wolfe
6. Hilldiggers by Neal Asher
7. Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon
8. Imago Sequence & Other Stories by Laird Barron
9. Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey
10. Spook Country by William Gibson
Mass Market Paperbacks 1. Dog Days by John Levitt
2. The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
3. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
4. Sixty Days and Counting by Kim Stanley Robinson
5. Glasshouse by Charles Stross
6. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
7. Endgame by Kristine Smith
8. Odyssey by Jack McDevitt
9. Light by M. John Harrison
10. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Trade Paperbacks 1. World War Z by Max Barry
2. Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey
3. Speculative Japan edited by Grania Davis and Gene van Troyer
4. 9Tail Fox by Jon Courtenay Grimwood tied with Rewired: The Post
Cyberpunk Anthology edited by James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel
5. The Secret Files of the Diogenes Club by Kim Newman
Notes From a DVD Geek
It's the Yule season, and frenzied purchasing sprees are in the
air. DVD's make great stocking stuffers, or gifts, or
whatever. For those of you find the holiday to be a
torturous mess filled with awkward family gatherings and not much fun,
I've got some suggestions for you.
First up is the original torture-porn extravaganza . . . "The
Girl Next Door". Anybody who has read Jack Ketchum's landmark
horror novel knows what a grueling, psychological roller coaster it
is. I have to be honest -- I haven't seen the movie yet.
It's directed by no one you've ever heard of, starring nobody you've
ever heard of. But it's going to the top of my To Watch pile,
simply because the source material is so magnificent. I have
modest hopes for the movie, but . . . they are still hopes.
"Hostel Part 2" is out on DVD. The most original and
creative of the torture-porn releases has a mediocre follow-up that
delivers what you would expect from a franchise of this type. If
you have the holiday season blues, this will be sure to make you
realize that someone, somewhere, is having a worse day.
If the recent influx of squirm-inducing horror has you wondering "What
happened to the Italians?" They used to make such great/silly/crazy
horror movies. Well . . . They haven't stopped making them
. . . they just got out-weirded by Takashi Mike and the rest of
Japan. Hoping to even up the score is a fresh young Italian
auteur Alex Infascelli ("Almost Blue," "The Vanity Serum,") whose
latest filmic epic is "Hate 20". I'm not saying he's the next
Dario Argento, or even the next Fulci . . . but he's certainly worth
checking out. "Hate 20" is in Italian, with English
subtitles. And that horror fiend on your holiday list most likely
has not seen or heard of this one yet.
If that special someone has Asian Horror on their list . . . you might
want to give them the Korean Ghost School Trilogy, box set, which has
"Whispering Corridors," "Memento Mori," and "Wishing Stairs," along
with a bonus disk of special features not previously released in the
US. This series is lush and filled with atmosphere, and a general
sense of unease and creepiness. Think "Degrassi High" meets "The
Grudge". (Speaking of "The Grudge," the novel that inspired
the movie was written by Ken Oishi. He's written the new movie,
"Apartment 1303," directed by Ataru Oikawa who made a name for himself
directing the Tomie films. Depending on how much Asian horror
cinema you watch . . . this pairing may sound like the J-horror
equivalent of the rock-n-roll world's Velvet Revolver*, or AudioSlave*
. . . a calculated pairing of two established but slightly shopworn
brand names. And like the above two examples . . . sometimes it
is a disaster and sometimes it works. "Apartment 1303" is
somewhere between these two extremes. It is paint-by-numbers . .
. but all the numbers are filled in very competently. Perky young
Japanese people getting killed by the apartment complex, and they keep
moving in. You'd think that as the body counts kept rising,
people would stop moving in . . . but if you live in San
Francisco, you know a few ghosts won't keep you away from a place with
below-market rent. I guess for me, this is what truly resonated
about this movie. Sadly, I doubt there will be a US remake, set
in San Francisco . . . staring the perky young cast of whatever CW teen
angst TV drama is popular but there should be.
Moving away from horror, I wanted to point out the number one most
important gift item on every SF aficionado's list: "Blade Runner - The
Final Cut". This is what a re-released, re-edited movie should
be. It contains the original theatrical version, and the new
final cut, and every cut in between! Plus a boatload of special
features. There is a four disk version of this "Blade Runner":The
Collectors' Edition. It features: 1982 THEATRICAL VERSION -
Featuring the infamous Harrison Ford voice over. Some people love
it. 1982 INTERNATIONAL VERSION - The basis of the U.S. home video,
laserdisc and cable releases up to 1992. This version is not rated, and
contains some extended action scenes in contrast to the Theatrical
Version. 1992 DIRECTOR'S CUT - This was the one that removed the
voice over, and added the unicorn, and the "Happy" ending. And . . .
This year's FINAL CUT. Which isn't anything hugely
different from the 1992 director's cut, but is rather a refined version
supervised by Scott, with some of the more obvious plot and F/X gaffs
cleaned up. I saw this version in Times Square last month, on the big
screen, and I can't wait to see it again. There is also a documentary,
and a host of cut/unused footage available on the four disk edition -
most of which has never been released before. And, for the
really hardcore of those amongst you who want to see the rarest of
rares . . . there is a super special 5 disk "Ultimate Edition" that
comes in its own special "void comp test" carrying case. This five-disk
"Blade Runner" features the original work print version of the film
. . . very little narration . . . different dialog in
several scenes, and different music . . . no happy ending and no
unicorn. So, for the completist, I recommend the five disker, which
will probably be out of print soon after Christmas, so grab it
now. I'd also recommend pre-ordering it with us if you want
to get it, because we are only stocking this on a one-at-a-time
basis. For someone who is a casual fan, or just wants an archival
quality version of the most influential SF film of all time ("Star
Wars" is sci-fi , not SF - but that discussion is for another time)
film, go for the four disk version.
Finally, I wanted to touch on something that will totally muddy the
waters: HD, or High Definition. If you own an HD TV, and a PS3,
there's no reason to not be buying Blue Ray versions of your favorite
movies. I've made the Blue Ray plunge, and I'm not going back to
regular DVD. HD-DVD is a competing high definition standard that
is also available, and next year expect to see combo players that play
both formats, at affordable prices. "Blade Runner" (both the 4
and 5-disk versions) are available in both High Definition
formats. Borderlands won't be stocking any High Definition
versions of "Blade Runner," or any other movies (for now at least), but
we can special order them for you, if you want the best available
version for your home theater experience.
Some other titles that are available on both Blue Ray or HD are the
Kubrick films I mentioned last month. Blue Ray-only titles that I
d recommend are the classic Korean torture/revenge epic "Oldboy," and
Ridley Scott's director's cut of "Kingdom of Heaven". All of
these titles look simply awesome at 1080P resolution. Let us know
if you're interested, and we can get these or any others for you.
Next time you read my column, it will be next year. Until then have a happy new year.
-Jeremy Lassen
*Guns n' Roses band members with Stone Temple Pilots' lead signer - disaster.
**Rage Against the Machine band members with Soundgarden's lead singer - it works.
- Jeremy Lassen jlassen@borderlands-books.com
Book Club Info
The
Gay Men's Book Club will meet on Sunday, December 9th, at 5 pm to
discuss PERDIDO STREET STATION by China Mieville. The book for
January is RIVER OF GODS by Ian McDonald. 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
16th, at 6 pm to discuss A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE by Peter S.
Beagle. The book for January is HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER by
James Tiptree, Jr. Please contact Jude at
jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more information.
Upcoming Event Details
Borderlands Holiday Potluck Party, Friday, December 21st at
6:00 pm - Consider us an island of sanity (well, perhaps an oasis of
quiet . . . the sanity part is debatable) in your busy holiday
season. Join us for a very informal Potluck Party; bring an
edible tidbit or drink if you feel like it (no alcohol, please, though
we may go for cocktails after the store closes), and enjoy a
companionable few hours chatting, snacking, browsing, and petting the
cat. Doesn't that sound infinitely preferable to the normal
office holiday party, where one of your co-workers will inevitably
Xerox his or her butt? We thought so.
Mark J. Ferrari, THE BOOK OF JOBY, (Tor, Hardcover, $27.95, and Trade
Paperback, $15.95) Saturday, January 12th at 3:00 pm - From Tor's
website: "Lucifer and the Creator have entered, yet again, into a wager
they've made many times before, but this time, the existence of
creation itself is balanced on the outcome. Born in California
during the twilight years of a weary millennium, nine year old Joby
Peterson dreams of blazing like a bonfire against the gathering
darkness of his times, like a knight of the Round Table.
Instead, he is subjected to a life of crippling self-doubt and
relentless mediocrity inflicted by an enemy he did nothing to earn and
cannot begin to comprehend. Though imperiled themselves,
the angels are forbidden to intervene. Left to struggle
with their own loyalties and the question of obedience, they watch
Lucifer work virtually unhindered to turn Joby's heart of gold into ash
and stone while God sits by, seemingly unconcerned. And so when
he is grown to manhood, Joby's once luminous love of life seems
altogether lost, and Lucifer's victory assured. What hope remains
lies hidden in the beauty, warmth, and innocence of a forgotten seaside
village whose odd inhabitants seem to defy the modern world s most
inflexible assumptions, and in the hearts of Joby's long lost youthful
love and her emotionally wounded son. But the ravenous forces of
destruction that follow Joby into this concealed paradise plan to use
these same things to bring him and his world to ruin. As the
final struggle unfolds, one question occupies every mind in heaven and
in hell. Which will prove stronger, love or rage?" Meet the author of
this incredible contemporary fantasy at Borderlands!
Peter S. Beagle and Mark J. Ferrari are guests of SF in SF at the
Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street, Saturday, January 19th at 7:00
pm - SF in SF is an ongoing monthly reading and discussion series
sponsered by Tacyhon Publications and moderated by author Terry
Bisson. There is a cash bar and books will be available for sale
from Borderlands. This month, meet Peter S. Beagle, beloved
author of the perennial classic THE LAST UNICORN, and Mark J. Ferrari,
whose first novel THE BOOK OF JOBY is generating rave reviews.
For more information on SF in SF, see <http://www.sfinsf.org/>
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
PASSING
OF A GOD - THE COLLECTED SHORT FICTION OF HENRY S. WHITEHEAD by
Henry S. Whitehead (Ash-Tree Press, Hardcover, $48.00) - The first of
three volumes collecting all of the short fiction by this often
overlooked master of the wierd tale.
A VINTAGE FROM ATLANTIS: THE COLLECTED FANTASIES VOL. 3 by Clark Ashton
Smith (Nightshade Books, Hardcover, $39.95) - The third in a
five-volume set collecting the definitive texts of Clark Ashton Smith's
fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Edited by Scott
Connors and Ron Hilger, who have put together a definitive set of texts
based on Smith's notes, manuscripts, and letters.
SAINT-GERMAIN: MEMOIRS by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Elder Signs Press,
Hardcover (limited to 200 signed and numbered copies) $34.95 and Trade
Paperback, $14.95) - Collected in this book are stories of the vampire,
Saint-Germain. From ancient Greece to the present, the dark
immortal recounts tales from a timeless life. Also included is a
brief essay by the author about her world-renowned character that has
seen nearly three decades of publication.
ANTEDILUVIAN TALES by Poppy Brite (Subterranean Press, Hardcover (400
copy signed and numbered limited edition ($45) and trade edition ($25))
- This mini-collection contains five stories of the Stubbs family, the
New Orleans clan whose adventures Brite has chronicled in her popular
LIQUOR novels and other works. Two more stories revisit the author's
fictitious alter ego Dr. Brite, the coroner of New Orleans.
Completing the book is "The Last Good Day of My Life," a nonfiction
look at the changes the past two years have wrought on Brite, filtered
through a reminiscence about a day she spent knocking around Cairns,
Australia.
New and Notable
PIRATE
FREEDOM by Gene Wolfe (Tor, Hardcover, $24.95) - Wolfe's best work in
years. Perhaps (and only in my opinion) his best work
ever. Historically accurate without being drab and only the
lighest touch of SF to give it flavor. Outstanding.
Recommended by Alan and Jude
SKY COYOTE - The Company vol. 2 by Kage Baker (Tor, Trade Paperback,
$15.95) - The last novel in Baker's Company books to be reprinted by
her new publisher. It's been out of print forever (at least
it seems that way to us) and we're glad to see it back in the
store. Now you can finally read _all_ the Company
novels. Recommended by Jude.
AGAINST THE DAY by Thomas Pynchon (Penguin, Trade Paperback, $18.00) -
Pynchon's first novel in ten years is full of his amazing competing
storylines and characteristic inimitable turns of phrase.
GRIM LANDS - THE BEST OF ROBERT E. HOWARD VOL. 2 by Robert E.
Howard (Del Rey, Trade Paperback, $15.95) - A bit of Kull, Conan, Kane,
and even poetry in one volume!
GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD by Michael Chabon (Ballantine, Hardcover, $21.95)
- This historical adventure is much less serious than Chabon's previous
novels.
DVD New Arrivals
Will Return Next Month
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
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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